If you're as weary as us, with the dearth of options in festive menswear, Medhavini Khaitan Agarwala’s label will come as a revelation to you. The designer has been a trusted name in menswear fashion for years now, and is geared up to give the gents of Gen-Z a taste of her unique sartorial sense. Medhavini started her label in 2004, and took a sabbatical for three years, but in this time she has been able to create a steady foothold as one of the most practical men's occasion wear designer in the city. Her new collection, for instance, has a focus on distinct texturing, which Medhavini tells us, is her forte. We discovered some stunning summer jackets, bespoke wedding wear, sherwanis, jodhpuris, and a lot more as part of her line-up. “I have been playing with fabrics a lot to experiment with textures; you’ll see quite a bit of thread work, French knots, and stuff like that. I’d like to think that’s what gives me an edge, especially as we don’t have a daily wear line,” Medhavini tells us.
The designer also reveals that the fabrics she uses are subject to the seasonality of her creations; her Spring/Summer collection features some amazing ethnic designs in khadi, easy linens, cotton silksand so on. Medhavini’s wedding wear line-up will especially appeal to you, as it factors in the modern wearability factors as well as statement styling, with vintage-inspired bandhgalas and Nehru Jackets. The best thing in Medhavini’s line-up is definitely the twinning sets, which she has come up with, in collaboration with Little Stars, a sister label. The designer is making big leaps in the festive father and son styling theme, with matching ensembles meant to be worn on occasions.
“The twinning lineup is basically a collaboration, where my menswear label is working alongside Little Stars, which is a brand I run with my husband Rajat Agarwala. Festive twinning is such a mood, and when it comes to menswear, it is a huge convenience. We have kurtas, seriously festive sherwanis and even numbers to be worn at weddings,” the designer tells us. You can find some stellar pastel coloured, and summery kurtas, designed in adult and kid’s sizes; the line-up obviously has a huge focus on versatility and relevance, as easy occasion wear is something that’s always been a huge attraction in the summer festive milieu. Medhavini’s label also aspires to cater to the millennial crowd, especially as fashion is evolving so fast; menswear, especially, has a connection with organic, relaxed fashion and anti-fit, hassle-free wardrobes.
“I have been designing for a decade now, but now we see this change which people, especially youngsters are looking for. Even people in Bollywood have been aiming towards a breezier aesthetic, that’s sharp but easy to carry. Millennials are looking to go beyond the typical long kurtas, and want something distinct but fun. I’ve noticed shorter kurtas are very popular, as they are more convenient, especially numbers which can be worn over smart, slim-fitted pants, or even denim and jodhpuris. These are easy and effortless statements, and also come into the smart casuals milieu, as they can be worn on so many different kinds of occasions,” Medhavini tells us.
The designer’s kurtas start from Rs 6,000, whereas the kid’s range starts from Rs 2,500. You check out her collection at her central Kolkata outlet at Hastings Court, Tower-C, 1st Floor, 96, Garden Reach Road.