Indian Fashion Designers at the Paris Fashion Week
Every fashion designer aspires to go global. Of course, who wouldn’t want to flaunt their creativity worldwide and their outfits to be graced by the world’s top supermodels? But making it to fashion’s international landscape requires dedication and a consistent performance that defines your capabilities and qualifies you for the global ramp.
Paris Fashion Week is one such haute couture and highly celebrated bi-annual global fashion event. It features fabulous and trendsetting outfits designed by the elite league of globally recognised fashion designers. The event is one of the Big Four events - New York, London, Milan and Paris.
However, does Paris Fashion Week feature Indian fashion designers? It won’t be until 2020. But in 2020, Rahul Mishra created history by becoming the first Indian fashion designer to show at this esteemed event. Of course, it took us 47 years to earn a spot. But now that we’ve done, we have two more fashion designers - Vaishali Shadangule and Gaurav Gupta, who’ve emerged in quick succession and won hearts with their exquisite designs!
So, let’s read their stories in brief and draw some inspiration from these pathbreaking fashion designers who wrote history.
Rahul Mishra
Rahul Mishra is India’s first fashion designer to showcase at the Paris Fashion Week. He grew up in a small village near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, living an ordinary childhood but building solid values about humanity through stories he listened to from his grandparents.
Back then, who knew this boy from a small village would garner global accolades and that too in the field of fashion? But Rahul did it! He graduated in physics and enrolled in NID to pursue post-graduation in apparel design. Later, in 2009, Rahul became the first non-European to win Istituto Marangoni’s scholarship in Milan, Italy.
Suzy Menkes, a renowned fashion critic and former International Fashion Editor of Vogue, considers Rahul a “national treasure”.
This year, Rahul's Paris Fashion Week designs drew inspiration from the galactic and earthly bodies and showcased Cosmos, his Spring Couture collection.
Vaishali Shadangule
Vaishali Shadangule who got her fabulous creations featured in the Paris Fashion Week deserves an equally big and special applause. Her journey is thrilling and inspiring for every aspiring and existing fashion designer.
Born in Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh, Vaishali left her home at 17 and stayed in a hostel while doing various jobs to make ends meet.
Back then, fashion was nowhere on her list. But the inherent fashion designer in Vaishali popped up and showed a spark when Vaishali used to share styling tips and suggestions to people on how to dress up. Considering her innate talent, someone advised her to take up fashion design. She did so, and the rest was history!
In 2001, Vaishali opened her first boutique in Malad. She grew as an entrepreneur and fashion designer over the years to earn a spot in the Paris Fashion Week in 2024 with her collection Abyss. With this, Vaishali has showcased Indian weave at the pinnacle of global couture and made every Indian proud!
Gaurav Gupta
Gaurav Gupta is another Indian fashion designer who debuted in the Paris Fashion Week in 2024 with his collection Shunya.
He found his eponymous label in 2005 after graduating from Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design. Over the years, Gaurav has redefined success, while crafting a new identity for Indian designs across the fashion world.
The brand’s silhouettes are regularly seen on the world’s Best Dressed Lists for The Oscars, The Emmy Awards, Tony Awards and the Festival de Cannes.
Additionally, his designs have also been featured in music videos, magazines, billboards, etc. and red carpets worldwide, where his outfits were graced by Aishwarya Rai, Lizzo, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Saweetie, Priyanka Chopra, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson, Deepika Padukone, Thalia, Kylie Minogue, Maluma, etc.
Conclusion
Fashion designing is a rewarding career with many global opportunities. Undoubtedly, participating in these events as an invitee surely would take abundant focused efforts, patience and persistence. Of course, it isn’t going to happen overnight. But your dream can materialise one day, making you a stellar fashion designer!
INIFD Borivali , one of the leading fashion designing colleges in Mumbai, India, can help. Our updated course curriculum, placement and internships assistance and opportunities for global exposure embark you on your path to becoming a successful designer. Call us at +91 99305 90722 to learn more about our fashion design courses.
