This power couple is rarely apart by their own admission, yet, it’s only Falguni who sweeps into the lobby at Crowne Plaza. “Shane will be down later; he’s not been well today,” she says, with a touch of concern. When he does join us, he says, “We work out, eat, go to work and come back home together. We go to the factory, the office, drop in at the store, do some designing, meet our masters… Our day starts at about 10.30 a.m. or 11 a.m. and goes on till 3.30 or 4 in the morning.”
That’s only because they work across time zones. Falguni and Shane Peacock are not unfamiliar names on the international fashion circuit or on the red carpet. Everyone, from Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga to Britney Spears and Katy Perry has sported their designs; the latest coup was designing an outfit that featured on Beyoncé’s video, ‘Formation’.
But when they’re so famous already, why is it still such a big deal when an Indian designer is worn by an international celebrity? “They always say a designer is as good as who he dresses. In that context, dressing up stars is not our main forte, but it adds to the credibility of our line. We might look back and say, ‘It was amazing that we dressed up some of these people’. It feels like a milestone,” says Shane.
Falguni adds, “We always knew that we wanted to work for the international market; our design sensibility, styling, cuts, the way we think — we are edgier than most. The way we blend edgy western cuts and Indian embellishments is what makes our style.” Pointing to her striking outfit, she explains how the simple skirt has been made edgy with the stark lines and print.
Her favourite kind of client is “the one who will allow us to do what we want to do, will trust us and believe that we can do the best for her. Faith is most important when you design; it gives us the confidence that we have achieved something.” Shane, however, does not meet clients at all. “If you come up to me and say ‘Shane, I am going to wear this’, I’ll look at you and say it doesn’t match your body or this colour will not suit you. And people get offended by that. I’m very straightforward like that. But if you ask me for an opinion, I will tell the truth.”
Both of them credit their tendency to disagree with each other for the unique looks they create. “We more often disagree than agree. But, somewhere down the line, that is what makes the collection look the way it does,” laughs Falguni. Shane says, “She will like something and I will say I hate it, and vice versa. I used to be very rigid about it and say things like ‘That piece has spoiled the show’, and she would say the same. Now we have come to terms: why is it not good? Give me a reason. And if it’s valid enough, then I drop it.”
“Earlier, we were trying everything; now, we’ve found our ground, and we know what is ‘us’ and we do that. When you look at our outfits, you will know that it is ours. That’s what we strive for; for it to stand out,” says Falguni, on how their style has evolved over the 12 years that they’ve been in the market.
“Our style evolves every season,” says Shane. “We can’t say we have found what we’re good at and be comfortable in it. We are still soul searching for that high note with every collection.”
