Sushant Abrol’s military-inspired collection No Man’s Land won him, the sixth edition of NEXA Presents The Spotlight

Sushant Abrol’s military-inspired collection No Man’s Land won him, the sixth edition of ‘NEXA Presents The Spotlight’

Despite winning the sixth edition of NEXA Presents The Spotlight (a programme that gives young fashion designers a platform to showcase their work at the upcoming Lakme Fashion Week X FDCI in October) for the first time, fashion designer Sushant Abrol says he almost feels like a veteran. “I had applied earlier for this coveted title. This was my fourth attempt,” he laughs.

Sushant, who launched his label Countrymade in 2019, believes in learning from his failures. “Last year, I was very close to winning. I did well, but someone else did better,” he adds. “So, this time, I raised the bar.”

“While clothes play a big role, the competition is also about set design and how you present the collection. I presented mine with a 360-degree view. We had four days to prepare for the final jury round. I sat with an architect friend of mine for two nights, 9pm to 4am, and integrated the software that gave an all-around view,” says Sushant over a call from Noida, where he is based.

Titled No Man’s Land, this collection is deeply personal. “I lost my brother (Squadron Leader Samir Abrol) when I was just starting my brand. He was in the Indian Air Force. The label name Countrymade is a homage to him,” says Sushant.

At the Abrol family home, there is a room dedicated to Samir, with all his belongings stored there. “We have a file with all the letters he wrote to us from his academy. I imagined him going to war and writing letters from the war zone. That was the starting point of this collection,” explains Sushant.

The collection speaks about the aftermath of war; the odyssey of a soldier. While conceptualising it, Sushant imagined a letter where his brother says he is fighting a war and he sees bloodshed all around. “The land that he is trying to protect is also the land he is bombarding and it’s now barren. This is no man’s land. He is conflicted and going through an emotional turmoil. It’s basically a question that he is asking himself,” says the 33-year-old.

The collection comprises shirts, over shirts, crop jackets, M65 bombers, blazers, and jackets with multiple pockets. “We have used blends of linen and cotton, waxed canvas etc. Once you wear these garments, the wax cracks and creates wrinkles, these wrinkles represent war. We’ve used prints and artistic artworks to show mountains, rivers flowing...”