Fashion and lifestyle have always been powerful mirrors of cultural evolution. From the liberation of women through couture to the gender-fluid aesthetics dominating today’s runways, every shift in our wardrobes reflects a broader transformation in society. One of the most profound lifestyle evolutions in recent years is the way people are redefining family, parenthood, and personal choice—and here, surrogacy emerges as a modern symbol of empowerment and inclusivity.
A new era of choices
In the same way sustainable fashion promotes mindful consumption and ethical sourcing, modern lifestyles celebrate freedom of choice—from what we wear to how we build our families. For many, surrogacy has become not only a medical advancement but also a deeply personal and emotional journey toward parenthood.
In Europe, particularly Surrogacy in Ukraine has gained global attention for its ethical, transparent, and professional approach. The country’s legal framework and expert medical infrastructure have made it a trusted destination for international couples and individuals seeking surrogacy options. The clarity and professionalism offered by platforms like Ukraine Surrogacy have established Ukraine as a leader in safe and compassionate surrogacy practices.
Lifestyle, empowerment, and inclusivity
Just as fashion embraces diversity—celebrating every body, identity, and story—surrogacy underscores the same philosophy: every person deserves the chance to express love and nurture life, regardless of gender, status, or physical limitation.
In recent years, many public figures, fashion icons, and celebrities have openly discussed their journeys through surrogacy. These narratives have helped normalize the conversation around alternative parenthood, much like how sustainable fashion normalized rewearing, recycling, and upcycling. It’s a movement built on acceptance, compassion, and innovation—values shared by both the fashion and fertility industries in their own ways.
The human side of modern trends
Beyond science and legality, surrogacy is a story of humanity—of people helping people create life. It reflects the essence of our time: global connection, empathy, and individual empowerment. Just as fashion storytelling now focuses on authenticity and emotion, modern parenthood narratives, too, are shaped by real experiences and evolving definitions of love and family.
Final thoughts
Today’s lifestyle landscape is broader and more inclusive than ever. From digital fashion to sustainable living, and now to ethical surrogacy, each thread of modern life weaves a story of freedom—the freedom to choose, to express, and to create meaningfully.
In the end, both fashion and family are about identity. They tell the world who we are and what we stand for. Surrogacy, in that sense, isn’t just a medical procedure—it’s a lifestyle choice that celebrates human potential and emotional connection in the most profound way.
You can write to us at fashionnovationfd@gmail.com
Mari Michel, an elegant sustainable brand, founded in 2020 by Mari Michelson has a unique story to tell the world. Guided by the sense of beauty embedded in natural materials and with a mindset aimed towards sustainability, this brand uses silk from second hand mens ties and turn them into Fair Hair Ties. Today Kazi Purba, the Founder of Fashionnovation, takes the pride to introduce you with one of the most unique brands that we have covered till now! Let’s hear from Mari Michelson’s journey towards sustianability with her brand.
Ms. Mari Michel, you have a very unique story. Please tell us something about yourself.
I was born in the 90s in a small country of a million people in Northern Europe, just a few years after the independence from the Soviet Union. The resources at the time, in Estonia, were scarce – priority was on importing the necessities. The clothes were very basic and there was not much of a choice. If you wanted something special, you had to make it yourself. That scarcity sparked creativity and showed an abundance of materials, which I took advantage of by upcycling them to one-of-a-kind garment pieces.
Mari Michelson with her OHOV cap made of silk collected from second hand men’s ties. Photo courtesy: Mari Michelson.
In our countryside house, we had a cabinet full of old Burda magazines from a grandmother, that I had never met. These were filled with silhouettes and colour combinations, that looked vintage and out of the ordinary. I would trace some of these silhouettes into my fashion folder and exaggerate the form and some of the features in order to play around and make my own designs out of it. It was through books and magazines that I discovered a lady, that perhaps, has influenced my understanding of fashion the most – Vivienne Westwood, of course. For me, I could relate to the rebelliousness, outrageous ideas, inventiveness, and diverging from the norm, that she so much represented.
