Proudly Made in Bangladesh

The Heritage Collection by Shamima Nabi

The brainchild of Shamima Nabi – NABILA collections are known for all over the country for their beautiful designs and quality. In conversation with the brilliant mother-daughter duo Shamima Nabi and Nabila Nabi, Rafa Mashiyat Zahid finds out more about their recent collection and all the thoughts and sentiments that went into it

In the 80s when female entrepreneurs were extremely rare, Shamima Nabi set out to build her own garments manufacturing company. In the 1990s, she combined her passion for fashion and her experience in the clothing industry to launch her own label NABILA, named after her daughter Nabila Nabi.

Fast forwarding to the present date, Nabila is a brand to be reckoned with when it comes to designs and quality. While Shamima Nabi is the primary designer, her daughter Nabila now handles marketing, but is also a designer in her own right with her Nabila Nabi Line of modern-ethnic apparels.

Their most recent collection is from the Shamima Nabi Line and consists of heavy-duty party wear for him and her. The beauty of this collection lies in its choice of fabric. Gorgeous Jamdani and Muslin from local weavers are used in combination with imported silks. Now someone might hear jamdani and immediately think of their mothers’ saree. But rest assured, this collection will change the general perspective on traditional fabrics.

“Jamdani is such a beautiful fabric. I make sure that the original motif of the fabric doesn’t get lost when I work on it. Rather I work on the fabric in a way that enhances them,” says Shamima Nabi. This collection weaves into our traditional fabrics, making sure the fabric doesn’t lose its identity.

Considering how much we are influenced by the Bollywood way of life, we are losing our culture and heritage to commercialisation. As a nation we are more accepting of trends that our neighbors aresetting than our own. While inspiration is not bad, but following others blindly will eventually lead to us losing our own identity. Bangladesh has a rich history of fabrics and it’s a shame we are not making use of what we have. With this collection NABILA shows that outfits made from jamdani and muslin can be glamorous, trendy while still retaining its heritage status. Although they faced much resistance when they were conceptualizing this line, they fought for it because this truly showcases traditional fabric while showing their true potential. This is what will ultimately make us stand out and really glorify our culture.

“We were truly surprised by the acceptance of this line by the people,” says Shamima Nabi when asked about it. The younger generation now are leaning towards all things heritage. Be it their outfit or their jewelry, traditional is absolutely in fashion now. Therefore, the concept of a glam jamdani lehenga is perfect for any fashionista out there. Also breaking ground are the jamdani and muslin based kurtas and sherwanis.

Breaking away from the mold, we are slowly but surely coming into our own. Nabila says, “The men and women who represent our country should wear more homegrown labels and be just as proud wearing it. Representation of our culture and heritage is what will eventually make us stand out”.
“We need to be able to say proudly that the outfit was made in Bangladesh” says Nabila Nabi when explaining why representation is so important. The dream behind this collection is not profit but recognition for the country and our local weavers and that is what sets this collection apart and makes it special.