As far as working partnerships go, Harsha and Shruti Biswajit have it easy. The siblings, who together founded unisex design label Biskit, are the kind who complete each others sentences, or take up a thread of conversation as the other trails off. “Unlike working with colleagues, we can skip the small talk and get straight to the point,” says Harsha (31), who’s an artist currently based in Barcelona. Shruti (27), the designer, chips in, saying, “Our vision was to create a multi-disciplinary studio exploring the boundaries between fashion, art, photography and design. This is our first act.”
Growing up in Chennai, they were surrounded by art. Their parents, artist Shalini Biswajit and cartoonist Biswajit Balasubramanian, run the Forum Art Gallery here. It obviously had more of an impact than they initially realised, with Harsha completing his undergrad studies in economics, with an MA in political economy, before majoring in digital art at the School of Visual Arts, New York. Shruti followed her brother to the Big Apple, studying at Fashion Institute of Technology, specialising in sportswear at the Politecnico Di Milano, and interning at Zac Posen, Isaora and Helmut Lang. Conversations about collaborating started there, and they launched the first collection in late 2017.
Shruti and Harsha Biswajit
The results were out of this world, literally. Think white spacesuits with reflective strips on the sleeves, the cosmos on a backpack that can also be used as a tote, and a surrealist version of Indian astronaut Rakesh Sharma on the back of a black denim jacket. “I was very clear that I wanted to create a unisex line. If you like something, you should be able to wear it. Personally, I like wearing ‘men’s’ clothing, but why should it be labelled as such,” she asks. This is an industry-wide trend, as the lines are constantly blurring and shifting between gendered clothing, with indie brands leading the way.
Another pop culture influence that can be seen is streetwear or athleisure. So you have bomber jackets and shirts covered in a space debris pattern; astronaut motifs scattered on a white T-shirt; and circular patches of stars on tunic sleeves. Harsha’s art is created specifically for Biskit; his other works “take references from subjects as varied as philosophy, literature, economics and politics, exploring dualities between humans and nature, ecology, and time”.
Art by Harsha Biswajit
Shruti says that the sizing is also unconventional, with S/M and M/L fits. “I won’t say it’s antifit; a lot of the outfits feature drop shoulders and adjustable straps. We want people to wear the fit they feel comfortable in,” she says. They’ve worked with knits, cotton and cotton blends, and the focus is on the details and art.
The brand also has an international presence, at Studio 183, a Berlin-based clothing, art and design store. They’ve also collaborated with Danish music duo GENTS, for outfits that reflect the title of an upcoming music album. “We would love to work with diverse artistes in the future. Currently, we are just starting to think about the second collection. With all the talk about Chandrayaan 2, there’s no better time,” concludes Harsha.
From ₹4,500 to ₹23,400, on spacebiskit.com. E-mail info@biskit.in for studio appointments in Chennai.
