The ever-changing definition of fashion initiates a new conversation that reflects the socio-economic, and psychological state of the world in current times. In India’s kitty of celebrated designers, some up-and-coming brands, alongside the age-old classics, are already changing the narrative, with the idea of relaxed, Pret wear, making street style fashion, a favourite across generations. Not just in India, but the impact of designs that are moodier in nature, instead of dividing gender, is going global. Some of India’s new-age designers are speaking a fresh language of luxury through their collections. And one of them is ace designer–Kanika Goyal. Ever since the launch of her brand–Kanika Goyal Label in 2014, the designer became a one-stop-shop for the youth. From quirky bags to reimagined denim, Goyal’s lively patterns soon became a favourite amongst celebrities like–Alia Bhatt, Shraddha Kapoor, and more.
Cracking the code of global domination, Goyal again flew down to New York, for her third presentation in a row, at the prestigious New York Fashion Week. The only Indian designer, representing the country through her vision, Goyal’s latest collection titled–Agrestal Mind, and the launch of her new brand-Kilogram, excited us to sit down for an exclusive chat with her. Through this conversation with Kanika, we learnt some hidden details about her label–KGL, her new venture Kilogram, the business of fashion, her curiosity about the workings of the human brain, sustainable fashion and a lot more.
Q: How does KGL embody Neo Luxury?
Kanika Goyal: Our perspective on self-expression and freedom of speech is built into the fabric of the brand. We combine elevated construction with elements that authentically define “now”. Celebrating a non-traditionalist point of view, we intend to deconstruct the rigid perception of luxury, making it more individualistic and personal (not defined by the set norms).
Q: Being the only Indian designer presenting at the New York Fashion Week this year, do you allow this responsibility of representation to bother your collection?
Kanika Goyal: It’s a responsibility but I don’t see it as something that bothers the collection. I feel grateful that we get to showcase our craftsmanship to a global audience. It’s a completely alternate experience when you are showcasing on a global stage and selling globally. It’s important to constantly study the diverse buying patterns in different markets and be in sync with your own brand ethos and deliver quality products that are in sync. Innovation and sustainability are at the forefront. And having an experienced team that can translate your vision is extremely crucial too.
Q: Tell us something about the ‘Runway X by Afterpay’ series, at the fashion week that you are a part of.
Kanika Goyal: It’s a segment that showcased the future of fashion in a new runway space at Spring Studios dedicated to highlighting designers who are the future of fashion – presented by Afterpay. Over 4 days of NYFW, RunwayX featured the designers redefining the future of fashion and we were happy to be amongst the 8 designers that were a part of this program.
Q: What was on the mood board for this collection?
Kanika Goyal: The mood was an After-rave state of mind. The collection is titled–Agrestal Mind. The term Agrestal means growing wild in a cultivated area. We used that metaphorically to represent the bizarre state of mind for our FW 23-24 collection. Through a mix of simple psychedelic elements and extravagant blooms of embroidered motifs classically tailored relaxed pieces, the dichotomy of active imagination is brought to the forefront. It’s all as real as real can be in the endless realm of the mind.
Q: Your new collection Agrestal Mind explores the complexity of thoughts and feelings, similar to your previous collection–Starseed which talked about divine energy and angel numbers. What is this bond between fashion and psychology that you are always so willing to explore?
Kanika Goyal: Well, the human brain is one of the most complex & mysterious human organs. And I’m always intrigued by the workings of the mind. Every season we tend to tap into a certain emotion and use it metaphorically in the collection. Our minds aren’t passive observers, simply perceiving reality as it is. Our minds actually change reality. They influence our behaviours, decision-making, what we want to wear when we wake up each morning etc. No matter what our personal circumstances or status in society are, we all want to be noticed and to have the freedom to express how we feel on the inside through what we wear on the outside.
Fashion has always existed as a medium to express a personal standpoint. History has shown us that fashion continues to act as a social thermometer of our times, marking the sentiment and taking the temperature of a country or society as a whole. Earlier clothes were defined by gender, which has definitely diminished now. People often used to get into trouble for dressing up a certain way that was considered rebellious or offensive by society, whereas they were simply expressing themselves. Nowadays, it’s more about fashion being a medium to express one’s mood and personality. It is persuasive all by itself and is an extremely valuable tool in moving through the world, whether social or business. Technology has brought the world closer; people have always dressed to be seen, it’s just that nowadays they are seen on a wider, global scale.
