Leather love: Of fashion, fetish, freedom

Randhir Pratap Singh talks about the fashion, fetish and utility brand he founded

Randhir Pratap Singh, an activist, designer and artist, is the founder of India’s first fashion, fetish and utility brand, Subculture. The name is a reference to a subset of mainstream culture.

Always wanting to be a designer, Singh first got into leather design while in his second year at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, from which he graduated in 2018. The brand did not take form immediately but came from his unsuccessful quest to find leather fashion in India.

“I would always dress myself up in leather—leather boots, harnesses and more—but when I searched online, I couldn’t find such stores selling these products in India. So, I decided to start one when I had the time, confidence and money.”

The company took form in 2020 while the rest of the world went into a Covid-19-imposed hibernation, but it was not easy. While the pandemic did help the leather designer focus, there were still many struggles to establish a brand that was utterly adrift from traditional fashion.

“I went to multiple pattern makers and people who worked with leather, but nobody wanted to do it. They did not know how to deal with the designs that Subculture required. So I told them to help me with their technical knowledge in return for my designs,” Singh said as he reminisced about some of the early logistical issues he faced.

Randhir Pratap Singh. Credit:Subculture

In a country where sex is still somewhat taboo, Singh's brand was bound to raise some eyebrows, if not questions.

Singh said of one such incident, “Recently, a friend came over, and we decided on an impromptu photo shoot. I took her to a place near the famous Ajmer fort, where I had done shoots earlier. My friend was wearing a leather thong, but there wasn’t much nudity. While shooting, we suddenly heard women calling us names and threatening to call the police.”

Regardless of the backlash, Singh is proud of the conversations that his brand has prompted.

“For those who overlook the fetish to see Subculture as just a fashion brand, I do not bother to correct them, for if you know, you know. But for others, I believe it contributes to a larger discourse of acceptance and sex-positivity,” said Singh. “The idea of leather subculture is just one aspect; I want to sell more than that. I want to start a conversation. The end game is to provide people with a platform where they are comfortable to be who they are.”