A Textile Tale

When art meets functionality, a special harmony emerges. In the world of interior design, textiles possess that extraordinary ability to transform a mere room into a story told through colours, textures and sensations. This is the narrative shared by Irina Shrivastava — founder of Velure, a brand creating textile tales in homes across the globe.
One might fill an interior with furniture, place lamps in corners, hang paintings on walls — yet it remains merely space. But when fabric appears — soft, living, yielding — the room begins to breathe. Textiles can transform, elevate, inspire. Or, conversely, they can destroy the delicate balance, undoing all previous efforts.

This is not simply a decorative detail but the final chord that determines whether an interior feels like a temporary shelter or becomes a home. A real home. Warm. A place where one wishes to linger, listen, feel.

We are not merely what we eat. We are what surrounds us. Texture, folds, patterns, shades — all these elements come together to create an atmosphere, setting the internal rhythm. Fabric doesn't merely complement an interior; it tells its story. And thus, our story as well.

Nearly thirty years ago, the Velour journey began — with a dream, a voyage and love. Today it encompasses five showrooms across different corners of the world, but at the heart of my path lie two pivotal encounters: with my husband, of Indian heritage, and with India itself.

It was there I first truly connected with the world of exquisite fabrics: silk, embroidery, delicate patterns carried through centuries. This textile world captivated me as art, as philosophy, as a wellspring of inspiration. Yet at that point, it remained merely a feeling, an impression not yet crystallised into an idea.

To give my dream form, I enrolled in a London design school — this became my second education after linguistics, where I had studied English and French.

Thus began the Velour journey, a brand born from inspiration, cultural appreciation and the desire to create not merely interiors, but spaces with soul.

The geography of our showrooms is not simply a map with dots; it reflects my life, my journey, my family. Everything began in cities where I lived and to which my heart was attached — Moscow and Minsk. It was there the first "textile rooms" of Velour appeared. Over time, the vector shifted towards Europe.

Dubai entered our geography quite naturally. My husband Punit relocated there earlier, while I hesitated for some time. Eventually, in late 2021, we opened our business there. This presented a fresh challenge: different market, different mentality, different dynamics. Despite my 25 years of experience, I had to begin many things anew: learning the technical nuances of curtain-making, for instance. With support from our designers in Moscow and Minsk, we are gradually building our Dubai team according to the same quality standards we've honed over years.

The name "Velour" was born from a love of fabric. But our showrooms sound different across various countries. In Moscow and Minsk, we are "Velour. Textile Room," because we wanted to convey a special atmosphere: cosiness, comfort, attention to aesthetics in every detail. People come not merely for curtains; they come for inspiration.
Our slogan "The Art of Seeing Differently" speaks to our essence: we see not merely space, but the person living within it. And we express this individuality through textiles.

What unites all our showrooms is an attention to detail. Every stitch, every seam, every non-standard element — each is the result of meticulous work and thoughtful design.

In Dubai, we had to adapt to a new world. But precisely this allowed us to genuinely rethink the experience accumulated in other countries.

The foundation of my textile knowledge came from production in India. Our first collection began there. Certainly, much has changed: each market dictates its rules; tastes, styles and materials evolve. Contemporary clients often favour practicality — blended fabrics, high-tech textures that don't crease, resist fading and are easy to maintain. But the essence remains: textile is always a story. About home. About a person. About beauty that can be felt with fingertips.
Nevertheless, India remains an exceptional territory for handcrafted work and textiles of extraordinary quality. Leading global brands such as Sanderson, Harlequin, GP & J Baker turn to India when seeking complex embroidery, natural fabrics and high-calibre handiwork. Today, the vast majority of embroidered textiles and natural fibre fabrics are produced in India — a country where craftsmanship traditions are carefully passed down through generations.
Over the years, much has changed at our factory. When we began, almost everything was done by hand: from weaving to embroidery. Now modern machines operate at the production site — Swiss-made equipment that enables high precision and consistency.

One genuine breakthrough was the emergence of silk three metres wide. This remains rare even today, as traditionally silk cloths were no wider than one and a half metres. Such fabrics open new horizons in design, particularly for large-scale interior projects.

Fabric dyeing in India largely remains traditional. Natural, plant-based dyes are used. It's a remarkable process, almost alchemical: flower petals transform into pigments that give fabric not only colour but a living, natural resonance. These fabrics smell not of chemicals but of sun and earth. They require special care, delicacy — like everything authentic and fragile.

Working in Dubai is simultaneously my challenge and my pride. This place has demanded perhaps the highest concentration of effort throughout my professional life. Everything is different here: different market, different demands, and most importantly — different people.

My husband Punit is my support and partner. His encouragement gives me strength to move forward, even when the path seems exceedingly difficult. In Dubai, I've had to retrace steps that seemed familiar: learning anew, making mistakes anew, reconfiguring everything from scratch. But therein lies growth. And it's here I truly understood that experience doesn't necessarily make everything easier. Rather, it helps one not to surrender.

