Boundless imagination and its creative expression have always made Vaishali Shadangule’s works pieces of art. Her signature cording has seen various avatars, lending her creations a certain X-factor and a dose of drama. Her National Handloom Day showcase in Delhi, in collaboration with the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, and the Development Commissioner for Handlooms (DCHL), was titled ‘Naad – The Sound of the Looms’, and was signature Vaishali. She sent 52 couture looks on the ramp, complemented by an heirloom ‘artisanal edit’ by Isvari Jalandhar Jewellery House. Performances by Sadhguru Gurukulam Samskriti School, Coimbatore, added to the mood.

Vaishali later chatted with t2 on the makings of the show and more.

‘Naad’ was fantastic. What was the preparation like?

Thanks a lot! Yes, I also enjoyed it a lot, but it was complicated and multifaceted. It was for National Handloom Day, so my motivation was at the maximum. Also being “national”, I had to showcase several weaves from different parts of India. Being handloom, I wanted to have the choreography and decoration only with handwoven fabrics and handwork. It took a lot of preparation as these are not fast-fashion products at all, and I also needed big-size pieces to decorate the huge ballroom of the Ashok hotel.

The intent was to show how handwoven fabrics can cover the full gamut of textile products, at global luxury standards. While the choreography nicely covered the house interiors category (I also had a huge exhibition of that at Pragati Maidan), the collection itself had to cover multiple categories in a seamless, meaningful way.
With star director Anu Ahuja (show choreographer), we managed to put together a real great show, seamlessly shifting from western bridal, to Paris Haute Couture kind of pieces, some hints of pret-a-porter, modern Indian, and finally Indian bridal. All this in a unique choreography amidst long-flying saris and decorations and a very communicative and unconventional non-ramp.

We also had three looms with microphones and weavers who were supposed to weave and give the rhythm to the show, but I think they got distracted at how beautiful their weaves were looking, elegantly carried by the Indian models!

What were the hero pieces?

If you ask me, all were hero pieces. I always love all the pieces I showcase, and if I am not convinced, I just take them out, even at the last moment. For sure, there were a few pieces that I am sure have captured the attention more... the white western bridal (piece) that opened the show, majestically carried by top model Lakshmi Rana.

A great challenge and success were also the pairing of my signature cording technique corset with the 85-year-old Paithani sari of Radhikaraje Gaekwad.
I also loved a couple of the blue-green ones, like the one worn by Reshma Bombaywala (model).

Tell us about the music…

The music is always made for the occasion, mainly with Indian traditional instruments and the sound of the looms, that for me is the one that puts together the symphony.

What has handlooms done to your psyche?

I firmly believe that life is about rhythm that you have to find, within yourself and in your external activities, whether work, sports, or a simple walk. Handlooms for me are the ultimate balance. Their rhythmic sound that slightly changes depending on the mood of the weaver, his or her skills, the difficulty of the thread, etc., is for me the base of everything. Almost a meditative sound that gives shape to everything, starting from a single thread. See, weaves and garments are my best way of expression, and for sure, my whole personality has evolved, gotten conditioned, or shall I say liberated, by them.

Reinventing them is the best possible way to keep them alive, right?

Absolutely yes. We live in a different world with different needs and different aesthetics. Unless we reinvent the way we carry our hand weaves, they are destined to die. Many techniques have already died. On the other hand, by reinventing them, we can adapt them not only for our younger generations but for the whole world, creating a huge opportunity. The opportunity of bringing the Indian handwoven fabrics to where they were, at the top of the global luxury.

What needs to be done to reinvent it?

I think that the first thing is the system. Just like it happened in countries like Italy and Japan, we need the weavers to be recognised as artists or artisans, and to be paid as much. People are leaving the looms because they don’t get enough money, and very often they don’t even get the money at all!

Then our education system has to give more priority to genuine creativity and not just copying with a slight change to what already exists.

The workmanship skills need to be taught in school. Unless a designer knows how to weave, drape, embroider, and so on… he or she will never be able to fully create with harmony.

Then, young designers need to be given space in fashion weeks and the media. They need more visibility and support.

India has always been the womb of creativity and design too: think about all our palaces, uniforms, fabrics, tiles…. Young people, also more exposed to global ideas, will definitely find the way by themselves. I found mine, against all odds and all the people criticising, by using weaves as fabrics rather than saris, and my artistic side was inspired by nature, using them as canvas.

What are your handloom dreams?

My dream is to see handloom everywhere. Everything would have a different meaning and life itself. It would slow down everything (handloom is the epitome of slow fashion), and give back importance to hand weaves as heirlooms. The nice thing is that it is slowly happening!