A New Design: Payal Singhal on her fashion journey so far

What has the journey been like so far?

I have grown with my brand. When I started the label, I was 22; now I’m 37. It’s been a very personal journey, because I’ve had to learn everything on the job. I’ve had my moments of self-discovery on the runway. If I look back now, I wouldn’t change it. But whenever young designers come to me for advice, I tell them to work with an established designer for a few years before launching their own label. I didn’t do that. I’ve not had a chance to do my homework, ponder and dabble. I tell them don’t do things for someone else, do it for yourself and your clientele. I did struggle in the last 15 years; I took too long to come into my own. But it’s better late than never.

Your design aesthetic has seen a radical shift in the last few years — from filmy and blingy to modern and minimalist. How would you describe it now?

I started my label under my parent company, which was a ready-to-wear Indian clothing brand. Even though there was no influence in terms of design, the process was closely monitored by my parents and we also had pre-conceived ideas of what worked or didn’t

But when I moved to New York five years later, I let loose. I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology and I was at the right age to explore myself as a designer. I began questioning myself as an artist: do I even like what I’m making? I felt like I was disconnecting from my brand. Ironically, the brand itself was doing very well, and I had buyers who were happy with a brand that I wasn’t really happy with. So, I decided to put the change into action after I moved back to India five years ago.

Today, the brand is synonymous with Indian fusion clothes, catering to young, fashion-forward women looking for something trendy as opposed to traditional. With our global fusion Indian occasion wear, we have created our own niche.

There’s a thin line that designers tread between being commercially viable and critically acclaimed. Which side of the argument do you stand on?

I’m on the fence right now. I’ve been a commercially successful designer, and have since moved to the fence, but not tripped over yet to being critically acclaimed. Now I’m at the point where people are beginning to say, “good work”. But they’re not necessarily saying that I’m a creative genius, and I’m fine with that. If I can stay on the fence for the rest of my life, I’ll be totally fine with it. Frankly, I’m a business woman, but I also come from an art background (grandfather JP Singhal was an artist), so it’s a balance that one has to strike.

What have been some of the high points of the last 15 years?

Apart from my Shoppers Stop win, for my graduation show at SNDT, I did an all-black bridal collection called “The Satanic Verse”, and it sold out completely. Other milestones include opening my Altamount Road store, which will also be celebrating its 15th anniversary this year; showing at Singapore Fashion Week; opening my store in New York in Gramercy Park, which has now been replaced by a showroom. Also, among the high points is my Lakme Fashion Week debut in 2007 and now I’m looking forward to my first show at WIFW.

Over the years, you’ve developed a huge NRI clientele.

Earlier, I had strengthened my client base in New York through regular trunk shows. But we were also getting huge orders from other parts of the US, Singapore, Jakarta, Hong Kong, London, South Africa, Canada and Australia. That’s when we realised that we were doing something unique, catering to South Asians living out of the country. They may be rooted to their traditions, but have a very western perspective. Our clothes are in-sync with that.

What continues to inspire you?

What continually inspires me is fashion. If you don’t love fashion from your core, you will burn out. It’s like an actor who is 80 and still wants to act, not for vanity but for the sake of the art form. And the business woman in me feels invigorated when our numbers go up and our strategies work. As long as I’m challenging myself in the business space, I’m excited.