As a designer Gaurav Khanijo hates the terms ‘Indian wear’ or ‘western wear’. The man behind the menswear label Khanijo feels that he still hasn’t reached his audience yet. “Ninety per cent of the men only want to shop from a designer when there is an occasion in the family and that’s a wedding! For work they still prefer going in for readymade clothing with offers, so many of them have no idea what fabric they’re buying or what fit looks good on them or they usually go in for fast fashion street brands. The remaining 10 per cent are the ones who are aware of what they really want, and I see that percentage increasing, so there’s a long way to go and the potential is brilliant,” says he. In an interface, he speaks about his new line showcased at Lakme Fashion Week Spring Resort 18...
You’ve nailed a roomy, relaxed silhouette for men in a scenario where most brands are doing super skinny. How have you reimagined the silhouette this season?
I was often told by a lot of people that much can’t be done in menswear when it comes to silhouettes, which I totally fail to agree. Though there is no doubt that the canvas is massive when it comes to designing for women, history of costumes has been a proof of how men have dressed, back in early centuries. This season, we are going back in time to Pre-independence Era, (early 19th century). I think the British epoch has influenced our clothes massively, including blazers, dhotis, suits with kurtas all with an Indian touch.
Khanijo has had a laidback luxe vibe. Who’s the Khanijo man?
The Khanijo Man knows what he desires, who takes his clothes seriously. From Sharp Cut Suits to luxurious Robes, or something as simple as a linen shirt. Men who love exploring, who is ambitious, romantic (have the chivalry alive within), adventurous and grounded at the same time. It’s just not about being perfect, because one can never reach perfection.
How do you see the future of tailoring? Dior Homme did ultra-light tailoring for their FW 2018-19 outing while a slew of hipster brands has played with broken tailoring.
Tailoring will never die, at least I’ll make sure I’ll stick to it from time to time. There is something powerful about a bespoke suit, it’s like your armour in real life.
