Mad'ouk: When in doubt, wear black
Ready-to-wear or pre-stitched sarees happen to be the trendiest and the most sold series by this brand
"When in doubt, wear black," said popular actress Radhika Apte, a Bollywood icon, and many fashionistas and designers before her. Regardless of the occasion you are dressing up for, black never disappoints.
Offering the market a niche gothic style, Mad'ouk, an emerging fashion label, has launched its first thematic series in bold dark colours.
The collection includes saree, ready-to-wear saree, kurti, punjabi, and sherwani. Ready-to-wear or pre-stitched sarees is this brand's most popular series.
"We wanted our first collection to be royal, bold, and striking. Hence, we opted for the darkest shades of the colour palette, mostly in a combination of black and golden," said Mahmuda Akhter, the principal designer of Mad'ouk, adding, "the best thing about working with bold colours is that they make any outfit look gorgeous even with minimal embellishment."
Ready-to-wear sarees are already pre-pleated in the front of the waistline and do not require a petticoat. They are very easy and comfortable to wear, and do not take much time either.
When it comes to the fabrics, Mahmuda prioritises light-weighted and trendy materials that complement the design and embellishments. Some fabrics are sourced locally, while others are imported from China.
"Pre-stitched sarees are a very common item in our neighbouring country India. I have even seen an ample supply of this product in the UK and the USA market. But sadly, there is no brand in Bangladesh that makes this product catering to the youth.
Launched in 2022, Mad'ouk is the brainchild of Nazibur Rahman, a Dhaka-based IT expert, who completed his graduation from the University of Wolverhampton. The brand is his second venture in his career as a businessman, and his first foray into fashion.
"I created this brand for my sister Mahmuda Akhter, who is an amazing designer and has won several awards in fashion designing. I wanted to create a platform for her where she can unleash her talent to the fullest," added Nazibur.
Mahmuda completed her graduation in Merchandizing from Shanto-Mariam University of Creative Technology. Before Mad'ouk, she worked for brands like Myth and Bold Monac as a fashion designer.
Upon being asked the meaning of the brand's name, Nazibur said, "Mad'ouk is the Arabic word for experienced, toughened, or well-worked."
As of now, Nazibur is looking after the branding and marketing part of the label, while Mahmuda is responsible for design and production. The brand has its manufacturing unit in the capital's Mohammadpur, where around 15 artisans are employed.
Mad'ouk offers the flexibility to its customers to customise their outfits. The brand has its own home delivery arm as well.
"For bridal and higher-end products, starting from Tk5,000, we send our tailor to the customer's place to take accurate measurements," said Nazibur.
Nazibur believes that this service offered by the brand has helped them gain better customer satisfaction and also contributed to the high volume of their returning customers.
The brand has more than 50 active collections at the time of writing this, and Mahmuda is planning to launch their second series based on bright colour palettes soon.
Nazibur is aware that the apparel market of Bangladesh is over-saturated. But he also believes that demand is ever-increasing and the purchasing power of customers is increasing day by day.
"There was a time when we bought clothes only during festivals or when we needed them. But nowadays, a sizable number of people buy clothes without any occasion. Shopping and stocking have become an inseparable part of our lifestyle lately," he opined.
The brand started off as an online entity. But with overwhelmingly positive response from the customers, Nazibur is planning to open Madouk's first outlet soon.
Depending on the customisation, a saree from Madouk will cost from Tk15,000 to Tk30,000. The lehenga collection ranges between Tk10,000 to Tk 198,000.
The men's collection starts from Tk3,000 and goes up to Tk20,000.
For more info on their collection, you can visit https://www.facebook.com/madoukfashion