Genderless Sharp Suits in Indian Fashion

Menswear is seeing a revolution in terms of fabric development, genderless clothing and the need to dress individualistically. Sahil Aneja woos the modern man with a unisex wardrobe, while Pratyush Kumar Maurya, includes sustainability by recycling waste, to create modularity in menswear. Gaurav Khanijo makes a play with fine tailoring along with biomimicry.

Sahil Aneja - a bespoke Menswear label

Sahil Aneja was founded nine years ago with the intent to redefine menswear and design garments with a strong identity. “A lot of the motivation to start my own label came from the then-existing men’s fashion in the country. Back then it was strongly inspired by Western culture. Most of the garments were a product of fashion’s trickle-down effect. Thus, failing to cater to personal style, and lacking authenticity. High-end designers were designing both menswear and womenswear together. Their designs were interesting but highly personalized to the designer’s aesthetics. I felt the need for a brand that focused on bespoke menswear and resonated with every man, as an expression of their personal style,” says Sahil.

About the Brand Sahil Aneja

‘Sahil Aneja’ is meant for everyone. The designs are classic and minimal with a touch of boldness--- a subtle way to stand out and feel good about yourself. Another thing that was missing in menswear fashion, was innovative garment construction. They say a suit makes a man, and a good suit has a profound impact on the wearer. It improves posture and silhouette and adds an air of sophistication. While a poorly constructed one can have the exact opposite and negative effect. India has an abundance of good craftsmanship, but it lacked direction. “That’s where I thought I could come into the picture. With the right skills and good creative direction, I wanted to transform Indian suiting, and make it bespoke and for the Indian man. I wanted men to look dapper and elegant. While some understood fashion, most of them were unaware and had no accessibility,” he adds.

Sahil wanted to change this important aspect and make fashion easy for everyone. “So far, my journey with Sahil Aneja hasn’t been an easy road. Men usually ignore developing their personal style, and avoid spending time on fashion and personal care,” he adds. But the times have changed. Men are starting to get conscious of what they wear and are exploring individualistic styles. Through the years, he has witnessed this shift with his clients. There has been a slow shift in the attitude of customers, they have started to become more aware and have gotten involved in the shopping process.

Personalization is the Emphasis

At his brand, they insist on having personal opinions of all clients, while choosing clothes. They develop a relationship of guidance, through which customers grow into their own styles. “Nothing gives me more joy than seeing a customer carefully choosing my designs and cherishing them. Today, my brand has managed to create a strong brand aesthetic that is true to my vision of creating an authentic menswear brand,” he says.

Women in Suits

He has started to see women beginning to approach menswear. As the lines get blurred into genderless clothing, Sahil is more than happy to have intrepid women wearing his clothes. “At the end of the day, it’s the same garment and still serves the purpose of catering to personal styles. I should also admit the joy and surprise of seeing different genders, wearing my garment differently. It makes me realise the endless possibilities of my creations and fashion, as a whole,” he adds. This newfound inspiration has definitely given an extra edge, to his desire, to grow the brand further.

Pratyush Kumar Maurya-Pieux - Circular Fashion Label

Pieux, is a luxury sustainable fashion brand with circularity in its DNA. Being a creative design label with innovation at its core, they beautifully merge traditional and modern techniques to create products. “We believe, in this era when everyone is talking about sustainability, we are not just another sustainable label. We are trying to revolutionise fashion, one product at a time with techniques, materials, details, craftsmanship and the circular nature of our offerings,” says Pratyush.

Emphasis on Circularity and Sustainability

In order to remain completely aligned with the philosophy of circularity and sustainability, all the products are created using sustainable textiles, materials and processes like upcycling and recycling. Pieux sources materials from different regions around the globe, which are organically and ethically produced. They use different techniques which add an element of luxury to the ensemble. “We aim to collaborate with different crafts of the world, to make it more accessible to the people. We marry silhouettes, pattern making, technology and rich craftsmanship to create exclusive ready-to-wear, couture garments, bags, modular footwear and eyewear,” he adds.

