Paul Rekhi sequined party dress, Style 5200 in burgundy (Photo courtesy Paul Rekhi)
Tucked away in Southpark Mall in Colonial Heights is Shingar, a women’s formalwear store packed to the brim with an explosion of shimmering sparkles and colors. Navigate into the maze of gowns and dresses, and usually you’ll find co-owner Paul Rekhi or his wife, Doley, managing the store, eager to assist patrons with special-event dress needs.
“My heart is here because when kids try on dresses and I can make their memories, I am happy,” Rekhi says.
He says Shingar’s customers are more like family, and since he opened the business in 1998 (in the now-defunct Cloverleaf Mall, currently the site of Stonebridge Shopping Center in Chesterfield County), he’s seen a lot of repeat patrons. They’re one reason that he developed his eponymous line of dresses and gowns.
“Listening to customers, they would say, ‘This is missing in a dress,’ ” Rekhi explains. “I thought, ‘Let me try.’”
He debuted his line in 2019 through his stores and wholesale to eight shops outside of Virginia. It’s been a slow rollout due to the pandemic, but Rekhi notes that sales have increased this year. The Rekhis also have a smaller Shingar outpost at Southside Plaza, and they co-own H&G Formal in Fredericksburg. Their formalwear line is also available at 24 stores.
Paul Rekhi v-neck party dress, Style 5262 (Photo courtesy Paul Rekhi)
All Rekhi pieces are handmade. He says his specialty is sequins, and it shows, as both long and short dresses shimmer in a cascade of sparkle. He often begins his process with a sketch, or he’ll discuss with his team how he’d like a dress to look. Born in India, Rekhi still has family there, and he often returns. It’s where he sources his materials and where his dresses are manufactured.
Shingar also offers less expensive, nondesigner apparel, as well as creations from Jovani, Sherri Hill, Stella Couture and other designer brands that are known for their style and quality.
After more than 20 years in the business, Rekhi has an eye for formalwear. Even though there are more than 3,000 dresses in his store between the retail floor and the backroom, he’s familiar with his inventory and able to find the right looks for all occasions and ages, whether it’s a grandmother searching for her Sunday best or a teenager getting ready for prom. “It’s my kitchen, and I know how to cook,” Rekhi says. “I can tell you what will look good on you.”
In the age of Pinterest and Instagram, Rekhi says, customers often come in and show him an image on their phone and say they want that dress, without considering factors such as cost and how that style may fit them. He says what may look good on one person may not on someone else.
“I tell them, ‘if you give me 30 minutes to control-alt-delete in your brain, I can put you into a dress you love,’ ” he says.
Rekhi plans to keep expanding his designer line but doesn’t think he’ll leave the physical retail side for as long as he can help it. “I’m not ready to leave retail because that’s my inspiration,” he says.
“After work, sometimes I’ll meet [a customer] in the mall or somewhere, and they’ll say, ‘You sold me a dress, thank you.’ ”
Rekhi says. “That makes my life.”
Paul Rekhi at Shingar (Photo by Ash Daniel)
