KOCHI: Natural fabrics, earthy colours and minimal design motifs form the mainstay of Thrissur-based clothing brand ‘Magis’ founded in 2003 by the husband and wife duo Rajesh George and Gigi Rajesh. Over the years, the brand has evolved from supplying ready made salwar suits to major lifestyle stores across Kerala to a distinctive fashion label with its own design ethos.
One defining feature in the many collections brought out by Magis, which in Latin means ‘more’ or ‘greater’, is the emphasis on silhouette and structure of the piece of clothing rather than external embellishments of either beading or embroidery. A trait, also evident in their latest Christmas collection named Magismas ‘20. Traditional colours of the season, including white, red and black, take centre stage while the overarching focus is on clean design elements and classic structural patterns. “We are now known for our minimalist pieces and our customers do not expect over the top design elements from us. This adds to our clothes lasting for years withstanding many washes and climate changes,” says Rajesh.
“Our intention right from the beginning has been to provide affordable and sustainable clothing with good quality and finesse. My wife completed a short-term course in NIFT. Apart from that, neither of us have any formal training in fashion design but we were always passionate about the topic. After 12 years of supplying to other stores, we started our flagship concept showroom in Thrissur in 2017 as an attempt to promote our own brand. Since the pandemic outbreak, our focus has been mainly on catering to our exclusive store and clientele,” adds Rajesh.
Banking upon simplicity and uncluttered aesthetic with a discernable attention to sustainability, Magis has also come out with a range of accessories and home decor products made using scrap from their garment production process. “As a fashion brand with a concept store, we are experimenting with different products. We came out with bookmarks and Christmas ornaments recently made from recycled materials,” he said.
With plans to branch out into other cities like Kozhikode and Kochi with showrooms in the near future, Magis’ immediate roadmap is to come out with their next big collection which will be called ‘Intricate’. “We are planning a revival of traditional handlooms and Indian handcrafts with the collection. It will comprise long-lasting festive garments. Apart from Intricate, our summer collection will be exclusively made with kadhi,” says Rajesh.Visit ‘The Store Between The Lines’ in Thrissur or shop from Magis via Instagram @magisthedesigner