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Alia Bhatt, Deepika to Shraddha Kapoor: When Designer of the week Payal Singhal was on EVERY celeb's radar
The designer has come a long way and has even launched her Pret line. In a tete-a-tete, we talk all things fashion.
A popular pick among celebrities, Payal Singhal launched her brand back in 1999 with a focus on the modern Indian bride. It is safe to call the designer a child prodigy for she created her first couture look at just 15! Creativity runs freely in Singhal's blood, for she hails from a design family.
While she launched her label back in 1999, Singhal has since explored decor, weddings, stationery and accessories among other things with collaborations and new launches. Most recently, she even went on to launch her Pret line. In a candid chat with Payal Singhal, we talk fashion, staying relevant and so much more.
Payal Singha's brand has always had a very boho vibe to it. We want to know if that stems from the designer's personal style itself, to kick things off. "
It was more my personal style in my teens and early 20s. Over time, my style has become more classic meets athleisure-goth, but boho-chic is still an aesthetic I relate to which is why it’s so prominent in my work," explains the designer who is big on collaborations. She has collaborated with Fizzy Goblet to create pairs of exclusive juttis, Joey and Pooh for a limited edition of playful headbands, Indya, for a festive capsule collection and Marshalls for home decor, to name a few. We are curious about who the designer would want to collaborate with next. "Good Earth, Swatch and Havaianas to name a few. My dream collaboration would be with Apple. They are a company that based product on design over just technology, and that’s something I really admire," she tells us.
The idea behind her Pret line that she launched earlier was simple. "Payal Singhal has always been an inclusive one from the get-go, long before inclusivity became such a buzzword. We already had a wide offering for patrons of different age groups, body types and style sensibilities. Price points was the one area I wanted to get more inclusive, and the pandemic turned out to be just the time to build that as it was what the consumer ultimately wanted too," she quips. With her patterns and prints, PS has always managed to stay relevant and understood the pulse of the market. "Even though we are creatives, designers cant only just make what they want to create. It’s about answering the question of what does the consumer want. That, and being well abreast of new trends, conversations, technology, pop culture, and the international market."
For someone who's been part of the industry for as long as Singhal has, she's explored a range of silhouettes, patterns, styles, etc. One thing she hasn't worked with as much, is Lucknowi/Chikankari. "I have only used it minimally, but it’s something I want to explore more deeply," she says about the craft.
As a designer who has been creating outfits for brides for two decades, we are curious to know about the mistake she thinks most brides make when it comes to picking their trousseau. "Buying too much is the biggest mistake because outfits become dated by the time you actually get around to wearing them," Singhal shares and tells us how to go about it instead. "Buy less, but better. Invest in classic and timeless pieces that you can repeat and re-wear in different ways, instead of being swayed by what’s trendy. Build your traditional wear wardrobe over time, you don’t need to buy it all for your trousseau itself."
