Colour me anything — say men
From canary yellow shoes, to men in corsets, sequinned flowers on power shoulders, slogan tees that told you to ‘Grow’, the Chivas Luxe Collective Perfumes presents FDCI India Men’s Weekend 2025 was an eye opener for the intrepid new man-unafraid of embroidery and red. By Asmita Aggarwal When you get trained by the best in the business, you have an undeniable edge, Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna was his first job. After Central Saint Martins, Sahil Aneja didn’t want to get into his family business which was anyway fledging-printing press for local newspapers. Though what he did learn from there was colour theory, and of course, participating in painting competitions in school, which was the propeller for him to try design. After a master’s in business management from Auckland, he knew fashion and specifically menswear was his calling. “I have seen men take a lot more chances, quirky hues to fun factors are now part of their wardrobes. That’s what we have done in ‘Play’ our collection for India Men’s Weekend—graphics to denims,” he says. To this he added slouchy, oversized, and layering rather than structured shapes. Though he credits social media, celebs, and influencers with the innate desire to look different. ‘Play’ comes armed with power shoulders, olive green hoodies, checks with flying threads hanging from mildly embroidered jackets. As slogans are now everywhere, Sahil is not far behind, from ‘Grow’ with mushroom prints, to baby elephants riding a bicycle, done in polyblends, crushed cottons, and linens discovering his niche after ten years. “I wasn’t sure if my clothes would sell, but I realised you have to keep adapting, moving forward, best to go with your instincts,” he smiles. Pawan Sachdeva’s C’est Chic Influencer Ms Coco Queen Sukhneet Wadhwa opened the show in a tee which announced what was to come- C’est chic. ‘Lights camera and fashion’, ‘Transform criticism into creativity’, it said on men’s blue shirts, along with bottle green co-ord sets. Magenta is now officially a man’s hue, they have adopted it religiously, and tie ups are deliberately left untied. Faded prints are everywhere along with paint splatter, Zig zag threadwork running all over monochrome dresses which told us in bold, ‘Creatives are new athletes’ and ‘Your comfort zone will kill you’. Ah yes, how can we forget TV actor Shalin Bhanot and his antics on the runway! Varun Bahl’s sequinned florals What happens when red and black shimmer from atop a fort that is almost 200 years old? Magic! Can it get better? Floral placement embroidery, sheer kurtas, harem pants, in gossamer white and delicate watercolour florals. When you keep it white like Varun, with splashes of colour, add little shimmer in the flowers, as if a child has coloured inside them, pop of sequins, you know style is all about less not more. Varun’s models decided to abandon briefcases and clutch shimmering unabashed crimson handbags. Dhotis sparkled with red dots, hoping you can share them with your wife too! Japanese style Obi belts, but broader, were thunderous; his constant companions in 20 years have been florals, maybe it’s his trips as a child to Kashmir that subconsciously spills on to his collections. Rohit and Rahul’s placement embroidery The newest thing in menswear is how you play with embroidery, the duo known for their clean cuts in a golden palette, and fabric belts gave us a heavy dose of beadwork jackets, in the form of droplets on well-toned shoulders. Pearls are now making sure they replace zardozi, as cowl necks edge out traditional collars. Though if you are intrepid enough you can try a fully sequinned pants suit or their engineered kurtas with unexpected cuts that accompanied Peshawari juttis, as 20s flapper tassels swung on jackets. Mandira Wirk’s pastel prints What happens when you begin a show with a bare-chested Sahil Salathia, and a saxophone player? Well, you get everyone’s attention. Icy blue prints, bodysuits, interesting abstracts, trench coats, basically a lot of Sex and the City appeal. Think sarongs, the line was young and fun just like the designer, and her first outing with menswear. Mahima Mahajan If you like big, bold flowers and velour, in shades of navy blue as well as oversized coats, with crystal butterflies with wings spread over sherwanis, she is your girl! Nikita M’s men in corsets Listen men can wear cappuccino prints and the tiger is really enjoying his day in the spotlight, sometimes inverted on dresses. Nikita got men in high waisted denims, sequinned vests placed under natty bomber jackets. The new place to place embroidery is the shoulders and back, just putting it out there. Lastly, men are now in corsets, denim ones, no longer a reserve for lithe women. Ashish Soni’s icy blue check suits Sailors are now making it to runways (metaphorically), that is their caps and pure whites, only this time, with checks on suits. Men are unafraid to wear super roomy shorts, lace ties, and check jackets with happy little embroidered flowers. Denim has really changed colours—decided to go white, as blush pink check suits, and lemon-yellow jackets make sure, men are embracing colour like never before. Those with a certain rocker attitude can try the denims which caress the bottom of your sneakers and you get those turned in hems, by sheer wear and tear! Well, that’s now fashion! Shantanu and Nikhil’s poet Nikhil’s young son Vivhan opened the show with a book, tulips and a poem, of course wearing a cropped jacket. There is something about men in skirts, which requires courage; the brothers had their signature draped pleated kurtas in ivories and sometimes just bunched up which looked natty. The ode to a Bengali poet, literature lovers, bespectacled men took you to the baitaks of old Calcutta only this time the ensembles were British pants reminding you of colonial era, complete with broad waistbands. Men have made space in their wardrobes for roomy chiffon palazzos. Really! Not kidding. Manoviraj Khosla’s funky shoes If there is anyone who can put men in all kinds of colours of
Is your Antar Agni alive?
