Streetwear has existed in the USA and UK for a very long time but it is also gaining popularity in India. In our country, a lot of singers from Punjab and Bollywood actors have played an influential role by wearing high fashion streetwear labels such as Off-White, Bape, Supreme, Adidas, Nike, etc. Even though it is still quite a niche among the common crowd, I’m happy to see more and more Indian streetwear brands come into the limelight. Most of us know that this sub-culture emerged from the underground hip-hop scene. However, on a larger scale, street culture is beyond that. It is all about expressing yourself—your thoughts, emotions, what you eat, what you follow. And, it is the voice of the youth that is helping in bringing it to the streets and into our wardrobes.
One thing I love about clothes in this category is that the silhouettes are baggy and loose, and you can pair them with funky sneakers. TBH, this is exactly what I love wearing on a daily basis. If you love streetwear too and want to know what are the kickass brands in India, here’s a list of ’em.
1. Biskit
Biskit was started by siblings Shruti and Harsha Biswajit. Breaking the duality of menswear & womenswear, this independent label strives to achieve equality in society. They do this by creating clothes that are unisex and can be worn by everyone, thus keeping comfort, durability, and functionality as the priority of their designs. The silhouettes of their garments are super cool and you must check out their collection. They restrict themselves to tones of black and white, so if you love a neutral colour palette, Biskit can be your go-to.
2. Strey
Strey is a premium streetwear clothing brand from Mumbai founded by Aasshna Aroraa and Eashan Parekh. Their unique designs are inspired by the city and the small things in life that people often don’t notice. The best part about this label is that a percentage of their profits go to animal shelters in Mumbai.
3. Nought One
In case you’re an avid follower of Indian streetwear labels, you’ve probably heard of Nought One by Abhishek Paatni. It is one of the first brands to have gained immense popularity within this sub-culture. This high street fashion brand surely stands out because of its sharp tailoring and luxe fabrics bringing clothes for men and women that are urban and street chic. Abhishek’s uses elements from the military as inspiration but they also have a bunch of garments in neon and metallics that are to die for. If you’re a sucker for innovative designs, I suggest you take a look at this dope brand.
4. Six5Six Street
Started by brother-sister duo, Ambar and Avni Aneja, Six5Six Street has some of the funkiest clothes. The reason I’m fond of this brand is that their designs reflect the culture of everyday life making it super relatable for the youth today. It encapsulates the expression of the millennials and Gen-Z perfectly through its clothing and photoshoots. Their medium to express takes inspiration from culture, thoughts, music and even phrases.
5. Jaywalking
Jay Ajay Jajal‘s Jaywalking is a fairly new brand that released in February 2019. He always designed clothes for himself as he fell under the plus-size category. He began posting these clothes on his personal Instagram handle, which eventually blew up and led him to start his own streetwear label. It’s only been a little over a year and I have already seen actors like Ranveer Singh and Diljit Dosanjh wear clothes from this brand. A patchwork of bright, solid-coloured fabrics against neutral shades seems to be his signature style and I guess that’s what has also made his designs very unique.
6. Delhiwear
The New Delhi-based brand, Delhiwear is desi streetwear at its best. This homegrown label normalises the pairing of a kurta with your sneakers in such an edgy way. What adds a local touch to their brand are the names of their clothing collections namely Vardi and Dukaan.
7. VegNonVeg
We all know that Sonam Kapoor Ahuja‘s husband, Anand Ahuja started VegNonveg because of his love for sneakers. If you are a sneakerhead too and get excited about the latest sneaker drops, you will love this multi-brand sneaker label. It houses ace footwear brands like Nike, New Balance, Adidas, Fila, Puma and more, under one roof.
8. Capsul
Here’s another multi-brand online store. Capsul houses some of the coolest Indian and international streetwear brands on their website and leaves you with so many options to explore that you will be spoilt for choice.
Which streetwear brand did you like the most? Let me know in the comments below.
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