FUSION – THE PERFECT BLENDING OF INDO – WESTERN GARMENTS BY JYOTSNA BHAT

People throng to Goa for its pristine beaches, sumptuous food, adventure and westernised lifestyle. As there have been so many different influences on the Goan fashion over the years, hence you can’t remember to forget it.

Goans are the bunch of happy people and the same can be clearly reflected in our clothing style, which includes floral prints and bohemian styles. Goan style is more laid-back and eclectic.

Palazzo pants and sequined dresses, if you’re headed out for the lively party in Goa. Life in Goa symbolizes zest and frolic.The lifestyle is one of the reasons why Goa is not lost its charm. It is a place sought by tourists year after year, you will find flea markets filled with silver jewellery to trendy underrated boutiques which have to clothing for every occasion.

FUSION is the name of one such boutique started by Sharmila Bhat in 2010, in Panjim. The garments are designed by her daughter Jyotsna Bhat who currently studies in Australia but has lived in Goa for 25 years. Jyotsna recalls, as a young child she was very creative and began sketching clothes. Her liking for fashion turned into a successful business year later.

They started with Indo-Western garments collection, hence the name of the collection is “FUSION”. They have a fixed collection year round but, keeping up with the current trends and what clients ask for, new designs are added every season. Their collection caters from resort wear to formal wear and defines elegance and glamour. One can see a lot of fun in the designs with the use of beadwork and colours like Fuchsia pink, turquoise and yellow. The bright colours and free-flowing fabrics fit the vibe of Goa perfectly. I showcased three dresses from their collection, the first is a black one shoulder dress which has silver chains hanging on the sleeve. The second dress is a flowy pink and orange layered dress with a keyhole pattern at the back. The last one is a white halter dress with gold fabric at the back. Each dress was unique and glamorous.

When I asked Jyotsna how fashion has changed in Goa, she said that in the last ten years she has seen trends such as ‘cold-shoulder’ tops become popular and feels that Goa is now very fashion conscious. Her advice to young people who are aspiring to be designers is to keep practising their creativity and to be original; it is great to follow trends but always add your own signature to every collection.

Our state is filled with many more creative young people but some of them do not have the platform to showcase it. What they need is support and encouragement so that they can represent Goa in their field and can explore their talents. Incredible Goa provides this platform for such talented people if you know someone, who deserves the promotion please write back to us at [email protected], and we will sure to get back to you.

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TEXT: CHEVONNE FALEIRO
PHOTOGRAPHY: SUHAS NAIK