Indie slow-fashion brand myKynd celebrates the mundu

Indie slow fashion brand myKynd elevates the Kerala mundu into something more than an off white every-day piece of garment. It plays with colour, fabric and style, coaxing the unassuming mundu to push its boundaries. 

Unmesh Dasthakhir launched myKynd with his co-founder and “muse” Senna Rasool in September 2024 as a curated range of hand-woven, locally-produced mundus that lend themselves to the wearer’s individual style. Unmesh explores fabric, using the fine Jamdani and even linen. Using bold swathes of colour, and prints, these mundus straddle casual and formal wear worlds with poise. Hand block prints, jacquard, natural-indigo-dyed and reversible styles, the repertoire is fresh. The Kerala kasavu appears too, reimagined in colour and with block prints.

Gender neutral mundu that can be worn as a skirt
| Photo Credit:
Clint Soman

“The idea, however, is not to stand out, but blend in,” asserts Unmesh.

While he is the creative head of the brand, Senna, an engineer, is its “left brain”. A multidisciplinary artist and photographer with a master’s degree in design from NIFT, Delhi, Unmesh was in the corporate sector for over 25 years, working with textile and apparel manufacturers and fashion retail brands in India. 

Unmesh Dasthakhir and Senna Rasool
| Photo Credit:
Clint Soman

He took a break and ventured into consultancy, working with the Khadi board, offering design support for a campaign to make the Khadi appeal to the younger demographic. “That was how I got reacquainted with Khadi and handloom,” says Unmesh. 

A handloom colour mundu
| Photo Credit:
Clint Soman

While his work took him to fashion and textile fairs in different parts of the world, he was equally in touch with weavers’ societies, artisans and designers across India. The journey to myKynd, he says, was organic. As an initial experiment before the launch of the brand, he got the Kanhirode Weavers’ Co-operative Society in Kannur to weave indigo mundus and the end products were refreshingly good. “The weavers took some time to warm up to the idea and my designs, but they delivered,” adds Unmesh. The brand believes in ethical labour practices. 

Mundu paired with jackets
| Photo Credit:
Clint Soman

The designs are edgy and contemporary, yet classy. They can be styled with shirts, tees, denim jackets and sneakers. They are light-weight and come in single and double versions as well, not to mention that they are gender fluid. “The sartorial sensibilities of the younger population has undergone a shift and this is largely inspired by the new wave films, hip-hop music, gender discourses, climate consciousness and social awareness,” says Unmesh.

When he showcased his collection at the music festival Kappa Cultr in Kochi recently, Unmesh received a bunch of prospective buyers curious about the fabric and interested in tracing its journey. “Many wanted to know if they could drape the mundu differently. I want to build a narrative around the process and reach out to the community. It has to be a sort of an education, a sharing of knowledge,” he says. Unmesh even had an indigo plant at his counter to explain the story of the indigo dye.

It is important to acknowledge, recognise and support the abundance of skill in the handloom sector, especially in the age of fast fashion, says Unmesh. “That is the main motive behind this project,” he adds.

Currently, myKynd has an online presence only. Unmesh is based in Bengaluru and he has been busy showcasing the collections as popups across India. Each of the collections come with a cover art, which feature an illustration, painting or photograph by independent artists based on the mundu or the weaving culture around it. For those who want it bespoke, that is possible, too.

The mundus have been creatively named after places in Kerala ending with the word ‘kara’, which means border. So you would find anything from Aruvikkara to Elamakkara, Chittattukara, Neendakara and Chottanikkara to mention a few.  

“The mundu is part of the Malayali (south Indian) identity. By contemporising it, the aim is to expand its scope and take it to a wider selection of wearers, who understand its roots and its possibilities,” says Unmesh. 

Available on mykynd.in