Pride Without Prejudice

Fashion designer Mayyur Girotra spills the beans on kickstarting Pride month in New York with a showcase of his debut pret label, and why fashion plays an important role in positive queer conversations

- Dhara Vora Sabhnani

For the last few weeks, couturier Mayyur Girotra has made New York his home. He has been soaking the city in by visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Arts and Design, exploring markets and galleries in Chelsea and Soho, while meeting and discovering new eclectic, boho chic designers in Brooklyn. He isn’t in New York for a summer vacay, though — he’s there to kickstart Pride celebrations in the city with a showcase of his debut pret line, Aikya.

Girotra’s collection was presented on June 2 in collaboration with Pride at Google and the Indus Google Network (IGN). “I am thrilled and honoured to have the opportunity to open for Pride Fashion Week in New York. This holds great significance for my label and represents a pivotal step forward in promoting inclusivity, diversity, and queer representation in the fashion industry. Opening for Pride Fashion Week signifies breaking barriers and challenging norms within the fashion industry. It highlights the importance of queer representation and paves the way for more inclusive runways,” says the designer. And it was not just the runway that was gender inclusive — from the hair stylist, PR agency, makeup artist and videographer to the spot boy, everyone involved in the project belongs to the LGBTQIA+ community. The show invite carried an artwork that symbolises the intimate relationship between members of the community and New York and New Jersey.