TRESemmé presents 5 years Celebration of The Lustrous Runway

The fifth edition of TRESemmé presents 5 years Celebration of The Lustrous Runway, fast becoming the country's premier fashion show, was held at the capital's Le Meridien Hotel. The glamourous event with a star-studded line-up was touted to bring together the biggest names in the fashion world from home and abroad.

The platform itself, The Lustrous Runway, was formed with the vision to "Redefine the future of fashion and integrate Bangladesh into the global fashion world." The platform aims to elevate designers to actual artists while providing a canvass to display their creativity. The event was held in association with BMW, Kohler and City Bank American Express. The entire project was conducted by Infinity Management Group. 

Karishma Khan, one of the organisers, stressed the importance of the event before it had begun. "We are planning on doing more than just a fashion show. For our fifth year, we have big plans. We wish to use this platform to connect aspiring designers with establish designers," she said, explaining that the plan was to eventually create a knowledge hub for designers.

"We will use this to promote knowledge on fashion, conduct workshops were aspiring designers will learn the more technical aspects of fashion and learn the things the local industry still doesn't have," she added. There are plans in the pipeline of holding 3-4 workshops with big name designers which will prove beneficial for others. Once the comprehensive training is done, the participants of the workshops would then have the opportunity of joining the Lustrous Runway and carve a name for themselves. 

Ali Faiyaz Shoumo, who also led the project, had a few more things to add. "We started in 2011 and it is pretty big now. We have made significant improvements from the production aspect over the years. Initially we didn't know how to put out the lights and do the choreography but gradually we have learned.

This time we got 3 designers from India and 3 local designers. All six of them are outstanding and we are expecting big things from them," he said. He further added how he wanted to make The Lustrous Runway into a South-Asian hub for designers from the region. 

The glittering night started off with Sarah Karim recreating the glamour of the Mughal era, followed by the boldness of Salita Nanda's designs, which wowed the crowd and left them clamouring for more. Then came Zurhem's "The Rebels of China', which can purely be described as a pure love affair with silk.

The suits in the crowd could be forgiven for feeling a little out-dated because Zurhem surely turned up the fashion level in the Le Meridien's Grand Ballroom. Agnimitra Paul and Anokhi were not to be left far behind as they too conjured up designs that were met with rounds of deafening applause.

Finally, it was the finale time with Neeta Lulla and even before celebrity showstopper Lisa Ray sauntered on to the stage, Neeta Lulla's creations had won the crowd over. 

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Celebrity showstopper Lisa Ray was wearing Sarah Karim.

TRESemmé presents 5 years Celebration of The Lustrous Runway was indeed a grand and glitzy affair and this platform is easily one of the most promising of its kind.

By Osama Rahman
Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Sarah Karim

Sarah Karim, a Bangladeshi fashion designer of Indian origin was one of the six fashion designers exhibiting their designs in the fifth year celebration of The Lustrous Runway. 

This talented fashion designer has her own brand, "Esquē couture wear", with a collection that boasts an amalgamation of modern day grandeur with luxurious style that dates back to the Mughal era. 
Her classy bridal wear are renowned for the intricate embroidery and detailed embellishments in enchanting and chic colours.

Although Sarah was always interested in fashion, it was never in a formal way. She opted to go for a master's degree in English literature instead of pursuing a career in the fashion industry. She did grow up knowing fashion, by helping with her grandmother, who at that time had her own clothing line. Sarah took over when her grandmother decided to retire, and now she confesses to love every second of it. 

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"My brand is basically an extension of my grandmother's line: Al Ehsan. We work with traditional zardosi, gotapatti, aari work and embroidery. Our designs embody the exquisite traditional antiquity depicting great craftsmanship of 35 years. And I always try to go with designs that I would want to wear," Sarah said of her brand.  

"The style we follow is more or less traditional, but the cuts are very modern. Our designs showcase the grandeur of the Mughal era but it is not limited to bridal wear; we make jackets, capes and kameezs with trendy cuts." 

This year, Sarah says the main idea is to give an antique look to the designs. "We have scrapped the idea of the regular gold and silver, and taken inspiration from the medieval or the later era. We have worked on palettes of beige and black and our collection is rich in intricate designs on georgette, chiffon, and silk dyed fabrics, in the same tones of beige and black. We also have stitched saris and ghararas." 

By Mormee Mahtab

Zurhem: Fashionably rebellious

I gripped my pen a little tighter, mentally forcing the ink to bleed upon the dry piece of paper and form intelligent questions. Before me, impeccably yet informally dressed, sat Mehruz Munir, the brain behind Zurhem, the hottest men's fashion label in the country. What got you into fashion, I asked first. "When I was growing up, I wanted a lot of cool clothes. My uncle was the one person who was always dressed in the nicest of clothes, imported shirts, pants and jackets,," Mehruz Munir, recalls. Mehruz struck off to follow his dream and enrolled in the London College of Fashion. Returning home, he started his own label, beckoning in a brand new and bolder era of Bangladeshi fashion. " I only do those things that are nice and interesting and inspired by something else. With my designs I try to fill the prevalent artistic void," he adds. While Zurhem does both bespoke and ready to wear, it is the latter that captures Mehruz's overreaching imagination best. " The ready to wear is more personal. It has no inhibitions, so for me, that is what reflects our work best," he says.

