Introduction

The founder of Bibi Productions, Bibi Russell was the first Bangladeshi to study fashion design
at London College of Fashion, before establishing herself as an international model for Vogue
and brands such as Armani. Now, she heads and designs for Bibi Productions, her own designer
fashion brand selling handmade products inspired by Bangladesh’s rich culture and vibrancy. As
a social entrepreneur, Bibi never fails to stress the importance of sustainability and the change
she wants to bring in the lives of the rural and underprivileged people she works with. Regarded
by many as a pioneer of the ‘Fashion for Development’ movement in Bangladesh, Bibi shares
her philosophy and practices with many through her role as an UN Goodwill Ambassador. So
what makes Bibi Russell such a memorable, successful and inspiring leader and entrepreneur?

Early Life
Born in 1951 in Chittagong to Mokhlesur and Shamsun Nahar Rahman but raised in Dhaka
before the establishment of East Pakistan as Bangladesh, Bibi Russell was raised in a multi-
cultural environment that nurtured her inert sense of creativity from a young age. As a young
girl, she wasn’t fond of the clothes her mother made for her so when she was ten, her father
bought her a sewing machine. This sparked her love for clothing and working with natural
materials as she attempted to make dyes for her clothes using what was available at home. At 16
years old, she felt her first surge of creative passion when her father bought her a book on
fashion written by world renowned designer and entrepreneur, Coco Chanel. Thus, after
receiving her B.Sc. degree from Home Economics College where she learned under the tutelage
of the likes of Siddika Kabir and Hosna Banu Khanom, she embarked to England to study
fashion design.

Her challenges began even before she had enrolled into London College of Fashion. She had to
wait for half a year before her application for enrollment was accepted, as she did not complete
O and A Level examinations and thus had no prior knowledge in fashion. However, she was
finally selected on the condition that she would have to take extra credit at night to make up for
her lack of prior knowledge. Once enrolled, Bibi proved herself as a doer as she juggled both
morning and night classes alongside various odd jobs to pay the bills.

Following Her Heart

Despite adversities, Bibi’s passion had not escaped those around her during her time at the
London School of Fashion and so, upon her graduation, she received a modelling offer from the
famous Larraine Ashton Modelling Agency. Though hesitant at first, Bibi soon realized that
modelling would help her gain a better understanding of the fashion industry and thus accepted
the offer.

On her first modelling assignment, she appeared on the pages of Harper’s Bazaar, a great honor
for a fresh graduate like her. She appeared on her first fashion show for the Italian high fashion
designer Valentino. From there, she went on to do shows for Yves Saint Laurent, Karl Lagerfeld,
Giorgio Armani and many more. She regularly appeared in the pages of Vogue, Cosmopolitan
and Harper’s Bazaar and modelled for automotive brands like BMW, Jaguar, Rolls Royce and
Toyota. As someone who grew up as an ordinary Bangladeshi girl, being thrust into the limelight
was a challenging experience for Bibi, but she conceived to trudge through her fears with
determination and dedication.

During breaks between modelling assignments, Bibi visited Bangladesh. Here, she spent most of
her time in remote villages, meeting craftsmen and weavers. During these visits, Bibi realized
she wanted to return to her country and do something for the local artisans and fading arts. She
remembered her initial goal of modelling to gain a better understanding of fashion and realized
she had enough knowledge now to forge her own path in the world of fashion. So with a vision
for the future, Bibi Russell finally moved back to Bangladesh for good in 1994, leaving behind
20 successful years in the modelling industry.

Bibi Productions
Bibi remembers telling her mother that she wanted to give the weavers and artisans in
Bangladesh the opportunity to utilize their skills in a way that touched and transformed their
lives. She believed it was the first step towards empowerment and economic prosperity. She
spent an entire year in villages, talking to them about her ideas about promoting their craft.
Though untrusting at first, the craftsmen and weavers were soon won over by Bibi’s charm and
agreed to work with her. And thus began the journey of Bibi Russell as a social entrepreneur.

Bibi Productions began its journey in 1995. She had invested all her own savings into the
organization as she believed she had to be willing to give her all to her dreams in order to turn it
into a reality. She travelled all over Bangladesh to collect handloom clothes and jewellery
directly from the weavers and craftsmen in order to ensure fair trade. She featured rural fashion
accessories heavily in her work. When asked about why the gamcha is featured so prominently
in a lot of her work, she replied, “Because the gamcha is everywhere in Bangladesh. It’s so
versatile and it bridges invisible social gaps.”

She took inspiration from local culture and her work showcased local fabrics, Rickshaw art, and
naturally made dyes. Her signature style is bold colors and the hues of orange, blue and pink
embellished with ethnic accessories give them a perfect finish. Bibi claimed that her inspiration
to innovate with natural and sustainable materials came from her love for her favorite fashion
designer, Issey Miyake, a Japanese designer known for his innovative technology-driven
clothing designs. Over the years, she has also worked for the handicrafts industries in India, Sri
Lanka, Cambodia, Latin America and Vietnam. The exploration of new cultures added further
diversity to Bibi’s designs until even the Queen of Spain was awestruck at her work.

