KOCHI: Priya Varma’s journey began nine years ago as she took her baby steps into the world of design. Priya had just quit her corporate job to follow a passion she had been nurturing from a young age.
When she arrived in Kochi, she met the owner of Fassini, a customised cloth stitching unit, which was incurring heavy losses. Armed with her sense of design and her skill to understand fabrics better than many, she acquired the unit and thus began her journey of turning the clothing business around.
In a span of two years, she began understanding the type of customers who were arriving at the shop. It was 2010: The time when people were becoming hugely receptive of new trends. The public was also very curious. “Most of the customers who were visiting the store had a lot of doubts about the trends. They were eager to adapt to try new styles.
Over the years, I realised that instead of depending on what I was purchasing from the retailer, I needed to be out there procuring the materials myself. This is how I began my search for better and newer fabrics which cater hugely to my customer base,” she said.
Today, Priya Varma is the proud owner of DeFab In Style, a sprawling boutique in Vyttila which is spread over 52 cents. “I am glad I started out with Fassini. It helped me learn a lot and mark a space of my own in the design world,” she said. There were many customers who were visiting her store, looking for exclusive fabric and seeking her opinions on customised wear.
“I ensure we cater to their needs hundred per cent. It includes understanding who they are, the kind of family they come from and their body type. Our clients come to us to cover their imperfections and highlight their beauty and this is why our business is making an impact,” she said.
DeFab’s latest collection includes bridal wear lehenga and sari created in Kanchipuram silk fusioned with tissues and silver lining. “Our USP has always been staying in loop with international fashion. For example, if a new trend is launched in the fashion capital in France, it takes at least three years to reach Kochi. I try my best to study these designs and incorporate them,” she said.
De Fab’s range of fabric collections include imported chantilly lace and silks from France, Korea and China. Priya says in 2019, they plan to focus 70 per cent on their personal customised line-up and 30 per cent on trending designs.
