Simple, elegant and affordable

With Eid-ul-Azha knocking on the door, consumers are thinking twice before buying an ensemble for the occasion. After all, the pandemic will require most of us to stay indoors.

However, Eid comes only twice a year and if you have decided to buy festive outfits for you or your loved ones, our suggestion is to just go for it!

The Business Standard spoke to some of the renowned fashion houses and brands who have laid out their Eid Collection.

Kay Kraft

Kay Kraft had prepared a collection for Eid-ul-Fitr, which is being used during this Eid as well.

Kay Kraft Founder Khalid Mahmood Khan said, "Our Eid-ul-Azha collection focused on comfortable clothes which is pleasant to the eye and without a lot of designs. We have used bright colours to portray festivity. This year, customers are more aware of their expenditure and we have kept that in mind. There is a 20 percent discount on all items."

There are salwar kameez sets, sharis, and kurtis for women, and for men there are panjabis, casual shirts, polo shirts and t-shirts. Kay Kraft also has a range for children's; clothing items made of comfortable cotton for the young customers.

 "We have tried to make things easier for our customers so the option for online shopping is available. Moreover, we are using a bot on our website and social media page to address customer queries. We are using technology to ensure customers can become more involved with traditional fashion," he added.

He also said that all Kay Kraft showrooms are maintaining health and hygiene guidelines. The showrooms are open till 7pm and will remain open till the day before Eid.

Aranya

Aranya offers sustainable, high-quality artisanal products made from natural dyes, natural fibers, textiles and biodegradable materials.

Aranya's Eid Collection focused on summer colours, they used natural dye such as madder, catechu and Indigo in lighter and brighter hues.

The prices of Aranya's sharis range between Tk2000 to Tk25000, depending on the workmanship, natural colour and handloom textile.

For this Eid, Aranya is offering discounts at their physical shops as well as on their ecommerce platform so customers can continue to support Aranya's artisans through these difficult times.

Aranya's products are available for purchase from both the physical stores and also through their online platforms. To ensure social distancing, their stores are serving the customers by appointment.

Managing and Creative Director of Aranya, Nawshin Khair, said, "Aranya is a fair trade brand which measures people, planet and profit equally. We have faced many challenges in the past, but the recent pandemic has prompted many fashion leaders to rethink their current business model and reform new strategies more aggressively to work towards a more sustainable system, making human rights, climate and biodiversity core to their business strategy."

Sumaya Khan Couture

Sumaya Khan Couture is known for its salwar kameez sets, sharis, casual kurtis, office wear basics, dresses, and hand embroidered capes and blazers.

The owner and designer Sumaya Khan's aim for her brand was to bring back the 90's simple yet elegant fashion looks.

She said, "My materials depend on the quality of my embroidery, cuts and patterns. I personally design all my clothes but honestly, 90 percent of my ideas come from my mother's closet. As much as I like neutrals, I like bright colours too! But there is something very pure and unique about white which you cannot find in any other colour."

Most of Sumaya Khan Couture's dresses are made from materials such as muslin, velvet, jute cotton, raw silk, banarasi silk, chiffon, jamdani and georgette.

The men's collection was supposed to hit the market in April 2020, but the launch was postponed due to the pandemic.

The price of the kurtis range from Tk3,000 to Tk6,000. The bridal couture starts from Tk45,000.

Swapno Jatra

Swapno Jatra started in 2013 and mostly operates through their social media pages.

At the beginning, Swapno Jatra was selling taant sharis but gradually shifted to selling block-prints, screen prints and digital prints.

Their Eid Collection includes digitally printed sharis on shamu silk and georgette. There are floral prints and traditional motifs on bright blue, orange and red. Tasher Deshe, and Banophool are some of the names of their products.

The price ranges between Tk2600 and Tk3200, but extra charges are applicable for blouses and other materials.

Owner Rajan said, "We tried to bring a festive and elegant vibe to our Eid Collection. Our designs are such that anyone can pull them off if they want. We have had grandmothers and granddaughters buy the same sharis!"

He also said that the Swapno Jatra regularly makes bridesmaid outfits for weddings and functions like gaye holud.