At 16 and inspired, I moved to England alone to study Fashion Design. It was there, that I saw the mass production side of the business for the first time and became disillusioned about the sustainability factor in the garment business. I started feeling like it was not a place I wanted to contribute to. So I went on to leave fashion behind and enter a new career in business and software.
In 2020, things changed. With pandemic allowing more time to revaluate what I really want to do in this world, I made the decision, to really go for my dream – but this time, on my own terms. I decided not to become a fashion designer, where trends change with every season, but sustainable apparel and accessories designer, where quality matters and not quantity.
What is the story behind your brand?
Mari Michel was born at the end of 2020 in the Netherlands, but the ideas for it had been accumulating for a lifetime.
The first product grew out of an idea of using men’s silk ties as a material to create expressive hair accessories. These accessories are called Fair Hair Ties.
The metaphor for Fair Hair Ties comes from my own personal experience – I came out of the office where I worked as a software engineer, to follow my passion of designing sustainable apparel & accessories that give people a tool to express themselves.
The office environment is very standard, white and concrete, empty of expression – traditionally not a place one would feel free to show one’s true self. We have gradually been moving out of the cooperate style in the business environment, when I look around, I can rarely spot a man wearing a suit and tie for work. Our societal understanding has been changing a lot, especially in the past two pandemic years.
I find it very important, that no matter the environment, you should always be able to express yourself. For me that goes very deep into the core – to my scientific high school, I used to sport a Little Prince costume with a briefcase in hand, where Jimi Hendrix’s face was painted on.
Mari Michel’s signature accessories made of silk from ties. Photo courtesy: Mari Michelson.
Clothing & accessories is a great way of expressing yourself. Often even therapeutic, because what you put out can sometimes help you to gain confidence inside. Mari Michel is all about giving tools for self-expression! That’s why we even use the phrase ’Express Yourself’ as our slogan.
What motivated you to establish that?
I feel very strongly about already produced high-quality materials that are constantly being discarded in the world of consumerism, f.e. silk, fur, linen, leather. Natural materials that take a lot of resources to produce, but when produced, have a very short lifespan because the item they have been produced into goes out of fashion.
The first material that I chose for my current designs, is silk. I chose silk because I love it. There simply is no other material with comparable beauty & health benefits. I feel it is my mission to design tools for people to express themselves, that are not just aesthetically pleasing, but also sustainable and healthy.
What’s your product range?
At this point, we are focused on silk from men’s ties.
We make Fair Hair Ties, which are both hair accessories and bracelets in three different designs with unlimited colours and patterns, each one unique.
Mari Michel’s signature Ohov cap made of silk from ties. Photo courtesy: Mari Michelson.
Our most recent product is the Ohov cap – a hat made fully from silk fabric. Each cap is unique. The pattern and colour combination make each a true statement piece.
Mari Michel’s signature Ohov cap made of silk from ties. Photo courtesy: Mari Michelson.
The design of the Ohov cap is paying homage to the original baker boy cap. Baker boy cap origins go all the way to the 16th century, where Queen Elizabeth I of England sought to stimulate the Irish and English wool trade, by passing an act obliging males over six years of age (except for nobility and persons of degree) to wear caps of wool. This law further established the cap as a staple of Irish/English working-class clothing culture.
By making it from silk, which is a premium fabric, and making it a colourful unisex statement piece, we are contradicting the idea of its origins.
We also offer a style guidance service, where I help people to find their authentic style in one-on-one sessions.
What special do you offer to your customers through your brand?
All the materials that we use, have been transformed from one item to another, but the story stays, the feeling remains, the soul is still in the object.
These items have a sense of character.
Wearing it is special.
You really buy a piece that is just for you.
Every customer is special, and they get their special item.
And I never make anything that is standard. I am always looking for something new, a twist on things. I look for inspiration for the future from the past. Having something old, that has been stitched into the fabric of our culture, is something we have relied on, it is comfortable and gives a certain emotion to people. What I like to do, is to take a part of it and transform it into a new concept.
Does your brand care about environment and sustainability? How are you promoting sustainability with your works?
