Verma D’Mello’s story is one of grit that has blossomed into a successful enterprise through years of hard-work
Verma D’mello, renowned fashion designer has been and continues to be a pioneer of women empowerment through the costumes that she designs.
Verma believes that it is her education that has helped her gain a better understanding and insight into the fashion industry. “I was very passionate about designing. While pursuing a law degree at Kare College, I often found myself sketching outfits for both judges and lawyers especially when moot court was in session. However, it took me a couple of detours to follow my true calling.” she states.
Her background in English literature was of great assistance especially when it came to understanding the nuances of the English language while both her education and interest in the history of India was useful in helping her interpret and represent the history of costumes in the country.
Fashion designing, for Verma, from the very beginning has been about camouflaging the flaws in the human body and she emphasizes on portraying a sense of elegance and confidence through the ensembles that she designs.
“In the beginning, I did have to face a few hard times.” states Verma, “I began my business with a small loan. I created a market for myself, reached out to a few clients, gained the confidence of my clientele and built a niche for myself. Gradually my passion began to grow as a business. Now, I have thirty-six people working with me, all belonging to different walks of life.”
From creating a niche for herself in the industry among the local people, Verma began to take her designs to the stage first through local and national fashion shows and eventually international shows. From showcasing her designs in the Kingfisher Fashion show to making it to Cochin for her national debut, which was soon followed by her being invited to showcase her designs in Hyderabad and Pune. Thus began her global journey.
“My first international fashion show was in Dubai, sponsored by the Goa Tourism Department. Once I touched foreign soil, there was no looking backs,” she says.
Verma D’Mello has always been a firm supporter of making consumers understand the significance behind locally produced material
The show in Dubai was followed by invites to showcase her work in various other countries. Verma has even, in the early stages of her career, opened the show for 36 designers of global acclaim in Africa for a fashion show sponsored by Mercedes.
She narrates an incident wherein she was invited by the organizer of the Cannes Film Festival to showcase her design, “When I was first contacted by the team at Cannes I automatically assumed that I was invited to watch the show. However, the organizers informed me that they wanted to showcase my collection at Cannes. I was to meet them to sign a contract the very same week. I flew to San Francisco and reached the designated meeting area much before I was supposed to. I still had my doubts regarding the possibility of me displaying my work at Cannes. I was so excited that I reached hours earlier for the meeting. And while I waited and the time for the meeting arrived and passed by and nobody from the committee showed up, I was convinced that this was a joke. As I was just about to leave, I bumped into the organizers who then proceeded to apologize for the delay. The contract was then signed and what seemed like a dream mere moments ago, now turned into reality.”
Speaking of her Cannes showcase in 2016, Verma says, “My show was themed on the Kadamba queen. Through this, I wanted to portray how Goans used to dress before the beginning of Portuguese rule in Goa and the influence that this rule had on our dressing style. It is my background in the history of India that has helped me immensely during this period. It is my education in the field of history that helped me. When you study and when you learn, when you educate yourself, your perception changes – you become a better, more wholesome person – and in due course, knowledge becomes the power through which you can change your perception and the perception of the world.”
In 2018, Verma’s collection at Cannes was centred on the idea of purity and impurity and a co-relation was drawn between the River Ganga and young women who are perceived to be impure by society. The unjust treatment meted out to women particularly in remote areas was highlighted and a dramatic addition to this was actress Mallika Sherawat posing in a cage to display the plight of these young women
The fashion industry also did have its own challenges. Over the years, consumers have begun to opt for foreign garments that are being imported to India. These garments are cheaper than locally produced material and also have an edge as it is considered trendier because they have a global appeal. In her quest to promote ingenious local fabric, Verma has also showcased in her collection the material worn by Kunbi women in Goa. However, she has used the fabric in a manner that will make it more appealing to the global audience using flamboyance as a tool to attract particularly the younger crowd.
Verma has always been a firm supporter of making consumers understand the significance behind locally produced material. The use of locally sourced material is a means of increasing consciousness about the locally sourced materials as well as promoting a sense of self-reliance that extends from local level producers of the material to the consumers. The presence of higher level of synthetic elements in mass produced imported material also makes it unhealthier for the consumers.
Besides creating a name for herself in the fashion industry, Verma has also adopted two villages. One of these is a village in Kotigao inhabited by the Dhongri tribe. The people residing in this village are still reliant on the age-old practise of the barter system as a means of currency. With the help of the locals, Verma has also constructed toilets for these people, who used to defecate in the open as well as made free medical check-ups possible.
Besides this village, Verma has also adopted sixteen women from a village called Amble in Quepem. All these women are school dropouts, some of whom have even been married off at an early age, while yet others are already young widows. During her off peak season, Verma continues to visit these villages and trains the women in the art of tailoring. Besides this skill, these women are also provided with skills that will allow them to earn a livelihood for themselves. Twenty-five per cent of the proceeds earned from her international shows go into the upliftment of the people of these two villages.
“In my time there was nobody to help me. I try to help people because I know the need. I know what it feels to not have help. I empower these women because I, myself, am empowered,” adds Verma.
“At this point, I think I can sell ice to an Eskimo,” – the 17 years that Verma has spent in business have only helped make her more positive. “If you are focussed, you can achieve absolutely anything. All you need to do is believe in yourself, wholeheartedly,” she says with a smile
