The Fashion Design Council of Bangladesh (FDCB) pulled out all the stops for their first Khadi Festival in December last year, and their efforts paid off immensely.
An enthusiastic Maheen Khan, President of FDCB and the creative force behind Mayasir, told the Dhaka Tribune about the immense response the maiden event generated. “We had people taking an interest in khadi, placing orders, starting conversations about local textiles, which is precisely the kind of response we had been hoping for” she tells us.
With such high standards set last year, they’d really have to outdo themselves this year. Judging by the lineup, the titans of FDCB have risen to the challenge.
On December 9-10, the second annual TRESemmé presents Khadi Festival will be held at Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel.
This year’s line-up features sixteen Bangladeshi designers, as well as guest designers from India, Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, showcasing their designs, all based on khadi fabric. Just as last year had a theme - local crafts - this year’s theme is architecture. Eight of our local heritage sites have been selected as “muses” for the designers. The Bangladeshi line-up comprises a combination of seasoned veterans as well as promising newcomers into the industry, as one of the aims of the FDCB is to promote and support young talent.
As further cause of excitement for the local designers is that they have managed to import yarn to create homespun fabrics with a higher thread count than is currently produced in Bangladesh. This means an output of finer quality khadi. “The lack of innovation of our local looms yields a coarse material, which is alright for the winter months, but lacks versatility in the summer months” Maheen Khan rues. “We are hoping to raise awareness about this issue and follow the example of our neighbouring countries, who have invested so much into this green fabric (khadi has almost a zero carbon footprint, and uses significantly less water than other textiles) that they can do amazing things with their fabrics. With a little improvement in the tools of the trade, we can not only produce finer khadi, but create employment for women in the safety of their homes, as well as holding our own in a manner that is ecologically sustainable” she adds.
As with the first festival, the runway event will run parallel to an exhibition of khadi fabrics and products, and there will be a presentation by textile experts sharing their experience of working with khadi.
TRESemmé reprises its role as title sponsor for the event. Green Delta Insurance, Bengal group, City Bank and Senora have signed on as Silver Sponsors, Sailor, DRIVEN by BMW are Bronze sponsors. The event is supported by Pizza Hut, Posmi Sweaters, and Hotel The Way Dhaka. Media partners include Maasranga Television and Radio Foorti.
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