Bringing Designs To Life…
| Goa is talking about its frontman for all seasons, Andrew David Fernandes, the man behind the popular D’ziners brand of wedding suits and gowns in Goa. |
Having come a long way since he took over his father’s shop ‘Johnny’s Creations’ in 1985 in Mumbai, Andrew now has three outlets in the state of Goa under the brand – D’ziners. Always on his feet and busy as a bee, Andrew believes in hardwork and perseverance.
“The concept of clothing has undergone a big change. Earlier, one suit would suffice for a lifetime, but today people have at least 10-15 suits in their wardrobes. Everyone is getting fashion conscious and becoming trend setters in their own way. Each one is creating his own design and therefore desires to look different from the rest,” Andrew says.
Specialising in wedding suits, jodhpuris, sherwanis, safaris, shirts, pants, wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses and more, when it comes to designs D’ziners knows what’s best for you.
In conversation with Abraxas NU, Andrew opens up about his life, business and plans for the future.
Take us down memory lane. What made you come up with the name ‘D’ziners’?
The name ‘D’ziners’ struck me because 20 years ago the word designer sounded better than a tailor like an interior designer sounds better than a carpenter! I was very inspired with Goan surnames like D’souza, D’costa, D’silva and came up with the name ‘D’ziners’ which was a different spelling to the regular ‘designers.’ I have three outlets in Goa – Margao, Calangute and Panaji.
Tell us a little about your dream that you had to leave unaccomplished when you took over the reins of your father’s shop after his demise.
After I finished my studies I wanted to do commercial art and was doing a course at JJ. School of Art. However due to my father’s early demise, I had to take up the family business to support my mother and two sisters back in Goa to help them sustain themselves.
When you left Bombay in 1997 and started afresh in Goa, what difficulties and challenges did you face?
Initially studying the market was an important role in those days as there were only tailors. So people used to buy cloth from the cloth merchants and take it to the tailor to get it stitched. I being a new player in the market noticed that every customer had their own tailor. They would blindly go to a cloth merchant, buy cloth and blindly go to a tailor to stitch. To break this system I had to put up lots of banners and had to break the rates of suits being stitched for Rs 3,000 to giving the material and stitching it for Rs 2,000. It was a breakthrough, a mind blowing revolution of sorts that I brought up in the tailoring industry. Another challenge for me was when I started giving suits overnight which also led to my growth in the market. In my mind I have always maintained that I’m an outsider, not a Goan, because when you think in these terms you grow faster.
You have made a name for yourself in the past, from where do you draw inspiration?
I was inspired by the parable of the three talents, where a man gives three people talents and asks them to use it. If you do not use your talent it will be taken away so this parable inspired me to use my talents and make a name for myself in my native land.
What is the USP of D’ziners Goa?
The very first thing is the price, second is the service and third is the hospitality.
What is your motto in life?
I want my brand to go across India, more like a franchise. I already have one of my outlets in Calangute run by a franchise.
What is your take on the competition?
I believe in healthy competition. Competition keeps us alert and attentive and we can give better results to our clients. So yes, competition is very good.
Where do you see D’ziners in the next 10 years? Do you see it going to different states of India?
One of my daughters, Drewsal, has completed her studies in Fashion Designing while my other daughter Lianne is pursuing Business Administration. I am expecting Lianne to take D’ziners to a completely different level. I hope someday that D’ziners will have branches all over India and abroad and take tailoring to a new high.
Can you give us a step – by – step explanation of a bridal outfit’s construction?
We always ask a bride-to-be as to what outfit she has in mind for her wedding. This helps us draw an image regarding what she would like in her dress. The very first thing a bride-to-be thinks about is about is her wedding gown. Today it has become very easy to search for patterns online with the internet at our fingertips. There is so much to choose from that a bride is spoilt with so much variety. Secondly, we ask her the colour she is looking out for, and whether she wants a tailor-made or a ready-made gown. We also give her tips on hairstyling and make-up too, as my wife Sally is a beautician by profession. She helps guide the soon-to-be brides with all the necessary dos and don’ts, so that they can look their best.
Do you have any unfulfilled dreams?
Well, till today all the dreams that I have dreamed of have been fulfilled. If there is any dream that has not been fulfilled that means the right time has not yet come.
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