Kunal Rawal will soon complete 20 years in the fashion business. A milestone he isn’t quite ready to commit to just yet. What is undeniable, however, is Kunal’s body of work in menswear, especially occasion-wear. A trendsetter with aesthetics bordering on the contemporary, crisp, natty, sleek and understated with a youthful zing. Often a play of textures, sharp tailoring and detailing, Kunal’s designs have gained momentum in the last decade even as menswear has pivoted on narratives of self-discovery. Kunal had, of course, worked extensively on various verticals, such as film and advertisement costumes, juggling his inaugural label Kunal Rawal dstress before he decided to focus wholly on his label as we know it today — Kunal Rawal — in the years preceding the pandemic.
“I made a conscious decision to move my retail, which required my consolidated focus. We have managed to open stores. I was always planning to return to costume work, but it requires focus and time. Starting last year, I began taking on small pieces of work again because the stores were closed, and I had free time. It keeps a different side of me happy,” Kunal told us in a 2021 chat, when Covid had shut the world down.
Much has changed since then, just like menswear has grown in leaps and bounds. “I feel it’s a blast currently. We are seeing much more colour, but in exciting ways. Occasionwear has become a lot more exciting. There’s so much happening in occasionwear today, especially in menswear; it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. It’s amazing because there’s space for everybody. There are so many exciting aesthetics in menswear today, and people are gravitating toward mixing, matching, and adding their personality. The market has become so exciting that the product catering to it must be equally exciting, or even more so,” Kunal says when we call him to discuss the new ideas he had executed. Hybrid Minds, Box Pleat and KR Black. The same KR aesthetics unite them. Functional and versatile dressing for the modern man.
“Box pleats have been a big part of my journey. I love the formalness, the precision and the clean lines. I just like what it represents. Perfection. Because with pleats, you go a little here, a little there; it just jumps out. So, I wanted to give box pleats that kind of brand love,” says Kunal. The Indo-Western capsule is packed with tie-dyes and some solid styles. Kunal has experimented with different versions of pleats. There are washed linens and bandhgalas, mock layers and deconstructed jackets.
KR Black is the second capsule. “I remember us talking about the ‘black is beautiful’ slogan. We did black for grooms a few years ago. Black is literally my ivory. I want to tweak this narrative to emphasise that black is beautiful, celebratory, in the occasionwear world. That’s the reason for putting out occasionwear blacks in this collection,” says Kunal.
A transitional collection, the details look lovely. “It’s got so much variety. I think it is a part of who I am. I love things being slightly overwhelming and especially when it involves design. You’ll see industrial washes, interesting new silhouettes, military elements, and the comfort of sport,” says Kunal.
He has gone back to his archives and brought out the kadi jackets and the military kurta shirts. “The kadi jacket is something that has been synonymous with us from back in the day,” he adds. There’s also applique, pleat work and the element of deconstruction. We love the idea of effortless cool that runs through the pieces.
Is he getting more into the regular wear space with Hybrid Minds? “It is again a transitional thought. Who are we to say what you wear where? It’s about celebrating design, personality and the diversity that comes with India and the beautiful world we live in,” explains Kunal.
The clothes are simple yet feature subtle detailing. The transitional looks can multitask from day to night, from light to heavy, and from serious to casual. “Like even in the texturing we do, there is a layer of treatment. So, they don’t only belong to an occasionwear world. They can also belong to an eveningwear, a red carpet, an important meeting. So, that fluidity in every piece of ours is very important to me, trying to bring in industrial textures into our world. But of course, I’d like to believe that we are not only design-obsessed, but more product-obsessed. So, you’ll enjoy the technical plays,” he says.
Kunal is also excited about his fifth store in India, in Mehrauli, in Delhi. Designed in collaboration with architect and designer Rooshad Shroff, the monolith store built from Baroda green marble has an art gallery feel and blends the vintage and modern in a deeply meditative vein. Kunal’s signature Morse code appears in multiple ways.
“For the first time in the store, we’ve installed the Morse mirror. I love that slight manipulation. You see yourself, but you don’t see yourself. The ceiling is oxidised gold. On the sculptures, we have put brass. The facade of the store also features our brand’s storytelling. It’s almost like giving the brand’s pedigree in a hand-carved marble on the facade,” says Kunal.
Like his clothes, the store is full of functional elements, like hydraulic racks. “Everything can be moved, tweaked and played with, which makes the shopping experience very exciting for a customer like me. And with occasionwear, it’s important for me to keep my clientele really happy and excited through the whole process. Men are just about finding what they like, so it’s important that we come with our vibe, our world,” says Kunal.
Rooshad has worked with Kunal on all his other stores too. Kunal felt there was a synergy in how they approached design. “I think he’s very India today. That’s what I love about him. And that’s who we are as a brand,” he smiles.
Kunal wants his stores to mirror the same excitement he finds in men discovering themselves. “I just go back to my days when I enter a store like a child. I want that little overwhelming excitement,” he adds.
The same joy is palpable in his voice when he speaks about what a great time it is to be a designer now in India. “What we are trying to do also is stamp our aesthetic on this timeline of menswear. I have been around long enough to see fashion evolve from being taken lightly to becoming the industry it is now, and I’m seeing the same trajectory with menswear. There is no specific format or rule that you must follow. It’s democratic. You will find your audience if you’re authentic. And it’s all about creating your market,” Kunal signs off.
Saionee Chakraborty
Pictures courtesy: Kunal Rawal
