Nancy Tyagi’s Saree for Tyla Proves that Viral Fashion Moments Don’t Need Big Houses

When Tyla landed in Mumbai this week, the conversation around her visit was expected to orbit her music. The Grammy-winning artist has spent the past year in a global spotlight, her sound and style evolving with a confidence only breakout stars possess. But the moment that ultimately defined her India visit didn’t unfold onstage. It happened in a quiet fitting room, where Tyla stepped into her first-ever saree; a mint, hand-stitched drape created by a self-taught Indian designer.

That designer was Nancy Tyagi, whose rise from a modest sewing table to Cannes, red carpets, and now global pop royalty has become one of fashion’s newest feel-good narratives. “Indian technique carries a deep emotional history, a sense of artistry, and I wanted that lineage to sit naturally beside Tyla’s bold, modern, self-assured style. The structure, the drape, and the detailing were all crafted by hand, built from the idea that culture needs no translation and it can simply be embraced. This piece is meant to hold both identities with equal respect… that’s where the garment truly came alive.” 

The collaboration itself unfolded with a certain cinematic spontaneity. “It started very organically,” Tyagi reveals. “Tyla has always been open to working with young artists, and that was reflected in this collaboration. She chose to work with me with the same motive, reviewed the designs I sent and selected the one she felt most drawn to."

Nancy conceptualised a clean, modern silhouette that still carried the emotional essence of Indian heritage. The saree itself reflects duality in every layer. Constructed in a soft mint tone, the drape was cut on an engineered bias to allow controlled fluidity, a modern interpretation of the saree’s traditional architecture. Tyagi added subtle textural dimension through hand-applied detailing, while the pleats were shaped to fall with sculptural clarity rather than weight. The final effect was an elegant but unmistakably contemporary piece, designed to move with the wearer. 

The payoff was immediate. “When she arrived in India the next day and the saree draped over her so effortlessly, it felt like everything came together the way it was supposed to,” Tyagi recalls. “Working with her was smooth, natural, and very special.” Tyla embraced the saree with traditional bindi, looking every bit natural.  

The collaboration also marks another milestone in Tyagi’s ascent, one that began with humble beginnings, long before Cannes turned her into a fashion phenomenon. For Tyagi, this moment threads into a larger narrative that has unfolded since Cannes 2024.

“From that day to now, December 2025, everything has felt like a dream unfolding,” she says. “People from all over the world discovered my work, and this girl who used to stitch outfits in her small room suddenly received global love and recognition.” The past two years have brought collaborations with magazines, Bollywood actors, and international creators, yet her process remains grounded. “Every outfit still has the same effort, the same sound of my sewing machine, and the same dedication I started with. This journey has been a rollercoaster, but a beautifully meaningful one.” 

In an industry often shaped by hierarchy and legacy, this moment stands apart: a global sensation placing her trust in a young, self-taught designer; a designer honouring tradition without compromising her own vocabulary; and a saree that became the most memorable cultural image of Tyla’s India debut.