Busy with confirming her tickets and carefully transporting
her garments to Europe, not even the gloomy weather can bring Verma D’Mello’s
spirits down as she prepares for her runway moment at the biggest fashion
destination of the world, Paris. Verma will be representing Goa with her latest
collection, ‘Luxury in Cocoon’, on day one of the Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week.
“I have designed 30 garments to be worn by 26 female models and four male models. I am very excited as it gives me another opportunity to showcase Goa’s talent on an international platform. Being invited for the Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week only reaffirms how Goa or India is projected before the international audience,” says the noted designer. The fashion week will feature works from different world renowned fashion houses.
A graduate in literature, it was while studying for her law degree that Verma was drawn towards fashion and moved to London and then to Brussels to pursue her dream. Known for her bridal designs, Verma recently participated in the highly-acclaimed bridal show at Bride Dubai 2014, where she projected Goa-India as the best wedding destination in a view to promote tourism. “It’s going to be an emotional moment for me, because not very far from Paris, at the Regent Academy of Fine Arts in London, I started my career 15 years ago.”
For this collection, Verma had a very special theme in mind. She wanted to focus on non violence and the best fabric to emphasis this was Ahimsa silk which is produced without killing silkworms. Her collection will cater to all the ultra-modern women who will love the comfort of the fabric. “The Ahimsa theme itself is close to my heart, especially in the face of so much violence, globally. Ahimsa, implies entire abstinence from causing any pain or harm whatsoever to any living creature, either by thought, word, or deed. It is the development of a mental attitude in which hatred is replaced by love. The power of Ahimsa is greater than the power of the intellect. It is easy to develop the intellect, but it is difficult to purify and develop the heart. The practice of Ahimsa develops the heart in a wonderful manner,” says Verma before her departure to Paris.
Using the colour palette of fireball sapphire, old mauve and ivory, sugar dust and patch of sky, which are the colours for 2015 -2016, for the garments, Verma’s models will walk the runway to Sonia Shirsat’s beautiful voice. “Since Ahmisa silk is coarse, I dyed, processed and embellished it heavily to attract the new generation of fashion lovers. I always believe that the garment should look like a garment and not like a float. The organisers of the Fashion Week are so happy with the collection that they want the designs to be photographed next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris,” adds the talented designer.
With ‘Verma the Bridal Studio’ winning hearts for years together and her almost two decades of experience, Verma is one of the few Goan-Indian designers who believe in projecting the best of local artisans and talent to the world through their creations. As part of the Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, Verma has also been invited for the French Film Festival.