Inside Fashion Vol. 18 No.9 by InsideFashion

VOL 18 NO. 9

WINTER WEARS:

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Fashion scoPe

Gaurav Gupta presents couture collection with Aditi Rao Hydari and Kangana Ranaut in Hyderabad “In this age of technology, where everything is instant and our desire for immediate gratification is the only thing greater than our egos, the value of the ‘bond’ you have with yourself becomes increasingly important,” Gupta told Elle India about his ethos behind the collection. “I believe in celebrating one’s individual personality and choices through their distinct style, and creating a unique identity.” The 14th edition of the Blenders Pride Fashion Tour has already seen Tarun Tahiliani present his latest couture collection in Gurugram earlier in the month and two more shows are coming with Rohit Bal in Mumbai and Ashish N Soni in Kolkata.

Contents

VOL.18 NO. 9

06 FASHION & LIFeSTYLe 08 BRAND WATCH 12 BRAND RETAIL 20 IF INSIGHT 24 IF eXCLUSIVe 28 COVeR STORY 30 THERMAL WEAR 32 TReNDS AND STYLeS 34 IF eXCLUSIVe 40 REVIEW 48 BUSINeSS NeWS 52 FASHION POST 54 INDUSTRY BYTe 56 MeDIA QUOTeS

aurav Gupta presented his latest couture collection in Hyderabad as part of the ongoing Blenders Pride Fashion Tour and Bollywood celebrities Aditi Rao Hydari and Kangana Ranaut closed the show. Gaurav Gupta presented a sculptural collection in Hyderabad - Blenders Pride Fashion TourFacebook. Gupta’s latest couture collection was inspired by constellations of stars in a galaxy and garments were sculpted with structures created from boning to create a futuristic take on Indian traditional wear, Gupta’s signature. Ranaut wore a crimson offthe-shoulder gown dripping in sparkling embellishments styled with loose curled hair and natural makeup to close the show while Hydari wore an ivory creation that fused heavy leaf-inspired beadwork on delicate sheer fabric. Hydari’s hair and makeup was also kept natural so the two showstoppers stood out amongst the other models styled with dark eyes and slicked back hair.

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Fashion & liFestyle

Virat Kohli’s brand One8 launches new fragrance line

irat Kohli expanded his athleisure brand One8 by launching One8 Fragrances that offer Eau De Parfum, deodorants and pocket sprays. Crafted by the best French perfumers, the new fragrance line from One8 will be available in six variants – Aqua, Willow, Intense, Active, Fresh and Pure. The line aspires to provide consumers luxury at an affordable price. One8 was introduced last year in collaboration with German sports lifestyle brand Puma. Christened after the number ‘18’ that holds immense significance in Kohli’s life, the brand envisions to strike a chord with its audiences, stir them up to create conversations and build a legacy through its collections.

Brand names, rising incomes drive global market for luxury handbags

and sell them at reasonable prices. In addition, demand for luxury handbags for men is also rising as men have identified the luxury handbags as product of lifestyle instead of a functional product. Geographically, the largest market for luxury handbags are: Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, South America and Middle East & Africa. North America has highest market share over the forecast period followed by Asia Pacific and Europe region.

silks including Raktambari, Shwetambari, Gyasar, and Hazaar buti. The plan is to add 50 Taneira stores across the country over the next five years. Titan has created design-led lifestyle brands that enable self-expression – Titan, Tanishq, Fastrack, Xylys, Raga, Skinn (fragrances) and now Taneira. Titan has a presence in watches, accessories, jewelry, eyewear and fragrances. Indian wear, initially largely restricted to the older age segment, now finds acceptance among younger consumers. That’s because most companies now sell fusion clothing — a mix of modern and traditional wear — instead of just ethnic, which are reserved for special occasions.

Florsheim to expand store network

Titan’s sari brand Taneira opens store in New Delhi Growth in brand recognition and comfort of spending in emerging economies is driving the global luxury handbag market. The trend that makes a comeback in luxury handbag industry is use of new styles of logos. The luxury handbag market offers numerous options of purchasing for customers. Increase in use of social media like Instagram & Facebook and internet helps customers to understand products and methods to purchase the product. Manufacturers of luxury handbags are developing women’s handbags fortified with laptop sleeves, mobile holders and key holders and provide the feel of luxury instead of compromising the quality. Many local manufacturers copy branded luxury handbags

Taneira is a premium sari and women’s ethnic wear brand from Titan. It has tied up with about 200 supply sources across 20 different clusters to source the products from different parts of the country. It is working with weaving communities, weaving societies, weavers, intermediaries, master weavers and designers. The target group is the new age rooted yet progressive woman. Taneria has opened a 7,500 sq ft store has in New Delhi. It houses a wide collection of saris that include Mugas from Assam, Ikats from Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, Jamdhanis from Bengal, Chanderis and Maheshwaris from Madhya Pradesh. The store also has an entire floor dedicated to bridal trousseaus which will have Banarasi

Global footwear brand Florsheim, brought back to India by Bangalore-based Samar Lifestyle, plans to expand its MBO network to 200 in less than a year. The brand is currently present through 125 MBOs. The brand, which opened its first EBO in Chennai recently, will soon add two more stand-alone stores, one in Ambience Mall, Gurgaon and the other in Bangalore. Florsheim’s retail identity has been created by Italian design studio Eva.

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Brand Watch

New Louis Philippe logo catches on

ouis Philippe launched its new store ID last year. Currently there are 13 stores that wear the new ID out of its entire store chain comprising around 300 outlets. The plan is to revamp 40 per cent of the existing store network into the new ID by next year end. The ID has been developed, keeping in mind the intensifying competition in this category. The design concept reduces the use of props, introduces an impactful façade and refurbishes the way display has been done so far. The design concept has three variants, platinum, gold and silver, depending upon the location of the stores. Louis Philippe has two store formats

Blackberrys to expand product portfolio

Menswear brand Blackberrys will expand its product portfolio and foray into the womenswear segment in the coming months. The brand is also planning to add 100 stores before the end of the current financial year. The company is expecting its sales to jump 60 per cent on the back of its retail expansion across India and eyeing revenue of Rs 1,000 crore this fiscal. It has been growing at a compounded annual growth rate of about 25 per cent per annum and

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– House of LP and LP Sports. The new design ID will make entry into both these formats along with their shop-in-shops. Louis Philippe, which opened in 1989, defines class, elegance and status. Louis Philippe is a purveyor of fine clothing for the discerning gentleman. In pursuit of excellence, Louis Philippe stands for precision in craftsmanship that translates into clothing that are classic and contemporary, and perfect for the quintessential man. The product portfolio includes: formals, semi-formals, casuals, denims, suits, shirts, blazers, T-shirts, accessories. Louis Philippe is owned by fashion retailer Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail.

expects to sustain this growth momentum as it expands its footprint through a combination of exclusive stores and store-in-store formats. Last fiscal, the company closed with a turnover of Rs 900 crore and expects to cross Rs 1,000 crore this financial year. The company is also mulling adding women’s wear under the casual range. The plan for women’s wear is driven by the huge demand that the segment is witnessing. Blackberry’s which owns two brands ‘Urban and Casual’ presently operates 250 brand stores in which 185 are the company operated stores and rest are franchise-operated.

