92 AUGUST 2019The suit for your next board meeting comes out of this cool collab
WORK IT OUT
THE TASTEMAKERSW^
hen you walk into the SS Homme
agship store in Mumbai, a comfortable
two-storey space that sticks it to the
Maximum City’s crammed real estate, you’re rst
met with a long rack of Indianwear. It confuses you
a little bit because here’s a store run by two young
urban Indians, Sarah and Sandeep Gonsalves, who
pride themselves on creating some of the best quality
suits in the country. The latter is his label’s best own
advert, while his wife does well to showcase her love
for androgyny.
The duo remind me that we live in the land of
the Big Fat Indian Wedding, where the trousseau
is a goldmine for many a menswear label in the
country. SS Homme stocks a range of kurtas and
bundis in everything from a cerulean blue to a
deep black with the right touch of embellishment
and embroidery (here’s looking at you, understated
guys). But the magic really begins a oor below,
where suits of all shapes and sizes for men of all
proclivities ll the space.
The highlight: 25 looks in unmistakable Prince
of Wales and windowpane checks and pinstripes
from SS Homme’s newest collaboration with
Carlo Barbera, from the House of Kiton. It’s not
uncommon for Indian labels to source Italian
fabrics – they make the best in the biz. But SS
Homme has pulled in ultra-luxe super 140s in pure
worsted wools and superior wool-silk-linen blends:
the Wagyu of the tailoring segment, buttery soft to
touch and that, when woven into a suit, t you like
a super ne Supima cotton T-shirt on a summer day.
The bonus is horsehair canvassing and Bemberg
lining for crease resistance and anti-cling – making
everything not only breathable enough to work out
in but also a huge relief against the Indian weather.
SS Homme’s real intention, however, is to
upgrade the af uent man’s work wardrobe. The
entire range is served up as power suits for serious
business, bringing back the trend of sartorially
sound men in the boardroom that we can totally get
behind. The colours are friendly, too – blues, greys
and easy greens you can wear year-round. But
starting at `80,000 and going up to a cool `1,25,000
off the rack (bespoke varieties are obviously
pricier), this isn’t tailoring to be thrown around.
Wear discerningly, smartly, and you’ll develop an
unshakable con dence that’ll guarantee Superman
powers at your next business negotiation. WORDS: SHIVANGI LOLAYEKAR. PHOTO: MANASI SAWANT (SARAH & SANDEEP)STYLE
Sarah and Sandeep
Gonsalves have
brought down the
mother of all suiting
to India in a collab
with Carlo Barbera