MEET DHRUV KAPOOR

MEET DHRUV KAPOORThe designer fusing tradition & modernity

With his distinctive designs, Dhruv Kapoor has made a name for himself in the international fashion landscape. Here, the rising designer reflects on Indian and Italian craftsmanship, his SS24 collection, and the future of his brand.

By Julia Carevic

20 May 2024 · 4 min read

“Something is always brewing in my head,” says Dhruv Kapoor. The Indian designer, who founded his eponymous label in 2013, finds inspiration in everything, but mostly in “intangible sources”, from music to conversation to street style. “From a very young age, I enjoyed looking at style images. I was always curious about what the wearer was trying to communicate through their choice of clothes,” he explains. He translates his impressions into collections that balance traditional craftsmanship with modern elements, streetwear with tailoring, and subtle colours with bold prints. With his distinctive designs, he’s carved out a place for himself in the international fashion landscape over the past decade.

STREETWEAR MEETS TAILORING

“ Bridging these polar worlds created a new aesthetic. One that defines our brand. ”

- Dhruv Kapoor

After studying in New Delhi and Milan, Kapoor joined Etro in 2013, where he discovered his love for print. “During my time there, I gained a deep understanding of the development and application of print, and how it can support seasonal communication. I understood that a print can create and trigger emotions much faster than a solid colour,” he tells us. In 2014, the designer presented his first capsule collection in Mumbai. One year later, he won the Vogue India Fashion Fund, which gave the brand an “immense boost” and remains one of the most memorable moments of his career, he recalls. Since 2022, he’s been showing his collections at Milan Fashion Week, hitting another milestone as he became the first Indian designer to show menswear in Italy’s fashion capital.

As his brand continues to blossom, we speak to Dhruv Kapoor about the main differences between India’s and Italy’s approach to craftsmanship, the influences of both countries on his brand, his SS24 collection, and the future of Dhruv Kapoor.

EXPLORE DHRUV KAPOOR SS24

In 2022, you became the first Indian designer to show menswear at Milan Fashion Week; now you’re a regular. How did you feel before your first show vs. today?

From the day I landed in Milan and experienced the buzz of fashion week for the first time, I knew I wanted to come back and sit with the fashion giants. We’ve been working hard, but it was still quite surprising when this opportunity came along. Today, I am as excited as I was then to show my collections and bring the world together each season through our multicultural approach. Honestly, I have been lucky to find such a fabulous team in Milan. It always feels like home.

Having worked and studied in India and Italy, can you tell us the main differences and similarities between the fashion industries and cultures of the two countries?

Surprisingly, both nations are culturally identical. Their values, work ethic and importance to heritage and roots are the same. India’s fashion industry is evolving from its heritage segment to tap a global audience. With its immense buying power, growing population and social media, it exposes multiple channels to purchase, sell or share one’s opinion with the world.

“ Fashion might boil down to a simple uniform across the globe. ”

- Dhruv Kapoor

How have these two countries influenced your creative work?

The brand evolved as a combination of the two worlds: the excess and vibrancy of India that I grew up with and the sharp, minimalist aesthetic that I acquired and fell in love with during my time in Milan. Bridging these polar worlds created a new aesthetic. One that defines our brand today.

Craftsmanship plays a big part in your brand, and it’s highly valued in India and Italy. Where do you see the biggest differences and similarities between the two countries regarding craftsmanship?

India excels in surface ornamentation, like exquisite hand embroidery, and hand-painted and handmade textiles. Italy is all about construction and high quality materials, where attention to detail is consistent across borders.

For your SS24 collection, you worked with ’70s sci-fi prints. What did the moodboard look like?

The starting point was a comparison between our ancient past and the distant future. One of the things they had in common was advanced technology. The collection evolved as a combination of the past and the future, creating an aesthetic that was relevant for today. The ’70s came through as a mash-up of multiple stories, conspiracies, and polar concepts, which we fused into one piece and later into a collection.

EXPLORE DHRUV KAPOOR SS24

The collection, called ‘Fantasms’, is about stepping into the future. Let’s talk about the future of Dhruv Kapoor. What’s next for you as a designer and for your brand?

We are aiming to open our first flagship store — most likely in India — and introduce a temporary pop-up that will travel around the world. For me personally, my main goal is to complete our brand experience with its 360-degree offerings. My dream projects are experience centres that balance our inner and outer aesthetics.

And finally, circling back to the science fiction theme of your prints: What do you see as the ideal fashion industry of the future? Will we get rid of seasonal calendars? Will we stop categorising clothes by gender? We’re curious to hear your thoughts!

I think seasons would go. Nobody sticks to them anyway. But for the calendar, I think it’s much easier for people and brands to plan. It is also exciting to have like-minded individuals flooding the streets of Paris or Milan, like at a giant festival. The future is now, and gender is blurred. But if I peep far into the future, fashion might boil down to a simple uniform across the globe where it exists only for its actual purpose: protection and modesty.