From Haldwani to Race track
Growing up in Uttarakhand, Abhishek Paatni’s love for Formula 1 and Motor GP brought him to fashion, this time, he has expressed his need for the thrill of speed in his ‘racy’ menswear line. By Asmita Aggarwal You would never expect an electronic communications engineer, and MBA to switch sides, turn designer, but what can one say – Abhishek Paatni of the label Nought One is a man full of surprises. Growing up in a nondescript village of Uttarakhand (dad is from Haldwani, mom, Pithoragarh farther up in the Himalayas), his first stint was as a shopkeeper for a fashion brand. He counts it as one of the best experiences, which grounded him, taught him the ropes — how to run retail, package your product, keep the cash registers ringing. “I am from the mountains, growing up I wasn’t good at communication skills, due to little exposure to the ‘real’ world. Fashion helped develop my personality, better express myself,” says Paatni, who funnily confirms, in engineering they teach you things, which are not required in a job. His most fervent memory is of mom dressing him in winter jackets, a warm pair of pants-utilitarian clothing, for the snowfall, he had no formal introduction to fashion. “Now when I style, I follow mom’s basic, but handy principles,” he laughs, adding, his dad was posted around military personnel, all over the country thus, he developed a liking for parkas, olive green and cargo pants (all the three you can see explicitly in his various collections over the last nine years). “The mammoth amount you learn working in fashion whether it is about sexuality, expression, identity, questioning norms, breaking conventions, to channeling inclusivity, mentally one grow by leaps and bounds,” he asserts. Oversized, frayed denim, zippers, folds, check bandanas, dirty camouflage, red seems to be a man’s favourite now. Paatni’s offering had an unstitched, raw kind of appeal with engaging stitching details. “The block prints were made to create tyre skid marks and then hand done on garments,” he explains. His line for Chivas Luxe Collective Perfumes presents FDCI India Men’s Weekend 2025 is a passion project, “bikes and cars” his first two loves, can’t choose which he adores more; add to this mix sci-fi films and astrophysics. “I am a big fan of the Buddh circuit, have seen many MotoGP races, F 1, I wanted to introduce this heavy gear to civilians in a much-watered down version for sports fans,” he explains. What racers don, is meant to save your life, it’s like a leather armor, Paatni has attempted to give the thrill of speed in his denims, wool and parachute material which you can wear on your first date or even a café! “We have added graphics, oversized fits, T-shirts with logos of MotoGP, not an uncomfortable onesie you wear while real racing,” he adds, confirming the looks are tailored and the signature Nought One logo remains his favorite. As men have started investing in themselves, his overcoats (like the one content creator Ankush Bahuguna wore for Paris Fashion Week double lapel, faux fur) have found favour-puffers in parachute material, with plastic waste fill, are crafted in such a way that you are warm yet stylish. “Growing up I used to love jersey numbers on sports stars; when I launched a brand, and didn’t have money to hire an agency, I chose to design my own logo. That’s how the idea of zero one came about, it is copyrighted now, an integral part of our identity,” he concludes.
Mani is not a SNOB
His label serenades linens, he gives them a hip feel, with zips, tassels and hints of embroidery, for a new age man, who wants to experiment, but not go overboard. By Asmita Aggarwal He comes from a well-read Bihari family, father is a professor of English and mom botany, at Patna University; his sister is a doctor in the US. He studied at Doon School, worked in the corporate sector for 14 years (creative director Myntra and then Madhura Garments), saved up to launch his own label SNOB (Son of a Noble). Thus, his approach to fashion is unique — it must be commercial, he has not lost his way, as clothes are not art, they need to be simple and functional, he believes. Men’s fashion has become a lot younger, seamless, to this engaging mix there are streetwear elements and grunge. Mani Shankar Singh believes, dressing is more hybrid, like a mash up of everything, and even though he is known for his linens, within that space, he offers an undeniable, interesting variety. “It is easy, breathable, perfect for our country’s weather,” says Mani Shankar Singh at the Chivas Luxe Collective Perfumes presents FDCI India Men’s Weekend 2025 at Diggi Palace, Jaipur with Chivas. Though he has taken linen out of its stiffness and formality, added fun elements to it—sports vibe, grunge, fabric manipulations avoiding hectic embroidery, making it less old school, hipper and newer. “I wanted a 20-year-old to wear it, not just using it for boring kurtas, in a way our approach is futuristic. This collection we have added a little touch of embroidery,” he adds, confirming that most adhere to the minimal aesthetic. “We make ensembles for father (structured) and the son (easy, sometimes wicked),” says the Patna boy, now settled in Bangalore, after studying in NIFT where he did FDIT (fashion design and infotech) in 2003. Gaining international exposure from ‘Who’s Next?’ Paris and Ounass Middle-East, he believes austerity is the name of the game — black, white, and green remain his palette, playing sometimes with blushing neutrals. SNOB offers from kurtas, to shackets, trench, an ideology where you can wear a kurta, but a Cowboy version, with zips and tassels. “Kurta is essentially a long shirt, I have given it a global approach,” he smiles, adding his life partner Ritu Jain has launched a womenswear label. For men’s fashion week he has done bundis, a staple now in every man’s wardrobe, but with a twist—metal buttons to rivets. Denim added as well as kantha, sometimes they come with inverted box pleats. “Minimal detailing, but lots of textures, and since 2015 I have stuck to what and enjoy and do best—which is dressing men, asking them to cross the Rubicon and try a shot of edgy classics,” he concludes.