Before I went to study fashion, I never questioned myself about making sustainable choices. I was lucky to be brought up in a family that had a reasonably sustainable lifestyle and in a culture, where feeling being part of nature was immensely integrated into society. I thought that everybody takes care of nature as it would be of their own family member. When I went abroad for the first time and got to have a closer observation of the global fashion industry, I saw that sustainability in fashion is far from ‘of course’. The leverage was on profit.
I think profit should never be leading to anything we do as people.
The real energy behind projects comes from mission and passion.
Mari Michel’s signature accessory made of silk from ties. Photo courtesy: Mari Michelson.
Our mission at Mari Michel is to make expressive accessories and apparel with sustainability as an underlying value in everything we do. We re-use high-quality natural materials, that have a long lifespan. Every item we produce is unique, which is one of the most sustainable ways of production. There is no surplus of materials or products that go to waste. Our production is based in Europe, we offer our products at fair prices and hold transparency as a key value in communication.
What are your future plans with your brand?
Expanding on our current concept and adding more products from sustainable silk. Even more so, we want to move onto new materials – there are a lot of other discarded materials, that we have been developing ideas about.
We are curious about modern materials that are fully compostable and are open to collaborations in this area.
Mari Michel’s signature accessory made of silk from ties. Photo courtesy: Mari Michelson.
The next phase is going from accessories to apparel collections.
It is important for us to interact with the community, which is why are making stories that are relevant in today’s fashion industry and will be continuously giving out new topics to discuss with a humorous undertone.
The goal is to keep creative juices flowing and not to be overly fixated on predicting the future, rather let our values and passion drive us.
You can read more about how Mari Michel addresses sustainability here:
If you want to read about another wonderful woman named Rebecca who’s working for her fashion brand RebeccaRowe.ca to make women feel confident, in this link.
Fashion illustration is a great tool for fashion designers to express their ideas to their potential customers. As a picture can speak a thousand words, fashion illustration lets a designer to communicate easily. Fashion illustration is taught in every fashion institutions and Department of Textile Fashion and Design of Bangladesh University of Textiles is not an exception. Here are some of the stunning fashion illustrations from different batches of the students and members of Fashionnovation.
1. Fashion Illustration with print repeat designs by Sumaiya Ferdousi Arpa
Sumaiya Ferdousi Arpa’s striking illustrations with seamless print repeat designs are striking. The floral designs with vibrant colors are an expression of femininity.
Fashion illustration by Sumaiya Ferdousi Arpa. Fashionnovation
Fashion illustration by Sumaiya Ferdousi Arpa. Fashionnovation
Fashion illustration by Sumaiya Ferdousi Arpa. Fashionnovation
Fashion illustration by Sumaiya Ferdousi Arpa. Fashionnovation
Fashion illustration by Sumaiya Ferdousi Arpa. Fashionnovation
Fashion illustration by Sumaiya Ferdousi Arpa. Fashionnovation
2. Fashion illustration of Bangladeshi couple by Gulshan Ara Tasnim
Gulshan Ara Tasnim has done some amazing tasks with the dress design of Bangladeshi couple where she has designed saree and punjabi. The vibrant color and the details are noteworthy. She has also produced an anime type character which represents her Otaku feelings.
Fashion illustration by Gulshan Ara Tasnim. Fashionnovation
Fashion illustration by Gulshan Ara Tasnim. Fashionnovation
Fashion illustration by Gulshan Ara Tasnim. Fashionnovation
3. Western Dresses by Jinnat Ara Ferdous
Jinnat ara ferdous has experimented with western dresses and her striking detail works are visible which shows her expertise of focusing on the details. She has done some intricate patterns on her dresses and worked with darker colors. All in all her details her praiseworthy and as a student these works are certainly a sign of excellence!
Illustration by Jinnat Ara Ferdous. Fashionnovation
Illustration by Jinnat Ara Ferdous. Fashionnovation
Illustration by Jinnat Ara Ferdous. Fashionnovation
That’s all for today! Fashionnovation will showcase more of such amazing works in the future. Till then stay tuned and don’t forget to send your works like these to our email address: fashionnovationfd@gmail.com
Take care!
As you have read and seen these amazing works of fashion illustration, you might be interested to learn how they are done! Don’t worry! We got you covered here!
