The New York designer fusing South Asian heritage with gothic rebellion through safety pins, upcycled silk, and dark romanticism
Aditi Srivastava is a New York-based fashion designer whose debut collection merges the ornate craftsmanship of South Asian textiles with the dark romanticism of gothic subculture. Working with hand-linked safety pins, upcycled Banarasi silk, and heritage pearls, she has developed a visual language that refuses to be categorized or contained.
At first glance, the pairings seem improbable. Delicate mirror shells sit alongside industrial washers. Tudor-era silhouettes meet the fluid draping of the sari. Yet in Srivastava’s hands, these contradictions resolve into something cohesive and arresting, positioning her among the most distinctive emerging voices in contemporary fashion.
Photography: Nafisah Crumity
Talent: Faranaz Colton
The Collection
Srivastava’s current work comprises two statement looks that function as both garments and manifestos. The first centers on a hand-linked safety pin top inspired by vintage Indian black metal jewelry, accented with heritage pearls, mirror shells, and hand-linked washers. Paired with a silk georgette skirt shaped by sari draping techniques, the look oscillates between ceremonial elegance and street-level grit.
The second pushes further into theatrical territory. A metal-boned corset, constructed from hand-dyed, upcycled Banarasi silk, cinches the torso with structural precision. The fabric carries weight beyond its physical presence; Banarasi silk, woven in the holy city of Varanasi for generations, represents one of India’s most revered textile traditions. By repurposing vintage pieces rather than commissioning new yardage, Srivastava embeds sustainability into the garment’s DNA while preserving artisanal lineage.
Above the corset sits a gabled hood referencing Tudor-period fashion, constructed entirely from safety pins and adorned with Indian black metal jewelry. A hand-linked washer blinder obscures the face, transforming the wearer into something between royalty and specter.
Hyderabad to Manhattan
Understanding Srivastava’s work requires understanding her geography. She left Hyderabad at eighteen to pursue fashion in New York, trading the sensory overload of the Charminar markets for the equally overwhelming chaos of Manhattan. The shift in landscape did not erase her origins; instead, it threw them into sharper relief.
“I see a lot of Indian Maximalism and sari-like drapery I grew up around show up in my work organically. It always reminds me of being a child in the maze of markets and stalls by the Charminar and just taking in the colors, textures, and intricate metalwork, or picking a set of tiny bangles out of a sea of colored glass.”
These childhood memories surface in her material choices with startling specificity. The oxidized metals she favors recall the jewelry vendors of Hyderabad’s old city. The tapestry-like density of her textile work echoes her mother’s sari collection, accumulated across decades.
Design Philosophy
Srivastava is acutely aware of how South Asian aesthetics tend to be flattened in Western fashion contexts, reduced to a handful of recognizable signifiers: bright colors, paisley prints, gold embroidery. Her work deliberately pushes against these limitations.
“I think cultural references can get boxed into a very narrow visual language, and I tried to subvert that expectation in this collection.”
Dark oxidized metals replace gleaming gold. Muted silks stand in for vibrant brocades. Punk hardware sits alongside traditional craft. She cites Alexander McQueen and John Galliano as key influences, designers who built careers on recontextualizing historical elements for contemporary audiences.
The Gothic Turn
If Hyderabad provided Srivastava with her foundational visual vocabulary, New York sharpened its edge. The city’s alternative subcultures introduced a darkness that now permeates her aesthetic.
“This collection in particular has helped me settle into my identity, combining elements of my South Asian heritage with the dark, haunting, romantic quality of the gothic and the macabre.”
The gothic element is not merely stylistic affectation. Srivastava sees genuine kinship between South Asian craft traditions and gothic sensibilities: both value intricacy, both embrace the ornate, both understand that darkness can carry beauty.
Looking Ahead
Sustainability and storytelling remain central to her practice. She describes the collection as “a love letter to the cultures that have informed my existence, my family, and storytelling.” Each garment carries narrative weight, tracing her migration from Hyderabad to New York while honoring the traditions of both places.
Srivastava designed these pieces with movement in mind, hoping they will be reinterpreted through editorial styling. She plans to expand the collection in coming weeks, building on the interplay between South Asian craft and gothic sensibility.
For now, she has created something rare: work that feels genuinely personal without becoming insular, that draws on heritage without lapsing into nostalgia, that embraces darkness without losing warmth. The fashion world would do well to watch where she goes next.
