Designer Mayyur Girotra recently showcased his Ride to Pride collection at New York City Pride 2024, leaving a lasting impression on the fashion world. Girotra expressed his excitement, stating, “I’m still hungover with the show,” emphasizing the immense effort and collaboration involved in pulling off the event at the iconic Rockefeller Center with 38 LGBTQ+ members. He added, “It’s quite a thing to pull off everything, but it went off really well.”
Ride to Pride collection is a vibrant celebration of Indian culture and LGBTQ+ inclusivity, reflecting his commitment to sustainability and mindful design. Through his work, Girotra continues to inspire and promote a world where everyone can express themselves freely, without judgment. “It’s a journey,” he reflects. “And I feel very good about it today that everything I’m trying to do is a balance act, whether it is choosing the right garments, the purpose of making them, or bringing my country’s heritage to the world.”
INSPIRATION BEHIND THE COLLECTION
The inspiration behind this capsule line stems from Girotra’s previous work with Google, which left him deeply moved. “Last year, I did a show for Google, and it felt very soul-satisfying,” he shared. “I realized how through fashion, I can really connect to my community.” The positive feedback and connection with the LGBTQ+ community fueled his desire to continue using fashion as a means of support and expression. This year, the opportunity to showcase in New York aligned perfectly with Pride events, allowing Girotra to present a collection that celebrates Indian textiles, crafts, and vibrant colors while emphasizing gender fluidity and inclusivity.
Mayyur Girotra
COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability is a cornerstone of Girotra’s brand, evident in his use of upcycled silk, linen, and cotton. “Living in a country like India where there’s so much scarcity of water, the only way forward is to use upcycled materials,” Girotra emphasized. He is committed to mindful design, balancing aesthetic appeal with environmental responsibility. “It’s not just about creating good clothes and selling them,” he explained. “I realised this later in my life that there is a lot more responsibility as a citizen and respect for the planet”
EVOLVING DESIGN AESTHETICS
Reflecting on his journey, Girotra acknowledges a significant evolution in his design aesthetics. “There is a very strong language to my brand now,” he notes, emphasizing the importance of uniqueness and identity in his work. “Every designer strives for their style to be unique and identifiable from afar. I think I’m getting there, and I love the love that the brand gets because of its uniqueness.”
INCLUSIVE AND GENDER-NEUTRAL DESIGN PROCESS
Girotra’s design process involved continuous feedback from queer people, ensuring each piece was inclusive and gender-neutral. “We kept trying the designs on a lot of queer people back home and we took a lot of feedback and made adjustments to our designs,” he explained. He created a collection featuring trench coats, crop jackets, bombers, shirts with lehnga and saris—adorned with Indian embroideries like Gujrati kutch, kantha, and aari work. “We are celebrating inclusivity and diversity through the gender-fluid forms, offering freedom for who wants to wear what,” he stated.
Ride to Pride encapsulates Girotra’s vision of a journey towards acceptance and inclusivity. “Love is a basic right of every human being,” he asserts, advocating for a society where diversity is celebrated, and judgment is absent. “We are riding towards bringing that change where love is free as soon as you are born.”
Words Paridhi Badgotri
Date 20.07.2024