While the city was shivering with the December cold waves, Zurhem decided to amp up the heat and gave the fashion-goers of Dhaka another spectacular show. The organisers turned the garden of Hotel InterContinental Dhaka into an amazing ramp and did total justice to the show which was titled, A walk in the Garden. This time, instead of showcasing their avant-garde collection, the house presented their first-ever ready-to-wear collection, informed Saadat Chowdhury, the Chairperson of Zurhem to an exquisitely elite squad of guests eagerly waiting to be enchanted with the spectacular collection of Mehruz Munir, the creative director of the house.
As the models started sashaying down the ramp, cameras started flashing and the audience looked jubilant. Once again, the most talked after couture brand of the country got everyone spellbound. When asked about the inspiration behind this year’s collection, Mehruz said, “With the menswear, I took elements of British tailoring and paired it with that casual spirit of men’s fashion in southern parts of France or any coastal towns in Europe.” The plan was to offer a line of casual, comfortable yet layered and chic looks for the men of today. “I also kept in mind the ongoing pandemic and how most of us have developed a certain sense of ease in the way we dress. If you look closely, I believe you will notice how the garments now don’t have that restrictive qualities that you expect from a label with a strong tailoring background, ” he added. “Almost everything has drawstrings, or elastic bands and some room to grow in (if needed) because how many of us are regularly hitting the gym right now?”, Mehruz pointed at the standstill that has been imposed upon us, thanks to the COVID-19.
For the women’s collection, Mehruz went with that “easy to slip on” and “ready to go” attitude. “I used a lot of florals, geometry, and simple prints,” he stated. Although the main focus on the womenswear is finishing and the quality, a lot of the garments are flow-ey, soft, breathable, and yet elevated luxe, and kind of cheerful. “The last thing we need right now is a dark and moody collection in a pandemic, and I guess my whole approach towards fashion has slightly changed.”
While the night ended with chitchats over drinks and foods, the collection has already created a buzz hitting the stores the next morning. The response has been tremendous so far. With so many styles to pick from, a wide array of sizes and price points, they wanted to offer a diverse collection for their clients.
Zurhem had a good run in the market for being known as a bespoke suiting salon for five years, but this time the minds behind the brand are truly on cloud nine to see how well their ready-to-wear division has received alongside their bespoke division that already does so well.
Photographs from Studio Lorenzo