Shivam Kumar: A New Spin On Luxury Streetwear

Determined to smash hurdles and shape the balance between eastern and western culture is Shivam Kumar’s fundamental core for his new and exciting collection. As streetwear is a form of cultural expression, Kumar has created a new spin on a luxury streetwear capsule collection titled Saudade. Embracing his love for Indian culture, the creative director produced his eponymous brand representing the evolving social transformation of Indian culture throughout the years.

When creating the collection, Kumar was determined to make his imprint in the fashion industry by portraying what it means to be Indian descent in this day & age. The budding designer has dedicated his time and strives to create a selection of garments that emphasize the passion for his Indian heritage and UK background. He encourages to reshape the eastern cultural understanding of India around the world.

Throughout his collection, he wanted each piece to hold a meaning behind the word Saudade. These impressively crafted silhouettes show a nostalgic hint of emotion, a sense of expressed longing or a desire for happiness.

However, the feelings he has for this collection reminds Kumar of his childhood in Delhi, India where he spent most of his time in the summer holidays with his grandmother. Influenced by his surroundings at a young age, the budding designer visited market stalls to expand his knowledge.

He delved into memories of excitement which developed his thirst for knowledge. He took an interest in learning about the different types of materials, the usage of colour and how to construct a garment from scratch. It gave the designer a starting platform for him to pursue and develop his creativity as a Fashion Designer.

These lessons provided Kumar with ambition and encouragement to share with others and enhance his background knowledge of fashion to producing a collection that was worth delivering to his consumers. From then, this brought luxury, comfortability and functionality to a more cultural version of contemporary streetwear and promoting a variation of unisex pieces ranging in long sleeve tops with cut-out elbow details, t-shirts, shirts, trousers, poncho and bag accessories in various shades of colour such as orange, beige, blacks and pale pink. Each garment of the collection is made from a recyclable blend of mix cotton-linen and is locally sourced in the UK. This is important to Kumar and his brand as he believes in giving back to the environment and encourage the importance of sustainable fashion.

Combining Kumar's background of traditional Indian styling with a western modern couture edge, he can express his teachings and knowledge of his upbringing through his brand. Born in the UK, Kumar is familiar with the unpredictable weather conditions and ensures he covers every avenue whilst making the collection. Using strong materials that withstand in warm climates such as India but are easily adaptable to UK weather.

Summing up this creative designer's technique, he continues to stay true to himself. He enlightens us with his effortless luxury style and modern traditions within his collection and in his brand. Raising the bar and demonstrating his true essence of eastern and western culture, he demonstrates a level of uniqueness and individuality in his pieces.

Without a doubt, this talented designer embodies the creativity and confidence to strike out on his own. Achieve a well-constructed collection that is willing to make an impact on future fashion traditions.

See below a few highlights from the capsule collection. Full collection is on the Instagram page and click here.