Interviews by Akanksha Pandey. Photographs by Asad Sheikh. Styled by Sarah Rajkotwala.
Somya Goyal of the label Somya Goyal
Age: 28
Hometown: Delhi
Model: Shambhavi Dubey
Tell us what stands out in this collection and why?
Luxury tailored contemporary clothing combined with a fresh take on textural play as well as silhouettes. We try to keep each garment connected to the brand ethos, where we don’t believe in making things
unnecessarily complicated.
How do you stay on the path of sustainability and circularity in your own work?
Sustainability is moving in different directions today; I feel we need to ease down a little with the term.
Tell us about your collection New Light.
With this collection, we aimed to create clothes that become not just vehicles of self-transformation but also a manifestation of our larger-than-life selves. New Light is (inspired by) an aspiration — to mould ourselves into that which feels like us, but bigger. The collection is rooted in our previous collection Stasis And Beyond, which was about a time of introspection, and to emerge and come into your own is what New Light is about.
You have stated that “the whole is better than the sum of its parts”. What do you mean by this in the context of your collection?
It’s just not about bringing parts together, but their individual stories as well as the larger narrative, the whole that is brought to life with mindfulness, insight and deliberation. I believe that each piece from the collection is connected, they are not just individual units.
Can you tell us a little about your innovations with garment construction? For example, the wrap trouser.
We believe that one should live with a garment for years and explore the garment as and when one wears it. With each detail, we try to add layers of emotions and a personal touch. Our trousers can be buttoned up to make it look like a skirt. We include interesting pockets and highlights to make functionality more fun.
Tell us of your innovations with PVC (polyvinyl chloride).
We have been experimenting with the material to create textures and embroideries and now we are weaving it into textiles. We make constant efforts to make the material better and versatile. Making it available in colours and ombrés has always been fun.
How did you come to work with PVC cords?
As a result of always being inclined towards new materials and textures. PVC cords make me nostalgic as they remind me of my growing-up years when I would play with jewellery-making kits. The first texture I ever made was from these transparent cords and I soon worked it onto my very first garment.
