Latest news with #DhruvKapoor
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
When design speaks louder than logos
It has been a busy week for Namrata Karad, founder and creative director of Ahikoza by Brahm, after former journalist Lauren Sanchez was spotted carrying a black clutch from the brand ahead of her wedding to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in image quickly found its way into the global fashion spotlight—not just for the celebrity moment, but for the absence of any visible branding as well. 'For them to be carrying a brand without a logo? I humbly believe it says something about the brand,' Karad told part of a growing group of Indian and Indian-origin designers gaining global acclaim for 'quiet luxury'—a fashion movement defined by unique and subtle designs with a focus on craftsmanship. Labels like 11.11/eleven eleven, Dhruv Kapoor, and behno New York are leading this trend. Hollywood actor Brad Pitt, for instance, was seen wearing a shirt from 11.11/eleven eleven in a scene in his latest film, F1. Karad said her luxury handbags and accessories brand was born out of passion nine years ago, and not with the intention of celebrities endorsing it on red carpet. 'I saw a gap in the market, and I wanted to design handbags that would not have to announce themselves with a loud logo. Rather, be recognised by design.' All global brands have key features—a DNA. Think of Bottega Veneta that is known for its weave, or Judith Leiber famous for its crystal studded handbags. The thing that stands out for Ahikoza by Brahm handbags is the geometric patterns. 'This is our defined DNA. When people talk about the brand, they recognise it by design. That, to me, is true luxury,' Karad said. New Delhi headquartered 11.11/eleven eleven—cofounded by Shani Himanshu and Mia Morikawa more than 15 years ago—follows a 'seed to stitch' philosophy. Moving away from mainstream manufacturing, the label produces small batches of 'slow-made clothing' in collaboration with groups of artisans located all across India. For instance, for the Kala cotton indigenous to Kachchh in Gujarat, it works with local weavers who specialise in hand spinning. 'The neighbouring villages also participate in the process. This leaves a much lower carbon footprint,' Himanshu said. 'The reason why many people don't know of us till now is because we have been quietly building this entire ecosystem in keeping with our design ethos,' he said. 'The larger vision is to make all our products compostable. We have not achieved this in all our products yet.' 11.11/eleven eleven only uses plant-based dyes and 100% natural colours. It also has a showroom in New York, and retails through 100 stores across India, the US, Europe and Japan. Hollywood actor Dev Patel visited its New Delhi store last month. Dhruv Kapoor, founder and creative director of his eponymous label, said the term quiet luxury emerged simply as a contrast to overt, all-over monogramming. 'The brand name recedes, allowing quality, craftsmanship, and silhouette to lead,' he said. 'True quiet luxury—where branding is nearly untraceable—tends to attract a more mature, discerning audience,' Kapoor said. His approach is to strike a balance with most pieces carrying a small, refined logo. A select few, like casual jumpers, sport bold logos and they 'sell out within days,' he said. Kapoor will showcase his collection at the Milan Fashion Week for the seventh time in September. Behno—which retails wallets, small leather goods, mini bags, totes and sling bags—has its design studio headquartered in the West Village of Manhattan in New York City, but it is very much rooted in the Indian subcontinent for production, according to its founder and creative director Shivam Punjya. 'Over the last year, we've expanded our presence through select retail partners and pop-ups in key global markets, and we've been fortunate to receive recognition from international press and tastemakers,' Punjya said. The brand will open its first store in India in Mumbai later this year, 'marking an important step in building a physical flagship presence for the brand,' he said. behno (translating to sisters in Hindi) claims to be pioneering 'a new standard' for manufacturing in the global garment trade, focusing on the way garment workers and artisans are viewed, employed, and treated. The brand's products are handmade in facilities implementing a set of six guiding principles focusing on health, artisan growth, family planning, women's rights, workplace satisfaction, and eco consciousness. In 2019, behno won Fashion Group International's Rising Star Award in accessories. Previous winners include Tory Burch, Michael Kors and Jason Wu. For Punjya, quiet luxury is about intention over excess—a design philosophy where there is a deep consideration for craftsmanship, materiality, and design integrity. 'It's luxury that you feel intimately for yourself…something that makes you feel special or even empowered,' he said. 'It's a luxury where those who know, know.'
