Kumudini Handicrafts

Pastoral themes have a marked presence in the store's merchandise, be it in the sari designs, the panjabis, or the hand-embroidered quilts. Each and every product in this store carries a piece of our culture and legacy.  

Ratna Singh, consultant to Kumudini Handicrafts, spoke on the essence of Kumudini. "Kumudini concentrates on 100 percent local products created by the hard-working craftsmen," she said. "Our teams comprise of Bangladeshi designers, and the majority of the fabrics that we use for our end products are sourced locally."

Since Eid is in the middle of summer this time, Kumudini has designed a huge selection of comfortable clothes in light materials and soothing colours. "This season we are heavily concentrating on light colours such as pale blue, yellow, cream, white, etc. in lighter materials like endi cotton and endi georgette," Singh added.

On the first floor of the store, there is a range of saris in silk and half-silk, with fine embroidery and intricate needlework. The colours are light shades of pink, peach, ash and blue, and the texture is smooth and shiny. These are slightly more expensive than block printed cotton saris, which range from Tk 2000-3000.  These are in vibrant colours of yellow, orange and green; some entirely covered with threaded designs and some with well contrasted block prints.

The range of Jamdani products is well sought after, especially during festivals. Singh believes it is because they take so much time in selecting the designs. "Jamdanis that you find at Kumudini are affordable and unique; these designs are not available anywhere else," he said.

Apart from the much celebrated women's line, Kumudini is also known for its classy men's wear and the entire second floor of the store is dedicated to cater to this market. Apart from elegant pieces in pure white cotton, there are also options in luxurious silk, to add a little oomph to formal occasions. 

They have worked on mellow colours like grey, off-white, lilac, black and beige, and depending on the embroidery on the silk and the half-silks, the price ranges from Tk1500-6500. There are also panjabis with block prints, and simple plain shirts in handloom and khadi. The handmade kotis are also very attractive.

"We are renowned for our white panjabis, but with time we have seen that demand for brighter colours has grown among men, and for that we have developed a remarkable range of attires in notable shades. There is also a wide range of Kolapuri sandals available, which pair well with traditional panjabi cuts." 

The extensive line of Kumudini products however does not end with attires. They also carry a large collection for home décor goods. "The ceramics that we carry include dinnerware, tea sets, etc., and all have ethnic designs imprinted on them."

"Suitable for personal use, as well as for gifts, we also have a wonderful compilation of nakshi kantha wall hangings."   

"Our products are 100 percent eco-friendly. We have everything in natural dyes ranging from saris and panjabis to bed-sheets and pillow covers. All of our natural dye products are extremely comfortable and trendy," she reiterated.

"Then there is our leather section with handbags, wallets, mini bags, all with traditional motifs and nakshi kantha designs. We also have a separate section to promote local artists of Bangladesh by displaying their art-works, books, music CDs etc; all of these can be purchased directly from our stores," Singh said.

So let's celebrate local artistry and help the survival of traditional crafts of Bangladesh by looking at all the beautiful things that Kumudini has to offer this Eid, at their outlet located on 74 Gulshan Avenue, Dhaka. 

By Mehrin Mubdi Chowdhury and Mormee Mahtab

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Model: Risila, Jolly

Wardrobe: Kumudini

Make-up: Farzana Shakil's Makeover 

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