Bombay Shirt Company (BSC), India’s pioneer in custom-made men’s apparel, has teamed up with artist and fashion photographer Rid Burman to release an exclusive capsule collection titled “What is the Colour of Mumbai?” Anchored by BSC’s design DNA of clean lines, deep fabric expertise, tailored precision in collars and cuffs, and an unshakeable connection to Bombay, the collaboration blends sharp, structured tailoring with a looser, more tactile urban edge.
The collection serves as a visual and physical study of the city where BSC was born. The project grew out of four original photographs taken by Burman, capturing pre-monsoon skies, dusk reflecting on dark ocean water, and the weathered facades of coastal buildings. Rather than simply printing photos onto fabric, the team used the images as a guide to source fabrics, test dye washes, and develop relaxed, structural silhouettes that mirror the city’s gritty resilience.
“The best collaborations force you to see something familiar through an entirely new lens,” says Akshay Narvekar, Founder of Bombay Shirt Company. “Rid has a very distinct eye for Mumbai, its light, architecture, colours, people, and contradictions. We wanted to see what would happen when his perspective intersected with the way we make clothes at BSC. His photos became our colour board, pushing us past our comfort zone and usual boundaries. There is more workwear than we’ve ever done, wider proportions, chore jackets, oversized T-shirts, and distressed finishes. The clothes still feel like us, but the attitude feels much looser, raw, and textured. Ultimately, it’s a way of looking at home through someone else’s eyes.”
‘What is the Colour of Mumbai’ introduces a capsule of distinct ready-to-wear silhouettes designed with relaxed, modern proportions. In terms of top-wear, the collection features structured chore jackets, vintage-washed denim shackets, and soft overshirts. The bottoms that make up the collection comprise barrel-fit jeans and military-inspired barrel fatigue pants. The collection is rounded off by heavyweight, acid-washed pullover hoodies and oversized T-shirts — each featuring subtle embroidery, distressed finishes, and Burman’s photographic work integrated directly into the garments. Additionally, accessories such as caps and tote bags also feature in the collection.
“Every time I walk along the city’s promenades or look out over the concrete landscape, the same question stays with me: What is the colour of Bombay?” shares the collection’s co-creator Rid Burman. “Having lived across cities the world over, I spent a long time feeling like an outsider, and exploring colour became my way of finding a sense of belonging here. Most days, the evening sky in Bombay is this moody, pre-monsoon grey, but when the dusk light breaks into brilliant, shimmering gold over dark waters, it’s pure magic!”
“Merging BSC’s clean architectural structure with my visual lens felt completely natural because we both respect each other’s craft. Shooting real people on the streets in a guerrilla style was our nod to the city’s everyday hustle and knack for making things work. Ultimately, all those emotions, grit, and contradictions were poured directly into these garments, and I hope people see a bit of themselves and their own dreams in this collection,” he adds.
The collection’s colour palette is meticulously drawn from the city’s changing skyline across day and night. Deep pantones like Moonless Night, Mystic Navy, Sky View, and Eclipse form the anchor of the range, offset by softer tones including, Silver Grey, Burnished Lilac, Cloud Dancer, Dusty Blue, and Dusty Pink, amongst others. Highlights of Sunlight and Sunburst add moments of warmth throughout the range, reflecting the atmospheric contrast unique to the metropolis.
The “What is the Colour of Mumbai?” capsule collection from Bombay Shirt Company is now available through the brand’s digital storefront, as well as at select brick-&-mortar storefronts, including Kala Ghoda, Kemps Corner, Pali Hill, Juhu, and Andheri in Mumbai, Khan Market, Vasant Kunj, and South Extension in Delhi-NCR, Indiranagar in Bangalore, Shakespeare Sarani in Kolkata, Khader Nawaz Khan Road in Chennai, Sindhu Bhavan Marg in Ahmedabad, and Koregaon Park in Pune.