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
When Design Speaks Louder than Logos
It has been a busy week for Namrata Karad , founder and creative director of Ahikoza by Brahm , after former journalist Lauren Sanchez was spotted carrying a black clutch from the brand ahead of her wedding to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in Italy. The image quickly found its way into the global fashion spotlight—not just for the celebrity moment, but for the absence of any visible branding as well. 'For them to be carrying a brand without a logo? I humbly believe it says something about the brand,' Karad told ET. She's part of a growing group of Indian and Indian-origin designers gaining global acclaim for 'quiet luxury'—a fashion movement defined by unique and subtle designs with a focus on craftsmanship. Labels like 11.11/eleven eleven, Dhruv Kapoor, and behno New York are leading this trend. Hollywood actor Brad Pitt, for instance, was seen wearing a shirt from 11.11/eleven eleven in a scene in his latest film, F1. Karad said her luxury handbags and accessories brand was born out of passion nine years ago, and not with the intention of celebrities endorsing it on red carpet. 'I saw a gap in the market, and I wanted to design handbags that would not have to announce themselves with a loud logo. Rather, be recognised by design.' All global brands have key features—a DNA. Think of Bottega Veneta that is known for its weave, or Judith Leiber famous for its crystal studded handbags. The thing that stands out for Ahikoza by Brahm handbags is the geometric patterns. 'This is our defined DNA. When people talk about the brand, they recognise it by design. That, to me, is true luxury,' Karad said. New Delhi headquartered 11.11/eleven eleven—cofounded by Shani Himanshu and Mia Morikawa more than 15 years ago—follows a 'seed to stitch' philosophy. Moving away from mainstream manufacturing, the label produces small batches of 'slow-made clothing' in collaboration with groups of artisans located all across India. For instance, for the Kala cotton indigenous to Kachchh in Gujarat, it works with local weavers who specialise in hand spinning. 'The neighbouring villages also participate in the process. This leaves a much lower carbon footprint,' Himanshu said. 'The reason why many people don't know of us till now is because we have been quietly building this entire ecosystem in keeping with our design ethos,' he said. 'The larger vision is to make all our products compostable. We have not achieved this in all our products yet.' 11.11/eleven eleven only uses plant-based dyes and 100% natural colours. It also has a showroom in New York, and retails through 100 stores across India, the US, Europe and Japan. Hollywood actor Dev Patel visited its New Delhi store last month. Dhruv Kapoor, founder and creative director of his eponymous label, said the term quiet luxury emerged simply as a contrast to overt, all-over monogramming. 'The brand name recedes, allowing quality, craftsmanship, and silhouette to lead,' he said. 'True quiet luxury—where branding is nearly untraceable—tends to attract a more mature, discerning audience,' Kapoor said. His approach is to strike a balance with most pieces carrying a small, refined logo. A select few, like casual jumpers, sport bold logos and they 'sell out within days,' he said. Kapoor will showcase his collection at the Milan Fashion Week for the seventh time in September. Behno—which retails wallets, small leather goods, mini bags, totes and sling bags—has its design studio headquartered in the West Village of Manhattan in New York City, but it is very much rooted in the Indian subcontinent for production, according to its founder and creative director Shivam Punjya. 'Over the last year, we've expanded our presence through select retail partners and pop-ups in key global markets, and we've been fortunate to receive recognition from international press and tastemakers,' Punjya said. The brand will open its first store in India in Mumbai later this year, 'marking an important step in building a physical flagship presence for the brand,' he said. behno (translating to sisters in Hindi) claims to be pioneering 'a new standard' for manufacturing in the global garment trade, focusing on the way garment workers and artisans are viewed, employed, and treated. The brand's products are handmade in facilities implementing a set of six guiding principles focusing on health, artisan growth, family planning, women's rights, workplace satisfaction, and eco consciousness. In 2019, behno won Fashion Group International's Rising Star Award in accessories. Previous winners include Tory Burch, Michael Kors and Jason Wu. For Punjya, quiet luxury is about intention over excess—a design philosophy where there is a deep consideration for craftsmanship, materiality, and design integrity. 'It's luxury that you feel intimately for yourself…something that makes you feel special or even empowered,' he said. 'It's a luxury where those who know, know.'
