There is no other place Somya Goyal, founder and creative director of her eponymous label, would rather be. Amid the behind-the-scenes commotion given the launch of her new collection—Benevolent Genesis—she embodies a rare contentment. “The essence is in the belief that there is an innate goodness within each one of us. It’s designed to empower women and help them feel more confident. It thus features styles tailored for various body shapes and sizes in a selection of colours complementing all complexions,” says Goyal.
From dresses and saris to blouses and kaftans, the range has it all and is a testament to Goyal’s idiosyncratic sensibilities. It captures her keen interest in art, culture and contemporary life. Take, for instance, the Raglan overlay dress, an A-line outfit with bold sleeve panels, featuring black hand-looped PVC embroidery. Made with a blend of microfiber-faille polyester and spandex, its clean lines, round neckline and back zip closure, make for a crisp outfit. The Sash pallu saree is another original rendition inspired by the traditional drape.
The blouse top with a broad neck design and a side zip closure is complemented by a pleated skirt with contoured broad tucks and shift seams and a green PVC embroidered sash pallu, ensuring easy dressing. The Madame kaftan dress made of viscose and polyester is one of Goyal’s most cherished pieces. “Besides its comfortable fit, the raglan sleeves with pinch embroidery give the outfit a lot of character. The back panel loop textured embroidery adds a bit of detailing to the otherwise simple ankle-length dress,” she says.
The new leaf repurpose sari is the designer’s latest innovation. Made entirely with vegan silk, “this self drape garment comes with a contoured top with recycled PVC loop embroidery in the front and an elasticated back band. For extra comfort, there’s a centre-front slit-and-scoop neck,” says Goyal. An extension of this unique idea is the re-purposed pallu sari made from a blend of vegan silk, satin polyester and spandex. The stitched sari has a multi-coloured repurposed contoured pallu attached at the waist. “The stitched skirt has parallel pleats in the front, and back darts with a front hook closure in satin silk. The crop top comes with a round zero neckline and elbow-length sleeves,” says the entrepreneur.
Her interest in textiles and garments goes back to her childhood. Goyal grew up in a family of garment manufacturers and distributors and spent a lot of time amid textiles, yarns, buttons and threads. She knew then that her future lay in fashion. Today, her brand is a trailblazer in the realm of unparalleled material choices for garments which include metallic wires, horsehair sheets, jute and cotton cords. Add to that, Goyal’s bold experimentation with surface textures and unconventional fabrics, such as bemberg, tencel, recycled moss polyester and PVC cords.
“Embracing off-beat, even risky, ideas is crucial for our growth. It fuels innovation and keeps our work relevant. The constant demand for new collections, however, sometimes poses challenges, potentially diluting the deeper meaning and essence of design. Therefore, striking a balance between innovation and preserving core design values is essential for sustained creativity,” she says.