Designer to roll out new uniform line for Taj Hotels
Designer Payal Jain will be designing the new look for the staff of Taj Hotels, who are working on the corporate mantra of blending tradition with boardroom chic. “It’s an amazing experience. The new ‘Tajness’ look is intrinsically organic and earthy, inspired by old textile elements of Banaras, woven with passion and nurtured with a love for India. Yarns, details, embellishments and construction speak of the bygone era yet create a contemporary and global experience for both the staff and the guest. Handloom textiles, sustainable practices of weaving and dying, income generation for the nearly extinct weaving community of Banaras are the driving factors for this new avatar. Wardrobes of the Indian royalty have inspired these fluid silhouettes with painstakingly pin-tucking, immaculate quilting, handloom ‘Jamdani’ cutwork and subtle detailing of ‘Hathkatti’. We have long sherwanis, structured bandgalas, flowing kurtas, regal waistcoats, flattering kurtis, voluminous salwars, slender Aligarh pyjamas and churidars, splashed with touches of auspicious ‘Alta Red’ turbans, scarves, stoles and pocket squares.”
Payal, who started her career as a design assistant in various fashion houses, is totally a fun-loving person. Work is not only her passion but her first love as well. When asked about the challenges she faced during her initial years of career, Payal replied, “Brilliant challenges I faced. At that time, nobody was interested to wear Western clothes. People were ready to purchase a sari costing Rs2 lakh but they were not ready to buy a jacket which hardly cost Rs2,000. From women at corporate offices to air hostesses in the flights, everybody preferred wearing sari.”
Still she chose to push her way ahead. “As I am an Indian and have a patriotic soul, I would prefer India first before any other country.” Sharing her experiences about her first fashion show, Payal said, “It was in the year 1994, when I organised my first fashion show around the theme of integration of special children into mainstream life.” In her first special kind of show, physically challenged children walked the ramp along with the models. This was a charity show for an autistic wing.”