To be more creative like these fashion illustrators or to know the relationship between creativity and fashion, you can read this article named Creativity and Fashion Design!
To see how creative our members are, you should read another of our article where they have drawn some basic fashion sketches which will blow your mind!
On September 26, 2021, Fashionnovation arranged a session with Ms. Umme Hani Barsha, an ex-student of BUTEX batch-38 and also Adjunct faculty of Department of Textile Fashion & Design (TFD) of Bangladesh University of Textiles (BUTEX) who is currently studying MS in Consumer & Design Science, majoring in Design and Applied Arts at Auburn University. She is our first guest in “Fashionnovation Your Mentor Talks.” She is one of the dearest mentor and well-wisher of Fashionnovation and she supported the platform from the beginning of its journey, right from 7 July 2018.
In that session, our discussion areas were higher studies in fashion, building up and honing skills related to fashion and how to enjoy life to the fullest-valuing each and every experience we gather. In the session, BUTEX 43, 44, 45 & 46th batch joined spontaneously and all credits of managing & directing the session goes to the Founder & President Kazi Farhan Hossain Purba.
Our guest- Ms. Barsha started the session by stating the most valuable advices of her Professor which are- Always ask questions! Because in graduation life, whoever is curious to know more, he/she will be more successful in his/her life.
Fashion design higher study guidelines:
Ms. Barsha then guided us about higher studies. If a student wants to pursue his higher education in Europe, then the student must have an excellent portfolio. European Universities demand more practical knowledge in the design sector that can be shown through portfolios. Students who are interested in studying in the U.S.A, mostly need to take GRE. In many institutions, they demand good verbal scores on GRE. A few institutions waived GRE recently also. In the USA, very few universities offer textile engineering degrees directly. One of them is North Carolina State University. Students may look at other departments like dept. of Material Science (students from the dept of Fabric & Yarn engineering), dept. of Chemical engineering (students from the dept of Wet Process Engineers & Dyes and Chemical engineering), dept. of Industrial engineering. Most of the institutions offer graduate degrees in Apparel Merchandising and Apparel Designing or Fashion Designing under the department of Consumer and Design Sciences or Agriculture.
Then if you want to go to Germany, fashion design students may face some challenges. Usually, there are no tuition fees for most of the courses but in fashion design as well as other art-based subjects such as architecture, and photography, students are required to pay tuition fees. Few colleges have no tuition fees but they teach in the German language instead of English. This is the scenario for many other European universities like Italy, France, and the Netherlands. If they know their language, then they can apply for Dutch and French scholarships respectively. Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Denmark also have textile-related universities as well as they offer graduate degrees in fashion. ArtEZ from the Netherlands offers a master’s in fashion in English, and they have scholarships. In New Zealand, you can get a government scholarship in the design sector from Auckland University. For applying in Denmark, one must complete the first level of their language. In Japan, there is a great fashion design school named Bunka Fashion College which ranks in the top 20 in the world. In Hong Kong Polytechnic, there are mainly PAD courses but you can also go through your graduate level here.
Then if you want to go with Australia or Canada, it will be suitable if you can go on a fully funded scholarship. Pertinently, it must be included that there is only one university in Canada named Ryerson that offers a graduate degree in fashion design. The University of Toronto, the University of Manitoba, and the University of Alberta offer textile-related subjects like material science and other degrees. In Australia, RMIT offers a graduate degree in fashion design as well as textile engineering. There is a scholarship for women but that requires two years of working experience.
You will be happy to know that there was a special guest in our session whose name is Mr. Asef Amer Priyo who is also our BUTEXian senior from the same batch of Ms. Barsha. And he is now working in Decathlon Sports Bangadesh, having working experience of 4.5 years in the industry. He advised to enrich English communication skill, presentation skill and learn Microsoft Excel & Powerpoint from undergraduate level. He clarified about the job sectors of Textile Fashion Design as well as Textile Engineering. He said actually one will get a job or not it totally depends on the performance at the interview board and how much your CV is enriched. Also you must have a very strong portfolio. And at the interview board, you must know what you say and know what you know.
