Dressydale is no stranger to the local fashion industry. A journey that began in 1997 through the inauguration of a single outlet at Banani, the boutique has created a niche for itself in the last decade or so. Starting out with just three workers, the fashion house now has around 800 people; 22 designers recruited from the Fine Arts Institute and Fashion school graduates from abroad, as well as craftsmen working in the factory.
If Dressydale is the vision, Maya Rahman is the visionary. Strictly a family woman, she devotes her time entirely to work now that her three children are all grown up and she has more time at hand.
As the CEO of Dressydale, she personally monitors every step of the production process, starting from the initial designs to cutting, sewing and final fitting, ensuring the quality of every individual piece produced.
Dressydale is a boutique known for its exclusive saris and shalwar kameezes, as well as the panjabis and kurtis. The signature jamdanis have lured fashionistas of the city to its showrooms since inception.
Recently, they have introduced a new line of Indo-western wear consisting of interesting designer casual wear tops for the younger generation, attracting the teens and the twenties, and also the matured clientele.
On asking about her plans for expansion to a bridal collection, the designer talked about how she would like to capture the clients that either choose to go abroad for bridal shopping or simply opt for the generic designs of bridal wears that are imported.
She expressed a desire to introduce a package consisting of bridal wear for all the many events that make up a Bangali wedding, as well as custom made pieces made-to-order for the bride-to-be.
As well as the bridal couture, the new outlet to be inaugurated in Gulshan will also showcase a new line of printed crepe and silk saris. As she pointed out, this sort of work is not yet very popular in our country and the market for such saris is chiefly monopolised by exports from the neighbouring country. Maya Rahman expresses her desire to alter this current trend and thus bring the clients’ attention to the products made locally.
She firmly believes that if we can produce quality fashion wear within the country, people will have less motivation to spend their money elsewhere and do so to buy ‘deshi’ products. And also have a chance to wear original designs as opposed to the mass-produced imported products available.
Since its arrival in the Bangladeshi market, DD has helped to introduce the concept of “quality” and a sense of style in the fashion industry. As a designer, Maya Rahman not only seeks to improve the aesthetics of the designs she creates but she also believes in redirecting the customers towards the local products and help it grow.
In her own words, she could not have put it better that, “any Bangali wedding is incomplete without one jamdani sari no matter what other clothing you choose to wear on this occasion”- one must appreciate her perception of our deep rooted cultural beliefs and her effort to preserve it.
Source: The Daily Star, June 03, 2009
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