Titled Kintsugi, after the Japanese art of fixing broken pottery, Vaishali Shadangule — or Vaishali S — presents her latest collection inspired by broken shells that create beauty when pieced together.
“I wanted to highlight the quiet strength of broken things,” explains Shadangule. “A human journey of transformation told through fractured shells and golden mends. This collection is a tribute to embracing imperfection as an elevated state of beauty.”
The designer created history by being the first Indian female designer to showcase her collection at Paris Haute Couture Week a few years ago. She also presented this July, where she unveiled 34 looks, each crafted as an individual piece with shell-inspired geometry and oceanic textures. The line included sculptural gowns, deconstructed saris, statement corseted dresses, layered capes and veils, bridal silhouettes, and a show-stopper ensemble featuring a long trail, veil, and gloves.
Shadangule used Indian handlooms like silk from Murshidabad along with silk-by-silk — a rare Indian textile prized for its gossamer lightness and graceful drape — whose natural shimmer mimics tide-washed sands. She also incorporated regional artisanal techniques, such as cording to create coral-like ridges and sea-sculpted textures. Flecks of gold and silver metallics were strategically stitched into the surface to represent the “gold joins” of Japanese Kintsugi pottery.
“The silhouettes are a marriage of handwoven softness and architectural couture structures,” she shares.
It’s been a long journey for Shadangule — from her native Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh to her flagship store on Boulevard Saint Germain, Paris, making her the first Indian designer to open a flagship retail store in the fashion capital of the world. Her design ideals have never wavered over her 25 years in the fashion industry. Each of her pieces is zero-waste and handmade by one of over 3,000 artisan families across India.
Kintsugi continues this commitment, pushing for the global recognition of Indian handlooms in haute couture. As Shadangule describes, the collection “celebrates the cracks, the breaks, the scars — and mends them with light, gold, memory, and care.”
