25 Years of Vaishali S: Why Her Handwoven Designs Are Going Global | Hollywood Reporter
When actor Alia Bhatt stepped out in a silver handloom sari styled with a bralette instead of a traditional blouse back in March 2023, at the opening of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai, the look went viral. But beyond that was a bigger win: the sari was crafted by artisans working on looms across India, part of a decades-long mission by designer Vaishali Shadangule to bring handwoven textiles to the global stage.
For Shadangule, celebrity visibility is welcome — but it’s never the point.
Today, her network includes over 4,000 artisans across seven Indian states. But growth has never meant acceleration in the conventional fashion sense, because handlooms do not bend to global fashion calendars. If she wants to introduce a new fabric in January, production must begin a year in advance. The planning is perpetual, and work is continuous, ensuring artisans are never without employment.
“I used to go abroad and see the ‘Made in India’ label, but we were always behind the scenes,” she recalls. “We have the skill, the craft, the design, the history, beautiful fabrics, and each village has dif.....to read more visit hollywood reporter on https://tinywebs.site/e6oMrP
