KOCHI: Once considered plebeian and unremarkable, streetwear has achieved a fashion designation of its own. Having made its way into the mainstream as a subversive contender to high fashion, the style of the streets prioritises comfort over trend and function over form. More importantly, it is about wearing your attitude on your sleeve. Loomful, a fashion startup based in Bengaluru, is more than happy to offer all the pizzazz young hearts desire and more through collaborations with independent artists and creators.
Founded by Thrissur native Jesil K H along with his friend Jafer Nazir last year, Loomful sees itself as a community-driven platform that enables upcoming artists to turn their works into exclusive designs on T-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies that appeal to buyers. “I’m an engineering graduate but I was curious about digital art and graphic designing at an early age.
In college, I acquainted myself with various applications that explored the possibilities of integrating art into our everyday culture. However, after passing out, I had to leave for Qatar in search of a job. The idea behind Loomful was born there,” says Jesil who is also the creative head of the venture.
For the modern Malayali
With a curation of over 100 designs, all created in collaboration with independent artists, the brand is on the path to forg a symbiotic ecosystem between the maker and the buyer. A sizable collection of their designs cater specifically to young Malayalis looking for a modern yet uniquely Kerala twist to the mundane.
So the Kathakali dancer is turned into a cyber-human on a t-shirt while the iconic Coca-Cola font is designed in the Malayalam script, although Loomful’s rendition reads goli-soda. Similarly Nike’s ‘Just do it’ is ‘Cheyyadei’!.
“We have collaborated with 25 artists till date and are currently official merchandise partners of more than five music groups, including ‘The Down Troddence’, a metal band from Kerala. We were also certain that the Gen Z audience in Kerala will be fond of minimal and futuristic concepts. The widespread positive feedback proves that young customers can express and ventilate their emotions through our designs. We are exploring several design elements that interpret the human psyche,” says Jesil.
Having received considerable traction from buyers in Kerala and retained a loyal fanbase, Loomful is on the verge of expanding to other markets in India. “There are many artists from Bengaluru and Mumbai who are ready to associate with us. We are in talks with creators from various parts of the country and are working on an advanced version of our website to incorporate them. Taking off from our sizeable footprint in Kerala, we want to make this into a pan-Indian venture,” adds Jesil. Shop @loomful.com.