The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2023 - Issue 33

bitefashion tion behind this collection is the concept that nature is directly connected to us; [and] by damaging it, we are damaging ourselves.” It also reflected underwater div- ing, where we are acutely aware of every breath we take. The designer maintains the sustainability ethos instilled in her as a child. In Vidisha, the inhabitants follow sus- tainable practices learned over generations. “We would make multiple things from a saree cloth but never throw it away, no matter how old it became,” she explained. “In our house, we don’t even waste water. So I think un- consciously, these practices were enforced on me and my work.” She uses the leftover fabric and threads to make lampshades, rugs, and other things. At Milan Fashion Week in February 2022, Vaishali S became the only Indian designer presented on the coveted stage, showcasing her AW22 collection Srau- ta. The name, taken from the ancient Vedic Sanskrit text, means ‘sacrifice’ and represents the energy flow connecting everything in nature. It demonstrates how it sacrifices itself in one form to become life into another dimension in a seamless flow that is the secret of life, such as an animal’s hair strand or fur becoming part of a thread. The designer returned to the Italian city the follow- ing season to present her SS23 collection Ancestral Threads at the Palazzo Giureconsulti in central Piazza Mercanti. The collection takes its name from the source of Vaishali’s inspiration, beyond place and time. In this offering, she continued to explore her ongoing adora- tion for nature and its place in our lives, celebrating its many facets from the ‘hot summer tones’ to the ‘time- less whites and off-whites’. Ancestral Threads demonstrated the evolution of her trademark cording technique that saw a newfound ex- pression in 3D and 4D garments. Once again, the fab- rics included cotton from Maheshwar and Karnataka and lavish silks from West Bengal to create lightweight yet avant-garde dresses and sarees. The designer maintained her dedication to sustainability, emphasis- ing traceability through technology and the elevation of textile traditions, and their craftsperson. “My collections reflect a seamless journey, where each line builds on the preceding one,” Vaishali told Elle In- dia . “So, the idea that sparked this collection was how I could make this section of my journey more wearable and more appealing to the global world - [for them] to understand and embrace the treasures of Indian tex- tiles better.” The modern silhouettes also showcased