Maheen Khan is one of the prominent fashion designers of our country who
has been working in this industry since 1986. She is the owner of
Mayasir, a leading fashion store of our country. She is now the
president of Fashion Design Council of Bangladesh. She shares her
journey with The Daily Observer.
Journey with MayasirIt has been 17 years with my brainchild Mayasir. It sailed on its voyage in 2001.
InspirationMy biggest inspiration is my mother Shilu Abed. She worked with craftsmen in the 60s. In her work life she has contributed towards the development of handicraft. She has created employment opportunities for many workers. That gave me inspiration and motivation to become a fashion enthusiast.
Favourite pastimeI am a music lover. I listen to music not only in my leisure time but also while working. As I remain busy, I do not get much time to read books. However, I do not forget to read newspapers. I am a subscriber of local and foreign magazines. And whenever I get time, I read them. Watching news and knowing the trending news is always my favourite. I have a special attraction for anything which is creative. So, visual things such as pictures and videos are my favourite things to watch.
Favourite songsClassic hit music, Jazz, Blues and some contemporary songs are always in my playlists. Songs which have deep philosophical understanding always allure me. Whenever I listen to Tagore songs, the lyrics and melody overwhelm me. I really feel very connected to songs of Tagore.
Favourite Tagore songsSo many, but these days I am humming Purano sei diner kotha...
Favourite tourist destinationPlaces which have enchanting history and fascinating architecture always draw my attention. Recently I have travelled Iran and just loved the place. In Bangladesh my favourite places are Panam city, Paharpur and Puthia. In abroad, Cambodia, Thailand, Nepal, Paris etc are my favourite tourist destinations. Another interesting thing is that I love to visit museums. Whenever I travel to a new country, I look forward to visit their museum.
Favourite museumIn Bangladesh, my favourite museum is Varendra museum which is in Rajshahi.
Future plan with Mayasir
I would like to start Mayasir online store. I think nowadays people have become very busy and do not get any time to visit markets. They are more comfortable with online shopping.
Future of heritage textileI did my thesis on 'Preservation of textile'. And I personally believe that preserving textile is very crucial as we are losing our handicrafts. I think our textile must get a place in our museums. I have visited many museums while staying in the USA. The people there are very conscious about this issue. But in our country, especially the government sector is not paying any heed. Our jamdani, muslin, nakshikatha etc are our identity.
