Fashion Design Council of Bangladesh presents Tresemme Khadi 'the future fabric show'
A hand spun fabric that illustrates the rich heritage and culture of Bangladesh, khadi is a striking produce by the most talented weavers of our country. For decades, people in Bangladesh have shared a unique bond with khadi, not only for its simplistic style, but also for a sense of patriotism and pride.
On this note, Star Lifestyle engaged in a tête-à-tête with designer and fashion connoisseur Riffat Reza Raka on her upcoming work at the Khadi Festival 2017.
Raka is a graduate of Computer Science but her true passion always lied in fashion designing. She pursued her second major from Fashion and Designing Institute (FID) before she embarked on her journey to make her dreams come true. True to the roots, her designs have impressed and won the hearts of many. And this year, she hopes to do no less.
Every year, the Khadi Festival has a unique theme.
Khadi Festival 2017 is dealing with traditional crafts of our country. This includes – rickshaw art, calligraphy, shankha (conch shell), motif in grillwork and much more, each assigned to a different designer.
"I was required to work with paper-cutting as a theme in my first Khadi Festival, and amazingly it impressed the audience," Raka beamed.
She further emphasised the legacy of khadi by highlighting the hard work of the local weavers. "Khadi is a fabric enriched with our history and heritage; it is definitely an opportunity to give something back to the weavers. Bengalis share a special bond with khadi and each time we wear it, our heart swells with pride. Every hand-crafted khadi fabric has a story to tell and it is now in our hands to preserve those beautiful stories!" Raka said.
This year, the specialty in her design would be calligraphy, including patriotic verve. Raka has been working very hard to present the designs in a unique way that appeals to customers of all age and background, sharing the love for our country and khadi.
"It is a popular notion that khadi is a coarse fabric, not worthy of daily wear. However, the fabric showcased at the festival is highly refined and comfortable," mentioned the designer.
Her clothing line at the Khadi Festival 2017 will include tops, trousers, saris and trendy shalwar kameez for all.
Raka has exciting plans for all age groups in subtle and muted colours. With Bangladesh, persistently becoming modern and global, Raka's expectation as a designer also grows. She dreams of a time when every Bangladeshi would claim khadi as their favourite fabric and we only wish her dreams to come true!
By Mayesha Raidah
Photo: Riffat Reza Raka from Khadi Festival 2016
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