Unhitched

There are often three kinds of style when it comes to men’s clothing in India; formal, casual and traditional wear. It is surprise that often feel perplexed to tread the bridge between formal and traditional so they stick to either side. There have been attempts by designers to make traditional formal wear but often the gaudy nature of Indian traditional clothes overpower. Kunal Rawal however has been almost successful in making men take that bridge with his cutting edge label for modern men who like the subtle Indian appeal in their clothes.

Like most couture designers in India, his stint in the fashion industry also owes its success to the popular connections in the Bollywood industry. If a designer wants his clothes liked by consumers, he has to at least make his brand visible in a film’s end credits, lavish parties in the showbiz and has to make the clothes worn by as many stars as possible. Luckily, for Kunal Rawal all of that came easily. Now, do the clothes show any quality to be this famous? Sure, the label Kunal Rawal’s clothes do not have the run of the mill designs that can only be worn at big fat Indian weddings. They do not appeal to the obsessive mother who wants to decorate her son on his wedding day. The geometrical designs, faded out bright hues and colour changing fabric really has the potential to rescue the urban Indian male who finds himself suffocated in the bejewelled Indian couture.

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The one thing that really interests the regular fashion fanatic is the way Rawal plays with his fabric, how embellishes them with metal knots, beads and still manages to give them a rustic look. A designer who wishes to prosper in the couture world has always had to include female clothing but Rawal has still remained far from it. However he has created an option for women who want to wear androgynous clothing.

From the September 2020 issue of FHM India.