Decision to get into menswear came from a selfish place: Kunal Rawal

Kunal Rawal, one of the few designers working on menswear in India, says lack of options motivated him to get into men's clothing.

Kunal, who has dressed the likes of Arjun Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor and Varun Dhawan, believes his edge lies in creating contemporary pieces without compromising on traditional sensibilities.

"Indian wear for men has always been about the super opulent maharaja like or the absolutely plain look. Neither of them suited my aesthetics. I knew that menswear had a scope for a lot detailing. So me getting into menswear came from a selfish place," Kunal told PTI in an interview.

"I cater to customers that are around my age group, which is a big USP for me because whenever I create a piece, I always look at it like something I would like to wear. Other designers working on menswear are slightly older than me, which I think works in my favour. My aesthetic ranges from street wear to formal wear," he added.

Kunal said menswear market has changed a lot in the past one decade and has become a huge market, giving designers like him a lot of space to experiment.

"Men's fashion has changed and evolved a lot from the time I joined the industry. When I started with my label, the scene was completely different. Menswear has become an industry finally. Designers always cater to the market and the market currently is looking for fun in wearable fashion, which I always believed in. It is a great time to be a part of the menswear story in India," he said.

For the longest time, Kunal said, western casuals dominated the wardrobe of men's in India with a few pieces of Indian wear thrown in for special occasions but now there is more versatility.

"The idea now is to have more pieces that would cater to a red carpet look and at the same time could be styled for various wedding functions or even a night out," he said.

Kunal is showcasing his new collection, titled 'Perspective', at the Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2018.

"It is a big collection as I have created 65 to 70 looks this year. There is a lot more silhouette play and texturing in form of prints and embroidery this year.