Not many streetwear labels come out of Lucknow, a city associated with delicate chikan work, a dulcet tone of speech, and of course, delicious food. But not many know that alongside this nafaasat and nazaaqat, the city’s streets also boast rappers, music producers, graffiti artists and what have you. It is this cultural diversity that Lucknow-born and raised Prabhakar Rao has been hugely influenced by. So much so that when he decided to start a South Asian designer streetwear label (right in the midst of the pandemic, if you please), he knew that his first campaign would represent this city of culture.
Comfort, with a celebration of the country’s rich culture and heritage, is the brand’s calling card. It also focuses on putting together pieces in such a way that they represent an amalgamation of South Asian fashion sense and the western relaxed vintage aesthetics that the subcontinent was influenced by during the magical ’70s, ’80s and ’90s.
“The aesthetic is an ode to the past and celebration of the present, be it the regular fit British khaki pants or our oversized heavy-duty T-shirts. The House of Zero Tolerance rejects the idea of trends and focuses on making garments that are timeless. We believe garments should be allowed to grow on the wearers and when buying any outfit it should be treated more like an investment,” says the 23-year-old.
Besides, the brand also believes in gender fluidity. Rao reiterates that one must be open to trying different fits and silhouettes. “Sticking to the same old thing is boring. In the Proud Browns collection, for instance, we have menswear, womenswear and unisex clothing as we want our garments to be enjoyed by men and women equally,” he stresses.
Zero Tolerance also prides itself in not being a mass producer, nor does it restock once sold out. This, however, also became its biggest challenge. “The problem is that manufacturers and mills don’t appreciate small orders, which is why it took us around nine-odd months to develop our debut collection. Covid didn’t help matters either. But we were consistent and believed in the process. Today, I have no complaints. We did not compromise on the quality of our work and this made the journey, including the hardships, unforgettable,” he says.
The fact that Rao is a Journalism and Mass Communication graduate, and not a trained designer, must have been another challenge, you ask. Not particularly, he says, adding, “I love the idea of self-expression through fashion and my team has been very supportive in educating me about different aspects of fashion as well as how fabrics are made and how a garment is stitched and whatnot.” While Rao is the brand’s Founder and Creative Director, he has by his side, Head Designer, Sargam Tomar, 23, a NIFT Chennai gold medalist.
Now, you ask the obvious — why Zero Tolerance? “The name came to me in an unexpected way. I was sure that I wanted the label to be influenced by the ‘Never Give Up’ attitude and was toying with various combinations. Then one day, I went to my younger brother’s school to pick him up. While waiting in the lobby, I came across a board proclaiming: ‘We have a Zero Tolerance policy for students carrying mobile phones on the school premises.’ Serendipity struck, and ZT it was,” recalls Rao.
This slow fashion brand does not believe in rushing creativity. With two collections under its belt, Rao is now looking forward to making some ‘one-on-one’ custom stuff. “I don’t want to give away much information as of now, but one thing I can tell you—we are going to push storytelling unlike any Indian streetwear label to date. Also, we want to shape Zero Tolerance to serve as a platform for all the artists and individuals to start a conversation,” he signs off.