Zoan Ash the newest designer label in town

Having launched the line sometime in summer 2015, she speaks of her biggest inspiration: Paris.  The fashion capital of the world, its glitz and glamour has always intrigued and fascinated her, from where her love for dresses and designer labels and celebrities grew. From there came her big goal to create a couture line on an international level.

"I have always loved Paris. My biggest inspiration came from this place, their glamorous style always mesmerises me, and this line is specifically inspired from them," says Sultana.

The collection that Zoan Ash currently boasts is specially made from velvet and lace. Sultana has used rich velvet materials and Chantilly lace embellished in sequins, stones, and zari, which are exclusively hand-crafted.

The store is located in Banani, where some pieces from her collection are displayed. This is a couture line where the clothes are made according to client's measurements and designs. There is a scope to choose colours and designs from what they have in their collection, and have a dress made according to one's taste.

The saris of this label have a sense of elegance and style, all embodied in one. As Sultana mentioned, she is very cautious about quality control and is using the best quality lace and velvet. They are picked up from Paris, Dubai and Singapore. The cuts of the blouses are bold, yet chic. Noteworthy are her high-necked, sleeveless blouses. The embroidery done in stones and zari make them more exclusive. They also have variations of their own, one having a low-cut back embellished in sequins and stones in black velvet.

The lace saris are really classy, having sequinned borders and various different motifs on the body of the sari and the anchal. There is no doubt that the saris are going to be timeless pieces, and are absolutely gorgeous. Heads will definitely turn if you walk into a party in one of these saris.

Her collection also has saris which are custom-made like a dress, where the client doesn't have to do the pleats and drape. The sari is stitched like a dress, and all the client has to do is wear it like a skirt, and pin up the anchal part with the blouse. This would be great for people who do not know how to drape saris or do not have time to do it, but still want to wear them.

The kameezes by Zoan Ash are equally fashionable and the colour of the laces is vast, ranging from yellow to grey to red to deep blue. Sultana has used various cuts for the sleeves and the neckline and at the bottom of the dresses. The stone-work has different designs, some contrasting with the colour of the material while some complement it.

There are also kameezes made out of velvet, with a specific teal dress with embellishment done in copper which is absolutely stunning.  The only drawback would be that not everyone will like all the various cuts but that would not be a problem as all the dresses are made to suit the client's requirements, so one can easily change the design and cuts while ordering.

The gowns in lace and velvet are eye-catching. The bold colours and contrasting embroidery makes the pieces exceptional. And because they are custom-made, one can easily order according to the length they require, and can also choose the type of cut they want. Sultana designed her gown in various styles with column cuts and A-line cuts. She further mentioned that the tail cut is very in, and would design them if any client wants.

And lastly Zoan Ash boasts a line of cocktail dresses that are quite sophisticated and classy.  These dresses have been done in solid colours, ranging from ash to black to white to red. The grey and the white dresses present on her rack are gorgeous. They are bound to give that dressy feeling, and when paired with proper heels and a clutch, they are sure to rock.

The line currently does not have any accessories on their shelves except the clothes, but Sultana mentioned her future plans to design clutches to complement the dresses.

The store has an aura of sophistication, and she plans to take her label into the international level. "Bangladeshi people have an idea about the international designer labels, and a section of people do buy them regularly. I want to take this label to an international platform where people from other countries will know about it and purchase it as a designer label from Bangladesh. I want this label to create that platform and that name for Bangladesh," Sultana said.

Zoan Ash already is gaining recognition, with a show to be held in Paris this year sometime in October. It is a high-end brand and the clothes are pricey, but given the quality and the designs, one cannot complain. The drawback would be that this line does not design casualwear and there are no plans to do that in the future either. They completely focus on formal, dressy party wear. They also have an option where clients can hire them as a personal stylist, for a period of time like a year or for a couple of months, and Zoan Ash will provide clothes for all their special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries and weddings throughout that time period.

The specific line Zoan Ash currently has is in laces and velvets. This might sound limited to some consumers, but they have plans to start designing their next range sometime later this year with other materials.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed
Model: Tania
Wardrobe: Zoan Ash
Make-up: Farzana Shakil
Styling: Isha Yeasmin