The 8th instalment of the Annual Runway Dubai Fashion Show held between 18-19 November, 2021 at Marriott hotel Al Jaddaf, Dubai was a fashion enthusiast’s dream.The event’s staggering success this year is much more significant in the context of the post pandemic world. Its overwhelming success signals the revival of the global fashion scene. Annual Runway Dubai Fashion Show 2021 was even more significant for Bangladesh as one its top designers turned heads in the show. Dr Asma Sultana, Designer of Zoan Ash took the event by strom through her collection inspired by the elegant and resilient character of Queen Sisi of Austria. In a conservation with ICE Today, she spoke candidly about her experience and the future of Bangladesh’s fashion industry.
Designer
Zoan Ash
Could you please tell us about your collection at the Annual Runway Dubai Fashion Show?
Queen Sisi (Empress Elisabeth of Austria) was widely known for her beauty and affection for ordinary people, but she faced many challenges throughout her life. Her kindness, love for art and fashion, and resilient character was the inspiration behind this collection. I used black to show her elegance as she wore the colour after losing her child for the remainder of her life. Also, the camouflage fabric symbolised her fighting spirit, while zardozi and hand sequins were used to show royalty and her admiration for art. So this collection will make women feel like a queen and a warrior, which is precisely how every woman should feel.
How much do you enjoy representing Bangladesh through your designs? Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the weight of the responsibility?
Representing Bangladesh through my designs has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career. However, it often saddens me local designers do not get the recognition they deserve. Bangladesh manufactures garments for some of the biggest brands globally but hardly produces world-class designers. When I took it upon myself to close the gap, I was well aware of the pressure it might put on me. And, I can confidently say that the joy of accomplishment far outweighs the burden.
BANGLADESH MANUFACTURES GARMENTS FOR SOME OF THE BIGGEST BRANDS GLOBALLY BUT HARDLY PRODUCES WORLD-CLASS DESIGNERS
How do you envision Bangladesh’s fashion industry progression over the next five years? What role do you want Zoan Ash to play in it?
I hope that Bangladesh can reinvent its role in the global fashion industry in five years. Instead of being identified as a garment producer for other international labels, our country will be known for the talent it’s capable of generating. Concurrently, I want Zoan Ash to actively challenge this notion, with someone from the country representing the clothes with pride. The negative connotation associated with my nation is unfair and, ideally, will not persist much longer.