Luxebook Top100

Kunal Rawal Designer and Founder, Kunal Rawal Label T his London College of Fashion Graduate began as a costume designer, becoming the youngest designer to showcase at Lakme Fashion Week in 2006. Currently, the label has stores in Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad. When it comes to clothes, Kunal Rawal outfits are technical while still playing up the unconventional. No wonder that both Karan Boolani and Varun Dhawan chose to be dressed by him for their respective weddings last year. Boyhood, his clothing label for boys aged 4-16 marks Rawal’s foray into kidswear, and launched in Dec 2021. Not bad for someone who finds Mondays, “anxiety inducing.” The designer’s take on luxury is, “Anything that makes you feel good and special,” and that’s what his clothes have done for everyone, from Jasprit Bumrah’s sangeet look to outfits worn by Sidharth Malhotra. When the week is over, you’ll find Rawal, with, “A good Bourbon and Diet Coke,” in hand, ready to do it all again from Monday. “I think we value nature and movement a lot more today than we did pre-covid. It’s a fresh start for everyone, so I think there is a lot of realigning going on currently.” Payal Singhal Designer and Founder, Payal Singhal Couture P ayal Singhal’s namesake label has always stood out for its modern and global appeal, with its customers called the #PSGirl, signifying a fashion forward, well-heeled image. Singhal hails from a design- oriented family, which she further honed at The Parsons School of Design, New York. With social distancing still the norm, Payal Singhal’s show, Indian Athleisure, was showcased as a drive-in last year. Not bad for a designer whose business advice to others is, “Keep your business lean and agile.” Singhal hasn’t stayed complacent in the last year launching her first shop in shop in the capital and dressing stars like Athiya Shetty and Nagarjuna. On the personal front, Singhal admits that, “I am a non-vegetarian who doesn’t eat most meats,” and she prefers, “Chilled water with ice,” over the standard Friday evening fare. It’s been a long journey since starting out in 1999 and over the years, much has changed. For Singhal, she has one regret though, when she says, “I would have paid more attention to my business from a younger age. We are so caught up being designers that we were ashamed to be “There is a new sense of self and meaning most people do know what’s really important and are happy to stick to that. Most people are now leading more conscious and mindful lives.” entrepreneurs.” Given her trajectory, it’s clear that she’s caught up quickly. | 53 52 |