Use of Organic Fibre/Textile

The label uses certified organic textiles like cotton, orange, eucalyptus and rose, recycled materials like R|elan rPET textile, lenticular textile by Pieux, Cupro, Surplus textiles, discarded faulty garments, recycled threads, Econyl and upcycled materials like Cartex.

Cartex is developed by procuring and upcycling discarded yarns, from the carpet industry. By doing so they are able to save almost 85 kg of yarns from reaching the landfill in every collection that they make. The process and methods are completely eco-friendly and cruelty-free. Currently, they work closely with artisans, in a few states of India for different processes of manufacturing.

“I believe there has always been a huge gap in the menswear segment, and the increase in purchasing power, impact of social media and influence of international and Indian celebrities, have pushed men to explore menswear. Also, fashion stylists, journalists and magazines have helped men to understand menswear aesthetics more deeply. Hence, this segment has seen a drastic change in style dynamics. Men are now more experimental with colours, and silhouettes. They are paying more attention to their appearance. These are also the reasons why India has become a big market for luxury international menswear labels as well,” he says. In fact, India has seen an increase in homegrown menswear designer labels in the past decade.

Khanijo - Ethical Luxury Brand

Khanijo is an eponymous, ethical luxury brand founded in 2014, and it started with exhibiting fine tailoring skills in menswear, telling stories through generational wisdom, deeply rooted in the textiles and apparel of India. It creates contemporary clothing, in diverse cultures.

Fast forward to the present, and the label is often seen on both men and women, having undergone a radical transformation under the helm of forward-thinking Gaurav, its creative director. Khanijo is divided into three parts---- Khanijo Soul, Khanijo Root and Khanijo Lab.

“Soul” is a casual, comfortable wear which is unisex. Root is about festive wear, a story of crossing borders by creating contemporary clothing born of ancient culture. Lab has an upcycled avant-garde look, rebuilt from deadstock fabrics.

Channelling the cultural integrity of the country, the brand entered into a wider sense of fashion consciousness, by believing in the ideology of biomimicry, for material innovation.

All Natural Handwoven Textile

They use indigenous handwoven textiles, and natural fibres to co-create meticulous textures, by embracing the circular economy, tapping into the zeitgeist, while still paying homage to heritage.

Menswear today has changed drastically since Khanijo in 8 years of its inception, how men dress has evolved not only in the Indian marketplace but internationally as well. It has been more about exploring something out of the ordinary.

“Tailored clothing has been combined with streetwear, and it turns out that the marketplace, shifted towards what’s trending on social media. With globalisation, people are aware of how they want to look, and maintain their lifestyle, focusing on mobility and functionality, along with effortless layering. They know what they want. Men want to invest in their clothes, they are smart shoppers,” says Khanijo.

Though today’s Indian market is much more aware of what fabric they would want to wear, no longer shying away from demanding, well-fitting suits to quality fabric. Most of the brands out there know how to sell their story, to become more visible to the audience. Men have started seeing dressing as less of a burden or a task, and more of a naturally social act. “The evolution of Indian men, also indicates how their preferences have changed, over time from quantity to quality,” he further explains.

Currently, it is all about owning a wardrobe, that is a fine balance between traditional, and easy menswear. They are ready to change their spending habits, if it fits with their personality. “At Khanijo, we believe, a man knows what he desires, and takes his clothes seriously- whether it is a simple linen shirt or sharp cut suits or bomber jackets, everything is becoming experimental,” he concludes.

About The Author

Asmita Aggarwal has been a journalist for the last 30 years having edited publications like– HT City, Cosmopolitan, L’Officiel, Patriot and Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle. She recently won an award from the FDCI for her contribution to fa ... shion journalism and also put together a book titled “Chrysalis” for Anand and Anand, a law firm released by designer Manish Malhotra at the Jaipur Literature Festival.

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