Fashion show held in city to raise funds for medical mission

A fashion event was organized under the first ever Blue Wrap Project Runway, Bangladesh chapter in the city to raise funds for the purpose of medical mission.

Rotary Club of Dhaka Pathfinders in unique partnership with Partners for World Health (PWH) took the Blue Wrap Project Runway initiative and organized the event at a city center on Friday evening, said a press release here today.

Distinguished guests, including seven ambassadors of different countries in Dhaka, joined the exclusive fund-raiser fashion show, it said.

Over the last six years, for the medical mission, the club along with PWH, has been carrying out breast cancer awareness workshops, primary health-checkups at Korail Slum in the city and Kandapara Brothel in Tangail, training for nurses at Tangail General Hospital and Tangail Nurse’s Institute, special training for nurses and patient-family members on Palliative Care at National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH) and Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.

This year, through the medical mission, over 500 less-privileged people have received primary health-check-up while more than 700 nurses will be given training.

As the scale of this noble initiative grows every year, the Dhaka Pathfinders has joined hands with renowned international fashion designer Bibi Russell towards creating a mesmerizing event named ‘Blue Wrap Project Runway’ to raise funds.

Bibi Russell presented a collection of sustainable designs for the evening, where supermodel Noyonika Chatterjee walked the ramp as the showstopper.

The show opens with the first queue designed with discarded Surgical Blue polypropylene with an aim to reduce surgical wastes.

Bibi Russell created a unique fashion transforming from surgical waste into ready to wear designs.

The next four queues show-cased Bibi Russell’s “Threads of life” collections with 100 percent natural, sustainable, hand-woven cotton and jamdani dresses.

These queues, on one end, were tributes to the craftspeople who have been the unsung heroes behind the scenes. On other end, it reemphasized the need to remain sustainable.

Each of the simple yet gorgeous dresses carried the mark of their skills and artistry. Bibi Russell aimed to uplift these artisans and provide them with the means for a better livelihood.

Each queue breathed life into handmade creations, bridging the gap between traditional craftsmanship and modern fashion that highlighted the intricate work of weavers and craftspeople’s labor-intensive techniques.

“As we enjoy the runway, I hope that we are reminded of the utmost significance of sustainability, especially in the worlds of fashion and healthcare, to help us build a healthier, happier, and more hopeful world,” said Elizabeth McLellan, founder of PWH.

She thanked the Rotary Club of Dhaka Pathfinders and management of each of the hospitals they’ve been for their hospitality.

Tabassum Hossain Tina, President of Rotary Club of Dhaka Pathfinders, said, “This sustainable fashion initiative is about transforming waste into art, symbolizing Rotary’s collective commitment to a healthier world.”

Dhaka Pathfinders believe in sustainable changes and the Medical Mission is a flagship project that is ensuring long-term impacts, she said, adding, “We hope that the good words will spread and we can scale up the benefits in health sector more and more”.

A small segment on raising fund created a stir as the distinguished guests took out their mobile and donated towards the cause at the event. The funds raised on the evening will support the annual Medical Mission in Bangladesh. (BSS)