Finding streetwear brands in a country where streetwear is yet to become a mainstream phenomenon, can be a daunting task. But don't worry! In this article, we include all the streetwear brands that have been making moves in India.
If you're new into the Indian Streetwear culture, then read this article first: Streetwear India: State of the Culture to understand this article better!
This article has been written for the purpose of guiding you through the Indian Streetwear market: the different streetwear brands, the subcultures they represent, what they are famous for, and how expensive they are.
I have summarized the information in the following table for to easily understand it. However, highly suggest reading the whole article to really get to know the brands better. Doing so will help you know the brand better as well as help you associate with the culture you want to be a part of. After all, at its core, streetwear is about self-expression.
| Name | Sub-culture | What to buy? | Price |
| Jaywalking | Art, Edgy, Bold | Graphic Tees, Utility Pants, Jackets | $$ |
| Almost Gods | Art, Innovation, High Street | Graphic Tees, Bucket Hats, Individual pieces | $$$ |
| Halo Effect | Innovation, Japanese Culture | Reflective Tees, Tie-Dye Reflectives | $ |
| Delhiwear | Indo-western fusion streetwear | Vardis, Pants | $$ |
| Strey | Counter Culture, Animal Welfare | Graphic Tees, Joggers, Bags | $$ |
| Bhaane | Self-Expression | Basics | $$ |
| VegNonVeg | Sneaker Culture | Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Fila, Jordans | $$ |
| Kollab | Dance Culture | Loose Tees & Sweatpants | $$ |
| Infected Clothing | Underground Street culture | Graphic Tees | $ |
| BOMAACHI | Self-expression | Tie Dyes, Reflectives | $ |
| FEKKI | - | Graphic Tees | $$ |
Jaywalking
Jaywalking is a streetwear based fashion house founded by Jay Jajal. "Jaywalking is dangerous. It is for people who aren't scared to cross the line and prove a point. It is for people that believe in art and culture." - Jay Jajal
In my opinion, Jaywalking has established itself as the premium streetwear brand in the country. Jay's quirkiness, attitude and experimental style is expressed very well in his designs.
High Snobiety, Vogue, and various other big publications have sung his praises, making Jaywalking one of the few streetwear brands that are garnering attention in the western fashion market.
Almost Gods
Almost Gods, a New Delhi-based streetwear line, focuses on the ties between art and streetwear. Aiming to spread the umbrella of their brand all over the world, their roots lie in India's different subcultures. They model themselves as innovators who want to push the boundaries of cut, silhouette, and material innovation.
The "Garden of Earthly Desires Jacket" by Almost Gods (Photo Credit: Official Instagram of Almost Gods @almost_gods)
Their designs are inspired by different art forms and their first collection "The Garden of Earthly Desires" explores different prints of flora and fauna representative of that garden. In our opinion, they are the closest thing to a western high street brand that we have seen in terms of their style and look.
Halo Effect
Halo Effect has made it's way into the streetwear scene very recently but they are definitely leaving an impact.
Their quality of material, designs and price point have made them very popular, very fast.
Their reflective t-shirts, bold graphics, and relatable slogans with a touch of Japanese culture make them super unique.
We have soon huge praises from our clients in our retail store of their products and is a brand I'd highly recommend myself.
If you'd like to see their products: Halo Effect – 10 Hills Studio
STREY
Strey was formed in 2017 in an attempt to create a 'Counter Culture' that goes against the grain of cultural norms. They are attempting to create a "subculture with values and norms that differ substantially from our mainstream society." Their designs are inspired by keen observations of Mumbai, where they are based out of. Consistent with their theme, their garments have heavy graphics, complex embroideries, and bold designs that have a rebellious undertone.
From Strey's Save the Planet Collection (Photo Credit: Strey)
Delhiwear
Delhiwear, started by Harkrishan Alag and Tarandeep Singh, aims to build a community that wishes to "spread the word about the Indian culture and streetwear."