Allen Solly launches ‘Open Work Culture’ campaign

Allen Solly, top foremost semi-formal brand from Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, launched its latest campaign ‘Open Work Culture’ recognizing the importance of an employeefriendly work environment. The campaign, in line with the brand philosophy of embracing #OpenWorkCulture through its ‘Cool Work Wear’, highlights the cool quotient of a newage working ambience. This ambience includes environment-friendly commutes, pet-friendly workplaces, and taking time off

work along with working in a comfortable work environment and workspaces. The campaign that was launched in May this year with a TVC talking about pet friendly workplaces has continued with a new film celebrating the concept of cool commutes to work. The video features a young man cycling to his work place clad in an Allen Solly attire. The lime palette t-shirt worn over smart chinos and paired with a blazer from Allen Solly’s ‘New Age Work Wear’ collection seemed to lending him the required self-confidence. The TVC depicts a futuristic office which has a cycle parking space next to the desk - perks of an open work culture.

Cover Story plans to add accessories line

Fast fashion brand Cover Story was launched by Future Retail almost two-and-half years back. The brand is among the very few Indian brands to be present on ground floor locations across leading malls in India. It offers dresses, tops, tees, trousers, skirts, shorts, jackets, sweaters, footwear, bags and plans to launch a jewelry and accessories line. The target audience is the 23 to 40 year old, independent working woman. Feminine and eclectic, she switches effortlessly between Indian and western wear. She embraces new experiences. All Cover Story outlets are designed to recreate the intimate boutique and provide a comfortable shopping experience. The layout is layers of transparency with opacity, which encourages a sense of discovery while shopping. A warm and neutral palette has been chosen for the stores. Colors give the place a feminine touch, to help women identify with the store. The display panels in the store are designed to look like magazine editorials. Exclusive fashion clusters display merchandise as if they were stories, luring women into reading them. The brand, which has 23 EBOs, 61 shop in shops across the country and a presence on five online channels, will cross 100 doors by the end of this year.

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10 Brand Watch Mufti targets Rs 1,000 crore revenues in three years

GBTL Grasim-OCM collaborate to launch new brand

enswear brand Mufti aims to become an Rs 1,000 crore brand in the next three years and believes that footwear will help it to achieve this. After launching a footwear line in August this year, it plans to further expand into the product category. It will expand its distribution from the current 100 stores to over 500, including multibrand-outlets. Seeing a rise in demand for casual yet fashion-centred men’s footwear, Mufti’s range of shoes includes faux leather

TT Ltd to expand product portfolio, focus on woman’s intimate wear TT Ltd, India’s well-known garment brand, is expanding its product range by focusing more on bra and lingerie segment. Currently the company sells mainly casual wear, undergarments and home textile products in India and other countries across the globe. With having its own vertically integrated manufacturing unit, TT is looking for a partner who can invest Rs 3 to 5 crore in this project. The partner will be responsible for manufacturing as well as marketing (franchise) the project. Though he will have ownership, management right and control but will have to work according to company policies. Currently, the company does not export these products but plans to do the same after about a year. Last year it raked in a turnover of Rs 518 crore, of which, Rs 260 crore was generated from exports. The company has shifted its focus from spinning to garmenting in recent years.

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sneakers and athleisure style running shoes. The current footwear collection is priced between Rs 3,299 to Rs 3,999 and was first launched in the top 100 ranked Mufti stores. The brand will continue to expand its footwear product offerings alongside expanding its distribution into both flagship stores and multi-brand-outlets. The brand also aims to tap into the increasingly popular athleisure market. It will launch its athleisure clothing and accessories range in the summer of next year.

Wills Lifestyle launches Autumn/Winter collection Inspired by the different shades of the Kashmir valley, Wills Lifestyle has launched its Kashmir-centric Autumn/Winter 2018 collection. The collection pays tribute to the region’s aesthetic side sans resorting to glitzy means of promotion. It features pure fabric like cotton, silk and cashmere and coats and blazers in velvet and wool with embroidery techniques like Aari Kari and Jamawar print that are authentic Kashmiri. The ‘premium fashion’ clothing brand for men and women has canvassed Kashmir, based on the region’s aesthetic beauty. The collection also reflects the inspiring artefacts. The brand also launches the Wear Poise range inspired by native flowers and shrubs and by the golden light of autumn. Another collection, Wear the Royalty is a royal concept collection inspired by the still waters of the lake, while Wear the Valley collection is inspired by the meadows in the mountains that are home to endless wildflowers.

GBTL Grasim, formerly known as Grasim Bhiwani Textile Ltd and OCM, two of the oldest and most renowned brands in the Indian and overseas markets have collaborated to launch a new power brand Grado. While the former is the center for premium poly viscose fabric, the latter is the leading player in the wool & tweed fabric and jacketing segment. Grado offers a wide product basket, including PV, PV blends, wool, tweed, suiting, cotton, cotton shirting, linen shirting, and cotton blends. It is also being presented as the most premium brand in the apparel and fabric business. Although the brand is currently open only for fabric, the company will soon add apparel to its portfolio. Cotton shirting, cotton suiting and CVC shirting are new additions that are exclusive to Grado. Apparel additions could be expected in shirts, trousers, suits and blazers. Grado is a premium brand that targets the upper crust of customers. Different products offered by the brand range from the finest counts in the PV segment to 180s and 280s in woollen blends. It also offers special finishes for softer feel in the fabric and the liquid ammonia finish for enhanced sheen & wrinkle resistance.

Dollar Industries to increase brand recall

Innerwear major Dollar Industries has chosen leading integrated marketing agency Brand Street to create brand awareness as well as increase its brand recall value. The agency will spearhead the brand’s retail marketing activities to deliver high impact execution across major towns and cities of India. It will also augment Dollar’s presence in the smaller cities and towns of India Dollar currently offers a variety of super premium to regular inner clothing options for men women and kids, the company enjoys a 15 per cent market share in the branded hosiery segment in India. The year-long campaign is aimed at intensifying the brand’s visibility and image in the market.

