FINCHAMPSTEAD-BASED designer Vaishali Ragunathan, or as she prefers, V had an unexpected phone call from an old friend offering her the chance to showcase a collection at London Fashion Week.
Ms Ragunathan graduated from Guilford College in 2003, having studied fashion. Her professor Samantha Cross, who is now teaching at Farnborough College, contacted her out of the blue back in June of this year.
“Who is going to say no to that,” said Ms Ragunathan. However, she only had two months to prepare a collection of 16 outfits before her design debut on Saturday, September 14.
Her showstopper piece featured 40 metres of 100% silk fabric, which was hand-embellished with sequinned dragonflies.
Dragonflies were a common theme among the collection, with V very much inspired by their symbolism and nature.
She said: “I am very much a self-made woman and I like to explore female empowerment.
“The dragonfly is a symbol of strength, hope, change and love. To me, that is women!
“Women’s lives are full of change, we are wives and mothers, we give birth and our bodies change.
“We are like dragonflies, we buzz along but we never complain.”
The uniqueness of Ms Ragunathan’s work can be seen in her attention to detail and commitment to sustainability.
Using natural fabrics, she focusses on high-quality garments that will last a lifetime, thus helping to tackle the throw-away culture encouraged by fash fashion trends.
“Everything is made from scratch,” she said. “Handwork is a dying form, it’s all about finesse and attention to detail.”
“I would love to do another collection for London Fashion Week,” said V.
“One can go to London or Milan: but unless you’re recognised in your local community, it means nothing.”
Ms Ragunathan specialises in special occasion wear, including wedding dress design. Her business is called Vz Perfection and can be found online: https://www.vzperfection.co.uk/