Fellowship & Trust
People think 'Style' and immediately assume it has to do with expensive haute couture reserved for the rich few. But brands like Monk Story are proving otherwise and giving people a chance to be part of an aesthetic, super-stylish, yet Vegan ‘fashion revolution’.
It all began in 2016 when Abhinandan Jain and Nilesh Jain - who have been best friends since college - put their heads together with the express aim of creating a premium men's footwear brand in India.
Being best buds ensured that they shared one of those enviable understanding bonds. Their skills too complemented one another’s. Their friendship was built on mutual trust and an eagerness to make their mark in the fashion world.
Shoes, Shoes & More Shoes
Both Nilesh and Abhinandan adore shoes. They even call themselves 'footwear fanatics'. This is why they found it immensely disappointing to learn that India lacked any serious designer footwear brands that weren't imported.
They decided to establish Monk Story as one of the first 'Made In India' footwear for men that focuses on not only timeless and artistic designs but also green manufacturing processes and clean shoe-making 'recipes'.
The brand is fast being accepted for its appealing designs and innovations. They rely on hand-crafting and hand-embroidery in addition to routinely using vegan leather, pseudo-suede, faux-fur, and other 'green' elements to craft each shoe.
Monk Story is not cemented in the realm of footwear alone. Plans are in the pipeline to expand into other fashion categories like wallets, bags, apparel, and more.
The 'Green' Story
Technology and innovation are ever blooming in the fashion sector. Faux-fur alone has altered an entire branch of the business, making it cruelty-free.
This is precisely what Monk Story is all about: cruelty-free fashion sourced from vegan elements without harming any animals in the process.
The brand made excellent progress in this regard, so much so that they won PETA India's prestigious Vegan Fashion Award in the year 2021. It became a major milestone for a brand as young as this.
Surviving The Pandemic
As with most businesses, the covid-19 pandemic proved worse than deadly. It brought drastic and unwholesome change to the economy (global as well as Indian), and to all the brands that depend on it.
Monk Story's capacity for survival proved itself times ten during the pandemic, starting with the way it made its founders Abhinandan and Nilesh rethink what Fashion truly is - an expression, a statement, a way of life.
In Abhinandan's own words, "What we understood about fashion is that it isn't just something you wear on the outside. Fashion can be in anything you want it to be, and it can be embraced anywhere. It is innate to human nature and our cultural expressions. It helps enhance one's personality and inner self. It's not merely a medium to show what you are, but an identity to feel who you are."
Armed with such wisdom and all the experience that the brand has gained, Monk Story kept its head above the rising waves and learned not just to float but also to swim.
The pandemic has proved the importance of choosing safe and non-animal sources for any and all needs pertaining to human society. Monk Story has already been choosing vegan sources for all their shoes.
The Celebrity Choice
Monk Story has been making green waves in the realm of Entertainment as well as Fashion. They have inspired more than a handful of celebrities to don their brand and wear it with pride. Here are some of the key names who have endorsed Monk Story's signature collections.
* Ritesh Deshmukh
* Dinesh Karthik
* Harish Kalyan
* Ravi Dubey
* Varun Sharma
* Sandeep Singh
* Taher Shabbir
* Vijay Deverakonda
* Dulquer Salmaan
* Nitish Bharti
* Vikram Prabhu
* Allu Arjun
* Jiiva
* Abhishek Verma
* Nakuul Mehta
* Kunal Jaisingh
* Siddharth Narayan
* Gurmeet Choudhary
* Samir Kochhar
* Marzi Pestonji
* Abrar Zahoor
* Narayan Karthikeyan
* 'Big Boss' Arav
Going Global
Monk Story has plenty of plans for India. The brand is keen on establishing itself as a 'Made in India, Make In India' brand.
Although its founders do indeed harbour plans to expand into the United States of America and the United Arab Emirates sometime in the in the future, they have also made it quite clear that their designs will always have a home in India.
The brand is renowned for its fresh green approach to Design and Innovation. Given the ongoing political and economic trends in India, Monk Story is doubly assured that the future will afford them plenty of opportunities to bring pride to their nation on the world stage.
Quality Assurance
Each shoe in Monk Story's collections enjoys quality materials. They each come lab-tested for durability and flexibility.
This is the core reason how the brand even boasts crease- and stain-resistant footwear that lasts much longer than average leather shoes and that are surprisingly convenient to maintain.
The Italian Connection
Italy has long enjoyed status as a major international hub for fashion, food, art, music, and culture. Italian designs still dominate the fashion world across various categories.
Monk Story was also bitten by the Italian fashion bug, so to speak. Aside from their Indian and Ethnic range of shoes, Monk Story's numerous other selections boast distinct Italian flourishes.
Nilesh said it quite well, "Italy's a country where, no matter what, they never compromise on art and design. Studying abroad gave us a clear sense of how fashion and art can coexist no matter where they rove in the world."
The Future
Monk Story has certainly made quite the name for itself. As a brand, it has become enormously recognizable among customers of all generations. This is a testament to the hard work of not only its founders but also everyone who has helped build the brand.
In just a handful of years from 2016 to 2022, Monk Story has seen such remarkable progress in the lives of everyday people and celebrities alike. It has consistently delivered quality, functionality, and aesthetics since its inception.
With around fifteen distinct collections and over a hundred unique pairs of shoes, the brand has certainly driven its roots deep in the realm of fashion footwear.
The future is green | The future is vegan | The future is Monk Story.
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