The designer who has dressed up Bollywood stars like Ranveer Singh and Sushant Singh Rajput opens up about his typical day.
Read the full story here: https://gulfnews.com/uae/watch-a-day-in-the-life-of-top-dubai-based-indian-fashion-designer-varoin-marwah-1.91044518
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#UAEnews #Bollywood #fashiondesigner
Read the full story here: https://gulfnews.com/uae/watch-a-day-in-the-life-of-top-dubai-based-indian-fashion-designer-varoin-marwah-1.91044518
See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos
Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km
Subscribe to Gulf News on YouTube and watch more of our videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/GulfNewsTV
#UAEnews #Bollywood #fashiondesigner
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00:00And Dubai has always been very fascinating for me because there's so much fashion here.
00:05So I guess that fashion that's inside me always got connected to the city.
00:09And I feel like in general, even when you're in a mall or you're on the street,
00:13you just see so much fashion here.
00:15And what better place to, you know, cater to where people enjoy wearing what I make.
00:20Because I think my kind of fashion sensibility, I mean, the younger ones relate very, very quickly to,
00:27like, instantly Arjun Kapoor was wearing Sushant, you know, Ranveer, of course.
00:33Many, many times Ranveer has worn, I think of all the stars, Ranveer has worn my clothes the maximum.
00:42This is Manjusha from Gulf News.
00:44Today we are going to tap into Dubai-based designer, Varun Marwa's life.
00:48It's a part of our Day in the Life of series where we go into his world and see how he ticks.
00:55So let's see what he has got in store for us.
00:57I'm told that his studio slash home is as flamboyant as the designer himself.
01:07Hi, how are you?
01:10Very good.
01:11Lovely to see you.
01:12Welcome.
01:14Varun, I love your home.
01:16I think it kind of reflects the kind of clothes you make as well, right?
01:19Yeah, it's a bit of me.
01:21I can tell.
01:22And I'm sure you and everyone can.
01:24Brilliant.
01:25Are you a morning person or an evening person?
01:28So on the contrary, I'm sure everybody thinks I'm an afternoon, evening person.
01:32But I'm a very, very morning person.
01:34For me, waking up in the morning by 7 is a mandatory requirement.
01:38Doesn't matter where I am, what time I've come back, what time I've wrapped up a night before.
01:43Automatically my body will just wake me up at 7.
01:46And by 9 I have to be at work.
01:48It doesn't matter what time I've started.
01:50I can't believe you're that disciplined.
01:52I always thought you live on the wild side.
01:54Yeah, that's what everybody thinks.
01:56But surprisingly, I'm awake.
01:58And I feel by waking up early, you just gain so much more time.
02:02You know, things that you can't do after 12.
02:05And when you wake up in the morning and you've almost done by 12,
02:08and you feel, wow, like I can actually get so much more done.
02:12Yeah.
02:13Were you always this disciplined?
02:15So, you know, it all started with my previous job.
02:18Since I was in aviation, there was always a need to wake up early.
02:21I used to train crew.
02:23So there was a working hour for me.
02:25So I had to be at work at 7.
02:27So since then, I've been just, I think, in that loop of just waking up at 7 every time.
02:31So from aviation to design, how did that happen?
02:34So I am a fashion graduate.
02:36I studied fashion, but I never pursued it.
02:38I just wanted to travel the world.
02:40And I thought, what better way than just to be in aviation?
02:43And that obviously gave me a lot of exposure, a lot of experiences.
02:48Got in touch with more fashion, you know, places, Milan, Paris, New York, all of that.
02:52People would pay so much to go, but I was just getting access to all of that.
02:56So I was honing my skills.
02:58I was just waiting to collect some money, which I did.
03:01And once I managed to get my, you know, financials sorted,
03:04and I also feel at a certain age, people only take you seriously in fashion if you've crossed.
03:10I mean, at the age of 20, if I was going to make a couture garment
03:13and charging that price, I think people would not take me seriously.
03:16So in all fairness, I think my life kind of just panned out on its own.
