Page 16 - The Indian EYE 121925

NORTH AMERICAN Newsline DECEMBER 19, 2025 | The Indian Eye 16

Q&A WITH BHAGYASHRI SONI

Fashion, Identity, and Storytelling

– A New Era in Luxury Design

BY EKTA SAXENA embody a kind of regal surrender,
where resilience and softness coex-
n an industry where creativity of- ist. That duality felt perfectly aligned
ten races against fleeting trends, with Falu’s artistic identity.
IBhagyashri Soni is a fashion de- How did the opportunity to style Gram-
signer and stylist whose work blends
haute couture with research-driven my Award–winning artist Falu Shah
come your way, and what made you
innovation. A graduate of NIFT with confident that this was the right mo-
a master’s in Strategic Design and ment to debut as a celebrity stylist?
Management from Parsons School It actually unfolded very organ-
of Design, she has worked as design- ically. Someone recommended me
ers for New York Fashion Week and to Falu, and I began styling her for a
Bridal Asia, before debuting as ce- few of her other shows. During that
lebrity stylist by styling the Grammy process, she introduced SURREN-
award winner, Falu Shah.
DER to me. As I started shaping her
What inspired you initially to study at look for the project, she immediate-
NIFT, and how did your master’s in ly recognized my strength in visual
Strategic Design and Management at direction. The deeper we went, the
Parsons influence your transition from clearer it became that fashion wasn’t
fashion design to haute couture? just an accessory to the narrative —
My interest in fashion sparked it needed to lead it. Falu really saw
very early, largely from observing my vision and trusted my sensitivity
how clothing can communicate to both aesthetics and cultural nu-
identity, culture, and emotion with- ance, which made the collaboration
out saying a word. That curiosity feel incredibly natural.
naturally led me to NIFT, where I It felt like the right timing. I had
built a strong technical base — from been designing and styling for Amer-
pattern-making to surface design ican clients for about four years,
techniques and draping. But more and I was curious to shift my focus
importantly, it opened my eyes to the toward the Indian American diaspo-
power of narrative behind fashion, ra — a space that felt both familiar
not just the construction. and creatively rich. I knew I had the
Parsons really shifted my entire technical foundation, the conceptual
perspective. In the Strategic Design both a designer and a stylist. carried both heritage and contempo- thinking, and the creative clarity to
and Management program, I stopped you walk us through a memora- rary energy. produce something that wasn’t just
seeing garments as standalone piec- ble project — from concept to final There on, Intentionality became visually appealing, but meaningful.
es and started understanding them execution — that best represents the backbone. Around that time, I Styling Falu wasn’t just a “first
as part of larger systems — cultural, your creative journey so far? saw Punit Balana’s latest collection, big project.” It was the right project
psychological, behavioral, sustain- Styling Falu Shah for SURREN- fresh off the runway, and the pieces — one that allowed me to work with
able, and strategic. It made me think DER was, definitely, a turning point immediately clicked with the emo- intention, authenticity, and a strong
beyond aesthetics and interrogate in my creative career. It really began tional world I was trying to build. narrative lens, while also stepping
the forces that shape fashion. with one question: How do you por- The fabric’s drape, the sculptural into a more expansive creative-direc-
That systems-thinking approach tray surrender as both strength and headpiece, the layered textures, the torial role.
helped me gravitate toward haute softness? That single idea shaped way everything moved under stage What was your creative vision for Falu
couture and creative direction, the entire direction. I built the visual light — each element served the sto-
where craftsmanship naturally inter- language around a palette of warm ry. I wanted the look to feel rooted Shah’s look, and how did you blend her
cultural identity with contemporary
sects with storytelling. Couture, for olive, olive yellow, and muted gold yet elevated, spiritual but not literal.
me, isn’t simply about creating intri- — colors that sit deeply within Indi- I drew inspiration from two icon- fashion trends?
My goal was to design a look that
cate garments — it’s about precision, an spiritual symbolism, but I wanted ic portrayals of feminine strength and honored her Indian roots while still
symbolism, and emotional impact. to reinterpret them through a mod- vulnerability — Deepika Padukone’s
Parsons taught me how to weave ern, global lens. I spent time creat- Mastani from Bajirao Mastani and speaking to a global audience. Falu
embodies a duality — she’s a classi-
those deeper layers into my work, ing moodboards, studying her music, Manisha Koirala’s Mallikajaan
which ultimately defined my voice as and understanding how her sound from Heeramandi. Both characters Continued on next page... >>

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