Imagine this. You’re on the Nike website waiting for a new shoe collection to drop. The collection is supposed to launch at 8 AM. It’s now 8.01 AM. The collection is completely sold out and you just weren’t fast enough. This experience is probably already very familiar to you. And if not, then you definitely have a friend for whom it is and you’re thinking of them right now. And they are probably thinking about the next launch and setting their alarms.
The fact is this practice has already become a habit for a large chunk of streetwear enthusiasts. The demand is just too high and this ‘fan culture’ around streetwear is not disappearing anytime soon.
But how and when did streetwear in India become such a big deal? Oversized hoodies, graphic tees and insanely cool shoes seem to have become a uniform for the youth almost overnight but this shift has been a long time coming.
Streetwear first emerged in the world in the 1980s in LA, California and has been growing and evolving ever since. However, the Streetwear scene in India is still relatively new.
The earliest influences of Indian streetwear can be traced back to 90s and early 2000s with the launch of brands like Tantra and Fish Fry who aimed to popularise slogan tees and bold prints.
They used easily recognisable Indian imagery and meshed it with more westernised silhouettes to create their collections. With increasing globalisation, Western influences also started affecting the way Indians were dressing and the boom of social media pushed this trend further.
People all over the world could see what others were wearing and as a result, streetwear started to bleed into the style of India. But Indian streetwear was not a direct replica or copy of whatever was mainstream in the West.
To quote Sohiny Das, co-founder of Grain Fashion Consultancy, “Street style has to be a natural extension of a particular place. Geography, weather, architecture and the general vibe of the city influences how people dress.” Thus, it wasn’t possible for Indian streetwear to exist without influences from the nation’s own pop culture, music, movies, cities and more. Traditional Indian textiles and fabrics were incorporated into streetwear outfits to create a unique style that was both modern but classic.
Fast forward to 2018, India saw the launch of its first multi-brand streetwear retailer, Capsul, founded by Meenakshi Singh and Bhavisha Dave. They realised that the consumption of fashion, art & culture by Indian Millennials & Gen Z was at the same pace as their global counterparts. This segment of consumers wanted to access the coolest brands and newest launches in their home country and Capsul fulfilled this demand by bringing these brands to Indian shores. These founders themselves had grown up in the era of Hip Hop, MTV and bucket hats, so they knew exactly what the target market was.
Soon, numerous such websites and retailers came up in India who provided the Indian population access to the global market of sneakers, oversized tees and more. These retailers, like Mainstreet Marketplace, VegNonVeg and Superkicks to name a few, have established themselves as emerging gamechangers, amassing a cult-like customer base who frequent their websites for information about all their favourite sneaker and streetwear brands.
Now, we are also seeing a rise in homegrown Indian streetwear labels like the launch of Jaywalking in 2019 by designer Jay Jajal. He wanted to fill the gap of local Indian streetwear brands and started selling his pieces exclusively through Instagram. His launches were extremely successful, and just two years later, the brand has its own website and store. Jay has even styled numerous celebrities like Ranveer Singh in customised pieces from his brand - adding to the popularity of streetwear pieces amongst customers.
Another noteworthy homegrown label is Almost Gods, an Indian luxury streetwear brand that was started in 2018 by Dhruv Khurana. His maximalist designs lean heavily on visual imagery like volcanos and heat maps as well as strong Indian influences like the use of Delhi’s city map on clothing pieces and the use of traditional fabrics like jacquards.
Several other Indian streetwear labels taking the fashion world by storm include SIX5SIX STREET, SPACEBISKIT and Delhiwear. These brands are tapping into the largely unrealised potential of Indian street fashion and successfully carving their mark in this space.
Lastly, the insurgence of this ‘hype culture’ can also be attributed to Bollywood celebrities and Indian rappers who have given streetwear the spotlight though magazine covers, Instagram posts and press tours.
Punjabi hip-hop and rap artists like Dijit Dosanjh and Badshah regularly step out wearing Balenciaga and Off-White, creating a want for these pieces amongst their huge fan bases. Even big Bollywood names like Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor have donned streetwear-inspired outfits on red carpets and in photo shoots. This “Bollywood Effect” has really catapulted the popularity of Indian Streetwear among the youth of the country.
It’s clear that streetwear is here to stay and is only going to keep gaining more traction in the upcoming years. The fashion world has a lot of space for this style to experiment and keep surprising fans with exciting new silhouettes and designs. Until then, don’t forget to set your alarms for the next cool sneaker drop and hope for the best!
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