Ishan Sanghvi: Carrying the Indian Legacy to the west

A Mumbai native who has called the States his home for the past 20 years, Ishan has created a niche for his custom menswear company, Rivesse, LLC, in a country that lacks the variety, customizability and widespread availability of Southeast Asian fashion. After pursuing his undergraduate degree, Ishan worked in Corporate America for several years and even completed his MBA however, his entrepreneurial calling and creative mind eventually led him to quit his full-time job and launch Rivesse.

So what exactly is Rivesse? Rivesse is a made-to-measure menswear brand with a mission to keep South Asian traditions alive and integrate them within modern American culture. It is a brand created to make ethnic & western wear more accessible and affordable for men in North America. From sherwanis and kurtas to shirts, trousers and tuxedos, Rivesse is a one-stop-shop for men who are looking to elevate their style without breaking the bank.

How did the idea of starting a menswear company come about? Being a part of a large Southeast Asian community, attending multiple weddings and traditional ceremonies in a given year is a common occurrence. However, each event presents the same dilemma of deciding what to wear. Living thousands of miles away from home, the Indian community has limited options: recycle outfits that are either outdated or ill fitting, shell out a small fortune to buy Sherwanis from a local stores that carry inventory from several seasons past, wake up in the middle of the night to facetime a relative who is standing in a crowded shop only to lazily select an ensemble or pay an arm and a leg to fly to India with the sole mission of shopping. 

There had to be another way and thus, Rivesse was born. In today’s world, no one should have to sacrifice authenticity, time and money for an outfit that embodies the very tradition they wish to celebrate. 

At Rivesse, all garments are uniquely designed and made-to-measure to ensure the perfect fit. Rivesse’s clothing is designed not only for grooms, groomsmen and wedding guests, but also for the working professional. The client experience starts with a style consultation, followed by body measurements, trials, and constant communication until the product is delivered and the client is satisfied. Rivesse works with the client to select every detail of the outfit including the fabric, the silhouette, the buttons, the pattern of the Safa, jewelry, and even matching hand embroidered shoes. From the consultation, to the measurements to the satisfaction, Rivesse recreates the Indian shopping experience in North America.

A double edged sword, Rivesse brings evolving Indian trends to North America while creating jobs in the very country from which its products’ influences derive. Though its clients reside primarily across North America, the majority of Rivesse’s team operates in Mumbai, India. The modern menswear company employs skilled Indian workers, or Kaarigars, who have extensive experience sewing and capturing the intricate craftmanship required to create traditional Indian clothing. Keeping Indian traditions in mind,  every fold, every detail and every drape carries cultural value and Rivesse ensures that none of the long standing traditions are lost in translation while creating its pieces. From Banaarasi Silk, to Pure Lucknowis to Kashmiri Pashminas, they source all of its material and jewelry from various wholesalers throughout India, enabling the company to capture the latest trends and obtain regionally unique fabrics while supporting local businesses throughout the country.

To date, all of Rivesse’s sales have been generated via word-of-mouth recommendations and the revolutionizing social media platform, Instagram. Within the first two years of its inception, Rivesse created customized outfits for over 350 individual customers and over 50 wedding parties which consisted of the groom, groomsmen and family members. Making his mark in the modern menswear space, Ishan seeks to make the hallmark of all Indian traditions more accessible to fellow Desis in North America. "Ishan owns his official website www.rivesse.com and his personal instagram account" https://www.instagram.com/rivesseclothing

Disclaimer: The views, suggestions and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Forbes India journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.