Does where you grow up shape you? The answer is in the affirmative…Ujjwal Dubey is a living idiom of his small-town roots, Gorakhpur which you can observe in his botanical prints this season. By Asmita Aggarwal When you call a line “BRB” (in Gen Z terms, be right back) you know the hidden meaning is always that you play hide and seek with your screens. Born in Gorakhpur, studied at the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Kolkata, Ujjwal Dubey’s minimalistic approach won him the Regional Round of the Woolmark Prize in Asia category. 12 years in the business now, one always notices his detailing — hand-embroidered motifs, and an ultra-dramatic entry in buttery soft whites teamed with necklaces, chokers, slimmer pants. He loves Pink Floyd (Fearless) and once called his collection ‘Two faced’ maybe a hint at what the fashion world really is? Sporty jackets, tone-on-tone, draped kurtas, very Japanese in thought with hints of mocha. The spirit of Rajasthan omnipresent in polo pants, touches of thread work on dhotis. Men’s shirts come with sashes, in a world that is going roomy he offered a tapered look, free from the oft repeated oversized looks, serenaded the finer nuances of pattern cutting. There was neither embellishment, nor shine, just good tailoring. Trousers are enjoying a moment in the sunshine — slouched, harem, dhoti to palazzos. “Bottoms make or break your personality; if you have the right one on-a simple tee is enough,” he confesses. The hoodie in Bemberg fabric was super cool in dusty caramels, and rose. Sometimes he admits he just doesn’t want to talk, “just do”. “I always work with just two or three colours, this time, it is almost five which is a new curve of learning for me,” smiles Ujjwal adding too many bothers him. His botanical prints are done in vegetable dyes, a printer he found in Kolkata, this ingenious mix found fervour with Banarasi fabrics, an interesting zari stripe fabric. Then, there was appliqué with lace. “I want to do the smallest and most common thing, but do it differently—my way,” he says. Last time he did pintucks and pleats, really allowed them to run free, giving it a new persona. Always wanting to go in the alternate direction he played with “root prints” this year maybe an ode to his austere upbringing or a plea to never forget where you came from? Kurtas remain his bestsellers, and they serve as an engaging canvas to play, though he believes fashion has unsaid importance. “Have you noticed that your spine straightens when you wear something new? When I see kids buying Rs 200 green pants, in small towns, talking about what they will wear for a night out, what we call ‘adda’ talks, with a 50 Cents style locket bought from the street markets, you know what clothes can do to their confidence,” says Ujjwal. The collection was an attempt to ‘kill standardisation’ in fashion, and the ideology of ‘formats’. That’s why his kurtas are broken, asymmetric and layered, something he enjoyed doing since 2014. Add to this a snake-scale monogram, rose taupe without forgetting waistcoats, now a necessity.