Vardi by Delhiwear (Photo Credit: Delhiwear)
As a result, they have created their own subculture surrounding ethnic infused streetwear taking elements from each for inspiration. Their Vardi's are a great example of combining ethnic apparel with streetwear. These street-styled Kurtas were made off a vision they had to "create a uniform without contemplating the outfit of the day." This idea of using simple silhouettes combined with a slight street-style edge is what their brand is all about.
Bhaane
Bhaane's culture is all about self-expression and providing silhouettes and cuts that aren't imprinted by any logos. Their reason for doing so is that they don't want to "be recognised not by its letters or by a symbol but by its aesthetic, it's quality and the overall emotion of our brand." Believing in the importance of a touch-feel experience, they opened their first concept store in Meherchand Market in New Delhi. Their store also contains a cafe where they regularly host events to create a culture around self-expression and embracement.
Photo Credit: Official Instagram of Bhaane @bhaane
VegNonVeg
Started by the creators of Bhaane, VegNonVeg is the first multi-brand sneaker store in India. They host a curated selection ranging from classic to heritage of the most famous sneaker brands in the world such as Nike, Adidas, Puma, New Balance, Fila and many others. They're at the forefront of sneaker culture in the country and are doing a heck of a job at creating a narrative for India's sneaker culture.
Reebok Classics at VegNonVeg (Photo Credit: Official Instagram account of VegNonVeg - @vegnonveg)
Haut De Gamme
Pronounced "ODEGAM", Haut De Gamme explores the subcultures of pop and high-street. They have various categories of products but their hand-painted jackets and jeans stand out. The hand-painted designs tastefully draw inspiration from popular culture and are truly unique pieces of clothing. Also, look out for their graphic tees which are both funny and rebellious at the same time.
Haut De Gamme Fanny Pack (Photo Credit: Official Instagram of Haute De Gamme - @hautdegammeclothing)
Kollab
Kollab, based in Kolkata, draws inspiration from hip-hop and skate cultures. Their striped tees and joggers are fantastic to dance in, and they're slowly gaining popularity in the underground music scene in India.
Kollab Dancing Star Kimono (Photo Credit: Official Instagram of Kollab - @kollablifestyle)
Infected Clothing
Infected clothing was started by Hritik and Tarun from Mumbai. They are self-taught graphic designers and illustrators whose foremost focus is to create complex, edgy, underground designs.
"Infected will always be a freestyle brand. We cannot pre-conceptualize a project. We are all about creative freedom. We cant force our-self to create a design, we will literally put anything out at any time. But we can assure you that will be delivering flawless quality pieces which are ranged in such manner that everyone could afford it. Infected is about the cult and if people know the worth they won't waste a second to be a part of it." - Infected Clothing interview by @sadboys
Their latest collection - "Destined to suffer" explores an underlying mood and attitude that define the modern Indian youth.
You can shop their latest collection here: Infected Clothing – 10 Hills Studio
BOMAACHI - LET THE JUDGE
The brand is all about breaking stereotypes, culture barriers, and prioritizes being yourself. "Be real, raw, and weird. You have to establish who you want to be in this life. Don't be who they tell you to be." - Prince from BOMAACHI
Being one's self is extremely important these days and they preach that through their clothing.
Their play with different washed fabrics, tie-dyes, and reflective have shown they are always trying to push innovation and the extent in which their designs can go.
We have their latest collection in store here: Bomaachi – 10 Hills Studio
FEKKI
When asked about whether or not they'd like to make a statement about their brand, they said that they prefer to let the customer judge.
So here's some of their latest collection that we have stocked in our retail space: Fekki – 10 Hills Studio
Conclusion
The streetwear space in the country is growing very rapidly and there are many other brands that I've probably missed out. Some honorable mentions are: HUEMN, RISING AMONG, SIX5SIX STREET, WARPING THEORIES, VINTAGE STOCKHOUSE STUDIOS. I'll be writing more about them very soon.
Note: If you feel like we've left out anyone then do write a comment on this thread to notify us and we'll update our article. Cheers!