Meet Saisha Shinde, the transwoman who designed Harnaaz Sandhu’s Miss Universe Gown

• Image Credit: Internet

• Dec 14, 2021 | moderator

Mumbai: Resonating exuberance after being crowned Miss Universe on Monday, Harnaaz Sandhu would like to dedicate a part of her victory to Saisha Shinde, who created Sandhu’s Miss Universe gown.

Saisha Shinde is a transwoman, and she proudly revealed her gender at the beginning of the year. Her artistic and creative side, made Harnaaz Sandhu stand out from the others, making it’s a historic moment for all. “We did it,” Saisha Shinde wrote in an instagram post after news of the big win made headlines on Monday. Saisha also shared a picture of the newly-crowned Miss Universe in the floor-grazing gown.

Saisha Shinde (formerly Swapnil Shinde) came out as a transwoman in January this year.

Also read: For all the Harry Potter lovers, revealing the trailer of “The Secrets of Dumbledore”

"It was only in my early 20s at NIFT where I found the courage to accept my truth; I truly bloomed. I spent the next few years believing that I was attracted to men because I was gay, but it was only 6 years ago that I finally accepted to myself, and today that I accept to you. I'm not a gay man. I am a Transwoman," the celebrated fashion designer wrote in a note shared on social media at the time.

Saisha earlier spoke to News18 about designing the gown for the Miss Universe pageant and how her transition helped the process.

"There is a certain expectation from Miss India at an International pageant. She has to look elegant, exquisite and the gowns needs to look delicate and dainty but at the same time powerful, strong, which incidentally my brand has become now after I have transitioned into a woman," Saisha Shinde said.

The 40-year-old designer also shared a glimpse of the work that went into making the sheer embellished gown for Harnaaz on her Instagram Stories.

"The gown is embellished with embroidery, stones, and sequins. Harnaaz believes in sustainability, so we used embroidery material which was lying around at the studio," she explained.

Saisha Shinde has clienteles like Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone, Taapsee Pannu, Anushka Sharma, Katrina Kaif and Madhuri Dixit, among many others.