A Forest of Enchantment

Delhi-based designer Payal Jain's new couture collection 'Enchanted Forest', not only paints a dreamscape inspired by nature but also gives back to the environment with sustainable creations

- PRIYAMVADA RANA

SOME years ago when Delhi designer Payal Jain was hiking in the redwood forests of coastal California, she was enchanted by their lush beauty. As she walked through the trees, she noticed how the light filtered through the canopy, creating patterns on the forest ground—like a dance of shadows and beams. "The air was crisp and I could hear my breath with immense clarity. There was silence and stillness, only interrupted by the birds chirping and rustling of leaves. As I stood there, soaking in the beauty around me, I felt completely at peace, in perfect harmony with nature," she says.

The experience has culminated in her new collection 'Enchanted Forest' launched recently at DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram. The collection is like a walk through the magical forest of enchantment, which exists in the designer's dream. "The edit emerges from a reality that merges with fantasy, where one finds oneself in complete bliss. That sense of awe and childlike wonder is what I have tried to capture in this collection," she says.