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12 Brand Retail MNC brands plan brick and mortar stores in India

ultinational brands Under Armour, UK’s Dorothy Perkins and Italy’s Replay are planning to set up brick-andmortar outlets across the country. Under Armour, the Baltimore-based brand has hired former Adidas veteran Tushar Goculdas to spearhead its offline foray into India and the company plans to open 1015 outlets in the next three years. The first outlet may open early next year. Dutch apparel brand Scotch & Soda has signing a long-term master franchise agreement with Reliance Brands, a part of Reliance Industries Group for setting up Scotch & Soda stores in India last year. Replay has also signed a deal with Reliance Brands. The Italian jeans brand plans to roll out its first standalone store in Mumbai early next year and its India franchisee owner plans to follow it up with

Max Fashion launches its 250th store in India

Max Fashion, country’s largest fashion brand, set up its 250th store in India at the Ambience Mall in Delhi. This is Max Fashion’s 21st store in Delhi NCR. Its ambience offers an international shopping experience making shopping for the entire family an absolute delight. Globally, Max has over 400 stores across 17 countries. The store also launched the Max Winter’18 Collection. This high street winter collection by Max is all about staying true to its tagline ‘Look Good, Feel Good’. The collection draws its inspiration from the upbeat city culture with biker jackets, cool slogan sweat tees, faux fur jackets leading the way to a fashionable winter. The range showcases trends that amalgamate high street fashion and winter wear. It is composed of smart casual clothing in innovative fabric bases.

Ancestry to open more stores across India Ancestry has six stores across India in DelhiNCR, Mumbai and Kolkata. This is a new age fashion brand from Future Style Lab that offers women apparel, home and gifting products. Ancestry is a mix of organic, heritage and handcrafted products. The collection comprises exquisite contemporary Indian outfits from kurtas to long dresses, petite short

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20 outlets subsequently. UK’s popular fashion brand Dorothy Perkins is reportedly also eyeing brick-and-mortar stores, four years after it signed an exclusive deal to sell online on Jabong.

dresses, tunic tops, and many more in pastel and breezy colors. Ancestry will offer Indian lifestyle and clothes re-imagined based on key international trends. The aim is to provide a fresh lifestyle solution for the modern Indian. It amalgamates Indian heritage with craft techniques. Taking a hint from sustainable cotton, the contemporary designs of Ancestry have been created.

Well know celebration wear brand Manyavar and Mohey have opened a new store in Ghaziabad. It’s Manyavar’s 526th store being the 7th in Ghaziabad. The store, also offers the finest attires for women through its brand Mohey. Mohey is a women’s ethnic wear brand launched in 2016 by Manyavar, the label is celebration and wedding wear for women. It offers lehengas, saris, gowns, blouses, sari gowns and suits, bags, clutches, dupattas, ponchos and jewellery like rings, ear rings, neck pieces, mang tika and belly belts. Every Mohey garment is handpicked for its concept, attention to detail, fabric, hue, cut, embellishment and finishing. There are now more than 70 Mohey stores. The plan is to reach 5,00,000 sq ft of retail space by 2020. Manyavar, launched in 1999, is India’s leading celebration wear brand for men. The collections includes exquisite sherwanis, fine Indo westerns, royal bandhgalas, jackets, kurtas and matching accessories for life’s celebrations. Children’s ethnic and fusion wear are also on offer. The brand is present across 170 locations in India, US, Bangladesh, UAE and Nepal. It has 460 stores, which includes 100 flagship and 12 international stores. While the brand’s journey began with MBOs, currently exclusive brand outlets across India are the focus. Most of the brand’s EBOs are franchisee-owned with a few core companyowned stores. Stores range between 1500 sq ft to 3000 sq ft on an average. The goal for 2020 is to have a million sq ft of retail space for Manyavar.

BIBA launches new flagship store in Dehradun

Future Style Lab, a subsidiary of the Future Group, is known to continuously innovate and reinvent. It was designed to develop brands for both freestanding stores and to retail through Future’s current network.

Manyavar, Mohey on a store opening spree, open 7th store in Ghaziabad

Leading ethnic apparel brand BIBA has launched a 2,300 sq. ft store in Dehradun. The store stocks the brand’s new Autumn/Winter 2018 collection and latest festive ensemble. This is the brand’s third store in Uttarakhand and offers an array of new designs and silhouettes. The store also stocks the brand’s latest festive collection which includes classic salwar kameez dupatta, ethnic mix and match kurtas, ready to stitch fabrics and a lot more. The store as a separate section called BIBA Girls - the much loved kids’ collection. BIBA aims to reach every household and every corner of the country. It hopes that its new store will meet the discerning needs of the customers in the city and provide an unmatched shopping experience.

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14 Brand Retail Numero Uno looking to spread it retail footprint

umero Uno offers customers different fabrics, washes and styles in denims. The brand has evolved from being a denim focused company to offering other categories too. These are shirts, T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters and jackets, shoes and accessories. Nevertheless denims are the bestselling category. Numero Uno is looking forward to opening shop in shops and large format stores. One operational challenge the brand faces is finding the right balance of price,

product and delivery. Sourcing products from the right partner combined with R&D if the product is one of the key points for Numero Uno to focus regularly. To tackle the current scenario, the brand is also focusing

on developing omni-channels to ensure easy offline and online transactions. In future the plan is to open new stores in South India. Numero Uno, one of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first indigenously manufactured denim labels, was incorporated in 1987. Today, it has the privilege of being one of the few power brands that fuse international trends, innovative fabrics, washes, treatments and accessible pricing. Apart from its existing domestic operations, the brand is seriously looking at licensing arrangements in international markets.

Alcis Sports launches brand outlets in Rajasthan, Haryana

Alcis Sports recently launched two exclusive brand outlets in Rajasthan and Haryana. The stores feature Alcis Sportsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; athleisure range along with specific clothing for running, training, yoga, football, cricket and racquet sports. The company recently also secured an investment from Singapore-based Venture Capital firm RB Investments. Cricketer Shikhar Dhawan is the brand ambassador for Alcis Sports. A performance wear brand launched by the promoters of Paragon Apparels, Alcis Sports is the largest manufacturer and exporter of sportswear in India. Its product range includes clothes for running, training, yoga, football, racquet sports and other athletic and leisure activities. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s products are available in over 700 outlets across the country including leading large format stores such as Lifestyle, Shopper Stop, Central, Globus, Sports Station and online retail websites and 11 exclusive brand stores at New Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Jaipur, Guwahati, Bangalore, Goa, Bagru and Kurukshetra.

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16 Brand retail Global online brands opening stores in India lobal brands find it is a good idea to open stores in India once they have created demand for their products on the online space. They seek to open physical stores when the web gives them a national identity. After selling online for the two years, US sportswear brand Under Armour now plans brick-and-mortar outlets. It will introduce performance athletic apparel, footwear and accessories to athletes in India in 2019. Under Armour is popular among youngsters in the US and Europe. Similarly, Italy’s Replay sold its jeans online on shopping portals and now plans to sell through standalone stores. The jeans brand plans to roll out its first standalone store in Mumbai early next year, the first of 20 outlets. For Dutch brand Scotch & Soda, the web provided the first taste of Indian marketplace before it opened a physical store. The entry

Tailorman opens first store in New Delhi Menswear brand Tailorman recently opened a flagship store in the Ambience Mall in New Delhi. Spread across 1,600 sq. ft, the store features the brand’s fall/winter 2018 collection ‘Napoli Homme.’ The store offers an equal measure of traditional clothing such as bandhgalas, sherwanis, and Nehru jackets and Western classics including blazers, suits, and shirts in Giza cotton or linen. It also houses the brand’s wedding and festive collection, “Romeo” as well as a selection of shoes and a ccessories. The store has a dedicated section for textiles available for made-to-measure suiting services. The brand has a selection of internationally sourced fabrics as well as a “Senior Stylist” on hand to assist customers with putting together a formal look.