03:21I started by default with a little bit of passion to, you know, do something else.
03:26And at that stage, nothing else looked like different than, you know,
03:30traveling the world being with the aviation.
03:32And I did manage to work with the best, which is Emirates.
03:35I mean, it doesn't get any better, right?
03:37Right, so you were flying planes, yeah?
03:39So I was flying, I was a flight attendant.
03:41I was a flight attendant and I flew for a few years only.
03:44And then I moved to training college,
03:46which is basically you train the crew to become crew.
03:49So that was very, very enriching.
03:51I trained people for 10 years almost.
03:53And you're Dubai based, you're at Dubai as it gets as well.
03:56Absolutely.
03:57What are your roots here somehow?
03:58So, my family, my, you know, my two brothers, they live here too.
04:03And I always used to come here as a child, you know, just on vacation.
04:06And Dubai has always been very fascinating for me
04:09because there's so much fashion here.
04:12So I guess that fashion that's inside me
04:14always got connected to the city.
04:16And I feel like in general,
04:18even when you're in a mall or you're on the street,
04:20you just see so much fashion here.
04:22And what better place to, you know,
04:24cater to where people enjoy wearing what I make.
04:27So once you wake up, what's your day like?
04:29So my day actually starts the night before.
04:32I know it sounds weird,
04:33but I cannot sleep without having my whole day
04:35panned out in a calendar format.
04:37Every hour of my day is pretty much divided.
04:40Even if I have to give myself a lunch hour break
04:43or a free time or a me time,
04:45that's already given by me a night before.
04:47Because if I don't do that, which I have done sometimes,
04:51I don't even get proper sleep.
04:52So that's the problem.
04:53So I have to...
04:54You're into scheduling stuff.
04:55I'm into a full on scheduling stuff.
04:57Like I need to know, okay,
04:59it's not to the level of have tea at 7.15
05:02and have this at this hour,
05:03but pretty much like all my meetings are organized
05:06and confirmed the day before,
05:07like even we did for today.
05:09I would make sure that, you know,
05:11everything is aligned,
05:12nothing is falling out.
05:13And I make sure that everything is planned
05:15because I'm pretty much organizing
05:18a lot of different areas of my work.
05:20I'm very, if it's a, I don't know,
05:23if it's a positive or a bad thing,
05:25but I'm very micro, I micromanage things a lot.
05:29You micromanage yourself.
05:30I micromanage myself
05:31and I also make sure that I'm aware of everything.
05:34There's not a single order
05:35that goes out without my, you know, awareness.
05:38I'm pretty much a part of everything, right?
05:40From the button that goes into a garment
05:42to what color of thread will be used to stitch that.
05:45I'm a part of the entire thing.
05:47I know fashion is also a lot about looks as well.
05:50And I don't know if you're a gym rat
05:52or are you a foodie?
05:53How does it work?
05:54Between the morning, what do you do?
05:55So I am very much conscious about my health.
05:59I'm very much aware that, you know,
06:01there's so much lifestyle implications
06:04that we all are going through right now.
06:06We are going out and, you know,
06:08we're sleeping sometimes late and stuff.
06:10But I make sure that I wake up, I start right.
06:12So I always wake up
06:13and I have hot water, lemon and honey.
06:15That's been my regime for a long, long, long time.
06:18How does it work?
06:19It does.
06:20I mean, it gives me some sort of, you know,
06:22that boost in the morning.
06:24I just feel like it's my wake-up drink.
06:26Right.
06:27And I know that you have been off caffeine a bit,
06:30but there was a time when that was how you...
06:33Operated.
06:34Yes.
06:35Let's have that shot of caffeine.
06:36Yeah.
06:37It helped you go through the day.
06:38I mean, you know,
06:39coffee is that type of a friend that we all find
06:42eventually when you're, you know, you're dipping.
06:45You just feel like you need that instant boost.
06:47But since about a month, I've been off coffee
06:51and I must say that nothing is changing.
06:53I still feel very energetic.
06:55I've replaced things.
06:56I'm having a lot of coconut water now.
