Payal Khandwala is an award-winning artist and fashion designer with a self-titled label who received Society Magazine’s Young Achievers Award in the Fine Arts category in 2007. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Payal Khandwala to learn more about her namesake brand.
Payal Khandwala’s Background
What is Payal Khandwala’s background? Khandwala said:
“I grew up in a household where my mother and grandmother painted and sewed. I’m an only child, and my earliest memories were always spending time alone with my paints and making little clothes for my dolls, surrounded by my mother’s sewing machine, her oil paints, and easels. I went on to study fashion in Bombay and then pursued Fine Art at the Parsons School of Design in New York. I lived there for eight years, and on my return to Bombay, I painted full time for a decade before an opportunity arose to showcase my designs at fashion week.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Khandwala shared:
“When I moved back, I could never find clothes that I wanted to wear – simple, comfortable clothes that were well made, luxurious, and dramatic but in a minimal way, so I made them with the help of a local tailor.”
“I showed at Fashion Week in 2012, where we presented separates as well as color-blocked clothes that were versatile and comfortable. Nobody else was making clothes in this way at that time. We found a tribe quite quickly that grew organically, as the vocabulary we were suggesting was a breath of fresh air. My husband, Vikram, stepped in and said we have to build this like a brand. So now he runs the business, which really frees my bandwidth to focus on the creative aspects and to do what I’m good at.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Khandwala reflected:
“I think working on the first collection is my favorite memory. It was such a big shift in canvas for me and we started at ground zero. It was me in my living room, partly because I had a little baby girl and I wanted to be around, and we just did everything in two months. It was exciting, and it was a great opportunity to play.”
“There was also no data, so I could focus on clothes I wanted to wear and make with the creative freedom we all want.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Khandwala explained:
“We make clothes that are comfortable yet stylish and versatile. The female form is always an anchor for our silhouettes and the driving force for what a garment will look like.”
“The clothes we make are rooted in the rich heritage of textiles and the vivid colors of India, but the silhouettes are more global. Free from cultural trappings and designed to meet the needs of the women of today, the shapes are often inspired by geometry, and our motifs are organic to continue the fine balance and the tension that opposites create.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Khandwala cited:
“We’ve been fortunate to have many firsts, and each of them has been a key milestone for us. From our first team member to our first store, first show on the ramp, first stockist and even our first workshop. These have all helped propel the business forward in important ways.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges have Khandwala and the team faced in building the company?
“For us, it’s a constant fine line between shifting demand and appropriate supply. So, to be able to temper that with tact tends to cause bottlenecks either in supply or in inventory.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Khandwala affirmed:
“I think what sets us apart from the competition is that we have a signature vocabulary that stems from the fact that I make clothes that I would – and do – wear. It’s not a team of designers throwing clothes together but one point of view, one voice, which makes it distinct.”
“In many instances, we reimagine our textiles and color palettes to create fabrics that feel comfortable and luxurious and can be effortlessly paired together in colors that work well with each other. This is also why we operate our own handlooms that are manned by skilled Indian craftsmen to produce different types of prime quality silks, linens, and cottons.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future company goals? Khandwala pointed out:
“I want to dress as many women as I can. I’d like more women to have access to considered clothes that support their lives today. Women who are practical, care about personal style, and always find themselves slightly left of center. Women who want luxury that is affordable and elegant, no matter what size, age, shape, or race, and who don’t feel the need to sacrifice their comfort for it – who care not just about how they look but also how they feel in the clothes and how they think.”
“I often use the past to draw from our rich heritage, but what’s salient is that I’m creating a grammar that is a reference for the future generation and not just a repackaging of what’s already been done. So, it’s important to me that I can get my audience to see and experience the voice of a new India that is relevant to women’s lives today.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Khandwala concluded:
I think these are all the things that matter to me and to our company – to have integrity, to be sincere, to have an honest point of view. We don’t care about trends, we care about making women’s lives better. We care about women who have real lives and so, I design around the body. I want women to feel confident because they’ve forgotten that they’ve put something on. I love the dichotomy in things, in life, in my head, in process, in the way that I’m trying to communicate things. I never like too much of any one thing. So, you’ll find that the clothes are feminine, but they also have masculine elements.”
“I want them to be soft, but I also want them to be strong. I’ll use a lot of color, but I’ll always use neutrals to push it back. I always want to celebrate the sort of yin and yang.”
