More than 20 years after the brand was launched, Shannes & Nikhil finally set foot. Nan Maoru To expand our retail presence. The designer behind the eponymous brand has just launched his S&N, a bridge to luxury brands that have found their first Bengaluru home in Phoenix Market City. Another of his stores will open on Vittal Mallya Road in September.

“S&N is nothing but a trickle-down effect from Shantnu & Nikhil,” says Shantnu Mehra, half of the designer duo who were recently in Bengaluru for the launch of the store. Primarily, S&N is a menswear brand, 70% of his offerings are for men and the rest are solutions with womenswear and accessories.

If Mother Brand is all about ceremonies, S&N keeps it festive. “There is a sense of modern ethnicity mixed with Indo-Western influences. Festive clothing is not limited to weddings; ,” says Shanne, a new label launched in Delhi in 2020.

Known for their anti-trend designs, the brothers employ the same policy in conceptualizing S&N as a label. Shannes calls the segment of Bridge to Luxury India’s uncharted territory, and while most international brands set the ground rules for Bridge to Luxury, India has so far managed to touch that suite his spot. I don’t believe in people designers. “It’s either at the tip of his chain of fashion food alongside couture, or it’s become too mass market. There’s nothing in the stomach,” he adds.

And that’s exactly what S&N is trying to capture. For example, the statement shirts they sell start at Rs 8,000. Prices may be watered-down compared to the parent brand (price on request), but the in-store experience that Shantone promises is not. , dark hues and matte color palettes continue to this day.Our sales guru is like a stylist providing a solution — a brooch that matches your shirt, a brooch that suits you. shoes, which colors go well together, etc.

The spirit of the design remains the same, but there are some changes on the business side. In 2019, Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail (ABFRL) acquired a stake in his Shantnu & Nikhil, giving the brand “wings to fly” with his chain of stronger supplies for sourcing, manufacturing and distribution. What did the designers believe in this partnership? Always design before business. “There is no loss of creative freedom. In fact, I have had the opportunity to come up with better ideas.”

First, S&N introduces another market segment available to brands. Besides brick-and-mortar stores, there are also digital channels for consumers. While the mother brand focuses on ceremony wear, S&N offers something to attendees at weddings, parties, and more.

Couture brands have also been revamped in some stores, with models becoming more hybrid, housing both S&N and Mother brands under one roof. Also on the drawing board? Hybrid stores in Dubai, London and New York.

In India, S&N currently has eight stores and plans to open five more stores this year, including in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Raipur, Jodhpur and Delhi NCR. In 2023, we will see expansion in Tier II cities as well. Online, the brand is about to start shipping worldwide starting August 15th.

A strong brand for more than 20 years, the brand has already sown the seeds for the next generation of patrons: Gen Z. Some of our shoots and campaigns focus on them because at some point they will be millennials and inclusion will have to start somewhere. ”

Perhaps the launch of S&N in Bangalore is also part of this incubation to bring more customers to the brand. “In Delhi and Mumbai, fashion is more important than life, but Bangalore gives us a cool vibe,” says S&N. That’s why we can create the right noise here: minimal, easy-to-wear, non-fussy fashion.”