Zurhem SS’23: Of fashion, art and overcoming bullying

How did you come up with the concept for your latest show which has been hailed as the most unique fashion show ever in Bangladesh?

A few years ago, I went to watch one of these brilliant West End shows in London.

After watching the first half -- in that 15 minute interval, I asked my friend who I went to watch the show with, what he thought of the costumes.

He told me how it was really well thought out and how the costume designer nailed each and every character.

I agreed but then I started wondering. I asked him “fashion plays such an important role in theatre productions. How come we still don't see a true theatre performance in the middle of a fashion show?”

My friend, already overwhelmed by the performances of the show we were watching and not wanting to engage in a deep conversation during the interval, just told me “Well, you should do it then!”. 

This is where it all started. I could not stop thinking about it since.

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How do I bring some of the theatre elements into a fashion show without overpowering the clothes and the catwalk? What should the story be?

What should the format of the show be like? Should the performers act out scenes and have dialogues or should it all be through contemporary dance?

After years of baking the idea in my head, I finally started discussing the concept of this show with my business partner, Saadat Chowdhury and the best choreographer in Bangladesh and a friend who I have been working with since the first show, Azra Mahmood.

Both being very excited with the idea, had many questions for me that I could not answer.

This style of fashion shows has never been done anywhere. Not to this extent and not we know of.

There was no blueprint for us to follow, and hence I told them that from here onwards, we need to see where this goes organically.

Like a building block, we developed the concept more and more. 

Tell us about the journey this show took you on. 

When I first started thinking about what the story of the show should be, I kept going back to my own childhood. 

I had a pretty difficult childhood growing up. I was different from all the kids around me.

I was painfully shy, awkward and I lacked confidence.

I had absolutely no friends growing up and for the majority of my school life, I have been bullied mercilessly.

This was a time when the mental health of a child was not discussed or given much importance to.

No one even recognized the trauma I went through growing up. 

Today things are different and today I know I am worth something, but while writing the story of the show, I was taken back to my childhood.

It was incredibly emotional while I watched the entire show unfold from the backstage.

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I found myself going through all kinds of emotions.

Whether the audience connected with the story or not, I am glad I was honest with everything I did with this particular show.

Other than inclusivity and gender neutrality, what other social topics would Zurhem like to address as a brand?

It's high time we start recognizing marginalized communities living among us.

Whatever one's race, gender, status, belief, size and sexual orientation is -- we all coexist in a modern society.

Why don't we see that representation in Bangladesh's fashion scene?

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I know in a country like Bangladesh, it's difficult to have these conversations, but through some medium, someone had to start the dialogue. 

As a fashion brand in Bangladesh that is known to swim against the tide, I felt it was important we bring up this social topic in a respectful way.

So far, the response has been great.

The main element in the show however, was this “divine tree” we literally placed in the middle of the stage, and the entire story of the show revolved around it.

In the story, the tree gives you life, health, longevity, strength, and happiness.

But, as the Divine Tree gives, it also takes away. 

This was our way of addressing another topic -- the importance of nature.

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We often take nature for granted, but as a brand, we have already moved away from unnecessary consumption of plastic and whatever that is damaging to nature, and we want to continue doing more. 

How do you see Zurhem evolving in the future?

I want to continue working hard and keep pushing boundaries.

Through our work, I want Zurhem to take Bangladesh on a global stage and change the general perception of our country.

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Through Zurhem, I want to show the world that we too can create luxury fashion, and not just produce fast fashion garments in bulk for other countries.

Ultimately, I want to continue to be inspired and create exciting work alongside my incredibly talented team, so that 100 years from now, even if we no longer exist, you remember Zurhem, and what the brand stood for.