Does India need a luxury sporting brand? Designer duo Shantnu & Nikhil think so

The fashion designers have launched Shantnu Nikhil Cricket Club, a first-of-its-kind brand in India inspired by the nation’s favourite sport—cricket

When I asked designer duo Shantnu and Nikhil Mehra what’s next in the pipeline, the latter groaned. “Take it easy on us, we already have a lot on our plate.  How much work should I do?,” he says jokingly. I let out a chuckle. It’s true though—the designers have had a busy year. The duo opened their first flagship store for the ready-to-wear line ‘S&N by Shantu Nikhil’ in June in Mumbai, followed by four more stores cities like Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Gurgaon and Raipur. The duo also showcased ‘Cappella,’ their baroque-esque couture collection at FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week last month. And now they have launched a new label, ‘Shantnu Nikhil Cricket Club’ (SNCC) to create an aspirational lifestyle experience for cricket enthusiasts.

In a candid conversation, the designer duo talks about shifting their business strategy from made-to-measure to digital-to-consumer, how their love for sports inspired their new label and their evolution as creative individuals.

In 2020, you introduced a bridge-to-luxury label, and now SNCC—what prompted this decision?

Nikhil: Personal history drives everything that Shantnu Nikhil creates. Shantnu and I have been avid sports people since we were kids—when we were four years old, our mother threw us in the pool, inspiring us to take up swimming. We played cricket for school as well. In 2004, we dressed cricketers  Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh for a Samsung show. When Samsung reached out to us, it was completely unexpected but this connection with cricket and sports came alive slowly. We had Glenn McGrath and Stephen Fleming walk the runway for us in 2006. We also dressed Serena Williams in 2008. A few years later, we designed jerseys for the Mumbai Indians team for the Indian Premier League (IPL), and still continue to do so. We’ve always enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with sports. 

When we launched our bridge-to-luxury label, ‘S&N by Shantnu Nikhil’ in 2020, it was rooted in our current collections, which comprise classic pieces with a contemporary edge. So SNCC isa natural transition for those who enjoy visiting the  gymkhana club, or meeting friends over brunch during the weekend. But we asked: “What is he going to wear?” The consumer that will identify with SNCC is someone who is a S&N loyalist already. There are many men today who enjoy sports and want to maintain a certain lifestyle that resonates with their fondness for it. This brand wants to give cricket a “premium” tag, which is only natural because it did start off as a gentlemen’s game, with people visiting clubs over the weekend. But SNCC is also for the masses, who simply enjoy cricket.

Shantnu: S&N started as a celebration-wear brand that was not necessarily restricted to weddings and occasions in conjunction with weddings. The larger idea was to open it up to different men, especially to those who want to dress up well. This made the idea of celebration-wear fluid—you could wear an S&N shirt to a board meeting, a graduation ceremony or even on your birthday or anniversary. Until now, we’ve worked primarily in two segments—party wear and contemporary Indianwear. But we noticed a gap in the  lifestyle and holiday space, a growing segment of interest among several urban Indians. For us, sports is the backdrop against which cricket takes the spotlight. This is a new luxury market for us, too. We’ve sort of paved the way for other designers to look at the sportswear segment with interest.  

What’s your vision for  SNCC and how do you hope to grow it in the coming years?

Shantnu: SNCC is now part of the S&N label. The future will probably decide its own course, but I look at SNCC as a lifestyle brand that will eventually include accessories, footwear and even home decor. When it comes to sports or sports-inspired brands, there are many global brands  that work on similar lines and that’s what we want SNCC to become, in our own Shantnu Nikhil style.

In the last few years, you have strategically moved towards a digital-to-consumer business format. Why the shift?

Nikhil: It’s about communicating with our brand loyalists. The digital sphere has increasingly brought people together, letting us break down barriers in communicating about what really matters. This quick turnaround has allowed us to foster a better relationship with our  customers, especially in tier-II cities like Rajkot and Madurai.  

Shantnu: The digital medium has  become a natural way through which we look at our business model as well as our brand, given our recent foray  into the ready-to-wear segment. With accessibility and marketability as the focal points, it was only natural that S&N developed a digital presence. The idea was to establish an authentic brand purpose rooted in the use of technology. This segment has given us the  impetus to explore what we couldn’t with couture, in the digital-to-consumer market. 

Having said that, it still requires a lot of know-how of the supply chain and integration processes. But with our joint venture and a strategic partnership with Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited, we’re now privy to resources that allow us to build our presence online. With SNCC, our digital purpose will be more established, authentic, and will move in a defined direction.

What challenges did you face to grow the  digital-to-consumer segment?

Shantnu: In ready-to-wear, one should adopt a data-driven approach to merchandising. It's almost like you have a buyer who shops a collection, a person who understands and analyses data, which then gives insight into consumer data, relevance in cities and saleability. We had to work on our digital campaigns accordingly. We had to really work our way around this  during the COVID-19 pandemic when our movements were restricted. Since we couldn’t meet in person, our internal meetings began taking place virtually. We gave our team members access to educating themselves about performance marketing, data analytics, creating wireframe technology and so forth. Setting this up was difficult, but the pandemic helped us establish it faster than we otherwise would have, in the pre-pandemic world.

After two decades in the industry,  has your perspective on fashion and design changed?

Shantnu: The goal is to incubate as many brands under the Shantnu Nikhil umbrella.. We want our brand to represent a refined, modern India. It's about marrying spunk with heritage, being disruptive and a bit provocative without being controversial, while addressing the market relevant to us. We’ve built a strong couture label and enjoy a sizeable market share in the bridal space too, with the intention to be  anti-trend and try out silhouettes that weren’t necessarily bridal as such. 

Nikhil: With design, we saw a gap in the market from the start, particularly in menswear and contemporary bridalwear. We continued to push the envelope with draped kurtas for men and gowns for brides at the time. Contemporary clothing is still in our DNA. Our designs are geared to the urban Indian woman who isn’t afraid to break sartorial boundaries. In this way, our patrons have guided our design language by not being afraid to experiment. If you look at the kind of styles Indian-origin brides abroad are into these days, it’s usually very traditional, while in India, most brides gravitate towards designs that are fun and contemporary. Women in tier-II and tier-III cities are comfortable wearing their lehengas without dupattas, which is an indication of how empowered women feel now.

After launching SNCC, coupled with multiple store openings across the country this year, and showcasing at FDCI x Lakmé Fashion Week recently, what’s next?

Shantnu: We’re looking to turn a few of our couture stores into hybrid stores, where our many identities can live harmoniously under one roof. We’re looking to elevate our couture designs, too. We also plan to open more stores next year, while growing our digital business. 

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