The Cotton Chronicles: Tale of the white gold

Mahmudul Hasan – a fashion designer and stylist has brought some revolutionary changes in the fashion industry. On a quiet afternoon, we indulged in a rendezvous to discuss his work and penchant for local fabrics such as cotton.

Mahmudul Hasan is not only a fashion guru in our country; rather his line of work has been widely applauded internationally as well. His work was portrayed in Islamabad Fashion Week 2013 and he is now currently invested n his own design studio, Amour, which was previously a work shop.

As a child, drawing has always been his forte. Ten years into the fashion industry, his specialty in designing has made him revered by the masses. He beamed with pride as he talked about cotton, his favourite fabric to work with. Bangladesh is a country rich in resources and talent where weavers are excellent in producing handloom cotton. Given the right support and training to the weavers, textile, and particularly clothing, industries will flourish.  

As a fashion whiz, he perceived how people's tastes are changing. Major parts of the populace want to get closer to nature. They have a better understanding of fashion that is founded from the unique strength of our local products and designs.  People now prefer clothing from local retail stores specially made from local materials. And, given how most fashion houses have evolved into creating their own signature styles, consumers no longer should opt for apparels from adjacent countries. 

Mahmudul Hasan is content about the way local industry has grown over time. Clothing industry is now highly globalised and most people are now exposed and aware of global trends. To cater to such needs, he has designed a fusion of clothing made from hand loomed cotton incorporating both eastern and western style. All his collection is dependent on the changing seasons. This autumn, he created his collection using 'taant,' a hand woven fabric, enhanced with block printing and embroidered embellishments.  

He cherishes the versatility of cotton and his designs aim to show that.  Milk white is the colour of the fabric where he used fall colours such as green, yellow-orange and pastel shades to create small embellishments. He believes that cotton is an extremely adaptable fabric; it can be dyed very easily and can be worn on any occasion from fashion shows to daily wear. What he said was most important for him was to create designs that emanates the natural beauty of each individual and complements their feature. And, as such his hand embroidered designs in long dress, cape and, pants are truly commendable.

Mahmudul Hasan is not only a fashion guru in our country; his line of work has been widely applauded internationally as well. His work was portrayed in Islamabad Fashion Week 2013 and he is now currently invested in his own design studio, Amour, which was previously a work shop but has now developed into a retail store providing customised designs for his clients. When he is not designing, he remains occupied with photo shoot direction with various brands such as Aarong, Sciccoso, Ecstasy any many others.

As a prominent face in the industry, he noticed how young neophyte designers do not get enough support and appreciation for their talent as they enter the industry. And, as such they are often forced to quit on their passion and resort to alternative ways of producing mainstream clothing like those copied from abroad.  A huge number of human resource is being wasted as creative youth do not get the opportunity to showcase their work. He suggests collectively supporting the young talent, for the industry to reach it new heights. 

By Mayesha Raidah

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Model: Isha

Wardrobe: Amour Design Studio By Mahmudul Hasan 

Make-up: Farzana Shakil's Makeover Salon