Tell us about your background. How did you get started designing?
I’ve always had a passion for fashion and design. I was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada where my South Asian upbringing and my mother’s love for sewing and handicrafts helped to form the early stages of my creative spirit. South Asian festivals are always full of color and that influenced my love for bold, bright colors and intricate design. I learned to sew as a teenager and started making clothes for myself and my friends. That was my first inkling that I wanted to be a designer. Putting this dream aside temporarily, I went on to graduate from college with business degrees and pursued various corporate jobs. I’ve lived in such diverse cities such as San Francisco, San Antonio, Atlanta and currently New York City. All along the way, I’ve always carried with me a desire and dream to design. I kept that dream alive by always pursing different design and art classes, including attending Parsons School of Design, knowing that one day it would all come together. Each city has influenced me in a different way, but it has been New York’s vibrant flare that helped me to fine tune my vision and develop my design aesthetic. I officially launched Divine dZigns in 2007.

What is your philosophy/inspiration for your line?
Divine dZigns is a fashion-conscious and socially-aware brand that fuses the trends of modern chic with the traditional art of henna to create an eclectic mix of fine apparel. I believe in giving back to the global community to help create awareness and help foster social responsibility towards mankind. Currently, 5% of all online sales are donated to Lighthouse International and Asha for Education.

Can you speak specifically about the pieces featured here? Material, inspiration, anecdote behind it, etc.
The two items featured here, Peacock and Lotus, are my best selling pieces. Customers are instantly attracted to both designs because of its bold impact and statement they make.

My collection consists of four designs: Peacock, Lotus, Mango and Fig. Each design is inspired by the traditional art of henna and each design has its own unique meaning. The shirts are either cotton or a cotton/poly/rayon blend.

Tell us where the name of your company came from.
I came up with the name of my company and brand name, Divine dZigns in 2003 while I was living in Atlanta. At the time I didn’t have a clear vision of what direction I wanted to go in. I was dabbling in various creative endeavors such as stained glass, mosaics, faux painting, and textile design. The one common element in each activity was the use of color and abstract patterns. So when I started to fine tune my vision towards a fashion collection, the brand name still made sense. Divine dZigns represents my journey in discovering my dream and true passion.

Do you have a favorite designer of the moment?
I love Vivienne Tam, Tory Burch and Anna Sui. I love their use of bright colors, interesting fabrics, and mixing designs and patterns to create bold fashion.

Do you have a favorite piece you have designed?
My signature piece (and the first one I designed) is Peacock. It took me awhile to come up with this design, but after creating this one piece, I was very inspired and was able to come up with the rest of my collection.

What is coming up for you?
I’m planning on expanding the Divine dZigns collection. I’m currently working on a line of dresses and I’m starting to focus more on organic fabrics. I’m also very excited to have been accepted into Phoenix Fashion Week, which I will be participating in October 1-4th.

Divine dZigns is available online at www.DivinedZigns.com or at divinedzigns.etsy.com