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Indian quiet luxury in limelight: When design speaks louder than words
It has been a busy week for Namrata Karad , founder and creative director of Ahikoza by Brahm , after former journalist Lauren Sanchez was spotted carrying a black clutch from the brand ahead of her wedding to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in Italy. The image quickly found its way into the global fashion spotlight—not just for the celebrity moment, but for the absence of any visible branding as well. 'For them to be carrying a brand without a logo? I humbly believe it says something about the brand,' Karad told ET. She's part of a growing group of Indian and Indian-origin designers gaining global acclaim for 'quiet luxury'—a fashion movement defined by unique and subtle designs with a focus on craftsmanship. Labels like 11.11/ eleven eleven, Dhruv Kapoor , and behno New York are leading this trend. Hollywood actor Brad Pitt, for instance, was seen wearing a shirt from 11.11/eleven eleven in a scene in his latest film, F1. Karad said her luxury handbags and accessories brand was born out of passion nine years ago, and not with the intention of celebrities endorsing it on red carpet. 'I saw a gap in the market, and I wanted to design handbags that would not have to announce themselves with a loud logo. Rather, be recognised by design.' All global brands have key features—a DNA. Think of Bottega Veneta that is known for its weave, or Judith Leiber famous for its crystal studded handbags. The thing that stands out for Ahikoza by Brahm handbags is the geometric patterns. Live Events Cover cuts 'This is our defined DNA. When people talk about the brand, they recognise it by design. That, to me, is true luxury,' Karad said. New Delhi headquartered 11.11/ eleven eleven—cofounded by Shani Himanshu and Mia Morikawa more than 15 years ago—follows a 'seed to stitch' philosophy. Moving away from mainstream manufacturing, the label produces small batches of 'slow-made clothing' in collaboration with groups of artisans located all across India. For instance, for the Kala cotton indigenous to Kachchh in Gujarat, it works with local weavers who specialise in hand spinning. 'The neighbouring villages also participate in the process. This leaves a much lower carbon footprint,' Himanshu said. 'The reason why many people don't know of us till now is because we have been quietly building this entire ecosystem in keeping with our design ethos,' he said. 'The larger vision is to make all our products compostable. We have not achieved this in all our products yet.' 11.11/eleven eleven only uses plant-based dyes and 100% natural colours. It also has a showroom in New York, and retails through 100 stores across India, the US, Europe and Japan. Hollywood actor Dev Patel visited its New Delhi store last month. Dhruv Kapoor, founder and creative director of his eponymous label, said the term quiet luxury emerged simply as a contrast to overt, all-over monogramming. 'The brand name recedes, allowing quality, craftsmanship, and silhouette to lead,' he said. 'True quiet luxury—where branding is nearly untraceable—tends to attract a more mature, discerning audience,' Kapoor said. His approach is to strike a balance with most pieces carrying a small, refined logo. A select few, like casual jumpers, sport bold logos and they 'sell out within days,' he said. Kapoor will showcase his collection at the Milan Fashion Week for the seventh time in September. Behno—which retails wallets, small leather goods, mini bags, totes and sling bags—has its design studio headquartered in the West Village of Manhattan in New York City, but it is very much rooted in the Indian subcontinent for production, according to its founder and creative director Shivam Punjya. 'Over the last year, we've expanded our presence through select retail partners and pop-ups in key global markets, and we've been fortunate to receive recognition from international press and tastemakers,' Punjya said. The brand will open its first store in India in Mumbai later this year, 'marking an important step in building a physical flagship presence for the brand,' he said. behno (translating to sisters in Hindi) claims to be pioneering 'a new standard' for manufacturing in the global garment trade, focusing on the way garment workers and artisans are viewed, employed, and treated. The brand's products are handmade in facilities implementing a set of six guiding principles focusing on health, artisan growth, family planning, women's rights, workplace satisfaction, and eco consciousness. In 2019, behno won Fashion Group International's Rising Star Award in accessories. Previous winners include Tory Burch, Michael Kors and Jason Wu. For Punjya, quiet luxury is about intention over excess—a design philosophy where there is a deep consideration for craftsmanship, materiality, and design integrity. 'It's luxury that you feel intimately for yourself…something that makes you feel special or even empowered,' he said. 'It's a luxury where those who know, know."
