Revealed: Satya Paul’s new Creative Director, Rajesh Pratap Singh’s plan to reinvent the brand

Pratishtha Rana

An iconic fashion brand from the 80s, Satya Paul has been a key player in India’s fashion circle. It’s playful, graphic saris and scarves that explode with gorgeous colours have been a favourite of many for many years. “His prints were ahead of his time,” said designer Rajesh Pratap Singh for the brand’s Founder Satya Paul in his Instagram post.

Singh. The acclaimed designer was recently announced the Creative Director of Satya Paul. Considered to be one of the most influential fashion personalities of the current times, his outfits are synonymous with words such as clean, subtle and non-dramatic. Fine, crisp tailoring and Indian craftsmanship at the centre of his designs.

While beginning an exciting, new chapter in his life, Singh speaks to LuxeBook about his role as the chief of artistic direction at Satya Paul and his plans to re-imagine the brand’s identity.

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How do you plan to reinvent Satya Paul?
My objective is to make it one of the finest brands, if not the finest one in the Indian fashion industry. I want to take this homegrown label to another level with a keen focus on its manufacturing quality and by going back to its roots to bring that purity of thought that its founder Paul weaved into this brand.

Where do you see the brand after five years?
Satya Paul acquired the status of an iconic label that epitomised prints and extraordinary textiles. Under the direction of Paul, one of the most creative minds, the brand broke many rules and became a first of sorts in experimentation. I wish to ignite that same emotion and take Satya Paul to a new level of aesthetic and craftsmanship in the domestic as well as international markets.

At this point, we are busy improvising the visual language, upgrading the quality and techniques and creating a movement in designs that is relevant to the current times.

Satya Paul recently launched its menswear collection under your direction. Can we expect to see more emphasis on menswear going forward?
At Satya Paul, we will keep evolving our menswear line and make it stronger. Earlier, we only had men’s accessories such as ties and cufflinks. Now, I want to push forward clothing as well. The language of the brand is very refined and clear and this is an opportunity to create collections for, both, men and women.

What can the brand’s clients expect from the renewed Satya Paul?
If you see Satya Paul’s history, Paul did some amazing work that was relevant and beautiful for those times. Thereafter, Puneet Nanda (Satya Paul’s son) took over and created some experimental designs as well. We plan to continue the process and take the legacy forward; a voice that people will understand in this age. We will try to tell the story with Indian textiles too. It will all be interesting, new and modern!

Please take us through the creative side of the brand – its prints, colours and silhouettes under your vision.
Satya Paul is essentially about breaking rules. Consumers know the brand for its printed saris and excellent ties, and, a huge chunk of those experimentations was done by Paul.

And, that’s a similarity we have; we would keep the element of bold and the unexpected intact. At Satya Paul, we are still keeping the prints and the sari at the core, but we would expand into different areas like we just did with introducing menswear with a small capsule of shirts.

The ready-to-wear category will expand too, in the seasons to come. There will be an emphasis on silhouettes, tailoring and construction techniques. Simultaneously, the textile innovations will also carry on with the saris.