Pastel musings at Sahar Rahman Couture

Sahar Rahman and Amana Rahman. Photo: Courtesy

After returning to Bangladesh following a brief stay in Pakistan, Sahar Rahman and Amana Rahman noticed two unusual traits in local people's fashion. 

Firstly, the majority of Bangladeshi people are deeply inclined towards bold, dark colours. Secondly, the selection of colours is mostly determined by skin tone.

Of course, bold colours always have, and will keep having sheer dominance in fashion. But the sisters were not at all in agreement with the latter statement about associating colours with skin complexion, as they firmly believed everyone should enjoy the beauty of the entire colour palette.

"We reckon every colour has its own beauty, be it pastel or jewel tones. You just need the right shade to compliment you," opined Sahar Rahman, the co-founder of Sahar Rahman Couture.

Sahar Rahman Couture, a Dhaka-based designer brand, is the story of Sahar Rahman and Amana Rahman, the power sisters who grew up together, dreamt together and turned their dreams into reality together.

In Sahar's words, fashion was always in their blood. The sister duo always loved dressing up and adored light, summery pastel colours, as they grew up seeing their mother wear these beautiful feminine palettes.

"Amana and I used to design our own outfits since we were teenagers and surprisingly, our designs never failed to bring us extra attention. I knew I wanted to be a fashion designer from a very young age," Sahar said, adding, "hence, with the encouragement from my parents to follow my passion, I studied Fashion Merchandising and Production Technology."

From the very beginning, pastel coloured fabrics were the go-to materials of this brand. Photo: Courtesy

The story of Sahar Rahman Couture dates back to 2010; organising an in-house exhibition was the first step of their journey. Sahar and Amana showcased about 10 salwar suits, which were mainly designed for family and friends, but they were sold out almost instantly.

The success of this exhibition led them to open a Facebook page in 2011 named 'Sahar Rahman Clothing'.

Their collections created a buzz in the market and soon, their production could not meet the growing demand.

To serve their customers better and establish a physical entity of the business, in 2014, Sahar Rahman opened a French-themed small studio in Gulshan.

"The very moment we opened the store, we knew it would not be sufficient to meet the demand, and that is exactly what happened. So we shifted to a bigger establishment in 2019, one comprising an area of approximately 3,000 square feet," Sahar informed us.

The new store was designed by Casa Decor, a Dhaka-based interior firm, which is owned by her husband Shafqat Rahman. Having a Parisian chic vibe, the store is decorated in muted tones with gold-hued detailings.

Apart from this beautiful outlet, Sahar Rahman has two manufacturing factories - one in Baridhara DOHS and another in Nakhalpara, Tejgaon. 

Sahar and Amana are solely responsible for all the designs and plannings of the brand. Besides them, a team of about 100 people work relentlessly to make these dream-like outfits come to life.

When it comes to fabric, Sahar is very sensitive as the fabric is the hero of any outfit. Most of the collections are made with the brand's signature fabric, French chiffon, which is directly sourced from top fabric importers.

From the very beginning, pastel coloured fabrics were the go-to materials for Sahar Rahman as she believes these colours are the ambassadors of femininity. 

The brand has gracefully implemented colours like pearl grey, nude pink, tiffany blue and many more in their collection.

Sahar Rahman and Amana Rahman. Photo: Courtesy

Apart from the abundance of pastels, timeless designs, high-quality cuts and fine detailings also make a Sahar Rahman outfit stand out in the crowd. 

Sahar Rahman Couture makes pieces in four categories - luxury pret (stitched salwar suit), evening wear, heavy formalwear and bridal wear.

Starting from Tk10,000, the price of a casual pret can go up to Tk20,000 or more.

The price of evening wear starts from Tk20,000 whereas the heavy formal category starts from Tk45,000.

Last but not least, Sahar Rahman's signature bridal wear price starts from Tk100,000.

To know more about this brand, you can visit the website: www. saharrahman .online or the Instagram page: saharrahman_couture.