Streetwear has emerged as the dialect of dissent, and nowhere is this more poetically evident than in the Indian context, where the streets have always been louder, more vibrant, and way more opinionated than any runway.
Indian streetwear today unfurls like a living tapestry—vivid, argumentative, and deliriously hybrid—where centuries-old textile languages whisper beneath neon-lit skylines. Over the past decade, a new tribe has emerged—art-school purists, sneaker-obsessed archivists, hip-hop enthusiasts, and self-acclaimed aesthetes; they are the ones who have transformed India’s pavements into runways of curated chaos.
To understand Indian streetwear, one must first dispense with the Western assumption that it is merely a graphic tee or a baggy pair of pants. Indian streetwear is a remix, a reinterpretation, and a reclaiming of style. India revels in glorious contradiction.
Here, a silhouette can be international, but the soul is indigenously maximalist. For Gen Z the fabric matters. Texture matters. The difference lies not just in the garments, but in the juxtaposition—oh, the pairings! Where else would you find a crop top and baggy pants worn with silver anklets and a nose ring? Or a sleeveless chikankari kurta with baggy denims? Or a hoodie nonchalantly teamed with oxidized jhumkas that catch the light and challenge the gaze? Or a handloom jacket paired with futuristic sneakers?
The beauty of Indian streetwear is that it refuses to edit itself down to fit a template. The wearer’s identity becomes a walking collage. It speaks in codes personal to the wearer—regional crafts, nostalgic prints, family-tailored fabrics, thrifted curiosities, and heirlooms repurposed with irreverent delight.
The most quietly revolutionary aspect of Indian streetwear is its return to craft. Artisans now find their techniques resurrected in urban fashion. Hand-block printing, ajrakh dyeing, mirrorwork, patchwork, and kantha stitching are now rewriting the global streetwear tale.
Here are 3 Indian brands focusing on craft to weave narratives that Indians want to proudly don on their backs:
At the forefront of edgy, experimental streetwear fashion, we have Balav creating visually compelling and sustainable looks. Their ensembles are made for vibes, for a specific lifestyle that you instantly snap into when you wear them.
From Honey Singh to Divine to Krsna, Balav has forged a bold visual identity for some of the industry’s biggest icons, translating their creative personas into powerful imagery.
With craftsmanship at its helm, over the years FARAK has proved why the brand name is apt. They set out to revitalize age-old traditional techniques like Bagru block printing, patchwork and Ajrakh block printing while creating looks that are quintessentially contemporary
Donned by the likes of Diljit Dosanjh and Karan Johar, the brand got its golden stamp of approval by showcasing at Lakme Fashion Week as a part of Circular Design Challenege 2025 Finalist.
Shifting the narrative from seeking “approval from our colonial overlords” to holding a mirror to the raw, real and regal desi side of India, Gully Labs hits all the sweet spots of every sneakerhead. Creating sneakers that are equal parts share a story of Indian origins and equal parts flaunt traditional craftsmanship, with the motto to put India’s authentic culture on the global map.
Indian streetwear invites experimentation, celebrates contradiction, and welcomes anyone daring enough to dress according to their inner higher power. The streets, ultimately, are the most honest runways. And Indian Gen Z is rewriting the rulebook—one mismatched outfit at a time.