Ever since it's launch, Lola by Suman B has steadily become a name synonymous with awesome. From celebrities like Katrina Kaif, Karisma Kapoor and Diana Penty all wearing her designs with elan, to becoming a popular label on the online fashion market, Suman Bhat has long since become a name to reckon with in the fashion world.
And now, she's all set to launch her first flagship store in Panaji on September 29 at the Bento Miguel building. "When you are shopping on social media you depend on the image but when you visit a store you get a more personalised experience so it made sense to open my own place and also enable me to have a one on one interaction with each customer," says Suman, adding that after a four year journey of online sales it was time to take the step. "I was born and brought up here in Goa and began my label here as well so it made sense to open my first store here only instead of any big city."
To put the plan into action, Suman collaborated with Studio Seaweed to create the interiors of the store. "The store is a replica of what our label is- it's very minimal, feminine, luxurious and classy while also staying contemporary," she explains. "We have tried to create a space where women can come and try on unique pieces which make them feel on top of the world and make them come back for more."
Having studied at the Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune, Suman always knew she wanted to get into field of making clothes, although it took her awhile before she learnt that it was known as fashion designing.
" I used to go over to my grand mum's place as a kid where she taught me how to knit, do crochet and embroider little sparrows etc on napkins. Back in seventh grade, my school happened to give me a summer project on ‘what you want to be when you grow up', so I asked my grand mum for advice. My grand mum asked me what I wanted to do and I said I want to stitch like how I do with you, but I don't want to make napkins, but clothes," recalls Suman. Little Suman then inquired what a person who makes clothes is called and she was informed that they were known as tailors. "I then decided to do a research on what colleges I could learn tailoring at and that's when I learnt that it was called as fashion designing!" she says laughing. " Although as Wendell Rodricks ( who she interned under) says we really are just glorified tailors."
Post her internship with Wendell, who she credits with teaching her everything she needed to know, she went on to do her Pune course and then returned to Goa to start her label Lola by Suman B in 2013. One of her hardest challenges though was learning how to structure her business. "I never went to business school so it took me sometime to get used to things like taxes and getting permissions etc. One rule that I always abide to is that you should always pay your employees fairly and on time because you are literally providing an income for a family," she says.
As far as how Goa fares on the fashion scene, Suman gives it a solid 8/10. "Fashion isn't only about clothing. It has a lot to do with personality. A person may wear something that is outdated but if she carried it off well its all that matters. That's how vintage came back into the fashion scenes," she says. "I think we need to stop trying too hard to follow a trend. Dress instead for your personality and body type."
Suman was recently part of the Dhoom Dhaam Wedding Trunk event in Mumbai which was curated by celebrity stylist Tanya Ghavri. Apart from this she is presently working on her new line and also putting together an exclusive collection for RocknShop. "We are also working towards getting more out there in other cities and being a part of more trunks and events," she says.
