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Unless you have been living under a particularly unfashionable rock, you already know that menswear is having a moment. The old rules are loosening, younger men are experimenting and words like vintage, reworked, archival and sustainable have officially entered the everyday fashion vocabulary. Somewhere between the oversized trouser and the perfectly imperfect vintage jacket, Indian menswear has found a new kind of cool.
There is a huge growth of Indian labels making clothes that deserve a much closer look. These are the designers for the man who does not necessarily want to look “fashionable”, but would quite like everyone to notice that he has excellent taste.
What happens when your wardrobe starts with what everyone else has thrown away? Rkive City has built its design practice around that question. Founded in New Delhi in 2022 by Ritwik and Aarav Khanna, the research and design house works with post-consumer textiles, reworking existing garments into new pieces rather than treating them as waste. Its language is particularly strong around reconstructed denim, where panels, pockets and other remnants become part of the design itself.
Founded by Pranav Mishra and Shyma Shetty, HUEMN has been pushing Indian fashion towards something more experimental since its launch in 2012. The Delhi-based label describes itself as a contemporary, handcrafted and unisex ready-to-wear label, with collections shaped by the social, cultural and political landscape around it.
Its approach to menswear sits somewhere between streetwear, sports-luxe and artful disruption.
Formerly known as Karu Research, Kartik Research was founded by Kartik Kumra and has become one of the most talked-about names in contemporary Indian menswear. The New Delhi-based label, founded in 2021 according to its own history, places Indian craftsmanship at the centre of modern clothing, working with handlooms, plant dyes and hand embroidery.
Kumra's label has also shown on the Paris Fashion Week menswear calendar, taking its distinctly Indian point of view onto an international stage.
Founded in New Delhi in 2018 by Dhruv Khurana, the fashion house draws on mythology, mysticism, power and imagined histories, translating those ideas into contemporary clothing.
There is an intellectual streak running through the clothes, but they remain firmly rooted in wearability, with craft, handwork and graphic references forming part of the brand's visual language.
Founded in Jaipur by Harsh Agarwal in 2019, Harago brings Indian craftsmanship into a playful, contemporary wardrobe. The label works with vintage textiles, handwoven fabrics and traditional techniques including Kantha, Sujini embroidery, applique and patchwork, collaborating with artisans across India. Think relaxed shirts, easy trousers and expressive co-ords that feel nostalgic without looking dated.
