Pranav Kirti Misra On HUEMN, Evolution & Not Following Trends
On the eve of HUEMN's SS'26 showcase in Mumbai, the brand's co-founder gets candid maintaining a global aesthetic and the rules & trends he won't follow
Even if you’ve been living under a rock these past few years, there’s no way you would’ve missed seeing someone wear some piece of clothing from HUEMN. Or maybe you own one of their clothes & have loved its oversized fit or unisex appeal, or both?
As someone who’s a proud owner of many HUEMN t-shirts, I’m always curious about the next direction the brand is taking. Which seems to be a return to be a runway comeback on November 15 in Mumbai, collaboration with an unnamed legend (more shall be revealed during the said show) and a design departure towards precision tailoring and refined construction.
Seemed like the perfect time to chat with the brand’s co-founder, Pranav Kirti Misra, and that’s what I did. He talks about everything from Indian crafts and menswear trends to the brand’s SS’26 show and much more.
PS: Do check out his personal Instagram page (if you aren’t already following it) for some solid original shayari he writes, and occasionally, recites on video. Designing isn’t the man’s only talent!
Edited excerpts:
HUEMN’s one of the most exciting homegrown Indian brands right now — what is the single largest reason for its enduring appeal?
HUEMN is unapologetically itself. The work has never been about trends or seasons. It comes from emotion, conflict, humour, memory, and sometimes discomfort. People feel that honesty. I think that sincerity is what keeps the brand alive for those who find themselves in it.
The brand is known for oversized fits. What prompted this shift into precision tailoring, refined construction and sharper cuts?
Nothing at HUEMN is static. The language keeps evolving. Oversized silhouettes were one conversation — they spoke about comfort, protection, rebellion, and humour at the same time. SS’26 is a new chapter. I wanted structure and definition. Cuts that hold form without losing ease. A shoulder that changes how a body stands. Tailoring felt like the right language for what I wanted to say now.
With chikankari, aari, zardozi and more — how does an Indian brand maintain a global aesthetic while going deeper into Indian craft?
My love for chikankari is rooted in where I come from. I was born and brought up in Lucknow. I have seen my mother embroider her saris with precision and pride. My father wore kurtas with tone-on-tone chikankari. During Eid, the streets would be filled with it. I have countless memories of that craft.
Rilke wrote, in the context of poetry:
“And still it is not enough to have memories... Not until they have turned to blood within us, to a glance, a gesture, nameless and no longer distinguishable from ourselves — only then can the first word of a verse arise.”
This is my verse. I waited for it to come into my work for years.
Technically, it was interesting. A thicker, coarser material takes more time to embroider. There is death and beauty coexisting in the motifs — bones and flowers, embroidered quietly on wool and denim. At first glance, the motifs look traditional, but when you come closer, you realise what they are made of. It is so Indian and yet so global.
How has the brand evolved over the years — not just in scale but in sensibility?
HUEMN is a progressive sceptic. It questions itself constantly. Over 13 years, the brand has moved through different forms — streetwear, couture, wearable art, collaborations. The work has grown sharper — more structured, more engineered, more introspective. There is a focus on how clothes shape the body, the mind, and the room they enter. But the centre hasn’t changed. HUEMN creates when there is something worth saying — and never because the calendar demands it.
When it comes to men and style in India, what are a few exciting shifts you’ve seen?
Men are dressing for themselves. There is less fear, less cookie-cutter, and more individuality. You see softness and strength in the same outfit — tailoring with jewellery, florals with sneakers, saris with jackets. That freedom is exciting.
Is there a fashion rule you swear by — something you follow while designing or dressing yourself?
No rules. The moment there is a rule, creativity becomes obedience.
What’s one menswear trend we will never see in a HUEMN collection?
A trend cannot exist inside a HUEMN collection. By the time something becomes a trend, it already belongs to the past. HUEMN works ahead of that curve — sometimes the pieces become references later, sometimes they don’t, but the intention is always to move forward, not sideways. That is the point of avant-garde fashion.