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Meet the artist who made Vidya Balan’s corset (without going to fashion school)
Starting at twenty-five with a dream and a bottle of resin, Shiv Pandey now crafts corsets that captivate Bollywood stars and the boldest of Gen Z brides.
Before getting into crafting fantastical corsets out of cloth and resin, Shiv Pandey was content styling his twin sister, quietly dreaming of making it big in fashion without quite knowing where to begin. A failed attempt at the NIFT entrance exam (“I was so bad at math,” he laughs) pushed him onto a different path: a degree in English literature by day, and freelance work as a makeup artist by night. Every rupee Shiv earned was carefully saved until he could finally fund a label of his own. That dream became reality last year with the launch of Museum of What.
The label is best known for its gravity-defying corsets, constructed from cloth and resin, a viscous material that hardens into durable, sculptural form. Often dismissed as an industrial by-product, resin is reborn in Shiv’s hands as couture. In an industry obsessed with fast fashion, his corsets embody endurance, proving that sustainability is also about timelessness.
The idea of mixing resin with fabric came to him through his brother, an interior designer. “He knew a lot about materials and helped me understand how resin works,” Shiv says. What began as pure experimentation soon evolved into his signature hybrid style: sculptural, artistically draped, and unlike anything seen before. Each corset begins as an idea, then a sketch, before being draped and shaped with resin over the fabric. “It’s unpredictable,” he explains. “Sometimes it doesn’t work out like you expect it, but I have learned to let the material move as it wants to.”
The making of each corset is an exercise in precision and speed. He explains, “Sometimes I lay out the cloth and pour resin over it, or I make the fabric wet first and then shape it. Resin dries in about half an hour, so we have to work fast since there’s no room for mistakes.”
His background in makeup and styling also plays a crucial role in his creative process. “Everything is correlated yet still very different,” he says. “Whenever I am crafting a corset, I already know in my mind how it can be styled or carried.”
For Shiv, who hails from Kalyan in Maharashtra’s Thane district, the journey to finding his voice wasn’t easy. Growing up, he often felt like he didn’t fit in. He was teased for being different and creative in ways that few around him understood. “I was a very confident child, full of dreams, but bullies made me believe I was worthless,” he recalls. “My art connects me to the child I once was. I am trying to turn vulnerability into vision. My work is a tribute to resilience and the healing power of art.” Growing up different in a small town came with its share of cruelty, but he insists that his creativity was always encouraged at home. “My family never stopped me from exploring my art or career. They understood that this was who I was.”
Today, his work speaks not just of fashion but of healing. “My personal life and my brand are very correlated,” he says. “I have struggled with depression and anxiety, so my art is my way of presenting myself to the world. My brand helps me find peace. It’s how I turn darkness into colour.”
That emotional honesty is reflected in his designs. His corsets have become a symbol of self-expression within the queer community, worn proudly by drag artists like Gaga and by influencer and trans rights advocate Sanat Chadha. Brides have also started wearing them with sarees and skirts, including his own sister, who wore them for her wedding ceremonies. “I keep saying this quote: it’s just fashion. It’s not for everyone, but it is for everyone,” he says.
A career highlight came when Vidya Balan wore his corset for a Filmfare shoot. “The stylists approached me for that shoot, and I feel my brand and each piece speak for itself, and that’s why it ended up on Filmfare,” he says. “I was honestly so proud when I saw the pictures. Vidya Balan has always been about owning her power, so it felt like a full-circle moment.”
One of the most poignant moments of his journey, he recalls, was when his grandmother wore one of his corset designs. "She was a little unsure at first, but eventually wore it, posed for me, and blessed my work. We lost her recently, but I am glad I have those pictures. She was strong, graceful and full of love. She wasn't wealthy, but she lived with immense dignity. Dressing her in my brand was my way of showing her respect and love."
For Shiv, Museum of What is a growing archive of memory and resilience, built one corset at a time. “I believe in my art,” he says. “Sooner or later, the world will understand it.”