06:58Once, at least, if not twice, you know,
07:00fresh tender coconut water.
07:02That keeps me really hydrated.
07:03I feel fresh.
07:04And, you know, a lot of people tell me
07:06your skin is very good.
07:07I probably give credit to coconut water
07:09and to, you know, hot water, lemon and honey.
07:12Because these things really do in the long run.
07:14You know, if you're having consistently,
07:16it really clears your skin up
07:18and it just keeps you cool and hydrated
07:19from inside as well.
07:20Right.
07:21And so is breakfast your main meal kind of thing?
07:23Breakfast is my...
07:24You have so many meetings.
07:25Yeah, yeah.
07:26I make sure that I have a good homemade breakfast.
07:28So I'm ready to go outside
07:29in case if I'm running out of time.
07:32But I do carry my own meals as well.
07:34So wherever I go,
07:35I have a meal plan company
07:36which is called Tasting Bay.
07:38They're really, really good.
07:39And ever since I've been with them,
07:41all my meals are taken care of,
07:42including breakfast.
07:43So before it was homemade,
07:45but now it's all given.
07:46So literally they come at doorstep.
07:48It's all calorie controlled.
07:50I'm under 1800 calorie meal.
07:52And also it takes care of
07:53all the medical requirements.
07:55For example, I'm a little high on cholesterol.
07:57So doctor has told me
07:58to have a certain type of a diet.
08:00And they make sure that it's perfect.
08:02So I can, without worrying,
08:04eat the meals that I've been given.
08:05Once your day starts,
08:06at what day?
08:07You said by 9 you're in your office.
08:08So by 7 I wake up.
08:10I wake up, I listen to my mantras.
08:12I'm a lot into, you know, spirituality.
08:14So I make sure...
08:16So I believe in Guruji.
08:17Guruji is, you know,
08:19he has his own satsangs
08:21and things like that.
08:22So I play that.
08:23It's just great to wake up
08:25to some positive, you know, things.
08:27It just reassures you
08:28and you're on the right path.
08:29It just calms you down.
08:30And while I'm doing that,
08:31I'm, you know,
08:32having my hot water lemon.
08:34And then, of course,
08:35slowly my iPad will open up
08:36and then some emails.
08:38So that bit I would do at home
08:39till about 8.
08:40And then I'll get ready
08:41and I'll, you know,
08:42start my work by 9.
08:44And I dedicate my first half of the day
08:46in planning and organizing
08:48like all the orders that I have.
08:50I, you know, start designing for them,
08:52processing them,
08:53going through each and every detail.
08:55And then from afternoon onwards
08:56I start meeting my clients.
08:58So, you know,
08:59so I try to divide my day
09:00into two parts.
09:01One is inside
09:02with what I need to work.
09:04And one is to, you know,
09:05deal with the work
09:06which is very much
09:07dealing with, you know,
09:08my clients.
09:09Of course.
09:10You know, what I find interesting,
09:11Varun, is that
09:12I always assumed
09:13that fashion designers
09:14are like wild children.
09:16Right.
09:17You know, difficult,
09:18high on sugar perhaps.
09:19Right.
09:20But in your case,
09:21I don't think that's true.
09:22You know…
09:23You are so, like,
09:24on the ball.
09:25You are like,
09:26I wake up,
09:27I have it.
09:28Right.
09:29It's impressive.
09:30I mean, honestly,
09:31whatever you are saying
09:32can happen.
09:33It's very easy
09:34because we are
09:35managing ourselves.
09:36You know,
09:37there is nobody
09:38who is going to come
09:39and tell me to work,
09:40for example.
09:41Nobody is going to tell me
09:42that you are running
09:43out of a meeting
09:44or an order
09:45or your health
09:46is going haywire.
09:47But to be successful in life,
09:48I think the only way
09:49you can do it
09:50is you manage yourself
09:51and only then
09:52can you lead your team
09:53because if I am not
09:54showing up on time,
09:55I can't expect
09:56any of my team members
09:57to give me that sort of
09:58dedication to the work.
09:59Right.