Then again Ms. Barsha said a fashion designer must have knowledge about the fabric, its drapability, texture, etc besides art and design. Because fabric, stitches, pattern-these all are strongly connected with fashion.
When one of the participants of that session asked about the importance of CGPA in higher studies, Ms. Barsha replied that a high CGPA is not a must for applying for foreign scholarships. But if you want a fully funded scholarship and a good subject as per your choice then you will be much benefited if you have a high CGPA. But don’t be upset if it’s by chance low because you can cover it up with other facts like having a great portfolio as well as achieving high scores in speaking & writing on IELTS and GRE scores.
Mr. Asef Amer Priyo was sharing his vauable experience with the audience.
Is having a published research paper important for higher studies?
Another question came from the participants about the importance of research papers. Madam replied that actually on the master’s level, teachers of foreign universities do not really expect research papers from the students. Students may have a review paper which is helpful also. But one should have a clear knowledge of their research interests. She again mentioned having a strong portfolio always helps. She referred to a YouTube channel named Zoe Hong to enrich your portfolio. She also suggested a site named issuu.com see many kinds of portfolios there.
Ms. Barsha said that during her application for MS, she categorized the ranking of the university where she applied and research interests and if the university provides funds or not. Again another student asked her about what can the student do with fashion degrees. Madam replied there are fashion photography, visual merchandising, fashion merchandising, sourcing sector & designing sectors. Last, of all, she stressed upon especially for fashion design students to learn Adobe software like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, etc.
At last our special guest Mr. Asef gave us some life hacks. He said,”Forget about being disheartened. No knowledge is small, no knowledge is short! So if you have leisure, it’s better to learn something new. Always use your time efficiently.” Then Barsha madam suggested, “Obviously do work but enjoy your life to the fullest in your undergrad!”
It was really an amazing session! We learnt a lot from Ms. Barsha & Mr. Asef. We are expressing our gratitude to them and the organizer of this session, Mr. Kazi Farhan Hossain Purba. Hope that we will get more sessions like this & will be able to learn a lot!
Textile in space is a dream that human beings have seen beyond the use of textiles in mere clothings as a covering.
As we continue our journey to reach the stars following with the previous chapter of Textile in Space, we will surely come to know some of the amazing applications of textile in both space and aerospace. We have already come to know some of the key features for space textiles (such as fiber, yarn, fabric) which are essential to be converted into intricate and highly modern aero-crafts.
Nonetheless, a good strength to weight ratio, high abrasion resistance, extremely light-weight, flexibility, durability, comfortability, mechanical and chemical resistance are some of the compulsory features of textiles in this regard. And keeping this in mind, the developed technical textiles are serving in this textile space field with no sweat!
Textile in space: In Aircraft Manufacturing- When Dream Becomes Reality to Reach the Space!
Textiles have been used by human beings since the pre-historic time. Only the recent researches for the past few decades have led to the concept of developing technical textiles in space. One of the major fields of applications of textile is in the process of aircraft manufacturing and related products. Surely, getting to know some of the applications will give us a glimpse on how our dream to reach the stars in becoming a reality!
Rotor Blade:
The broken parts of rotor blade can operate as projectile and form external effect. So, woven structure and material such as Kevlar, Nylon, glass fiber metal resign, aromatic polyamide and carbon/epoxy composite structures are used to decrease the impact damage. These textile materials co-operate with flight surface and help the rotor inner side for covering against ballistic damage.
Aircraft Interior Design, another example of textile in space:
Inside the aircraft and spacecraft- from furnishing textiles to wall covering, floor carpet, seat & seat belts, curtains and other interior designs are formed from textile composites. In the automotive sector as well as aircraft, spacecraft and onboard ships, drive belts are now used in the engine. In the past, they were primarily made of rubber or flexible plastic. Now coated with textiles or textile mixtures have established durability, comfortability, safety in many applications. They must determine qualities that affect in everyday use to clean easily, to be fire –resistant and free of pollutants that could vaporize and pollute the air. Modern textile materials like microfibers, nanotechnology and new plastics have remodel the use of textiles in interiors.
The Interior of a spacecraft for which technical textile materials are one of the the primary elements to manufacture. Courtesy: Unspash.