Tribute to Shakti
Hindu texts are replete with engaging tales of the goddess and demons, for Nitin Bal Chauhan, the 17th C Devi Kothi became a metaphor, for his streetwear line inspired by Chamunda, and the demons to be slayed — both external and internal in his menswear line titled ‘A Tale of Chamba’. By Asmita Aggarwal You will often see him in black, like the rest of us lovers of this hue, that blends in rather than stands out, I wonder if it has anything to do with how we think or how we want others to think about us? Nitin Bal Chauhan, is in charcoal just like me, when I meet him on a sun-drenched afternoon, bougainvillea blooming in Jaipur, we decided to sit on wrought iron heavy chairs made in the 1850, at Diggi Palace, accompanying heavy duty marble table tops. He had just shown his line at the Chivas Luxe Collective Perfumes presents FDCI India Men’s Weekend 2025 in Jaipur, a line inspired by the temple of Devi Kothi in Chamba. Built by Raja Umed Singh in 1754, dedicated to Goddess Chamunda, it is the northwestern frontier of the kingdom. Chamunda, another form of Durga, is from the text ‘Devi Mahatmya’, warrior goddess, who slayed demons Chanda and Munda. Vijay Sharma, a Padma Shree awardee artist and former curator of the Chamba Museum, and renowned art historian and scholar Dr Vishwa Chander Ohri revived the Chamba miniature painting tradition, Pahari school of art. “Devi Kothi temple’s architecture has an embellished wooden ceiling, and pillars which caught my eye,” says Chauhan, who was raised in Himachal, adding it is remotely placed, and the paintings are almost 300 years old in Tissa, 4-hour drive from Chamba. Bal decided to pay homage to the Chamunda, with hand painting, brush, and Air Ink, (ink made from collecting vehicular carbon emissions in Delhi and NCR. Founded by Anirudh Sharma, a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston (USA), Graviky produces it) channelling sustainability. “How I’ve dressed myself in the last 20 years is very liberating yet simple,” he smiles. Using cotton twill, detailing like armored core used, a bit like Medieval armour in street wear. To match the Chamunda spirit, he had tracks from the American band GodSmack (had three of their hits– “Woo doo” and “Serenity”) to elevate the pagan elements associated with Chamba, the band connected to that vibe. Bal courted riveting, external elements inspired by armour, he added godets to enhance the shape of armour, straps have a defining factor of street wear, along with broad fringes. “The fighting spirit in clothing comes from Japan, but has entered India only now,” says Chauhan. He adds Hiroshi Fujiwara, is the father of street wear, way back in 1992, and Chauhan added his unique spin on it. Born in Shimla, specifically Mandi, studying at NIFT changed his life, he would come back home, climb walls, get into orchards, jump around, and live carefree. He decided not to get a job, started an NGO titled Sewa Himalayas, revived almost ten crafts – Chamba rumal (detailed patterns), metal carvings, carpet and blanket weaving, Pattu weaving (woollen fabric woven in the Kullu Valley) to woodworking, setting up 73 clusters. “Looked at marketing solutions. Himachal festivals Kullu Dussehra are big draw for tourists and Devis are honoured by carrying them on ornate palki, almost 200 carriages are taken out, it is like the Hornbill of the Himachal, (Shivaratri is huge here),” he says talking about the rich cultural tapestry. “I see a boom in street wear culture, sneakers have boosted it, Gen Z has purchasing power. They know they buy it for Rs 6,000 but can sell it for Rs 12,000. The fastest moving product now is hoodie, the market is in a good place,” he signs off.
Residual Memories
Sushant Abrol, inspired by the ideology of “what is left behind” pays homage to his late brother Samir, through molten metallics, abstract kantha and silver coated denim. Asmita Aggarwal Five years ago, when Sushant Abrol’s brother Squadron Leader Samir Abrol’s brother, died in a crash, he went to the crash site, and noticed boundaries were put in place. It was an emotional time, with his mother, who had lost a young son, the tarmac had ripped, he saw shiny metal pieces strewn across, and one such was right next to his shoes. He quietly picked it up, put it in his pocket, it had a screw left in it, a molten piece of burnt aircraft. He thought to himself this is what gets left behind of a once mighty plane, thus the name of his men’s wear line for Chivas X FDCI “Residual”. “When I looked closely, I saw how deformed metal has become, almost charred,” says Sushant of the label Countrymade. Only three hues – black, silver and grey form the basis of his line, the patterns come from them — cotton, leather coated, metallics, along with hand tucking to add a third dimension mirroring the look of how metal burns and kind of turns inwards or folds. He has added many effects— burnt, tears and charred look, as well as denim and frays, as well as hand done applique. Such is the attention to detail, if you look closely the buttons resemble broken plane parts. Out of fabric scraps, he has created a camouflage pattern, like residual pieces, to make a ‘whole’. The speciality of the collection is a unique coating on denim — silver, then enzyme wash treatment to erode it – giving a washed out look. Images of metal textures, fuselage look of an aircraft is done with rivets. “We have coated cotton, wet-looking, almost slippery, like leather, even though kantha is our USP we incorporate it every year, we have ‘residual stitches’ which have a different interpretation. No motifs were used, allowed kantha to flow, abstract shapes, in any direction it wanted—unpredictable,” says Sushant. Molten lines which have been moved or disturbed, sunset images reflecting faded memories, embroidered denims give us a sneak peek into how he wanted to recreate a scene that has been stuck in the recesses of his memory. The consumer must know what he is wearing, where is it coming from, what’s the story behind it? Not too loud, or restrained but commercially viable clothing, after all, he runs a business. “I do seasonal lines, and just returned from a Paris trade show, where I discovered they like cuts to be away from the body, but in India we still like a fitter appeal-diametrically opposite,” he concludes.
