Fashion show to raise funds for Bangla victims

Fashion designer Layla Asgar Siyabi (third left) speaks to the media yesterday at the Grand Regal Hotel. PICTURE: Joey Aguilar

By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter

A charity fashion show aims to raise a minimum of QR10,000 which will benefit the victims of a garment factory collapse in Bangladesh.

The show starts at 6.45pm today at Doha’s Grand Regal Hotel.

The garment factory in the eight-story Rana Plaza commercial building collapsed in Savar in Dhaka on April 24, claiming more than 1,000 lives.

Layla Asgar Siyabi, founder and designer of LAS Fashion ‘The’ Fashion, told reporters yesterday that she wants to give back something to the community where most of the fabrics they use come from.  

“I wish to do this every year to bring people together through arts and fashion and share the stage with other talented people and not just myself,” she said.  

Dubbed as “Las Charity Fashion Show: Raising Hope for Bangladesh,” the event will be showcasing Cinda Layla’s newest collection described as a “collection which has a twist.”

“It is Arabic designs with South Asian fabrics,” she said.

Siyabi is expecting 175 to 200 guests and visitors.

Some of the special guests and performers include Ahmad AbaZaid and singer-songwriter Austin Mourina. A councillor from Bangladesh is also expected to attend the event.

“It is a heartfelt tragedy. The least we can do is to give back what we can by doing this charity event and hopefully more in the future,” the singer-songwriter said.

LAS Fashion ‘The’ Fashion has partnered with UK-based organisation BIRD which has representatives in Qatar and Bangladesh. The group helps in raising donations for the poor people of Savar and the victims of the incident. Some of the funds are used to build school buildings and classrooms in Bangladesh.

Siyabi also urged fellow and up and coming designers to always remember the people behind their success: the factory workers who “make the big names in the fashion world because of their hardwork.”

About the models, she described them as “tall, healthy, curvy women.” Most of them are South American and Western expatriate ladies but some of them are Arab models living in Qatar.

Part of the event is an exhibit of pop art collection by Assil Diab, a professional graphic designer and artist. They will be auctioning a jalabiya from the ss13 CindaLayla collection. Tickets cost QR50 which will go to the charity.