Milind Soman's new 'athleisure' clothing line

An activewear brand for women co-founded by Milind Soman caters to Indian sensibilities and body types

She sits patiently, precisely, facing the mirror. Music in her ears blocks unwarranted sounds, like brush strokes hide the blemishes. Hours pass, the hairdo is complete, just some final touches and she is ready to show it off. Perfection takes some doing. 

The spotlight is on her and a flurry of photographers follows her steps as she walks the ramp, poses and turns around with an air of ease. Away from the lights and cameras again, she slides out of the designer wear and slips into another outfit, ready for another round. 

She is the quintessential model whose frame is the perfect fit for artistes to show off their latest designs. But she is evolving. Fashion is finding the courage to flaunt all of us. 

Deivee (read Devi), a women’s active clothing brand, is born out of this underlying necessity — to celebrate diversity and inspire healthy living. 

If reputation is anything to go by, the brand’s 51-year-old co-founder is known to inspire healthy living. You have seen him running barefoot for miles, and often, in at-shirt that reads the word “Pinkathon” — the umbrella name for marathon-style running events for women that he founded.

Hanging out with designers at the Amazon India Fashion Week, Milind Soman, the “mantastic” man, explains why Deivee, obviously referring to devi, or goddess, has in its collection long running t-shirts, a dry-fit kurta and even a running sari, apart from tank tops, tights and shorts.

“My mother runs in a sari, and why not? We have long associated activewear with Western clothes. But what about the women who have spent their lives wearing traditional Indian attires?” says Soman.

Many women, Soman says, would not exercise just because they don’t feel comfortable wearing t-shirts, shorts or tights.

Unlike most Western sports brands, Deivee is also categorising its collection by different Indian body types. “Most sports or ‘athleisure’ wear for women,” Soman says, “are made for a particular size and shape. We wanted to make something convenient and stylish for the Indian silhouette.” 

His partner in the venture, Darshan M, breaks a few stereotypes when he explains how he came up with the idea before discussing it with Soman. “A good friend of mine, who teaches yoga to the who’s who in Bengaluru, told me that only two of 10 women in her class are comfortable going sleeveless. Many women I spoke to,” Darshan says, “want longer t-shirts that cover their hips. It’s not about being urban, rural or liberal, but about Indian sensibilities.”

It was natural, then, for Soman to become Deivee’s brand ambassador. He says the company is looking for a woman to replace him, however, while he preps for his next challenge, a Double Ironman triathlon, where he will attempt to cycle 360 km, run 84 and swim eight in succession. The running fanatic, who juggles many lives — as actor, athlete and owner of seven companies that he has co-founded — says fitness begins in the mind and his goal is to make each day better than the last. “But it also becomes an addiction, like for me, and one needs to know when to pull back,” says Soman. He recently ran barefoot for over 500 km and completed the Ultra Man triathlon in sandals — the same ones he wore to the fashion week.

The idea behind the running sari — that the 101-year-old athlete Mann Kaur walked the ramp in, along with Soman — came out of Deivee’s collaboration with designer Nida Mahmood. 

“The idea was to create a clothing line that understands different body types,” says Mahmood, “and the Indian ethos. I went to east, west, north and south of India and picked up one textile design each, and translated it into print.” She says the collection speaks about India holistically and encourages women to be comfortable in their skin. 

Models for Deivee at Amazon India Fashion Week

Soman says that all women, irrespective of their age, profile or body type, should learn to take care of themselves. But how does one do that? 

Biting into more than a few chicken kebabs and a bit of fish curry at the fashion week, the Maharashtrian whose fitness levels have only shot up with age, reveals how he loved getting drunk in his 20s and was a compulsive smoker in his 30s. But he quit all of that for the love of his body and his life. Soman says he mostly eats vegetarian nowadays and drinks a glass of wine only once in a few months.

Soman believes in growing his brand organically. “More than earning revenue, for me, it’s about spreading the message.

The evolving she, and the fashion around her, says that beauty doesn’t come in a single size and waistline doesn’t define fitness. Clothes are made for bodies, and not the other way around, and progressive Indian labels have begun to look east.