There are umpteen number of fashionable stores in the City. Each one is unique in its own way, be it the way the store looks or the designs in it.
however, designed her store with an exquisite name and weaving patterns. ‘Pilgrim’, located on Church Street, makes a splash in the fashion industry by giving fashion itself a twist since 2012.
Giving more importance to cuts and borders, Priyanka does everything from end to end — sowing the fabric to making the patterns and designing the outfit. “We have a tailoring unit in the City, so the final result is always how we imagine it to be,” she says. The focus of the designs are contemporary clothing for women, traditionally tailored using handwoven Indian fabrics. They mostly work with ‘kalamkari’, ‘ikkat’, and other kinds of block prints.
She adds, “I’ve always known that I wanted to be a designer. Even when I worked in the IT field and did my MBA, this was something that my heart was always firm on. I waited a while to bring up the finance and then started my dream venture.” She marketed her products at ‘Sunday Soul Sante’ and ‘Kitschi Mandi’ to have a better understanding of her audience. Facebook was also one of her other marketing strategies.
Priyanka is inspired by the different people she meets, places she visits and everything around. She explains, “I made a trip to Gujarat sometime back and got to interact with the block printers. They gave me a lot of insight on how I want to portray my designs and incorporate them with ‘Pilgrim’. I’ve even picked up a few handmade pieces from Gujarat for my collection as well.”
She started to design her own clothes when she was in college and her friends would often ask her to make similar ones for them.
“‘Pilgrim’ means traveller, someone who is always on the look out. I loved the name and I think it describes me in the process. The clothes at the store are also very me and my style of clothing. I’m not someone who likes to wear a full traditional outfit, but add my own elements to the outfit. Thus saw the evolution of ‘Pilgrim’ and their designs,” she shares. She specialises in showcasing style statements in jackets, maxi-dresses, halter tops, pleated dresses, flared skirts and tops.
Her latest collection is titled ‘The Colour Burst Collection’ in tune with the
festive season. With free-flowing silhouettes, soft structured patterns with detailing of both gathers and pleats, she hopes to celebrate the vibrant colours for the season.
She says, “We love making the clothes and coming up with new ideas; we enjoy
every step of its production, right from the fabric sourcing to pattern-making to its
creation in our local workshop. The clothes fit well, are well-tailored, and fun to wear.’’