Desi designer weaves fairytale at New York Fashion Week

From being an office assistant, to working at an export house, to being a fitness trainer, to owning a flagship store in a sprawling 2,000 sq feet multi-level outlet in Juhu and showcasing her collection at the New York Fashion Week, designer Vaishali Shadangule, known for fusing western wear with traditional handcrafted textiles, has indeed come a long way

When as an 18-year-old, Vaishali Shadangule fled her home in Vidisha, a small town in Madhya Pradesh, to escape an impending marriage; she might not have had a destination in mind and jumped onto the first train out. But today, two decades later, the journey through the warps and wefts of life has landed her in the fashion capital of the world. Just a few hours back this young designer added her name to coveted list that includes the likes of Tom Ford, Vera Wang, Micheal Costello, Anna Sui and Alexandra Wang, when she showcased her Spring Summer 2017 collection, And Quiet Flows the Thread, under her eponymous label at the New York Fashion Week. When we caught up with the designer, the excitement of the previous night was still palpable in her voice.

Vaishali Shadangule showcased her SS17 collection, And Quiet Flows the Thread, at the New York Fashion Week on September 8

Shadangule’s new collection,And Quiet Flows the Thread, attempts to depict the flow of life (Vaishali S)

How did you land up at the New York Fashion Week?

The designer is known for using traditional Indian textiles in modern silhouettes (Hindustan Times)

So, how did you go about with it?

Shadangule made her debut at the Lakme Fashion Week in 2011 with her Chanderi collection (Hindustan Times)

How did your affair with handloom first begin?