Interwoven

Tell us about yourself!
Hi, I’m Shovita. I’m 51 years old, and I work with Design Orchard as a senior sales executive and resident stylist. I’m originally from Mumbai, India (though I know I don’t look Indian) and I moved to Singapore with my husband and my daughter in 2012.

What were you doing before you moved to Singapore?
I was always into fashion. Three years before I came to Singapore, I was operating my own small boutique called Studio 12. I designed a lot of fusion pieces, mixing Western designs with Indian styles. But when my hubby decided to move to Singapore for work, I shut the boutique down to relocate with him.

The first few years I was here, most of my time was spent ensuring that my daughter got settled in, so I hopped around a few jobs. Eventually, when we got our permanent resident status, I started throwing my resumes in the fashion industry because I wanted to get back to where my passion lies. So that is how I got the opportunity to work with Design Orchard.

How long have you been working at Design Orchard?
I’ve been with them for about three and a half years now. I like my role as a resident stylist and I’ve also learned a lot being on the sales floor because fashion is always evolving. I’ve learnt about new designers, new fabrics, and everything.

Tell us more about your personal style.
For me, whatever I buy, I like to make it my own. Sometimes, my friends would ask if my outfit was bought off the rack or if it was something that I got custom-made or altered. That’s how I’ve always done it—I own it. I’ve always liked to be a little different so I like fusion styles a lot.

How do you feel about the fashion scene in Singapore?
It’s pretty interesting, and I think that locals here are embracing different things, it’s not very conventional—everything has become genderless, and I see some very unique pieces in the scene. It’s evolving in a very fresh way, I think.