Kapoor shares the thought behind his maiden Skult collection, which propels athleisure into must have territory with meggings, shackets and grungy silhouettes that make sports luxe more affordable.

Was a clothing line always part of your plan?

To be honest, I didn’t think I was capable of it. My generation didn’t have the internet as teenagers, so we’d see stuff on TV and in movies, like stuff and then think, “I can never look like this”. That sentiment stuck with me, and I wanted to do something about it, but I had no understanding of how and where. Early in my career, I was a fashion victim who didn’t know what to wear. In the past few years, I’ve finally become confident about my choices, and can do my own shopping and put ensembles together. I also noticed that there is a lot of curiosity about what I wear and where it is from. So when abof.com came to me last year, I was very clear about what I wanted.

And what did you want?

Athleisure as a category is generating a lot of interest. There’s a lot you can do with it; it’s not restrictive. At the same time, I’m all about dancing and training, and I feel like the stuff I’ve made is for who I was maybe 16 years ago. It’s a very cool, easy, natural collection that can be worn practically anywhere. My desire was not to make Skult dependent on me. I hope that the clothes become the focus of the brand and people buy them because they’re good. Of course, my association with it will generate the initial curiosity, but post that, I want the clothes to speak for themselves.

What is the extent of your involvement?

I don’t think there’s any area I haven’t been involved in. I’m very passionate about Skult. I met the people at abof.com last year, and they were happy to find that I didn’t just want to be the face of the brand. Growing up, I never knew where to get this kind of stuff, so I wanted to make something cool and relevant that is easily accessible in India. We started talking about functionality, movement and how kids today don’t want the routine stuff. They are all about an original form of expression. These are the thoughts that translated into Skult.

What are the brands you like to wear, which may have subconsciously influenced Skult?

I wear a lot of upcoming and lesser known brands, many of which aren’t even available in India. I have stuff coming in from Norway and Scandinavia. I’m happy to experiment and order online even if I don’t know the brand. Earlier, I liked a lot of All Saints, Urban Outfitters, Topshop, G Star Raw – these are the ones I started out with and these brands are all largely casual and not too in-your-face. A lot of small brands have influenced me — it’s a mixture of so many things I’ve seen. You’ll find them in small ways in Skult — like a basic T-shirt might have a zipper on the side, or there will be a little pocket at the back. We’ve also worked hard on making sure the materials are breathable, can last long and be used and abused. We’ve tried to use stuff that we think will look cooler when it’s been worn a lot, which is the case with denim — it looks better after prolonged use.

What’s the plan for Skult hereon?

We’re going to have new collections every season — four in a year. Skult is an energy that can extend to anything, so there’s definitely the possibility of expanding our product range to accessories, shoes etc. This collection is very different from anything that has been curated in India so far, so the important thing is to see how people respond to it and what kind of people are buying it. That feedback is very helpful in coming up with round 2, 3 or 4.

Skult is available exclusively on abof.com. Check out the entire collection here.