Vaishali S, the couture house founded by designer Vaishali Shadangule, presented Swayam, a 30-piece handloom couture collection, during Paris Haute Couture Week this July. The collection was presented in collaboration with the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, and has received ministry recognition for promoting the Indian heritage of handloom.
Shadangule made history in 2021 as the first woman of Indian origin to present at Paris Haute Couture Week on the official calendar. With her work, Swayam, she is returning to the French capital, this time showcasing 30 looks made exclusively from Indian handlooms.
The presentation took place at the Residence of the Ambassador of India in Paris. The choice of venue has its own meaning, since it places India’s handloom heritage on Indian soil, inside the French capital
Dr. M. Beena, IAS, Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, said, “The thirty-piece couture collection, Swayam (स्वयं) beautifully reminds us that true beauty rendered through the language of Indian handlooms celebrates not only the artistry of our weavers but also the dedication, skill, individuality and creativity that define India’s rich heritage. It is inspiring to see traditional handlooms being reimagined in a manner that resonates with contemporary audiences. Such initiative promotes and preserves the nation’s diverse handloom traditions while creating greater visibility and opportunities for our weaving communities.”
Swayam comes from the Sanskrit word for “of one’s own accord,” or “by oneself.” The collection focuses on one idea on how a woman looks and feels once she has stopped performing for others.
The 30 looks differ from the sealed and restricted silhouettes to the more natural ones. Starting from the color of stone, ash, and unopened green iris, it moves to carmine, amethyst, peacock, and sapphire. The looks are named in sequence, starting with Beej, the sealed seed, and ending with Mukti, the bloom finally free of every gaze. Swayamprabha, meaning one who shines by her own light, comes last in the collection.
Every model on the runway walked barefoot. The house describes this as a return to instinct, since a woman fully at ease with herself needs nothing between her and the ground beneath her. Bare feet on the floor of the Ambassador’s residence became one of the collection’s central gestures, built on the idea that nothing blooms before it has first touched the ground.
“I kept returning to the flower that blooms in an empty field, with no one to see it. It is not lonely, and it is not waiting. It is simply, completely itself. That is the woman I wanted to dress; one whose beauty asks for nothing back. Swayam is my way of saying you do not need to be admired to be allowed to open. You only need to be true. Our models walked barefoot because that is where every bloom begins: at the root, touching the earth,” said Vaishali Shadangule, Founder and Creative Director, Vaishali S.
Live Indian classical music was played throughout the performance as it happened. The cloth, movements of the body, and sound became part of a seamless narrative.
Every piece in Swayam is made entirely from Indian handlooms. Fourteen weaving traditions appear across the collection: Banarasi, Khunn, Maheshwari, Ghicha Silk, Murshidabad Silk, Kanjivaram, Uppada, Ikkat, Chanderi, Kota Doria, Patola, Jamdani, Paithani and Kunbi. Each metre of fabric is handwoven by artisans within Vaishali S’ network of over 4,500 weaving families, spread across seven Indian states. This network was established over twenty-five years by establishing trusting relationships with weavers directly.
The signature cording technique of Shadangule is visible throughout the collection. This technique, which has taken two decades to develop, is regarded as the designer’s hallmark technique in couture. It converts the handcrafted fabric into three-dimensional works of art. Corded bodices are similar to botanical architecture, pleated silhouettes look caught mid-motion, and embroidered surfaces appear to have grown out of the fabric instead of being stitched onto it. Some pieces require hundreds, or even thousands, of hours of individual labor, passing the hands of craftspeople from different states of India from weavers to cord-workers and drapers
Vaishali S has opened a flagship store at 188 Boulevard Saint-Germain in Paris, next to Café de Flore. The collections of Swayam will be showcased in this store as well through appointments with private clients.
Shadangule wants the designs to be enjoyed for years rather than merely one season. Before it gets its final touch, every single piece passes through the hands of several people, including weavers, embroiderers, cord-workers and draping artisans.
