Designer Payal Singhal’s name may not ring a bell to all and sundry, but those in the know are only too aware of her work. And interestingly, the designer who was based in New York for the last six years has now moved back to Mumbai. Ask her about the move and she replies, “I haven’t shifted here due to business reasons. It’s just that my husband was working in New York, so I had to move there. Now that he’s got a job here, I followed suit.”

But she’s quick to note that she learnt a lot from her stint in NY. “My time there
exposed me to a lot of realities of fashion in the West. I realised that one has to be pro-active if you’re looking at doing business there. You need to have an organised system in place for business to flourish. Such practical knowledge helped me expand the reach of my label and make it a truly global one,” explains Payal, who had earlier shown at Lakme fashion week and until recently, has been showing at various fashion weeks and shows in the US and in Singapore.

“I had a baby earlier this year so I have been on a break as far as fashion shows go. But I did show at the Miami Fashion Week. It’s been a good run. In fact, my label is known for its affordable variety, so the recession didn’t affect me much,” she says of her wearable line that boasts of a soft colour pallete with pretty pastels, a fair share of brocade and embroidery.

Lastly, what does she think has changed over the years as far as Indian fashion goes? “Well, there’s a lot more awareness about fashion and its finer nuances than before. People want to dress up well and carry themselves in a certain manner. That’s a great plus and it has paved the way for some really healthy competition,” ends Payal.