Trailblazers’talk

Two of India’s globally celebrated designers, Vaishali Shadangule and Kanika Goyal, have a heartfelt conversation about showcasing on coveted runways. Sonali Shah is a fly on the wall

- Vaishali Shadangule and Kanika Goyal

Founders of Vaishali S and Kanika Goyal Label are leaving audiences spellbound with their polar opposite presentation of ‘Indian aesthetics’ on international ramps. A frequent collaborator with cultural projects, Shadangule enjoys the merit of being the first Indian woman designer to be invited to Paris Haute Couture Week, and has showcased at Milan twice; Goyal is no stranger to New York Fashion Week (NYFW). On a hectic pre-Diwali afternoon, we get together these globe-trotting designers to share their thoughts and experiences of frequenting international fashion weeks. Shadangule is back from Milan, and Goyal, fresh from her show at the FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week Oct 2022. Excerpts from their conversation:

KANIKA GOYAL (KG): Around 2014, you went international. What sort of technical and mental preparation led up to the moment where you said, ‘Alright, this is it, we’re doing an international fashion week’?

VAISHALI SHADANGULE (VS): I received the news that I was selected to showcase at the haute couture week at Paris, in April, which was peak pandemic time. My first thought was, how were we going to get the collection together in the first place! Because at that time, I was in the Maldives and all my workers had returned to their villages. Everyone eventually came together and stayed in the store, working day and night to get the collection ready. It took me 14 days to reach since travel was affected—my route was through Serbia and Slovenia, inclduing customs’ hassle! It was also a big opportunity— only about six legacy brands like Chanel and Dior were showcasing along with me. Besides that, that idea of creating haute couture with hand woven textiles was a challenge in itself. My mission was to introduce Indian weaves on a different level.