Vaishali Shadangule vows to revive Indian textiles

Mumbai-based fashion designer Vaishali Shadangule is known for her passion

when it comes to traditional Indian weaves like Jamdani, Paithani, Maheshwari, Chanderi, Kand or Ikat. The designer has decided to dedicate her efforts towards revival of these rich Indian textures.

At her small workshop overlooking the Arabian Sea, on Carter Road, she dreams of incorporating the rare Indian textile techniques into her designs. Richly woven dresses by the artisans from Varanasi, West Bengal and other Indian towns adorn the racks of her workshop after being recently showcased at the Lakme Fashion Week.

Shadangule debuted with her collection at the Lakme Fashion Week in 2011 showcasing well-crafted Indian dresses in Chanderi and Paithani prints. She travelled all the way to artisans engaged in weaving Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh and Paithani weavers in Maharashtra to blend their designs into fabrics suitable for dresses. Probably for the first time, such an effort was made by a designer.

This year’s collection too was created using traditional material, a blend of yarn made of linen and silk, with the help of Jaya Shree Textiles of the Aditya Birla Group and a group of Jamdani weavers from West Bengal.

Shadangule designs, though made with traditional textiles, don’t just include Indian traditional wear but also western ensembles like dresses, layerings, pants, tunics, skirts, gowns along with salwar-kameez, ghaghras and saris.

Shadangule has over 60 people working for her brand, Vaishali S. Her designs have been worn by celebrities like Vidya Balan, Sonam Kapoor, Amrita Rao, Shweta Salve, Tanishaa Mukherjee and many others. Her products are retailed from Fuel, Ogaan, Delhi, Rudhraksh, Pune, Aza & Atosa, Mumbai and her own outlets in Mumbai.