Tailorman was founded in 2013 in Bengaluru and specialises in men’s formalwear. The brand offers both made-to-measure and read-to-wear options in both traditional and western styles.

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strategy appears to be similar for UK’s Dorothy Perkins, which is seeking to open brick-and-mortar outlets now. Online provides a platform for labels to start out, without risking much money. It

Clovia to open 75 stores by 2021-end

gives them a foot in the door and is also cost-effective. Opening offline stores in India right away comes with managing challenges such as rentals, logistics and scalability.

Fila to expand retail footprint through franchise network

Fila is looking to expand fivefold in next five years. The brand will expand its brick-andmortar retail footprint across India by creating a network of standalone franchise stores across the country. The brand recently launched a range of desi athleisure wear in India in

collaboration with Norblack Norwhite. Fila has also worked with Indian artists for promotions and tailors its product releases too. The brand is focusing on designing motorsports footwear for the Indian market using high abrasion resistant materials. It is also launching its Hexo and Comfortx technologies for performance footwear. Fila has two standalone stores in India, both in Mumbai, that follow its new retail format. The brand is also present in over 250 large format lifestyle stores including Lifestyle and Shoppers Stop. In addition to this, Fila aims to expand with a franchise network of standalone stores across the country. The brand is available on numerous e-commerce platforms such as Myntra and Amazon.

Online lingerie brand Clovia, aims to open around 75 offline stores across the country by the end of the financial year 2021. This will result in the brick and mortar channel contributing more than 30 percent to the company’s overall revenue. Clovia, at the moment, has 12 retail outlets spread across Delhi-NCR, Gujarat and West Bengal and contributes to around 20 percent in the online player’s top line. The company had posted revenue of Rs 51.8 crore in 2017-18 and reported a net loss of Rs 8.6 crore during the same period. On the current run-rate basis, the company will post a 90 percent increase in revenue during the ongoing financial year. The online player, which sees tier III market as its biggest and fastest growing market, will soon get into maternity and athleisure wear as well.

Fashion retailer Splash to expand retail presence Leading multi-brand fashion retailer Splash Fashions plans to expand its retail presence across the country both offline and online, as the Dubai-based company collaborated with Asia’s leading omnichannel platform, Ace Turtle, recently. Notably, using Ace Turtle’s technology expertise, the fashion retailer wants to enhance its customer engagement, while expecting the collaboration to yield positive results in the near future. Nitin Chhabra, CEO, Ace Turtle, elucidated that fashion retail in the country is expected to touch the $85 billion mark by 2022. With this partnership, the tech major expects to lend a helping hand to Splash Fashion in further enhancing their business across various channels throughout India. Additionally, the multi-brand apparel retailer is targeting to take its brick-and-mortar presence to 50 by 2021 for which it will invest around $23 million to enhance its off-line sector.

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18 Brand retail Calvin Klein opens innerwear store in New Delhi

alvin Klein’s new store in New Delhi houses the American brand’s innerwear range for men and women. The store features an architectural shell of warm, grey concrete and with digital elements to aid customer experience. The store’s minimalist design reflects the brand’s own design aesthetic and carpets and soft lighting add a welcoming feel. In India, Calvin Klein has a joint venture with Arvind Brands and Retail. Calvin Klein, founded in 1968, is distributed in 110 countries worldwide. The business has over 10,000 global associates and was acquired by the PVH Corporation in 2003. Product lines under the various Calvin Klein brands include women’s dresses and suits,

Spencer’s Retail opens nine new stores in three months Spencer’s has added nine new stores over the last three months. These are in: Kolkata, Lucknow, Gurugram, Noida and Hyderabad. The stores offer a wide range of products including apparels, footwear, cosmetics, home essentials and more. They also house the company’s in-house fashion brand 2Bme, which is endorsed by actors Ranbir Kapoor and

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men’s dress furnishings and tailored clothing, men’s and women’s sportswear and bridge and collection apparel, golf apparel, jeans wear, underwear, fragrances, eyewear, women’s performance apparel, hosiery, socks, footwear, swimwear, jewelry, watches, outerwear, handbags, small leather goods, and home furnishings (including furniture). PVH is one of the world’s largest apparel companies. It is the world’s largest shirt and neckwear company and markets a variety of goods under its own brands, Van Heusen, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Izod, Arrow and Speedo USA, and its licensed brands, including Geoffrey Beene, Kenneth Cole, BCBG and Perry Ellis Portfolio.

Shraddha Kapoor. There are 146 Spencer’s stores across 37 cities in India. In this fiscal year the multi-format retailer from the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group will concentrate on spreading its network in zones like: West Bengal, Delhi NCR, east Uttar Pradesh, Hyderabad and Chennai. The Kolkata-based Spencer’s started operations in 1863. Spencer’s Retail is a multi-format retailer providing a wide range of products across categories such as food, personal

care, fashion, home essentials, electrical and electronics. In terms of product range, with more than 25,000 stock keeping units, Spencer’s is constantly evolving in terms of its offering at each store. The company is planning to further expand its retail network and exploring new territories to set up its stores. To consolidate the business, Spencer’s is dedicatedly selecting 360 degree catchments where customers can find aspirational products in an affordable range. The expansion of Spencer’s currently is focused on metros as well as Tier I and II cities.

PrettySecrets opens flagship store in New Delhi

PrettySecrets, a leading fashion lingerie brands has recently opened its flagship store at Rajouri Garden, New Delhi. It’s the very first flagship store with an experiential set up at par with international brands, wherein the customers will get to experience PrettySecrets life in the store with the young and fun vibe. With a sprawling space of 2000 sq ft. spread over two floors, PrettySecrets store is designed to create personalised shopping experience for each of its customer. The store is well defined by its fanatical spaces, trial sessions for the customers and its friendly vibe. The collection showcased in the store is dedicated towards redefining the basic wear and is designed for young, modern and bold women. The store offers fashionable yet comfortable mix of lingerie, nightwear, active wear and swimwear at a reasonable price starting with Rs 399. Currently PrettySecrets has three stores in Delhi and 25 stores across pan India making them one of the fastest growing brands in the lingerie segment in the country.

