Eastern Influence –
While studying law in LCLS with a dream of one day becoming the Prime Minister, Abtahee currently serves as the creative consultant for Yoda and Shop Hobe. He runs a lifestyle blog called Boujee Bangla which is not about collaborations and dedicated to helping brown men figure out the art of fashion. CultureCollab is his seasonal based event management which creates a space for musicians, artists, designers and everyone creative! A fan of dressing up from a young age, he made it a mission to dress well during his teen years. As the years progressed and his style gained praise, he was encouraged by people around him to drop a clothing line which was something he never wanted to do. The journey started with his best friend Prottoy after four-five months of research on the garment industry of the country. With the country at its core, the logo was created using tiger & water lily with white, black, gold which represents royalty and jute as well as green and red. With nothing but true commitment and money from their own pockets, they launched what they called “Eastern influenced Western wear” which was sold out in two days at an event and had to be restocked, only to be sold out in 13 days. A believer in capsule culture, they don’t restock, they make drops which have so far been basic t-shirts, sweatshirts and a black & baby pink collection, with statement pieces also being one of their specialties. They believe what differentiates them from others is their attention to detail and the brand itself. Challenging the norm, at University, Abtahee is found wearing sneakers, oversized t-shirts and a hat. While urging other brands to stop ripping off others, he tells the audience to give local brands a chance and to keep an eye out for the two outlets they plan to open in the next two years and eventually gain international recognition.

Gorur Ghash –
Having spent his formative years in Scholastica, Nahiyan dreamed of becoming a cricketer, only to eventually find an interest in entrepreneurship by selling daal and chaal to family members at the age of just nine and pursued further education in NSU. Fahim, an introvert completely obsessed with cars and architecture, also from the same school ended up in IBA.Ali, on the other hand, is an ambivert obsessed with fashion & photography who completed schooling at the Aga Khan School and completed his graduation from NSU. The three of them revamped GorurGhash into a clothing line upon Nahiyan’s proposal, after its operations as a poster store came to an end due to a loss of interest. The brand focuses on streetwear and so their main products are – shirts, t-shirts, jackets, pants and their well-loved kimonos. Not one to draw inspiration from the high fashion scene, their streetwear is influenced by the most random places including something spotted on the streets. The brand being all about fun and relatability is different from others because of its ability to provide the best quality at a reasonable rate. While Nahiyan is casually caught in jeans and crewnecks, Fahim usually wears skinny black jeans and polos with Ali spotted in full – sleeved shirts and chinos. Urging brands to be bold and brave by stepping out of their comfort zones, GorurGhash plans to dominate the online clothing space to eventually end up in the international scene.

Guzel –
Completing school from Scholastica, Nafiz is currently a business major. Extremely committed to his work, he has been a part of the fashion industry for almost two years now and it’s just the beginning. The brand came into being from Nafiz’s ardent desire to have something of his own. As a lover of fashion and design from a very young age, he used to design his own Punjabis at the age of just 13. His passion combined with the fact that his mother was in the clothing business for years, this desire didn’t seem that far-fetched. The initial feedback, although extremely shocking to him, made him realize that he was surely on the right path. The brand’s line includes punjabis, shoes and shirts as well as customized clothing for the wedding season. This, along with the fact that they make limited pieces for their Eid collections in just about five-six pieces most certainly differentiates them from other brands. If you find Nafiz outside, you’ll see him in Guzel’s super comfortable and trendy vintage shirts. Completely in awe of the sheer number of clothing brands in the country now, a believer in being the trendsetter, he urges people to experiment with clothes – something he himself practices with confidence. With this in mind, Nafiz sees a future in which where Guzel goes international.

RÂNOW-
Once graduating from Scholastica, Raniah went on to pursue her higher studies at University of Toronto right away. With a view to doing more with her life, she decided to take a gap year after her first year in university and started her own business. This direction isn’t surprising considering she knew she wanted to be a designer from her early teens. RÂNOW came to life after Raniah had saved enough money from her modelling career after returning to Dhaka. She had developed the sketches for the products while she was still in university, which she always knew were going to be anything but traditional clothing or typical western clothing. Which is why the brand is currently selling Charmeuse silk robes, Charmeuse silk bedding sets and active wear, a product line that will surely be diversified in the near future. This line is what differentiates her brand from others because of the sheer uniqueness and lack of availability anywhere else in the city. Always choosing comfort, Raina is usually found in mom jeans paired with a crop top or an oversized t-shirt. She feels that brands these days make similar things and so urges them to think outside the box. Keeping this mind, she views her brand’s future in a way where there’s more than just clothes to ensure no limit to what can be bought.

Urban Attire –
Safowan Farsin started Urban Attire in September 2018 after it had been rebranded from Accelfit which he had started with his cousin. Due to unavoidable circumstances, his cousin had to back out prompting him to find a new business partner with the help of Instagram. That one Instagram story helped him reconnect with an old friend from sixth grade. Asifur had expressed his interest in joining the business which worked for Safowan who felt that he trusted an old friend over strangers. Once the decision to work together was finalized, products were designed by Farsin himself based on answers from Instagram polls they hosted for their consumers. This helped them design products that their consumer base wanted. What started with just three t-shirts has now scaled to having three-four different products being released every month, which is quite a challenge for the two owners who are currently students. Affordable clothing is most certainly the brand’s differentiating factor, as they mostly cater to high school and undergrad students. The brand is currently focusing on raising donation for their charitable organization Urban Foundation through which blankets, food and clothes will be distributed in November. A true believer of the power of e-commerce, Safowan urges the youth to start businesses via e-commerce and work their way up. He believes it’s the perfect platform for the youth to showcase their work.