A NEW HOPE

SAISHA SHINDE CELEBRATES A YEAR OF FREEDOM AND FASHION. ANALITA SETH LISTENS IN AS THE DESIGNER SHARES HER JOURNEY

- ANALITA SETH

The world knew Swapnil Shinde for his beautiful gowns, the colourful couture and the inspiration that he drew from global trends. Last year, Swapnil Shinde let go of his male identity and Saisha Shinde was born. Saisha became a trendsetter, both personally and professionally. Support poured in from everywhere and she soared her wings to take on the world of fashion yet again. Describing this journey as both tough and beautiful, Saisha is a new person now. Her understanding of women, femininity and fashion is better than ever before. As she says and does on social media, #SlayAwaySaisha is a motto she follows everyday. Here’s to finding out more about her and her passions. Excerpts…

2022 marks one year of you turning into Saisha. How do you feel about it?

Every time I get a new legal document which needs my name change, my gender change, I feel I’m being born again. Whether it was my aadhar card, pan card, driving licence or the passport, to see those changes in my documents felt like a rebirth everytime. My sister passed away four years ago. She battled with chronic kidney failure for a long time. She used to talk about how she couldn’t live her life and that I should definitely live my life to the fullest. And the day she passed away, I specifically felt her sense of release because she’d struggled a lot.

You didn’t feel like you were taking a risk by going for a sex change procedure at the peak of your career?