BENGALURU: Sports meets fashion in popular designer duo Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra’s ‘Shantanu Nikhil Cricket Club (SNCC)’ collection. The clothing line, which comes from the designer-siblings’ passion for sports, screams spunk and style. Since its launch, it has caught the attention of the who’s who of Bengaluru.
Shantanu Mehra says SNCC pays tribute to their love of sports. “The building foundation of our childhood revolved around playing various sports ranging from tennis, cricket, golf and swimming, and we excelled in most of them. Sports as a medium has had an incredible impact on how we have carved our designing career, and it has been one of the stronger virtues of our working philosophy. The smallest of our ideas have been incubated around the concept of using stretch fabrics and daring drape techniques that have defined agility in movement for us,” says Shantanu.
A key inspiration of the brand’s idea goes to the style of legendary Mansoor Ali Khan, the ‘Nawab of Pataudi’. The line taps on the old-school charm, which the Nawab carried with grace in the flannels he sported or in his maintenance of the legacy of the Lord’s Cricket Stadium. It also showcases late ’90s fashion that was all about relaxed fits and street-casuals with a dash of glamour.
“The idea is to carry forward the bridge to luxury design, while offering regal looks to those who want to up their connection with sports as well as their fashion game, a notch higher,” says Nikhil, adding that he is glad that they have been part of the journey of turning Bengaluru into a premiere fashion centre in India.
The new line has introduced the batsman logo with a fresh perspective – vintage style with a touch of modernity. From essential sartorial pieces like retro-doused varsity jackets, crested sweatshirts, sweater vests, classic and cropped polos to classic pick me ups – neckerchiefs, sneakers, bucket hats, belts – the idea is to represent a vision of youthful swagger with a touch of class.
“We’ve forayed into a whole new design aesthetic involving new crest details, which have been specifically designed for the collection. The crest has nuances of cricket like the batsman insignia that empowers the customer to wear their love for the sport with pride,” explains Shantanu.
Going by the ‘vibe’ of the brand, they chose cricketer Shubham Gill as the face. “Millennials and Gen Z are all about comfort and styling, which is also the reason why street style has been a major trend in the past seasons. The new and rising cricket stars like Shubman Gill himself, actively participate in making fashion a conscious lifestyle choice. We have always rooted for anti-trendsetters who carve their way out in this ever-so-competitive world,” concludes Nikhil.
Style Statement
When Shantanu and Nikhil reached out to me with the concept of SNCC, it was a no-brainer for me. I felt an instant connection with the collection and resonated with the style. Also, given the fact that it’s all about cricket and its legacy, I was beyond thrilled to be a part of it.
Shubman Gill, cricketer
Celebrated designers Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra recently launched their sporty line, a collection inspired by cricket uniforms. Speaking to CE, the duo say the line celebrates the evergreen love for cricket