Kunal Rawal introduces Patola-inspired weave for grooms, turning tables on traditionality; he serenades us with denim dhotis, and comfort, to make sure reusability, and functionality co-exist at ICW 2024.
By Asmita Aggarwal
Remember Ranbir Kapoors hybrid dhoti, well, Kunal Rawal is the one to take risks. Even though he is young in couture, he believes he has found his feet, and often says, India is 14 countries in one the craft is diverse, and so is the market. We are a country of celebrations where marriages are auspicious, and grand, so why shouldnt couture be personalized, to suit the psyche more than the body type?
Star Arjun Kapoor may not have the abs like the rest of the Bollywood toned gang, but he does have a winning attitude, whether it was giving up his seat for a lady during the show, or posing freely with his fans, he has no starry airs. Well, Aditya Roy Kapoor, is a different ball game he is suave, unshackled and seems to have fun in whatever he does, he was the ideal showstopper for Rawal.
Kunal gave us mogras, the sweet smell wafted through the hall, and cushions to sit on, creating an oasis, with birds chirping and greenery. In his unique style, the show began with Gurmukhi, and then it was raining men —bearded, wearing earrings, kundals, ponytails, turbans to delicious curls. As Kala Doria played with IP Singh and Akshay Raheja, women walked in sherwanis armed with silver-edged swords.
The turning of tables wasnt restricted to just shapes, Kunal convinced Aparna Bahl, the choreographer to take the cue and walk the ramp. Kunal got older, bulkier models in dhotis, he does know how to add drama, music played a big role in the presentation which had everyone foot-tapping.
Culturally couture is the richest, and GenZ demand a hand-crafted product, which has a fresh thought, can be reused, has real value, comfort, of course, is king, says Kunal, adding, couture is mostly looked at for women, men were never in the game, only for the last few years, there has been a shift.
Menswear, he believes, is a specialists job, thats why he admires Rick Owens for his ingenious concepts, and what Alessandro Michele did for Gucci, almost giving it a new identity. Men have clarity, are strong minded, they are loyalists, now unlike earlier, they take a keen interest in what they want to wear, he admits.
For ICW 2024, the overall theme revolves around union of two minds thus, the title Sehera, the science behind auspicious dates intrigued Kunal. You want to make sure, a marriage has positivity, good energy, and favorable omen, he says. Thus, his motifs are inspired from this sentiment — betel leaves, evil eye, coconuts, wedding are soaked in a robust layer of culture, they have a distinct spiritual side.
To fructify his thinking, he has come armed with a treasure trove of textileshis most potent armour is the Patola-inspired, hand woven, weave, traditionally women have loved. He has delved into Chikankari for the first time, brocades, and Bandhini are all time favourites, he created unique block prints, used silks and Ajraks to craft safas to stoles.
For me, a line is successful only if it is comfortable, he adds. You can see how effortlessly his deconstructed sherwani works, or Patiala, breeches, pants are done in stretch, linings are sweat absorbent, fabrics weights are lighter, and come with an exquisite fall. The paneling in the bandhgala, is cut closer to the body, making way for exciting shapes. There is no cookie cutter method we follow, it is all about pattern play, he admits. He works on technicalities, jersey sleeves add ease in movement, he urges grooms not to go in for a mannequin look, but customize it.
Taking it a step further, there is personalized lining on offer, cusping used to join pieces together, ensuring smoothness in wear. When I started, I felt there was a uniformity in menswear for weddings, the product was boring, men were dictated how they need to look. Now there has been an evolution, he explains. Personally, he admires drapes, but has only attempted a few, this time he has dhotis, even though flares are in trend, Kunal has not worked with them. He introduced nifty dropped crotches, six types of Aligarh shalwars, in modern iterations. Everything comes with lots of pockets, he reiterates.
After design, music is his love, this year for the ICW 2024 show, he created five new tracks, he believes storytelling in the format of weddings excites him tremendously. Aesthetically groom wear is altering; hand crafted products are being appreciated. As a designer, I feel fortunate to be able to access varied textiles, seeped in history, he concludes.