Fashion for Development

Recognized by UNESCO as an Artist for Peace, Bibi Russell has achieved a tour de force.
Thanks to her, the traditional gamchas rival the most prestigious pieces of high fashion on
podiums all around the globe. But her real success lies far away from these glamorous stages, in
the weaving workshops of Bangladesh, India, Uzbekistan and Colombia.

Throughout her work, Bibi Russell has stayed true to her initial dream of creating an
organization that supports social and economic development of the underprivileged. Thus, she
reinvested all her earnings from Bibi Productions back into the organization in order to aid its
growth and development. Currently, Bibi Productions employs more than 45 employees and
works with over 100 thousand weavers and craftsmen in Bangladesh and other low-income
nations. In 2018, she participated in the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange exhibition hosted by
the Queen and Duchess of Cambridge, showcasing sustainable fashion from the Commonwealth
countries. In West Bengal, she worked at the Liluah Home, to teach and motivate girls who had
been victims of human trafficking, to develop their own income-generating skills. Her efforts
payed off, as in March 2018, thirty three girls –including six Rohingya refugee kids- walked the
ramp at a fashion show organized by the Chief Minister of West Bengal.
She has received multiple awards and accolades thanks to her work in helping the
underprivileged, encouragement of fair trade and sustainable fashion, and contribution to
upholding traditional culture. Not only was she awarded the titles of ‘Designer for Development’
and ‘Artist for Peace’ by UNESCO, she also represents the organization as its Goodwill
Ambassador for her contributions to the handicraft industry. She also received the Peace Prize
from the United Nations Association of Spain in 2004, and is an ‘Honorary Fellow’ of London
Institute. In Bangladesh, she became a recipient of the prestigious Rokeya Medal and a fellow of
Bangla Academy.

Challenges Faced & Conquered

“I feel like 'Somebody' up there put me up for the good work. It was probably because of 'His' divine
blessing that I am working on this project.”

Being an innovator, creative visionary, and a social entrepreneur spearheading a movement in

Bangladesh, Bibi Russell faced many hurdles and roadblocks in her path to success. The earliest
came in the form of societal disapproval from acquaintances who disliked her pursuit of fashion
design. “You’re turning your daughter into tailor,” Bibi had heard a relative tell her father after
she decided to study fashion design in England. However, Bibi didn’t let this adversity stop her.
Her prior lack of fashion-related knowledge also impacted her admission process at the London
School of Fashion.

She faced another hurdle when she tried to convince the craftsmen and weavers in Bangladeshi
villages about her cause since they were distrustful of her after being exploited by many others
who had made similar promises. However, she won them over with her dedication, earnestness
and determination.
While sustainable fashion was still a relatively new term in the global fashion industry, Bibi had
attempted to highlight it in Bangladesh at a time when the demand for fast fashion was ever
increasing. She used her inspirations as her guideline for creating a business strategy and brand
that resonated with many, both locally and in foreign lands. At a time when designer clothes
were made at low prices, exploiting human labor, and sold at exorbitant prices, Bibi fought the
status quo in order to make her designs more affordable for everyone as well as pay fair wages to
her legion of artists.

Conclusion
As the number of social entrepreneurs are slowly experiencing a rise, it is important for us to
study the success and struggles of the likes of Bibi Russell. Through her innovative thinking,
drive and resilience, she managed to improve the lives of local artisans in multiple low-income
countries, revive traditional handicraft of rural areas, put Bangladesh on the world fashion map,
promote the Bangladeshi textile industry on the international stage, and use recycling and natural
materials to promote a green future.

References

1. Bibi Russell: Finding magic in fingers. (2020). Retrieved 16 October 2020, from
https://en.unesco.org/courier/2018-2/bibi-russell-finding-magic-fingers

2. Kader, R. (2013). Face to face with Bibi Russell, Founder, Bibi Productions. Retrieved 16
October 2020, from https://futurestartup.com/2013/07/27/face-to-face-with-bibi-russell-founder-
bibi-productions/

3. BIBI PRODUCTIONS: support craftspeople in building a better future through fashion -

BipiZ. (2018). Retrieved 16 October 2020, from https://www.bipiz.org/en/csr-best-practices/bibi-
productions-support-craftspeople-in-building-a-better-future-through-fashion.html

4. Mahboob, D. (2013). Bibi Productions FASHION VISIONARY. Retrieved 16 October 2020,

from https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bibi-productions-fashion-visionary

5. Roy, E. (2020). Study about Bibi Russel as a female entrepreneur. Retrieved 17 October 2020,
from https://www.academia.edu/37116079/Study_about_Bibi_Russel_as_a_female_entrepreneur

6. Bibi Russell: Fashion For Development. (2019). Retrieved 17 October 2020, from
https://saayaablog.wordpress.com/2014/05/23/bibi-russell-fashion-for-development/