What Women (Really) Want!

Celebrity designer Payal Singhal, who is all set to make a splash with her signature collections in Dubai, has her finger on the feminine pulse: it's 'ordinary' women and their style quotient that inspire her

By Mary paulose

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Published: Fri 28 Aug 2015, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Fri 4 Sep 2015, 11:15 AM

In the blingy, Bollywoodised Indian fashion industry, designer Payal Singhal is a breath of fresh air. Creating wearable fashion that can be worn by women across age groups, the Payal Singhal signature look is contemporary Indian, but one that translates effortlessly from ethnic to Western. A few signature and geometric prints characterise her creations, and even when there's an element of bling in her clothes, it's all very classily done.

Designer Payal Singhal
Not just limited to creating gorgeous threads, Payal is also an astute businesswoman. One of the few Indian fashion designers to hold sway in the cutthroat industry since the 90s, she's worked her way up from being the designer for mall retail brand Shopper's Stop; she's utilised her family pedigree in the fashion industry - her father Dinesh Singhal is a well-known mass garment manufacturer and exporter - to the hilt. Backed up by a design degree at Pune's famous SNDT, and a stint at The Parsons School of Design, she opened her first stores in Mumbai at the age of 22, and went on to expand internationally, starting with the US.
Now, she's coming to Dubai for the next chapter of DIVAlicious - the seasonal shopping exhibition and extravaganza featuring multiple designer labels and brands.

Designs on Dubai
"We absolutely are looking forward to re-launching our brand in Dubai, after retailing with Designers Lounge (boutique) for several years. Now, we're planning to have something similar to our US stores here in Dubai, but we still prefer to stock our lines with multi-designer stores versus opening a flagship store," says Payal, in an exclusive interview to wknd. "I'm so excited to be in Dubai again, as I love the city."
Since 2010, Payal along with her husband Nirvaan Kirpalani and mother Rekha Singhal, have been working on taking her eponymous brand to more cities and countries, and several online platforms, including her own payalsinghal.com. The designer says she's created a special line for DIVAlicious. "It's more a prêt line, so we can cater to all tastes at the exhibition. In addition, all our signature prints will be available at DIVAlicious."

LADY LIKE: One of her popular floral print ensembles; A crop top and skirt from the Spring -Summer 2016 Char Bagh collection; a maxi dress from her Palace of Mirrors Spring-Summer 2015 collection

Inspired by ordinary women
Unlike other designers who cite everything from exotic cultures and locales to historical references as material for inspiration, Payal holds that her main inspiration comes from everyday women, what they like to wear and what they want to wear. "I always put myself in others' shoes to see what ?the real customers want, and what their lifestyle is, and that inspires me," she points out.
Payal's designs range from ethnic to fusion Indian wear, dresses, sarees, bridal and Westerns, instead of a signature look that many other designers go for. "Initially, it wasn't a deliberate move, and when I started designing, it was my own style, and there weren't others who designed in a similar way. But now, yes, it's been commercially viable for us, and we get critical acclaim too."
Not taking the overtly blingy route was also something that Payal adopted along the way. "I believe you can excel in what you do when you create what you want to wear - which doesn't have to be for the sake of following a certain trend." And she has particular creative preferences as well. "In fabric, I prefer silk and Indian-made fabrics and handloom, and I stay away from synthetics. In embroidery, I go for gota, mukaish and zardozi forms. And for prints, I love getting inspired by nature and architecture, so you'll see a lot of florals and geometrics in my creations."
The fabric of a business
The key to Payal's success has been the changing face of the Indian fashion industry, which has seen stratospheric growth in the last two decades. "It is more organised now and more market-oriented, whereas earlier it was run like a home business. Today, it's serious business, with more investors and corporates getting involved and taking Indian designers seriously," Payal explains.
She says that since she started at a young age, she learnt on the job.
"My father told me not to be a jack of all trades but to be a master of one. From 1998, my determination to create a signature fashion and lifestyle look and brand by remaining true to my core aesthetic, and a honest and professional attitude has got me here and helped me last in the industry."
Plus, the era of online shopping has also helped tremendously. "We have our own website and also stock our collections on sites like perniaspopupshop.com, exclusively.in and jivacouture.com. This is definitely a value-add. Plus, we offer quality designs and good after-sales service on the sites."
Now, Payal is going one step further and lending her designs to the high street sector. "We are working on some collaborations which will be out by the end of year, or the beginning of 2016. We believe in working with everything that will create more value for our clients," she notes.
Celebrity style statements
As far as stars and stylists go, they have changed the entire business of celebrity dressing, according to Payal. "Stylists guide celebs on what to wear, the entire look and feel, and are involved in every little step of creating the image. I work closely with stylists as well with some actors themselves."
Today, the modern woman's increasing willingness to go experimental with their outfits has also helped designers like Payal, allowing them to get as creative as they want.
On the final word of trends, the designer lady has this to offer: "The boxy crop top and the high-waisted skirt, in my opinion, are the hottest trends this season."
marypaulose@khaleejtimes.com 

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