At 20, IU student Srishti Gourisaria and her brother, Syracuse University student Yuvraj, decided they wanted to start their own streetwear brand.
Today, their brand, KNN, has a collection of five tops and T-shirts and nine face mask designs sold online. The face masks can also be found in stores around Bloomington, such as Greetings and Tracks, where IU apparel is sold.
Srishti, a senior studying entrepreneurship and business analytics with a minor in apparel merchandising, and her brother, Yuvraj, a sophomore studying economics with a minor in retail management at Syracuse University, established the brand in summer 2019.
The siblings, from Kolkata, India, have family roots in the fashion industry. They wanted to start a new wing for their family business, Kanchana, which has two divisions titled Next and Sarees, which sell suits and sarees, traditional Indian garments for women.
Srishti said the clothes for KNN are similar to what could be found in brands such as Supreme and Off-White.
“Streetwear is a global style,” Srishti said. “We want to use it to bring our family brand portfolio forward.”
Clothing can be purchased through Instagram direct message. KNN is in the process of establishing a presence on its website. Clothing production takes place in India and the products are exported to the U.S.
Yuvraj said he was inspired to create clothing because what he wants from the market is often not available.
“Whenever I go shopping, most of the time I’m disappointed,” Yuvraj said. “When looking for my own style, there’s nothing that caters to me specifically.”
Srishti designed the first collection while Yuvraj was finishing up high school, and together they collaborated on IU- and Syracuse-themed masks for their 2020 collection.
“Between us, Yuvraj is more creative,” Srishti said. “Working with him is a huge plus, but I do think in the back of my mind I’m nervous that we’ll have a disagreement that will affect our personal lives.”
Yuvraj said working with his sister felt natural. From adolescence, people used to point out how similar they both are.
“I’m not saying we agree on everything,” Yuvraj said. “But we always knew we could work together and make something good happen.”
While Yuvraj hones his creative side, he said his sister’s business knowledge and determination is an asset to their brand.
“There’s a spark in her eyes when she gets a goal in her head,” Yuvraj said. “She goes above and beyond to get things done.”
As for the future goals of the company, the siblings have big plans.
“Our target markets are IU and Syracuse right now,” Srishti said. “But we want to expand it.”
Yuvraj said the U.S. is where they hope to continue to establish their brand because it’s a global hub for fashion. Their goal, ultimately, is to become an internationally worn brand similar to H&M or Zara.
“You have to target America first, and then the world will follow,” Yuvraj said.
