In Milan’s Piazza Duomo, people discovered Indian streetwear brands and the city of Chennai. “I was happy to tell them about my city. says Akhilesh Ashok, founder of his label House of Sause.

“There’s a lot of curiosity about the label on social media too. A lot of people are asking if it’s a ketchup brand or a new restaurant,” he said by phone from London. Choosing to present his collection in Europe is his way of introducing India to the world, with the official Indian launch he plans to take place later in September.

Sportswear models from the collection | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Originally from Salem, Akilesh studied Commerce at Loyola College in Chennai. “I come from a family of auditors. I’m a numbers guy,” said the 23-year-old, adding that a career in fashion was never on his radar. Being a fashion consumer, he thought he shouldn’t be on the other side. “I am a self-taught designer. Two designers, Asha Sridhar and Shreya Dilip, are on board. He chose part of Prints of Epiphany, a capsule containing oversized hoodies and crewneck t-shirts, deconstructed hoodies, crop tops and caps, and he believes these pieces are conversational. The line is unisex and features prints with bold and daring designs.“Streetwear influences hype culture. There is hype around it, and when these clothes go on sale, they sell out in four to five minutes,” Akhilesh said. We plan to sell in limited quantities. In this case, 2,000 pieces are sold online. It is unlikely that these will be restocked. “We want it to be exclusive,” he explains.

Cricketer Washington Thunder, rapper Ilfana Hameed and Canadian-based music producer Yanchan Rajmohan will showcase House of Sause’s first collection. Akhilesh divided his capsule drop into two parts. The first part he will start selling on the website on September 20th. In the meantime, he is excited to launch a global brand with roots in his Nadu state of Tamil.

The website will be launched on September 15th. Houseofsause is on Instagram.