Going Dark: Vaishali Shadangule Debuts Her ‘Breath’ Couture Collection
Fashion collections since the pandemic hit have been highly anticipated and particularly bold in style. Both consumers and designers alike have been itching to get back into the runway season schedule, and Vaishali Shadangule’s most recent collection for Paris Haute Couture Week 2021 is no different. Many new designers have emerged at the forefront of haute couture this year, and Shadangule is one of them. The founder of the eponymous label Vaishali S, she is the first female designer and one of two international guest designers to have been invited by the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode to showcase her brand’s couture collection. Working with authentic woven textiles, Vaishali S’s production revolves around telling the tale of India’s culturally rich heritage, drawing attention to Indian handloom weaving since March 2001.
Shadangule was born in the small town of Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, and realised her passion at a young age. Over time, she developed skills in textiles, specialising in weaving, composition, modern aesthetics, and textile management. Shadangule has previously showcased designs at New York Fashion Week and is often inspired by her environment, listening to and building on the external sources that influence her clothing. Rather than producing a designed narrative, she allows the clothing to speak for itself and resonate with the consumer as an honest and authentic garment.
This is reflected in her latest collection, which started in the branches of trees and was shown live at Lyceé Victor Duruy, a prestigious high school and iconic Parisian landmark on the Left Bank. A violin composition introduced the show, creating a peaceful and spiritual mood. Shadangule’s couture collection presented 20 garments, all featuring craftsmanship from across India, including Merino wool woven in Maheshwar, Khun from Karnataka, and other indigenous weaves from West Bengal. In discussing the collection, Shadangule said, “This time I want to go all out with my creativity. A lot of these international designers take inspiration from our thread work and get our karigars to make their collection. I want to show the global market that India has a lot more to offer through this collection.” Drawing inspiration from corals, tree bark, and other natural textures, the collection showcased India as a powerful contender in fashion design and creativity.
Most of the pieces are intricately designed with high attention to detail, almost akin to the dresses of Iris Van Herpen. The way Shadangule’s dresses flow on her models draw powerful references with nature, and allow them to interact with their surroundings while creating movement through layering. Couture is about implementing this level of detail, so that outfits which look seemingly effortless hold up under closer scrutiny as highly intricate art pieces.
When asked what advice she would give to young designers, Shadangule was quick off the mark: “You need to keep dreaming and work towards your goal. We spoil our creativity in a bid to make things more commercial. I had never thought about business. I concentrated on my design and the rest followed.”