When art walks among us: A collaboration between Manas and Bipasha Hayat

It is not often that fashion designers collaborate with artists to create wearable art, but when Faiza Ahmed, of Manas fame, worked with Bipasha Hayat, something magical came into being. She has woven conceptual art form into the folds of high fashion, creating a series of sarees that speak a new language and move our thoughts. In her latest work, "Cast My Vote for Socrates' Acquittal", the two have made a successful collaboration, and it seems that in very simple terms, Ahmed dares to ask, "What if art didn't just hang on walls, but walked among us?"

Inspired by reflection

For over 15 years, Manas, as a brand, has been building bridges between fashion and fine arts. She has brought artworks by giants of the Bangladeshi art world like Zainul Abedin and Quamrul Hassan, and reimagined iconic imageries onto wearable forms.

The inspiration for the latest series comes from the celebrated conceptual artwork by Bipasha Hayat, which was done for the project FUTURE OF HOPE, during the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the support of Durjoy Bangladesh Foundation.

At that time, the death of George Floyd in the USA made headline news, and Hayat saw the mass agitation take form in front of her through the window of her Brooklyn apartment. She researched and found that both Floyd and Socrates shared the same fate — a remarkable similarity, as both their deaths were caused by human rage. It raised questions about equality and freedom in the artist's mind.

Based on that feeling, Hayat felt an urge to represent that connection in her multidimensional artwork, and the recent collaboration is, in reality, an extrapolation of that very thought.

Faiza Ahmed shared, "Art is not always a visual piece, or a matter of aesthetics. It often speaks the inner thoughts of the artists. And Manas always strives to find that link between artists and their creations.

"I have worked with images from Bipasha Hayat's paintings and presented them on sarees. Along with lines from Bipasha Hayat herself with her signature, there is a quote in Italian by a celebrated art historian and educator, Giovanna Brambilla, who found out about Hayat's work and included it in her recent book, where she talked about this particular work."

Ahmed added, "People can wear it as an extensive stonework and also a saree with calligraphy."

Rooted in mutual respect

Bipasha Hayat expressed her deep admiration for Faiza Ahmed's work, which is a result of research and keen observation.  

She said, "Working with Faiza has been a wonderful journey. For years, Faiza Ahmed has painstakingly brought art and artists onto her subject, which is designing clothes, and I thank her for this endeavour and the attempt to bring fine art in wearable form. However, what is more important is that bringing fine art aesthetics to the common man in the best possible way, and Faiza Ahmed deserves kudos for all the research, knowledge and passion for doing that and most of all for the acknowledgement of my work".

A soulful launch

On the evening of 21 July 2025, the collaborative effort of Manas and Bipasha Hayat was inaugurated through a private launch, where Durjoy Rahman, founder of DBF, was also present. It was a soulful evening wrapped in meaning, creativity, and respect for art and artists.

In a world increasingly driven by mass replication, this collaboration stands apart for its depth and deliberateness. It reminds us that fashion can be more than beautiful — it can be soulful. And perhaps that is the quiet triumph of the Faiza Ahmed and Bipasha Hayat collection.

Photo: Manas