ALPHA OG Founder, Dev Sukhija on Building India’s First Techwear Brand

ALPHA OG founder Dev Sukhija shares how he turned a Fashion Textiles degree and a love for techno into India’s first techwear brand. The philosophy behind every stitch, and where he sees it going next.

What were you doing before you started this ALPHA OG? (Job, studies, another business – anything)

Before starting ALPHA OG, I was building my foundation in art, graphics, and fashion. I began training in Chandigarh in 2018, then moved to London in 2020. I graduated in Fashion Textiles in 2024, and my internships during that time gave me practical experience and a better understanding of the fashion industry.

When did you first notice the problem your startup is solving? Was there a specific moment that made you think “someone really needs to fix this”?

I first noticed it while studying Fashion Textiles and spending more time around techno and rave culture. There was a clear gap between how people actually move and experience these events, and what most clothing was designed for.

When I looked at the Indian market, I also felt there was a gap in how people understood fashion beyond graphics and screen-printed clothing. People were largely stuck in the same streetwear mindset, while there was very little focus on technical construction, functionality, movement, and clothing designed specifically for the techno and rave experience.

That idea became ALPHA OG.

How did you actually take the leap? Did you quit your job or bootstrap from savings? Walk us through that decision.

I didn’t make the leap overnight. After graduating in Fashion Textiles in 2024, I went back to my roots and decided to actually give the idea a shot, instead of just thinking about it.

For about a year, I focused on developing the concept, understanding the market, working on the clothing, and figuring out what ALPHA OG should stand for. There was a lot of uncertainty, but I knew I would regret not trying more than I would regret taking the risk.

So I committed to it fully. I treated that year as the foundation rather than waiting for everything to be perfect.

How did you get your first customer, and how did it feel?

ALPHA OG pre-launched on 5 December 2025 – not as a brand yet, but as a signal that techwear had arrived with purpose. We officially launched on 8 May 2026.

And about a month later, our first T-shirt, the Brutal Axis, sold out.

What made the Brutal Axis different was its construction. Instead of a basic, straight silhouette, it used architectural diagonal cuts across the body – a shape that looked different from every angle and gave the piece a completely different feel.

Seeing that first T-shirt sell out was more than a sales milestone. It showed me people were actually connecting with the idea behind ALPHA OG.

Is there a story behind your brand name – ALPHA OG?

Yes, there is a meaning behind the name.

“ALPHA” represents being first, leading rather than following, and having the confidence to create your own direction.

“OG” is about being original, staying true to where you started rather than chasing what’s already popular.

That combination felt right for what I wanted to build. I didn’t want ALPHA OG to be just another label riding existing fashion trends. I wanted it to have its own identity, its own design language, its own reason for existing.

Explain your product as if you’re telling a friend over coffee.

ALPHA OG is designed around techno and rave culture. Every piece is designed with movement, structure, utility, and visual identity in mind.

We make clothing for people who don’t want to choose between looking different and actually being comfortable while they move – Whether it’s an everyday clothing, a birthday bash, moving through a festival, or rocking a full night on the dance floor.

What’s something about your industry that most people get wrong, but you’ve learned from being in the field?

I think one thing people get wrong about fashion is that they assume good clothing is mainly about how it looks.

Working on ALPHA OG, I’ve learned that the best pieces have to work beyond the visual.

Especially in techno and rave culture, people are moving, dancing, sweating, carrying their essentials, and wearing the same piece for hours. So the fit, construction, fabric, movement, and functionality matter just as much as the graphic or silhouette.

That changed the way I look at fashion. Good design isn’t just something you notice in a mirror. You should be able to feel it when you’re wearing it.

Was there a point where you thought about giving up? Do you want to talk about it?

Yes, there were moments I questioned whether to keep going. Building a clothing brand from scratch is very different from simply having an idea, and there were times when things weren’t moving as fast as I had hoped.

What kept me going was the belief that there was a real gap in the market. I kept thinking that if I believe this needs to exist, why stop before giving it a real chance?

When the first T-shirt sold out, that was the first real sign people understood what we were trying to build.

I didn’t keep going because everything was easy. I kept going because I still believed in the idea.

When’s the next drop coming?

We don’t really follow the traditional idea of drops and collections. At ALPHA OG, every new piece is a signal we’re decoding – we’re collecting blueprints, studying the data, and translating that into what we call rave armour: pieces built around how people actually move, dance, sweat, and experience a techno night.

So the next piece doesn’t come because it’s time for another drop. It comes when we’ve gathered enough signals to build something that performs the way we want it to. We’re not following a calendar, we are following the signals.

What makes a techwear piece different vs. regular clothes?

Techwear isn’t simply about how a garment looks. It’s technical engineering applied to clothing. Every detail should have a reason. Even something as simple as a pocket can be engineered and placed exactly where it needs to be, based on movement, accessibility, and how the garment is actually used.

At ALPHA OG, we take that thinking down to the smallest details, even a button can carry that design language.

That’s the difference. Regular clothing is designed to be worn. Techwear is engineered to perform.

If someone’s checking out ALPHA OG for the first time, what one piece should they start with?

I’d say start with Zero Tolerance.

It is one of the best examples of what ALPHA OG means by engineered architecture. The whole piece is built with aggressive panels and structured detailing, so it has a strong presence without being designed just for the look.

It’s made for movement. You can wear it through a long, heavy night, even a 10-hour techno night and it still feels like it belongs in that environment.

One of your taglines is “Not From Here, Not for Everyone” – what does it mean?

It’s really about confidence. It’s not for people who want to blend into the crowd, or wear something just because everyone else is wearing it. ALPHA OG is for people comfortable standing out, expressing themselves, being a little different.

“Not for everyone” doesn’t mean we want to exclude people, it simply means the design has a strong point of view, and you need the confidence to own it.

If you want to disappear into the crowd, ALPHA OG probably isn’t for you. If you want to stand out, you might be exactly who it’s for.

India doesn’t really have a techwear culture yet. Are you building a brand or a scene? What’s the motive behind it?

I think we’re building both.

ALPHA OG is part of a revolution in India’s clothing industry. We’ve had different waves of fashion, and I see techwear as the next evolution, moving beyond clothing that’s only about appearance, towards clothing engineered around movement, function, and performance.

I want Indian fashion to move towards more technical, experimental, purpose-driven design. ALPHA OG is our way of pushing that change forward.

Who is ALPHA OG actually made for? Who’s the ideal customer?

ALPHA OG is basically for people who live for music, especially electronic and techno music.

The electronic music community in India is growing fast, and there are people who will travel across the country just to experience a great techno festival. They want their clothes to look as good as the environment they are in, but they also need to be comfortable enough to dance and move for hours.

ALPHA OG is trying to bring both together: aesthetic design and real comfort for long nights of movement.

Where do you see ALPHA OG in five years?

I want ALPHA OG to become a global name in techno, rave culture, and techwear, without stopping at the usual idea of where a fashion brand can go, starting from India.

And honestly, if you’re asking where I really see it – I want to do a techno event on the Moon. It sounds crazy right now, but that’s the point.

I don’t want to build ALPHA OG just to follow the path other brands have already taken. I want to build something futuristic enough that eventually even Earth feels like the starting point.

Where can we go to learn more about the brand?

You can find out more on our website and also my LinkedIn profile.