Inspired by the diversity that exists in people’s styles, Permanent Vacation Clothing is a label that aims to break free from rules and limitations in fashion. A blend of two cultures, each piece is part of a love letter to Indian traditional crafts, which the label supports and shares with the world. Founded by Caroline Piccot, Permanent Vacation Clothing is rooted in both New Delhi and France, where its unique sense of style is cultivated.
To Caroline, style was never about following a set of rules. ‘Style meant to me experimenting, playing, being different, having fun, making a statement, freedom, and expressing myself.’ While she looked up to designers like Yves Saint Laurent, Dries Van Noten, and Yohji Yamamoto, among others, her biggest inspiration came from the streets. ‘I love observing how people dress, how they style themselves, and how they combine colours, shapes, and textures.’ It was this ‘people watching’ that made her enjoy living in big cities, where inspiration would find her while strolling through markets, taking public transport, or attending parties.
During her time in the world of luxury fashion in Paris, Caroline found herself searching for values like time, freedom, and true sustainability, which seemed to have been forgotten by today’s luxury fashion. What began with a desire to make clothes for her friends — luxurious and timeless, but without compromising on values — soon became something much bigger. The name of the label comes from Jim Jarmush’s 1980 cult film, Permanent Vacation, a dramedy showcasing one’s ability to find joy and lightness even amid misery, problems, chaos, and darkness. ‘For me, Permanent Vacation represents the essence of how I want to live and create. It’s a mindset, a poetic rebellion against the pressure of time, expectations, and industry constraints.’
The dream of diversity reflects in every garment, blending Indian traditional textiles with European silhouettes, erasing both gender boundaries and national borders. Truly timeless, the label refrains from sticking to a traditional fashion calendar as well. ‘I don’t design seasonal collections, I create stories, fragments of an endless journey. Design, to me, should endure through time and be passed down through generations.’ Each piece starts with its fabric. Using silk sarees and other traditional Indian textiles, it is the fabric of the garment that determines its shape and flow. Inspiration, for Caroline, comes from everything. ‘When I travel, I collect small visual details that catch my eye. It’s an intuitive process. I don’t make mood boards, I jot down ideas and sketch tiny drawings on scraps of paper, which I later compile into a notebook.’ Caroline’s current favourite is the Cargo Banarasi Silk Saree Trouser, a masculine workwear garment crafted with a highly refined and majestic material. ‘It feels like an empowered piece breaking traditional codes of clothing and blurring social boundaries.’
Aside from timelessness as a virtue of luxury, for Permanent Vacation Clothing, creating timeless, long-lasting pieces is part of their responsibility to the environment. ‘At this point, sustainability is no longer a choice. For me, it was either stop working in fashion or create something sustainable.’ With each garment, the label makes an effort to innovate and come up with ways to repurpose waste material, whether it be to repair damaged garments, create smaller pieces, or incorporate them into new designs. The textiles themselves are sourced from local artisans. 'We’ve worked with local NGOs that helped us find and collaborate with artisans. The years I spent living in India helped me build strong personal connections.’ Each garment is made with intention and attention to detail — from textile, to cut, to final product — ensuring its quality over time and use. Permanent Vacation Clothing exemplifies a distinctive aesthetic, coupled with a profound sense of responsibility and compassion towards environmental sustainability. This brand is designed to endure, maintaining its relevance and integrity over time, much like its timeless apparel.
Words Ayushie Shahane
27.07.2025