KGL SPRING/SUMMER 2024

KGL blurs the line between the surreal and the concrete with their Spring/Summer 2024 collection, “Aether Leak.” Signatures such as long hemlines and everyday embellishment meet new themes of vivid dreamscapes and duality as designer Kanika Goyal brilliantly explores the transcendent fluidity between gods and mortals. The collection is largely unisex, playing with proportion and detail paired with impeccable craftsmanship to bring this celestial world to life as wearable art.

OVERVIEW

Mystical themes took flight this season at New York Fashion Week as multiple brands drew inspiration from mythology, mysticism, the unseen, and the unknown. Perhaps longing for that lost feeling of imaginative fantasy in a stressful post-pandemic world, designers brought playful looks to light through use of color, glamor, shine, fluidity, and intrigue within garments. KGL emerged as a strong standout within that mystical genre this season, presenting a uniquely fanciful collection for Spring/Summer 2024 on September 10 filled with Swarovski crystals, impeccable craftsmanship, and dual contrasting details within each piece. The aptly named “Aether Leak” collection served as a conduit for designer Kanika Goyal’s exploration of the ‘intriguing space between the tangible and the intangible, where the concepts of the infinite otherworldly dimensions converge with the earthly transitions.’ Though its cosmic inspirations are lofty, each look was surprisingly wearable – easy relaxed silhouettes paired with Goyal’s unconventional signature graphic prints on silky textiles made for a comfortable yet stylish collection suited to be styled for both event dressing or the everyday.

Recurring themes for the season’s showcase were apparent, feeling perfectly cohesive despite each look’s individually distinct appearance. Rather than leaning into a singular fabric or shade conventionally, KGL instead relies upon the overarching “Aether Leak” theme, structural details, and brilliant styling choices to piece together the larger story within the collection. Ideas of duality and dichotomy were strong: black and blue denim molded together, organic scenic prints paired with bold graphic stripes, oversized shirting silhouettes paired with tiny bottoms. Rather than clashing, these opposites worked as perfect complementary mirrors of each other via common color schemes, inverse shades within same fabrics, and shared average overall balance between opposite proportions. Most looks could also noticeably be considered unisex, with sets tailored androgynously for cool cropped tops, slim shorts, straight leg trousers, roomy bomber jackets, oversized vests, and on-trend track sets.

Inspirations born from unknown realms, transcendence between gods and mortals, and playful references to the counterbalanced interactions of light and shadow made for an intriguing presentation of prints and fantastical illustrations. Goyal is known for her uniquely dreamlike prints and use of bold embellishment or color palettes in an approachable way, and the new season follows suit for these signatures. Embellished purple florals appeared like sparkling geodes at first glance. Layered sheers and contrasting minimalist checks were a new take on plaid that referenced the interplay of illumination and casted shadow. An especially standout painterly look featured a surrealist fantasy mushroom city – buttery drawn clouds, bold checks, and smoky teals all seamlessly melded together for a scene right out of a vivid dreamscape. The striking top took center stage when paired with artfully coordinating teal ombre silky trousers that grazed the floor in a long fluid cut, leaving room for movement with each step. Models almost appeared to celestially float down the runway due to the overly long flowing hemlines that KGL makes use of each season, further blurring the familiar with the mystical.

Kanika Goyal shines as a brilliant emerging designer and certainly one to watch. The new Spring/Summer 2024 for KGL again showcases Goyal’s innate ability to bring nebulous ideas to life concretely through fashion design, and her storytelling talent is clearly apparent in each garment. The New Delhi-based brand stays true to its identity of bringing bold, tailored, provocative, and euphoric fashion to all worldwide. KGL and Kanika Goyal have received numerous accolades within fashion and beyond since the brand’s inception in 2014, including the Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ list, Vogue India’s ‘Top 7 Designers Changing the Face of Indian Fashion’ grouping, and recurrent calendar runway showcases at global fashion weeks. We feel safe to say we can anticipate many more sublimely surreal collections from KGL in subsequent seasons, and look forward to seeing this designer’s bright future unfold year after year.