English/Nat
In a fashion world usually characterised by big money and big names… a bit of compassion came to the London catwalks — by way of Bangladesh.
London-trained model-turned designer Bibi Russell launched her debut collection to open this year’s London Fashion Week.
Russell’s line of clothing benefits thousands of weavers and tailors in Bangladesh — many of them left homeless and penniless in recent devastating floods.
But there was no mourning on Thursday night during a show that was about teaching the fashion world about the stars of Bangladesh.
No ‘supermodels with attitude’ here.
At Bibi Russell’s debut London showing on Thursday night, the mood was one of celebration and colour.
The model-turned-crusader designer sold most everything she owned to bring 16 young students she trained as models from Bangladesh.
They’ve been living out of her London studio — training for Thursday’s event for the past month.
Russell says she took what she learned as a London fashion student, and then as top 1980’s catwalk model — when she began to launch her line.
But her programme will be unique this London fashion week, not just because she’s using only amateur models.
Bibi’s line of clothing — known as Fashion for Development — is entirely made in her homeland, by weavers and tailors using traditional methods once almost lost for good.
With the help of Unesco and micro-credit programmes like the Grameen Bank, Russell has provided work for more than 35-thousand weavers.
Many of them saw their livelihoods wiped out by the recent floods that devastated the country’s weaving centres.
That prompted Bibi to make an appeal with the launch of her new collection.
The Unesco General Director was the first to respond — with a 25-thousand dollar pledge to help flood vicitms.
But Russell hopes to earn more than aid pledges — she’s hoping to find buyers for her colourful line of clothing and keep her weavers in business.
Before Thursday’s show, it was business as usual backstage.
But this time, as assistants ironed and stylists designed, all the materials for the show were unpacked from crates.
Everything comes from Bangladesh — and all of it is natural or hand made.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
“All from scratch. There is no zip because I do not use artificial things. the buttons and everything, so it’s quite tough. But at the end of the day you are happy because you are creating something maybe difficult, but it’s something, you know, you get a lot of mental satisfaction.”
SUPERCAPTION: Bibi Russell, Designer
Russell calls her workers the Stars of Bangladesh, a theme reflected in many of the hand-printed clothing worn in the show.
And while some of the items may not be commonly seen on the average London High Street, audience and fashion critics alike said the vibrance of the colours and models may give Russell the sales boost she needs to launch a successful new line.
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