10:00And honestly,
10:01I can't do everything
10:02all by myself as well.
10:03I need my people
10:04and for me to lead them,
10:06I have to be
10:07the example myself.
10:08And also,
10:09you do deal with…
10:10There was a time
10:11when I remember
10:12releasing a set of
10:13very new clothes.
10:14Right.
10:15So, how does that work?
10:16Like,
10:17how does Bollywood
10:18and Dubai,
10:19I know the communities
10:20work so much.
10:21Right.
10:22So, you know,
10:23I have to say
10:24huge thanks to social media.
10:25Instagram.
10:26Like, literally,
10:27I was doing shows
10:28after shows after show
10:29and I was just,
10:30you know,
10:31putting my pictures
10:32on Instagram
10:33and I believe
10:34all the stylists
10:35around the world
10:36are very active with,
10:37you know,
10:38watching stuff,
10:39which designer is creating,
10:40what creation.
10:41And I remember one day
10:42I was just on Instagram
10:43and I got a DM
10:44which didn't even
10:45come directly to me.
10:46It went into my request box
10:47and I happened to
10:48chance upon it
10:49and there was a
10:50very, very renowned
10:51stylist who had
10:52approached me to
10:53source an outfit
10:54and I kind of thought
10:55it's probably like
10:56a junk message
10:57or not really legit.
10:58I accepted the message,
11:00I replied back
11:01and we started talking
11:02and I said,
11:03let's switch to
11:04WhatsApp now.
11:05And then it started to feel
11:06it's real
11:07and then within a week
11:08he was wearing
11:09and, you know,
11:10that outfit went viral
11:11and then
11:12this was
11:13couple of years ago
11:14it was a green
11:15and white colour jacket
11:16which I had made
11:17for Varun.
11:18And soon after that
11:19it was just a fleet
11:20of actors
11:21which just poured in.
11:22Like, literally,
11:23within a year
11:24I think I covered
11:25all the young actors
11:26because I think
11:27my kind of
11:28fashion sensibility
11:29relate,
11:30I mean,
11:31the younger ones
11:32relate very, very quickly
11:33to like
11:34instantly Arjun Kapoor
11:35was wearing
11:36Sushant,
11:37you know,
11:38Ranveer of course,
11:39many, many times
11:40Ranveer has worn.
11:41I think of all the stars
11:42Ranveer has worn
11:43my clothes the maximum.
11:44I think that's because
11:45he's so flamboyant.
11:46He is
11:47and plus he also
11:48feels that my style is,
11:49you know,
11:50I understand him
11:51and I create
11:52clothes for him
11:53for him sometimes.
11:54They are not even
11:55a part of my collection.
11:56So, I love to hear
11:57from a stylist
11:58exactly what's going on
11:59in his mind.
12:00Where is he wearing it?
12:01So, I kind of get to know
12:02the background of it
12:03and then I give him
12:04what, you know,
12:05I am going to make
12:06and there it is.
12:07No, I love it.
12:08Like, you know,
12:09you are not,
12:10you are okay
12:11to being outlandish.
12:12Like, you are outlandish
12:13at the end of the day.
12:14Right.
12:15If Ranveer Singh
12:16is wearing it
12:17then it has to be
12:18out there.
12:19Right.
12:20It can't be conservative.
12:21I go from 0 to 100
12:22in no time.
12:23I can be anywhere
12:24in the middle
12:25of 0 to 100
12:26depends on the individual.
12:27I do cater to people
12:28who also dress up
12:29very, very classic.
12:30Let's say example
12:31like Saif Ali Khan.
12:32You know,
12:33his style of dressing
12:34is very, very different
12:35to Ranveer Singh.
12:36But that doesn't mean
12:37that I only do this
12:38or I only do that.
12:39I think as an artist
12:40I should be able
12:41to get the emotion,
12:42the personality
12:43of my clients
12:44and being able
12:45to cater.
12:46You know,
12:47there are wedding orders
12:48that I get
12:49where they want to wear
12:50all flamboyant gold
12:51and lot of work
12:52and embroidery.
