When Ella Dawson fell in love with Reggie Prasad, she never dreamed it would lead to a love affair with Indian outfits and another day job – Desi Pal boutique clothing store in Auckland’s Mt Roskill.
It all started in 2019 when Dawson, a health professional, was invited to Prasad’s sister’s wedding.
“I fell in love with Reg who is Fijian Indian, and went along to his sister’s wedding which was a beautiful traditional Indian wedding,” she told Seven Sharp reporter Nina Burton.
“I also fell in love with the clothing, the colours, all the work that goes into them but was really shocked at the idea that you only wear an outfit once or twice, and you pay a lot of money for them.”
That’s when Desi Pal was born.
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Dawson spoke with a couple of friends and created an Instagram post in the hope 10 friends might follow. Overnight, there were over 100 followers, and word about her venture quickly spread.
People can hire Indian outfits for weddings and events at the store. They also offer everything from the dress right through to the shoes, clutch and even bobby pins because, as Dawson said, “you’ll need plenty of those too!”.
The dresses are worth anywhere from $400 to $600, but Dawson rents them out for $89. She said it’s also far more sustainable, which is what they wanted to achieve. With Indian weddings going for a good five days, they’re certainly kept busy.
Dawson said it’s not costume hire or fancy dress, noting that they’ve really tried to shift away from that idea.
“It’s about partaking in the culture and showing that support and embracing the love within these events.”
The dresses all come from India and she buys what she likes, while keeping in mind that others will wear them. Most of what they have are dresses, lehenga (skirt), top and dupatta (shoal or scarf).
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As well as hiring out dresses, Dawson helps people navigate the protocols around the events people attend.
“A traditional bride would wear red, so we don’t actually have any red outfits because of that reason. Same with a plain white outfit – it’s not very cultural to be wearing white. That’s a colour that you’d wear in mourning, so we don’t have very many outfits that are just white either,” she explained.
It’s not only the women who are taken care of – Prasad helps the men with a selection of traditional dress for them too.
“It’s good to get a male perspective in terms of the outfits they come in for. Usually, they’re a little bit more reserved and uncomfortable with the outfits, so I let them know that I wear them as well,” he said.
Dawson and Prasad plan to get married next year, but the journey with Desi Pal has been an unexpected love they fell into.
“I absolutely love everything that we’ve been able to accomplish with Desi Pal,” Dawson said.
“It’s been incredible, and I never would have imagined that we’d be here with a shop when I started a few years ago.
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“I really love it.”
