-By Mokshika Chauhan
Faiza Ahmed, an artist, designer, and fashion activist, has witnessed the rapid development of fashion trends. She was unhappy about the significant decline of Bengali elements in mainstream fashion, despite her appreciation for many of these changes. She started Manas, a design studio that combined exceptional craftsmanship with contemporary design to create a stunning dress line. Her magical touch adorns each sari in a very different way than what our eyes are accustomed to seeing.
Manas kicked off its journey with a fascinating piece in which the incredible Beatles band was ntegrated into the sari’s design. This was Faiza Ahmed’s method of demonstrating that, when done well, a sari can be just as lively and fun as a shirt with the Beatles printed on it, as we have all seen.
Another shocking creation by Manas is their slips. Ahmed is of the opinion that petticoats should not be worn because they are seen as undergarments and cause unnecessary discomfort. She broke away from the notion that you must match the petticoat with the sari and must not let it show at any cost by introducing a sharp contrast, such as the possibility of pairing a black sari with a hot pink petticoat. This not only makes the basic petticoat an essential component of the ensemble, but it also gives the sari a more playful appearance.
Ahmed really discusses of another piece of craftsmanship, her Tagore chithi sari; a delightful letter that Tagore had sent to Bashontika, his closest friend. Faiza Ahmed put her whole existence into focusing on it, finding and gathering any unaccounted for part, regardless, looking through out the stamp that was used in Tagore’s opportunity to post the letters, before making everything into this one sari. Unfortunately, before she could introduce her creation, her plan was copied.
