Saisha Shinde is a well-known Indian fashion designer, recognised as the first transgender designer in India. She has become a powerful and inspiring figure, not for her bold and glamorous designs, but also for her journey as the country’s first transgender to enter the glamorous world with her beautiful fashion sense. Her life is full of creativity, and her authentic designs are something that she is proud of.
Read further to know about Saisha Sinde’s age, height, career, and all other life updates. Stay tuned as her transformation journey from Swapnil to Saisha is very innovative.
Saisha Shinde Wiki
Saisha Shinde, born as Swapnil Shinde, is India’s first transgender fashion designer. She was born in 1981 in the Hindu Colony, Dadar, Mumbai. Her family is a well-to-do Marathi Family. She was born male, but since her childhood, she had feminine features. Initially, she thought she was gay, but later identified herself as a trans woman.
| Name | Saisha Shinde |
| Birth Name | Swapnil Shinde |
| Birth Year | 1981 |
| Birth Place | Hindu Colony, Dadar, Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Hometown | Dadar |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Ethnicity | Maharashtrian |
| Profession | Fashion Designer |
| Famous as | First Transgender Fashion Designer |
Saisha Sinde Age, Height and Other Physical Stats
Being born in 1981, Saisha Shinde age is 44 years as of 2025. She looks very beautiful after her transformation from male to female. Saisha Shinde height is 6 feet 2 inches, which is quite tall and complements her personality. She has brown hair and brown eyes. Her body is adorned with various tattoos that have become her identity.
| Age (as of 2025) | 44 Years |
| Height (in inches) | 6 feet 2 inches |
| Height (in cm) | 188 cm |
| Eyes | Brown |
| Hair | Brown |
| Tattoo | Yes |
Early Life and Family Background
Saisha was born in a Marathi family and has lived a very privileged life. Her father, Tulsidas Shinde, is a successful restrateur, and her mother is an artist. She grew up in Mumbai and was interested in fashion and lifestyle since her childhood. However, her childhood was not that easy, she was very bullied during her school days.
In an interview, she shared, “My schoolmates used to tease me by saying ‘aye baila’. They bullied me because I was shy and had feminine features. Those were the worst years of my life.” Saisha could not engage with her classmates and share her thoughts. She was denied of talk. Later, she also expressed her loneliness and said, “The church on the school premises became a refuge, where I would wait in a corner until everyone else had left for the day.”
These were her early days, when she struggled for her identity. But Saisha has motivated the whole LGBTQ+ community to dream big and achieve everything with all the confidence. Saisha’s career achievements are very inspirational and full of real struggles.
Education and Early Career
Even though she faced some difficulties, Saisha did really well in her studies and took part in activities like dancing and playing music outside of school. After finishing high school, she followed her love for fashion by joining the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Mumbai, where she graduated in 2003. She then completed a six-month internship at the famous House of Versace in Italy, which gave her a good understanding of global fashion styles and methods.
Here are the details about her educational background:
| Educational Qualifications | Details |
| School | St. Joseph’s High School, Wadala, Mumbai |
| College/University | National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT- Mumbai), House of Versace, Italy |
She started her career at the Kimaya Fashion Store in Mumbai, first as a salesperson and later as a visual merchandiser. These early jobs in retail and display helped her build the skills she would later use as a designer.
Professional Life: Fashion Brand- ‘Swapnil Shinde’
Saisha started her fashion brand using her birth name, Swapnil Shinde, in 2007. Her brand became well-known for making beautiful, fancy, and rich clothing for women. After she came out as her true self, her designs became even more real and showed who she is and how confident she feels.
Her brand is known for:
- Clothes made with detailed hand embroidery for special events.
- Saisha Shinde dresses that make a statement, like off-shoulder, backless, sheer, and ruffled styles.
- Creative jumpsuits and jackets.
- High-end outfits for red carpets and beauty pageants.
