Choney Dema, 33 is busy – trying to stitch Bhutanese cloth pieces and western fashionable clothes. and when she is done with stitching, the design outfits will not only look chic but also stylish.

Driven by her love for designing clothes, a mother of one child, Choney has devoted the past years to learning the art of fashion and design. She showcases her creative works from trendy coats to other contemporary outwears at her home-based cloth designing industry, Twining Attire in Olakha, Thimphu.

“Designing has always been my passion,” she said, adding that with no formal training in designing, it’s challenging for her to follow her passion.

She said that watching YouTube videos to learn how to cut and stitch has helped her.

Despite being new in the business, Choney is making a living in Thimphu working with her passion. “I used to sell these creative contemporary outfits to actors and actresses, singers, modelers, and fashion lover youths. I earn around Nu 0.1mn in a year,” she said.

She shares that she started fashion work in 2021 with no huge investments. She featured home-western-designed fashion dresses in the recent Miss Bhutan Pageant.

She designs mostly gowns. She also designs pre-ordered party tops, shirts, and skirts. With no specific sketches, the patterns of Choney’s designs are ball gowns, backless and fitted gowns. Crop tops, mini-skirts, signature gowns, and some developing dresses are also others that she designs.

“All-season couture is offered at an affordable price, specially targeted at middle-income class people. In summer, I design thin and long skirts. Yathra and leather jackets are designed for the winter season,” she said.

Meanwhile, fashion design is slowly gaining ground as a career in the country. It has not just caught the attention of young, aspiring designers but also that of others including housewives in Thimphu.

“There is high demand for western fashionable clothes but there are no Bhutanese designers. Most of the fashion lovers do online shopping and a few buys imported fashion dresses,” Choney said.

Meanwhile, the fashion supply chain environment during the pandemic in the country witnessed a tremendous increment in costs. The shipping cost of clothes and raw materials has increased.

Choney said that the cost of fabrics restricted the availability of western style designs. This has made the case for fashion innovation even more compelling and ethically pressing.

“Despite the growing trend, it is noticed that Bhutanese have to depend customarily on imported dresses,” she said.

She said that waiting for imported dresses consumes time and sometimes there are duplications and often the sizes don’t come as ordered. Therefore, she said, “Why can’t we make ourselves? I want to reduce overdependence in the global fashion supply chain.”

Further, as an emerging designer and for the visibility of her creative products, Choney considers social media platforms to sell her products.

“It has become an easily accessible platform where anyone and everyone can consume and contribute to fashion; making it easier for users to become recognizable fashion figures,” she said.

She has a message that even Bhutanese can also design western attires. “If you love being creative and you are passionate about fashion, a career in fashion designing will suit you the best,” she said.

For more details meet Choney at: choneydchoney@gmail.com