Bibi Russell
| Bibi Russell | |
|---|---|
| Born | Chittagong, Bangladesh |
| Alma mater | London College of Fashion |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, fashion designer, model |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[1] |
| Parent(s) | Mokhlessur Rahman Shamsunnahar Rahman |
Bibi Russell is a Bangladeshi fashion designer and former international model.
Career
Bibi was born in Chittagong, Bangladesh to Mokhlessur Rahman and Shamsun Nahar. She grew up in Dhaka studying in Kamrunnessa Govt. Girls' High School and Later College of Home Economics, Azimpur, Dhaka.[2] She earned a graduate degree in fashion from London College of Fashion in 1975. In the next five years, she worked as a model for different magazines including Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Harper's Bazaar.[1] She also worked as a fashion model in fashion shows until 1994, working with Yves Saint Laurent, Kenzo, Karl Lagerfeld and Giorgio Armani.[1] Having returned to Bangladesh in 1994, Bibi opened Bibi Productions, a fashion house, fusing indigenous Bengali cultural elements into her line. As of 2004, her company employed 35,000 weavers in rural Bangladesh.[1]
Fashion shows
With assistance from UNESCO, Bibi organized her first European fashion show in Paris in 1996. She also organized fashion show, The Colours of Bangladesh, in Spain in 1997.[3]
Awards
Bibi was rewarded Cross of Officer of the Order of Queen Isabella by the King of Spain.[3] It was presented by Spanish Ambassador to Bangladesh, Arturo Perez Martinez. Bibi is also a Fellow of Bangla Academy.[3] The Asiaweek magazine highlighted her as "One of the 20 people to watch in the Millennium". She was awarded the Honorary Fellowship of the London Institute in 1999. UNESCO awarded her the title Designer for Development in 1999. She also got the title of Artist for Peace by the UNESCO in 2001 and the Peace Prize by the United Nations Associations of Spain in 2004.[4]
