Reading is one of the passions Payal Khandwala takes pleasure in. And it was while indulging in this passion that the designer stumbled on a story about Lord Kamadeva, the God of love, that really got her thinking.
“I was fascinated by the imagery designed around him. He is supposed to be this handsome young man with green skin and he rides on a parrot. He always carries his bow and arrows; the latter is decorated with five kinds of flowers, flowers from the Ashoka tree, mango tree, jasmine, and the white and blue lotus. It is believed that he could induce desire with his flowered arrows and persuade an early spring by taking the form of a fragrant southern breeze. I found it really poetic,” says Khandwala whose latest collection Kama has been inspired by this very vivid imagery.
The handcrafted mulberry silk saris, hand-woven khadi, chanderi, silks and organzas have been played with linens and cotton printed with jasmine buds and blossoms. “The patterns of the print are graphic jasmine flowers and the palette has been borrowed from the pale green colour of his skin and of his parrot. It also has a dose of red from the bloom of the Ashoka tree and the yellow of mango blossom, to accentuate the subtle shades of ivory and jade from the jasmine flower. Dusty pink with a powder blue from the lotus, complete the colour story,” says Khandwala.
Other than the colour, that reflects the whole idea of spring, it is comfortable and light with various layering. The collection is perfect not just for the outings but parties and something that can be easily carried to work as well. However, what strikes the most is the central idea that Khandwala uses in her designs. This collection easily marries the soft with the strong.
“I believe that women can be fragile yet very strong. But very often, design gets lumped into one; either it is her feminine side or her robustness that gets highlighted. But women cannot be segregated into two; we need to show both the parts in an equal light as we balance both the aspects in every single day of our lives. So, when I design, I like the dichotomy of these two elements. They can be fluid and soft while being bold and dramatic,” says Khandwala who believes in prioritising her life to keep a balance between her own businesses with family. “I not a workaholic. I’m happy being at home, spending time with my daughter or reading a book,” she adds.