Indian fashion has long been associated with intricate craftsmanship, ornate embellishment, and rich textiles. Indeed, the country’s booming bridal market speaks to that enduring tradition. And yet there is a new wave of street-minded labels championing a distinctly minimalist aesthetic; among them is the gender-neutral fashion label Biskit.
Launched in 2017 by brother-sister duo Harsha and Shruti Biswajit, the line is characterized by its graphic black and white palette, with geometric silhouettes that are inspired by outer space. “I’m interested in planets and just outer space in general—I’m obsessed with the moon,” says Shruti who designs the astronaut-style jumpsuits and star-strewn jackets. Harsha, on the other hand, is behind the brand’s attention-grabbing look books, including this one, inspired by alien abductions.
Growing up in Chennai in eastern India, Harsha and Shruti were surrounded by the arts. “Our dad is a cartoonist, and our mother is a fine artist, sculptor, and painter,” says Harsha. “She owns her own art gallery, which is pretty much where we grew up our entire life.” They were both encouraged to start creating from a young age, eventually launching the brand while in New York City to pursue their passions; Harsha was making art, while Shruti was studying design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. “We wanted to bring both of our ideas together, and make something bigger than what we could have done independently,” says Harsha.
To lay the groundwork for their label, Harsha and Shruti both felt it was essential to dismantle the divide between womenswear and menswear. “It is a hard market in India, because people still don’t really understand unisex clothing,” Shruti says. “It’s up to us to educate them. It took us a while to get the fit right. I was my own model, and then I used to make Harsha wear the same size.” For Shruti, that unconventional approach was totally intuitive; even as a child she often found herself dressing in her dad’s shirts. “I would go into clothing stores and they would always direct me to the women’s section—I never got that whole concept,” she says.
As siblings, they share an unspoken language even when they’re continents apart. “There are those days where we get in arguments,” Shruti says with a laugh. “But we don’t need to make small talk—that’s the best part.”
