Payal Singhal on the Evolution of Diaspora Dressing

The relationship between the Indian diaspora and fashion has undergone a remarkable transformation over the last two decades. What was once rooted in preservation, a way of staying connected to culture and heritage has evolved into something far more nuanced: A conversation about identity, individuality, and the freedom to define both on one’s own terms.

I’ve had a front-row seat to that shift and perhaps played a small part in it. I moved to New York in 2004 and lived there for over six years before returning to India. At the time, the Payal Singhal label was only five years old. We were creating what would now be called Indo-fusion: Short kurtas with palazzo pants, spaghetti-strap tunics paired with beaded skinny dupattas, and silhouettes that borrowed as much from global fashion as they did from Indian craft traditions.