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The foundations of her journey lie in a legacy of over a 100 years. She was born and brought up in Banaras, at the heart of India's weaving Industry. She grew up to the clatter of the handlooms that were worked by nimble craftsmen in the sprawling gardens of her family home. Indeed, her paternal family began a chain of hotels so they had a place to showcase and sell the sarees! She remembers fondly a time when it was said that no Indian bride’s trousseau is complete without a Banarasi saree and a brocade lehenga!
Her family’s flagship store, The Indian Textiles Co., in the heritage wing of the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai was started over eighty years ago. This iconic shop became the go-to place for Heads of State, Bollywood stars, international designers and the swish set looking for the best of Indian textiles, especially Banarasi weaves. Her uncle, the renowned textile connoisseur, Sushil Kumar Ji, was devoted to providing his beloved artisans with a sustainable livelihood to enable them to persevere with the craft that had been in their families for generations. This is the heritage that Shivangi seeks to uphold.
She launched her own brand, Label Shivangi Kasliwal, in 2009 to promote the beautiful
Banarasis that she loves so much. She started out by connecting with old weavers who had
moved onto powerlooms and other lucrative jobs because of the shift in industry dynamics
due to evolution of technology. The weavers are the mainstay of her brand. She considers
herself fortunate to work with the most illustrious weaving families of Banaras from the
traditional weaving areas of Madanpura, Reori Talao, Peeli Kothi and Ramnagar.
Previously, she studied software engineering in Australia and the US, completed her M.Sc. in
Finance in England. Shivangi has had corporate work experience at multinationals like
Siemens and Deutsche Bank. Along with being a mother, she now works fulltime to preserve
and promote the Banarasi textile.
