The Measured Elegance of Gaurav Khanijo’s Menswear

“SHIOSAI, THE WHISPER OF tide and dune” is how Gaurav Khanijo describes the roots of his latest showing at Tranoï Tokyo. The palette carries a nautical charge, blues pulled from hand-dyed deep indigo and browns sourced from soil-grown

cotton in parts of Karnataka, creating a quiet bridge between sand and water. Ask him about his curation of pieces at the showcase, and he slips into lyricism. Motifs drawn from Chinese and Japanese cues, Urdu and Sanskrit typography woven into a jumpsuit.

But here is the thing: even though Khanijo speaks in poetry, his garments feel influenced by the science of physics. While arts and sciences have different pathways in academia, he has managed to find the middle ground. That is how you can argue that he would make a good engineer. The pieces are a study in calculated restraint. The drama lies not in the noise but in the construction. The neckline is cut with precision yet soft on the body, trousers are tempted with volume without losing discipline. Even the tailoring is thoughtful and instinctive.

Naturally, Japan was a fitting stage for a designer that plays with precision. Although the influence, he insists, was not intentional. The parallels, however, are noteworthy with the controlled volume, the love for pattern making and fluidity that feel distinctly his.

Nearly ten years into the journey, the brand’s evolution can be traced through clothes. “When I started, it was all structured suits and tailoring,” he says. “But post lockdown, I realised we do not need collars… we do not need those bold lapels anymore.” That realisation unlocked a new visual language where fluidity feels earned, not adopted.

What makes the showcase compelling is not just the craft, but what it signals. There is a growing shift among Indian menswear designers who are moving beyond decorative identity into technical, material and culturally layered clothing. Khanijo happens to be doing so with sand, water and about ten years of pattern making behind him.

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