Making Memories to Last a Lifetime

Brinda Gill profiles designer Poonam Thakre and comes back very impressed by her ethics and aesthetics.

Pune-based designer Poonam Thakre’s ethos is that every occasion and client is equally special and she is completely a customers’ designer.

“From a five-year-old girl to an elderly lady, from a young woman with a modest budget to a woman from a business family for whom the budget is no constraint, from a housewife to a working woman, from a client who wants just one smart casual kurti to a client who would like many ensembles for different wedding ceremonies— each one is important. I spend time with each client to ensure they get what they are looking for,” says Thakre. It is her passion for fashion and personal involvement that has seen her client list increase, with many clients from outside Pune, as well as abroad making appointments to have her design garments for them and their family members—especially for weddings.

FROM PASSION TO PROFESSION

Thakre enjoyed designing garments even whilst completing her studies in Goa. Her passion for fashion led her to pursue a three-year course in fashion designing at Career Forum, Pune, (1998-2001). She subsequently held exhibitions in Goa, which were very well-received. A few years later, she married, moved to Pune and took on freelance assignments. In 2012-14, she worked with Kashka, designing jalabiyas for markets abroad, which introduced her to different aspects of the apparel business. When the office shifted to the outskirts of Pune, she left the work, unable to take on the daily commute. Despite this setback, she started designing garments from a small studio.