Vaishali S couture aw2021

'Stylistically Vaishali​ Shadangule​ may be the bridge that the Indian fashion industry needs'

Fashion Director: Joseph Toronka
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Vaishali has always been the go to designer amongst the fashion set in the know. This is not to say that she is a new name, mastering her craft for over 20 years she has shown in New York and Milan in previous seasons. Nonetheless she endeavoured the herculean task of selection by the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture and succeeded. She is the first Indian woman to carry such an accolade and the second Indian designer after Rahul Mishra to show during couture week.

A few seasons ago I had the chance to visit her atelier and I was struck by her philosophy of ‘design is an ethos’. Shadangule’s ability to transform textiles into art and design is embedded in her belief in transparency throughout the process. For her, there is no question about the importance of social impact and welfare of the artisans who are essentially the mastermind of her work. 

​Her knowledge and collaborative practices of working with traditional handloom fabrics echoes throughout her collection. Chanderi, a popular Indian fabric is given a new breath in her hands, teamed with her pioneering cord technique fabrics. The result is covetable museum pieces cut to modern fresh diaphanous silhouettes, that may seem constructed or deconstructed however you want to see it!

Stylistically she may be the bridge that the Indian fashion industry needs, a designer whose ability to transcend tradition and modernity is the key to producing a label with mainstream global reach. At her core she is sustainable in every sense, she breathes an air of freshness to the industry, and yes, her clever designs commands all the intricacies of couture but is made accessible to the new wave of couture customers. There is so much more to come from her and I for one cannot wait to see her continual journey.

instagram Vaishali​ Shadangule​