Keeping it light

As a child, Kamaali Mehta watched her mother work intensely with apparel and sometimes even lent a helping hand. Though being a pilot was her first priority, her interest in design grew stronger over the years. And this helped her decide what she really wanted to do.

“Right after school, I pursued a course in designing and started my own brand. But once I started working, I realised that there is a huge gap between what I wanted to do and what the market wanted. Back then, people were not aware of fashion in the true sense as boutiques were their only go-to places,” says

Kamaali. At one point, there was one particular look that every bride sported on her big day — a trend that she wanted to change, she explains.

With her sensibility being extremely English, she prefers to work with delicate colours and embroideries, and avoids the heavy-weight dresses that the typical Indian bride wears.

“I felt that they (brides) were drowning in a lot of fabrics and embroidery, and went overboard with makeup and jewellery,” says Kamaali. “When I first started working on my label, I did a study on what the customers wanted and what they were ready to accept. I started with pret, but slowly moved to more customisation. I give a contemporary twist to Indian bridal wear.”

Fashion for her is an extension of one’s personality and she encourages people to go for clothes that suit them rather than what the designer has created for them (because that’s the designer’s vision). The latter, she says, might not fit their personality and style.
“Clothes are a fun way to express oneself so it is necessary for people to like what they are wearing,” she adds.

Her latest collection is all about pastel and niche colours and she has played around quite a bit with laser cut neoprene fabric, the highlight of the collection, along with glass beads, swarovski and sequins.

“I usually work with the colour peach and lace fabric throughout. However, the other fabrics change according the season depending on current trends,” says Kamaali. She specialises in bridal wear. In fact, her label is known for its gowns —bridal, those for red carpet events and even party wear — and all the silhouettes are in tune with international trends.

She believes that young designers are doing such a good job that most top designers are wary of them. “They are fearless and are coming out with their own vision and constantly experimenting with trends,” says Kamaali.