An architect who is also an entrepreneur is a visionary who seamlessly blends art, fashion, and architecture into a singular creative narrative. Anusha Alamgir is an architecture student and a successful entrepreneur. Anusha is a multidisciplinary artist. She was also selected for 30 Under 30 Asia Class of 2024. She is currently working on her film "Porda," which will make its premiere at the 2023 Venice Biennale, after earning an MA in Architecture from the Royal College of Art in 2022.

Anusha Alamgir is from Dhaka, Bangladesh. She completed her undergrad at the University of Cincinnati in 2017. She then expanded her profession in New York for the next three years. Her work explores the persistent homogeneity of values in Bengali society due to globalization, media, and the internet. Through concepts of self-portrayal, the voyeur gaze, and performance spaces, she is investigating how the female body is presented as a site at the RCA. Her project suggests a filter for the form, drawing inspiration from the work of artists, including Sarah Sitkins, Cindy Sherman, Claude Cahun, and Samuel Fusso: A wearable sculpture that challenges binary self-presentations.

In a wider sense, we Bangladeshis, or Dhakaites, are accustomed to seeing murals on rickshaws. Since its inception in the 1950s, the art form, commonly called "rickshaw art," has spread and materialized in a wide range of things. Rickshaw art is already a commonplace item in our daily life, appearing on everything from jewelry to clothes, and phone covers to home décor pieces.

Anusha Alamgir, creator and curator of Colours Dhaka, a sustainable online clothing store, came up with the wonderful idea to translate the ancient custom into a coloring book and call it the "Bangla Cinemar Colouring Book" to further advance the art form. According to Anusha, the idea came from the Bangla Cinema poster, and she did not want to face copyright issues she browsed through public websites for catalogs of Bangla's old films. And rickshaw art played an important role here. She was also inspired to create coloring books when she was pursuing an undergraduate degree in architecture in the US.

Anusha’s online thrift store has all vintage and exclusive clothes. And only one piece of each item is available. She also resells fashion items like shoes and bags. For Anusha, her venture is a fun and whimsical brand for people who want to express themselves, which is why she focuses on creating artsy items and books.

Anusha Alamgir’s work has been at the Oitij-jo Collective in London, at the La-La Land Gallery in Los Angeles, and at the Drik Picture Library in Dhaka. She inspires a lot of women who want to express themselves creatively but are afraid to do so. This young CEO estimates that the thrifting market will reach $53 billion by 2025, indicating a bright future for the sector.

To see her full story, click here. https://www.facebook.com/leadacademybd/videos/1633898560652699

Bangladesh may take advantage of the market and make far more money than it does now if it can outperform other nations in its fast fashion sector.

Author,

Tasmia Hasan,

LEAD Academy Campus Ambassador, Brac University