Payal Khandwala: Japan is My Spiritual Home; It Has Hugely Influenced My Way Of Working

Given the prospect of packing a bag and jetting off to a place that plays muse, Payal Khandwala would probably head to Japan. She’s travelled from Tokyo and Kyoto to Takayama and Ishigaki, with the country and its architecture, culture and people being a recurring source of inspiration in her work. Solids meet clean lines, playful pleats and sculptural silhouettes in her shirts, skirts, tunics, pants as those signature brocade jackets and dresses, as Khandwala redefines work wear and occasion wear with the intention creating clothes that move with the body. And the wedding outfits? She wants them to be able to be repurposed.

Payal Khandwala
The former artist, who grew up surrounded by art and textiles through her mother and grandmother, has a non-prescriptive approach to fabric and finds that Japan fits right in as she sources cotton poplins, recycled silk blends and linens from her travels there. She shares: “The Japanese approach to making has hugely influenced my way of working.”

Manifest gets Payal Khandwala to chat about the minimalist essence of Japanese dressing, the modern bride and how her pleated pieces are perfect for a destination wedding.

You’ve returned from a memorable trip to Japan, what was it like?

I make a trip to Japan every few years—and it never gets old. Being in Japan feels like being back home. It is my spiritual home.

We see how Japan has been a recurring source of inspiration in your work. From Tokyo and Kyoto to Takayama and Ishigaki, what has stayed with you the most and shaped your bridal aesthetic?

The Japanese approach to making has hugely influenced my way of working. The smallest detail serves a purpose, shaped by the logic of serving a very specific purpose. For me, making clothing for a very special occasion is an act of care—no detail is insignificant.

There’s also a strong architectural sensibility that imprints on you as you travel across Japanese cities. Spending time to really look and understand Japanese architecture has allowed me to integrate this into my designs for occasion wear.

Japanese design is often associated with restraint and minimalism. How do you translate those ideas into Indian occasion wear, where weddings are traditionally more opulent?

Our occasion wear is created with a strong emphasis on the shape and design details. A brocade lehenga feels all the more luxurious with a striking, contrasting inner panel, and deep pockets that are discreetly layered in.

We also encourage women to expand their understanding of what a bride might wear—a traditional choli and dupatta can be swapped out for a waistcoat with an obi inspired belt; or a silk shirt and a brocade jacket, worn like an open kimono.

There are hints of the Hakama trouser in our wide palazzo trouser, which has long been a favourite for occasion wear amongst our tribe of women.

On the face of it, the Japanese and Indian approach to designing for ceremony and occasion might feel like polar contrasts. But there are similarities if you think about it: the sari is really a graphic, six-yard rectangle that is worn with origami-like folds.

You've spoken about drawing inspiration from Japanese architecture, cinema, samurai culture, and historical dress. Which of these has found the strongest expression in your recent collections?

Influences of Japanese aesthetics and culture have been a thread through my work from the very beginning.

What fabrics did you source from Japan? What qualities do they bring to your collections?

Over the years, we’ve sourced cotton poplins, recycled silk blends and linens from Japan. I have quite a flexible or non-prescriptive approach to the fabrics I source. Not all textiles need to be handwoven, and machine- made fabrics have their purpose when it comes to the drape and fall, I’m trying to achieve in a garment.

There are no wrong choices as long as it’s high quality and ethically made.

Many brides today are looking for understated luxury rather than excess. Do you see parallels between Japanese philosophy and the evolving language of Indian bridal dressing?

There is certainly a growing segment of women who approach dressing on their special day as an intentional choice rather than a spectacle. They want to look fabulous but also feel comfortable and perhaps even re-wear or repurpose their wedding ensemble.

This is where Japanese design discipline comes into play. The clothes are created with the intention of moving with the body. And the pieces themselves find a relevance for a longer time in a woman’s life.

If you were to design a wedding trousseau inspired by Japan, what would define it? Silhouettes, textiles, colour palette, more?

The approach to shapes and cuts certainly reveals strains of Japanese influences. Our brocades are also designed with notes of Japonisme, with focus on stand along motifs like the cherry blossom or chrysanthemum. I also don’t shy away from working with the minimalism of a black and white palette for a lehenga.

As destination weddings become more intimate and personal, do you think brides are becoming more open to clothing that reflects their personality rather than convention?

Yes, I do think many women today are much more discerning, intentional and confident in being non-confirmists in their sartorial choices. They have a point of view, know who they are and what they want.

Looking back at your travels across Japan, was there a particular place or cultural experience that fundamentally changed the way you approach design?

I think what has really sat with me over the years is the Japanese attention to detail and intentional design. It is a way of life.

For a bride who admires Japanese aesthetics but wants to wear something unmistakably Indian, what would a Payal Khandwala wedding wardrobe look like?

I would encourage women to build their wedding wardrobe from a place of joy—choices that make you feel good; will make you look good! Playing with shapes is always a great way to bring in a Japanese influence. Our pleated pieces are a great edition to a destination wedding— versatile, easy to pack and always memorable!