Durban designer’s collection included in hotel’s luxury concept store in Mauritius
Verushka Pather, a businesswoman and Indo-African fashion designer from Ballito in Durban, has added yet another feather to her cap.
She has designed a special collection - that includes halter neck dresses, harem pants and ancestral kaftans in luxurious Armani satin and silk as well as beaded garments and neck pieces among other items - for the Oberoi Beach Resort's concept store in Mauritius.
"They have privileges over a few of the designs that will not be showcased in other stores. It's a beautiful showcase of Africa as well as the indentured culture that I am so highly committed to," said Pather this week.
The Oberoi hotels and resorts have award-winning 5-star hotels and luxury resorts in India, Indonesia, Mauritius, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
"Each of their opulent hotels have their own boutiques and we are grateful to be among four other illustrious designers from Bangalore, the US and Europe. So now it will be Khanya Designs, which will represent Africa."
She said her journey with the Oberois started four months ago.
"They were looking for a new designer and an opportunity to showcase something vibrant and different from the African continent. They were intrigued when they saw the movement of Khanya Designs on the island of Mauritius and Reunion Island, so I was invited for a presentation in March.
"When I arrived at the opulent venue, I thought that maybe Khanya Designs was not meant to be there. I then met with the general manager, the hotel manager, and the heads of finance and public relations. I managed to settle down when they mentioned they saw videos of me as a dancer. It's my sadhana of dance, which is always my entry into everything," said Pather, an Indian classical dancer."
She added: "The respect, honour and appreciation was phenomenal. I couldn't believe that people loved Khanya Designs so much. To have the general manager later come into the concept store, after my collection was displayed, and say the collection was the best thing that happened to the Oberoi was special. He said they missed and longed for the colour, vibrancy and uniqueness that Khanya offered.
"Even though we (South Africa) are a hybrid nation following a tradition of indentured history, we are a powerful rise of the diaspora. I am committed to this excelling of the children born from indenture. From grandchildren to great-grandchildren, we are really making our mark on the African continent."
She said Khanya Designs was fully-available in Mauritius.
"It's still online and it is available at the Oberoi Beach Resort. We will also have a store at the Tribeca Mall and Grand Baie in Mauritius. We have a phenomenal team that manages everything there. We also have a secondary division to Khanya, which is Khanya Events. Eventually, we will have Khanya Holistic Health. We will merge the treasures of ayurveda from India, the rustic traditional healing methods of Africa, as well as the beautiful herbs, cultures and traditions of Mauritius."
Pather recently preserved fashion - and a legacy of love - when she transformed high-end women's dresses into men's shirts for South African businessman Pat Mkhize following his wife's death.