Athleisure may be everywhere, but brand Mallé is unmistakably something else… louder, bolder, cheekier. Born out of artist Mallika’s irrepressible urge to see her doodles, tattoos, and humour live beyond canvases and onto people’s lives, Mallé is more like a movement of self-expression.

Think playful colours, maximal energy, and a refusal to blend into beige minimalism… In a space where athleisure is coloured in grim blues, greys, blacks and pinks… Mallé bursts in with a wink, a grin, and a whole lot of personality. Here, comfort meets creativity, and every drop feels like a statement piece waiting to tell your story.

In an exclusive interview with Sumita Chakraborty, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, TheGlitz, Mallika opens up about the art, humour, and hustle that power Mallé.

Over To Mallika, Founder, Mallé

Mallé is clearly more than just athleisure… it’s an extension of your art, tattoos, and humour. What was the turning point when you realised you had to turn that creative energy into a brand? How did the journey start? Any story behind the name?

I’ve always been an artist: doodling, painting, building, and finding speckles of humour in everyday life. At some point, I realised I didn’t just want my art just on walls, I wanted people to live in it. That’s when Mallé was born. The name comes from my own name, Mallika, because this brand has always felt like an extension and expression of myself.

You’ve built Mallé on bold colours, playful energy, and comfort… all while staying planet friendly. Was it challenging to balance sustainability with style at this level?

For us, the main aim was proving that playful, premium, and planet-friendly clothing can exist in the same world. Of course, it’s challenging to make every business decision with the planet in mind, but it’s worth it. We’re not claiming to be a 100% sustainable brand, because that’s a complex and ever-evolving goal. What we are doing is making better choices every step of the way and being transparent about them.

Q3. From ‘Creative Juice’ to ‘Monkey Business’, your collections have real personality. What’s the story behind these names… and how do they reflect the pieces?

Creative Juice came from a tattoo I got a few years ago: a juice box. It’s a reminder that when life gives you lemons, you make Creative Juice out of them. Monkey Business was inspired by a painting of a monkey I made for a friend of mine. That monkey, for me, has evolved to represent creating from a place of pure joy. The collections mirror these moods; Creative Juice is rooted in creative resilience, while Monkey Business is rooted in fun.

Mallé is rooted in self-expression. How do you ensure every drop speaks not just to trends but to individuality?

Trends are fun for sure, but Mallé is building something deeper. There are a million ways to go viral overnight, but that’s not our DNA. Our approach has always been about building long-term brand value rather than chasing short-term virality. Authenticity to our community comes before any trend.

Gen Z and Millennials are your core audience, how are their evolving values shaping the way you design, communicate, and innovate at Mallé? What are the challenges you faced in your Mallé journey?

Gen Z and Millennials are rewriting the rules of fashion. They’re expressive, inclusive, and they want to know the story behind their clothes–who made them and how they impact the world. We’re not here to tell them who to be. They already know. We’re just designing clothes that help them show up more fully as themselves.

As for challenges, honestly, everything is a challenge when you’re building a new brand. From production hiccups to explaining to manufacturers why I want a hoodie with only one blue leg, to convincing people that humour belongs in fashion. But when you love what you do, the chaos is fun too.

Athleisure has become a crowded space… what makes Mallé unmistakably different from everything else out there? Three milestones you are especially proud of.

Mallé is maximal and expressive in a world of minimal, oatmeal-hued athleisure. We absolutely refuse to blend in.

Three milestones I’m proud of:

1. Launching Creative Juice and spotting strangers wearing it on the street. 2. Watching “Shooketh” the monkey evolve into a mascot people actually relate to. 3. Getting DMs saying Mallé feels like the brand people have been waiting for. That’s the real flex.

Your brand has strong creative DNA. Could we expect future crossovers… say, art, music, or even tattoo collabs, as part of the Mallé universe?

“Absolutely! Mallé isn’t just clothing, it’s a community. Tattoos, art, music, memes, all of it belongs in the Mallé-verse. The goal is to keep expanding in ways that make people say, “Of course Mallé would do that.” – Mallika

What’s the long game for Mallé, where do you see it five years from now, and how do you plan to take this unapologetically fun Indian label global?

The long game is world domination but also to have fun while we’re at it. We want to make waves outside India too, because self-expression doesn’t need translation. In five years, I see Mallé as the go-to label for people who want their clothes to have as much personality as they do.