Internationally renowned fashion designer Payal Singhal, who is in the city for the launch of her festive winter collection, talks to DC about her inspirations and journey so far
Payal Singhal is a name most of us are familiar with, and her journey from the posh suburbs of Mumbai to leading fashion shows in India and abroad is well written about. Her designs exude the finer feminine tastes. Sensual and elegant cuts bring classic Indian styles to contemporary chic weaves. Of course, one could say that fashion design is in her blood — her father Dinesh Singhal is a renowned fashion designer himself, while her grandfather JP Singhal is an artist and photographer.
“I grew up ensconced in art and fashion and honestly from a really young age I started to believe this was the way I would go, I didn’t even think otherwise,” says Payal. Recalling her early days, she smiles, “I made one of my first designs when, I think, I was 10 years old. I used to go to my dad’s office and while my parents were busy, I would sketch sitting in a garment factory surrounded by fabric. Since I was a baby, sketching was like playing with toys!”
From those sketches, she went on to designing clothes, bringing her signature Indo-western twist to her creations. At the age of 15, she won the ‘Designer of the Year’ award from retail giant Shopper’s Stop and hasn’t looked back since. “When I started out there were just two magazines. No blogs, no social media, no stylists, no celebrity dressing etc., just a couple of fashion journalists.
Now everything is buzzing and we are constantly changing, updating, liking, sharing and interacting with our customers on social media,” the young designer explains, adding, “It’s a lot of fun but also very exhausting. The older times were simpler and quieter, however I love the activity and chaos of my business today.”
She’s in the city for the first time, an experience she is looking forward to. Her collection, ‘Mayaa’, a range of festive winter wear, is inspired by jewellery from the ancient Mayan, Sumerian and Egyptian civilisations. “I was captivated by the workmanship and intricate details of the gold work on jewellery and artefacts found. The details and patterns that looked current and relevant to our time and fashion, so the clothes have a vintage feel but are yet modern,” she says. It doesn’t stop there — each design incorporates geometric and structured elements from old beaten gold ornaments, making patterned motifs for embroidery.
When asked to name one celebrity in India she absolutely loves to dress-up, the designer says, “I really enjoy seeing Sonam Kapoor turn garments she wears into iconic ones. Also, I enjoy working with Neha Dhupia because of the way she makes each outfit her own and styles is so uniquely.”
(The collection will be on display at Evoluzione, Khader Nawaz Khan Road till November 8)
