Kuch toh log kahenge

Nimish Shah; (right) The Nataraj brand logo finds a place on this T-shirt. Pic/Prerna Nainwal

It took a bit longer than expected, but we got there finally. From being the title of Sally Rooney's book to its television adaptation by BBC in 2020, Normal People is now the moniker of Bhaane's summer 2022 collection. "It may be a relatively older reference [the TV show] but it works," thinks Nimish Shah, Bhaane's creative director. "We have always focused on a variety of regular people for whom style is not about decoration or logos but an add-on to their identity. It's about log [people], not logos," he laughs.

Which is not to say that Shah disapproves of logos entirely. So, while you won't find a Bhaane logo on their T-shirts anytime soon, Shah says he likes other Indian brand logos; like Hindustan Pencils Pvt. Ltd. company logo of a young child holding a pencil and a book; or the iconic lettering on Nataraj and Apsara pencils. For Shah, it's about finding Indianness in generic logo design. The ‘Good Morning' messages that flood most of our WhatsApp chats each day develops into an inspiration for the floral motifs on T-shirts.

The intentionality of an oblique normcore, "generic cool" clothing, and the way to wear it is highlighted through a series of A-line maxis, shift and midi dresses, chinos, button-down shirts and tees. Shah also looked at the larger trend among younger adults who are choosing a flexi freelance career over the traditional workweek. This collection squares up their state-of-mind but also the "mess within that head space". "We've taken Indian textiles, and classic prints like Chintz, proportioned and patterned them into shapes and silhouettes but without making a whole story out of it."