Sheetal

Sheetal

Where there’s a will, there’s a way! Mumbai-based fashion designer, Gurmeen Shrivastav, who is known for her bridal-wear, has taken up an initiative to do her bit for the country amidst the ongoing pandemic.

She says, “The idea came to me last year when the lockdown was announced and I felt the need to support underprivileged women. My quest to do so brought me in touch with an NGO in Mumbai.” Gurmeen’s association began with creating masks, and then hair bands as well as jhumkas. She adds, “The response to the products was amazing. My ties with these women have grown stronger.”

Steady steps

Having graduated from the Inter-National Institute of Fashion Design, Chandigarh, she says, “I am looking for investors to complete my dream of opening an outlet in Chandigarh, the place where I was born and brought up. Clients have made me realise that my designs often have that North-Indian feel to them. My vendors for fabrics and other raw material are often from Punjab or Delhi. I have learnt about trading before opening up my own brand, and Delhi, Chandigarh and Mumbai have played an equal role in making me the designer I am today. After graduation, my first job was with local brand of men’s apparel in Mohali.”

About the market, Gurmeen adds, “It definitely is bad during Covid times. But one has to look at the bigger picture. There are people who have resorted to online brands, especially like ours, who try to deliver the best in the client’s budget. We don’t push them to adjust to our price tags and I feel blessed to have clients who have full faith in us. As of now, we follow the‘work-from-home’ module, which makes it easier for us to deliver orders.”

As for fashion designers she looks up to, Masaba Gupta and Sabyasachi Mukherjee are right on the top of her list. Many television actors have worn clothes designed by her at award functions and on special events!