Saisha’s clothes have been shown at big fashion events like Lakmé Fashion Week and have been worn by famous Bollywood actresses such as Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor, Aditi Rao Hydari, Aishwarya Rai, and Kriti Sanon.
They’ve also been worn by pageant winners like Harnaaz Sandhu, who was Miss Universe 2021.
Career Highlights
Saisha Shinde, designer has come a long way in her career. She has achieved a lot of fame and recognition. Here are some of her career highlights that have made her the ‘Saisha Shinde’:
- Saisha has created costumes for several movies, including ‘Fashion’ in 2008, ‘Guzaarish’ in 2010, and ‘Laxmii’ in 2020.
- She also took part in Project Runway Season 14 in 2015, which helped her reach a wider audience around the world.
- Saisha designed the famous dress that Harnaaz Sandhu wore when she won Miss Universe 2021, which made her famous internationally.
- In 2022, she joined the reality show Lock Upp, hosted by Kangana Ranaut, and shared her personal story about her transition during the show.
Appearance in Various TV Reality Shows
Besides being a well-known fashion designer, Saisha Shinde has also become famous on reality TV. She first became widely recognised in 2015 when she appeared on Project Runway Season 14. Her unique style and creativity left a strong impression on people around the world. In 2022, she joined the Indian show Lock Upp, which is hosted by Kangana Ranaut. On this show, she spoke openly about her personal journey of transitioning, which helped challenge common stereotypes and started important conversations about gender identity. Her participation in reality TV highlighted her talent as a creative person and inspired many as a role model.
Gender Identity and Transformation
In her twenties, Saisha started to think about who she was. At first, she was attracted to men, and she wondered if she might be gay. But through therapy and consulting doctors, she realised she was feeling gender dysphoria. For many years, she struggled with anxiety and panic attacks, but her family, especially her dad, was always there for her. With their support, Saisha decided to live as her true self. In 2020, she had gender reassignment surgery, which involved hormone treatment, talks with a psychiatrist, and therapy to change her voice.
In January 2021, she shared her new name, Saisha Shinde, on social media, starting a fresh phase in her life and career.
Personal Life
People are very curious to know who Saisha Shinde husband is; the answer to this question is that Saisha is unmarried. She is living an independent life and is doing great in her career. Not that she is not interested in marrying someone, but right now her mere focus is her professional life and fashion is something that she is engaged with.
Saisha Shinde Net Worth
The net worth of Saisha Shinde as of 2025 is roughly estimated to be ₹2 crore. Saisha’s income, of course, comes from multiple sources, furthering her standing in the Indian fashion Industry. The largest proportion of her earnings can be attributed to her notable fashion design work; she has dressed Bollywood celebrities, designed iconic gowns for pageants, and worked on award-winning films such as “Guzaarish,” “Fashion,” and “Laxmii.”
Saisha also earns money from brand collaborations and endorsement deals, especially given her popularity and sizable social media following. There is also her income from modelling, acting, and other reality TV appearances on “Project Runway” and “Lock Upp”, which brought even more attention and subsequent work.
Commercial appearances, event invitations and sponsored social media posts are another means of additional income, as she accumulates income from a mix of creative, commercial, and socially-driven endeavours.
Social Media Presence
Saisha Sinde is present on social media through her Instagram account, which is verified and has given her an immense number of followers. Her account is full of selfies and various collaborations as a fashion designer. She often shares about her meetups and invitations as a designer. Shaisha Shinde Instagram bio states, “You are a limited edition.”
Final Thoughts
Saisha Shinde is a groundbreaking Indian fashion designer and the first well-known transgender designer in the country. Her journey from Swapnil to Saisha shows bravery, talent, and embracing who she is. She is famous for making bold and fancy clothes and has dressed Bollywood celebrities and international beauty queens like Harnaaz Sandhu. After she shared her true self in 2021, Saisha changed the way she creates fashion, using it to show her identity and strength. Her story gives hope and inspiration to the LGBTQ+ community and the fashion industry. Saisha shows that being honest about yourself is the strongest design, whether on the runway or in life.
