Mehendi…

Saturday, May 29, 2010 by mishu

Photo: Internet

Mehendi is one of my favorite things. The design and color are attract me a lot. Mehendi, also known as Henna, is made by crushing dried leaves of the plant Lawsonia Inermis. It is a decorative art that is applied as a part of daily life, festive occasions and weddings. The bridal mehendi designs are typically inspired by Mughal paintings or Ras Leela (Lord Krishna’s flirtations with his girlfriend, Radha and her friends) mixed in with motifs of paisley, flowers, elephants and peacocks. Drawings of a bride and groom or the bridal procession are common as well.

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Celebrate EID Fashionably with Aarong

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 by mishu

There is a reason why Aarong is at the forefront of the urban fashion-scene. Their innovative clothing line fuses ethnic wear with global trends using traditional Bangladeshi materials. This festive season,they celebrated their 30th Anniversary in a fashion show titled “Preview Eid 2009″ on August 27th at the Radisson Water Garden Hotel Dhaka.




The company I work for (Farzana Shakil’s Lifestyle and Promotions Ltd.) was the make-up and styling partner for this event, so I was in a mad rush styling with the show’s producers, working with the models and just running around. I’m glad I got a special preview during the photo-shoot that was held earlier in the month since I was incredibly busy during the show to actually focus on the runway.I was impressed by the various themes of the collection. Strong themes for the collection included a palette of 60′s flowers in bright colours matched with abstract patters screen printed on silks and crepes. This collection is called ‘Flower Power’.This unusual mix of patterns could turn out messy, but Aarong managed it in style.


Their collection titled ‘Tribal Craze’ is heavily influenced by the landscapes, cultures and traditions of the indigenous community. The Shalwaar- Qameezes have been paired off with belts and embellished with beads and shells throughout the thick embroidery. The silhouettes are very on-trend and figure-flattering. Contrary to last year’s mod short Qameezes, this year the trend is long Qameezes worn with Chriudaars.I loved the ‘It’s Natural’ collection that emphasized on natural dyes using dalim, indigo, manjit and khoyer. A-line Qameezes with empire waists were paired with skinny Churidaars.Their men’s line was also quiet impressive. ‘Uniform Trends’ was all about Panjabi’s in hand loom fabrics made in the military style. My personal favourite is the ‘Play Panjabi’ collection that features pockets and hoods on the Panjabi’s for a very sporty look.



These collections are available at all Aarong outlets throughout the country. I suggest you check them out before they fly off the racks.Aarong is a support enterprise of BRAC. A significant portion of their earnings are invested towards improving the socio-economic standards of disadvantaged artisans and underprivileged rural women of various communities.

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Fashion for Development

Friday, January 29, 2010 by mishu


An icon of the Bangladesh Fashion industry, Bibi Russell has single-handedly put Bangladesh on the global fashion map. Her commitment to the development and welfare of Bangladeshi weavers and support for the traditional crafts has been acclaimed world wide.

Bibi Russell graduated from the London College of Fashion and at her graduate show, was discovered by Harper’s Bazaar as a model. She became one of the most sought-after models of the 70’s and 80’s working with Chanel,Yves Saint Laurent,Valentino and Armani among others.

Bibi Russell has rediscovered the ancient craft of hand-weaving and helped the traditional handloom weavers gain international exposure and sustainable income.In 1995 she founded the company “Bibi Productions”. Her work provides a platform for over 35,000 weavers and artisans all over Bangladesh to utilize their talents. Bibi works with materials like cotton, khadi, silk, jamdani and jute. In the recent years, she has been experimenting with crochet in her designs. She does a spring-summer and fall-winter collection each year and exports to Europe and Scandinavia. Her collections – under the tag line ‘Fashion for Development and Positive Bangladesh’ promotes Bangladeshi fabrics and handicrafts for domestic and international markets.

Her first European show was in Paris, February 1996 titled “Weavers of Bangladesh”, organised with UNESCO. A year later, her collection “The Colours of Bangladesh” held in Palma de Mallorca, Spain was launched and supported by the Queen of Spain. With support from UNESCO and the British Fashion Council, she previewed her collection “Stars of Bangladesh” in London in 1998. Since then, she has participated in numerous fashion shows and exhibitions at home and abroad.

She received among others, the ‘Honorary Fellowship’ of the London Institute in 1999, title of ‘Designer for Development’ by the UNESCO in 1999, the title ‘Artist for Peace’ by the UNESCO in 2001 and the Peace Prize 2004 by the United Nations Associations of Spain.

I hope that there are more people out there who will follow in Bibi Russell’s footsteps by understanding the importance of prêt to make fashion more affordable and a source of income for the impoverished.

‘Bibi Productions’ is located at House- 45 (3rd floor), Road-27, Dhanmondi, Dhaka.

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