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Over the years, the home-grown fashion and design industry in Bangladesh has been flourishing owing to the increase in younger blood talent who have been unafraid to take a leap into their passion and calling.
The resulting trend has seen a spike of local designers and brands who offer high-quality products at reasonable prices in tune with the demands of today’s globally exposed and evolved consumer.
This, coupled with the demand for locally made products, is on the rise in Bangladesh and has further increased owing to the pandemic when consumers were forced to explore homegrown options due to supply chains being cut off because of nationwide lockdowns and delivery delays.
Apparel Resources (AR) puts the spotlight on three home-grown accessory labels in the field of footwear, bags and other soft accessories that are taking the fashion world by storm and are worth noticing owing to their attention to detail, marketing practices and curation.
Catering to women aged between 15 and 45, Monroe Khussas offers unique, detailed footwear at a reasonable price point. The brand not only sells juttis, but also provides a unique selection of women’s accessories including potlis, jhumkas and velvet boxes.
Founded in February 2017, Monroe Khussas is the brainchild of friends turned business partners Badria Anis and Sahar Rahman.
The USP of the brand’s juttis and potlis is that these are hand-crafted by Bangladeshi karigars, and are available in very limited quantities in order to preserve the exclusivity of Monroe products.
Design elements are handwoven over juttis that come in materials such as silk, velvet, georgette, etc., and stand out as the brand’s signature since each khussa is made in accordance with the timeless style that Sahar Rahman Boutique has come to be known for.
Catering to women aged between 15 and 45, Monroe Khussas offers unique, detailed footwear at a reasonable price point. The brand not only sells juttis, but also provides a unique selection of women’s accessories including potlis, jhumkas and velvet boxes.
The entire designing process for the juttis is conceived at the Sahar Rahman Studio where Sahar’s skilled team of karigars create the intricately detailed crafting on selected materials. These are then passed on to Badria, who takes up the final responsibility of manufacturing the end product at her factory.
Manufacturing sizes that start from 35 going up till 40 in footwear, the shoe design itself is of the ballerina that ensures that the footwear is comfortable and does not hurt the feet like traditional nagras.
“The main materials or fabrics that we work with for shoes, bags and accessories primarily comprise silks and velvets for the base cloth material of the khussas or potlis, whilst in terms of the various stone settings, we work with rhinestones, pearls, beaded stones, etc.” Badria Anis told AR, in an exclusive interview.
“Our products are built to international standards. The khussa itself is made using faux leather, and we also do a lot of detailed colourful thread work on our products,” she added.
In order to ensure product quality, the brand curates its styles based on the best quality raw materials that can be sourced. Monroe also makes an effort to get components from Bangladesh based on the quality of its goods.
The collections that the brand comes out with are mostly season-based, spanning Casual Summer, Winter Wedding, Pop Of Spring drops. It also has limited edition Eid ul Fitr, Eid ul Azha, Pohela Falgun, Boishakh, Valentine’s Day edits. Sometimes the brand even tries to do surprise drops to keep the freshness intact and to enhance engagement.
Monroe Khussas currently retails online via the brand’s dedicated social media handles on Facebook (Monroé) and Instagram (@monroe_khussas), with its stocks being available for clients to try at Gulshan 2, House 7, Road 77, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The brand also retails via multi-brand outlet Grand Boulevard and is working on launching its own e-commerce website soon, as it focuses towards expanding as an international brand.
Bangladesh-based fashion accessories and home goods label FÈATH started its journey in the world of fashion to help bridge the gap between luxury and affordability. It offers a selection of jewellery, bags and shoes priced between BDT 300 and BDT 3,000, as well as home products that are priced onwards of BDT 1,500.
Brainchild of Tasneem Mannan, FÈATH offers a wide range of precisely curated products based on latest global fashion trends that are sourced from top fashion destinations in Asia including Thailand, Malaysia and China.
Aiming to provide budget-friendly luxury, FÈATH offers a selection of jewellery, bags and shoes priced between BDT 300 and BDT 3,000, as well as home products that are priced onwards of BDT 1,500.
The brand boasts of an apt tagline ‘The luxury you can afford’, all the while upholding the highest standard of quality in order to retain customer loyalty and satisfaction. The target market of the brand includes women aged between 16 and 50 years, who are looking for something fashionable, modern and chic that is also affordable.
