Why We Started Bakaw: A Brand Built by Someone Who Couldn't Sit Still
Every clothing brand says it was “born from passion.” Ours was born from frustration, mostly.
We kept running into the same problem every time we travelled: streetwear that looked good but wasn't built for the journey, or travel clothing that worked practically but felt nothing like us.
We wanted something in between.
Clothes that could handle an overnight bus, a long airport wait, a sudden downpour, a crowded city street and still feel right when the day turned into a night out.
That gap became Bakaw.
The Problem We Couldn't Stop Noticing
Travel usually means compromise.
You either pack clothes that look great but aren't practical enough for the journey, or you choose “travel clothing” that does the job but feels more like outdoor gear than something you'd actually want to wear in a city.
We didn't think you should have to choose.
Bakaw was built for the person who wants to look like themselves everywhere they go from the airport to the street, from the highway to the after-party.
Starting in Pune, Built for Anywhere
Bakaw started in Pune with sketches, fabric swatches, experiments, and a very specific obsession: making clothes that hold up to actual movement, not just photoshoots.
Being based in Pune also shaped how we think about clothing.
Indian travel isn't predictable.
There's heat and humidity. Overnight buses. Sudden rain. Long train journeys. Cold hill stations. Dusty roads. And days where your outfit has to survive much more than you planned for.
So we started there.
If something can survive a Pune summer and a hill-station monsoon, we're confident it can handle the rest of the journey.
Not Just for the Road
Here's something we realised while building Bakaw:
Most of our lives aren't spent travelling.
You might have one trip coming up, but there are hundreds of ordinary days between adventures.
So why should travel clothing only make sense at an airport?
We wanted Bakaw pieces to work when you're actually travelling and when you're simply going through your everyday life with the mindset of someone who wants to go somewhere.
Wear it on a road trip.
Wear it to a café.
Wear it on a long Sunday.
Wear it on a random Tuesday when you need to feel like you're going somewhere—even if you aren't.
Because travel isn't always about the destination.
Sometimes, it's about the mindset.
From Travel Streetwear to Custom Culture
As Bakaw grew, we started noticing another gap.
Gyms, cafés, communities, and small teams wanted custom merchandise but they didn't necessarily want another generic logo printed on a T-shirt.
They wanted something that actually looked designed.
That's where Bakaw Custom Studio came in.
Today, we work with gyms, cafés, and small teams across Pune to create custom apparel and merchandise that feels like part of the brand not an afterthought.
Because we believe good design shouldn't be limited to our own collections.
Where We're Going
Bakaw started with a simple frustration: why couldn't travel clothes feel like us?
The answer became a brand built around movement, self-expression, and the belief that you shouldn't have to change your style just because you're changing your location.
We're still figuring things out.
Still sketching.
Still experimenting with fabrics.
Still finding new places to go.
And that's probably the point.
Bakaw was never built for people who sit still.
If you've read this far, there's a good chance you understand exactly what we're talking about.
Ready for your next move?