Menswear is not just for men

Ahead of his couture showcase, fashion designer Kunal Rawal talks about his design sensibilities, his latest collection, and more

Images from model fittings for Kunal Rawal’s couture collection showcase.

Kunal Rawal’s creations are ubiquitous in Bollywood celebrity cliques. However, this is not the only testament to his popularity. Known for his functional pieces that showcase experimentation with technology and embroideries, Rawal is—as stated in his Instagram bio—redefining bespoke Indian menswear. In this interview, the designer gives us a glimpse of the collection he will showcase tonight at the FDCI India Couture Week 2022 in association with Lotus Make-up taking place in the city while talking about how the gender-fluid narrative seeps into his brand’s imagery, storytelling, and pieces, his design ethos and how it changed post-COVID, among other things. Excerpts…

1. You started with contemporary Western wear, moved to occasion wear, and later launched a kidswear collection. Fifteen years in the industry... Has your design ethos changed with experiences and time?
We have explored so much in these past 15 years. We got into occasion wear after designing Shahid Kapoor’s wedding outfits. And it came to us naturally and fit well with our design aesthetics. For us, it was another avenue where we could redefine menswear and break the stereotypical moulds around how men should dress. We saw it as an opportunity to portray a different aesthetic as opposed to the maximalist Air India Maharaja style. Luxe minimalism and functionality have truly been at the centre of all our creations. Having said that, we make it a point to have fun with our designs too—whether it is us experimenting with technology or embroideries. Fashion, at the end of the day, is meant to be fun and at Kunal Rawal, we want men to have endless possibilities.

2. You have always tried to dismantle traditional silhouettes by adding sporty aesthetics to it. While 'young India' has been your muse, how easy or difficult was it to be accepted by Indian consumers who are used to a tried-and-tested sartorial formula in menswear?
It has been difficult indeed. These 15 years are also reflective of a journey, which made people accept us in the mainstream. While we have always tried to hit that sweet spot between traditional wear and modern, contemporary wear, it was not easy for us to begin with. Men have always been accompanied by their family, friends, wives, or girlfriends, and everyone has always shared their opinion on what would look good. The man per se and his preference have always been lost in translation. The idea was to empower men to make choices for themselves. Boxy silhouettes and rigid lines have been around forever but for men, comfort and functionality reigns supreme. We married that with our design aesthetic, and over time, we saw our design sensibilities getting accepted more and more.

3. Give us an insight into what this 2022 couture collection will be like in terms of craft, fabric and silhouette.

For this collection, we treated couture as wearable art with garments that one can dress up or down, mix or match with staples, or even wear to work. We experimented with our signature structured pieces, which are complemented by new silhouettes that play with drapes on drapes—flattering every form and changing shape and style however you need. Jackets have built-in stoles, fun embroideries, and intriguing textures. We have created a deceptively complicated sherwani look, which will allow for making statements by just pulling on a single piece or deconstructing it into multiple looks. A lot of the designs you see will be free from the restrictions of gender, making fluidity the new norm.

4. Functionality has always been a major part of your designs. With respect to this collection, how have you achieved a balance between aesthetics and functionality?

The 'young India' is so motivated, self-aware, and always moving. And we know that this pace and personality comes with unique needs for what we wear on our most special days. We wanted to cater to all these diverse points of view with couture that truly combines traditions with personal values. We understand that people need clothes to multitask like them, to fit how they live, think, or move, and accordingly we have laid out a collection which bridges our design sensibilities with sartorial functionality.

5. Did you have to embrace change (creatively, and otherwise) post the pandemic?

The pandemic has been hard for everyone but some were lucky to find some silver lining. And I think therein lies the beauty of the new normal—it has brought a lot of things into perspective. I think we have all taken a bird's-eye view of our lives, and course corrected wherever we could. But for me, one of the biggest changes has been realising the importance of a plan A and plan B. That is something I have learnt from my father who always keeps telling me to prepare for a doomsday scenario. And I have always argued with him wondering, 'why would he hold such a pessimistic point of view?'. But then there came a point when the world was coming to an end, travel was over, and everything came to standstill. On a regular day, you always want a collection to be a little big; you will always want to market a collection a little bit more. And you end up taking some budgets from your plan B’s and plan C's, and transfer it to one bucket and go all out with it. So, my learning has been focusing on planning.

Another big change has been the emphasis on ‘focus’. Very often, we get caught into a million things to deal with every day. And that is the potency of your thoughts— there are always multiple tabs open in our heads. Therefore, focus becomes very important for our day-to-day functioning. There is so much to do and there always will be but until you do not prioritise and focus on things that matter, you will not see movement. Everybody has great ideas but the person who makes it happen through hard work and focus is always the last one standing.

6. You have always endorsed gender fluid and androgenous pieces. Does that get challenging from a business/commercial perspective in India?

Gender fluidity has always been one of the important pillars for our brand and we have always weaved that in through our storytelling, garments, styling, and even casting. Also, menswear is not just for men, it is something which is/can be consumed by people globally irrespective of their gender. I myself have seen my body transform a lot over the years, and I always wanted to see how a garment looks on a similar body type. So, it comes from a very strong belief and it also makes so much business sense so the entrepreneur in me does not see why people are not doing it. The reason why you do not see a lot of designers doing it is because it is definitely a lot more effort when it comes to casting, when it comes to building your community. But, if you are a designer that is in it for the right reasons, I am sure you will start building your community from day one.