We overcome all difficulties — step by step, relying on experience, patience and faith in our work.

One of the main peculiarities of working in Dubai is the absence of professional textile training that we're accustomed to in Russia and Europe. In India, for example, there's no specialised education for curtain tailors. Even masters with golden hands often lack formal knowledge — they must be trained from scratch.

The organisational process here is entirely different. If in other countries our designers create a sketch and pass it to a technologist who brings the project to life, such a path is impossible in Dubai. You must not only understand precisely how everything will function, but also explain it in detail to an employee, then monitor every stage — from the first stitch to the final fold.

Construction here also takes a particular approach: everything is done quickly, often at the expense of quality. Crooked ceilings, significant height variations, non-standard openings — all this requires jeweller's precision when working with textiles. And our clients, as a rule, are highly demanding: for them, what matters is not merely beauty but perfection in every detail.

We've adapted. For instance, we began sourcing special curtain tapes from Greece with multiple pockets that allow for perfect height adjustment. The process seems simple but requires coordinated work: one specialist stands on a ladder, another directs from below — a bit higher here, a bit lower there. Everything by hand, everything by eye, everything for the perfect result.

Windows in Dubai are another story altogether. They're enormous, often reaching nine metres in length. Our craftspeople have learned to work with such scales, achieving absolute symmetry and drapery without a single mistake.

Another Dubai particularity is the constant battle with sunlight. Men especially are sensitive to light here: "Not a single ray in the bedroom!" — and we solve this task with engineering precision.

We use blackout fabrics, velcro tapes on sides and bottoms to completely eliminate light penetration.

But there's a nuance here too: ordinary blackout fabrics are often manufactured using silicone, which releases harmful substances when heated. This is particularly dangerous for children. Therefore, we constantly seek alternatives — fabrics that drape well, are ecological and safe. This is part of our philosophy: textile shouldn't be merely beautiful — it should be intelligent, considerate and ecological.

A word about the advantages. Certainly, conducting business in Dubai has its benefits. The accounting system here is simple and transparent: collect documents, send them to the servicing organisation — no complications.
We respect the rules — and we respect ourselves, our team and our clients.

Our office and showroom are located in Yes Business Towers in Al Barsha-1, near Mall of the Emirates. In the industrial zone, we have a warehouse and our own production facility, which we organised after working with local factories. Currently, our team consists of 12 people, all officially employed, provided with visas and medical insurance.
About 80% of our clients are Russian-speaking. These are property owners, tenants, as well as interior designers and specialised studios. Collaboration with professionals is particularly valuable: such projects are characterised by high levels of organisation, clear objectives and thorough elaboration of all details.

Tastes of clients from different countries vary considerably. Italians value style and quality; Spaniards love warm, vibrant atmospheres. Among our clients are members of the Indian diaspora. Working with them requires special attention to budget and explanation of each project phase. Sometimes the approach to the designer's role differs, and we strive to build dialogue to achieve the best result through collaborative work and mutual trust.

We have ambitious development plans, with our immediate goal being entry into the Saudi Arabian market — a rapidly growing market with enormous potential.

Simultaneously, we're working on a new line of ready-made products in collaboration with a Portuguese family manufactory with a long-standing history. The acquaintance occurred at an exhibition in Dubai, and since then, we've been jointly developing a furniture collection and ready-made textiles: bedspreads, throws, cushions from natural fabrics of exceptional quality.

This will be our signature product. I personally manage the design — from packaging to finishing details. The process is incredibly inspiring but requires attention to numerous nuances: bed size standards in the region, climatic peculiarities affecting textile care. The new line's presentation is planned for November.

Also this season, we'll strengthen our production division. In November, a group of technologists from Moscow will come to Dubai — they will train our craftspeople from India in modern techniques of seamless sewing and handwork. It's an interesting challenge: teams speak different languages, but they're united by craftsmanship and the desire to grow.

I increasingly notice how difficult conditions are created for workers by management companies in residential complexes: strict control, separate lifts, movement restrictions. But what truly touches me is the absence of complaints and the genuine desire to meet high standards.

Our philosophy, formulated many years ago, remains relevant: "The Art of Seeing Differently." Seeing difference in people, in styles, in character. Noticing nuances, considering culture, respecting individuality. This phrase lives not only in our approach to interiors but in our relationship with the team, with each client, with each fold of fabric.
Velour in Dubai is not merely a new business; it's a school of life. It teaches me to be attentive, flexible, respectful. It teaches me to listen. And I believe: it's precisely the ability to "see differently" — in fabrics, in people, in the culture of expatriate life — that allows us to create not merely curtains or cushions, but stories that remain in the home and become part of one's personal space.

Because textile is not merely matter. It is comfort, warmth and the sensation of "home," wherever that might be.