'Where was Indian streetwear' in NZ? One Kiwi-Indian designer decided to make it

A Nazar Battu hoodie, Cutting Chai socks and a Nagkanya T-shirt may not be what you expect to see on Auckland streets, but for freshly launched Mitti, that’s exactly the point.

The lifestyle clothing brand, launched in April by 29-year-old founder and designer Yash Redkar, who hails from Mumbai, is taking a contemporary approach to Indian fashion, creating designs that reflect Indian art, culture and everyday life while speaking to a younger generation of New Zealanders, particularly young Kiwi Indians.

Among its other designs are a Puli embroidered hoodie, a Kali Peeli Taxi design and an Apsara knitted sweater, pieces that speak  "Indianness" but are casual clothing.

Photo: Mitti Designs/ Screengrab - Mitti

While the materials are outsourced, the creative thinking behind Mitti is Yash's.

“Japanese streetwear, Korean streetwear, where was ours?” the brand's page asks.

For Yash, the answer lies somewhere between tradition and contemporary streetwear.

“The traditional [Indian] clothes are beautiful. That is beauty in its own,” Yash told The Indian Weekender.

“But you can’t wear those styles everyday”.

“Mitti resembles what we are, what we represent,” he added.

Mitti, he says, is something people can wear on a casual Tuesday evening, clothing that connects people with their heritage without requiring them to dress traditionally.

A 'patient' design student 

Yash arrived in New Zealand in 2019 with expectations similar to many young people moving overseas.

He began his journey as a design student, but soon discovered that life in a new country could look very different from what he had imagined.

Starting out with a job as a cleaner while studying, Yash says the experience of working night shifts was deeply humbling.

“I then worked at a petrol station for one year,” he said.

An Indian person who eventually hired Yash proved to be a turning point, gradually leading him towards the work he had always wanted to do.

Six years after arriving in New Zealand, Yash is now working full-time on Mitti.

Photo: Yash continued developing his skills/Supplied

Throughout those early years, however, he continued developing his skills. Even while working as a cleaner and at a petrol station, he kept drawing and designing and making sure he was learning.

“I kept learning more about art, culture and astrology - gaining knowledge, creating my own vision,” he recalled.

Photo: Throughout years, Yash continued developing his skills/Supplied

“You need to have patience,” he stresses.

After working as a graphic designer for several years, Yash left his full-time job in February 2026 and launched Mitti in the following months.

The decision was not taken lightly. He had been saving while working, knowing that starting a clothing business would require capital.

“I was on a budget.I made sure to save up a lot when I was working,” he said.

With a year's worth of designs already in his basket , Yash has chosen to release them gradually rather than putting everything out at once.

“I have limited capital to start with, that’s why I am doing one piece a month,” he said.

Indian identity that Mitti is all about

For Yash, mitti, meaning earth or soil, is connected to where a person comes from and the roots that shape them.

He had considered names such as “Heritage”, but eventually settled on Mitti because the word captured the idea he wanted the brand to represent.

The clothing focuses on earthy tones combined with Indian art, designed by Yash. 

Yash says the approach is deliberately restrained. He does not want the designs to become overwhelming, instead allowing the artwork and base colours to create the contrast.

The result is clothing that references Indian art without relying solely on conventional representations of Indian culture.

He says the brand has already received a “positive response online”, with interest coming not only from New Zealand but also from India, the United States and Canada.

Its major markets, however, remain New Zealand and Australia.

For Yash, the younger generation is central to the brand.

Photo: @mitti.clothing

As a graphic designer with a background in advertising, social media and websites, he has approached Mitti not simply as a clothing label but as a creative platform.

He says the earthy name, bold designs and quirky artwork appeal particularly to younger Kiwi Indians, while also “highly reflect the art of India.”

Taking Puri’s art to Auckland

Yash's design process begins with research, observation and experimentation.

Recently, he travelled to Puri in India looking for artistic inspiration and exploring what elements of Indian culture could be brought back and presented in a contemporary New Zealand setting.

“People have been doing the art there for centuries. Things like these needs to be known; put into fashion ”

The trip gave him an opportunity to speak with artists and learn more about traditions he already knew of but had never experienced in the same way.

“Many [Indian] people here are rooted in their culture but are not getting enough information”.

Photo: Screengrab for Mitti's trip/@mitti.clothing

“There is so much more than just Bollywood”.

For Yash, Indian culture is far broader than the most familiar representations seen overseas.

That is one of the ideas Mitti attempts to explore using clothing to introduce people to art, stories, symbols and cultural references that may otherwise remain unfamiliar to younger generations.

Yash is planning another trip to India as he continues looking for inspiration for future collections.

Mitti’s roots

The brand has benefited from the people Yash has met along the way.

Among them are Catherine, who runs a dance company, and Ayush, a photographer who has helped capture the essence of Mitti through the brand's shoots.

Yash's wife plays an important role, taking care of the logistics behind the business.

“I have met like minded people who want to do good as a community,” he shared.

That community-oriented approach extends to the way Yash markets Mitti.

Campaigning for the brand is one of his favourite parts of the process because it gives him creative freedom to experiment.

Rather than relying on the highly polished imagery often associated with fashion campaigns, he wants Mitti to retain a rawer and more artistic identity.

Photo: Yash wants Mitti to retain a rawer and more artistic identity/@mitti.clothing

The brand's shoots place Indian artistic motifs within urban environments, creating a contrast between the modern surroundings and the cultural references embedded in the clothing.

“We look for raw, authentic and more artsy, rather than a clean and polished look,” he described.

Designing with his customers

Yash has also taken a more interactive approach to social media, using the platforms not just to sell Mitti but to involve audiences in the development of the brand.

With his background in graphic design, advertising and digital platforms, he manages Mitti's social media and uses it to connect directly with customers and understand what they want.

“I introduce the ideas and share rough sketches, color schemes with audiences, get a poll and share the process of the design,” he shared before delivering customer favourites for smaller items like socks.

That process gives customers an opportunity to see a design develop from an early idea into a finished product.

It also allows Yash to test concepts before committing his limited capital to production.

A "chilled vibe" for Mitti

For Yash, a challenge is also creating something that younger people can identify with.

Mitti offers an alternative to the idea that connecting with Indian culture necessarily means wearing traditional clothing.

Instead, he wants Mitti to become part of everyday life, something that can be worn casually while still carrying a sense of identity.

The brand's growing response from customers in different parts of the world has been encouraging, but Yash is also realistic about the challenges of starting a business.

There will be days without sales, he says, followed by days when sales suddenly pick up.

Leaving a secure job and taking the leap into entrepreneurship is not an everyday decision, particularly for someone building a clothing brand with limited capital, he says.

“I am giving my 100%.To keep going can be challenging,” he said.

For now, Yash is focused on continuing to release his designs, grow the brand and learn from the response of its customers.

A physical store not yet on Yash's radar, although he sees the concept as being about much more than simply selling clothes.

He wants to create a space where younger people can spend time, meet others, have coffee, participate in workshops and engage with the creative process.

Rather than a conventional retail store, he imagines something closer to a studio and café combined with a clothing space.

The idea is to create a place built around more events, interaction and learning.

“More like a chilled vibe, rather than just selling clothes,” Yash smiled.