The Fierce Fashionista

Revolutionising fashion in Bangladesh with lavish gowns and exquisite designs is the Russian origin Dhaka based fashion designer Svetlana Dubovska. Learning all about design and art in her homeland, Svetlana came to Bangladesh with unique ideas to add a bright spark in Bangladesh's current fashion scene.

"I have attended Art school for four years where I learned how to paint, combine shapes and colors. After graduating from the technical school for tailors, I have completed studies at Textile University in Moscow, Russia, which gave me a strong engineering back ground," says Svetlana.

Since childhood, Svetlana was always, what she would call, 'obsessed' with beautiful dresses. "The first gown I have made was when I was just 11 years old, and it was for my little sister." Starting a tailoring career in Russia for one year, Svetlana went on to work for various European apparel factories, which she had carried on for four years. "That was when I got the opportunity to be directly involved in all phases of creating garments."

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In 2012, Svetlana started her own company in Europe, along with her Fashion House JOCONDE, in Bangladesh. "Our policy is to spend quality time on our clients and we are doing so by giving them appointments. It takes time to understand the personality and lifestyle of a woman, and I need to know her in order to create the perfect outfit for her. I am really enjoying this process!"

According to Svetlana, whether Europe or Asia, women always want to be elegant and feminine. "In Bangladesh, I learned that summer is main season so stick to naturally lighter material like cotton, chiffon and georgette. In Europe, garments are technically more advanced with better fitting, finishing and a wider variety of shapes. On the other hand, garments in Bangladesh are far advanced in hand embroidery and embellishment with crystals and stones, and it has deep roots in its culture."

JOCONDE has already earned the title of trend setter, and that is because of they give major importance to the need of their clients, and through this process they have also earned a lot of trust. "We are not following fashion, we are creating it." Svetlana is now creating dresses according to her personal taste. "Inspiration is everywhere, in colors of nature, in music, in art. We just need to have open mind and enjoy the moment, to find it."

Having a close relationship with her clients gives her the opportunity to discover new ideas and designs, which they instantly crosscheck and get approved. "Actually this is secret of our versatility," smiles Svetlana, "I am never bothered with mainstream fashion since we are more focused on the personal styles of our clients."

Svetlana gets most demands for gowns and party dresses with excellent fitting and attractive designs, which can be perfect for the upcoming New Year celebrations and lavish parties.

"We are now expanding further into the Bangladeshi market and we are developing more dresses – which are similar to the traditional kameez, for a casual look and with a lower price range. We are also looking in to Middle Eastern and European markets, which we will start to cater by 2016."

With big plans and a simple goal, Svetlana's sense of style is what gets her the attention, which she justly deserves. "My style is just simplicity– smart cuts, artistic proportions, with the right combination of fabric and colours. I really like to experiment with different types of fabrics. For example, we are using Pabna sarees to make very elegant blazers and dresses."

With a heap of youngsters gaining keen interest in design and fashion, Svetlana knows that the fashion scene in Bangladesh is yet to grow and grow big, it will. "Since new different shapes are coming to style, I would like to advice young designers to please not be afraid to experiment with them. Always try to balance the outfit. Trust your feelings. Blue and yellow are in fashion this year, so make some magic with them!"

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