Not a single adjective is sufficient to describe her. She is an icon and definitely has taken fashion to a new way. Talking about Bibi Russell, a wonderful artisan with true passion. She has placed Bangladesh on the global fashion map alone.
This unique genius had her graduation in fashion from London College of Fashion. Before entering to the fashion business her passion drag her to modeling. So she worked as a model for different magazines including Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Harper’s Bazaar. Meanwhile working with famous brands like- Yves Saint Laurent, Kenzo, Karl Lagerfeld and Giorgio Armani, she was getting ready to sail her own boat in the ocean.
After twenty years in the West, with a successful career as a top model, Russell returned to Bangladesh. Therefore, in 1994, Russell opened her fashion house ‘Bibi Productions’. She uses Bengali elements as her designs were inspired by our indigenous culture. Alongside a successful entrepreneur, this fashion guru is a chaperon. She has employed more than 100,000 weavers in rural Bangladesh and has shown ways to make life. She had also inspired thousands to start a career of interest with the available resources.
We see Bibi Productions to work on natural and handmade. Her products are free of synthetic fabrics or any artificial colors. She simplifies the designs and makes those of our own. Her accessories and scarves are hype. One of her big success in design was colorful jeans, sari, bangles and modern blouse for young’s. A true revolution it was. Her Gamcha and rickshaw art inspired designs are now international. A signature style known worldwide.
BiBi Russell had the sense of fashion in her, right from the start. In one of her interview she said, when her mother used to sew cloths for her and her sister, she would always have an opinion. She wanted to have some unique in it. As a consequence her father bought her a sewing machine. Afterwards, at 10 when we barely we can hold a scissor properly, she started experimenting with fashion. She also says it’s her family who taught her to appreciate our culture. But I say she had the eye. It was her unique perspective to see the contrast of color, comfort, style and culture. As she said earlier, she would describe Bangladesh a land of color and music.
To sum it up, I would say Bibi Russells is an epitomic artist with an original sense of fashion. Bibi didn’t really have to come back to Bangladesh. She could easily continue on the international platform. But she tried to revive our hand-woven textile industry. Instead of flying high forgetting the roots, this ever dynamic artist pulled herself towards it with time. She travelled remote villages to find every possible original essence, the real Bangladesh.
