From Army Surplus to Peaceful Warrior
Hardy Blechman founded Maharishi in London in 1994. Before that, he bought and sold military surplus, and his first pieces were overdyed and embroidered US Army deadstock from the 1960s. Maharishi is Sanskrit for "great seer", and the brand describes its look as clothing for the peaceful warrior.
Sustainability was there from day one. Blechman worked with hemp and organic cotton long before it was trendy, and developed one of the first waterproof hemp fabrics with an Italian mill. In 2000 he won the British Fashion Council's Streetwear Designer of the Year award, and in 2004 he published DPM: Disruptive Pattern Material, a 944 page encyclopaedia of camouflage.
Maharishi Snopants and Other Signature Pieces
When the surplus stock ran out, Maharishi recreated its most popular style. The result was the Original Snopants, based on the white US Army snow camouflage over trousers. They debuted in 1996 with large Eastern embroideries, and in 2000 Arena magazine called them the most copied pant of the decade. Snopants have been part of every collection since. Our Community hunts for:
- Snopants: Original, Loose, Straight and Cargo fits, with the patented Snocord system to adjust the waist and hem, and the Snobutton to turn them into three quarter length or shorts.
- Embroidered pieces: free hand machined dragons, tigers and Buddhist motifs on pants, hoodies and tees.
- Camo outerwear: M65 field jackets, flight jackets and the MILTYPE line, classic military design with peaceful iconography.
- Hemp and organic basics: heavy tees, hoodies and shorts in natural fibres.
- Lunar year capsules: tiger, rabbit and ox designs tied to the Chinese zodiac.
Maharishi Collaborations
G-Shock wrapped its watches in Maharishi's DPM camo several times, including a Lunar Bonsai edition in 2014. Nike followed with an Air Max 270 in 2018 and an Air Force 1 with Bengal tiger details in 2019. Reebok released a ripstop Legacy AZ in 2022, and in 2025 Birkenstock and Maharishi launched the Mogami Terra Tech sandal with a matching backpack. Art plays a big role too, from early guest embroideries by Futura and KAWS to capsules with the Andy Warhol Foundation. If you like military details done with care, you will feel at home in our Stone Island and CP Company collections.
Curated and Checked at 2nd Culture
At 2nd Culture, we are always hunting for clothing with a story worth passing on. Snopants are widely copied, so every item goes through our authenticity check and is graded with our condition check. This is what we look at:
- Embroidery: dense, detailed stitching with clean lines. Thin or patchy embroidery is a red flag.
- Hardware: the Snocord and Snobutton details should work smoothly. Newer pairs have the metal Temple Ball cord lock made by Riri in Switzerland.
- Labels: neat Maharishi branding and the registered Snopants name on the label.
- Fabric: cotton poplin, hemp and ripstop should feel solid and well made, never thin or shiny.
How to Style Maharishi
A pair of embroidered Snopants is the loudest thing in the room, so let them lead. Take black Snopants with a gold dragon climbing up the leg, add a plain grey hoodie and a pair of chunky trail sneakers, and you look relaxed and confident at once. In summer, use the Snobutton to wear them at three quarter length, with a hemp tee and simple sandals. For colder days, throw an olive M65 jacket over a heavy knit and keep the pants in sand or sage, so the camo does the talking. Find more layers in our jackets and hoodies collections.
Maharishi Sizing Guide
Most Maharishi is unisex and comes in sizes XS to 3XL. Always check the measurements on each product page.
- Original Snopants: a relaxed fit with an elasticated waist. Take your normal size.
- Loose Snopants: wide and roomy. Size up only if you want a really oversized look.
- Snocord: lets you tighten the waist by up to 10 cm, so between two sizes you can usually take the bigger one.
- Tees and hoodies: a boxy, comfortable fit that is mostly true to size.
Not sure what fits? Our team is happy to help, in store or online.
