It wasn't entirely by accident, although the rise has been meteoric. "I was a student of commerce, and took part in the Shoppers' Stop Designer of the Year contest for the lark. I was about 16 then. And I won the event! So you could say that spurred me on towards making a career as a fashion designer.

Of course, I must inform you that my father has been in the garment business since the last 25 years, so I have grown up with the knowledge of fabrics, textures and style. This was what my parents wanted me to do but I gave myself some time before I became sure of my ambition," she says. These days her father is her marketing advisor and her mother handles the financial aspect of her business.

Well, after she completed her Class XII examination, Ms Singhal took a course in fashion designing from Mumbai's SNDT University, and went on to New York to specialise. She has won several awards for her work, and recently participated in the Bridal Asia 2000 exhibition, which brought her offers to retail her stuff in the Capital.

Considering the fact that one sees a great number of youngsters entering the world of fashion design, how does Ms Singhal propose to stand apart? "I am aware that I have to make a place for myself amidst a crowd of people. For this reason I make sure I make the kind of clothes one can never buy off the rack at other places," she says.

This sounds like a tall claim, but Ms Singhal is willing to explain. "My designs are for the younger people who don't want to have to struggle for the right look. I find that people like myself who are interested in Indian wear do not find clothes to suit their age and style. Most shops cater to older women for they believe it is they who have the spending power. But more and more professionals are earning a lot of money at a very young age these days. These are the people I have chosen to cater to."

Young, upwardly mobile women looking for exclusive wear are being offered kurtas, ghagra cholis and saris with blouses to suit their taste. And in case one was wondering how many young professionals would rather settle for the Indian than the Western look, Ms Singhal clarifies that her label also includes Indo-Western. "We have trousers, tunics, scarves as well as clothes that one can wear to a formal dinner or a wedding. I specialise in formal Indian wear, or what we call occasion wear. So you can use one particular outfit for a cocktail party or a sangeet session," she says.

Ms Singhal takes a different line from that of other upcoming designers when she states that she prefers to create readymade stuff rather than go in for the made-to-order business. "I guess most people like to say they do only custom-made stuff because they want to add that feeling of enigma and star value to their creations!" she says. "But that kind of work proves more expensive for the buyer. And remember, I am catering to the younger crowd and cannot assume they have really lavish budgets all the time. So I avoid the heavy price tags. I'd like my client to be able to own seven or eight of my outfits rather than have to save up to buy just one."

So Ms Singhal's party wear is priced between Rs 5,000 and Rs 15,000. For an average of Rs 8,000-9,000 she promises an exclusive design suited to any occasion. The bridal range starts around Rs 30,000, and she adds that in this case the upper limit depends on the client's requirement and budget.

Ms Singhal runs two outlets in Mumbai, one in suburban Juhu and another at Altamount Road, and makes it a point to visit both twice a week. The rest of the time she spends in her factory. She mentions that she is a "very normal 24-year-old" who takes out a lot of time to watch movies and socialise with friends.