Designers from B.C. score points with NBA stars

Growing up in the Indo-Canadian community in Kamloops, B.C., Kevin Khungay and Sunny Basran spent all their time talking about basketball and fashion.

They never imagined then that they would end up dressing some of their sports idols.

That is what has happened with their first collection, created under the name Sevin Kasran.NBA players including Jayson Tatum, Chris Paul and Tobias Harris have been spotted wearing pieces by the local duo.

"It was surreal, because growing up, Chris Paul was my favourite person," Basran told Daybreak Kamloops' Jenifer Norwell.

"It's crazy. When you're a little kid, you're 16, you're trying to be like him, and now, you know, you have a piece on him."

The two designers draw inspiration from their Indian and Canadian roots. They are currently working on their second collection.

Basran pointed out the dark Kurtha trousers as an examplewith high gathered waist and ankles. "Also the colour... Our Nana [maternal grandfather]always wore these colour pants."

The response to theirhottest item, the Indo Worker Jacket, has been a dream come true, said Khungay, who is also the label's owner.

When they released previews of their collection, he said, they contacted Oklahoma Thunder point guardChris Paul's organization. Hepurchased several pieces and was photographed first in the bright yellow Ahisma sweater and lounge pant, thenthe Indo Worker Jacket.

"Once he wore that it just kind of catapulted," Khungay said. "We just started talking to a lot of players' teams and it just was a snowball effect."

The design partners first connected while growing up in Kamloops playing basketball. Basran was a coach.

"Then clothing would come up and we'd be talking and talking and talking," Khungay said.

In Kamloops' Indo-Canadian community,Basran said, the temple and receptions in the community were like fashion shows, where everyone tried to look their best. Both men's mothers were excellent seamstresses, and at the start the designers turned to them for help with their creations.

"When we first started really we would come to her with some things and be like, well, Mom, can you help us kind of piece this together?" Basran said.

"Now we're at the point where we can confidently say we can create garments," Khungay added.

With files from Jenifer Norwell and Daybreak Kamloops