Designer duo Shantanu-Nikhil launch a new store in Mumbai

Fashion designer duo Shantanu-Nikhil opened an exclusive menswear store at Kala Ghoda in Mumbai. The store has both occasion and ceremonial wear. The interiors are a reflection of the Shantanu-Nikhil brand – minimalistic yet Indian. The next stores will be opened in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad in July and August respectively. What is striking about the new store in Mumbai is the grey concrete and brass metal details of the space that compliments their razor sharp tailoring and fluid designs.

It was in 2000 that the duo established their brand specialising in menswear. Their first show in 2001, showcased fusion designs. They presented military inspired menswear with leather, velvets, all kinds of corduroy on sherwanis, which were knee-length with high slits. The detailing was a first of its kind which no man had probably seen on a Nehru collar or a sherwani. Shantanu-Nikhil’s first two-three shows were very masculine and had structured looks, something that was very new at that time. As Shantanu remembers, those were the days when menswear was all about dressing the groom. In such a scenario they brought a contemporary edge without any bling. They only experimented with fabrics and details.

Ever since, the duo have constantly experimented. Fascinated by the Nehru collar, they have given it their own twist, lengths have become shorter and instead of churidars, they paired them with trousers. All this was done in the first 10 years of the brand. From 2013 onwards, they started playing with drapes, giving it a twist to structures, fits, and silhouettes. They have done drape kurtas, layered them with waistcoats and sherwanis.

The designer duo is a favourite designer of many Bollywood celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal among others.