I’m Woman, I’m Fearless, I’m Sexy, I’m Divine, I’m Unbeatable, I’m Creative… These beautiful songs penned by singer-songwriter Amy Meli resonate with designer Saisha Shinde’s journey as a transwoman . Sayyeshaa Shinde (earlier known as Swapnil Shinde), came out as a transwoman earlier this year and has been an inspiration to many since then. Looking radiant in a black outfit teamed with pearl-drop earrings, Sayesha talks to News18 about designing the finale gown for the Indian contestant at the 70th edition of Miss Universe, India’s pre-defined notion of transwoman, Madhuri Dixit taught her dance, and how her transition makes her 10,000 times happier.
Sayyeshaa has been a designer for all things pageant, and this year she designed the finale gown for Harnaaz Sandhu, who is representing India at the 70th edition of Miss Universe in Elliot, Israel on 13 December. The international competition will be telecast live on Voot Select.
Describing herself as a pageant ‘fanatic’ and ‘nerd’, Sayyeshaa says, “Every time I am Miss Universe I get so excited and this time knowing that the girl we sent has so much potential that it can be seen in the world. Exciting and very nervous. I want to see Harnaaz in top 3 and I want to see my gown shine on stage and as she wins the crown.
Having designed gowns for Miss India contestants in the past, Harnaaz’s gown is a must-have for Sayyeshaa’s style, Harnaaz’s personality and a quintessential Miss India look. “There is a certain expectation from Miss India in an international pageant. She has to look beautiful, classy and the gown needs to look delicate and graceful, but at the same time powerful, strong, which incidentally has become my brand when I saw a woman in Have transitioned,” expresses Saisha.
She adds, “The gown is embellished with embroidery, stones and sequins. Harnaaz believes in sustainability, so we used embroidery materials that were lying around the studio. Also, since she hails from Punjab, we incorporated Phulkari-inspired motifs into the ensemble. A modern twist has been given to the geometric pattern synonymous with Phulkari pattern.”
Sayyeshaa’s design aesthetic before the transition has always been powerful and strong, but the transition has brought a delicate side to her that she is proud of. “Earlier I used to create, now I create with a purpose. There is tenderness in my work now. Is it still powerful? Yes, is it still trendy? Yes. However, it (the design) is much more beautiful for the eyes now,” says Sayesha.
The designers are all smiles when asked about the approval they have received after it surfaced on social media. She says, “I came out only so that I can lead a comfortable life without any kind of veils. And when I did, the response and support I got was very encouraging. I got DMs where people shared how they got inspired and how it gave them the courage to do what they were unable to do. ,
As a woman with a lot to explore, Sayyeshaa is all set to embark on this new journey and really hopes that her public appearance is an example of what a real transwoman is like. “We are not those ridiculous caricatures that have been created in the industry so far. Also, there is a difference between drag and transwoman. What we have seen is male actors dressed up as cursive, they are not transwomen. But Indians generally think about what a transwoman is. No, they are men dressed up as women to perform. Because we are a Bollywood centric country and we believe in what we see. So, we really expect that to change over time,” shares Sayesha.
Sayyeshaa seems to have a pre-determined idea of what transwomen are in India and what transwomen do. “Half of them (trans women) are expected to be just sex workers and half are expected to be such loud caricature-like figures. I really hope that through me and a lot of other trans women who are a “ “Living a normal life, being able to pursue that we are successful, beautiful and achieving the best in our respective fields,” expresses Sayesha.
Having designed for lead actors including Madhuri Dixit, Deepika Padukone, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Kiara Advani in recent times, Sayyeshaa is happy that her transformation has been accepted with open arms in the industry. “It’s been great before but now it’s all mind boggling. Apart from the comfort factor, as the two women are discussing clothes, their level of respect for me has gone up a lot because of the things I do. And this So gratifying, and I feel so blessed. For example, Madhuri Dixit, whom I’ve seen for so many years, gave me so much confidence. She said I’d teach you dance, and I’d take dance classes [for you],” says Saysha.
As a costume designer, Sayyeshaa recently designed costumes for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s character in Ponniyin Selvan and has also designed several costumes for Deepika Padukone’s upcoming film Pathan. When asked about the difference between designing runway ensembles and creating outfits for films, Sayyeshaa says, “Films are somewhat more glamorous and unreal. Clients definitely want a version of it but the biggest difference I would say is that for movies you have 2-3 days to make 7-10 costumes. I remember recently I worked in a film in which we had to finish 14 outfits in two days. Everyone is scared because of the pandemic. Everyone wants to finish their work fast because you never know what’s going to happen.”
Living the queen size of life, Sayyeshaa loves to dress up, but there’s one thing she hopes to never wear again and that’s heels. “I loved wearing heels but after wearing them for a year I realized the hell women go through. In the past, I used to use these gorgeous heels in my shows. And now I’m like, what was I thinking? It’s beautiful, but now I don’t love heels as much as I used to,” quipped Sayesha.
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