- #HGWORLD
- #HGCREATORS
- #HGEXPLORE
- #HGVOICES
- #HGSHOP
- CAREERS
- ABOUT US
- CONTACT US
Having grown up with two brothers, I’ve had early training on being ‘one of the boys’. I remember a time when I took pride in being ‘not like the other girls’. But we grow up and we realise that terminology itself is skewed towards patriarchal conditioning. One thing I can say is that growing up with brothers has shaped me in more ways than one - from knowing the obscure games and automobiles that my brothers were obsessed with to always knowing exactly when to play the ‘mamma he is bugging me!’ card.
Working at Homegrown, which was founded by a brother-sister duo, we have a lot to say when it comes to how strong the force is when siblings come together for a united goal. After all, the strategy and absolute creativity that we’ve honed through our lives when united to go up against the parental force is nothing if not a highlu transferable skillset. As those who grew up in the same household with shared sensibilities, especially as we get older, siblings turn out to be the only ones who often share world-views and understand our vision, even before we put them into words. The same annoying person who saw you play dress up can become the logical balance to your creative chaos; someone who can help make your dream a reality.
While we’ve done a feature on Indian sibling duos years ago, we thought it was time for another round-up of homegrown sibling-powered excellence.
A fashion and editorial brand being built by Indian-Italian sibling duo Marcella and Marco Lobo based out of London, LOBOMAR- crafts original, authentic attire that draws from their multicultural background. For their debut collection, they drew upon the nighttime rituals that have always capped off night outs, whether in India or elsewhere.
Their debut collection 'Final Orders, Please' with both men's and womenswear pieces featured upcycled sarees from their aunt’s neighbourhood community in Mumbai, interspersed with organic cotton fabric crafted in Tamil Nadu. While Marcella is the creative force behind LOBOMAR-, Marco is the strategy and marketing maven, who have together created a brand whose debut collection was even on display at the Wereld Museum in Amsterdam as part of their Sari/Statement exhibition.
You can follow LOBOMAR- here.
Founded by brother-sister duo Avni and Ambar Aneja in 2019, SIX5SIX crafts stylish yet comfortable streetwear that has garnered a loyal customer base in recent times. When the London College of Fashion, UAL graduated Avni’s creative vision was brought together with her UCLA MBA-graduate brother Ambar’s strategic acumen, SIX5SIX was born. Based out of New Delhi, the brand crafts stylish, genderless pieces that are truly one-of-a-kind. During an initial feature with Homegrown, the founders mentioned how the pieces were inspired by our everyday reality, but were ultimately founded for the new India: “...for those who care about things and aren’t afraid to voice their opinions and challenge norms, loudly”. Over the years, the brand has continued to stay true to this initial thought, creating pieces that inspire dialogue and personal expression.
You can follow SIX5SIX here.
Blending their shared love for the world of art, Biskit is a concept-driven studio that was founded by sibling duo Shruti and Harsha Biswajit from Brooklyn. While Shruti’s medium of choice is fashion, Harsha’s is that of fine art. But through their creative collaboration, and a curious mindset to redefine classics, while still keeping it premium (only 21 lots of the same piece), Biskit has carved out a space for itself in the global fashion world. Today, the brand that functions between Madras and Berlin continues to experiment with each new lot, while still staying true to its founding principles of functional beauty and its dedication to using handcrafted techniques to create wearable art that is often presented through avant-garde editorials.
You can follow BISKIT here.
The Calcutta-based womenswear brand Reik was founded by the Dehradun-origin designers and sibling duo Sneha Kunwar Singh and Deepanshu Kunwar in 2019. Both graduates from NIFT, armed with considerable industry experience on their side, Reik was launched by the duo to craft luxury womenswear that highlights quality craftsmanship through refined, timeless silhouettes. Creating innovative designs through creative experimentation - from colours to textures, Reik's pieces blend “the beauty of being masculine and feminine at the same time”.
You can follow Reik here.
If a sibling duo is a good combination, a sibling trio might be even better. Founded by Divya, Rupanshi, and Bharat Agarwal, QUA is a fashion label for the modern office-going woman. Inspired by the idea to create a homegrown workwear label for women that is fashionable, QUA was launched in 2018 with a distinct vision. From structured suits with a hint of oomph to breezy yet polished dresses for casual Fridays, they have created office wear for women that can seamlessly blend into any wardrobe, no matter what your style is.
While Divya is the Creative Director, Rupanshi leads the marketing and brand development, having earlier co-founded a civic-tech startup, Bharat handles the operations and financial aspects of the company, from overseeing day-to-day operations to building strategies to optimise production, overseeing budgets, and more. The brand emphasizes how Bharat’s involvement in these aspects has been key in ensuring sustainable growth.
You can follow QUA here.
Sure, we may not be a fashion label per se, but over the last decade or so, we’d like to believe we’ve become discerning fashion curators. From creators to brands, the Homegrown Voice that you know and love, and have gotten you to read till now, emerged from the earlier-mentioned sibling power. Varsha and Varun Patra, the duo behind Homegrown, have banter that goes to unparalleled depths, but many of our properties and novel ideas have emerged from the life-long rapport they have.
Varsha, with her considerable marketing and advertising experience, has a keen eye for discovering truly homegrown, original creatives and brands. Varun as a media and cultural entrepreneur has been working towards building organisational ecosystems (such as the Lokal Consortium) that can shape the creative class of the current and future generations from South Asia. Together, this agency and editorial platform they have built has stood steady in telling Homegrown stories that matter and creating ads and marketing campaigns that defy the norm across the lifestyle and culture space.
Follow Homegrown India here.