Mint
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Designer Dhruv Kapoor wants to make spirituality part of pop culture
Pooja Singh Designer Dhruv Kapoor has two big launches this year—his new Gen Z brand K 2.0 and his first flagship store in Delhi Dhruv Kapoor in his office Gift this article Designer Dhruv Kapoor's office in Gurugram looks like a laboratory. Everything is off-white, from the bare walls and flooring to the furniture and cutlery. No fabric samples, files, cuttings, mannequins—the things that usually take up space in a fashion house—are in sight. There's colour though, most of the staff, including Kapoor, are dressed in shades of green. He's the designer behind the independent eponymous ready-to-wear brand that in a span of 11 years has created a global name for itself, sitting comfortably between streetwear, casualwear and high fashion. Designer Dhruv Kapoor's office in Gurugram looks like a laboratory. Everything is off-white, from the bare walls and flooring to the furniture and cutlery. No fabric samples, files, cuttings, mannequins—the things that usually take up space in a fashion house—are in sight. There's colour though, most of the staff, including Kapoor, are dressed in shades of green. He's the designer behind the independent eponymous ready-to-wear brand that in a span of 11 years has created a global name for itself, sitting comfortably between streetwear, casualwear and high fashion. As I enter his cabin on one of the four floors of the 40,000 sq. ft building, which includes the factory, I ask if it's a coincidence that most people are dressed in green? 'It's Wednesday, a day ruled by (planet) mercury and green is the colour associated with it (according to Vastu Shastra, the Hindu principles of architecture and design)," he says, while binaural beats in the beta frequency play in the background—supposed to improve concentration. 'Green is associated with creativity, communication. I believe in Vastu, yoga… spirituality in general… that has rubbed off on my team." Thursday is yellow, Friday, blue. That belief system extends to every aspect of his life—the off-white shades of the office, wearing colours to align with one's chakras, depicting the steps of pranayama breathing on the inside of shirts, incorporating yoga practices like jal neti into his life for over two decades. Even his first flagship store, to be launched in October in south Delhi's Dhan Mill Compound, has been designed to Vastu principles. 'Fashion is 80% intangible, 20% tangible," says Kapoor, 36, explaining why he incorporates elements related to Vedic traditions into everything he does. An exclusive first look at Dhruv Kapoor's new Gen-Z focused brand K 2.0 Kapoor is currently working on two major projects: his new, Gen Z-focused brand, K 2.0 (written in Devanagari script), which is to be launched in July, and his debut womenswear collection for Milan Fashion Week in September. He's the only ready-to-wear Indian designer who has been a regular at the Milan Fashion Week's menswear edition, which sees participation of ready-to-wear brands from across the world, since 2022. 'Whether it's a big red coat or a white shirt, it's going to make you feel a certain way—confident, pretty or aggressive. And that power—to provide people the shells they want to be in—is incredible to me. If I can't touch your core with what I do, then I'm not doing it right. I want to make spirituality part of pop culture," he says. Over a decade ago, when Kapoor, fresh from his internship at fashion brand Etro in Milan, had first presented his capsule collection at the Lakme fashion week in Mumbai, the ready-to-wear market was finding its feet. While the likes of Bodice, AM/PM and Arjun Saluja were offering clothing for the working professional at a premium price, there weren't many brands experimenting in the space of streetwear-meets-high fashion. The Delhi-based Kanika Goyal Label, known worldwide for merging minimalism with avant-garde aesthetics, was just getting started. From Kapoor's first Milan show in 2022 'Dhruv is of the moment right now," says Tina Tahiliani, the driving force behind the multi-designer house Ensemble, which stocks hundreds of ready-to-wear brands, including Kapoor. 