12:53And then I also have grooms
12:54who are very, very classic
12:55and they just want
12:56a very simple cut.
12:57You know,
12:58a simple off-white
12:59sherwani for example.
13:00But it's all about getting
13:01and getting to understand
13:03and catering to
13:04what they need.
13:05Right.
13:06And how many clients
13:07do you meet in a day?
13:08Do you have a number?
13:09I try and meet
13:10maximum 5
13:11because each one
13:12can take up to
13:13an hour or two.
13:14And I think 5 is
13:15mostly it
13:16because remember
13:17first half of my day
13:18is going into production.
13:19So,
13:20that's the only way.
13:21So, my day
13:22can go up to
13:2310 to 12 hours
13:24minimum every day.
13:25Right, right.
13:26And in the evening
13:27when do you wind down?
13:28Like what's your…
13:29So, usually
13:30like I said
13:31I start at 9.
13:32Usually my last meeting
13:33can finish at 9.
13:34That's a long day.
13:35Yeah.
13:36We were over.
13:37No,
13:38but I absolutely love it.
13:39I mean sometimes
13:40it goes even more.
13:41If there's a very,
13:42very big request
13:43that a client
13:44really is travelling
13:45you know,
13:46during wedding seasons
13:47for example.
13:48You have to work more.
13:50So, do you travel a lot
13:51because of your work?
13:52I used to travel
13:53a lot before
13:54but off late
13:55I have not been
13:56travelling much
13:57because by the grace of God
13:58there's a lot of work here
13:59and I feel
14:00whatever the time
14:01was lost during COVID
14:02I'm just trying to
14:03catch up with that
14:04and making sure
14:05you know,
14:06we cover up
14:07and everybody has
14:08you know,
14:09something good going on.
14:10Right.
14:11And you said by night
14:12you wind down
14:13and you sleep by 10.
14:14No, no, no.
14:15Oh my God.
14:16I manage.
14:17For an hour or two
14:18if I have to.
14:19I do have to.
14:20So, here's the thing.
14:21Being in this industry
14:22it's a very big part
14:23of being in the
14:24social networking as well
14:25which is not just
14:26in social media
14:27which also includes
14:28you know,
14:29attending events
14:30which are brand based
14:31and stuff like that.
14:32I do work with
14:33couple of brands as well
14:34so I have to make sure
14:35that whenever
14:36there is an event
14:37hosted by them
14:38you know,
14:39there's a brand association
14:40plus even otherwise
14:41and specially because
14:42I design so many clothes
14:43for weddings and grooms
14:44and they end up
14:45being very close to me.
14:46So, I end up attending
14:47a lot of weddings too
14:48because you know,
14:49you spend hours
14:50and days with them
14:51and then when it's
14:52actually their day
14:53they really want you
14:54and you also
14:55want to be there.
14:56So, social life
14:57has to go on.
14:58I just…
14:59How much…
15:00I mean,
15:01what are we looking at?
15:02Till 2 in the morning
15:03you can be out
15:04and about…
15:05One maximum.
15:06Yeah.
15:07I mean,
15:08depends on weekend.
15:09Of course,
15:10I can go out
15:11little more
15:12and I do.
15:13So, I believe in
15:14working hard
15:15and there's
15:16you know,
15:17work, work, work
15:18and there's no fun
15:19and don't get me wrong
15:20in the middle of those
15:2110-12 hours that I work
15:22there's a lot of fun
15:23going on.
15:24In fact,
15:25I don't even feel
15:26like I'm working
15:27because most of my clients
15:28end up being my friends
15:29and it's just like
15:30how we are meeting.
15:31I just feel like
15:32whoever I'm meeting
15:33it's a person
15:34at the end of it.
15:35You know,
15:36I'm not selling
15:37something very,
15:38very seriously
15:39or boring thing.
15:40It's something
15:41which people are excited about.
15:42There's happiness,
15:43there's color,
15:44but it's also
15:45hard to be honest.