Parachute:
Parachutes are necessary for the protection for the pilots, aviators and passengers of the aircraft. Raw materials used in the parachutes are high performance fibers such as Nylon, Polyester, Kevlar, Nomex and so on. More specifically, parachutes are made up of high tenacity fire resistant material called ‘Rip-stop Nylon 6.6 fabric’ with tough and durable coatings for heat and air retention. Some other important characteristics for these materials to obtain are UV protection, heat and abrasion resistant, water proofness, high specific strength and light weight.
Parachute systems for space and military, an example of textile in space. Courtesy: Aerospace America.
Space Suit:
A space suit, mostly worn by astronauts, is a pressurized garment which is useful during space flights. This suit performs as the ultimate protective clothing that protects the astronauts from damaging conditions in the space where a single sand can be dangerous for its extreme speed. It is also known as Extra Vehicular Mobility unit (EMU).
From feet to head, spacesuit consists of many parts which performs various tasks like containing tubes that supply oxygen, protecting from high pressure and dust in space, containing electric conductors etc. Under the suit, astronauts wear another piece of clothing named liquid cooling and ventilation garment that interlinks with the tubes. Water flows through the tubes to keep astronaut cool. Since, containing oxygen is a must in order to survive in space, a good oxygen chamber is required. Hence, on the back of the space suit, there is a backpack made from technical textiles that holds oxygen and removes carbon dioxide to make easy breathing system for astronauts. It also supplies electricity for the suit. According to the required functional purpose, materials like Dacron, Neoprene, Kevlar, Spandex etc. are used to make spacesuit.
Man Wearing Space Suit, taking textile in space. Courtesy: Pixabay.
G-Suit:
G-Suit is a special flight suit worn by aviators, astronauts or fighter pilot in aircraft who are commanded to go against high levels of acceleration force or gravitational force(g). Also, owing to the name as Anti-Gravity Suit, this item is designed to avoid a black-out and g-Loc (g-induced loss of consciousness) generated by the blood pooling in the lower part of the body when under acceleration. This suit is, therefore, necessary as black-out and g-Loc have caused a number of disastrous aircraft accidents previously.
A dummy wearing an Anti-g Suit trousers and cummerbund fitted over a flying suit. Source: Wikipedia.
G-suits consists of artificial inflatable bladders, having air or liquid that can be pressurized using a g-sensitive valve. This also has controlled firm to legs and abdomen under high values of g.
Future Development of Textile in Space Products-What is Coming Next?
Every kilogram that needs to be launched in a spacecraft is so important that it increases both fuel utilization and costs! Lightweight, high strength, cost efficiency, ease of working with the materials and safety are all parameters that should be achieved in developing textiles. Innovations like incorporating bionics into the development of new textiles can open entirely new solutions for engineers and scientists.
A spacecraft during its launch and ready to reach the stars! Photo Taken at the Kennedy Space Center, USA. Courtesy: Unsplash.
In 2015, NASA revealed to try to get humans living on Mars by 2030. If these plans are to be performed successfully, then it’s a consideration that textile materials can be made not only from a clothing and safety perspective, but also can be used structurally to understand the optimal living conditions. Nonetheless, the designers have to work days and nights to figure out the best possible anatomy of a spacesuit! As the weather in Mars is extremely unfavorable, no specimens have yet returned to Earth from Mars which is still the biggest challenge in making space suits. For this regard, NASA is preparing the Futuristic Z-2 space suit of Z-2 prototype for the next generation!
As we come to an end to our space journey, we certainly realize textile is not just used only for daily uses or enhancing beauty but also for protecting from hazardous environments in air, outer-space, Mars or any other outer planet. This field of application is nothing but innovative and cool! Thus, textile especially, technical textiles enabled us to conquer any innovative plan about space and decrease mortal accidents caused by dangerous space area and also allow us to definitely fulfill our dream to reach the stars!
To know the biggest fashion trends of 21st century, you can visit here! Moreover, if you want to know the future of fashion industry after Covid-19, you can click here!
And if you want to read one of our premium case studies on Fast Fashion Vs Slow Fashion, you can go here!
