73 Questions with Creative Director, Kishan Kerai
except not quite 73 questions, it’s more like 8, because he’s a very busy man
a little life story to start..
Kishan started his life as a maths geek, typical brown boy Kumon behaviour, he went on to study mathematics at university which then landed him a job at ASOS as a merchandiser
he has always had an eye for fashion, through his high school Abercrombie & Fitch phases, to his uni nights out where he’d be the best dressed in the club (quoted from his former party animals) - which amplified even more when he landed the job at ASOS and learned more about the product lifecycle, the ins-and-outs of a fashion empire, which lead him to build something for himself..
when he pitched the ASOS South Asian clothing collection to the directors of ASOS almost 3 years ago - he never thought it would materialise into it’s own collection that went viral in April 2021 - this collection beyond the negativity surrounding it went on to be wildly popular with all pieces sold out within weeks - which gave Kishan the push to start manufacturing his own work
here we are now, just 9 months into the business, with 300+ website orders placed, over 100 bespoke orders in the works, 2 new collections being designed for release this year - and a growing team behind the scenes - the work never stops
‘let’s address the main thing on peoples minds, why is the Spring collection split?’
“in all honesty - the bulk of it is due to manufacturing issues, the stock just isn’t here yet, and we don’t want to rush it being made either. there are some stunning embroidered pieces that need the care and attention to detail that the brand is being known to have.
“it’s just wasn’t worth compromising the quality & not worth holding all the pieces that were ready to launch either as 2022 is the year of weddings, people are getting married on random Tuesdays for date availabilities - we’ve got to give everyone all the options we can, as soon as we can, to get their outfits sorted”
‘has this delayed the Summer release?’
“consequently it has, we’ll be launching our Summer capsule towards the end of May rather than end-April - the capsule is called “Destination Weddings” and that’s all I can say about it..”
‘favourite piece from this Spring launch?’
“I feel like a lot of designers would answer this like ‘I can’t they’re all my babies I could never pick’ - but they’re lying, and i’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a favourite - it’s got to be the purple lucknowi kurta with the elephant border”
“i’m obsessed with elephants and love to incorporate some sort of elephant design into each launch and this was it for this one. we’ve made a kurti-pyjami set as well with the same fabric”
‘what makes this drop different to everything else you sell on site?’
“other than the obvious different photoshoot backgrounds, a lot of these pieces are more ‘party vibes’ rather than the ‘let’s sit down at a silent wedding’ vibes - we needed to bring something different, something fun. as weddings are heading back to normal size, everyone’s ready to dance and have a good laugh celebrating, and that’s what this collection is there for”
‘ok let’s move onto a bit of a cliche question now, what’s your vision for the brand in 3 years time?’
“my best friend and I sat down to discuss this earlier this year back when I was in my ‘I’m lost, I can’t do this anymore’ phase”
“the ultimate goal is to be somewhat of a household name within my generation, the first thought to peoples minds when they say they need an outfit for so-and-so’s wedding - and the plan is to keep that momentum building with larger launches and more diversification on shapes and styles for men and women”
“seems a little light for a 3 year plan?”
“I could continue to list things like I want a warehouse, I want this to be full time work etc - but I’m not big on manifesting, i’m a silent plotter so keep a lot of cards to my chest, which includes general product ideas as well - and that’s not because i’m worried anyone will beat me to anything, it’s just the way i’ve always done things, it’s thankfully **touches wood* works for me, so why change now”
‘what are some of your favourite trends within South Asian fashion right now?’
“i’m not actually that big on following trends to be honest, it’s something i’m trying to get better at - i’m keeping a close eye on the Lakme Fashion Week shows happening now to see what the overarching themes are for the season”
maybe not trends then, let’s instead talk designers you’re loving and why?
at the moment i’m very much inspired by a lot of Pakistani designers; Faraz Manan, Nomi Ansari, Faiza Saqlain to name a few - their newer silhouettes resemble a modern take on centuries old crafts, and their beadwork is impeccable”
what about any influencers?
Masoom Minawala always has great tips for styling and showcases so many new brands - I mainly to be honest just scroll through tiktok or reels to see what real people are wearing, how they’re styling, to get my creative thought process going