“We don’t compromise on quality in the name of providing economical products and it is like an add-in for the customers, getting their hands on both affordable and superior items,” Tasneem said.
FÈATH poses as a unified solution where you can find almost everything that you need under one roof. Right from providing superior and luxurious products, to selling them in an affordable price range, packed in premium packaging, FÈATH actively takes care of all aspects of consumer demand.
Bangladesh-based fashion accessories and home goods label FÈATH started its journey in the world of fashion to help bridge the gap between luxury and affordability. It offers a selection of jewellery, bags and shoes priced between BDT 300 and BDT 3,000, as well as home products that are priced onwards of BDT 1,500.
Based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, FÈATH is currently and solely curated by Tasneem who prioritises two powerful tactics while developing her collections:
In terms of trends that will do well for the season, Tasneem forecasts bright, vibrant, timeless and statement fashion pieces that would encourage women to dress up, go out and feel joy, as they return to the new normal.
“But regardless of time and season, I feel it is important that we follow the trends and styles which feel close to us and help us define who we truly are,” Tasneem highlighted.
FÈATH products are available for purchase on the brand’s official Facebook page which goes by the name feath.official, and on Instagram as @feath.official. The brand is currently working on expanding its product offering and foraying into clothing along with home decor products in the near future.
Home-grown footwear and accessories brand Bariq caters to women aged between 20 and 40 years and offers one-of-a-kind assortment of footwear and accessories ranging from jewellery, sunglasses, jewellery boxes to purses, amongst others.
With a goal to bring international trends in footwear and accessories to the heart of Bangladesh, Bariq began its journey three years ago, with an emphasis on locally made products by Bangladeshi craftsmen.
Owing to its product quality and affordable pricing strategy, the brand has been quick to gain not only local, but also international eyeballs, further strengthening its position in the market.
Brainchild of Badria Anis, who is a Pharmaceutical Chemistry Graduate from the University of Toronto, the brand came to life when she decided to move back to Bangladesh to join her family business.
Bariq caters to women aged between 20 and 40 years and offers one-of-a-kind assortment of footwear and accessories ranging from jewellery, sunglasses, jewellery boxes to purses amongst others.
Bariq essentially means ‘glitter’ in Arabic. Crediting their inspiration for the same, the brand decided to add an element of rhinestone as a design statement in each pair of footwear it makes, in order to stand out from other brands available in the market. It offers sizes from 35 to 41.
Home-grown footwear and accessories brand Bariq caters to women aged between 20 and 40 years and offers one-of-a-kind assortment of footwear and accessories ranging from jewellery, sunglasses, jewellery boxes to purses, amongst others.
Its wedding collection, which offers a range of footwear featuring chunky rhinestones on satin silhouettes on heels and hand beaded embroidery on leather and fabric, is priced onwards of BDT 3,500++.
Its midline features a fusion of glamour and comfort, and offers medium-height heels or flats with a single line of rhinestone detailing over leather and fabric. This line is priced between BDT 2,500 and BDT 3,600.
To meet the demand for casual, comfortable everyday wear, the brand additionally offers a casual line which is priced between BDT 1,800 and BDT 2,600.
The brand’s bestselling styles include its footwear made using cellulose transparent uppers with rhinestone detailing, and its nude-coloured leather heels accentuated using stones.
Bariq manufactures all its designs in-house and does not outsource any of its production elsewhere. The only thing it outsources are its raw materials such as the rhinestones it uses, and most of its faux leather material.
The team travels once a year to find new vendors for its raw materials. Currently, the brand is trying to develop rhinestone uppers in Bangladesh as well.
Interestingly, the leather used on the outside of their shoes is locally produced, while materials such as rhinestones and faux leather are usually outsourced from Dubai and Malaysia.
“Islampur is a very rich market for fabric sourcing. We usually go to the old town region to procure hardware for our shoes,” Badria said adding, “We also work with tanneries located in the old town region for our local leather sourcing, apart from outsourcing them from Malaysia, Dubai and China.”
Bariq’s head office and warehouse are located in Dhaka, Bangladesh and are currently available for purchase only online, via its website and its Facebook and Instagram pages, and it is in the process of focusing on its offline store in an effort to strengthen its Direct-to-Consumer model.
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