The Future of Fashion series brings you interviews with emerging designers, from across the globe, who The New Edit believe will be the leading voices of Fashion in the Future.

London, United Kingdom

Shivangi Sahni is one of India’s brightest young designers.  Deriving inspiration from India’s multi layered culture, her clothing is a harmonious blend of artisanal techniques and contemporary silhouettes, epitomising modern bohemianism with earthy sensibilities.  All her garments are mindfully sourced, artistically designed and ethically crafted.

Future of Fashion: The Interview

What or who inspires your design? I am heavily inspired by India - our textiles, our craft & our very rich culture.  I am particularly drawn towards the different tribes in the country - what they wear, how they dress and their unique craftsmanship.

What is your design process? I get inspired by different things each day.  I am heavily inspired by Indian crafts, traditions and culture.  My team and I brainstorm, ideate, put together mood boards and try to find the pulse of what people really want.  Once we have put it all together we begin to look for fabrics that fit the mood we are going for.  I am very particular about the kind of fabrics I pick for my collections and they are mostly all up-cycled fabrics.  I don’t do mass production because I believe in slow fashion.

“ I am heavily inspired by our cultural history and collaborate with a lot of artisans across the country.  I want an international audience to relate to my styles and at the same time appreciate the Indian-ness of them”

What are the core values of your brand? Sustainability to begin with.  Our fabrics are up-cycled, we have minimal usage of water during production and we use eco-friendly detergents making our fabrics and washing as eco friendly as possible.  I strongly believe in conservation of craft.  I am heavily inspired by our cultural history and collaborate with a lot of artisans across the country.  Being an animal lover, I try to integrate that as well - I have tied up with different animal welfare organisations, so that each collection is linked to a different organisation both in sharing the profits with them and in helping understanding and promoting their cause.  I believe in multifunctional clothing which goes beyond what is quintessential fashion. 

What are your ambitions for your brand? India has a rich textile heritage and some exquisite authentic traditional fabric and craft skills which I would love to showcase to a larger global audience.  I want an international audience to relate to my styles and at the same time appreciate the Indian-ness of them.  That is a big part of why The New Edit so appealed to me because I feel like it has the potential to be a great platform to be on - to create awareness outside the country of our craft and take that forward internationally.

Who wears your clothes? I target a very very varied group of women who are free-spirited and look for happiness in the clothing that they wear.  I have noticed from the last couple of years that the women who wear my label are looking for easy clothing which is affordable and somewhat meaningful. 

What do you think is the future of fashion? Especially after the current global crisis, I believe eco/conscious fashion is going to lead the way. I also think that online retail is going to increase significantly more.  It is something I have been apprehensive about because I think the touch and feel of a garment is extremely important but I think after this, online is going to be huge.

Describe your aesthetic in 5 words - Artisanal, free spirited, meaningful, timeless and comfortable.

Future of Fashion: The Designer Short

Shivangi Sahni is at the forefront of a new wave of Indian designers blending artisanal craft traditions with a modern sensibility and styling.  Rather than embracing fast fashion that has come to dominate much of the industry, Shivangi believes in slow fashion.  Shivangi Sahni's work is defined as much by it’s ethicalness as it is by it’s timeless designs.  But it is her ability to draw from India’s diverse cultural history and her integration of traditional Indian artisanal craft into stylish and distinctly contemporary garments that makes her the Future of Fashion. Shivangi Sahni

Written by Samson Royston, April 2020

Check out our recent interview with Rose Danford-Phillips to learn more about other talented designers from The New Edit's Future of Fashion series.