What makes a brand Streetwear? Is it being repped by skaters and rappers? Is it having a ton of shoe collaborations? No. T-Shirts and exclusivity, a streetwear brand do make. So let’s take a look at BLINDCLOUD, India’s first streetwear brand, and their signature tee.
Cyan is a color you don’t see everyday. To adopt that as your signature color is a bold move. To make a great graphic tee with a cyan base is even harder. BLINDCLOUD is a Bangalore based brand, and is the brainchild of Luvnit Sawhney, a design graduate, street artist and rapper who grew up in Atlanta and Detroit. This means that the brand comes from a place that knows what it’s about, making it much more than just another graphic tee brand. Inspired by brands like Mishka and The Hundreds and artists like Buff Monster, and being a natural born hustla, he decided to start his own brand.
So what’s the idea here? The cloud is there to show you that the sky isn’t the limit, coming strong with a flash of ingenuity. Clouds come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and gather randomly for a not so random purpose. BLINDCLOUD is inspired by graffiti, skateboarding, music and avant-garde design and aims to bring you products that represent the current state of culture in all those colors you’ve had trouble finding.
Being a streetwear brand and building a brand off T-shirts without catering to a specific audience can be a challenge but I think the guys at BLINDCLOUD are doing a wonderful job already, visiting Agenda in Vegas this year and having been featured on Slam X Hype. Yes they are going places, but fret not, they are still exclusive. They have a limited-edition, no re-print policy and only sell at handpicked stores and at their own pop-up events. Must cop that Alien Workshop inspired tee!
The little cloud tab on the hem is a nice detail. The care label comes printed on the shirt, which means no itchy distractions when you’re pulling off that switch heelflip, or when on your regular grocery run. The textile used feels premium and I am sure this print will last you a million washes.
Bucket hats are a summer essential for your casual wardrobe and this one much more so, owing to the all over tie dye effect. A lot of brands make tie dye buckets (my favorite being Milkcrate), but I really like BLINDCLOUD’s version because of the predominant signature blue color and the darker colors all around. Can’t wait to see what 5 panels they come out with.
I skate the Vans Rowley Style 99, which is Geoff Rowley‘s 13th signature model with Vans. A vulcanized outsole, classic waffle sole and thin padding provides you with great boardfeel and amazing grip. Two elastic tongue centering straps hold the tongue down on your foot, without allowing it to slide. This really helps when you skate and is a feature I can’t live without anymore. Red suede and clean lines make for a great looking sneaker, whether you skate or not.
BLINDCLOUD is one of those brands that make me happy to be living in India at this time. With skateboarding really taking off in multiple cities, having a skate brand around to represent the culture is simply amazing.
And who says bucket hats can’t double as fedoras?
Bucket Hat from BLINDCLOUD
Signature Cloud Print Tee from BLINDCLOUD
Sneakers from Vans
For all your skateboarding needs: Holystoked
Photos by Roshan Chikodi