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20 iF insiGht The salwar-kameez remains a timeless emblem of androgynous styles

uring the August edition of Lakmé Fashion Week’s (LFW) Winter/ Festive 2018 edition, held in Mumbai, Rajesh Pratap Singh showcased his line Welcome to the Jungle, with models wearing zipped angrakhas with pants and statement jackets over salwar-kurtas. Eka showcased handloom dresses and trench coats layered over loose bottoms while emerging labels such as Indigene, Amrich: and THREE Clothing Studio showcased anti-fit kurtas paired with pants and overlayers of varying lengths. Salwar-kameez -the three-piece garment has over the years undergone many design alterations. The salwar has evolved into slim fit trousers, palazzos and other variations; the kameez has changed from short, fit to anklelength and loose-fit garments.

Offering greater ﬂuidity in the garments The early 2000s ushered the unfortunate trend of street cotton-and-Lycra churidars. While it eliminated excess fabric and drawstring detail of the traditional churidar, the skin-tight tailoring was low on aesthetic appeal. Fortunately, the trend has once again taken a turn towards loose pyjamas and cropped pants. And the infusion of new-age fabrics has helped the kurta, be it viscose and Lycra or Liva and Tencel, making room for greater

with menswear designer Kunal Rawal that showcases this mix. The collection features long-line shirts and baggy breech trousers that challenge the boundaries between heritage and young western fashion.

Challenging boundaries between heritage, western fashion In the last five years retail brands have adopted newer silhouettes in tandem with runway trends. In 2016, women’s wear label W for Woman launched its Unethnicals collection, with marked similarity to runway styles—palazzo pants and trousers in lieu of the salwar, kurtas in varying lengths, layers and asymmetric hemlines and overlayers to complete the ensemble. The key ensemble in the new festive collection from Biba, a big brand known for Indian wear, is the multi-layered toga kurta. Online brands like Jaypore, Ajio and others too have approached Indian wear with a similar East meets West lens, mainstreaming many trends earlier seen only on the ramp or actors. Koovs, an e-commerce store that specialises in Western wear with an eye on global influences, has a new collaborative capsule

Brands take the franchise route to counter sourcing norms

efore January 2018, India allowed 49 per cent FDI in single brand retail trading (SBRT) under the automatic route. Funds beyond this limit, up to 100 per cent, required government approval. However, the government, with effect from January 2018, has allowed 100 per cent FDI in SBRT through the automatic route that does not require any approval. The FDI policy has laid down certain conditions that state that the sold products need to be of a single brand and they need to be sold under the same brand internationally.

SBRT covers products of non-resident entities only, be the owner of the brand or otherwise, either directly or through a legally tenable agreement executed between the Indian company adopting SBRT and the brand owner. For proposals involving foreign

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fluidity in the silhouettes. Even Fabindia, once synonymous with handlooms, is experimenting with silk-viscose kurtas. The most visible sign of the changing salwarkameez, is the conspicuously absent dupatta. Customers at Fabindia had begun to eschew the dupatta as early as 2010, leaning towards scarves and stoles.

investment beyond 51 per cent, 30 per cent of the value of the goods needs to be sourced in India. Such an Indian entity is also allowed to sell through an e-commerce platform.

Brands prefer local franchise, distributors over SBRT Although foreign investment in SBRT is permitted in India for the last few years, most overseas brands are still sold through local franchises and distributors. For instance, Genesis Luxury Fashion, a marketing and distribution company of Reliance Group, has brought several global iconic brands, such as Bottega Veneta, Giorgio Armani, Hugo Boss, Emporio Armani, Jimmy Choo, Paul Smith, Tumi, Burberry and others, in India. The restrictions and conditions for retail trading under the FDI policy are forcing foreign companies to opt for the franchise route to enter India. Under this route, a global retailer partners with an Indian company which pays a fee to the brand owner besides marketing and launching it in India. In the recent past, Gap, Aeropostale and Ipanema are few of

the brands that have entered India through franchise agreements.

Dealing with challenge of local sourcing Post-January 2018, Indian subsidiaries of global retailers such as Apple, that have an FDI of more than 51 per cent, do not require a history of local sourcing for upto three years if it is undertaking SBRT of products. This requirement of local sourcing was challenging for entities trading in high-technology products as few brand-owners manufacture and trade in products made with materials not sourced in India due to various factors and constraints. The government has formed a committee to determine if this product qualifies as having ‘state-of-the-art’ and ‘cutting-edge’ technology. Another way of dealing with this standard requirement for mandatory sourcing is to permit up to 51 per cent and find a local partner for the remaining 49 per cent. This structure relieves the Indian brands from the burden of local sourcing as the majority investment comes from a foreign brand-owner.

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22 iF insiGht Mirrorsize US to launch ‘draping’ solution based on customer’s selection of fabric, style

he Indian arm of NJ-based company, Mirrorsize US Inc, plans to launch a ‘Draping’ product in the next three to four months. “Based on customer’s selection of fabric, style, etc, we will sew the apparel to drape it on the person on his/her mobile to give real life visualisation and enrich customer experience,” says Arup Chakraborty, Founder and CEO, of the company. Also on the cards is style recommendation. This will depend on getting funding from a brand. Style recommendation will be based on customer’s style preferences, “We will use deep learning to recommend styles to a customer by geography,” he explains. The company currently offers MD GetMeasured – for bespoke merchants to get precise body measurement of their customers and MS Size2Fit for merchants selling readymade apparels, “where our product will give precise size recommendation to a

customer by brand, by apparel and by apparel category. Shirts are available as regular, slim and casual fit,” adds Chakraborty

Solution to solve sizing issues Chakraborty points out sometimes online returns are as high as 55 per cent, predominantly due to ill-fit. There is no technology available to get precise human body measurement which prompted them to introduce a solution that cannot only solve ‘sizing’ and ‘personalisation’ issues but also remove supply chain inefficiencies and help scale enterprises by making business more seamless. “This device requires no additional hardware/investment and works on any smartphone and tablet. Users can get their precise body measurement, real-time in seconds. We create a 3D model on the runtime and deform the 3D model to take the shape of the object,” informs Chakraborty.

Independent of background and light The solution can work with both cluttered and uncluttered background. It is independent of the side pose and can identify another

human. It also works in low light. “We generate 3D model of the object on the run-time and deform the 3D model to the shape of the object,” he adds. Drawing a comparison with Michael Black from MPI Germany, known to be the guru of 3D mesh who developed a similar technology to deform a 3D mesh from two images, Chakraborty notes, “Black formed a company called Bodylabs.com and after R&D for over two years, filled his paper claiming accuracy of 8-10 cm. Bodylabs was acquired by Amazon in 2017. Our accuracy is <1 CM and we’re in the process of filing our paper at IEEE in early 2019,”he explains.

