Runway ride

Five designers bring the thrill of the open road into fashion, merging chrome, leather, and speed with couture, writes Asmita Aggarwal

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The creative duo of Vipul Amar and Harsheen K Arora blend the spirit of speed with the soul of craftsmanship through their label, V Renaissance.

Vipul Amar grew up admiring the motorcycles of the '50s and '60s—think movies like The Wild One, Hell's Angels on Wheels — and that cinematic nostalgia still fuels their art.

"We once made a special helmet for a drag racer, and a custom jacket for a bodybuilder who couldn't find one that fit," he says. Their deep understanding of leather has led to collaborations with Indian Motorcycle, crafting bespoke seats and side bags for its legendary cruisers.

Every V Renaissance jacket is hand-painted—unique, unreplicable, and deeply personal. "We create that artistic, aged patina using waxes and oils," says Arora. There is contouring, shading, and highlighting on leather, which, says Vipul Amar, has character. "It ages, it changes — just like us."

For over three decades, Arjun Khanna has been the custodian of a vintage aesthetic. "Everything old is my new new," he says, and that includes lovingly restored typewriters and motorbikes. "Today, design feels homogenised — individuality has faded. Earlier, every bike or car had its own personality."