INTERNATIONAL APPEAL

INTERNATIONAL APPEAL is an Australian fashion label founded by NAVIN PILLAI and POOJA KAUSHAL, created to honour the craftsmanship, culture, and storytelling deeply rooted in Indian heritage. Produced in India in close collaboration with skilled artisans, the brand brings together timeless design, traditional techniques, and contemporary tailoring through a refined luxury perspective.

Positioned against the pace of fast fashion and mass production, INTERNATIONAL APPEAL champions slow craftsmanship and intentional design – creating garments made to endure beyond seasons and trends. The debut collection explores classic silhouettes designed to move effortlessly between occasions, elevated through rich fabrication, artisanal detailing, and a considered approach to construction.

At its core, INTERNATIONAL APPEAL is about connection: to fabric, to craftsmanship, and to the generations of makers whose skills shape every piece. With an emphasis on quality, longevity, and cultural authenticity, the brand presents modern heirlooms designed to be worn, remembered, and passed down.

LOOKBOOK

DISCOVER PR SAMPLES

MEET THE DESIGNER

"Not everyone is going to connect with your work, and you should never expect them to. That’s not failure. That’s just the nature of making something real."

NAVIN PILLAI and POOJA KAUSHAL, INTERNATIONAL APPEAL

MINI INTERVIEW

How do you choose the colours for your designs?
I don’t. They choose me. If you’re quiet enough, you’ll feel them.

How do you handle criticism of your designs?
Sometimes criticism is a good thing. It means you’re catching people’s attention. Not everyone is going to connect with your work, and you should never expect them to. That’s not failure. That’s just the nature of making something real

How important is sustainability in your designs?
We don’t believe in mass production. We believe in slow fashion, in honouring the hands that crafted each piece. The world moves too fast and thinks too much about profit, and not enough about the time and care it takes to bring something truly beautiful to life.

How did you become interested in fashion design?
Growing up Indian exposed me to techniques, fabrics and craft traditions that most of the world has never encountered. Living in Australia gave me an understanding of universal taste. I saw the gap between the two clearly — India’s design philosophy is extraordinary, but it hadn’t translated to a global audience. That felt like unfinished business.

How do you see the future of fashion?
For too long the conversation has been dominated by the same four fashion capitals while entire design traditions from India, Japan, Africa and Persia have gone largely unseen. That’s beginning to shift. The brands and communities that have been overlooked are finding their own platforms and audiences. That’s where the most interesting work is happening right now. International Appeal exists in that space.

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