Farhsa: Reimagining fashion in Bangladesh

19-year-old Masud Ashraf Taha dreamt of starting a sustainable, high-end international fashion brand that caters to Bangladeshis who are looking to buy affordable couture statement pieces from the comfort of their homes. With this dream in mind, Masud founded Farhsa in 2020, hoping to make it a home-grown fashion house based in Bangladesh.

As stated by their website, Farhsa is a name that represents a tendency to exhibit extremes in terms of material success. "When a customer buys from Farhsa, they are not only buying the clothes, but they are also buying the dream and vision we have curated for them. We don't make clothes, we make people's desires come true," stated Masud proudly.

The brand is attempting to create clothes that aren't simply high quality but will also tell a story and offer a collectible piece of history for interested clients. It caters to individuals wishing to make a fashion statement, show off their individual style, and stand out from the crowd.

Farhsa hopes to fill the gap in Bangladesh's luxury fashion market, and break out of the cycle of fast fashion. Each piece in their selective collection is custom-made for their clients, with a major focus on the details—from the quality of the fabric used to the hand-stitched embroidery. The brand also offers international shipping, currently serving clients in eight countries, including the US, UK, Italy, Dubai, Germany, Bangladesh, India, and Australia.

Most of their marketing is done organically, through word of mouth. The company is also planning to create video campaigns to showcase the story behind the brand in the future. Earlier this year, on the March 25, Farhsa launched its Spring/Summer collection with an exclusive fashion showcase at the Sheraton Hotel.

They also plan to rebrand their packaging and showcase a new and improved T-Shirt line through their "Reborn" campaign, launching at the end of August. Masud shared that he dreams of seeing Farhsa everywhere, from New York Times Square to Paris one day.

But running a brand at such a young age definitely comes with its struggles, more so when it comes to curating a unique collection in such a competitive fashion industry—particularly when there is a focus on catering to a young target demographic in Bangladesh. In contemporary culture, where everyone dreams of becoming an entrepreneur and owning their own brand, few realise the hardships and struggles that come with the reality of running a successful international brand.

Being passionate and having the drive to go above and beyond is not always enough. From investing time and money, to creating genuine connections, it is both the easiest and the most challenging time to become an entrepreneur right now. Knowing all that, Masud Ashraf Taha took the plunge into Bangladesh's competitive fast fashion industry, and the positive response Farhsa has received so far seems to prove it was worth it.