Verushka’s love of India and Africa woven into her designs

Combining her love for India and Africa, Verushka Pather, an Indian classical dancer is embracing the best of both worlds with her fusion fashion designs.

Unable to find garments that reflected these two countries, Ms Pather said she took matters in her own hand and started combining fabrics woven from her ancestral motherland and her African birthplace.

Her fashion line - Khanya Designs - combines eye-catching African prints and fabrics with traditional Indian designs. The line is a collaboration with a diversity of seamstresses, weavers and beaders. Together, they blend raw Indian silks and Rajasthani jewels with weaves of shweshwe and traditional Zulu beadwork – the patterns and colours of which have historically been used to express feelings and identity.

Having lived in India for many years training as a classical Bharatanatyam dancer, Ms Pather said upon her return to South Africa, she struggled to find anything that resembled the rich and vibrant textiles she was used to.

Then she went back to her roots to Durban’s CBD where she fell in love again.

“I love being in Durban’s CBD. I have learnt amazing things from the ladies there who have taught me how to choose fabric, and what fabric is suitable for what kind of outfit. I started off by using that material to make Indo-African fusion clothes for myself and it just grew from there. Wherever I travelled around the world of dancing, I would always wear ishweshwe and the African wax prints. Everyone loved my clothes, and it was always very different because it looked Indian, but it wasn't Indian, and they kept saying: 'Why does it look so different and unique?'"

Ms Pather then realised that she had something special.

“Giving these outfits my own unique flavour, it’s a perfect blend of two different cultures, two different nations,” she said.

As a curvy woman herself, Ms Pather said she kept the South African woman in mind during the creation of the collection.

“I’ve made a point of celebrating the curvaceous body. I struggle to find clothes for myself in India because of my size. Indian women are very petite. So I have created this range for us – our South African women with our beautiful big busts and bums.

"In India generally, I don't get clothes to fit my size. It's not the everyday size because they're very petite woman, so I started looking at designs that are created for the everyday woman, for the South African woman,” said Ms Pather.

Paying tribute to her team, Ms Pather said she would not have been able to progress without them.

With no previous design training, she said, she has learnt from her various team members.

"One of my closest staff member is Cosmos (Mafoti), who is a master beader. I've known him for so many years now; he's done things for my kids and then, when we started Khanya designs, I would sit with him on the pavement at his place on Avondale Road. Together we have watched video tutorials, learning how to take his beading skills and transfer them into the world of fashion,” said Ms Pather.

The two design pieces of jewellery to match the outfits and do the beadwork for the outfits.

“As I grow, I would like to employ more people. Hopefully I will be able to take everybody off the street and into my space with a full team of seamstresses, tailors and pattern makers,” said Ms Pather.

Another unique item that she has developed are coconut shell buttons that is used on her garments.

"I've personally made my own coconut shell buttons - collected coconuts from temple grounds and holy places and made buttons from the shells. It's been hand done. It's beautiful, and now our clothes are adorned with the first coconut shell buttons."