Robust plans ahead Though users can wear both tight and loose fitting garments, the company prefers them to wear tight fitted cloths for accurate results. “We use Physics, Simulation, FEM, Computer Graphics etc. to drape our user. It’s an enterprise SaaS model, which will allow brands, retailers and institutions to use our product,” Chakraborty avers. The company plans to roll-out GTM strategy in Q1’19 and expects to hit $30 million in global revenue.

Co-existence of different retail formats, key to sector growth

raditionally, unorganised retail stores, popularly known as kirana stores, constituted 90 per cent of the $700-billion Indian retail market. The increase in per capita income of the Indian population and e-commerce platforms has however led to rise in demand for organised stores.

A balanced approach needed for a favorable ecosystem Organised stores provide convenience of proximity, quality, choice and control. However, they are a threat to the existence of traditional (unorganised) retail stores. A balanced approach is needed to create a favorable ecosystem for the existence of both

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modern as well as traditional retailers which calls for a guiding policy that would encourage their co-existence. According to an AT Kearney Report of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), titled ‘National Retail Policy: Now or Forever Late’, retail is the third largest contributor to India’s GDP. It is a highly fragmented sector with the presence of distinct unorganised, organised and e-commerce retail formats.

National Retail Policy for uniformity and synchronisation To address this issue, the CII-AT Kearney report recommends the formation of an overarching National Retail Policy that will introduce much-needed uniformity, standardisation and synchronisation in this sector. It will also guarantee the co-existence of the different retail formats by providing an ecosystem of level playing field for modernising traditional retail in the process. According to Shashwat Goenka, Chairman, CII National Committee on Retail, and Sector Head- Retail, RP, Sanjiv Goenka Group the Indian retail sector is at the cusp of change. Increase in per capita income will be accompanied by not only the emergence of a new middle class with a higher spending

capacity, but also a rural cohort of spenders. Debashish Mukherjee, partner, AT Kearney, feels the retail sector has immense potential to facilitate the growth of an envisioned $5-trillion Indian economy. One fifth of digital transactions and 14 per cent of start-ups in India belong to the retail sector. Moreover, the sector has the potential to provide a thrust to the MSMEs. Suresh Prabhu, Minister for Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, says the government is preparing guidelines for export policies, software development for ease of doing business and a logistics portal that will soon be brought in public view.

Merging different sectors to enhance customer service Retail is not only going to provide an immense opportunity for employment, innovation, technology growth, but it also has the potential of driving the growth of MSMEs, particularly in the food processing industry by increasing their supply to organised retail companies. These positive impacts will be felt the most when organised, unorganised and e-commerce formats are subsumed into one single sector dedicated to customer service.

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24 iF eXclusive

Arvind to increase ‘verticalisation’, focus more on end to end garment packages

rvind Ltd will demerge some of the brand’s business and the engineering business in about a month’s time. The company will relist the engineering and business in January 2019. “We are excited about the opportunity in the textile business. A very large recalibration is taking place in the global supply chain. In the $750- billion global trade, 35 per cent belongs to China, India is the second largest with 5 per cent but with China de-emphasising this business and the cost profile of China dramatically going up, the entire global trade is moving to South Asia,” says Kulin Lalbhai, Executive Director.

Providing solutions rather than raw materials Arvind aims to become a solution provider rather than a provider of raw materials for garments. “We will produce end-to-end garment packages, which is what we call verticalisation. A lot of the garmenting capacities are going to come up, which Arvind will be putting up in India and Ethiopia,” Lalbhai informs. “We expect 50 per cent of our business to move into the vertical route from 10 per cent today. We can provide a customer-oriented asset light growth strategy for end-to-end solutions for all our customers,” he further adds. There are a couple of other strong contributors to this growth strategy. One of this includes advanced materials business that has come of age. A very large multi-billion dollar market is emerging in India and the export opportunity also. So that business is going to grow quickly upwards of 25 per cent.

textiles performance wear. “We believe the active and athleisure are very large segments which will emerge and this segment has been dominated by Korea, China and Taiwan. We intend to double the textile business from Rs 6,000 crore to Rs 12,000 crore over the next five years. Our garmenting capacity will be increased to 125 million garments,” states Lalbhai The brand’s business has grown at more than 20 per cent CAGR over the last five years. “We expect to continue on a similar growth trajectory of 20 per cent growth for the next five years. We want to more than double our business from to Rs 9,000 crore in the next five years,” he notes. E-commerce constitutes 12 per cent of the company’s business. Arvind has an omni channel strategy where the company

integrates inventory across both online and offline markets. It is growing through a combination of third party marketplaces and its own Omni channel portal NNNow.com.

Strong execution leads to great traction Arvind’s business has seen great traction due to a strong execution track record over the last five years. “We have strong customers who are constantly growing with us both in India and outside India. Our order book has been growing at more than 30 per cent every year,” states Lalbhai. “We aim to reach over Rs 20,000-crore plus in the next five years. This will double our business Rs 6,000 crore to Rs 12,000 crore. It is more than doubling the brand’s business from Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 9,000 crore,” he adds.

Strong predictions for future growth The other area Arvind has ventured into is

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iF eXclusive

With a strong metro presence, Being Human to now expand in Tier II, III cities

aving made an impact in most metros and key markets across India, Being Human now plans to expand in Tier II, III markets. The brand plans to tap new regions such as the Northeast, known for its fashion driven consumers. “Apart from this region, we will also be opening stores in Bhubaneshwar, Srinagar, Vapi, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Delhi, Guwahati, Noida, etc, in 2018,” says Kunal Mehta, Vice PresidentMarketing and Business Development.

Global retail presence Being Human Clothing has its footprint in over 15 countries with over 600 point-of-sale. “We currently have 79 EBO’s worldwide and are available at leading large format store such as Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, Central amongst others,” states Mehta. “Our current denim portfolio includes jeans and shirts, both for men and women,” he adds. Mehta points out Indian consumers are increasingly accepting denim as core apparel that can be worn as an everyday casual garment. “The Indian denim market is evolving at a fast pace with the introduction of more styles, colors and diverse trends in its offerings. One of the key growth triggers of denim is its versatility,”

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notes Mehta. “Increased demand for stretch and light weight fabric, varying colours, styling and detailing is also fuelling demand,” he adds.

Strong online presence growing strength “The rise of e-commerce has led to some phenomenal changes in the retail segment,”

notes Mehta. “It has opened up avenues for retailers to reach out to consumers in markets they do not have a physical presence,” he adds. Mehta informs the brand launched its online store in August 2018, “so far, we have seen promising results on the new channel.” The brand has a strong online presence across all leading apparel websites including: Myntra, Jabong, Koovs, etc.

