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SWATI GUPTA
Multidisciplinary Designer | Artist
Image provided by Montana World of WearableArt™ (WOW)
A Wearable Dream Brought to Life
In 2009, I took my first step into the world of wearable art with a project that would become one of the most pivotal experiences of my creative journey. Titled “I Feel Like a Princess Tonight”, the piece was not just my debut wearable art costume—it was a vivid manifestation of childhood wonder, storytelling, and material exploration. Crafted from a combination of cotton, glass fiber, clay, Plaster of Paris (POP), putti, and LED lights, the costume was exhibited at Montana World of WearableArt™ (WOW) Awards Show in New Zealand, one of the most prestigious platforms celebrating innovation in fashion, sculpture, theatre, and art.
Left: Image provided by Montana World of WearableArt™ (WOW), Right: Photo clicked by Shweta Sukhani
The Inspiration: A Dream Set in Stone and Sky
Every dream begins with a spark. For me, the inspiration came from the breathtaking Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany—a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace perched dramatically atop a rugged hill. Famously known as the real-life inspiration behind Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle, Neuschwanstein represented more than architecture to me—it was an embodiment of fantasy, fairy tales, and limitless imagination.
Right: Photo clicked by Shweta Sukhani, Left Image Courtesy : Encyclopaedia Britannica
It was the perfect symbol of what I hoped to capture: a child’s dream—unrestricted, pure, and set in a magical world above the clouds, bathed in moonlight, with a glowing castle at its heart.
I wanted my costume to embody this dream. The title, “I Feel Like a Princess Tonight”, wasn’t just a name; it was an invitation to every child and adult alike to revisit that moment of unfiltered joy, when one feels free to imagine, to believe, and to shine.
Featured in a Children's Book: Storytelling Beyond the Runway
The story of “I Feel Like a Princess Tonight” didn’t end on the WOW stage. Later, the costume was featured in a children’s book by the incredibly talented designer, author and illustrator Fifi Colston, known for her work in costume design and wearable art.
To see my piece illustrated in a book designed to inspire imagination was a beautiful full-circle moment.
Image Courtesy : Fifi Colston, New Zealand
Why This Project Still Matters to Me
Looking back, “I Feel Like a Princess Tonight” wasn’t just a costume—it was the start of something much bigger.
I realized the kind of artist and designer I wanted to become—someone unafraid of combining disciplines, of experimenting, of telling stories that connect emotion, culture, and material form. It pushed me to think beyond aesthetics, to consider how every element—texture, shape, light, weight—could serve a narrative.
The experience taught me to embrace the unknown, to persist through frustration, and to celebrate the beauty of imperfection. It sparked a love for theatricality, for costume design, and for the transformative power of storytelling through materials.
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