HIRO

Hiral Jajal of the label HIRO has grown up surrounded by clothing. Born and brought up in a family involved in the garment business, she naturally developed a penchant for styling and making her own clothes. Eventually Hiral discovered garment making was not just a creative outlet but also a means for expressing her own emotions. The designer ventured to pursue a formal education in the field and there has been no looking back ever since. We explore her journey further as she lets us in on her creative process, her win at the INIFD presents Gen Next, and more.

HIRO
Initially I started my own ethnic wear brand called Hiral Khatri and pursued that for one and a half years, only to realise that western wear was something that I enjoyed doing more. Back in 2019, my brother, Jay, started his streetwear brand and wanted help with designing womenswear for his runway collection. That was when I designed the iconic Jaywalking bralette. While brainstorming ideas and designs I felt there was so much more I could design and create for women, that it gave me the idea to think about getting started on western wear. Soon after that Covid hit, and with time on my hands I started ideating on designs more often, spent a lot of time at my studio making clothes and experimenting with fabrics. In December 2020 I launched my first collection for HIRO.

The Winning Collection
Movies play a key role in giving me inspiration. When I see the characters, I can connect with them and form a storyline in my mind, and from there I derive my inspiration. Growing up in a house filled with great creatives has also had a huge impact on my designs and I have always felt challenged to break my boundaries and experiment more, thanks to them.

The concept of my upcoming ‘INIFD presents Gen Next’ collection is called the dystopian bride and it draws inspiration from a post-apocalyptic world where numerous wars, chemical explosions and drastic climate change have made survival a fight. Love will not come as easy and in such a scenario our bride rises. She wears the toxicity this world has to offer like armour and marches forward for her love of humankind. Our uncommon and edgy silhouettes come after a lot of research and development. The techniques that we incorporated are ruching, smocking as well as a lot of trial and error with distressing denims. We created our own techniques and also experimented with a lot of dyeing techniques like using tie-dye and stonewashing to achieve never-seen-before looks.

Sustainability and Beyond
Incorporating sustainability is something a lot of brands struggle with but it's an alarming necessity, especially with denims as it is one of the most water consuming fabrics. For us, we keep a small inventory and eliminate overproduction. Maintaining a safe and positive work environment for our employees is also something we strongly believe in. Our brand stands strong against animal cruelty, and we can proudly say that we do not use any animal-derived products.

One of the main areas where the fashion industry is lacking is in the production and sourcing of materials. The production of fabrics, especially synthetic ones, can have a significant environmental impact and additionally, the sourcing of materials, such as cotton and leather, can have a negative impact on the communities and ecosystems where they are produced. Another area of concern is the fast-paced nature of the fashion industry, which encourages consumers to purchase and dispose of clothing quickly. 

The way forward for the fashion industry is to move towards more sustainable practices, such as using more environmentally friendly materials, reducing waste, and adopting circular business models as well as ethical labour practices. This includes designing products for longevity and durability, creating more efficient supply chains, and encouraging consumers to buy and use clothing in a more sustainable way.

The Future
With the summers rushing in, one thing on everyone's mind will be beaches. Being someone who loves doing water sports I feel like it will make for the perfect ground for us to launch a swimwear line. Apart from that we are dropping new styles that we will update over Instagram for upcoming releases.

Words Unnati Saini
Date 30-03-2023