Dhaka Vintage: Promoting the art of curation

Fathia Tamanna always had an eye for vintage clothes and began collecting items such as cashmere shawls and benarasi sharis from a young age. 

There was no trend of thrift fashion in those days, but she simply did not like the idea of throwing things away. Whenever anyone cleaned up their wardrobes, she went and collected those old clothes from them. 

In 2019, with her lifelong collection of vintage clothes, accessories and decor pieces, Fathia started 'Dhaka Vintage', where she offers custom-made and one of a kind outfits by upcycling vintage pieces.

She said, "Over the years, spiritually, I was never into fast fashion. I always picked and curated vintage clothes and when I knew they had a story, it pulled me more towards them," adding, "I always believe in circular fashion and economy, I never liked wasting, and when all these aligned with my creativity, it came out as Dhaka Vintage."

She has turned banarasi sharis to blazers, made bomber jackets from satin sharis and even jumpsuits from cotton sharis. She has also used curtains and blankets to make sofa covers.

Even for her own wedding, Fathia wore a vintage shari and made her husband an upcycled coat from an old, embroidered pashmina shawl that she had curated from Pakistan.

Her Instagram handle is 'Beder Meye' (The nomadic daughter). Due to her father's job at Oxfam, she had to roam around the world; which is why she resonates with the nomadic life. 

Moreover, as a little girl, she was always inspired by 'bede' (gypsy or nomad) women. She loved their bright coloured outfits and 'bindi' on the foreheads. 

She said,"Bedes in Bangladesh are like gypsies; their style is so bold and fashionable and because I have travelled so much, I can relate to them. A lot of my style comes from them. They still wear clothes the vintage way."

One can reach out to Fathia through her Instagram account or Facebook page. People can customise the outfits by taking appointments at her studio.

Fathia takes help from a part-time pattern maker while she designs all the clothes. Customers can give their own fabrics or choose from the ones she already has in her collection.  

Fathia added, "I can make you something uniquely you. It is guaranteed that it will be something absolutely unique." 

Dhaka Vintage also tries to pay homage to our mothers and aunts who never throw anything away. 

The fashion influencer explained, "Traditionally, we never throw away old clothes - we either give them away to others or we turn them into mops or something useful. So, sustainability has been in our culture for a long time, even though now it is a very trendy word."

With hashtags like #90saunties #banglanostalgia on Instagram, Fathia wants others to join in her upcycling mission and spread the message of sustainability.  

You can find collections of jackets and coats by Dhaka Vintage at their stall in Jatra, along with some unique second hand items. Prices of each product vary with the level of customisation and sophistication. 

Starting from Tk500, the price range goes up to Tk20,000 or more. Some upcycled tailored suits may even go above Tk25,000, some thrifts go as low as Tk500.