Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Bahrain-born Indian designer Ashwathy Shyam Kumar nurtured her creative talents at a young age ... designing wedding gowns for Barbie dolls made out of tissue paper.
She set her heart on making an impact in the world of fashion and today has realised her dreams by displaying her designs on social networking websites and dreams of opening her own outlets in the near future.
Her inspiration is world-renowned style guru Valentino Garavani and Ashwathy's ambition is to follow in his footsteps. The 20-year-old designer said: "I have been a fan of his designs forever! When I heard the news of his retirement in 2007, I was really upset as I have always dreamed of being his successor ... but I still dream of being part of that fashion legacy some day."
Her designs took to the ramp during the Indian Club May Queen 2010 event when two participants wore her creations during the contest.
Ashwathy, from Budaiya, returned 'home' to Bahrain after completing university earlier this year and is hoping to secure a job in a fashion-related firm to strengthen her industry knowledge while also setting up a base for her own brand entitled 'A.S.K'.
During her school years in the kingdom she studied at the Indian School Bahrain and the Asian School before enrolling on a Fashion Apparel Design degree course at the Mount Carmel College in Bangalore, India.
Throughout the three years course Ashwathy was able to build up contacts in the city's thriving fashion scene and was invited to assist several professional designers during the Bangalore Fashion Show 2009.
At her graduation fashion show she won the hearts and appreciation of faculty and judges when she came out with a winning collection of seven gowns under her 'Oscar theme'.
She said: "I had watched earlier graduation shows and noticed none of the students had showcased formal gowns, only shorter and casual dresses. When it was my turn to show off my work I decided to make a range of stylish and elegant gowns with a Oscar night theme which proved extremely successful."
Ashwathy recruited four friends, all top models from the South Indian city, to walk the ramp showing off her creations for added 'wow' factor.
Although many of the decorations on the garments were purchased locally she chose most of the fabric and materials in Bahrain. She also had five of the gowns stitched by a 'very reliable' tailor she stumbled upon during one of her shopping trips in Gudaibiya while she sewed the remaining two.
Ashwathy's tryst into the world of glamour, she explained, was inspired by her mother, Annie, a full time nurse at Salmaniya Hospital, who enjoyed art as a hobby. She said: "I found some of her paintings hidden away in a cupboard and was inspired by her work to start drawing and illustrating."
As a student she was also fascinated by the characters 'Betty and Veronica' featured in the popular Archie comics. She said: "I used to feel bad for Betty as Veronica always seemed to have the better clothes. I just thought it was not fair on Betty so I started sketching out outfits for her. I also logged on to websites that offered colouring pages so that I could create my own ideas for the characters."
It was not long before Ashwathy started taking a pair of scissors to her own clothes and giving them a fashionable twist, including making a trendy new style out of her Holy Communion dress!
Ashwathy feels that the island has very limited choice when it comes to buying evening gowns on a tight budget. She said: "I know of girls who were really disappointed while searching for gowns to wear, for example, an event such as the Indian Club May Queen. They have an evening wear category but the gowns available on the island are sometimes too costly."
Ashwathy hopes to fill that gap in the market for affordable yet classic wear and believes as her business grows international clientele will follow as she dreams of building fashion industry bridges between the West and the East through her creations.
She said: "I dream of having my own branded stores around the globe and hope to combine Indian and Western styles. I really enjoy playing with colours and fabric. If time permits, I also hope to further strengthen my skills in fashion by taking up a master's degree from the National Institute for Fashion Technology in Delhi, India."
Check out more of her designs by visiting her Facebook page: Original A.S.K Gown for Sale.
