Most fashion founders discuss fabrics, silhouettes or trends. Showik Chakraborty talks about his feelings. As the co-founder of Chapter 2, he approaches design through emotion rather than aesthetics, letting personal experiences shape what eventually becomes clothing.
With the brand unveiling its winter collection, Layers, he discusses with CE about the storyline behind it: “Normally, what happens in our collection is we are more about feelings than actually what we’re thinking. There’s a story behind every collection. Layers are basically layers of emotion. All of us have different layers of emotion. All our hoodie sets have something written on the back — with a message to uplift, to move past your grief or anything that you’re going through. So Layers are something that you can wear in and out.”
Even the colours follow the same quiet philosophy. Showik smiles when asked how they decide colours for the new collection: “I think we build our own trends, and the colour palette stays true to the brand bible because there is always a Chapter 2-esque feel to it. We play with minimal colours and love pastels, which is why the pink and blue keep coming through, since the brand carries a minimal yet elevated palette.”
Well, working with his sister (Rhea Chakraborty) has been a journey of its own. He remembers how chaotic things were in the beginning. He shares, “When we just started off, there were a lot of arguments and fights. We were spending so much time together, and we were not even looking at each other, yet she has a great creative mind and I believe I do too. We slowly found a balance over time by making sure I do not go into her department and she does not come into mine. We do not fight again and again, and I think now we have finally created that balance.” (laughs)
But entrepreneurship, he admits, is never without its obstacles. “I feel like challenges are there every day. We wake up with them and sleep with them, and the exciting part of entrepreneurship is how you overcome them. I feel like there is no brand book that can teach you, because it is about being on ground and tackling solutions while brainstorming with the team. I go to Rhea for advice and we have a great mentor board too. We take the challenges there, and I feel spontaneity is very important, because casual risk taking and calculated risk taking together solve a lot of problems,” he expresses.
Through all of this, he tries to keep himself motivated by staying anchored to the simple cycles of the business. “When you see the numbers going up and down, it becomes clear that this is simply the cycle of life, and as you watch it unfold, motivation comes on its own,” Showik narrates.
His personal style mantra reflects the same clarity: “Keep it simple, comfortable, and a look that you can wear anywhere.”
Outside work, his routine is straightforward. “I do two things in life: I work out and work. There is nothing else that I do,” he says, further talking about the importance of fitness and mental well-being in his daily life, “I think it’s the most important part because if your mental well-being is not there, your journey in entrepreneurship cannot go since it is so rocky, so I try to keep my mind sane by waking up at 5 am, going to the gym every single day, starting my day with endorphins, taking that energy to the office, finishing work, playing battle at night, and repeating the same cycle.”
As for what’s next, he hints at something playful and heart-warming. “We are planning to expand in different verticals, and while I don’t want to talk about them yet, I can say that something very exciting is around the corner, and in the first week of December we will launch a new category for the cute little ones,” he concludes.