In a market saturated with fast fashion and overexposed streetwear labels like Bonkers and Snitch, emerging homegrown brands that are rewriting the rules of what a good T-shirt should look and feel like. These rising-designer streetwear space are quietly killing it with bold drops, niche aesthetics and community vibes.
Imagine discovering gems that focus on sustainability, unique art, clean tailoring, subcultural aesthetics, or even regional storytelling. Here’s your cheat sheet to standing out. Check out these six underrated Indian brands offering different kinds of T-shirts that go far beyond the basics.
Kairo’s t-shirts are anything but basic. Designed with original artwork and mood-rich visuals, each piece reflects a specific theme or emotion—be it longing, rebellion or introspection. The brand leans into oversized silhouettes, washed finishes and heavyweight cotton that feels premium. With limited-edition drops and a slow fashion mindset, Kairo encourages you to wear your narrative, not just a trend. Embroidered Matcha T-Shirt, Vanilla Weekend Brunch T-Shirt and Chef's Kiss T-Shirt are our personal favourites.
Based in India but inspired by global subcultures, blckorchid crafts unisex tees with monochrome palettes and clean cuts. Their signature offering is a 240 GSM French terry cotton tee — structured, boxy and etched with puff and screen printing, patchwork. While their visuals are often stark, each design is underlined with poetic intensity and tales that strikes conversation. A brand that’s quiet, but says plenty to be apt this is what minimalism splashed with storytelling looks like. The Unspoken Promises, The Snails Odyssey and The Paper Boat are quite interesting!
Viinkwear is inspired by India’s rich textile legacy and made for those who treat their wardrobe like a moodboard. Whether it’s glow-in-the-dark details, referencing South Indian culture or anime graphics, their cotton and oversized fits feel experimental without losing wearability. During the lockdown, founder Vikram took to art to express himself which led to the inception of Viink, with the vision of helping every inner artist express themselves freely without judgement and bias.
The Forbidden Fruit India is a homegrown streetwear label that takes inspiration from music and how. Its relaxed fit, vintage and oversized tees are packed with imagery — think hand painted, denim elements, global band lyrics and hand stitched detailing — making each one possible to wear your favourite song or band. The Forbidden Fruit doesn’t play it safe and neither should you.
Pastel-perfect and fluid in form. Pronounced blue-orange, this brand balances softness with street cred. Known for its unisex fits, dopamine colours, intricate artworks, puff prints, crystal embellishments and buttery-soft cotton, Bluorng’s t-shirts feel light but land strong. You’ll find playful logo placements, oversized styles and tonal prints — ideal for the fashion-forward who still value comfort.
Ahankar, meaning ‘ego’ in Sanskrit, is a label that blends India’s spiritual iconography with hyper-modern aesthetics. Their tees feature everything from chakra symbols to Gond-inspired illustrations. Some are textural, stitched or embroidered while others lean on minimalism, allowing the symbolism to shine through. The brand offers affordable yet statement pieces. There are three lines to shop from — Divine, Culture and Basic Embroidery.