SLUG: she
For 28- year - old Stephany D'Souza, getting into fashion designing was the one thing she knew she had to go ahead with.“I've always been in love with clothes. Sketching designs back in my school days was something I always did as a pastime. In fact, I used to design clothes for my dolls!” she chuckles. “I did sketch a few designs for my friends too, but mostly for myself. I love how fashion reflects an idea, one’s personality and mood. It can tell a story. It has the power to make one feel confident about themselves"
After completing her diploma in Garment Technology, D'Souza, who lives in Siolim, went on to assist designer Savio Jon for about three years, quickly picking up nuances of the art. Her label ‘Stephany’ was launched in August 2011 focusing on designs that are a beautiful blend of comfort and elegance. Her designs were retailed to fashion stores in Goa, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
“A lot of things play a crucial role when it comes to inspiration. But mostly when I am designing, I let the fabric guide me. Draping it in different ways to see how it falls,” she reveals.
D'Souza’s first big break came when her SS’13 collection was picked up to be showcased at the Lakme Fashion Week Summer Resort in the Gen Next Category in 2013. “It was surreal, a dream come true. I had so many sleepless nights preparing for it,” recalls D'Souza who was also the only Indian selected to be a part of the Mercedes Benz Asia Fashion Week held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2014 . This annual event is a collaboration of 12 fashion associations across Asia like Hong Kong, China, Korea, Philippines, Vietnam, India, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan showcasing their best emerging designers. The event proved to be a learning experience for her in terms of new markets.
Her collection at the Lakme Fashion Week W/F 2015 was all about minimal understated luxury. “It was an exciting moment coming back to the Lakme Fashion Week this season. It’s always a rush getting things done for the Fashion Week and we started preparing or it months in advance and everyone at the show loved it,” she says ecstatically .
Her refreshing collection, which highlighted the fluidity and natural flow of fabrics featured a generous use of silks in splashes of vibrant azure, lime and orange contrasted with neutral tones of sandstone, pastel mint and peach, etc. Indeed, D’Souza loves dabbling with vibrant hues as is evident in all her head turning designs which one cannot but help be wowed by. “I love the pop of colours! It is something I always add in my collections. It keeps the designs elegant yet gives them a bold touch,” she says.
She’s got a few feathers in her hat. But for Stephany, this is just the beginning. “There are quite a few fashion weeks that I would love to be a part of,” she says, “I would also love to design for celebrities like Blake Lively and Jennifer Aniston someday. Being a Goan, I would love to take it susegado, but you never know. As of now I will take it one day at a time.”
