Bloni's Akshat Bansal launches men's Indian wear label Shehar

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Nov 17, 2022

Akshat Bansal has launched a new Indian wear brand named Shehar. The designer behind fashion brand Bloni’s new venture is inspired by his hometown of Hisar in Haryana and has launched with a campaign titled ‘Homecoming’. 

New label Shehar is set to open its first flagship store in Hisar, as an ode to Bansal’s hometown and the brand’s inspiration, the brand announced on its new Instagram page. The new label is classic Indian wear for men, but reimagined with a nostalgic, thoughtful gaze. 
 
Bansal created a fashion film to accompany the launch of the brand and explore its aesthetics and values. In ‘Homecoming’, a group of men from Hisar celebrate their culture, relationships with each other, and a simple small town lifestyle. The intimacy shown in the fashion film is not meant to be labelled, according to Bansal, and is up to the viewer to interpret. 

The film features a script by writer Mandovi Menon and was shot by Nishanth Radhakrishnan, starring model and dancer Kiran. To capture an authentic small town spirit, Bansal consulted with his friends and relatives in Hisar and browsed old photo albums while working with local people.  
 
“The film is very close to our hearts,” Bansal told Vogue India. “We really just wanted to show love between a group of friends without trying to label anything. Whether the intimacy is interpreted as romantic, or friendly, tender or tormented…that’s up to the viewer.”
 
Bansal’s other clothing label Bloni specialises in gender neutral, conceptual clothing. The label recently debuted at Paris Fashion Week in France and retails from its e-commerce store.