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

FUTURE OF FASHION: THE DESIGNER SHORT

VAAI is the creation of London based designer Hetal. The self taught designer believes in slow fashion and creates edgy and feminine pieces with artisanal hand embroideries for the stylish yet conscientious shopper.  Hetal brings the exceptional craftsmanship of her British Indian heritage together in the designs, fabrics and embroideries.  It is the designers ability to create beautiful and wearable contemporary pieces whilst incorporating century old artisanal craftsmanship which makes VAAI the Future of Fashion.

FUTURE OF FASHION: THE INTERVIEW

You have a PhD in medicine. What made you switch to fashion and tell us a little about the name ‘VAAI’?  Creativity is in my DNA! After numerous years in academic research, I began to feel trapped.  Fashion and the creativity behind fashion allowed me to explore what has always been deeply set in my heart since childhood.  Fashion design allows me to express myself and feel a sense of freedom.  Also, the entrepreneur in me had noticed a niche in the British womenswear market which needed exploration and filling! Each letter in VAAI is the initial from the next generation of children within my family.

What or who inspires your design?  I was born in the UK shortly after my mum and dad arrived from India.  My mum couldn’t speak a word of English, but she was the most amazing seamstress.  She worked in a production unit that would send garments to Paris.  I intently watched and learned from her.  As a child I’d spend my summers in India surrounded by beautiful fabrics and intricate embroideries.  I was totally smitten by the world of fabric and garment making and began designing and making my own clothes from a young age.

What are the key values of your brand?  Our mission at VAAI is to balance contemporary fashion & design whilst maintaining respect for centuries old artisanal craftsmanship.  Aside from our ready to wear collections, we provide a bespoke and made to measure service.  We believe in old-school practises in the sense of creating a personal individualised and immersive service for our clients.  Each piece we design can be styled in at least three different ways.  We believe in arming our customers with styling knowledge.  This promotes sustainable slow fashion as opposed to fast throw away fashion and is better for our environment.

"The VAAI business model has been designed to be sustainable with slow steady growth"

Who wears VAAI? Who do you design for?  Our muse understands her sense of individuality and recognises her ability to converse without words whilst wearing VAAI.  She is stylish yet a conscientious shopper who is open to supporting emerging labels.  She often has an artistic flair expressed through the way she dresses.  The VAAI clientele will quite often create seasonal capsule collections with key pieces often bespoke made for herself.

What is your design process?  I’m constantly sketching ideas based on inspirations from daily life and travels.  Simple things such as the formations or colour of a leaf or the shapes of an architectural feature can inspire me.  For example, the batik prints you see in the SS20 collection are inspired by intricacies of blood vessels, something I studied during my time as a research scientist.

I’m so lucky to be a British Indian and part of two strong heritage cultures that have exceptional craftsmanship.  I like to bring these together in the design, fabrics, embroideries I design and create.  It helps that I have great links with British, Scottish and Indian suppliers/mills of natural and organic fabrics.  All design and experimental work takes place at my studio in South west London. Production takes place in two production units, one based in the UK and the other in India.

What are your ambitions for the brand?  In this era, you see brands come and go especially those that grow very quickly and can’t keep up.  The VAAI business model has been designed to be sustainable with slow steady growth.  The brand has organically grown over the past two years, with many of our clients remaining loyal and continuing to support us.  We will continue to follow this direct to consumer path.  Our ambition is to continue expanding our network of clientele.  

We recently did an article on how fast fashion is damaging in various ways. In what ways is VAAI working towards conscious fashion?  I am proud to say that over two thirds of the VAAI collection consists of ethically produced and sustainable fabrics. I strive to use organic (GOTS certified) and handloom cottons and other natural fabrics (including silks and peace silks).  These fabrics are healthier for the environment and they have the ability to biodegrade in due course.  Our garments are made of the highest quality and made to last.  We don’t mass produce and make in quantities according to our direct consumers and wholesale buyers needs.  This ensures that little or no stock is leftover thus reducing waste.

What have been some of the challenges you have faced as a designer?  As a self-taught designer, the learning curve has been a steep one.  I was introduced to Belinda Dickson, a successful businesswoman within the industry and who holds a chair on the UKFT committee, so her knowledge was invaluable.  The UKFT have also been an invaluable source of information and guidance. To run a successful brand, it’s not enough to be a designer, you have to be an entrepreneur and wear several other hats in order to market, PR, and retail the brand.

How can The New Edit help?  The TNE platform is an exciting one! The New Edit recognises and talks about many of the issues around race, retail and pollution that the designers and industry are facing – this creates awareness which is key.  It’s also important to recognise talent and entrepreneurship and The New Edit is certainly doing this.  Talented designers need platforms such as TNE to create hype and awareness about their brands.

What do you think the future of fashion is?  Fashion is undergoing a revolution.  I believe there will be an ever more need to support small brands and emerging designers who are more likely to show transparency in their supply chains.  If anything, it will be this cohort of brands and businesses that will be easily able to tap into the ever-growing consumer who wants to know who made their garment, how it was produced and what the labourer was paid.  I think collections will become transitional and transeasonal with extra emphasis on reducing waste.  I also believe we will see a revival in dying artisanal craftsmanship and recycling and upcycling of end of line textiles to produce one of a kind pieces.  

By Sahil Mallik, June 2020