Exactly three years ago, the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode invited Vaishali Shadangule to showcase her collection at the Paris Haute Couture Week (PHCW). Ever since, she has been a regular and feels like she belongs to a “different league” today. We caught up with the fashion designer––back after showcasing her Fall Winter ’24 Couture Collection Satori, this year––to learn more about her design process, her take on sustainability, what she feels about having showstoppers, and what the most challenging thing about being a designer is today.
Read the edited excerpts below: In 2021, you became the first Indian woman to showcase at the Paris Couture Week. How have things changed for you since then? Vaishali Shadangule : Everything changed dramatically, from different points of view. First, the widespread recognition of becoming a couturier sets a standard, like the 3 Michelin stars.
People know that only a certain level of quality gets that stamp and don’t question it. You become an Olympian. Then, I must admit, self-esteem; you know you are part of an elite world, you dare more, believe more in the solidity of your creative ideas, and question yourself much less.
However, this also requires you to always uphold very high standards of creativity and quality (in garments, processes, and customer service). All these factors, combined with added effort, put you in a different league from those who have never been selected. Tell us about your latest.