An Unique Interview with Krunal Shah, founding father of Mr Vastra, a D2C menswear model launched
Krunal Shah is redefining modern menswear by Mr Vastra, a dynamic D2C model targeted on premium high quality and accessibility. On this unique interview, the founder shares his journey of mixing conventional craftsmanship with fashionable retail to decorate the fashionable man.
After a decade in digital advertising, what was the particular ‘lightbulb second’ that made you pivot to bodily product manufacturing?
Krunal Shah: After spending practically a decade in digital advertising, the true turning level got here whereas working intently with standard Indian D2C manufacturers. Watching these manufacturers scale quickly and seeing how deeply they understood buyer wants gave a totally new perspective.
Coming from a advertising background, I used to be consistently analyzing client conduct, gathering suggestions, and constructing model connections. Over time, I noticed there was a lot larger potential in constructing merchandise that instantly resolve buyer issues moderately than solely providing companies.
Exploring dropshipping additional validated the market alternative and confirmed the scalability of bodily merchandise. That whole journey turned the ‘lightbulb second’, shifting from rising manufacturers by advertising to truly constructing merchandise from the bottom up felt way more thrilling, inventive, and impactful.
You talked about ‘beginning over.’ How did your earlier skilled experiences put together you for—or maybe hinder—the challenges of a 2026 startup?
Krunal Shah: My earlier expertise in digital advertising performed an enormous function in constructing the startup as a result of, within the D2C area, advertising drives a serious a part of the enterprise. Understanding buyer conduct, branding, and scaling methods gave me a powerful basis from day one.
On the identical time, the most important problem was the technical facet of cloth manufacturing, an space that was fully new to me.
In contrast to advertising, this was an unexplored area the place I needed to study the whole lot from scratch. To bridge that hole, I took a number of programs, joined business communities, and frolicked understanding the technicalities of materials and manufacturing in depth.
So whereas my expertise gave me confidence in constructing and rising a model, the startup journey additionally pushed me to consistently study and adapt in fully new areas.
How does the identify ‘Mr Vastra’ bridge the hole between conventional Indian textile heritage and fashionable menswear?
Krunal Shah: The thought behind ‘Mr Vastra’ was to create a model that brings stylish, fashionable designs to Indian menswear whereas staying related to our roots. ‘Vastra,’ a Hindi phrase related to clothes and custom, provides a powerful emotional and cultural connection to the model id.
By combining a standard Indian contact with modern trend, the identify completely displays the imaginative and prescient of mixing India’s textile heritage with fashionable styling for at present’s males.
What does ‘performance-driven on a regular basis put on’ imply within the context of the fashionable Indian life-style?
Krunal Shah: ‘Efficiency-driven on a regular basis put on’ means creating clothes that matches the tempo, consolation, and practicality required within the fashionable Indian life-style, particularly contemplating India’s climate circumstances and busy routines.
For us, it was about discovering the fitting material mix that delivers each model and performance. That’s why we developed formal pants utilizing a mix of polyester, viscose, and spandex, as these materials are light-weight, breathable, and stretchable.
The thought is to offer Indian males clothes that not solely seems to be polished and fashionable but additionally feels comfy sufficient to put on all through the day, whether or not at work, whereas touring, or throughout on a regular basis actions.
Are you able to stroll us by the material choice course of? What technical bins should a garment tick earlier than it earns the Mr Vastra label?
Krunal Shah: The material choice course of at Mr Vastra is centered round balancing consolation, sturdiness, and fashionable performance for the Indian life-style. Each material goes by an in depth analysis to make sure it performs nicely in day by day put on, particularly in Indian climate circumstances.
Earlier than any garment earns the Mr Vastra label, it should tick key technical bins like breathability, light-weight really feel, stretchability, sturdiness, and long-hour consolation. The material additionally wants to keep up a sophisticated and premium look whereas being sensible for on a regular basis use.
That’s why blends like polyester, viscose, and spandex turned an essential selection for our formal put on. They provide the proper mixture of construction, flexibility, and luxury, making the clothes each fashionable and performance-driven.
Launching in 2026 comes with distinctive challenges. How are you navigating the present state of buyer acquisition prices (CAC) in India?
Krunal Shah: With the rise of platforms and exhibits like Shark Tank India, the D2C ecosystem in India has gained huge recognition over the previous few years. Whereas this has created big alternatives, it has additionally considerably elevated competitors and buyer acquisition prices (CAC).
One in every of our greatest benefits is our sturdy advertising background, which helps us method buyer acquisition extra strategically and effectively. However past advertising, we consider the true long-term resolution is product high quality and buyer retention.
Our focus is on constructing performance-driven merchandise that genuinely ship worth, as a result of when clients are happy with the standard and expertise, retention improves naturally, decreasing dependency on consistently spending closely on acquisition.
How are you utilizing your digital advertising experience to construct a ‘neighborhood’ moderately than only a ‘buyer base’?
Krunal Shah: My digital advertising background taught me that sturdy manufacturers are constructed by relationships, not simply transactions.
So as a substitute of focusing solely on gross sales, we deal with understanding buyer suggestions, participating with folks constantly, and creating merchandise that genuinely match their life-style and desires.
We actively use content material, storytelling, and direct interplay to construct belief and long-term connections with our viewers. The purpose is to make clients really feel concerned within the model journey moderately than simply being consumers.
For us, a neighborhood is constructed when folks join emotionally with the model, relate to its imaginative and prescient, and maintain coming again not just for the product, however for the expertise and belief behind it.
The place do you see ‘Mr Vastra Man’ within the subsequent three years? Are there plans to increase into equipment or different life-style classes?
Krunal Shah: Over the following three years, the imaginative and prescient for Mr Vastra Man is to evolve into a whole fashionable menswear and life-style model. The expansion plan is being approached in phases to make sure sturdy product high quality and model id at each step.
Section one is targeted on bottomwear, beginning with performance-driven formal pants, adopted by Gurkha pants and journey joggers designed for consolation and flexibility.
In part two, we plan to increase into topwear with polo T-shirts that mix model and performance. Section three will deal with coming into the athleisure area to cater to the rising demand for comfy on a regular basis trend.
The long-term purpose is to construct a well-rounded life-style model that gives fashionable Indian males fashionable, useful, and performance-focused clothes throughout classes.
Mr Vastra stands as a testomony to Krunal Shah’s imaginative and prescient of constructing subtle trend easy. Because the model continues to scale, it stays a pivotal participant in India’s D2C revolution, proving that model and substance can actually go hand-in-hand.
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