From the earth for the Universe
From healing crystals, to dressing body types and not genders, raw wool to unconventional shapes, Akshat Bansal is thinking out-of-the-box! By Asmita Aggarwal Small town boys have this innate desire to succeed, quite different from Metro cities, maybe it has to do with fewer opportunities, and exposure back home. Akshat Bansal of the label Bloni is interesting, from Hisar, went to Central Saint Martins, decided not to do bridal lehengas, but took the rather tough path of understanding science in fashion. Think reflective materials, colour sensitive fabrics, hemp, econyl regenerated, nylon flooring, industrial waste, and fabric scraps to craft ensembles. In 2022, he made his Paris Fashion Week debut, engagingly mixing rubber with tie and dye to crochet, hues which change along with body heat. In his line, the jacket can sometimes become a leotard, then a jumpsuit too, but here the dichotomy is lines like ‘Seher’ beautifully shot capturing small-town aesthetics and its austere life. He attempts to build a bridge between the past and future, and his experiments with felt are ingenious, so is his usage of 100 percent wool, raw in its form (heavily non-processed). ‘Passages’ his line for the Chivas X FDCI is where different dimensions align, fully couture, in its appeal. He uses gemstones, crystals, deconstruction of what earth holds, digging for that era gone by. “From the earth for the universe”, where you have no mechanisms, natural dyes used, mostly tie and dye, vegan rubber, futuristic in its look. “Crystals when they are not polished, but left as they were found, is what we use, it’s a different perception of beauty that many may find ‘dirty’. Just like hemp, it has in-built anti-bacterial properties, found in abundance,” says Akshat. This co-exists with manmade stainless steel, he believes it is impossible to go zero plastic, as there will always be silicon, plus Woolmark does merge Merino wool with polyester for elasticity. His denims are hand woven, by artisans, “I’m wearing CK jeans but I’m missing the comfort of my own creations,” he smiles. His fervent desire to take the road less travelled got him an invitation from Nature Morte gallery, where Peter Nagy termed his creations more “art than fashion”—you can buy it, wear it, or simply display it. A bit like what Natasha Poonawalla wore—a teardrop, it can be a lamp or just a pot too. 3D modelling, traditional hand hammering was employed from Moradabad artisans, to add to this chrome electroplating finish! Another such is a piece Sudha Murthy wore ‘Breathing Cocoon’ biomorphic wearable piece made of metal, wool, agate, and gemstones, which Akshat thinks could also be an artefact placed in a drawing room, breaking rules of what is traditionally considered art. “Why do we always talk of preserving art, but it is living, you can evolve it, isn’t it?” he asks. Crystals, he believes have healing powers, calming effects, remembering amethyst trees back home, protection from negative energy! “I did a Ted talk where I spoke about innovation over decoration, why did we wear jewellery? In history if you see silver releases electromagnetic waves, it isn’t about beauty but energy,” he explains. Cotton is the same wavelength as humans, linen more spiritual he believes, there is a hidden meaning to everything, he calls himself future friendly, not futuristic, but the quest is to find true purpose. His Paris experience was interesting, as looking at his offerings he was often asked, “where did you grow up”? Instead it should be where were you born? His lines are always fluid, and gender for him is nothing but ‘body’. “So many clients who do not fit into womenswear prefer the pieces I make for men. I think it is a body type not a gender we dress. I wonder who set those boundaries? Named these pieces? Why this segregation?” The search is to make a classic, which is named by him-as he asks why can’t pants have a train channelising a non-conformist approach to what is conventionally considered silhouettes, as he completes seven years in business, turned a wise 34 years!
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.
