“For a long time, fashion in India was confined, particularly in menswear.”
A majority of the Indian fashion industry is based on women’s clothing, particularly bridalwear. When it comes to wedding attire, Indian grooms used to either overdo it or underdo it for the longest time. Now, however, they’ve found a middle ground and aren’t as over-the-top as they used to be. In contrast to the A-list designers, the younger generation of creatives was looking for an entirely new approach to the bridal industry—and Kunal Rawal is one of them. 15 years ago, the brand that is now synonymous with Indian grooms wear made its entrance into fashion. Following in his ancestors’ footsteps, Kunal found an opportunity and gambled on his instincts.
The fact that an LCF grad was the youngest designer to land a launch pad at Lakmé Fashion Week suggests that building a name for oneself wasn’t tough. For Kunal, a divergent road meant establishing a new one from the ground up. “The toughest hurdle was getting our look acceptable in a world where only Air India-Maharaja-like clothes were the norm.” It was challenging to deal with the outdated ideas about what men should look like and dress like. Because of this, I had to come up with ideas for males who were ready to get more involved in discussions about their own style. Even if they were the bridegroom, men’s silhouettes were once an afterthought. For me, the fact that men today have a clear sense of what they want and how to get it is a victory.
From the time he was a toddler, Kunal has had an interest in clothing and style. Routine trips to his father’s factory instilled a lifelong fascination with fashion in him. ‘ Dstress’ was his debut label, and it was sold in a multi-designer store like Aza in 2006. Throughout the years since then, he has worked with Salman Khan on ‘Being Human,’ designed IPL uniforms for teams like Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore, and designed wedding outfits for celebrities like Shahid Kapoor and Varun Dhawan. Each step of his journey has contributed to solidifying the brand’s identity. Menswear deconstructed from Indian culture meets avant-garde sports chic.
His goal was to give menswear a unique character that wasn’t limited to just the United States. However, the Indian silhouettes and embroidery aren’t the only focus of his concept. “I love playing around with ethnic Indian silhouettes—by disassembling it, styling it in creative ways to create new shapes and silhouettes for occasion-wear,” Kunal says further in explaining his imaginative philosophy. Surface textures, embroideries, technology, and more are all being experimented with. It’s all because I don’t think of our traditional clothing as being exclusively Indian. As a fashion item that can be worn by anyone, I think it perfectly reflects the worldwide trend of cross-cultural influence. I get a lot of inspiration from young India—the individuals that wear it and the way we lead our lives in India today. For me, the ever-changing menswear market and environment is what inspires me to keep searching for that “sweet spot.”
There has been a lot of talk about womenswear diversity in recent years, but menswear in India hasn’t yet caught up. There are a few exceptions to the rule, like as Kunal Rawal’s label, in which the jaws and abs remain chiselled. Kunal opened the door to men from all areas of life—representing a wide range of shapes, identities, and ages—in his most recent performances. Catwalks in the past have been less focused on heterosexuality and more focused on creating an inclusive and realistic image for those who identify with his brand. “Our stories, clothes, style, and castings have always incorporated gender fluidity. Fashion in India was confined for a long time, particularly for men’s clothing. Today, as an aspiring designer in India, it’s a joy to be a part of a movement that promotes diversity in the fashion industry by embracing a wide range of looks and body types. It’s also a smart business move because customers want to see how a piece of clothing will look on them before they buy it. As a designer, I’ve worn a variety of various body types throughout my career, and I’m always curious to see how a piece appears on someone of a similar size and shape.”
15 years in business may seem like plenty of time to sit back and enjoy the success—but Kunal is only just getting started. However, there is so much more to be done and I am eager to push myself even farther as a designer and an entrepreneur.” In the end, “I don’t know what the future contains, but what we do know for sure is that we are going to have so much fun exploring along the way.”