Fashion has been a calling for CRCLE’s founder Varshne B. since she was 13, but studying design at NIFT Chennai turned that passion into purpose. Launched in 2024, the label creates experimental menswear for everyday life, creating garments that can still be comfortable and relevant to how men actually live and move today. The inspiration for silhouettes always begins with movement and real-world utility, drawing towards forms that feel relaxed on the body yet carry a distinct structural presence. Versatility is central to how she designs and every piece feels fluid enough to be styled in multiple ways depending on the wearer’s mood. The label works with indigenous handloom weaves, plant-based fibres, offcut materials, Weganool, khadi denims, deadstock fabrics and leather offcuts. Grounded earth tones are often disrupted by sharp pops of colour, while natural dyeing, crochet and embroidery add character.
How It Came About
I’ve known fashion was my calling since I was 13. But that passion really turned into purpose during my time studying design at NIFT Chennai, where seeing the sheer scale of industry waste firsthand changed everything for me. I decided then that if I ever built my own label, it had to be rooted in real intention and not just be another brand on the market.The initial ideation for CRCLE began in 2021 while I was still working with other brands. I wanted to understand every layer of the industry first, from manufacturing and sourcing to operations and sales. I spent those years gaining ground-level experience, researching different crafts and exploring alternative materials across India before officially launching CRCLE in 2024.
Filling A Gap In Indian Menswear
I noticed that the Indian menswear landscape has long been trapped in two extremes: safe, utilitarian basics in blues, greys, and blacks, or experimental runway pieces reserved strictly for occasion wear. I wanted to build a space in between where experimental design meets everyday life. The goal was to prove that thoughtful tailoring, rich textures, interesting materials and unexpected colour palettes don’t have to feel intimidating or over-the-top. It was about showing men that experimenting with new textures, materials, and colors doesn't have to feel intimidating or over-the-top. You don't need a specific occasion to wear something interesting; well-designed, creative menswear can still be comfortable and relevant to how men actually live and move today.
The Philosophy of ‘Closing The Loop’
The philosophy behind closing the loop comes from Nature. If we look closely you’ll notice how things in Nature operate in cycles but human creations often disrupt these cycles leading to waste and a linear economy. The whole idea of closing the loop came from that. When I decided to start a brand I didn’t want to join that linear economy of take, make and discard and be just another clothing brand in the market. Instead I wanted everything we make to have a clear purpose and a continuous story. So everything that is created at CRCLE is designed in a way where it can either be brought back into production cycle or can decompose into the soil. But closing the loop isn't just about the materials we use, it's also about 'Our CRCLE,' the community of artisans, makers, and wearers who make this ecosystem work. Between our sourcing methods, natural materials, and indigenous craft techniques, it’s a full 360-degree approach to creation, which also reflects the name of the brand.
Inspiration & Materials
Inspiration for my silhouettes comes from the intersection of functional menswear and unstructured, effortless tailoring. My direction always begins with movement and real-world utility, forms that feel relaxed on the body yet carry a distinct structural presence. Versatility is central to how I design, so a piece feels fluid enough to be styled in multiple ways depending on the wearer’s mood.
Materially, I look for textiles with compelling origin stories and distinct, tactile textures. Whether it’s an indigenous handloom weave with natural imperfections, an unusual plant-based fiber, or offcut materials with a past life, I want the character of the fabric to speak for itself. Colour-wise, I gravitate toward deep, grounded earth tones, rich, quiet shades that feel anchored. But I always like to introduce a sharp, unexpected pop of color to disrupt the palette and give the piece a modern edge
The Creation Of A Garment
It usually starts with an inspiration for a collection and then I go about with the materials and colours. We have a few signature textiles that remain constant across collections like Weganool and khadi denims, while our deadstock fabrics and leather offcuts depend entirely on what we can source at the time. Honestly, the material often tells me what it wants to be. I’ll look at a fabric and immediately know if it should be a shirt or a panel on a jacket. Once the designs, fabrics, and colours are locked in, we move into sampling. Natural dyeing, crochet, and embroidery work all happen in parallel, with the final garments coming together in our in-house studio. At the same time, we start planning the photoshoot and visual concept right alongside our initial design research, so the look and feel of the campaign grows naturally with the clothes. For marketing, we stay away from loud, salesy pushes. We prefer to keep our visual storytelling simple and direct, focusing on the texture and story behind the craft, the hands that made the garment, and how people can actually style the pieces in real life.
One Thing That Indian Fashion Should Work On
I would change how casually terms like 'sustainability,' 'handcrafted,' or 'handwoven' get thrown around without any real accountability. As a young designer working to build a circular system, it gets frustrating to see superficial marketing given the same weight as deep, intentional work. I’d love to see the industry move toward genuine supply chain transparency where we actually credit the makers, respect the time real craft takes, and build real infrastructure for circularity rather than just churning out more products for trends.
We also need better support for independent labels. India has amazing craft talent and raw materials, but the industry is still heavily built for either mass commercial production or traditional wedding couture. Trying to innovate with small-batch production and ethical supply chains is a tough road, and we need an ecosystem that supports slow, intentional growth rather than forcing every young brand into rapid, linear expansion.
What’s Next
Right now, we are focused on launching our take-back program, CRCLE RENEW, while simultaneously doing the research for our next collection. Through CRCLE RENEW, we’re setting up a system so customers can return their worn CRCLE garments back to us. Depending on the condition of the piece, we’ll either repair, redesign, and bring those materials back into our production loop, or ensure they safely decompose back into the soil. For the upcoming collection, we're diving deeper into material research exploring crafts and natural fibers to push innovative menswear even further.
Words Neeraja Srinivasan
Date 28.8.2026
Founder, Varshne B