From Shift Man, designer Nimish’s Shah’s latest menswear collection | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Between 2012 and 2018, a celebrity sighting in Shift, designer Nimish Shah’s label, on the pages of fashion blogs (Instagram paparazzi reels weren’t a thing back then) meant a look that screamed an almost artful ease. Think of Deepika Padukone in an olive skirt and a sky blue top. Or Sonam Kapoor at the airport in comfortable and chic white co-ords, or even Rasika Dugal in a neatly tailored, cropped charcoal jumpsuit.
In his comeback collection for the label, little has changed for Nimish when it comes to capturing this sense of ease. After having a detour from his label to helm things at design house Bhaane, the designer is now back with a line of menswear for Shift.
“From being able to establish a house aesthetic and holding on to it because you enjoy what you’re doing, there was then a pause—a mindful activity of asking, how do we do better after having done the same thing and enjoyed it?” he says, of his break and return to his label.
Nimish Shah | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Shift Man embraces Gandhian modernism, something that stems from Nimish always having enjoyed minimalism and simplicity. “This isn’t something that is devoid of design. Everything is designed deeply. But there is modesty in materials, finishing and being able to know when to stop and add more,” he says. “Dessing up is, however, about seeking attention after all. So the process was about how to redefine simplicity.”
A confluence of art
Nimish speaks with excitement of another central project that he has devoted much time and energy to, over the last few years; the Artist Residency he launched in 2025. The residency, on its second cohort now, began with the vision to bring together like-minded, mid-career artists from different disciplines and create a space where they can work across metiers, allowing new perspectives on contemporary Indian making to emerge.
“I was keen to bring together like-minded people to come and participate in a conversation and then take that and build something for themselves,” he says. He speaks of how conversations about the role of an artist in mass production led to him working with masstige craft. “The way it has influenced my practice, I want this to influence more artists. We want to give away the learnings from this; we will publish it online or make it available in such a way that this learning is available for everyone to respond in their own way.”
The line eschews busy prints for solids, checks and stripes across menswear and lounge wear; in dark blue, pistachio green and crisp white. The silhouettes here are unhurried and relaxed, think soft elevated separates, longline shirts and collarless tucker jackets. Natural dyed cotton voiles, canvases and contemporary denims have been developed in small batches for this collection, end-of-line textiles seasoned over time which are embraced for its existing character.
The collection note has a rather cheeky description of a man building his ‘Gujrati-Scandi’ wardrobe, summing up its very Indian and European influences.
Nimish also speaks of the influence of the masstiege craft, bringing together well-thought out artisanal design that is accessible to a larger, more mainstream consumer base. “It is all about the hands that make, and yet isn’t high-handed. It is good work I feel deeply committed to, for this second phase.,” he says. “It is where the accessibility and scale of industry meet the irregularity and human touch of craft.”
The term ‘common sense sustainability’, is something the designer has always espoused, and in the context of designer wear that is occasion driven, this feels all the more relevant. “Common sense is the most underplayed aspect of fashion. I think all clothes are special, and with this line as well, you can wear them all the time. There’s such a deeper value proposition from a clothing perspective, this way.”
A new line of serverware, tableware, home textiles and more are also a part of this comeback, through Shift home, a project that Nimish describes as a deeply personal one, with an assortment of quirky objects that may not necessarily fit into every space. “I am not building a home or a product line, but creating objects that people can look at and interpret in their own way. People looking for something specific may not find it here. But for those who discover something, grow to want it, and eventually keep it... this is for them.”
The Make-Shift shop trunk show is on at Jamaat Art Gallery, Colaba, Mumbai from October 23 to 25, from 11am to 7pm. Shift Man is priced upwards of ₹5,000
Published - October 22, 2026 07:15 pm IST