Twenty years of Falguni Shane Peacock is the perfect time to catch up with the gifted designer duo (Falguni & Shane Peacock) who are entrenched as trailblazers in the realm of fashion design. They open up about their success and significance, future goals and more…
By Nichola Marie
Falguni Shane Peacock is regarded as a trailblazer in the world of design, including the red carpet and the silver screen. What has helped the label achieve this significance and standing?
This year marks the 20th anniversary of our brand Falguni Shane Peacock and there are many factors that have been a catalyst in achieving everything that we have to date. But if we had to narrow it down, we’d say it’s our ability to dream big and then work hard and smart to achieve what we’ve set out to. We’ve never been afraid to dare to dream big. Looking back, some of our goals may seem absolutely crazy that we’d set for ourselves, but we’re so glad we went with our gut instinct and worked tirelessly to achieve our goals. The second would be our meticulous attention to detail and being hands-on with even the smallest of tasks that we have lined up for the day. We enjoy what we do so much that we like to be involved in every step and every part of the process — right from the ideation to the final touches.
You have placed India on the global map by creating enduring, evocative couture pieces that revive Indian artisanship with contemporary resonance. How interesting was the process of achieving this amalgamation?
Our aesthetics from the very beginning have leaned towards Western, modern and contemporary. So when in 2015-16, we set out to solidify our presence in India, we didn’t want to do away with our signature aesthetics just because we were venturing into Indian wear. We knew we had to blend it into Indian, traditional elements to create something that was an amalgamation of both. And so we did that and created something that was unique and quite never-seen-before in the traditional bridal wear scenario like adding opulent feathers to a traditional lehenga and blouse or giving the veil a modern, contemporary twist. We enjoy ideating newer ways to infuse both the elements in our Indian wear.
How do you look back at the early days?
The last 20 years have been a rollercoaster ride and a thrilling experience. Back then, we were starting out and weren’t scared to take the risk. For example: After London Fashion Week, we decided to do New York Fashion Week and then, after a decade, take a break internationally to grow our presence in the Indian market. We wanted to set up our Indian wear line and we did end up successfully setting it up. And now, we have everything from prêtwear to advanced contemporary to ready-to-wear and traditional ensembles to offer. We’ve done all of this with the intent of building a fashion house that leaves behind a legacy.
Can you take us through some of the milestones in the journey of the brand?
For us, every small and big milestone is special and we look at them with equal importance as they’ve taken us a step further and helped us set the bar at each step. So be it dressing up Fergie decades ago or retailing at Harrods or our recent comeback at the New York Fashion Week — each of them is fulfilling in its own special way.
Partners in design and in life, what are each of your individual strengths and how do you meld together as a team?
It may sound unbelievable but we do everything together and that’s because we enjoy each other’s company too much! It’s like working with your best friend who understands you completely. Work has never felt like work. It’s never tedious or cumbersome as we tend to have fun at work with whatever we do. We both put our heart and souls into whatever we take on, and that makes it easier. Of course, we have our share of disagreements as well, but when we look at the bigger picture, we easily tend to come to a middle ground and work on it together.
Do give us a glimpse into your creative process.
For us, travel holds immense significance and serves as a fountain of inspiration for all our collections. Exploring different places in India and internationally allows us to understand and study diverse cultures, traditions and architectural marvels. When we visit places like Udaipur, Agra, Kashmir, Paris, New York etc we have the opportunity to get to know its rich heritage, artistic aesthetics and breathtaking landscapes. The vivid colours of the city, local craftsmanship, historical monuments and palaces in these places serve as a starting point for our design process. We like to observe local customs, interact with artisans and appreciate the craftsmanship found in each of these cities. It provides us with fresh perspectives. This enables us to translate the beauty and essence of different cities into wearable works of art i.e. our couture.
Your personal style game is always on point. How would you each describe your individual style and fashion sense?
We both have quite dissimilar tastes when it comes to person style. While Shane loves his blacks and neutrals, I’m all about subtle, pastel colours. I like silhouettes that are elegant and classic, whereas Shane prefers smart casuals. Both our wardrobes have some classic pieces from other luxe brands that we style in different ways.
What is your reading of the fashion scenario in India today?
Street luxe will be big in 2024. People would want to experiment with styles that they possibly would’ve shied away from in the past. We’ll see them push the boundaries and opt for silhouettes and pieces that are edgy, avant garde and something that would’ve been out of their comfort zone. Maximalism will have an even bigger moment and opulence will be in trend!
What goals are you excited for?
While there are a lot of things we are working on that will be revealed soon, one goal that we seek to achieve in 2024 would be to expand and have numerous stores in India and then internationally; we recently opened our Kolkata store.
