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Ella and Reggie are bridging the gap between their cultures

This Auckland couple is bridging the gap between their two cultures with a boutique clothing store
Norrie Montgomery, Lightpersecond

When Ella Dawson started dating the love of her life Reggie Prasad seven years ago, it wasn’t long before she was being whisked away by his mother and sister to try on extravagant and colourful Indian outfits known as desi.

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The occupational therapist was attending a week-long wedding with her partner, which required four different ensembles and learning an entirely new culture.

The experience was overwhelming at first for the Aucklander, who comes from a quiet family of four, but it was the catalyst for a successful career move. Today, Ella and Reggie, both 28, own a luxury boutique store called Desi Pal, which rents out affordable traditional South Asian clothing for special occasions.

“Reggie’s mum chose two of my outfits for that wedding and surprised me with them,” says Ella, who met her fiancé when they both worked part-time at North Shore Hospital as university students in 2014.

On a tight budget at the time, Ella was surprised there weren’t affordable options for purchasing or renting traditional event clothing. She learnt that despite her outfits ranging from $300 to $600 each, they’re usually only worn once.

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In 2019, Ella chatted to Reggie, a digital forensics analyst for New Zealand Police, about her idea of offering sustainable rental pieces to the large Indian community in Auckland. With her future hubby’s support, she launched an Instagram page for family and friends to exchange clothing and accessories. Within a few days, it had reached 100 followers.

“That reassured us the idea was needed, so we built our collection up and things took off in a way we couldn’t have imagined,” enthuses Ella.

“We launched our website in 2021, and import most of the clothing and accessories directly from India. Since we’re a sustainable brand, we’re open to pre-loved clothing when it’s in an acceptable condition.”

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After their online success, Ella decided to open her boutique showroom in Mount Roskill, where men and women now rent outfits for engagements, wedding weeks and festivals such as Diwali. Ella’s also on hand to teach people about Indian styling and traditions, using her own experience of diving into a whole new culture for love.

Who’s sari now?! Ella shows off her styling skills.

Both Ella and Reggie admit that in the beginning, his family was doubtful the couple would work out long-term since they hadn’t had anyone outside their culture marry into the whānau.

“There was some fear initially, but everyone remained respectful and focused on how happy we were together,” recalls Ella.

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And Ella went from not knowing any of Reggie’s family to meeting every single person within two days at his sister’s wedding.

“They’re all super-extroverted and outgoing, and I think it was a bit different for them to see I was shy and reserved,” she reflects. “But everyone was so nice and included me. When there’s family dinner at Reggie’s, it’s not just Mum and Dad. There’ll be aunties, uncles and their children. At the start, it was an adjustment for me because I just have my parents and younger brother.”

Reggie’s biggest hurdle has been Ella’s parents’ jokes and learning to banter with them, while calling adults by their first names. “That’s polite in Western culture, but in Reggie’s culture, you call people by your relationship with them. For example, I call Reg’s parents Mum and Dad.”

When it comes to incorporating tradition into their own wedding in February next year, the couple have compromised. They’ll have a week-long Fiji-Indian event, as well as a Western-style wedding where Ella can wear a white dress. She also wants her dad to walk her down the aisle and to share a first dance with him.

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During the days leading up to their Indian ceremony, the couple will follow a vegetarian diet, since it’s common in most Indian prayer rituals to have a restriction on meat and alcohol. There will be vows similar to a European celebration, only there are seven vows for a Hindu wedding.

“Pre-wedding events are a little more casual, fun and light-hearted, whereas the wedding day itself is a lot more serious,” Ella explains. “The last day is the reception, which is the party with a DJ and some speeches. It’s very fun but also tiring!”

The pair have given their family and friends on either side a heads-up about what to expect, and their loved ones are excited.

“Hearing Ella talk about my culture the way she does is exactly why I’m marrying her,” says Reggie, who surprised her with a romantic boat proposal in January this year, using a colleague’s yacht and hiring a photographer to capture the moment. “It will be a good eight days of an intense wedding!”

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Going forward, the pair hope Desi Pal will continue to bridge the gap between Western and Indian culture in New Zealand.

“We know people outside the culture may not know what to wear or how to wear it, so we wanted to teach them,” Ella concludes. “It’s nice to come into a comfortable environment and be able to show love towards that culture.”

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