The designer reveals that the concept was created with SZA’s growing relationship with India in mind, while still staying true to the label’s signature aesthetics. “The concept for this piece was originally designed with a different event in mind. We knew that she has been building a special relationship with India and so we wanted to put her in something that screamed quintessentially Indian at the first glance but had our classic twist to it,” she shares.
Earlier in February, the singer had made a surprise appearance in a saree at the Maha Shivratri celebrations hosted by Sadhguru
in Coimbatore.
The draped corset style itself was requested by SZA’s team, with the design built around that direction. One of the key elements, interestingly, was the use of heritage fabric. The corset was crafted from a 50-year-old vintage Kanjivaram saree paired with satin silk drapes. A hip cut-out was added to emphasise the saree inspiration while maintaining a contemporary silhouette.
Colour also played a defining role. The rich royal blue shade was chosen after the team shared SZA’s preference for vibrant tones. “We were told she loves bright colours. We hadn’t seen her in a blue this shade very often, so we knew it would be a moment for her,” Vivek says, highlighting how the fit subtly echoed the visual mood of SZA’s album SOS, which features the singer seated on a diving board over open water in a minimalist setting. Released in 2022, the album notably went on to win Best Progressive R&B Album at the 66th Grammy’s in 2024, with Snooze also winning Best R&B Song. It also spent multiple weeks at No 1 on the Billboard 200, while becoming one of the longest-running No1 R&B albums by a female artist in recent years.