'He has a unique voice that's struck a chord, his Milan outings have helped too, plus the way he's modified ready-to-wear clothes." His popularity is also telling of the general rise in interest in India-made ready-to-wear clothes. As Tahiliani says, 'In the past two decades, there's been an immense growth in the homegrown ready-to-wear space, also because more brands are experimenting. Customers realise that instead of spending dollars on expensive clothes made by foreign brands, they can instead buy quality garments from designers here who are experimenting with embroideries, designs and techniques like shibori and brocade." Also read: Lovebirds: The cut masters of Indian fashion Kapoor was clear about the statement he wanted to make with his clothes soon after completing his master's degree at Milan design school, Istituto Marangoni: create tailored yet voluminous clothes that broke the rules of gender while reimagining everyday India. At his last outing at Milan Fashion Week in January, for instance, models walked the ramp wearing woollen shackets covered with jasmine-like embroidery and skirts draped like saris and dhoti-style pants. Each piece was tailored yet fluid and edgy—depending on how it was styled, it could be worn by any gender. Looks from Kapoor's previous collections The same holds true for most of his creations. The brand's signature laced-up oversized shirts—their popularity is evident from the knock-offs available in Delhi's Karol Bagh and Mumbai's Colaba Causeway markets—have a mix of conflicting colours and prints. 'I used to hate prints, but at Etro my internship was in the womenswear department, and I worked with a lot of prints. I had to find a way to create prints that I liked," says Kapoor. 'Now, when we do conflicting floral prints and colours, we sift through several iterations of shades and print sizes to find the ones that we believe will work. Making things that you think are ugly into something beautiful is a different kind of challenge." Also read: Meet Ritu Beri, the 'selfish' designer This design philosophy seems to have served him well. Kapoor, who started his brand with the help of his family (his father has a business, while mother was a homemaker at the time), now has 125 employees, including his mother, who takes care of operations. He started with nine workers. Revenue wise, they have grown annually by an average of 40%, Kapoor claims. Besides a strong presence in Indian multi-designer stores, the brand is available in the US, UAE, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Europe and Australia, and through stores such as Harvey Nichols, Anthropologie, Zalando and Hypebeast. There have been hiccups. When Kapoor started working towards establishing his brand, the multi-designer store Ogaan refused to take his clothes, asking him to make kurtas instead. 'I said no. Instead, I did longer shirts and they took them but initially, they didn't really work. So I refined them until they did," says Kapoor. 'Over the years, I have been told to do lehnga-choli if I want to be successful. But I didn't because I can't. One thing you need to be successful is to stick to what you know, and, more importantly, what you like. Why give people what they want? You should give people what they don't know they want yet." Nothing reflects a brand's self-confidence and the story they want to narrate better than a logo—a concept many designers seem to have forgotten. Kapoor created his—the surname Kapoor in Hindi—soon after the covid-19 pandemic. 'I wanted to have a logo in my own language because I want to put India above everything. I want the world to never forget that this is the place where artisanship and craftsmanship are still celebrated and practised," he says. The pandemic clarified his thinking about what his brand and its offerings should reflect, he says. 'Covid was a time of decluttering for a lot of people, including me, and it made me think hard about the brand's direction. Like, there was this frilly dress I had made earlier and I thought, 'What was I thinking!' I have wiped it off the internet; you can't find it anywhere," he laughs. While talking about his branding strategy, he offers couturier Sabyasachi Mukherjee as an example. 