Menswear Designed By Women Designers

Some of the most compelling men in literature and cinema were crafted by women. Take Mr Darcy—if he’d been written by a man, he’d likely have stayed an arrogant snob until the final page. But Jane Austen saw beyond that, creating a man who, yes, brooded—but also learned, adapted and set his ego aside for love. That’s what made him truly desirable.

Apply the same to fashion. What happens when women take the reins of menswear?

For the longest time, men’s fashion has been a fortress—built on structure, stitched for dominance. Stiff suits, power shoulders, razor-sharp tailoring. It ticked all the boxes for function but left little room for feeling. While men may have once been content with wearing clothes that doubled as emotional armour, today’s man wants more. More movement. More fluidity. And definitely more character.

Challenging the idea that menswear has to espouse stoicism to be strong, designers like Urvashi Kaur, Amrita Khanna, Aneeth Arora and Kanika Goyal are creating space for men to show up as their most authentic selves—intentional, vulnerable and unboxed. It’s about using fashion as a reflection of who they really are.

From left to right: péro, KGL and Urvashi Kaur

For Kaur, clothing is a tool for liberation, not categorisation. “The idea is to give humans the freedom to do everything they’re meant to do creatively. Only without restrictions can they truly explore who they are,” she says. That ethos carries through to her store, where racks aren’t divided by gender—but by instinct. “People walk in and pick whatever they relate to,” she says.

Khanna, one half of the founding duo at Lovebirds, echoes that fluid philosophy, noting that their move into menswear wasn’t a pivot—it was a natural progression. “I’ve always gravitated towards oversized shirts, straight-cut trousers and a utilitarian aesthetic—but with a softer lens,” she says. “So when we expanded into menswear, it wasn’t about entering new territory. It was simply an extension of the conversation we were already having.”

For Lovebirds, the goal was never to feminise menswear, but to neutralise it—make it open, intuitive and accessible. Even if the female gaze admittedly sees through a softer lens, softness shouldn’t be mistaken for weakness. It’s a balancing act of contradictions—powerful yet delicate, unbound yet vulnerable, effortless and intentional all at once. When we asked designer Kanika Goyal if there’s a difference between a man designing for men and a woman doing the same, she said, “While I hesitate to generalise by gender, my perspective is shaped by empathy and a deep curiosity about what lies beneath traditional masculinity. I’m drawn to the nuances—the quiet contradictions, the softness masked as strength, the unspoken layers of identity that often go unnoticed in menswear. That emotional undercurrent seeps into my work—through offbeat detailing, layered textures and silhouettes that invite vulnerability without compromising presence.”

The female gaze is not here to replace the male gaze but expand it. At her label péro, Aneeth Arora brings the female gaze to menswear through quiet craftsmanship and an emphasis on tactility. “We use soft, handwoven fabrics and incorporate elements like subtle embroidery or unexpected colour palettes to create pieces that invite touch and evoke emotion,” she explains. The result is an intimate, personal dialogue between garment and wearer—one that encourages men to explore a broader, more expressive sense of self.

From left to right: Lovebirds, KGL and péro

Kaur’s clothes are also designed to invite intimacy. “The way I craft my clothes, you have to come really close to somebody to touch, feel, see the texture.” For her, clothing becomes a portal—to peel back layers and spark deeper conversations. “I force people to connect and engage more deeply—not just with others, but with themselves and their own clothing.” It’s not about wearing armour to deflect judgment, but about having the courage to wear something that reflects who you really are.

Menswear has always placed function over feeling, but the quiet rebellion Khanna is leading at Lovebirds, lies in proving that expression and utility can coexist. “Menswear can be expressive and nuanced without sacrificing functionality,” she says. “Just like our womenswear has long borrowed from menswear—relaxed tailoring, boxy cuts, utilitarian details—our menswear simply returns the favour.”

At péro, design embraces intricate craftsmanship often gatekept by womenswear—think floral prints, lace and crochet. “Incorporating handwoven textiles with subtle draping alongside tailored cuts allows us to create garments that exude both strength and sensitivity,” Arora explains.

While some worship structure, others are here to dismantle it—and it’s in that tension that things get interesting for Goyal. “I don’t see softness and structure as opposing forces. They can, and often should, coexist,” she says. At KGL, paradoxes thrive—a sharply tailored blazer might conceal an organza underlay or reveal a hidden text hinting at vulnerability. “It’s in these contrasts—rigid lines paired with emotional softness—that the pieces come alive.”

With their fresh perspective, these four women designers have given menswear room to breathe. To allow instinct to override expectation. To make space for men to be intentional, vulnerable and to wear their hearts on their sleeves—sleeves that are impeccably tailored and purposefully stylish.

To read more stories from Esquire India's April 2025 issue, pick up a copy of the magazine from your nearest newspaper stand or bookstore. Or click here to subscribe to the magazine.