Dubai’s new menswear designer: Varoin Marwah

Varoin Marwah is one of the new breeds of menswear designers adding glamour to the UAE fashion scene. The Dubai-based Indian designer, who comes from an aviation background, decided to follow his dreams full-time by launching his eponymous label last year. He spoke to The weekend tabloid! ahead of his appearance at the Sa Vogue exhibition today:

Q: Define the Varoin Marwah aesthetic for us.

A: Varoin Marwah is new-age fashion. It’s for men who like to have comfort and still be stylish. They are ready to experiment and cross the boundaries of greys and blues. I like to cut my outfits in a way that gives shape to anybody irrespective of their build.

Q: Why did you decide to start your own label at 34?

A: I’ve literally waited for the right opportunity. I’ve always been dressing up a lot of my friends and family and I was making my own clothes. It came more from a need. I always struggled to find the right cut, design and shape. But I wanted to be prepared because it should be all about the right placement. And the right opportunity came around when I was asked to design a collection for the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards party in Dubai last year. I haven’t looked back since.

Q: How many collections have you designed?

A: I’ve had four collections so far, including the one I did for the IIFAs. I also did a collection for Studio 8 and recently showcased at the Cayman Islands Fashion Week. I have created 25 pieces for Sa Vogue.

Q: What have been the challenges in launching your own label?

A: I’ve had to work backwards. People take years to reach to the point where they launch their label. So I’m now learning the tricks of the trade, taking care of international clients, operations, production, marketing ... just handling the brand. And nobody prepared me for media. But I’ve had good people with me so I feel quite blessed.

Q: What next for you?

A: I want to take it slow. This is something that I’m going to retire with so I don’t want to do too much so soon. I still have a lot to learn about running a business.