Bobby Chawla is infact the most remembered face when we talk about fashion in Calgary. His clientele is long. Everyone banks on him while selecting suits in his widely popular store Pooja’s Boutique. He is open and candid and is very good at marketing skills. Those who visit the shop will certainly buy the clothing stuff, he never lets any of the customer go empty handed.

I must say, this is an art too.  He says, ‘I know what is in the customer’s mind while selecting suits, I always go according to their wishes and give them suggestions what will suit them for party wear or occasional wear. Moreover, it is our family business.’’ His wife Deepika who also looks after the shop has a good sense of wearing. She has learnt designing and stitching on her own. She had been practising for the past so many years but due to certain other responsibilities, she doesn’t do the altering and stitching on her own but is there to support the clients and is personally available at the shop to give some good tips and attention to the buyers. Both Bobby and Deepika have  a workshop in the shop where staff members  do the alteration  on the same day and the customers are happy.

Bobby admits that his experience in wholesale and retail market has helped him understand various issues that are often ignored by others. He has a sixteen years of experience behind him in wholesale industry. ‘More than half of the job is done if you have more experience in the same. I think due to my background in wholesale work I have learnt a lot in these few years,’’ he says. As for Bobby, comfort is uppermost in the mind while selling readymade garments and he believes in providing the best customer services and best dresses. The new collection at his store consist of designer sarees and suits. For sure, sarees are hot this season, tells Bobby.  He opened the shop in July 2002 just one month after he was blessed with a daughter.

He highlights that there is a sea change in the attitude of the customers these days. Initially they would just come to his shop to buy clothes but now they look for glamorous outfits. Everyone is fashion conscious to which he says, “It  reflects their change in tastes and it is good for us for this inspires us to carry on and to sell the best quality clothes to them.’’  Do you think Calgary is a vibrant fashion platform.

Yes, it is. In the last few months  some new clients have started visiting our boutique. They are basically fashion conscious people and are socially active too. They go for designer clothes. It is because of the good response of such customers that we have officially introduced designers for the first time in Canada., ’’remarks 32 yr old Bobby. He claims to have personally tied up with the best designers like Satya Paul and Manish Malhotra. Not only this, he also has large variety of clothes available for many youths who are very obese, thin or tall. ‘‘We carry extra large size up to sixty,’’ says the man. Besides, his busy schedule, he takes some time off for his family, he says he loves his wife and his daughter dearly and after closing  the shop, they sometimes go to the  movie theatres in the evenings.

The family prefer to watch good Bollywood movies to Hollywood movies. He also likes to visit India twice in a year. He has strong faith in God and firmly believe in all religions. His head bows down in appreciation of God whenever he comes across the Gurudwara, Temple, Mosque or Church. As far as his work is concerned he likes to sell good quality  clothes to his customers.  He concludes his remarks,  ‘I feel very good inside my heart when my customers state that they have bought the fabric from Pooja’s Boutique, this gives me a sense of fulfilment and courage to carryon my work with more enthusiasm,’ says Bobby with a sense of pride.