Sally Lochan Dass: Promoting TT through fashion

Sally Lochan Dass produces unique resort wear. The 38-year-old from Williamsville, south Trinidad meticulously hand paints all of the prints that go onto her 100 percent silk fabrics and sews the pieces from each collection herself .

But what adds to the intrigue of her work is that she is inspired by Trinidad and Tobago and seeks to promote the twin islands despite the negativity that enshrouds the nation on a daily basis. She says the bright, vibrant colours that she manipulates, as well as the hand paintings for the prints, are represented in the natural beauty of the country through the national birds, mud volcanoes, flowers and leatherback turtles, among others .

Lochan Dass tells Newsday, “I think I’m gifted by looking at stuff and being able to draw it because I never did any courses in art work, I never did sewing or anything like that, they all just came natural to me.” And as naturally talented as she is, fashion was not a field she always wanted to get into, nor was she actively seeking to be a part of it .

Years ago, when Lochan Dass revamped a plain white T-shirt with watercolours and used it for a trip to Barbados, the mother of two did not know that it would catalyse her career in the local fashion scene. In what she calls “a good accident,” everyone ended up loving her watercolour T-shirt and encouraged her to start sewing.

Deciding to challenge herself, she signed up for San Fernando Fashion Week 2014. Without any experience in fashion designing or sewing, Lochan Dass imported a roll of silk and hired a seamstress .

Then the unexpected happened .

The week before the big event arrived and none of her pieces had been made, to work her way out of the problem, Sally had to teach herself how to sew .

“I bought a machine because I didn’t even own a machine and I stitched up 12 pieces. I did 12 pieces in a week,” she says. The result? Her pieces were a big hit and appeared in every single local newspaper that week, and Sally Lochan Dass Designs was born .

Now, three years after having her designs worn by Sarah Jane Waddell and Kimberly Farah Singh (Miss World Trinidad 2014 and 2015 respectively), Lochan Dass is embarking on the expansion of the type of items in her collection .

“I started doing soaps and scarves and I’m doing some costume jewellery in Trinidad and Tobago colours. Everything I’m working on is in the colours of Trinidad and Tobago,” she shares. The soaps that she has already made, each contain a natural component found locally, such as, sand from Maracas beach, mud from the volcano in Piparo and turmeric from her very own back yard. She is hoping that these products help to promote the twin islands and to reflect a positive image of it to those who glimpse her collection .

Because family is number one for the designer, her business is home-based. In this way, it’s not challenging for her to balance marriage and children with her career. Her Facebook page allows clients to browse her collection as well as access information to contact her should they want to purchase a piece. Her designs are also being sold at select hotels in Tobago .