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26 iF eXclusive

Deal Jeans expands national presence; explores international markets

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ncreased awareness, growing brand consciousness, rise in disposable income of consumers, increasing number of nuclear families, influence of media and western culture is propelling growth of kids’ market in India,” explains Sameer Patel, Founder and Chairman, Deal Jeans. “As kids are moving towards denims in a big way, the kid’s denim segment is creating a huge demand not only in larger cities but also in Tier II & III markets as well,” he adds. The brand is expanding its footprint in these cities besides exploring international markets such as South Africa and Middle East.

Westernisation, media inﬂuence fuel demand Patel points out growing influence of media and western culture on Indian mindsets will further fuel growth in Indian kid’s denim market. “Major cities having large middle and upper middle-class population base are the major demand generators for this segment. Global brands are also penetrating the domestic market in order to address the diversified demands for clothing,” he adds. Patel believes creating a kid’s fashion brand is a challenge in itself as success in

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this market depends on factors apart from competition, innovation, and distribution. “The key competencies required to build a kidcentric brand include: affiliation to parent brand, retaining the essence of the parent brand, making the styles sensitive to the age group and factoring in the changing sizes,” he observes. “Today’s kids are different from previous generations,” notes Patel. “Increasing fashion consciousness has percolated to children making them more selective and trend savvy.

Kids are encouraged to express their choices but buying decision still vests with parents in India,” he adds. “Consumption pattern isn’t correlated with gender as buying is influenced by the choices and preferences of individual kid and differs depending upon his or her personality,” he further adds.

Retail presence beyond Indian shores With its exclusive positioning, Deal Jeans is among leading fashion apparel brands in India. The brand presently operates 23 EBO’s in India and two overseas. It plans to increase this count by 15 stores in India and 5 stores overseas. Deal Jeans is also planning to expand online in international markets. The brand already has an online presence in India. “The increasing spectrum of internet reach across geographies coupled with corporatisation of apparel sector is paving the way for emergence of e-commerce as a major retail channel in apparel category,” Patel opines. “Along with faster and easier navigation, most e-tailers provide detailed specifications of the products to make it easier for consumers to make purchase decisions,” he notes.

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iF eXclusive

Pan America to expand operations, launch winter collection soon

remier menswear brand Pan America has been growing at a CAGR of 12 to 15 per cent over the last three years. The brand expects a further spurt in growth over the next two years as it plans to expand operations across Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. “We will launch our winter wear collection soon,” affirms Rajkumar Lalwani, Director of the brand.

Adding casuals to its range Primarily offering men’s formals, Pan America recently added a huge collection of men’s casuals to its range. “Our range of casuals include: shirts, jeans and cotton trousers,” Lalwani explains. “We’ve also entered the denim segment with jeans, accessories, and washes. Our price-performance ratio makes us an incredibly strong player in this segment. A brainchild of Rajkumar Lalwani and Ashok Bhandari, Pan America, over the last 17 years has delivered great value for money to its customers. “Our brand mantra is to focus on delivering incredible value for money on one side and extremely aspirational fashions, with hundreds of new designs month after month,” says Lalwani. “We launch hundreds of new

designs every month and ensure that the pricing strategy is attractive to the customer,” he adds.

Huge growth expected in retail presence The brand recently opened its own 125,000 sq ft corporate office at Bengaluru with big godowns. The brand also has its own

manufacturing facility that delivers the best in fashion. “We are also present in the Middle East, UAE and Dubai,” adds Lalwani. Targeting male consumers over 18 years of age, Pan America started developing EBOs and SISs in the last quarter. “We are available in 25 Lifestyle MBOs and are looking at huge growth this year,” he further states.

T-base focuses on retail, will increase online presence

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nspired by the vibrant urban youth, our new collection, ‘The Metropolitan Tribe’ reflects our choice of colors, designs, fits and fabrics,” says Shalom Soman

George, Marketing Manager, T Base. “The slim fittings in this collection combined with the use of innovative fabrics set the mood for the season. The jackets in this collection have cleaner cuts,

giving rise to the chisel fit. Puffers and bombers dominate the collection. Color blocking is the highlight with orange and ochre pop colors reinventing the seasonal color story. We have also developed our original range of camo prints thus ensuring every T-base garment tells a story of its own,” he adds.

New designs, creativity to dominate the market With so many players in the market, ensuring premium quality is insufficient to stay ahead of the game. Quality should be backed by innovative designs and a unique creative energy. “We have been steadily growing and our presence is increasing in different parts of India, we do not intend on slowing down,” adds George. “With our presence increasing across India, staying close to our customers has always been our top priority,” George observes. “It has been a little more than a year since we concentrated our efforts towards online retailing. But the response is phenomenal. Hence, we are directing more into this channel for this next season,” he adds.

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28 cover story

Brands launch new trends as market for winter wear improves Low temperatures have certainly brought a sense of optimism among winterwear makers and brands this year. They expect business to be robust and meet their expectations, find out Shubhangi Bidwe and Ajay Goswami

inter has not disappointed winter wear businesses this year. Low temperatures are giving a boost to manufacturers/retailers especially in North India. “The market is improving after a long spell of slump. Winters are timely, so not a concern for us from business point of view,” opines Raman Kapoor, Managing Director, Replay Square. The brand has almost finished manufacturing and distribution activities for the season. “We faced some issues in procuring raw materials from China as the units over there had closed for some time which delayed fabric supply,” he informs. Indeed winter wear business is hot enough for brands and players who compete with each other to gain market share. Even though the season is short especially in a tropical country like India, it contributes significantly to annual growth of fashion and apparel business.

Raw material issues However, the segment does face many issues. Procuring raw materials is one of the big bug bears. Absurd Clothing for example had to face these issues. “Fake brands are posing a big challenge to genuine brands like us,” says Arshdeep Baweja, Partner. “The market is hovering in the range of 12 to 15 per cent,” notes Baweja. “This is the end of the season in terms of production which will be closed in the next 15 to 20 days,” he adds. A Technopak Advisors report, pegged the winter wear market in India pegged at Rs 15,670 crores in 2014 and expects it to maintain a compound annual growth rate of 8 per cent to touch Rs 33,590 crores by 2024. Men’s wear, winter wear alone is pegged at Rs 7,510 crores . The size of women’s winter wear stands at Rs 3,290 crores and is expected to grow at 7.5 per cent to reach Rs 8,080 crores by 2024. Both segments are expected to grow at 8 per cent and 7 per cent respectively.

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• Market for winter wear ranges to between 12 to 15 per cent • It’s growing at a CAGR of 7 to 8 per cent • Overall winter wear market expected to touch Rs 33,590 cr by 2024 • Women’s winter is pegged to touch Rs 8,080 crores by 2024 • Heavy clothing is being replaced by light and smart wear • Sweaters are being replaced by sweatshirts

“Last year was very good. We were able to finish off all our old stocks. This year we have started the winter season with a bang and we hope and expect to cross our last year targets this year.”

Guneet Singh Director, Juelle

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cover story

“The market is normal. It is improving day by day after a long spell of slump that we witnessed a couple of years back. This year is better than the last year.”

