Here’s why designer Payal Khandwala chose brocade for her new collection

Payal Khandwala’s latest spring-summer collection champions a modified, more muted version of brocade, while striking the delicate balance between structural symmetry and textural harmony

Somewhere between the structural symmetry and textural harmony, which define the obvious creative arch of Mumbai-based fashion designer Payal Khandwala’s latest spring-summer collection, there lies the quiet world of subtle details. Released under the designer’s eponymous label, the untitled collection has been assigned to the chronological number of the edits that Payal has curated till date — 13. It champions handwoven silk and a modified, more muted version of brocade, while making a modest attempt at solving the wardrobe crisis for occasions that are neither too formal, nor too casual.

Payal, who pursued a degree in fine arts at the Parsons School of Design in New York, before launching her debut collection in 2012, explains the intent that dictates her recent work. “I consciously refrain from naming collections in general unless there is a very specific starting point. Even when I’d paint, I titled my canvases untitled. I prefer this because otherwise it spoon-feeds the viewer to have a response. Also, if the inspiration is too abstract or esoteric, then naming it becomes an exercise in retrofitting,” she says.

The collection, she says, has been in the making for the past seven to eight months. And though she admits to silk and brocade being unusual fabrics to opt for a summer edit, she elaborates on the techniques that add value to its design language. “What I wanted to do this time was to continue using brocade as a craft, even though it’s not festive season. While we typically associate brocade with gold and silver thread I replaced it with silk so that, whilst still a woven detail and it using all the technical aspects of brocade, the outcome is a bit more subtle. I love pushing back things, as much as possible, without losing the intricacy. Ours, I guess, is quieter luxury,” she says, adding that she purposely kept linens and cotton at bay. Like most of her collections, this release is also limited to a few pieces.

“The mood board of most of my collections, you could say, depends on my own. I only make clothes that I wear. A lot of my clothes are designed for mini special occasions, from birthdays to dinner dates. I was looking to make something that women could wear to elevated prêt occasions. So, I figured the customer that wears the garments for a dinner or a cocktail or a gallery opening are going to be in an air-conditioned environment for the most part. In that case, silk doesn’t become a big hindrance also because we make several lighter silks and silk regulates body temp as well. Also, functionality takes centre stage in my garments. I make clothes that are easy to wear, pack and travel with,” she says.

As an example, she lists a long black jacket, which works well as a layer. “We also have a mustard, free sized jacket; relaxed and like most of my garments, it is very comfortable and fuss free when it’s cooler indoors. There’s also an olive green jacket for the women that are more comfortable being a bit more creative with silhouettes. I try to solve wardrobe problems for women; I started the label for this reason, because when I was looking for clothes the options were mostly coordinates that were too formal or that felt too traditional, and whilst travelling felt rather costume like. I wanted to create separates that were luxurious but also versatile,” she shares.

Payal says that she strictly focusses on the construction of the garment, with respect to pleats and drapes. “If I’m making a jacket, I will rethink the lapel, add a belt or an architectural element or detail like our signature asymmetrical cuffs. Sometimes it will be a contrast lining, like the red lining I used in the olive-green jacket,” she says. Payal’s collection also pivots on reverse engineering. “For instance, if I want the trouser hem to have nine inches of black, then shift to four inches of yellow and six of silver at the waist, then the fabric is woven in that weight for that particular trouser, with the colour blocking at the loom stage. It’s not cut and sewn or patched onto the garment. You may also spot a border where the texture changes to satin, but it’s not sewn it’s woven. I like my garments to be pared down; they neither have embellishments nor embroidery. The weave is always the hero,” she adds.

Payal gets her textiles woven by craft clusters in Varanasi and Phulia in West Bengal. She also has three workshops and two studios in Colaba, along with two outlets, one in Kala Ghoda and another in New Delhi. With textured brocade and silk at its core, the collection also features a toned-down colour palette. Oscillating between murky yellow and indigo, it tickles the eyes with spicy reds and soft olive green.