Verve Exclusive: Decoding The Shoe Story With Payal Kothari Of Veruschka Shoes

At the forefront of India’s designer luxury footwear industry, Payal Kothari’s Veruschka has struck a chord with the fashion-forward woman. The brand has been around for nearly a decade with founder Kothari having presented a solo accessory show at Lakme Fashion Week for four years in a row along with designing accessories for various fashion designers. Gaining recognition and appreciation for her work around the globe, she was also featured on BBC World for her intuitive knowledge of footwear and its growth in India.

Having spent a long time in the business, she has a lot to talk about fashion – toe to heel. She draws our attention to her journey as a novice and her belief about fashion defining us through the choices we make when we take a seat across her for a tête-à-tête. “I’ve noticed that consumer demand is shifting rapidly from apparel to accessories. This trend was first seen internationally and has now made its way to India. The drivers of this change are young Indian customers who want to own designer products but not at the cost of breaking the bank. I was quite surprised to find that creative heads of all major international fashion houses have backgrounds in accessory design. When I delved deeper, I discovered it was because they operate as agents of growth and equip brands with a millennial relevance. I believe Veruschka provides an inroad for working professionals into high-quality designer wear as it is affordable and less likely to go out of fashion when compared to other designer apparels.”

The brand presents a contemporary collection each season and an ethnic collection for the festive season. Kothari prides herself on working with clients to customize their shoes. Veruschka gives the consumer a partially painted canvas to which they can add their own colours and motifs, helping them create a complete picture of what they want their feet to look like. Far from being a new-age phenomenon, shoes that are put together by hand have been the norm for quite some time now and is the only correct way to make shoes. Says Kothari, “At Veruschka, we fervently hold onto this tradition while addressing international trends and achieving a high level of comfort in our shoes. The processes are kept simple, which is why we are able to give women a luxury shoe to match their personality.”

Veruschka’s Autumn/Winter’17 collection comes with a strong idea of refined and modern glamour. The Bridal Tales collection is sophisticated yet delicate and is aimed at the contemporary woman who wants to enjoy her wedding to the fullest. Kothari reveals that the brand has a strong social media presence through which she constantly communicates with her customers, welcoming feedback, understanding trends and encouraging conversation.