A Passion for Fashion

Malati backstage with her model, Kezia.

Many young women say they have a passion for fashion, but Malati Vasudevan is one of the few women who have taken a passion and turned it into a serious career path. Since she was twelve, Vasudevan knew she wanted to design high fashion and see it walk down the runway. Now, at her final semester at The University of Texas at Austin, Vasudevan sees her dreams coming true.

Just last semester, Vasudevan completed her senior design project by designing four unique garments. After months of sketching, fabric matching, and stitching, she saw her designs come to life.

“It was completely surreal. When I was actually seeing the models walk down from back stage, I knew it was something I want to do for the rest of my life. It was the best feeling in the world,” said Vasudevan of her first fashion show experience.

However, it was not an easy road to from paper to runway. For senior design students at The University of Texas, the final spring semester was packed with long hours in sewing lab in order to create original garments from scratch.

“I basically lived at the sewing lab. I went home to sleep for four hours and I just took breaks to eat or go to class. All my weekends were taken up. I did this for the entire semester up until the fashion show at the end of April,” said Vasudevan.

Malati's designs from the University of Texas Fashion Show.

Even with all the hard work and sacrifices, Vasudevan does not regret any of it. Her dreams of becoming the next top fashion designer started at a very young age, after seeing a classic Disney movie princess dance in a very famous yellow gown.

“I have always loved drawing women’s clothing, especially after watching Beauty and the Beast. I fell in love with Belle’s yellow dress. I memorized how to draw it and I drew it over and over again, making my own changes,” said Vasudevan.

After seeing her passion and obvious talent, Vasudevan’s parents were impressed. Though, they initially hoped it was a phase and that she’d eventually grow out of it, her parents knew Vasudevan would not be another doctor or engineer. Today, they encourage her to finish her Marketing degree, in addition to her Fashion minor, before moving onto higher education in fashion design. Now, her battle lies in convincing her traditional parents that her designs, although risqué, are still worth wearing.

“My parents loved my designs. I mean it wasn’t necessarily clothing they would want me to wear, but they knew how much work I put in and they were proud of me,” said Vasudevan of her parent’s reaction after she presented her designs to them for the first time.

Model wearing one of Malati's designs in the Winter Fashion Show at the University of Texas.

As a South Asian woman, Vasudevan gets her inspiration from Indian textiles and clothing styles and has injected them into her designs. During her family trips to India, Vasudevan scoured the city streets for colorful and uniquely printed fabrics, using them for inspiration for new designs.

“I consider different ethnic textiles that are found in India. I enjoy searching through all the materials, and I want to learn more about how those materials were made and where they were manufactured,” said Vasudevan.

Most of all, Vasudevan hopes to create designs with a more modern taste that appeals to all types of women, not just South Asians. Her innovative cocktail dresses show a distinctive fusion of textures and prints with a modern feel. Judges at The University of Texas Fashion Show took notice and awarded Vasudevan with “Most Innovative”.

“I get my inspiration from mainly what I see in style now and what I can see myself wearing in the future. I design clothing that I would like to see in a store if I went shopping. It’s definitely all about practicality and simplicity. I don’t design things that women can’t walk around in or dance in,” said Vasudevan of her designs.

As for advice for other aspiring fashion designers, Vasudevan encourages taking on internships to get valuable experience in the apparel industry. Vasudevan, herself, worked with a sportswear company for a couple of months. Through it, she had the opportunity to design swimsuits and backpacks that were displayed at trade shows.

Malati's evening gown design on the runway.

“The internship allowed me to get an overview of an apparel company. I learned about aspects such as marketing, manufacturing, and initial design phases. It was an all around experience. You really need to know that especially if you want to start your own design company,” said Vasudevan.

After graduation, Vasudevan hopes to gain valuable experience within the fashion industry through additional internships. Eventually, Vasudevan aspires to go to fashion design school and get a formal degree in the business she loves so much.

“Sometimes I am intimidated, but more often than that I’m not. I love this. It’s what I want to do. I never regret the time I’m putting into it at all. Yes, it’s very competitive, but I think it’s something I want to do, so I’ll put all my effort in it,” said Vasudevan.

On behalf of Brown Girl, we wish Malati Vasudevan best of luck in her venture and hope to see more of her soon!