PRIDE AND PRET

Bazaar India editor NANDINI BHALLA converses with designer MAYYUR GIROTRA about his new collection Aikya launched at New York during Pride Month.

- NANDINI BHALLA

Nandini Bhalla: Congratulations on launching your new prêt collection Aikya in collaboration with Pride at Google and the Indus Google Network. Tell me how the collaboration came into being?

Mayyur Girotra: “I did a show in New York in September 2022, and I wasn’t aware that someone from Google had attended it. Later, I received a call from my partner in New York and she said Google wanted to collaborate with us. I couldn’t believe it...I was thrilled! One of the leaders at the Indus Google Network, Shilpa Maniar, was impresed by the language, designs, and concepts we showcase at Mayyur Girotra, and the project materialised beautifully. And so, we decided to kickstart Pride Month in New York. This was a very exciting project for me, and also rather different, because I’ve been focused on bridal couture and Indian wear for a long time now. And to come up with a luxury prêt line, while still keeping the brand language intact...it was a fun process. The Google team has been a wonderful partner...they believe in creative freedom, so I was able to work on my vision and suggest ideas about the show.”