Our collections are designed to simplify everyday choices
SIORAI is a modern luxury brand that redefines everyday elegance through timeless, precision-crafted apparel. Rooted in a legacy of Bengaluru’s tailoring and textile history, it blends tradition with innovation, strength with softness, and purpose with play. With handcrafted embroideries, detail-oriented design, and a strong commitment to sustainability, SIORAI creates pieces that feel deeply personal and enduring. Speaking to Fibre2Fashion, Founder Alayna Zaid shares how the brand is building a new language of intentional dressing while honouring heritage and looking towards the future.
SIORAI is described as a system of ‘intentional dressing’. What does that mean in today’s fashion landscape, especially for Indian consumers?
‘Intentional dressing’ at SIORAI is about creating pieces that are considered, purposeful, and timeless. Instead of chasing trends, our collections are designed to simplify everyday choices while elevating how people feel in what they wear.
You come from a legacy tied to Bengaluru’s early tailoring and textile history via Abdul Razack Sattar. How does that legacy influence your present-day creative or business decisions?
That legacy grounds everything. My great-grandfather started with a fabric and tailoring shop, and building SIORAI feels like continuing that story in a new form. I grew up in an environment shaped by both creativity and business, where design, enterprise, and storytelling came together naturally.
Tidal Bloom features hand-painted silks and thread-based jaali lace. What led you to these specific techniques, and how do you balance tradition with innovation in your design process?
We chose techniques that reflect both visual richness and deep craftsmanship. The thread-based jaali lace was developed on a water-soluble base, combining precision with experimentation. Traditional embroidery methods like adda and kat daana were reimagined to feel fresh, not familiar. For us, innovation means building on what exists, not replacing it.
How do you translate abstract concepts like ‘underwater tension’ into tangible garments?
We translate ideas like underwater tension through texture, structure, and movement. For Tidal Bloom, we were inspired by the quiet drama of the ocean, its stillness and strength. That came through in sculptural silhouettes, asymmetric hems, fluid drapes, and 3D floral elements that mirror coral growth.
What role do artisans play in SIORAI’s production model, and how do you ensure their techniques are not only preserved but elevated within your collections?
Artisans shape every collection at SIORAI. We work closely with them to preserve craftsmanship while encouraging reinterpretation. Each garment reflects hours, sometimes weeks, of handwork. Beyond skill, we value bringing traditional techniques into a modern framework without losing their essence.
In your view, what role does contemporary fashion play in preserving or reinterpreting traditional craftsmanship?
Contemporary fashion, like SIORAI’s approach, acts as a bridge between preservation and reinvention. By adapting traditional techniques such as adda and kat daana to modern aesthetics and silhouettes, SIORAI ensures these crafts remain culturally relevant and desirable to new generations.
With growing conversations around conscious fashion, how does SIORAI approach sustainability, especially as a luxury label operating with small-batch production?
SIORAI defines sustainability as a direction, not a claim. We incorporate low-impact materials like organic cotton, pure silk, and linen, and work closely with artisans, which supports cultural sustainability. Our small-batch, detail-oriented production reduces waste and overstock, aligning luxury with responsibility.
What role does material innovation play in redefining luxury today, especially when set against the backdrop of sustainability and craft?
Material innovation helps us connect craft with responsibility. Whether it is recycled cotton or water-soluble embroidery bases, innovation gives us tools to be more intentional. It allows us to respect the craft while refining the process. True luxury today is thoughtful—it feels good, looks good, and does good.
Your Lavelle Road flagship feels immersive and intentional. How did working with Aston Design help translate that vision into space?
SIORAI’s Lavelle Road flagship was always meant to be more than just a store. We wanted to create a space that feels calm, welcoming, and deeply personal. Working with Aston Design helped turn that vision into reality. The design is rooted in a soft, neutral palette that makes the space feel warm and lived-in yet quietly refined. At the centre stands a sculptural staircase that is not just functional—it holds the space together like a piece of art. Every detail was chosen to encourage people to slow down, explore, and connect. It is a place where everything feels both familiar and fresh, thoughtful and full of feeling.
What do you think future consumers will expect from luxury beyond quality and exclusivity?
Future consumers will seek authenticity, emotional resonance, and cultural depth. For them, luxury is no longer about excess, it is about meaning, intentionality, and personal expression.
Do you think India’s fashion landscape is at an inflection point when it comes to global visibility and design-led thinking?
Yes, absolutely. There is a shift happening, more design-driven thinking, more clarity, and more courage. Indian fashion is not just responding anymore; it is setting its own rhythm. There is so much richness here, and we are just beginning to tell the world that story in our own language.