To Mom with Love
Arjan Dugal’s line ‘Vintage 2030’ combines modern design engineering with traditional Japanese motifs, as zardosi and florals become the hero at Chivas Luxe Collective Perfumes presents FDCI India Men’s Weekend 2025 at Diggi Palace, Jaipur. By Asmita Aggarwal He kind of worked both sides of the fashion spectrum — his father’s export house, his mother’s love for textiles and indigenous crafts. Maybe that’s what makes Arjan Dugal so confident about his menswear line he launched ten years ago. Son of the country’s leading supermodel of the 90s Simar Dugal, who died battling cancer, Arjan was just 28. After studying economics and finance in Dallas, US, and a remote fashion course from Parson’s School of Fashion, he decided to foray into this unpredictable world. His father’s work made him adept at stitching, pattern cutting with the best ateliers in Spain and Italy. He designed for Tommy Hilfiger, Ted Baker, Pepe Jeans, Pedro to Claudia Strater. The imposing frescos painted sunshine yellow, the chandeliers almost 200 years old once maybe lit with candles in 1860 when it was built. The stained glass windows, Persian carpets, bevy of boys, with golden hair clips and bulging biceps (not beer biceps thankfully), came in skirts, as the maharaja of yesteryear’s black and white portrait hung above watching the show unfold. Arjan’s love music and pops of red playing peek a boo from ankle length pants, were cool. So were the brocade breeches! He was trying to tell us through his charming reds — you can wear all white and yet add fun, and make it light. For a reality check, he worked as a store keeper for his mom, checking colour fastness to sizing in her Indian wear line. October 2014, he took a giant leap of faith, went solo, this year he completed 10 years in the business. The beauty of the Arjan Dugal label is his ability to combine design engineering with subtle crafts. His mom’s love for Jamavar, Baghs, Kalamkaris to Phulkaris, as she was a collector, he places along with sequins, and his beloved dori embroidery. Add to this mix a smattering of Persian influences, including zardozi. His father who earlier headed Apollo Leather, before he began the export house, taught him how to work with horse tail hair, silicon tapes, dextrously employ embroidery on leather, as well as foiling, and with this he always makes textiles the showstoppers. Being an avid golfer, Argan, felt dressing well became his idiom, thus his first line was from Ajrakhpur, combined with Mashru, a capsule collection. Kind of a bridge between luxe designer wear and FabIndia — that was his ideology. His experiments with Chintz, linen, Chanderi and silks on menswear helped him understand that new-age men like experimentation, but in pieces, not as a whole. “I felt as I am a millennial no one in my generation really appreciates the beauty of textiles, I wanted to give them an interesting mix—ajrakh with leather in a tailored look. Not the usual red pocket square, bandhgala and breeches,” he smiles. As women are more aware, spoilt for choice, they want their husbands to follow suit, as they can’t be ‘mismatched’. India is a country of festivals and celebrations — from Durga pooja to Chhaat and Karwa Chauth, shopping is always festive. “I follow the 80 X 20 principle, while crafting an ensemble – first will be an austere self-on-self and the rest a striking contrast,” he says. Printed lining is his USP, plus built in pocket squares, which you can see in his couture line for men at the Chivas Luxe Collective Perfumes presents FDCI India Men’s Weekend 2025 at Diggi Palace, Jaipur. “Kora work on organza, brocade underlay, hand stitched seams, insides and piping give each ensemble a unique look. We work a lot with organza, emblazoned with Dori embroidery,” he adds, saying his mother’s memory is of him being more of a sibling less of a child. As she was just 23 when she had him, he would accompany her to various fashion shows. Of course, this equation changed, when they diagnosed her with the illness, in her last three years, he became the caretaker. “I realised I must cope with the pair of cards that life deals you, can’t choose or plus and minus. I found my soulmate in a lawyer, who stood by me in my toughest days,” he admits. ‘Vintage 2030’ is his line, where zardozi and florals play with Japanese motifs on organza. “I have taken elements from the past, given them an entirely new treatment. Our logo is the gramophone, as it resonated with me. I have a sleek designed one at home, where I play my vinyl records, plug it in and you get the same vivacity of sound as the 50s one,” he confirms. Curiosity made him seek crafts from other cultures whether it was Shibori or Uzbeki ikat which was fascinating as it is woven from silk velvet threads. “My mom said to me ‘Arjan you are my legacy’, those words still ring in my heart,” he concludes.