Dubai The Hindu festival of Navarathri is here and Dubai’s tailors are a very busy lot.
The nine-night-ten-day gala, which celebrates female divinity, began on Tuesday and popular outfitters in the alleys of Bur Dubai have been working overtime to make sure their orders are delivered on time.
“We are getting over 50 orders each for saree-blouses and salwar kameez a day. Our Navarathri customers started coming in from October 1,” said designer Nitin Bhatia of Rinco Tailoring and Embroidery who has a team of five master cutters and 22 tailors across two stores in Meena Bazaar.
Peak season
He said his tailors would be flush with orders from now till the year-end. “The peak season for Dubai’s tailors begins with Eid. Then comes the Navarathri, Karva Chauth and Diwali rush. We get a lot of orders for Diwali parties, followed by Christmas and New Year parties,” said Bhatia.
Rajinder of Princess Fashions, in Meena Bazaar, said he and his colleagues were catering to 10-15 orders per day. “It is a very busy time for us till Diwali,” he said.
Zafar, another popular tailor, said last-minute customers add to the festival pressure. “In the normal course, deliveries take a week’s time. But some women want their outfits in a day or two. It’s difficult to accommodate them but we try our level best.”
None of the tailors is charging extra for the festival rush. Bhatia said simple blouse orders begin at Dh85 while a no-frills salwar kameez costs Dh50 upwards.
It’s been a race against time for customers as well.
Indian expat Amita Satish said she the tailor she regularly goes to directed her to another shop as he was fully booked. “I had two blouses to be stitched but when I went to my tailor last Thursday, he flatly refused to take my order if it had to be delivered by Navarathri. So I was forced to go elsewhere.”
Another expat Mallika said she avoids going to her tailor during this period because of inevitable delays. “Moreover, it is such an ordeal to find parking in Meena Bazaar. I get my new clothes stitched for Durga Pooja in September itself.”
