Fast fashion has made getting dressed easier but not necessarily better. Sure, it is convenient until your T-shirt starts pilling after one wash, your jeans develop rips you didn’t pay extra for, and your wardrobe looks like an Instagram mood board with the personality of a paperclip. Somewhere between microtrends and mass production, personal style has taken a backseat.
The good news? Not everyone is designing for algorithms. A new wave of Indian brands is proving that fashion can still have depth—where the clothes are made with intention, where craft matters, and where owning something means more than just clicking *add to cart*. If you are looking for style that lasts in both quality and relevance, start here.
*Prices may vary as per stock and season
13 Indian Brands Offering a Stylish, Sustainable And Ethical Alternative to Fast Fashion
Kartik Research
Starts at Rs17,500 onwards
Image Credits - Kartik Research
If you have ever felt the urge to delete fast fashion from your life, Kartik Research is what you wear when you are in recovery. Every piece is crafted like a slow-brewed idea—handwoven, naturally dyed, and entirely off-grid (yes, no electricity involved in some cases). It is as much a philosophical statement as it is a design choice. The brand's founder, Kartik Kumra, is already making waves at Paris Fashion Week, and with international stockists like Selfridges and Mr Porter, his designs are proving that quiet luxury does not have to mean boring minimalism.
Darwaza
Starts at Rs999 onwards
Image Credits - Darwaza
Some brands create clothes. Darwaza stitches together nostalgia. Each collection feels like a wardrobe made from childhood memories—old-school prints, faded embroideries, and silhouettes that somehow remind you of your grandfather’s best shirt. It is menswear that does not just dress the body but tugs at something deeper.
Boito
Starts at Rs20,000 onwards
Image Credits - Boito
Boito is essentially a history lesson you can wear. Rooted in Odisha’s rich maritime legacy, the brand is on a mission to revive handloom weaving traditions that are fading fast. Every piece is a collaboration with weavers in remote villages, ensuring that heritage textiles do not end up as museum exhibits but as part of everyday fashion.
QUOD
Starts at Rs6,000 onwards
Image Credits - QUOD
Think of QUOD as Savile Row if it had a rebellious younger sibling. The brand thrives on contradictions—Victorian elegance meets modern edge, classic tailoring with a dash of punk sensibility. Ikshit Pande, the designer behind it, is a Parsons and Central Saint Martins graduate who has already made a mark at New York Fashion Week. With sharp cuts and an even sharper attitude, QUOD is for those who like their fashion smart but never predictable.
Almost Sane
Starts at Rs2,499 onwards
Image Credits - Almost Sane
For anyone who has ever looked at a regular shirt and thought, “What if it had unexpected slashes, asymmetric hemlines, and a bit of chaos?”—Almost Sane is your answer. The brand operates on controlled unpredictability, offering menswear that is part street art, part sculpture, and entirely its own thing.
Jiwya
Starts at Rs8,000 onwards ($95USD)
Image Credits - Jiwya
Jiwya is what happens when fashion meets hardcore textile science. Founded by two former US-based scientists, the brand is a deep dive into regenerative materials, plant-based fabrics, and a zero-waste approach. It is the kind of brand that makes sustainability feel less like a marketing gimmick and more like a fundamental shift in how we think about clothing.
Quarter
Starts at Rs3,800 onwards
Image Credits - Quarter
Quarter is an ongoing conversation about what fashion can be. With each collection, the label reimagines traditional textiles through a contemporary lens, ensuring that heritage techniques do not get lost in time. Their debut collection features Eri silk twill with intricate extra-weft detailing, proving that craft can still feel completely fresh.
Margn
Starts at Rs3,500 onwards
Image Credits - Margn
Margn constructs concepts. Each collection explores themes of preservation, human connection, and reimagined workwear. Their recent collaborations is proof that they are not afraid to push the boundaries of menswear, blending deconstructed tailoring with artisanal knitwear.
Day & Age
Starts at Rs5,000 onwards
Image Credits - Day & Age
If history had a wardrobe, it would look something like Day & Age. The brand splits its collections into ‘Bygones’ (heritage-inspired) and ‘Currents’ (modern reinterpretations), creating a fashion timeline that is both past and present. Founded by NID graduates Shreya Parasrampuria and Sharan Adka, it is slow fashion at its most thoughtful.
Aaram Viram
Starts at Rs1,999 onwards
Image Credits - Aaram Viram
The name translates to *pause and rest*, and that is exactly what this brand feels like—soft fabrics, relaxed silhouettes, and clothing designed for comfort without sacrificing style. It is for those who believe that looking good should not require suffering.
Zero Tolerance
Starts at Rs3,500 onwards
Image Credits - Zero Tolerance
Zero Tolerance is luxury menswear with a cultural pulse. The brand takes South Asian heritage and injects it with a modern opulence, crafting pieces that feel both richly detailed and refreshingly contemporary.
Rafu’d
Starts at Rs4,300 onwards
Image Credits - Rafu’d
Rafu’d is proof that sustainability does not have to mean neutral-toned basics. The brand collaborates with Kutch weavers and Ahmedabad-based tie-dye artists to create vibrant, texture-rich clothing that is as eco-conscious as it is striking. It is the kind of label that makes sustainability feel like an aesthetic, not just an ideology.
PRXKHXR
Starts at Rs3,299 onwards
Image Credits - PRXKHXR
If futuristic fashion had a manifesto, PRXKHXR would be writing it. This label thrives on the avant-garde, with dystopian themes, unconventional materials, and silhouettes that break every menswear rule in the book.
