Inspired by Hyderabad

In the city for the launch of her collection Excavations at Anahita, Payal is not new to Hyderabad. “My mother’s sister stays here, so the city has always been a vacation spot.”

Payal also showcased her work at a fashion show in Hyderabad a few years ago. A self-confessed fan of the city, Payal says that Hyderabad has influenced her designs to a certain extent.

“I love the architecture, the feel and look of vintage jewellery here, so I have imbibed the same in my work. There hasn’t been a conscious decision to do it, but it just happens,” she says.

Payal’s work takes her places, but currently she is one of the top designers in Bollywood. But the journey wasn’t a cakewalk. “We didn’t start off by designing for the top actresses. We slowly made our way to the top. We haven’t been choosy in terms of clients and perhaps that is one of our USP,” she says.

Payal’s collection Excavations is best suited for the festive season and the numerous parties that are part of it. “We’ve experimented with a lot of designs. Now that the parties are about to start, clients can wear my designs to them. It’s not a bridal collection, but guests at a wedding can wear any of the designs.”

So what’s “in” this festive season? Are there any dos and don’ts? “There are no dos and don’ts, rather, hows. How one carries off a dress, how they accessorise, mix and match and experiment is what has always been in. People can go in for any silhouette, any colour, but they should experiment with how they wear it. But, I think cropped tops, backless kurtas, and churidar skirts are the current favou-rites,” she adds.

Talking about actresses who sport her designs, who amongst the actresses are Payal’s favourites? “I love Sonam Kapoor and Neha Dhupia. Sonam has the perfect body for clothes, she just knows the right way to carry them. And Neha because she can take any design of mine and interpret it her way. She’ll change the top or the shoes or the accessories,” Payal explains.

So will we soon see Payal working in T’town films? “I’ve been getting a lot of requests from stylists of actresses here. A lot of them have been for the award functions. Recently Priya Anand had worn one of my designs. Since I’m based in Mumbai, the distance is the only problem, but if things work out, then why not?” she says.