Akhilesh Ashok recently launched his streetwear label House of Sause in Milan with a line featuring oversized hoodies and bold print tops, hats and blouses
Akhilesh Ashok recently launched his streetwear label House of Sause in Milan with a line featuring oversized hoodies and bold print tops, hats and blouses
In Milan’s Piazza del Duomo, people discovered an Indian streetwear brand and a city called Chennai. “It felt good to tell them about my city. Many people there had never heard of it. Now they do,” says Akhilesh Ashok, who launched his label House of Sause with a fashion show in Milan last week, followed by pop-ups in Paris, Amsterdam and London.
“There is a lot of curiosity about the label on social networks as well. A number of people have asked me if it’s a ketchup brand or a new restaurant,” he says on a phone call from London, where he’s just wrapping up an event for House of Sause. Choosing to present his collection in Europe is his way of presenting India to the world. The official launch in India will happen later in September.
Sportswear models from the collection | Photo Credit: Special Arrangements
Hailing from Salem, Akhilesh studied Commerce at Loyola College, Chennai. “I come from a family of auditors. I’m a numbers guy,” says the 23-year-old, adding that a career in fashion was never on his radar. But during the lockdown, he thought since he’s been a fashion consumer for so long, why not be on the other side. He knew he wanted it to be a streetwear label as he saw great potential in it. “I am a self-taught designer. I have two designers on board—Asha Sridhar and Shreya Dilip—who help me translate my vision into design,” says Akhilesh. It took him 10 months of conceptualization and 45 designs before he chose the final seven that are part of the collection. first titled Prints of Epiphany. The capsule includes oversized hoodies and crew neck tops, deconstructed hoodies, tops and hats. He wants these pieces to be conversation starters. The line is unisex, heavy on patterned prints bold and loud. “The street works on hype culture. For the pre-launch, some celebrities wear the clothes, but people can’t buy them. There’s a buzz around it. And when these clothes go on sale, they sell out in four to five minutes,” says Akhilesh. The plan is to have limited pieces on sale. In this case, 2,000 pieces will be sold online. The chances of these being restocked are slimmer. “We want it to be exclusive,” he explains.
Cricketer Washington Sundar, rapper Irfana Hameed and Canada-based music producer Yanchan Rajmohan will be seen sporting the first House of Sause collection. Akhilesh has divided the fall of the capsule into two parts. The first part will go on sale on the website on September 20. “We’ll see how loud these will be,” says Akhilesh. Meanwhile, he is excited to introduce a global brand with roots in Tamil Nadu.
The website launches on September 15. Houseofsause is on Instagram.
