When the sneaker culture came roaring through India sometime during the mid-2010s, it had a passenger in its sidecar. Though streetwear technically predates sneaker culture, with origins that link closely to hip-hop culture in America in the late 1970s-early ’80s, over time, the two have been thought of as synonymous by the less discerning observer. The subcultures seemingly permeated Indian fashion at about the same time, with both visibly booming in sales around 2015-2016. But street style in India actually began with T-shirt brands making tees with slogans, like the now-defunct Tantra. Or the oversized clothing brand FUBU, which was one of the most popular imports—largely carried back by one’s relatives who travelled abroad—through the early 2000s for the Indian streetwear enthusiast.
Over the years, the streetwear segment has grown—up to ₹ 5.3 lakh crore in India in 2023 (and US$185 billion globally), as a Deloitte study reveals, and the number of homegrown labels creating it has galloped. But while most streetwear brands tend to cater to the very specific social media-fed aesthetic that its millennial and Gen-Z audiences are seeking, some brands are heading in a different direction. They aren’t simply creating great but classic streetwear in India; they’re working India into their streetwear. Whether it involves working closely with karigars, using traditional techniques, employing only Indian fabrics and textiles, or doing all of the above while managing to carve out a niche, Indian street aesthetic, these five brands have successfully merged the two ideas.
As its name roundaboutedly indicates, colour is at the heart of this streetwear label. Founders Amrit Kumar and Mriga Kapadiya’s refreshing take on streetwear leans into vivid hues and unabashed prints, always with Indian craft at the wheel. “It was part of our personal style,” share Kumar and Kapadiya. “It became woven organically into the brand because it was the aesthetic we grew up with. It just came naturally [to us] to bring Indian techniques to the silhouettes we love to wear.” The brand’s juicy hues that pop, easy-fit co-ords, oversize dresses and layered looks have often been married with Indian prints, more specifically “bandhani, Ikat, embroideries of all kinds and block-printing,” they mention. The colour palates are quintessentially Indian, but the roots of a new collection vary. “For us, a collection starts either with colours or with techniques that we’re keen on exploring—or already inspired by. Though, sometimes, it starts with the silhouettes, which will spark ideas on the local textiles we want to work with. It’s a non-linear process for us and keeps it fresh every single time.”