Cracking the shell with Egg-White

TS: This is our first in-person interview with a fashion label and we are so glad that it’s Egg-Whites! How’s it going? Why are we at Boojee today?

Ansh: Likewise, I am excited to do this thing with Throwing Shade. My crew & I have been here since 2 pm, working on the rebranding of Egg-Whites. Boojee is our unofficial office at this point.

TS: Yes! You wiped your Instagram clean sometime in the last 3 weeks. What’s going on there? Tell me about it!

Ansh: We are creating a new and clearer identity for Egg-Whites. The first time around, everything came together randomly. Even when you look at our current designs, they are all over the place; and that may have been my intention 2 years ago when I first began, but we are evolving now and rebranding is the way to go about it. Expect to see more than our signature graphic tees, hoodies and jackets.

TS: I am looking forward to finding out more about the collection, yes! So how did you start with these “random” designs and ideas? Where does your interest in fashion stem from?

Ansh: I was first introduced to fashion as a concept in 2019 by my friend Aasim. I remember he took me to the Jaywalking Bandra store one fine morning when it had just opened. The two of us waited for 30 minutes before Jay finally showed up to open the store. I saw my friend casually buy a single tee for 4.5K without a second thought. Fast forward two years, I went ahead and did the same thing. So that was a monumental instance to inflict my interest in streetwear. As I went further into different brands, I noticed that most of them were quite similar in their designs, typography, lots of things. That wasn’t my style. I wanted to wear something that I couldn't find in the market, so I thought of starting my own thing, which is Egg-Whites.

TS: Yes! Tell me how the name came to be. I think there’s a fun story behind that.

Ansh: Before starting this thing, I thought of a few names but they didn’t really sit right with me. A dear friend of mine called Harryish & I were sitting at McDonald’s brainstorming names while he ate a McEggChicken and he said, “We could name it Egg-Yellow.” I did some improvisation to land up on Egg-Whites, as we all know it today. He liked it, I liked it, and the rest is history.

TS: All hail Mcdonald’s! So, what came next? Now that the name was decided.

Ansh: I hired a graphic designer, of course. We sat down to brainstorm the designs and couldn’t come up with something worthy of screen-print till I asked her “What are you thinking of?” and she said, “I’ve just broken up; I’m thinking of my ex.” And that’s pretty much how the first tee came to be.

TS: Looks like an absolute hit to me. Apart from Egg-Whites, as an individual, what are some people, designers, labels, and artists you look up to?

Ansh: I obediently look up to Off-Whites; Virgil is a legend. Balenciaga is my favorite house, I absolutely love their work. In the Indian homegrown labels category, I respect Jaywalking. This doesn’t mean that Egg-Whites takes inspiration from any of these names. I want to take Egg-Whites further. Clothes will continue, and along with that I would like to get into designer decor, just branch out and create more and more.

TS: That is very exciting to hear! Egg-Whites rebranding plans sound so interesting. How is living in Mumbai helping you thrive?

Ansh: Mumbai has been the greatest blessing. It is basically the centre of all things hot; all the new things come to Mumbai first so I have been lucky in that sense- new stores, new people, the exposure keeps on coming. Mumbai has obviously played a vital role in Egg-White’s growth.

TS: That sounds about right, Mumbai is thriving and helping others thrive every day. How did you start with the production, manufacturing, all of it? Is it in-house or outsourced?

Ansh: At the beginning, around October 2022, we were getting our products manufactured from companies online. I was fairly new to the game so I was trying to understand the tactics still. Today, I know what we are offering to our customers and we have our own manufacturing unit. We make our fabric too using Gütermann threads. All these international, high-end brands use the same threads. It’s 80% cotton and 20% lycra. During the production of the fabric, Egg-Whites goes through three washes: Bio-washing, Silicone-washing and a third secret washing recipe that makes our tees really really soft. You get 280GSM tees, and yet you won’t feel their weight. It is perfectly balanced to go with Mumbai’s heat.  

TS: You’re wearing a 280GSM Egg-White tee right now and you look comfortable, so I’ll take your word for it. There must’ve been obstacles to get your brand up in an already saturated market. Have you figured some tactics out yet?

Ansh: I didn’t know anything about building a brand. There was a point where I used to read 1 book each day, I was just learning every way that I could. Fortunately, we haven’t faced any major financial issues yet. We were profitable in the first week itself. But that doesn't mean I know everything, I am still figuring everything out. Inventory management, and quantity issues, are things that have put us back at times. You don’t always know how many pieces or what sizes you will need at the end of the day; it takes a while before you can analyse the statistics. Just a couple of weeks ago, we made a batch of 2000 tees; all waste. So, now we are giving them out to orphanages. But yeah, it took a toll on us financially.

TS: You have come out stronger though. Egg-Whites is available to shop in multiple stores across India, right?

Ansh: Yes, mostly in multi-brand streetwear stores. I’ll just write down the list for you.

1. High on Kicks, Mumbai (Khar)

2. Hype Fly, Mumbai (Bandra)

3. Kicks Machine India, Dehradun

4. Sidewalk, Mumbai (Launching soon)

5. Archive Clothing, Chennai

TS: That is a lot of stores. I hope we see an exclusive Egg-Whites store soon. So, how do you feel about Egg-Whites, what does it mean to you?

Ansh: For me, Egg-Whites is a brand that I want to build with people who have different opinions. And my goal is that when you own an Egg-Whites product, it should bring a smile to your face. It would be my biggest accomplishment if I could bring you a chunk of happiness.