When designer-model-actress Gabriella Demetriades decided to start her own fashion brand, Deme By Gabriella, in 2012, she already knew who she’d be designing for: the brave, confident woman.
“Our aesthetic is slinky and chic , it has a very definitive identity and it’s for a woman that doesn’t want to shy away from being the centre of attention or from standing out. Our woman is powerful, interesting and fun, and our clothes are perfect for any special occasion,” explains Demetriades, who brought her latest Autumn-Winter line to Dubai Fashion Week (DFW)’s SS25 session.
DFW drew talented designers from across the globe between September 1 and September 7. Among the fashion stars that were featured were Amjad Khalil, Angelo Estera and Roberto Cavalli.
For Demetriades, who is known for designs that suit every size, the brand is all about making women feel like the best version of themselves, no matter the occasion. “I’m very passionate about dressing women for their special days… I love seeing women choose deme over and over again for these moments,” she explains.
The actress, known for movies Ishq Jhamela and Oopiri, explained that the line-up she brought to the UAE runway plays homage to her roots. “As I get older I am more drawn towards my very rich culture and roots , I am Cypriot Greek , grew up in South Africa and now live in India , I wanted to show this Grecian modern warrior who is strong but also soft ,” she tells City Times, adding that she had to take climate and culture into consideration while deciding on her silhouettes.
“Internationally as it’s autumn-winter, we wanted to showcase that. However, being a brand made in India with roots [there] we have to stay true to the climate as well and we will always have dresses in our collection as that’s our signature ,” she adds.
Deme By Gabriella is made, from concept to creation, in India. “It is all made in India, in our own unit so we control each and every aspect of the process. We love collaborating and have done many; currently, we have a bag line as a collab and a stunning jewellery line [in the pipeline],” she says.
Fashion has a terrible reputation for being wasteful, but some brands are now working towards making these frivolous extras an exception rather than the rule. “We do a lot of made to order , we use sustainable packaging/labelling and sourcing methods, we work with the DHL go green programme and we continually try and use more sustainable practices and packaging,” says Demetriades.
DHL Express’s Go Green programme is geared towards helping businesses reduce “carbon emissions associated with their shipments through the use of sustainable aviation fuel”, explains the brand.
Wondering what the colours of the season are? “I think we’re going to see a lot of brown and suede for Autumn-winter, suits and over-sized trenches. We are also going to see some key colours that are here to stay,” she adds.