By PDV and Umme Haney Ullah Capa
Born in Bangladesh, Shama Kun grew up immersed in a culture rich in textile tradition. Her earliest inspirations came from her family, especially her grandparents and mother, who skilfully crafted their own clothing.
This family legacy kindled a deep appreciation in Shama for ethical and sustainable fashion.
At age 11, Shama moved to the UK, carrying a profound connection to her Bangladeshi roots. For Shama, her culture isn’t just a source of inspiration but a mission.
“Our clothes are not traditional; it’s more heritage inspiration because traditions can get old, but heritage is timeless,” she said.
Her fashion education in the UK, however, lacked discussions on sustainability, an aspect she finds crucial and rooted in her upbringing in Bangladesh.
“We learn to recycle from an early age, but sustainable fashion was not yet popular in the early 2000s in the UK. Coming from a culture that values sustainability, I visited my home country to learn about sustainable fabric production.”
One designer’s journey
Shama’s journey as a designer took a significant turn during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Living in Bangladesh, near one of its largest slums, she witnessed the harsh consequences of the pandemic on the local community, especially the closure of the garment sector leading to widespread unemployment.
“Because I lived near them, I could see their struggle every day,” she reflects.
Identifying that many women in the slums were skilled in hand embroidery, Shama saw an opportunity to meld her passion for design with a cause.
“Most of the women knew how to do hand embroidery, that’s when I thought, why can’t I just use their skills to make something that could help them financially and help with my labour as well,” she explained.
This marked the beginning of her entrepreneurial venture, where her designs were brought to life through the embroidery of these women.
“I design, and they would do the embroidery for me, and that’s how it started my little entrepreneurship, now at the moment 30 women work for me.”
Empowering women
Shama takes pride in empowering women to work from home on their own time.
“I want to practice these skills more for my activism so people will better understand what Bangladesh offers. It is not only about the cheap labour that has been exploited for so long, but we have beautified artisan”.
Shama believes the only responsible for fashion sustainability is the consumer.
“Each piece of clothing has a story to tell, and as consumers, we need to educate ourselves and learn about that story and the craft behind the clothes we wear. Once we learn the story behind it, the people who make it, we start to value it.”
Sustainable fashion can reach more people through social media, but it starts with human reconnection to nature, roots and ethics and raising awareness.
Shama concluded, “All we can do now to fight fast fashion is to keep talking and writing about independent designers.”
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