Q: With respect to even print design and incorporation of psychedelic elements, there is a certain mood and experience that you wish to offer your buyers. Can you take us through it?
Kanika Goyal: We tap on a lot of surreal alien-like, mysterious elements with a euphoric undertone that transport the user to an altered space/reality. The 70s have always been a reference point for the brand as it was the happy/carefree era and it seamlessly blends with our brand ethos. We combine elevated construction with elements that authentically define “now” and use humour as a vehicle to communicate our values and ideas.
Q: How different is Kilogram from KGL in terms of design language, retail and more?
Kanika Goyal: We are extremely excited to expand our KGL umbrella and Kilogram is the first brand that we’ve launched under it to reach a wider audience. Kilogram conceptualises a whole new universe K-gram, where we question reality and its possibilities; it is a surreal realm where logic itself is dynamic and the limits of imagination ceases to exist. This concept is ever-expanding and evolving consistently and that’s something we communicate with each successive drop to its full extent. We work with easy-to-wear unisex quality basics and imbue them with narrative all while maintaining an effortlessly cool and visually ambiguous street element in the graphic language. A sentiment of exploration and conversational commentary is omnipresent along with a visual juxtaposition of varied graphic techniques.
It is fun and effortless and the pieces are in a price bracket of 3000-10,000 INR. We will be dropping 4 capsules a year with a good mix of tees, tracks, hoodies, shackets, easy shirts and coordinated sets.
Q: You mentioned Kilogram is easy-to-wear, unisex, and has a certain more affordable price point than KGL. Why was price a key point here?
Kanika Goyal: We always wanted to cater to a larger audience specifically here in India and we got that in through Kilogram. We’ve received a lot of appreciation for our capsule lines at KGL that have had tees, hoodies etc. in the past and kilogram offers that under a separate umbrella. It’s a mid-segment brand with products starting at 3000 INR. The price point wasn’t the only key point here. Giving a quality product within 48 hours of you placing an order in a seamless/contactless way was a crucial key point for us.
Q: As you mentioned, Kilogram targets fun-loving, trendy and social Millennials and Gen-Z. What does it take to dress the youth of India? And what is it that this generation wants from fashion?
Kanika Goyal: We do get influenced by the culture and the current scenario of questioning everything and in return, we try to influence and encourage the idea of being outspoken. In this day and age when digital culture is shaping the youth, the Internet and social media have profoundly changed the way we consume, evaluate, choose and behave. We are just trying to create a narrative that appeals to this new mindset, aiming to reflect the mind-over-matter approach.
Q: Will sustainable fashion also lead Kilogram’s design approach?
Kanika Goyal: A 100%. We follow the ‘one for all’ approach here whether it’s the recycled, multi-use packaging design or it’s about the gender-fluid pieces that one can share with their partners/family and get more wear out of it while using materials which are far less resource-dependent and have longer lifecycles. We are implementing a circular mindset into every step of our production cycle, right from designing products to helping our customers to care for our products for a longer period of time/wear pieces in multiple ways and eventually, loop them back into the circle.
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Q: Conscious clothing in many ways is also still a very exclusive market, considering it costs shoppers much more than usual. How do you make sure that conscious clothing is more approachable for a wider spectrum?
Kanika Goyal: I believe it starts from the base level. Following ethical practices within the company and with your vendors to make sure you are using eco-friendly raw materials; everything counts. At KGL we make it a point to use discarded fabrics and leather that can be upcycled (especially with denim), incorporate surplus leftovers from bigger factories, implement processes that minimise water wastage etc. And all of these add to the conscious approach. We are implementing a circular mindset into every step of our production cycle, right from designing products to helping our customers to care for our products for a longer period of time/wear pieces in multiple ways and eventually, loop them back into the circle.
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Q: If there could be one ‘It product’ that can qualify to be a cult-favourite in your NYFW collection, what would that be? Something that will be synonymous with KGL?
Kanika Goyal: I think the bag! We’ve launched the ‘Keekee’ bag this season in 2 sizes that I absolutely love. We spent more than 6 months designing and executing the handle design alone which is actually the letter ‘K’ in Gurumukhi/Punjabi reminiscent of my roots. The same is incorporated in our ‘Hyperspace’ jacket too which everyone loved!
Q: What are the streetwear trends that you think will headline the trend charts this year?
Kanika Goyal: Oversized clothing that is both powerful and playful at the same time.
Image Credits: Instagram