'Each aspect of that brand, from the Bengal tiger logo, to the way images are shot, the Instagram caption, the clothes, the storytelling, it's a singular voice that comes across," says Kapoor, who looks to Miuccia Prada, who 'has the ability to make even the most ugliest things beautiful", as his inspiration. While Kapoor has been participating in the official calendar of Milan Fashion Week for the past three years, why did it take him so long to present womenswear in the same city? 'Menswear has fewer brands compared to womenswear fashion week. You have to establish yourself enough times for the fashion council to consider you for womenswear and ensure that you will have a strong presence," he says. The decision to launch a new sub-brand is also part of a strategy to reach more people. Some of the brand's agents in other countries suggested the need for clothes that carried the Dhruv Kapoor philosophy at a more accessible price. Kapoor, too, much like other design labels, both national and international, was keen on tapping India's younger shoppers. 'About 60% of India's population is of Gen Zers, so definitely there's immense opportunity, and there's interest in the brand among the youngsters," says Kapoor. The K 2.0 brand will offer pared-down versions of the main line at a price range of ₹ 3,000-15,000; the main collection starts over ₹ 10,000. 'The main line is for the mature consumer, it's more embroidered, tailored, prints-heavy. The new brand has a more easy and casual vibe—the waists are elasticated, more prints, less embroidery. We have been able to cut the price by toning down embellishments, and keeping everything, from sourcing to manufacturing, within India, and it's been a discovery. Even as a design house, we weren't aware of the kind of fabrics that could be engineered here." 'The whole Dhruv Kapoor ecosystem needs to use fashion to challenge traditional beliefs and make spirituality cooler," he says of his aim, adding that the idea is to 'create a lifestyle brand that offers something for home, pets, everything". It's an answer that's common to many Indian designers, until he tosses a googly: 'I want to open spiritual centres in the middle of the city so people can enter and exit them whenever they want to shut the noise from their life. I think that's when the circle of what I have created will be complete." Also read: Designer Anamika Khanna is hitting refresh Topics You May Be Interested In
Fashion Network
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Italy opens menswear show season with Pitti Uomo, Milan Fashion Week
This season's edition of Milan Fashion Week Men will be rather low-key, clearly feeling the impact of the global geo-political and economic crisis. It will feature 81 events, including 44 presentations, 17 special events and 15 runway shows, plus five digital shows that will be streamed on the week's final morning, on Tuesday, June 24. Only three among Italian fashion's leading names will feature on the Milanese calendar this season: Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani and Prada, while Zegna will be showing in Dubai, and many other labels have opted to present their menswear collections with womenswear at the September fashion week. Some emerging labels that have made their mark on the Milanese fashion landscape in recent years will also give this edition a miss, like Magliano, which is replacing its habitual show with a movie screening, JordanLuca, and Indian designer Dhruv Kapoor. Milan will however rely on four 'new' names to freshen up the calendar, starting with British label Paul Smith, which is quitting Paris this season to show at its Milanese showroom on June 21. The other new entries on Milan's menswear programme are Setchu by Japanese designer Satoshi Kuwata, winner of the 2023 LVMH Prize, which will kick off proceedings on Friday, June 20; long-standing Italian label Fiorucci, in the midst of a major relaunch; and Qasimi, the menswear label by Hoor Al Qasimi, originally from the UAE. Two comebacks worth mentioning are those of Vivienne Westwood, which will stage a presentation, and Spanish designers Miguel Vieira and David Catalán, showing on Monday, June 23. The same day will end with the first runway show by French designer Emma Rowen Rose with her baroque-chic, made-in-Italy label Rowen Rose, which is set to launch a menswear line on this occasion. Before passing the baton to Paris, Milan Fashion Week will be enlivened by a few big parties, including those celebrating Dsquared2's 30th anniversary and Jacob Cohen's 40th.
