It takes two to tango

Sonam Kapoor's astute fashion sense and her sister Rhea's creative prowess come together in Rheson

When Sonam and Rhea Kapoor recently launched their fashion line, Rheson, it surprised no one. One being Bollywood’s favourite fashionista and the other the creative force behind those glamorous looks, it only seemed like a natural progression for the duo to start a clothing brand of their own. 

In the past couple of years, Sonam had been approached by countless brands to lend her name to a line designed by them. But she, along with her sister, decided to do her own thing to get it right. “We wanted to work on something that is owned by us and had our personal touch on every level,” she said at the launch. What is surprising, though, is that they took the high street route instead of the haute couture one. “It’s not like either of us wears couture every day. We wear a lot of high street in our everyday lives,” said Rhea in a recent interview to Udita Jhunjhunwala. The idea has been to create accessible, affordable glamour — clothes that are comfortable and yet stylish — and that’s why, perhaps, they partnered with Shoppers Stop to reach out to young fashion-conscious women. The Rheson line is exclusively available at 18 Shoppers Stop stores across the country as well as on the retail chain’s website and mobile app. 

Phantom cigarettes, stationery prints, cool emojis and pop candy are just some of the motifs that run through the line. Out of the five planned collections, Nostalgic 90s, Mogra and Denim are already present in the stores with Emoji and Mithai to be launched soon. Opt for the Nostalgic 90s collection to add a bit of quirk in your wardrobe with fun prints on T-shirts, button-down dresses and cropped tops. Or go the chic way with the Mogra, which features monochrome prints inspired by the flower buds on palazzo saris and dresses. 

Known for their astute fashion choices, one wonders how well have the sisters combined global trends with wearable fashion. Rasna Bhasin, a digital fashion consultant, who stopped by Shoppers Stop to check out the collections, scores them high on the wearability quotient. “There are T-shirts and shorts, cool pre-stitched saris, stunning dresses and maxis. The denims are also a lot of fun. The line does incorporate global trends, but if you see the first collection, it’s a homage to the nineties, so there are a lot of nostalgic prints, which are very in right now,” she says. You can accessorise these with a range of bucket bags, backpacks, box bags, sling bags and mini bags. 

With wacky prints and playful styles, Rheson is for the quirky fashionista who loves standing apart from the crowd and justifies buying basics, with unique elements to them. “The collections are relevant for multiple occasions. There’s a range of stylish collared button-up shirts for the office, cozy off-shoulder tees to slip into after work and flirty tops for the girl next door,” says Meriam Ahari, fashion and beauty director at MissMalini. Also of interest are the few casual-yet-eclectic sari combinations, which work for family affairs, when you would rather just be comfortable. “The Rheson line is interesting because it takes everyday basics and tweaks them with unusual details such as the kangaroo hoodie with bat sleeves or the supergirl button-up shirt with multi-layered sleeves,” she says. 

With the clothes priced between  Rs 499 and Rs 3,599, the affordability factor adds to the brand’s USP and hopes to be the answer to global high street brands such as Zara and H&M. “I think girls in the age group of 16 to 23 are a great target group for this collection, but I know certain pieces will appeal to an older age group as well. It’s a well-priced, well thought-out collection,” says Bhasin.