CRAFTING A NEW REALM

Couturier Payal Singhal has been dressing the modern Indian woman for 25 years, and here’s how she put in the work to make it happen

- PRATIKSHA ACHARYA

GRAZIA: 25 years in the making; what does Payal Singhal as a label stand for? 

PAYAL SINGHAL: The Payal Singhal label is a contemporary India modern label, and that has been our ethos for 25 years. And while we are a luxury brand, we are also very congenial and honest, which is what draws our PS Girls to the brand. Our varied product lines across bridal wear, pret, resort, accessories, jewellery, home and beyond are testimony to that. In the last 25 years, we have evolved into a lifestyle brand, creating the PS world of our own.

G: How do you ensure that you keep adapting your designs for the younger demographic?

PS: In all honesty, it's not something we have ever strategised to do. It has happened very organically. Tina Tahiliani of Ensemble complimented us on our 20th anniversary five years ago when she said, "The Payal Singhal label has been making clothes for 20-year-olds for 20 years." I think that really captures the spirit of our collections - they are young, playful and fun. Timeless, no doubt, but also very now. I am very clued into what's happening globally, and we try to capture the zeitgeist with our clothes, which is why it perhaps appeals to a younger audience. But that said, our patrons range from the ages of 2 to 90, so I can also proudly say we are age-agnostic and for anyone who resonates with our aesthetic.

G: What have been some of the standout moments in the course of your career?