The pandemic gave weddings a makeover — from cutting down on flamboyance to hosting intimate gatherings. The same has also impacted the creative abilities of designers as they now play with softer tones, dainty designs and flattering silhouettes that are not time-sensitive. One such collection was born out of designer Payal Singhal’s latest collaboration with Indya, a homegrown clothing brand.

Featuring pastels along with Singhal’s signature tribal designs, the collection comprises 64 stylish creations ranging from shararas, kurtas, drop-crotch pants, pre-stitched sarees and much more.

In an email interaction with indianexpress.com, the designer talks about the collection, haute couture entering the line of prèt and a lot more.

Can you tell us about your collaboration with Indya?

Our endeavour has always been to be an all-encompassing label that offers something for everyone at every price point. We wanted to do a collection that makes the Payal Singhal signature more approachable and attainable, and for that, Indya made for the perfect brand.

What are your views on haute couture entering the line of prèt?

Couture can really never become prèt but a couture designer can definitely release a more toned-down version of their collection as prèt. We have been doing prèt for a while now and it makes the label more accessible to a larger audience catering to different occasions.

How did you ensure this collection is sustainable?

The collection is sustainable in the way that we are working with all the raw materials while making sure there is no wastage. This collection is really not claiming to be a sustainable product because it’s made with a poly blend fabric, but we have all other ethical practices to make the brand itself conscious.

Do designers have to compromise on their creativity when it is a collaborative effort?

I don’t think designers need to compromise for any collection be it couture or a prèt line, as what you really bring to the table is the best that you can do at the price point that you’re trying to create a product in.

Fashion is believed to be a form of self-expression. How do you then make sure your designs are suitable for everyone?

The idea behind creating a line is meant to be something that can be related to by several people or like-minded people, and that’s how you put together a collection that is a form of self-expression, yet wearable by many.

What do you expect spring trends to be this year? Do you think the pandemic will have a role to play in it?

During the pandemic, we spent a lot of time working on the back end and tech side of our website and also added new product lines, gift cards and a prèt line to enhance the product offerings and the customer experience. The retail scene was obviously not in a good space till about August, but after that with stores opening up things started to pick up, and towards Diwali, the retail market really picked up again.

Weddings are getting smaller; obviously trends are going to move towards lighter Indian wear — you can dress up or dress down based on how many people are at the wedding and that is what we are doing with Indya because these are wardrobe builders for your Indian wear and you can actually take pieces and mix and match them, accessorise them and make them as heavy as you want.

What about possible bridal trends this year and what are they likely to look for when buying their trousseau?

The 2021 bride wants something which makes her look beautiful, grand and appropriate for an intimate wedding so it has to be elegant and understated, and royal at the same time. In 2021, fashion will continue to get more democratic.

The average fashion consumer will get highly conscious about their consumption, thus basing decisions on the twin pillars of versatility and quality. We will see them favour both maximalism and minimalism, but not in the conventional sense. So on one hand, there will be an affinity for high-impact pieces to combat the low-key year we’ve just had. They’ll want to dress up to feel good. They’ll want fun colours that symbolise hope — case in point, Pantone’s colour for 2021 which is illuminating yellow.

The mood will continue this year with sustained demand for easy, fuss-free pieces that can be styled in many ways. The year 2019 was all about scintillating silhouettes and then came 2020 which we largely spent in PJ sets and kaftans. So in 2021, we’ll take baby steps back into the real world.

Here are snippets from the collection.
Payal Singhal for Indya. (Photo: PR Handout)
Payal Singhal for Indya. (Photo: PR Handout)
Payal Singhal for Indya. (Photo: PR Handout)
Payal Singhal for Indya. (Photo: PR Handout)