Fashion came naturally to Shibani Bhagat, founder of the homegrown sneaker label, 7-10. So, her vision for her label was a sneaker design house that juxtaposed high fashion and affordability. Conceptualised to fulfill the demand of homegrown products, 7-10 is also Shibani’s passion project that highlights how despite being the second largest manufacturer of footwear in the world, India lacked a sneaker label of their own that could compete with international labels. We’re in conversation with Shibani who lets us in on the label’s latest drop, the practice, and more.
What is it that the practice stands for?
7-10s are designed to provide quality, confidence, comfort and joy to their wearers by just slipping your feet in them. The distinctive brand identity stems from its unusual name and Morse code-inspired logo, to its unique design language and avant-garde styling, all curated into a lifestyle product with a solicitous approach for its customers.
Our passion for combining high fashion and sneakers has been the driving force behind creating products with a design-led twist to break the boundaries of the conventional. The vision for the brand is to create a successful Indian lifestyle brand operating at an international level for innovation-led design, high-quality products and technologically advanced user experiences.
When you say one hundred percent vegan leather, what does that exactly mean? Could you break that down for us.
Vegan leather fabric is a material that looks and feels like leather but is made from artificial or plant-based materials rather than animal hides. It is most typically created from two different synthetic polymers: polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). They are most commonly utilised because of their wrinkled texture, which helps to give the appearance of real leather.
Take us through your inspiration for the new collection in particular.
With a brand new set of sneakers, on our exclusively designed proprietary soles, this collection actively seeks to provide a significant upgrade to your wardrobes. Each sole features 7-10’s unique design language and ethos, along with multiple features that enhance your experience both visually and underfoot. We have taken inspiration from avenues such as sculpture, art, high fashion, origami and more, and translated them into street-and-ramp-ready sneakers with a special three-inch stack for women.
Since the brand’s conception and launch, we have had an ear to the street and have tried to understand our customers better. This collection is an amalgamation of past successes, customer feedback and aspirational concepts, all rolled into one. The evolved brand DNA overarches the collection through trims details, product silhouettes and distinct colour ways whilst maintaining signature elements like dual lacing. We have also experimented with concepts like fifty-fifty colour blocks, graffiti-spray inspired sole treatments, deconstruction and exposed foam tongues in this collection. The collection Elevate Street is a leap forward in the brand’s evolutionary path, whilst reinforcing our core ethos of being a fully homegrown, high fashion sneaker design house.
Finally, what's keeping you busy right now?
Currently we are working on our Winter Collection where we are going to release a new footwear category for women. For men, we are working on another double coloured proprietary cupsole. We are also working on expanding to brick and mortar stores to further our current hybrid retail strategy. And finally, as an entrepreneur, growing the brand sustainably while improving efficiency and providing utmost value to our customers is what keeps me constantly busy.
Words Unnati Saini
Date 25-04-2023