A well−travelled, independent, and stylish girl is the epitome of the movement. She has roots, yet she’s not scared to cross lines. A seamless transition between traditional and non−traditional contexts is thus a defining characteristic of every Payal Singhal ensemble. Modern and minimalist with a vintage heart best describes the brand’s trademark style. Wearability, comfort, cost−effectiveness, and ease of impact have always been prioritized. With fresh launches in the areas of footwear, jewellery, home décor, weddings, lifestyle products, accessories, and more, the brand is quickly developing into a sought−after lifestyle brand to provide our quality−and design−conscious customers an all−encompassing experience of the world of PS.
Payal Singhal grew up with culture rich in movies, fashion, and the arts. She is from a design family; her father, designer and entrepreneur Dinesh Singhal of London Fashions, is related to renowned artist and photographer J.P. Singhal. Her childhood placed a strong emphasis on being creative, in addition to having it in her DNA.
Singhal, a Mumbai native, developed an early interest in drawing and design. At just fifteen years old, she designed her first couture outfit. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the former Miss World, wore her winning outfit, which garnered her considerable praise and earned her the Shopper’s Stop “Designer of the Year Award.”
Payal Singhal was awarded the Shoppers Stop Designer of the Year Award at the tender age of 15, which established her prodigious talent. She is the daughter of award−winning Dinesh Singhal and the granddaughter of renowned Indian artist J.P. Singhal. It is perhaps not surprising that Payal Singhal would become a creative soul. Today, Singhal’s self−titled label, which she founded in 1999 and produces custom made−to−order designs in addition to ready−to−wear bridal, contemporary, and occasion designs, is recognized as the epitome of self−assured, cultured South Asian style. It has a flagship store in Mumbai and retail locations throughout Hong Kong, the Middle East, India, and the USA.
Before establishing her own company in 1999, Singhal worked as a stylist for MTV. She quickly realized that changing the status quo when it came to Indian staples would be her USP. Traditional Indian clothing was given a novel twist with backless cholis, Lycra kurtas, and crop tops paired with palazzos.
The vast majority of designers at that time catered to an older clientele. For the younger generation, there was a gap in trendy Indian apparel. I wore jeans and T−shirts growing up, so I wanted to develop Indian clothing that I could wear to weddings without feeling uncomfortable. Consequently, I did just that, and it was well received since people were curious about the identity of the 21−year−old who was designing these “young” garments, the designer claims.
She leaned extensively on client feedback and approval because she didn’t have fashion week or social media to place her in the spotlight. There was a lot of interest in the label, as evidenced by the fact that we were immediately featured in every fashion journal and invited to the Miami and Singapore fashion weeks among other well−known Indian designers like Sabyasachi and Rina Dhaka.
Singhal relocated to New York after getting married to her longtime love, Nirvaan Kirpalani, in 2004. Her attention had already switched by that point to brand building and marketing in America, even though she continued to travel to India to advertise her collections. There were some obstacles, including the fact that elite retailers like Henri Bendel weren’t yet ready for another Indian designer. She adds that she chose to conduct trunk shows and pop−ups because she was too impatient to just wait around for a call. Her initial performance drew only six attendees; today, the US accounts for more than half of her internet sales. Customers wanted something more modern; the Indian clothing that was offered in the US was outmoded, she continues.
Singhal moved to Mumbai in 2010, a year after the birth of her son. The transition wasn’t simple, especially for her husband, who had been absent for nearly 12 years. After being persuaded, Kirpalani, a financial planner and analyst by trade, joined Singhal. He was given the e−commerce website to work on by me. He has never turned around and is in charge of helping the company recover, says Singhal. Reconstruction came first. We went back to the beginning and conducted focus groups for each outfit when I realized that the product was king. Her early collections, which featured Western clothing with Indian influences, received a muted reception. “So I made the decision to stay with what I’m most known for, contemporary Indian clothing.
While history and culture serve as the foundation for tradition, a fresh perspective is applied to each collection to offer it a modern meaning. It can be seen in the whimsical designs of Indian designer Payal Singhal. When you see her east−meets−west, pattern−packed designs and lehengas that have a boho appearance, it’s difficult to resist feeling in awe. Learn more about her treasured work’s inspiration by reading on.
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