Groove: Dignifying local fabrics with splendour

Bangladesh has a rich history of woven fabrics. We are known for making exquisite fabrics like muslin, khadi and silk. 

Groove, a Bangladesh-based luxurious apparel brand, is selling limited edition, designer collections of such local fabrics.

The brand has already made a name for creating ethnic and luxury pret (high end stitched salwar suit) and formal wear.

The best part of Groove's collections is that all the clothes are made from custom-made, handwoven fabrics.

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The owner Tamanna Moureen loves to experiment and she has introduced several new fusion fabrics.

Last year, the brand launched a series of khadi-silk collections. As the name suggests, the material khadi-silk is a fusion of 70% khadi and 30% silk.

Besides khadi-silk, the brand has also proudly introduced fabrics like jamdani-silk and kota-muslin.

"It usually takes us four months to produce 22 metres of a particular fusion fabric and we only take orders till the stock of fabric lasts," Moureen informed us. 

Groove started its journey in 2017 as an online brand and after a year of running successfully, Moureen opened the 'Groove Studio' in Baridhara in 2018.

"On one hand, I believe a designer brand must have a physical establishment so that the clients can examine the products in person," she said, adding, "on the other hand, I did not want to open any mainstream outlet or showroom, so I opened a studio."

According to Moureen, busy with shopping for expensive international brands, we barely think about our local designers and artisans. 

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"I started Groove in 2017 out of love for our local materials and with an aim to uphold the impeccable craftsmanship and intricacy of designs by our artisans," she said.

Blended with ethnic decor and contemporary needs, the studio is one of a kind and a perfect example of how a lifestyle and fashion studio should be.

Apart from products, the studio has a coffee corner, a dining space, trial rooms and so on.

As of now, the Groove team consists of 13 people. Moureen, the founder and designer, does all the planning and designing. She is supported by five in-house artisans and two in-house tailors.  

Apart from that, two people work in the management and administration team and two more people contribute to branding and content making.

"We also work with many freelance local craftsmen who have expertise on different embellishment work like zardosi, sequin etc," Moureen said.

Groove only sells customised and pre-order-based pieces. It takes around 10 to 12 days to deliver a product. The order process begins after the customer fills out a form. 

Once the outfit is ready, the client is invited to the studio for trial. If there is no need for correction, a confirmation and declaration form is given to the client.

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The product is then sent for dry washing and only after that is it sent to the client's address.

Groove also has a global client base, mostly in the UK, Canada and Australia. The products are sent abroad via DHL.

"Almost 30% of our total orders are international. It has been a pride to uphold local heritage in front of the world," she continued.

The brand sells clothes under four categories. The basic wear starts from Tk6,000 and the pret collection ranges between Tk14,000 and Tk25,000.

The third category is festive wear, which can cost you around Tk20,000 to 45,000. Last but not the least, the luxury collection starts from Tk75,000.

All of the collections are thematic - inspired by nature, ethnicity or even current affairs.

For example, the latest collection titled 'Taish'21' was a response to the nationwide economic slowdown due to the pandemic.

"Style is not merely about dressing well, but also about thriving as a person with compassion, humour and passion. You own your style and you make your choices. So make a choice for the greater good," Moureen concluded.

To know more about the brand, visit https://www.facebook.com/GrooveDhaka.