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Even in terms of favourite colour, Mehruz had just the right answer. "My favourite colour is white, because when I envision a design, I think of it in white. So white is the absence of colour which makes it the ideal colour." On his debut at TRESseme presents The Lustrous Runway 2016, Zurhem will be presenting their collection inspired by Mehruz's trip to China, titled 'The Rebels of China'. "This line reflects the silk, brocade and craftsmanship of China, captured as closely as possible. It is rebellious," he says because it is not true to form but rather a re-imagination of China's love for silk. 

The rebirth of Liberace had been promised for a long time and it seems Zurhem's styling is almost as bold, with a touch of Armani's class. Will Zurhem go on to becoming the most talked about feature of any fashion show they are in? It would be an utter tragedy if that weren't the case.

By Osama Rahman

Talking to Agnimitra Paul

The talented and charming Agnimitra Paul was among the Indian fashion designers who displayed their new designs at this week's "The Lustrous Runway" event presented by TRESemme. She showcased a collection based on Madhubani paintings from the Madhuban district of Bihar. She wanted to incorporate Madhubani paintings with western garments which resulted in a diverse collection of pieces that included long dresses, jumpsuits and much more.   When asked about how fashion has changed over the years, she said, "I think it's important we recognise that fashion will always be changing. If you flashback to twenty years ago, you will see that things were completely different. People were not as fashion conscious. 

"For me, it all started with the likes of Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai when they won the Miss Universe and Miss World pageants" she said.

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Agnimitra went on to say, "The fact that everything is now at our fingertips, also changed the way we look at fashion. You can now check out the New York Fashion week or Milan with just a click. I think people now want to look more presentable than ever."

Agni, affable as always, also talked about how she keeps up with current trends, stating that she gives the utmost importance to what kind of silhouette is coming in. "Colours are not so important to me as there are colours that work more in Kolkata then they do in Bangalore for example. For me, it is all about what kind of silhouette is trending," she added. 

Her fashion style is a fusion of Indo-Western and represents women who are confident and are looking for elegance over everything else. Agnimitra's label is under her own name and has been up and running since 1997. 

By Naveed Naushad

Neeta Lulla

'Fashion is life, and just like life, you should express your feelings freely'. These words by Neeta Lulla are a perfect definition of style she has been popularising over the years. Arguably one of the foremost designers of the world today, Neeta has styled some of the most visually captivating movies of recent times including 'Devdas', 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', 'Jodha Akbar' and 'Taal'. Her designs have wowed audiences the world over, including being featured to a global audience through movies like 'Bride and Prejudice', and 'Provoked'. 

Her visit to Bangladesh for TRESseme's Lustrous Runway 2016 was met with a frenzied clamour to witness the designer who dresses up Bollywood royalty. She has been favoured by Ashwariya Rai, Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra and Madhuri Dixit among others. She also has a number of National Awards to her name, further solidifying her credentials as a top designer. Her collection this time around also presented a number of breathtaking designs, embellished with the most striking of motifs, bringing to life vivid and colourful creations. 

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Her extravagant presentation of ethnic Indian wear has played a pivotal role in the acceptance of such fashion in the global mainstream, with lehengas for example, no longer restricted to the South-Asian subcontinent any longer. Neeta Lulla, the celebrity designer of this year's Lustrous Runway, is also one of the most sought-after bridal wear designers in the industry today. The reds, pinks, gold and yellows are the key features of her usual bridal designs, but she never hesitates to take it beyond that. She frequently conceptualises entirely new designs instead of putting a spin on an old one. Neeta Lulla is one of the most well-known names in the fashion industry today, and her creations were the show-stoppers this year.

By Osama Rahman

Salita Nanda

With a Bachelor's degree in Fashion Business from London College of Fashion, University of the Arts, and a Diploma in Fashion Design from Milan Fashion Campus, Salita Nanda's designs revolve around the world of art. Inspired by the concepts of cubism and surrealism by famous artists of the 18th and the 19th century, she tells different stories through her art. 

Bold colours and a unique take on abstract designs makes Salita Nanda's works standout. 

It was her fascination with prints and her love for fabrics that got her into fashion designing. Mostly,  experimenting with different fabrics, her work revolves around materials such as sheer fabric, organza and matte satin, as well as other rich fabrics with a delicate feel to the skin. Salita Nanda also adores incorporating vibrant hues in her patterns to make them fun and unique.  

She considers her work to be for those who are not afraid of being bold, independent and confident. 

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Comfort and confidence go hand in hand, and according to her, the entire outlook and persona changes when a person is comfortable in what they are wearing. Admiring the works of Indian designers such as Manish Arora, and even international designers such as Iris Van Herpen, she considers fashion to be a form of self-expression, just like art. 

Excited to be here in Dhaka, she hopes to meet new people with different perspectives, and thus, boost her creativity in the process. With her own label, 'Salita Nanda,' being only two years old, she has plenty of plans for the future.

From travelling to different parts of the world and discovering new fabrics to work with, to owning her own store - we can expect plenty of brilliant things from this talented young designer! 

By Adiba Mahbub Proma