Manifesting 2022 to be the year we get to wear everything not sweatpants, here’s a stylist-recommended curation of labels to look out for, to shop from, and to add to your radar
Polite Society
A fashion brand that focuses on non-conformist power dressing is the ethos of Polite Society, another one of Bhansali’s picks. Surmai Jain, a NIFT and FIT New York graduate, founded Polite Society with an aim to challenge the society’s perceptions of nudity, the “line” between sexy and vulgar and gender roles. Bold, conversational aesthetic, “her designs are like modern day poetry. They’re dreamy, but with an urban touch, like you’ll find sheer fabrics teamed up with tailored broad shoulders,” says Bhansali.
Line Outline
This ready-to-wear clothing with a gender-fluid narrative is celebrity stylist Isha Bhansali’s pick. Founded by Deepit Chugh, Line Outline does clean, tailored looks that focus on marrying experimentation with functionality. “With a mix of uber cool tailored cuts and slight hints of streetwear, this label can be called elegance with edge. Their pastel shades add to the fun,” says Bhansali.
HOS
Celebrity stylist Rishi Raj votes for HOS, a new unisex streetwear label committed to changing the narrative of how fashion is perceived. This label wants to merge contemporary elements and the emerging cultures, fanning the flame of the street ghetto. Inspired by street metaphors, the Delhi-based brand is all about being street savvy, and focusing on tweaking casual streetwear with design elements inspired by subcultures, and the global street mood. “I like the fact that their clothes look good while breaking stereotypes of gender-specific clothing. The vibe is easy and relaxed without taking itself too seriously, and that’s what clothing needs to be — less anxiety, more fun. The sub-culture referencing and prints keep the designs relevant,” says Rishi Raj.
Nought One
Esha Amiin recommends Nought One, definitely not an unknown brand on the circuit at all, and says, “I think it is a fun brand, there is something fresh about them. Their silhouettes and colours shape the whole vibe, and they can be worked with for dressing up, to wearing casual, to athleisure. It’s fluid, and you can dress it up or down,” she feels. NoughtOne, with its mix of form and functionality and the promise to make menswear sustainably more approachable, is still a trendsetter, as suggested by stylists themselves.
Son Of A Noble (SNOB)
Amandeep Kaur recently noticed Son Of A Noble (SNOB), and feels the label is really cool and minimalist chic in its approach to menswear. SNOB has made it to MW’s menswear list before too for its graphic, contemporary apparel. They do really cool double-zip kurta, asymmetric jackets, linen clothing, with a colour palette ranging from deep green, orstone grey, black, ivory, khaki, navy blue, and red.
LOTA
Celebrity stylist Shreeja Rajgopal picks LOTA “for its inclusivity and upcycling methods fused beautifully with interesting patch work and pop of colours.” LOTA has definitely caught the eye of the fashion industry, thanks to its symbiosis with sustainability. With all the fabric wastage that everyone high-handedly reprimands but does nothing about, LOTA makes clothes out of fabric scraps cut out from the neck and arm area of garments at mass garment manufacturing facilities. Imperfectly perfect, edgy, and true to its message is what makes LOTA stand apart.
Tisa Studio
Vicky Kaushal’s stylist Amandeep Kaur loves Tisa Studio “for their slick minimalistic take on formal or Indian wear for men” among other things, while celebrity stylist Rashi Morbia Kumar says, “I quite like their details and fabrics, and their finishing is really good. I highly recommend this label for Indian wear.” The interest and recommendation is visible in the quality of clothing Tisa makes, be it their asymmetrical bandhgalas, collections that carry traditional motifs on rich raw silks, or how they modernise classic silhouettes to suit today’s gentleman.
