Taarini Anand has never really separated design from curiosity. Most of the time, the simple act of looking or reading leads her to wonder how she can channel it into something creative. A period spent living in Italy sharpened this instinct, where she admired how naturally people engaged with their history and culture, whether through architecture, art or everyday objects. It made her realise that she wanted to spend more time looking closer to home and the label came from that shift in thinking. She wanted to build a menswear brand with an Indian DNA that went beyond the expected visual language of Indian craft.
Winner of the GenNext Designer Programme in 2026, Taarini Anand’s menswear draws from Indian craft without relying on its most familiar symbols. She plays with geometric motifs and unexpected colour palettes, bringing a sense of whimsy to contemporary silhouettes. Menswear can be quite restrictive in terms of the vocabulary of the garments itself, but Taarini’s curiosity shines through via oversized coats, knitwear, fluid trousers accompanied with an edge of thinking outside the box.
Tell us about your creative process. What informs your designs and what are the materials and colours you gravitate towards?
It usually starts with something that catches my attention, often something quite abstract, like a feeling or a concept I can't fully make sense of. Then I try to unpack it and find connections within art. I often disappear down a research rabbit hole and come back with twenty tabs open and pages full of ideas. I naturally gravitate towards hand-worked techniques and natural fibres. The interesting part is connecting things that don't obviously belong together. One material I particularly enjoy experimenting with is ceramic. It's a very tricky one but using it in clothing feels unexpected, and we're always exploring that boundary. As for colour, it changes completely from collection to collection. I don't think the brand has a fixed palette, and I hope it never does.
In today’s fashion landscape, what do you think is missing with regards to menswear and how is Taarini Anand filling that gap?
I think menswear often underestimates its customer. There's an assumption that men only want the basics or slight variations of them, but that's no longer true. A large number of them are looking for clothing that is of course, functional and well-finished but also has character. The aim with the brand is to create clothes that people can actually live in. They should feel exciting enough to start a conversation but comfortable enough to wear repeatedly, even if they're the boldest piece in someone's wardrobe.
You talk about how Indian art and craft is your landscape. What is the significance of this choice and how does it show up in the design of the garments?
I think Indian art is still hugely under-explored as a source of inspiration. What interests me most is challenging myself to look beyond the obvious. I'm often less interested in the focal point and more drawn to the strange, minute details tucked away in the background. It could be an abstract form, an unexpected colour pairing or a recurring motif. Those fragments find their way into the garments. By the end, they may not be immediately recognisable, but they shape the mood of the collection.
What do you mean when you say you balance Delhi’s grandeur and Bombay’s pulse?
I grew up between those two cities, so I think of them less as places and more as moods. Delhi has a sense of occasion and theatricality, while Bombay has an ease and energy that keeps things moving. The brand borrows from both. I love detail and embellishment, but I also want the clothes to feel effortless enough to wear on an ordinary Tuesday.
What are you working on currently and what’s next?
Right now, we're working on our next collection while growing the studio in Mumbai and also expanding into stores across the country. We're also making our collections increasingly gender-neutral, to cater to our already existing female clientele more directly. More than anything, I want every collection and campaign to surprise and challenge me while I'm making it. If I'm not learning something new, it's probably not worth pursuing.
Words Neeraja Srinivasan
Date 24.6.2026
Taarini Anand