Dubai: When I caught up with Varoin Marwah, the Dubai-based designer behind looks for Ranveer Singh, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Jason Derulo, there had just been an minor drone incident near his flagship boutique in Dubai’s Al Bada and his home on Sheikh Zayed Road.
Civil defense vehicles were checking both areas, yet Marwah sounded surprisingly calm and composed, like he had no worry in the world.
“I came back to Dubai from Mumbai on March 9th because to me Dubai is not my second home to India, it’s my first home. And you don’t run away from home ever! Trust me when I tell you that I truly felt safer once I landed in Dubai,” said Varoin in an excusive interview with Gulf News.
He has a store in Mumbai’s posh Bandra and before Iran’s blatant aggression in the UAE began, he used to shuttle between the UAE and India every fortnight.
Even this designer’s trademark wry humour was evident as he joked about how grounded he felt during uncertain times.
“Have we become immune to everything, I wonder. But the truth is that we have so much faith in the Dubai government and authorities to safeguard us that our first reaction is not anxiety or fear,” he said.
Marwah, who has lived in Dubai for more than 22 years, has a deep connection to the city too.
“I have to be with my team who look up to me. I can’t be someone who isn’t with them right here physically. That’s the worst representation of a leader: staying away in uncertain times.”
He manages a staff of 27 in Dubai alone, and the responsibility weighs on him, but he wears it with pride.
“I could have easily stay put in Mumbai since I have a store there but I decided to come here for myself and my team. Trust me, it has made a huge difference.”
Marwah has dressed a range of stars, from Dhurandhar star Ranveer Singh, Avinash Tiwary, Pulkit Samrat, Bobby Deol, and to international action star Jean-Claude Van Damme. Ranveer, who’s known for his flamboyant fashion avatars, loves to channel Marwah’s sartorial energy.
But does he think his business might be impacted?
“Dubai is the most resilient city I have ever seen. We’ve seen something like this during COVID. The recovery was so swift. We feel the safest no matter what crisis. This is just a temporary pause. Who manages to fight at the worst time, that’s what matters” According to him, the faith that residents will have on this City will quadruple once world peace prevails.
In the mean time, he’s busy strengthening operations.
“I’ve started to work on the uniforms worn by my front-facing teammates. You start retraining the team and thinking about how you can move forward. How do we manage? Contingency plans. This is the time to reset, redevelop, and grow more,” he said.
Before even entering the world of fashion, Marwah spent years in aviation as a cabin crew member with a popular UAE-based airline.
Those early days, traveling to Milan, Paris, and New York, has helped him tremendously as he turned fashion designer to stars.
“And can I just you that everybody at the Dubai airport was so welcoming! Their sense of collective confidence was palpable. Even the buggy guys were offering free rides. I felt home the moment I landed.”
For Marwah, Dubai isn’t just a base: it’s home, community, and responsibility.
“I’ve been here for 22 years. Resilience is instilled. Talent will always prevail. It might take a little while, but this is the time to reset and grow.”
