Donya Vogue: More Options for Fashionista Mums!

Homegrown clothing label Donya Vogue held its maiden media launch at the Grand Hyatt on 8 April 2015. Donya Vogue is a relatively fresh brand which found its roots only in October last year. Spearheaded by self-taught designers and husband-and-wife duo, Ali and Janice Senejani (featured above), the brand has currently evolved into a completely functional online store. Ali is Persian, while Janice is Singaporean Chinese; the couple first met in Melbourne and later decided to shift to Singapore to build Donya Vogue. The word “donya” means ‘world’ in the Persian language. Hence, the label’s tagline, “Bringing the world’s fashion to you.”
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Janice’s inspiration to begin on this fashion venture stemmed from her having faced difficulties with finding outfits in local stores that looked impressive and simultaneously complemented her figure well. She often resorted to purchasing clothes in Australia, Europe and the United States. What initially started off as carefree doodling on a notepad during her free time has today emerged as a fast-growing classy fashion label. All of the brand’s casual, corporate and party outfits are designed in Singapore and self-manufactured to cater to ladies of all shapes and sizes. New mothers who have given birth recently and are attempting to conceal the extra kilos while looking fabulous, will be delighted to find several outfits that hide those bulges well. The Arrival of Spring 2015 collection features highly distinct and versatile pieces designed with a vibrant splash of colours, subtle details and bold prints which are just right for both day and night events. A total of eighteen outfits were showcased on the runway.

Miss Singapore Universe 2014, Rathi Menon, was amongst the models who gave form to the classy outfits. She first appeared in a sweet and feminine Persian blue dress named “Miss Donya” ($195, below, right) The inspiration behind each unique piece is rather fascinating. This is named such as “Donya” is a name apt for a beautiful Persian (Ali’s homeland) girl, hence the dainty look of the dress. The Valentine Printed Dress ($155, below, left) was such a head-turner. It was designed bearing in mind the first bouquet of flowers which Janice received from Ali on their first date; they were red and pink roses. (Awww!) Janice had the petals pressed in between the pages of her notebook in order to preserve them, and chanced upon them recently. And voila – a design was born!

Founder Janice happens to be a fan of the shade black as it provides the illusion of a slimmer figure. Mothers who are looking to conceal their postnatal weight gain might resort to choosing black coloured threads. Fret not, black doesn’t necessarily spell dull. The Gwen 3/4 Sleeves Dress ($155, below, centre) has touches of bright yellow, blue and pink at the region of the sleeves to provide it some spice. The Printed Cocoon Dress ($155, below, left) features a splash of wonderful colours! This was inspired by the life cycle of a butterfly; inside a cocoon lays a gorgeous butterfly waiting to spread its colourful wings. “If only we had a pair of see-through glasses, we could see the beautiful colours all curled up,” says Janice. What a unique perspective! More vibrant shades are present in the Eleanor Printed Maxi Dress (coming soon in May, below, right) which was a product of founder Ali being a fan of the outdoors and nature. This comfortable and easy-to-wear piece was inspired by the hues of the sun, ocean, beach, corals and flowers. A splendid blend of nature’s shades!

Talk about luck; this Black & Yellow Printed Shift Dress ($155, below, left) was initially a careless doodle by Janice. She was simply experimenting with different coloured strokes with her marker and left aside the draft for a few days, before stumbling upon it and realising that it actually made for an artistic design. Months later, a model has strutted in it on the runway – way to go, Janice! There clearly are no limits to creativity. The Mermaid Sweetheart Sequin Dress ($225, below, right) also proved to be one of the exclusive head-turners with its shimmery upper portion and silky white material.

Whether you are slim or plus sized, tall or short, there’s definitely something that will suit your frame at Donya Vogue. So what are you waiting for, ladies? Pamper yourself and start shopping now! Or rather, start dropping some hints at home! (Mothers’ Day is coming soon!)