Falguni and Shane Peacock have dressed some of the biggest names across the globe, and they are far from done.

Here’s a trivia question for you: what connects Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Beyoncé, Fergie, Katy Perry, Nicky Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, and even Doja Cat to India? If you are a fashionista, you have already guessed it. Yes, it’s Falguni Shane Peacock, the eponymous fashion brand of the husband-wife duo who have been creating waves for over two decades with their edgy designs complete with feathers, fringes and embellishments.

Not only have they dressed A-listers, they have also made costumes for nearly 30 music videos, including for Beyoncé. Their creations are often spotted on the red carpets at Cannes or the Met Gala, and they made fashion history in India as the first and only designers to ever shoot on the grounds of the Taj Mahal. 

And if that’s not enough, they have been regulars on international fashion weeks such as London and, after a brief hiatus, returned to New York Fashion Week in September last year—making headlines as their comeback show was creatively directed by Hollywood’s go-to stylist Law Roach.

“The past 20 years have been a roller coaster ride and every moment in all these years have been memorable, milestone-like and a stepping stone towards our next big move,” says Falguni. It all started in 2004 when they first showed at India Fashion Week. Marrying Indian sensibilities with Western consciousness, the collection included crystal- encrusted pants, ruffled skirts, bead-embellished blouses, floral dresses, and edgy animal print ensembles. “Harrods bought the whole collection, and that’s how our journey started,” Falguni reminisces.

Having established a clientele in London, the husband-wife duo decided to mark their international runway debut. They started with Miami Fashion Week, followed by LA Fashion Week where they were introduced to the glitz and glamour of movies and celebrities. “I remember when one day in 2010 I got a call from Fergie’s stylist saying they wanted something unique for her in South Africa and could we deliver it in one week. I was so excited, I almost fell off the chair. We created four outfits for her and those were shipped to South Africa from Mumbai, and Fergie wore us!” she recalls.

Falguni-Shane entered the big league in 2009 with London Fashion Week where they showcased for six successful seasons, this was followed by the New York Fashion Week, where they added another nine successful seasons and several celebrity associations to their kitty. “Jeniffer Lopez wore us on American Idol. It was a wide bodysuit with tassles, and she danced in that. We later made the same in 10 different colours for her,” laughs Falguni.

“My most memorable moment is when we created that big gold gown for Beyoncé for the Wearable Art Gala. The gown went from Mumbai to LA in a massive fridge box! We put the dummy with the outfit and we had to cut the trail into half because it wouldn’t fit. It was sent in another massive box. Till she actually wore it, I was very anxious. She must have had a hundred options but she chose to wear us and that was such a proud moment,” smiles Falguni.

Having garnered international success, it was time to establish a firm footing in India. “When we started retailing at Harrods, we realised that our sensibilities were more Westernised. We were very inspired by music and were dressing up so many celebrities that our footprint just kept growing internationally. And we were focused on that market till one day in 2015 a friend asked us why we were not doing enough in India, it being our home ground. And we realised that it was important to have a strong foothold here. So, we paused our international journey to focus on India,” says Falguni. 

In 2017, they opened their first big couture store in Delhi’s Ambawatta complex where they showcased Indian bridalwear. “It took us a couple of years to work out the transition, to change the sensibilities of our design because we were really edgy,” says Falguni. Two years later they launched another store in Kala Ghoda in Mumbai. This was followed by Hyderabad, and the latest store opened in Kolkata in December 2023. “So, we just kept getting pulled more and more into bridalwear,” she laughs.

“After dressing up numerous celebrities internationally—be it for music videos, red carpet events, award shows, live performances, world tours—and showcasing at a number of international fashion weeks, we decided that we’ve earned a name globally but we need to strengthen our presence in India the way we had internationally. That got us to focus on the Indian market and venture into couture and bridalwear. But even though we were starting out our ethnic wear line, we didn’t want to lose our modern, contemporary aesthetics. We wanted to infuse that in our traditional wear—and thus, our signature aesthetic for Indian wear was born,” says Falguni with a smile. “Our strength lies in embellishments and cuts. Even our bridal lehengas are not your typical traditional ones, they have a contemporary twist. Our silhouettes are more fusion. From the very beginning, we wanted to see our bride in a certain way and that’s what we have done. Our bride is a modern girl who wants to wear her Louboutins or jewel-encrusted Jimmy Choos with her lehenga, and look confident and independent,” she says.

While India is primarily a bridalwear market and the designers will continue to focus on it, there is a growing demand for their contemporary and ready-to-wear line too. In the US, they are available in over 60 stores, along with over 20 stores in Europe. In India, they are doing a lot of online business, but they don’t have a brick-and-mortar store. To rectify that, they are in the process of opening another store in Delhi’s Dhanmill area. “That will be more Westernised. It will have our New York line.” The focus right now is on India with another store coming up at Jio World Plaza in Mumbai. They do plan to have a store outside India but that will be only after a couple of years.

Ask Falguni what she is most proud of in her 20- year journey, and she says it’s the fact that her entire team of artisans who started work with her is still with her. “I know if I need something overnight, these guys will make it happen. It’s lovely to have people from 20 years back still working with you,” she says. Today the company has grown from 10 to 800 people.

Falguni is also proud of the Peacock Foundation through which they run women-centric karkhanas in various villages in West Bengal where women do beading, tassle-making and embroidery. While the garments are stitched in Mumbai, a lot of the artisan work is done in these villages. They are also looking at taking their work to villages in Rajasthan. “We want to incorporate some of the Rajasthani embroidery into our work. We are also looking at units in Uttar Pradesh for chikankari and are in talks with someone in Varanasi for heritage weaves. So, this year we will incorporate a lot of different embroideries and weaves into our designs,” says Falguni.

Having designed successfully for both a global and an Indian audience, does Falguni feel there is a difference in their sensibilities? “Not really, it’s just the silhouette. But in India we are doing more bridalwear so there is still some limitation. However, at the New York Fashion Week, we can really let our creative juices flow. So that’s the difference.”

Falguni feels they have evolved as designers. “From the first show that we did in London to now there is a drastic difference. We have been learning and correcting ourselves and getting better at it.”

So what’s next for Falguni Shane Peacock? “We are excited about the new store in Delhi, which will be like an experiential store with scarves, stationary, candles, gifting items, furnishings, our New York collection and Western ready-to-wear. We want to add a bit of FSP to everyone’s life,” she signs off. 

This article originally appeared in Harper's Bazaar India, 2024 May print issue.

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