The neon lights of Bandra, the graffiti-soaked alleys of Hauz Khas, and even the college campuses of Bhopal—streetwear in India has grown far beyond an underground niche. In 2025, it’s a cultural revolution that fuses desi pride with global swagger. What started as a subculture is now strutting across international runways, and Indian creators are leading the charge.
This is not just about oversized hoodies and sneakers anymore. The streetwear scene is evolving into a powerful narrative tool—one that speaks of rebellion, heritage, sustainability, and identity. And in the process, it’s giving birth to a new generation of fashion disruptors.
The Streetwear Scene Today: A Bold Blend of Local and Global
Globally, 2025’s streetwear is leaning into gender-fluid silhouettes, AI-designed prints, and eco-conscious materials. But in India, the real game-changer is the hyperlocal fusion: think Nehru jackets paired with cargo pants, bandhgalas with bold graffiti, or kurtas screen-printed with protest art.
“Indian streetwear is no longer trying to copy the West,” says Mumbai-based fashion critic Neha Varmani in a recent Hindustan Times interview. “It’s telling stories of migration, rebellion, roots, and belonging—through threads, textures, and typography.”
Major global trends seen in 2025:
- AI-generated design elements: Tools like Midjourney and Adobe Firefly are helping Indian designers craft surreal, futuristic textures.
- Zero-waste streetwear: Upcycled denim, recycled rubber sneakers, and repurposed khadi fabrics are hot sellers.
- Regional typography: Tamil, Devanagari, and Gurmukhi scripts are boldly splashed across tees and jackets.
- Cultural references: Motifs inspired by Madhubani, Banjara embroidery, and even Bollywood villains of the ’70s are making waves.
Success Story: VegNonVeg & the Rise of Desi Sneaker Culture
No conversation on Indian streetwear is complete without mentioning VegNonVeg, co-founded by music artist and entrepreneur Anand Ahuja. While the brand took off with its curated sneaker drops, 2025 saw it transition into a full-fledged streetwear movement. Their Bharat Drop, featuring sneakers inspired by Indian railways and post-office red, was covered by The Indian Express and praised globally.
In January 2025, VegNonVeg won the “Fashion Disruptor of the Year” award at the National Design Awards in Delhi, setting the tone for homegrown brands to go international.
From Maujpur to Milan: How Delhi’s Deepanshu Made It to Paris Fashion Week
The story of Deepanshu Rawat, a 23-year-old streetwear designer from Maujpur, Shahdara, reads like a Netflix script. Deepanshu began by screen-printing tees in his one-room apartment and selling them via Instagram under his label, “Bhoot Street”. What made his designs stand out? Ancient Bhojpuri folktales mixed with punk aesthetics.
His “Kaala Angrez” collection—a fierce anti-colonial streetwear line—was featured at Paris Fashion Week 2025 as part of the “New Voices from the Global South” showcase. The Hindu called it “a poetic punch in the gut—angry, proud, and beautifully Indian.”
Earlier this year, he received the Young Fashion Innovator Award by Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), a moment that made headlines in The Times of India.
Women in Streetwear: A Movement of Their Own
In a male-dominated space, women designers and influencers are making serious noise. Zoya Rizvi, a 26-year-old streetwear influencer from Lucknow, now has over 1.2 million followers on Instagram and recently collaborated with Nike India for their “Voices of the Streets” campaign.
Her signature hijab-streetwear aesthetic blends modesty with boldness—oversized silhouettes, monochrome layering, and statement desi jewelry. Zoya was featured in Elle India’s “Top 25 Fashion Game-Changers of 2025.”
Similarly, Hyderabad-based designer Ritika Mirza of the label Dastaan is bringing forgotten Mughal patterns into streetwear prints. Her work was recently exhibited at London Fashion Week, marking a proud moment for Indian design globally.
What’s Next for Indian Streetwear in 2025?
Looking ahead, these are the trends defining the rest of the year:
- AR-Enhanced Apparel: Brands like Bhura Jungle (based in Jaipur) are launching T-shirts that, when scanned with a phone, come alive with augmented reality stories.
- Streetwear NFTs: Pune’s Kissa Wearables is integrating NFTs with limited-edition drops, offering both physical and digital ownership.
- Pop-Up Culture: Instead of traditional stores, brands are opting for underground pop-ups at skate parks, abandoned factories, and train stations—a trend borrowed from Tokyo and Brooklyn.
- Vernacular Messaging: Clothing with political messages in regional languages like Kannada, Marathi, and Assamese are being embraced by youth collectives across India.
The Role of Cinema and Music in Pushing Streetwear
Films like “Gully Boy” and shows like “Made in Heaven” laid the groundwork, but in 2025, it’s the new indie cinema wave and underground hip-hop artists that are fueling the aesthetic. Artists like Seedhe Maut, Prabh Deep, and Ali Saffudin not only wear Indian streetwear—they co-design it.
According to a Deccan Chronicle report, record labels are increasingly collaborating with fashion brands to drop coordinated music and clothing releases, blending subcultures into a seamless experience.
Conclusion: This Ain’t Just Fashion—It’s a Movement
Streetwear in India, circa 2025, is not a fleeting trend—it’s a redefinition of identity. It’s about being unapologetically Indian, unapologetically local, and fearlessly global. From Chandni Chowk to Cannes, from skate parks to Sabyasachi showrooms, streetwear is rewriting the rules of who gets to wear what—and why.
As Deepanshu Rawat said while accepting his FDCI award:
“For years, fashion spoke to us in English. Now, it’s finally speaking in our language.”
