“Our aim is to empower women with exquisite attire that makes them feel alluring and confident day and evening.”
Meet Dr Preema Vig,
“For me style is not just clothing; it is armor, it is a declaration, it is our route to poise and sophistication. It is our vulnerability and the courage it takes to be oneself in a world that often demands conformity.”
As a child of British Indian heritage, some of my earliest memories are the vibrant colours and textures of the fabrics at family events. Whilst I was keen to blend in with my friends at school, I also loved the sense of occasion and feeling of elegance when dressing in a beautiful langha or sari. The richness and diversity of materials I was exposed to during those shopping trips with my parents, started me off on what has become, a life-long passion.
As all good stories go, my career started not in fashion, but actually in medicine. Inspired by my mum who was a registered nurse at the time, I trained as a doctor and then a GP before eventually specialising in facial and body aesthetics in 2003. I enjoy working closely with my patients and aim to uplift and empower them through the subtlety in their treatments. I really do think that beauty is not just in how we look, but how we feel.
Working within such a glamorous industry, there is often a black-tie event or gala ball to attend and over time I began experimenting with various materials to craft my own cocktail dresses and ball gowns, elevating traditional styles with contemporary chic. I loved the creative freedom this gave me and began to think about how I could develop my designs into something more than just a hobby.
It was in 2010 when during one lively Saturday evening with the girls, a casual introduction to the taxi driver sparked a moment of serendipity. “I’m Preema”, I said and without missing a beat, he replied, “You do have a Preema Aura around you.” And just like that, amidst the laughter and buzz of the city, the name of my brand was born.
At that stage, my main focus was on growing my aesthetic practice and so the brand sat quietly whilst I continued to design dresses to wear myself, slowly expanding my range of creations from evening dress to beachwear.
In the run up to my big 50th birthday celebrations in Ibiza, having been unable to find the kind of dresses I wanted to wear, I designed three long, beautiful dresses using sheer and delicate fabrics, to be worn over my bikinis. My vision was to create dresses that would be practical for lounging luxuriously poolside, yet transformed at night with a satin slip underneath, into elegant dinner attire. I realised there was a void for dresses like the ones I had designed and this was my inspiration to launch my own collection of luxury resort wear.
I had planned to debut the first of my Preema Aura designs to my family and friends during my birthday celebrations, however these plans went on hold when, three weeks before, during a peaceful Sunday afternoon stroll through the quiet, residential lanes of Notting Hill, London, I experienced an assault which resulted in multiple facial fractures. Forced to drop all of my plans, I underwent surgery and a lengthy recovery period.
This however did not stop me from re-celebrating my 50th birthday at 51! The three night event in Ibiza finally took place and I was thrilled to debut my beautiful outfits a year later. Women would come up to me by the pool or at beach clubs and ask where my outfits were from.
Follow
