Sakhi is an ode to sisters, soul twins and bridesmaids, says designer Poonam Mittal

Taruna Sharma

Poonam Mittal has come up with her new collection, Sakhi, which she says is an ode to sisters, friends who are like sisters, soul twins and bridesmaids that fill our lives with such unconditional friendship and inexplicable joy, our hearts seem larger.
As a designer, Mittal is hugely inspired by joy- joy as a colour and as an emotion. With emotive embroidery, heritage handcrafting techniques and celebratory hues, she strikes the right balance between heritage Indian-wear and contemporary silhouettes with minimal embellishments in each of her pieces. All this makes her ensembles good for modern Indian weddings. In an interview with Life & More, the designer tells us more:

Designer Poonam Mittal

What’s your new collection Sakhi all about?
The Sakhi collection was almost four months in the making. I wanted to talk about the many friends I’ve had or the bridesmaids I’ve met over the years and how they all have such a distinct sense of style and how can I, as a designer, cater to all of them. This is the reason we have even named each outfit after a special friend of our lives. Each piece is very different in terms of their silhouette or handwork techniques and yet the materials and the colour palette are the one unifying factor for all of them.

Where did you source the raw material from?
We source from all over India. I wouldn’t say it is challenging by any means. It’s just about getting the right material from the right place and you learn that with time.

Who is your target buyer for this collection?
We don’t really have an age-demographic but we want to appeal to all kinds of women, which is why even the collection is an ode to the women of our lives. There’s something for everyone. That’s the thing with classic silhouettes & design styles, they look equally stunning on a 20-year-old & a 60-year-old. It is for women who have great taste, love minimal cuts & bright hues.

Don’t you think the price range is a bit high?
We are very well priced for the market fact being it’s all handcrafted and handwoven. We have crafted ensembles that are placed very affordably in the market considering how timeless & versatile they are. Each piece will stay with you and you’d love to wear it even after a couple of years.

And lastly, why only salwar suits, don’t you think indo-Western is more in vogue these days than pure ethnic.
Classic always remains classic. The idea with my label is to craft pieces that are no-brainers. You can wear a Poonam Mittal ensemble to a puja and also to a distant wedding. Indo-Western cuts are passing fads that confine you to a particular event or occasion.