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In Indian menswear brand Karu Research’s Autumn/Winter 2023 campaign, a boy on a scooter rides through Delhi’s bylanes wearing an olive block-printed handmade shirt. Early morning bazaars and Jaipuri house picnics are the backdrop for Harago’s latest collection of Rabari embroidered shirts and trousers for men. Sri Lankan brand Amesh pictures home knitters creating a colourful crocheted knit vest, their hands moving in mesmerising synchronicity. All three tell a proud story about their heritage.
South Asia’s contribution to fashion — both from a design and manufacturing viewpoint — has long been overlooked or taken for granted. However, a new cohort of designers is finding success by combining contemporary and traditional menswear silhouettes with a focus on embroidery craftsmanship. They are responding to growing demand for quality and provenance and tapping a local and global shift in traditional ideals of “masculinity”, partly driven by a new generation of celebrities that have a gender-fluid approach to fashion and beauty.
“Our customer’s mindset is changing,” says Daniel Todd, buying director at men’s fashion e-tailer Mr Porter. “[Menswear shoppers are] prioritising quality well-made items and pieces that help define a distinct style. We’re seeing an increase in the desire for hand-crafted pieces from authentic brands — items that offer integrity and a story.”
Todd cites brands such as Bode, Story MFG, Kardo, Karu Research and A Kind of Guise, which form part of Mr Porter’s Craftsmanship Code edit — highlighting brands around the world that make a positive contribution to their communities. On 16 October, Mr Porter will launch a new collection designed by Karu Research in collaboration with Throwing Fits, a New York-based podcast hosted by Lawrence Schlossman and James Harris, who discuss men’s clothing, culture and zeitgeist.
Other retailers are recognising the opportunity. Selfridges has also picked up Karu Research — which was founded by Delhi-born menswear designer Kartik Kumra in 2021 and was a semi-finalist for this year’s LVMH Prize. Early next year, Harrods will unveil a shop-in-shop for SMR Days, a London-based brand founded in 2020 by industry veterans Adam Shapiro, Dan May and Gautam Rajani, which celebrates the versatility of Indian craft by using centuries-old techniques.
Luxury brands, meanwhile, are doubling down on messaging about South Asian craftsmanship. For example, Dior used its Mumbai show in March to celebrate its longstanding partnership with Indian crafts supplier Chanakya International.
New gender norms
Indian designer Dhruv Kapoor, who has been showing his eponymous brand on the official Milan Fashion Week Men’s calendar since last June, says the way men dress is evolving, which has been the catalyst behind the growing popularity of South Asian brands. Kapoor’s contemporary separates, handmade-in-India prints and patterns that come with ornate surface textures such as beading and sequins, are worn by both men and women.
“The age range of those buying from us is very varied. We’ve had 19-year-olds and we’ve also had 60-year-old men who are buying. And it’s really surprising, but it’s the 60 year old man who’s buying the embellished blazer,” says Kapoor. “Because of how connected we are today, a lot of people are finding their own small communities on social platforms like Instagram where they feel more comfortable to express themselves to the fullest.” Men are taking more of an interest in finding fits that suit their bodies, staying up-to-date with the latest sneaker trends, and investing in jewellery that complements their style, he adds.
This evolution in menswear has been driven in large part by a new generation of celebrities, who have challenged expectations of what they should wear on the red carpet and to perform. “The cultural shift towards a more fluid and open expression of masculinity has been greatly amplified by technology and media,” says Vrinda Narang, celebrity stylist to several male Bollywood actors, including Vijay Varma.
Harsh Aggarwal, designer and founder behind Jaipur-based menswear brand Harago, noticed an uptick in sales when British singer and actor Harry Styles wore a pair of the brand’s quirky selvedge cotton shorts — hand embroidered with a bunny and carrots — as he arrived in Florida for a concert in 2021. Several other celebrities, including Niall Horan, Pedro Pascal, Drake and Tan France, have been opening doors to a new male ideal — one that is softer and more fluid. Closer to home, in Mumbai, established actors like Varma, Ishaan Khatter and emerging Gen Z actors — most notably those starring in the upcoming Indian remake of teen musical comedy The Archies for Netflix — are embracing a similar aesthetic.
“The fashion industry is progressing towards gender-neutral clothing, embracing concepts of individuality and authenticity,” says Narang. “This evolving trend is becoming a prevalent theme, inspiring new designers to create garments that cater to diverse identities and genders. They are reinventing cultural heritage with a contemporary touch.”
Rikki Kher, the designer and founder behind 10-year-old menswear label Kardo – who highlights the artisanal textiles of India using menswear as the conduit – attests to fashion’s co-ed sensibilities. His brand’s khadi embroidered shirts, made in partnership with Indian weaving villages, are stocked in both men’s and women’s stores.
He says the brand’s craft aesthetic became popular outside Asia before being accepted in India. “I started my brand because nobody was promoting Indian artisanal textiles outside of India nor actively displaying transparency in the processes and sharing information about artisanal techniques or artisans,” he says. The brand is stocked at 150 stores worldwide, including Bergdorf Goodman and Mr Porter. “Nobody was doing menswear like this and I wanted to wear clothes that were modern in silhouette but had history and meaning in the fabric. We had to be original in our brand philosophy as well as identity in order to stand out in a crowded global market.”
Like Rikki Kher and Dhruv Kapoor, Amesh’s separates — often made using overstock — target women and men alike. The designer says several of his customers are simply craft and textile lovers. Some even buy pieces to hang as wall art at home.
In India, designers have been embracing traditional silhouettes such as the dhoti — a sarong-style skirt worn by Indian men for comfort and ease, around the house and also for traditional occasions. “In history, traditional Indian clothing, such as the kurta or dhoti, was designed to provide ease of movement, which naturally led to the adoption of softer silhouettes,” says Narang. “This aspect of clothing design is an inspiration for several contemporary Indian designers, including Itoh, Arjun Saluja and Rajesh Pratap Singh. They all share a common vision, which is to beautifully integrate Indian cultural heritage with practical and comfortable clothing.”
With these cultural and social shifts underway, brands have been playing catch up. A show of strength came during the June edition of London Fashion Week when Instagram account The Asian Man hosted a panel in partnership with the British Fashion Council. “This conversation has been long overdue,” says Aaron Christian, founder of The Asian Man. “The South Asian community globally has been contributing to the fashion industry for years and accounts for a large amount. The community is a core pillar of the trade, so to ignore it doesn’t make business sense. The manufacturing side of fashion was not seen as glamorous, but now that is shifting.”
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