East meets West in Desi pride
Five Things You Should Know About:desi Wear

National Post
Published: Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Desi Wear, a GTA-based, South Asian-themed clothing line, recently opened its first boutique in Oakville. V. Radhika offers five things to take note of:

1 The term Desi (pronounced day-see) describes people of South Asian heritage. Co-founder Manny Brar wanted to showcase his Desi pride as far back as 1984, long before Slumdog Millionaire and M.I. A. helped make it cool. For a high-school project, he came up with a business plan:Western garments with Indian designs. An opportunity to execute the plan came when Mr. Brar was on a school T-shirt committee and a manufacturer offered to make him a T-shirt with his name on it as a thank you for a large order. Mr. Brar asked for ''Desi wear'' instead. 2 The budding entrepreneur teamed up with his younger sibling, Jas, and friend Suvir Malik to carry through with his dream. One of their very first Ts set the tone: "It is not just about being black and white." Soon, friends and family were sporting Desi Wear, and shirts were sold at Desi fairs in the GTA. Manny briefly became an investment banker in New York (his parents had pressured him to get a university degree), as Jas, then aUof T student, converted their parents' Oakville basement into a Desi Wear factory. In 2002, Manny gave up Wall Street to steer Desi Wear, as business grew, thanks to a large Internet presence.

3 Today, the company's home occupies 10,000 sq. ft. and it grosses more than $2.5-million a year. In 2008, Desi Wear and manufacturer Entripy Custom Clothing were featured in PROFIT magazine's list of 100 fastest-growing companies in Canada. "When we first set off on this journey, the ultimate goal was not to just produce and distribute clothing, but to have a storefront. Not only for our customers and fans, but also for potential wholesalers and retailers who may want to carry our line," says Manny, now vice-president of Entripy. "We've been true to our passion, and the response is a validation of our conviction in Desi pride."

4 Celebrity endorsers include filmmakers Deepa Mehta, Gurinder Chadda (of Bend it Like Beckam fame),Richie Mehta ( Amal) and singer Nelly Furtado. Though it is a South Asian-branded clothing line representing the South Asian diaspora, the brand stands for much more, says Manny. "It is not just making T-shirts, but to showcase that culture (represented through clothing, arts and music) through the branding mechanism." Desi Wear has a "Luv to Bhang" series, showcasing the dance/music Bhangra, with proceeds going toward the Desi Wear Charity Foundation. "We want to tie in the community with what we have done. We want to use DESI as an acronym for Do Everything to Stop Injustice," Manny says.

5 The brand-- which offers children and maternity lines, yoga clothing and fitted clothes --is all made in Canada. Says Manny: "Desi Wear 15 years ago was ahead of its time. [Today] there is no other company out there that has the in-house: creative, manufacturing, logistics, distribution, online presence, brand awareness and now a retail boutique. We are truly a fully vertically integrated company that is 100% Canadian."