#29 Mahenaz Chowdhury 🇧🇩 - Building the slow fashion movement in Bangladesh

Listen to Mahenaz Chowdhury just below or on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.

🎤 “In my work, advocacy is a top priority. Without it, Broqué is just another fashion brand and that's not what it is. Broqué is a lifestyle. It's an ethical, idealistic lifestyle that I want to communicate and share with people, which is what excites me a lot about Broqué: it's not just about a garment, it's about so many aspects of my childhood. Essentially, that's what I want to pass on, that's the legacy that I want to share with people, stuff that I have experienced.

🇧🇩 Mahenaz Chowdhury is a sustainable fashion, zero waste and gender activist on a mission to break stereotypes and build the slow fashion movement in Bangladesh.

♻️ She founded Broqué, the first upcycled fashion label and textile recycling innovation lab of Bangladesh and is the Ambassador of Slow Fashion Bangladesh. She’s fighting every day to reduce the water impact of the fashion industry, to make fast fashion companies accountable and to encourage citizens to transition to slow fashion.

💥 She also launched Broqué to break the stereotypes when it comes to gender by designing gender-neutral clothes and by empowering people to celebrate their difference - “Broqué is not a brand, it’s a lifestyle”.

💪 She shares how she grew up in an artistic environment, worked in human resources department for a few years before starting her slow fashion advocacy, through Broqué, articles, exhibitions and workshops throughout Bangladesh.

Enjoy this episode and see you in 2 hours!

❤️ TIMELINE:

6’ - A proud sustainability scientist & zero-waste designer & artist

11’ - Bringing arts into the human resources world

29’ - Finding her why and celebrating her difference

41’ - The birth of Broqué, its philosophy and its first collection

57’ - Developing a gender-neutral brand to break the stereotypes

68’ - The negative impacts of the fashion industry

78’ - Broqué is not a brand, it’s a lifestyle

88’ - Becoming the Ambassador for Slow Fashion Bangladesh

94’ - How to educate yourself on the fashion industry and take action

🗒️ References: