In her collections, traditional occasion wear is typically defined by opulence, intricacy, and craftsmanship but blended with modern comfort. Having launched her label in 2013, Veerali says, “If you design a beautiful product that no one wants to buy, you lose the essence of the product even before starting,” she explains. “It needs to serve a need or fuel the aspiration to own,” she adds. She graduated in 2011 from the University of Warwick, UK, with a masters degree in marketing and strategy. While abroad, she also attended summer school at the London College of Fashion, where she studied fashion media business and subsequently found work in the fashion capital. She gathered experience in marketing for a local Italian kidswear brand, worked as a merchandiser for a retailer, and then came back to Kolkata, where she learnt how to develop prints on the job. 

Kolkata happens to be her mother’s birthplace. Veerali places her at the heart of the brand. Her mother believed that the rich fabrics formed an important part of her identity. She has consciously let her childhood guide her label when she handed over the responsibility of sourcing and quality management to her mother. Apart from the colour harmonies, the theme of handlooms has been well integrated into her body of work. 

The name itself suggests a connection with the soil. Loka in Sanskrit translates into ‘world’. Veerali connects it to having umpteen choices in the world, but for her, true identity manifests when you make the connection with your roots. She remembers a trip to Benaras in the early days of the brand. Speaking to the weavers gave her tremendous insights into the craft of the area. “I just enjoyed the process so much that we veered towards developing our weaves for one of our collections,” she reveals. Though it was a time-consuming experiment, it eventually led her to venture into couture.

Her major lines consist of Loka Prêt, which is priced from `7,000 to `20,000; Loka Signatures that targets occasionwear with pieces created using hand embroideries and Loka Bridal that consists of elaborately customised bridal-wear. Apart from her store in Mumbai, the label is housed at Ogaan and Anantam in Delhi, Elan and Deval the multi-designer store in Ahmedabad, Armadio in Bengaluru, and Aza, Fuel and Bharti’s at White Solitaire in Mumbai. 

Veerali hopes to address the wants of the modern woman, who enjoys traditional crafts with an urge to explore individual styles. “A woman with a distinct sense of individuality, who knows that she is more important than the outfit can have fun in our creations,” she adds. Each piece is created so that it can be deconstructed and built to create different looks for occasions. “A person’s style guides them on what works and what doesn’t for them,” she says. And this sense should be trusted.