Safiya: Be the bride of your dream
In a saturated market full of replicas and imported bridal wear, Safiya is one of the leading designer bridal and luxury wear brands of the country
While preparing for her wedding, Tayeba Sadna, Assistant Manager of MGH group, was determined her wedding outfit would be one thing she would not compromise on at all in the whole wedding planning.
"I wanted my wedding outfit to stand out not just in the way it looked, but also in terms of quality. Besides, my dad wanted my outfit in a unique exotic colour, cinnamon red to be specific, which is not so prevalent in wedding fashion. So I went to Safiya as they are quite popular for making customised coloured wedding outfits; they even dye the fabrics to get the specific colour," Sadna added.
A common and reasonable dream of every fashion-conscious bride is to wear a striking outfit on their wedding day that will make her stand out from the crowd, glamorously, with the grace of feminine appeal.
Founded by Safiya Sathi, 'Safiya' is a trusted brand name in bridal attire in the country. They promise to ensure an unforgettable entrance to brides on their big day.
Safiya Sathi believes she is a born designer. She used to design Salwar Kamiz for her sisters ever since she was only a teenager.
"I always wanted to study fashion design professionally and pursue a career in it. But my family members were not a big fan of it. So I had to study Resource Management," Safiya recalled.
However, Safiya never really stopped pursuing her passion for designing. She opened an online clothing brand named 'Shong' back in 2013, where she used to sell readymade Salwar Kamiz and Kurti of her own designs.
In 2016, she started her wedding management venture called 'A Happy Event by Safiya'. While planning and decorating wedding events, she was inspired to build a one-stop wedding event solution company where every necessity is taken care of, from dalas to dresses.
The first step in her dream was executed in 2017, with the formation of Safiya. In a saturated market full of replicas and imported bridal wear, Safiya evolved as one of the country's leading designer bridal and luxury wear brands that pledges to provide unique and exquisite collections to the brides.
As of now, Safiya has two studios, one in Rampura and the other one in Banani. The Banani studio is mainly used for formal activities, while all the factory work and sample selection is done at the Rampura studio.
Safiya has a dedicated team of 25 craftsmen. Safiya Sathi solely does all the designs of the brand. The team also has an in-house embellishment artist who is in charge of all the ornamentation work like embroidery, jerdousi, etc.
Safiya is a pre-order based entity that makes only customised pieces. It takes around 45 to 90 days to make a bridal outfit, depending on the level of customisation and embellishment.
"In certain instances, brides ask for rare coloured fabrics, which are not available in the market. In that case, the team has to either import the material or dye other fabrics with that colour."
One can reach out to Safiya through its social handles and website. After hearing clients' requirements, they are asked to visit the studio for fabric selection and further processes.
"We appreciate every idea and suggestion of brides when it comes to designing, as this is their outfit and should be to their satisfaction. We keep sending them pictures of work in progress and as soon as the fit is ready, they come to the studio for trial."
Safiya believes in the word of mouth process when it comes to branding. "Good work brings us more work, and we only take orders that meet our capacity," she added.
One of the signature features of Safiya is the wide flare in lehengas and gowns. Recently Safiya made a ball gown for a bride that has a 800-inch flare.
The basic price of a piece from Safiya starts from Tk30,000 and can range up to Tk500,000.