15:46It's work,
15:47it's a lot of dedication
15:48but at the same time
15:49I think if you enjoy
15:50what you do,
15:51it just doesn't feel
15:52so hectic anymore.
15:53So, I'm loving
15:54what I'm doing right now
15:55and I think it's just
15:56a gradual,
15:57you know,
15:58growth
15:59and this is something
16:00which I knew
16:01I'll always do.
16:02From the childhood
16:03I knew I'm going
16:04to get into fashion.
16:05Like as cliche
16:06as it sounds
16:07but I think
16:08I only knew
16:09this is what
16:10I'm going to do.
16:11From the age of
16:123, 4, 5
16:14it was always
16:15connected to fashion.
16:16That's interesting
16:17because you came
16:18at a time like
16:19when there are like
16:20do you have
16:21role models as such?
16:22Yes, of course.
16:23I mean before
16:24I even got into
16:25aviation
16:26I used to model as well.
16:27So, I've done…
16:28Is there anything
16:29you haven't done?
16:30So, there's a lot
16:31of experience
16:32from that
16:33which also helps
16:34me today.
16:35How to deal
16:36with models,
16:37how to make sure
16:38that backstage
16:39everything is going well,
16:40what not to do
16:41with the models
16:42you know not appreciated
16:43and take care
16:44of people around you.
16:45So, I think
16:46all those little
16:47little experiences
16:48in my life
16:49have helped
16:50and coming back
16:51to your question
16:52of being the role model
16:53of course when I was
16:54growing up
16:55we had the huge
16:56huge designers
16:57like Rohit Bal,
16:58Tarun Tehilyani,
16:59you know
17:00Ravi Bajaj
17:01all of those
17:02great designers.
17:03They still are
17:04great designers
17:05and I'm so happy
17:06that now
17:07we're in the
17:08same industry.
17:09They have been
17:10you know my
17:11best friends
17:12and now
17:13when they come
17:14to Dubai
17:15or if I travel
17:16to India
17:17we end up
17:18meeting each other
17:19and it just
17:20feels so good.
17:21So, who are your
17:22closest friends?
17:23Do you like
17:24have your own tribe
17:25because you've
17:26been here
17:2716 years?
17:28Right, right, right.
17:29So, you're talking
17:30about the
17:31fashion fraternity?
17:32No, just people
17:33who you look
17:34up to for
17:35perhaps emotional
17:36because mental
17:37health is so
17:38important.
17:39Right.
17:40Or into spirituality.
17:41Yeah.
17:42As I said
17:43that every morning
17:44starts with that,
17:45every evening
17:46ends with that.
17:47All about gratitude
17:48and thanking the
17:49universe for
17:50giving me
17:51whatever I have
17:52today.
17:53In terms of friends
17:54I'm really, really
17:55blessed to have
17:56some great set
17:57of friends
17:58since 18 years
17:59since I'm here.
18:00They're still
18:01very much,
18:02I call them family.
18:03They're literally
18:04there for any
18:05good or otherwise
18:06reasons.
18:07They've always
18:08been around.
18:10Be grateful
18:11throughout at
18:12every stage,
18:13all the moments,
18:14even the bad ones.
18:15I always thank
18:16the universe
18:17because I know
18:18there's something
18:19bad that was
18:20going to happen
18:21and it was just
18:22a little bad.
18:23It could have
18:24been worse.
18:25Is that how,
18:26always the
18:27eternal optimist?
18:28Always.
18:29I mean, not
18:30every moment
18:31in our life
18:32is going to be
18:33perfect.
18:34But we don't
18:35look at the
18:36larger picture.
18:37You don't
18:38look at the
18:39bigger picture
18:40because it makes
18:41you stronger.
18:42It makes you
18:43want to do
18:44something more.
18:45When you look
18:46back and you're
18:47like, I'm glad
18:48I didn't get that
18:49because I was
18:50meant to get
18:51something even
18:52better.
18:53For me,
18:54one has to just
18:55believe in the
18:56power of universe
18:57and just be
18:58grateful and
18:59embrace every
19:00moment and know
19:01that something
19:02better is coming
19:03your way.