He loves visiting Calcutta and this time he was back after three years for a showcase at Dapper, a menswear store at Woodburn Park. Delhi-based designer Divyam Mehta loves crafts, “making it more relevant for today’s consumer”. His menswear line is 10 years old and marked by effortlessness. “Particularly this collection is for a certain occasion, but our clothing is such that you can wear it repeatedly. Our work and design are classic. The quality is amazing and you can wear it over the years. That’s the ethos of the brand and it’s there in all our collections,” Divyam told The Telegraph on the sidelines of styling this special shoot.

How much has the menswear category evolved in the last decade?

Over the last 10 years there is more awareness about how men would want to dress up. Ten years back, it was only five or 10 per cent of the men who knew what they wanted and now they have that much more clarity and are more updated and they do want to have their opinion on what they wear. It’s not just the women who is deciding their clothes. They know how the fittings of the trousers should be. The menswear market is evolving. It will never be as big as womenswear though.

Your clothes are realistic, which is great for men because they get intimidated by complex designs...

They can easily relate to it and I can push them a little to experiment. We keep in mind the colours and styles which work for men, keeping that balance of masculinity and femininity. Most of our styles can be repeated for women also. It is getting gender neutral.

Is the evolved man a handful?

See the markets have changed over time and my man knows what he wants and he is aware of what he is buying. That’s my muse and the kind of man we love catering to. I love it when he adapts his personality into my style.

Is social media an influence?

What really influences people to buy things is their social circle. On social media, they see real people dressed up so nicely. That’s the effect of social media. It’s inspiring. Why not give design that attention. Art, music, fashion and design enhances life, the beauty of life. That’s why it’s so desirable. Jeevan ke ras....

Though a lot of men are embracing their feminine side, men do have a lot of inhibitions when it comes to fashion...

We have created these boundaries. If I look at 500 years back, men were wearing skirts. Now a dhoti is as much for the man as the woman. If you like wearing something, wear it. I want to see men in gowns. A bomber jacket with dhoti pants or a biker jacket with dhoti pants... you have to find your own style. I like people who are honest with their styles and not trying too hard.

This pastel shade is a new colour from Divyam’s stable, this season. “It’s between a mint and a pista. This especially works for Indian skin tones. It’s got a touch of pink on the enamelled buttons and embroidered pocket square. This one has cross-stitch work all over and a nice texture,” he said.

Shilpa Sethi, founder and curator, Dapper, sported a top and skirt from Divyam’s spring-summer ’21 offering for women, Rivering. “Calcutta loves his styles. Both the quality and styles are classic,” she smiled. Divyam picked a khadi denim. “The fabric is woven in Bengal as well as Gujarat and it is hand-tailored,” he said, accessorising it with a beautiful shawl.

Neeraj Surana looked dapper in a kantha suit. “Kantha becomes the soul of the fabric. You will find motifs of villages. It is the story of the artisan’s life. It is a recreation. We have used it in a newer fabric and combined it with more modern stitches as well and done it in a double-breasted suit, which makes it again more relevant for various occasions. I can imagine a customer wearing it for a cocktail party as well as for a reception or even for the Oscars. May be, I’ll just wear it for a dinner. My clothing always has to have that ease. Kantha has that softness. It has a thickness, but also mouldability,” said Divyam. You can wear it as separates too.

Pictures: Pabitra Das

Model: Neeraj Surana

Hair and make-up: Abhijit Paul

Effortless investments...

• Invest in relaxed trousers

• Matka silk because they are perfect for the Indian weather

• A khadi shirt and other handloom fabrics. It is important to blend technology and craft