Slow fashion is on the rise. Concerning statistics about the effects of fast fashion on the environment has led many designers, including those on this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia: The Arts list to think consciously when starting their labels. The result is beautifully-crafted and ethically-produced garments transcending fads and seasonal trends.
Indian designers in particular are rising to the occasion–and having fun while at it. Harsh Agarwal has been collecting fabrics and designing his own clothes since seventh grade. That passion found a natural outlet in 2019 when he launched menswear brand Harago (a derivative of his name), which incorporates traditional Indian craftsmanship, such as embroidery and block printing, in its casual wear designs.
The Jaipur-based label’s inspiration came in 2017 when Agarwal worked on sustainability initiatives as a U.N. intern in New York. He wanted a career that blended artisanship and eco-friendly concepts in fashion, so after finishing his degree at Symbiosis International University in economics in Pune in 2018, he traveled across India to visit artisans’ homes and stores to understand their work.
His first collection featured shirts and trousers made from handwoven cotton, silk, wool and vintage fabrics. Four years on, Agarwal supplies his designs on a wholesale basis to retailers worldwide including Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and South Korea’s Hanstyle.
“Our focus is on craftsmanship, craftspeople and continuing the artisan’s traditional crafts legacy.”
Harago got a boost in 2021 when celebrity Harry Styles was seen sporting Harago shorts. The company produces 8,500 pieces a year, sourced from more than 200 artisans across India. It takes about a week to ten days to finish one garment. Agarwal says he doesn’t promote Harago as a sustainable brand because “the fashion industry can never be 100% sustainable,” he says. “Our focus is on craftsmanship, craftspeople and continuing the artisan’s traditional crafts legacy.” Next up is Harago’s first women’s collection in May.
During Covid lockdowns, Delhi-native Kartik Kumra returned home from his economics studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Instead of a virtual internship, Kumra was cold-calling dyers and embroiderers, driving around the Indian countryside to launch clothes-seller Karu Research. From embroidered camp-collared shirts to embellished double knee trousers, Karu Research’s collection features bohemian paisley, hand-dyed cotton and mother-of-pearl buttons. Kumra’s designs have been worn by Kendrick Lamar, Lewis Hamilton and Joe Jonas and stocked in global retailers including Mr Porter, Selfridges and SSENSE. Karu Research was listed as a semi-finalist in the 2023 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers.
Gender-fluid Fashion
Also in Delhi, Dhruv Khurana founded streetwear label Almost Gods in 2018. The label’s bold imagery and gender-neutral, oversized sweatshirts and tees have attracted attention from celebrities such as Machine Gun Kelly and featured in fashion magazines like Vogue India. The brand was named “Most promising Indian label” at GQ Fashion Awards 2022.
Ka Lam Po, cofounder of Ponder.er.
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After studying fashion at Central Saint Martins in London, Ka Lam Po cofounded Ponder.er in 2019. The Hong Kong-based brand’s gender-fluid designs challenge traditional stereotypes with sheer knit fabrics and form-fitting silhouettes. Their designs include mohair sweaters, crochet tops and jackets with trompe l’oeil imagery. In 2022, the brand won the Yu Prize x Li-Ning Grand award. The reward included 1 million yuan ($150,000), a collaboration with Li-Ning and a showcase at the Sphere Paris Fashion Week Showroom for two seasons.
Signature Style
Despite their relatively young age, designers on this year’s list are already creating their signature style and celebrities are taking notice of their distinct designs.
Terrence Zhou is the designer behind avant-garde fashion label Bad Binch TONGTONG. Zhou, who studied engineering and math before entering the Parsons School of Design in New York, made his debut at New York Fashion Week last year. The young designer’s sculptural clothing includes quirky silhouettes and balloon-shaped gowns. American rapper and singer Lizzo appeared in his signature Octopus-shaped dress in Vanity Fair magazine in November.
Rieul Kim bring to fashion Korean traditional art and designs with a modern twist. He rose to prominence in 2020, when he designed suits inspired by hanbok—traditional Korean formal attire—for Jimin, J-Hope and Suga of the K-pop sensation BTS. The boy band performed at Seoul’s ancient Gyeongbokgung Palace for “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” wearing Kim’s suits, which garnered almost 50 million views on YouTube. He has also dressed rapper and producer Tiger JK, hip-hop star Zico, boy band Monsta X, among others. Last year, Kim collaborated with sports car maker McLaren to customize a car using traditional Korean ink wash painting.
Isabel Sicat, cofounder of Toqa.
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While completing a dual degree at Brown University-Rhode Island School of Design and interning at New York fashion houses such as Alexander Wang, Isabel Sicat felt there was a lack of fashion for island lifestyles. Made to order and shipped worldwide from the Philippines, Toqa turns deadstock fabrics into sustainable high fashion, including sheer slip dresses, high-cut metallic swimwear and vibrant island prints. Beauty queen Angelique Manto and model Siobhan Moylan are fans.
Additional reporting by Anuradha Raghunathan.
To learn more about these young creatives, read the complete The Arts list here —and be sure to check out our full Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2023 coverage here.