In step with New York Fashion Week, a secondary platform has been launched to celebrate Indian textiles, handicrafts and talent from the homeland. The first-ever South Asian New York Fashion Week (SANYFW.com) took place across various prominent locations in the Big Apple. SANYFW gathered South Asian fashion enthusiasts from across the globe to represent and cheer for the community.
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Mayyur Girotra, a renowned name in the Indian fashion circuit, headlined the SANYFW with his collection, Zamani. Blending his illustrious couture pieces with indigenous textiles and intricate techniques, Mayyur’s line of traditional wear was a royal celebration of the craft and culture. Â His line effortlessly captivates the essence of ethnic Indian wear, but with a modern play on cuts and colours.
In a quick chat with ELLE, the designer talks about his journey and what it means to represent Indianwear on SANYFW.
ELLE: How does it feel to headline the first ever SANYFW?
Mayyur Girotra: It feels surreal, surely. I have been a prominent part of the US Fashion scene for the last 8 years, and being a part of such a revolutionary fashion week was very gratifying. I am truly humbled to have received so much love from the audience. Especially, from people who came from all over the world to be a part of this one-of-a-kind experience. All this love and appreciation of my work from the audience has been overwhelming and I find myself relishing every second of it.
ELLE: What was the influence/ inspiration behind your latest presentation?
MG: Our brand is synonymous with relishing the aura of old-world charm that is timeless and classic. My inspiration has always been very deep-rooted in Indian culture. The past collections have traces from all over India, they have been heavily inspired by colour and old antique detailing. Every piece has a story to be told, whether it’s been picked from frescoes or the facade of tangible and intangible heritage. All my travelling has proven to be very significant to create a mood board for my garments. We try to weave stories in all the pieces that we create and there’s a lot of back-end process that is involved in each collection we make.
ELLE: Take us through the process and what went into creating this line
MG: We start working at least 4-5 months in advance while we are making any collection. I would get a lot of ideas in the middle and I make sure to document all of them beforehand. Again, I would like to emphasize the role that travelling has played in the whole thought process behind my creations. I tend to mix and match all of the places that I have been inspired by into my work. You can see a lot of Istanbul, Jaipur and Udaipur in my latest collection – Zamani. Even the last model who walked on the ramp with me, the lehenga she was dressed in is Jaipur. The dupatta is pure bandhani, they have little umbrellas in it. It is an entire process which starts with me taking pictures of colour combinations that I find unique. My phone is full of mood boards that keep me going.
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ELLE: Which are the different crafts/ textiles you experimented with in this collection?
MG: In this collection, I have used a lot of mix and match. For instance, I have mixed bandhani with patola. There’s been a lot of patchwork along with authentic mirror kutch work in this collection. In one garment you will see a hint of different detailing and unique techniques. I will pair a bandhani dupatta with a gharchola blouse with my own print lehenga.
ELLE: Representing the country on an international platform comes with its own set of challenges, tell us about your journey and how did you get there?
MG: Â Yes, it was definitely not a cakewalk. I had my own set of challenges that I had to face. Working with a team you have never met, achieving the right synergy to work together. There was a lot at stake. I had to be on top of everything because I understood the whole setup was quite different from what we are used to. Having said that, the end result was so fulfilling, the show came out so beautifully. All of our efforts were rewarded. I wanted an ethnocentric aesthetic to go with the show – it had to look very traditional with live music on the go. I was extremely happy to have been able to achieve this.
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