Ashoka Avenue resident runs acclaimed evening wear brand
Dania Siddiqui, a fashion designer residing in Ashoka Avenue, who runs an eponymous women’s luxury clothing brand from Shahpur Jat, almost didn’t make it to her chosen vocation. “I picked up a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design and then went on do my Masters in Interior Design at Florence Design Academy in Italy,” said Dania (34) during a freewheeling conversation with Sainik Farms Chronicle (SFC) at her residence in the leafy, quiet and manicured neighbourhood.
“However, when I was pursuing interior designing projects in Delhi, I realized that it wasn’t really something that excited me. And I didn’t want to pursue a job in an advertising agency. I then considered various options like floating a jewelry business or handicrafts exports since that’s something much in vogue in my hometown Saharanpur, but eventually I decided to launch my own fashion brand since I was always attracted to it even as a child,” she reminisced.
She says she did face a dilemma before finally going ahead with it. “It wasn’t easy as I wasn’t trained as a fashion designer. It called for a change of perspective on my part and acquiring a certain gravitas. Also, you see, many people from my mother’s side are doctors, and the general reaction to such a career choice used to be like, ‘Have you lost the plot’! But my mom was supportive of the decision,” says Dania, who did her schooling in Nainital in boarding schools.
“It also helped that a relative of my husband was a fashion designer. Several other people also guided me, for which I am grateful,” added Dania, whose father is a well-known politician and businessman in Saharanpur.
Dania went on to set up a workshop and a showroom in Shahpur Jat, the chic hub for women’s clothing. “That was in 2019, just before the Covid pandemic and lockdown hit the world. So, had to sit it out for a few years.”
Once the pandemic was over, she went on to release several well-received collections over the years. “We are an evening wear brand with styles ranging from cocktail dresses to bespoke gowns. My label offers elegant and chic clothing for women and is inspired by European fashion history, art, books, theatre, old Hollywood and red-carpet glamour. The brand has a feminine and romantic design philosophy with styles that are luxurious yet understated,” she says.
Asked what inspires her, Dania says she likes adding value to someone’s life. “The appreciation I get from a woman who writes to me saying she feels confident and happy after donning a dress designed by me gives me a sense of fulfilment. Money is, of course, important, but that’s what I love about my work,” she says.
“See, the trouble with most clothes in the market is that they are ill-fitting and not really suited for the average Indian women. The underlying message is, ‘Be a certain size to look good”. That makes many women feel anxious; they are not comfortable with their own bodies. Many of them who walk into our store tell me to give them something which doesn’t make them look fat. I find this phenomenon disturbing. What’s the point of buying even the most expensive dress if you end up fidgeting all day in it? What’s needed is an attitude shift. You need to feel pretty, and then no matter what you’re wearing, you’ll look pretty to yourself and other people too,” she says.
“I also feel that it doesn’t help that people are always chasing something new all the time. I don’t much care for the fast fashion, fast food, use and throw culture. It would help to adhere to the ‘slow movement’. One needs to be spiritually-grounded to achieve peace and contentment,” she says.
Asked about any particular challenges faced by her, Dania says, “When you are successful in any arena of life most people don’t appreciate that all of us inevitably go through some kind of suffering and tough times before reaching there. Also, even after achieving success, one sometimes tends to look at others in the same field and wonder whether one is doing as well as them. As they say, comparison is the thief of joy”.
“I tend to feel anxious when I set out to design a new dress or collection. There are actually days when I still don’t feel comfortable being a fashion designer. And of course, it’s often not easy to deal with my workers, who are brought in up in a patriarchal environment and don’t seem to much care for working under a woman. But it’s all par for the course. I’m a hands-on person. Besides supervising my staff, I even organize the fashion shoots for my new collections and dresses, personally picking the models and acting as the stylist. I love my chosen profession!” she says.
Dania says she moved to Sainik Farms from Greater Kailash during the pandemic as she wanted to be closer to nature. “I like it here. But the traffic mess is a nightmare. The army of two-wheelers driving all over the place the moment you step out of home makes one feel as if one is living in a slum. Something must be done about it,” she says.
(Contact: 7827864396; Insta: @daniasiddiquiofficial)
