sbcltr spoke to Harkrishan Alag aka Bandajee—the man behind Delhi’s hottest new streetwear label that is combining the Indian silhouette and modern functionality
Sometime in later 2017-18, images started doing the rounds on Instagram, of people in what was unmistakably a kurta—albeit a bit more structured— in that effortless tone of making Indian streetwear chic. Many designers had tried before and failed at making the humble everyday kurta look this cool but Delhiwear nailed it in one go.
The story of Delhiwear is the story of a generation. It is the story of people who grew up confident in their local aesthetic, unafraid to amalgamate their roots with the popular culture they consumed as children of globalisation or LPG est 1991. 25-year-old Harkrishan Alag aka Bandajee, the brain behind Delhiwear says that his inspiration comes from brands such as Supreme and Nike. Of course hip hop culture does play into the whole narrative but so does high-fashion. “Delhiwear started with the mindset of pushing the Indian aesthetic rather than generic western silhouettes. Four years ago, we tried to push this with our first line of product, Vardi. The focus then was to shift the kurta, which I grew up wearing, from something people now wore occasionally to everyday wear. It seemed impossible at the time, but we paired it with our Jordans. Now everyone’s wearing it with sneakers.”
Vardi
The name Delhiwear, and its logo which incorporates the Lotus temple into it build into the theme of inclusivity, says Bandajee. “The general mindset people have of Delhi is very negative but the truth is that this is an inclusive city—everybody is welcome here. It is open to everyone and that goes well with our brand philosophy.”
Delhiwear targets the age group of 18-34 and makes clothes that can seem limited if you come from a fast fashion mindset. Their first collection only sold 5 variants, yet they finished their stock in the first 6 months. Assisted by one silent partner, Tarandeep Singh and a co-creative, Anshay Nagpaul, Bandajee has been the force behind everything—from the business model to the designs. He also acts as a brand ambassador for his clothes + accessories, dressed head to toe in Delhiwear, from his black trench with a sherwani silhouette to his side-bag.
Harkishan Alag
Image Credits: Ruhani Kaur
The focus is on making clothes that are wearable at work and off work—depending on how you style them. “Our focus is to make clothes that can be individually styled, this is the reason why we stay away from heavy monograms. Our focus remains to create timeless silhouettes that stand out even in 2035,” he laughs. Part reason Delhiwear has been able to sustain is also that it has a very functional approach. With its emphasis is on slow fashion, “We don’t have a 5-year plan but a quarterly vision that keeps us in check. 10 years down, even though we will have expanded, we will still be selling our first product Vardi.”
The brand is currently focused on promoting its business casual line, you can check it out here