Raman Kapoor Managing Director, Replay Square of minimum clothing is becoming popular,” he says. The brand offers quilted thermals that are slim in shape and comfortable to wear. “We are working on fine counts in thermals which can be used as outer wear and under jackets as well. Quilted knits are in and next season, we plan to introduce T-shirts made of quilted material,” he adds.

“Last year was god one for us. From opening our second flagship store at Select CityWalk, one of India’s most prominent malls, we have also expanded to over 50 pop-ups (shop-in-shops) across India.”

Amit Jain Managing Director, Shingora With good returns brands are investing on infrastructure to boost production. Juelle for example, recently started a new production facility with increased capacity and better system and efficient workflow in place. “We have added a line of sleigerintarsia machine and will focus on delivering more variety and complex knit structures to the fashion market in the coming times,” states Guneet Singh, Director. Much like other apparel segments winter wear too has a dominance of unorganized players who have larger market share. The ratio is around 70:30 with 70 per cent players being from the unbranded sector. Hence, well known brands are finding it challenging to add value to existing product line and retain profitability at the same time. Brands are vying with each other to capture bigger market share by innovating and introducing new lines every season. Innovative pricing and discount sales are helping them increase foot falls to their EBOs.

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Winterwear emerges as a fashion statement “Since winters are not very active, sweaters have become more of a fashion statement these days. Functionally factor in on the decline over the years while fashion scores high,” says Singh. Anuj Jain, Managing Partner, Vingo Clothing, agrees, “Winters are shrinking every year, so heavy clothing like sweaters have been replaced by light and smart wears. Customer wants to look smart and the concept

“The market was not bad last winter as the growth rate that we clocked in then is the same what we are expecting this season as well. It is hovering in the range 12 to 15 per cent. The market is becoming challenging only because of raw material price hike and fake branded products. Fakes are posing a big challenge to genuine brands like us.”

Arshdeep Baweja Partner, Absurd

“Winters are shrinking with every season, so heavy clothing has been replaced by light and smart wear. Customers want to look smart and the concept of minimum clothing is becoming popular.”

Anuj Jain Managing Partner, Vingo Clothing He points out sweatshirts have taken over the market as it combines the benefits of both. They are trendy, comfortable and functional compared to other categories. “Sweatshirts are made of jacket and fleece material, thus, giving them an edge over other categories,” Baweja observes.

Future potential for growth “Winter, so far, has been growing beyond expectations. The market size is huge and holds a big potential,” notes Jain. No wonder brands are focusing a lot on retail expansion. For example brand Shingora, has opened its second flagship store at Select CityWalk, one of India’s most prominent malls. “We have also expanded to over 50 pop-ups (shop-in-shops) across India,” states Amit Jain, Managing Director, of the brand. The future holds great potential for these brands. “We expect 10 per cent to 20 per cent growth in the coming summer season,” adds Jain.

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30 therMal Wear

Fabric innovations, new colors and styles rule category The need to keep warm without wearing anything heavy has given a huge boost to thermal wear category. The segment is witnessing a lot of innovations in terms of fabric blends, colours and styles as brands are looking at ways to attract customers with unique product offerings write Shubhangi Bidwe and Ajay Goswami

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nitially perceived as a thick fabric to keep people warm, thermal wear now involves the use of right blend and finish to make light weight, extra soft fabrics, says Aditya Marwah, Director, Kanvin. The brand for the A/W’19 has introduced a special range of thermals in ‘Miyabi’. This range of ultra soft and sensuous premium thermals is crafted from a blend of fine lightweight Japanese fibre to give maximum warmth and comfort. “Their silicon finish makes them gentle on sensitive skin. They are designed to enable you to combat the cold with ease and confidence,” notes Marwah.

Old fabrics replaced by new ones “Innovation is happening in all aspects of the product,” states Anuj Jain, Managing Director, Vingo Clothing. “New fabrics and blends are

• Comfort, durability higher than fashion • Innovative fabrics and blends to make the product thinner • A wide variety of natural and synthetic fabrics used • Ultra soft, sensuous premium thermals are the new range • Basic colours like white and grey still dominate • New colours in demand from customers • edgy styles, ﬂattering fits popular among women replacing old ones.” The company has added another feature to its thermal wear range by launching the Vingo Quilted Thermal. A product with three layer quilted fabric made with ‘sueding technology’, the thermals give warmth and silicon softness. Unlike normal thermal brands, Vingo uses soft cotton-rich fabric and

employs extra-brushing quilted technique to give a feather-like softness to the user. This makes the thermal skin-friendly, light-weight stretchable and a perfect agent to give a slimlook. It is available in three colors: anthra, grey, and off-white for men, women and kids. The brand’s sweatshirts, tracksuits, joggers,

“From consumer’s point of view the product should be value for money. As this is not an outerwear category so the perception always has been to stick to basic color but over time customers has evolved and is looking for new colors, skin friendly fabrics and fits. Though you can’t play much with colors still there is a wide scope in blends, fits and fabrics.”

Vartul Duggal General Manager- Marketing & Operations

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THERMAL WEAR

“Vingo is a product of three layer quilted fabric with sueding technology which gives warmth and silicon softness. Unlike normal thermal brands, it uses soft cotton-rich fabric and employs extra-brushing quilted technique to give a feather-like softness to the user. This makes the thermal skin-friendly, light-weight stretchable and a perfect agent to give you a slim-look.”

Anuj Jain Managing Partner, Vingo Clothing thermals sweatshirts are available in round neck, full sleeve with hoodies and full zippers. It has navy, black, anthra and mélange grey colors. The collection for women is available in bright hues. Regular and smart fits both have been worked upon. As a clothing that serves as a necessity during winters, especially in North India, thermal wear has been popular for a long time due to its comfort and warmth. Unlike other winter wear categories, thermals popularity is not dependent on fashion rather it’s more about comfort and durability. Primarily worn as innerwear, this category has only recently come into its own with aesthetically appealing design options. This enables thermals to be used as normal clothing and standalone winter wear. To some extent, thermals are replacing traditional winter wear like sweaters and woollens and young people are sometimes wearing a thermal just as a vest or tee under jackets and starting a new trend.

Innovations rule in colors and fits too Thermal wear market in India is has been growing with customers preferring quality products which is both stylish and offers comfort, even if it is worn as innerwear under clothes. Woollens cannot be worn under clothing without appearing bulky but the USP of thermals is that it can retain warmth and fashion all together. Brands are now expanding their basic range to include a premium range of aesthetically designed thermal wear for maximum comfort during peak winter season. Also most brands are investing in technology to offer innovative range to cater to consumers’ changing tastes. Technologically advanced, lightweight and colourful thermal lines are now out in the market to capture customers’ attention.

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Brand U&W has been innovating every season in terms of colors, fits and fabrics. “We have a wide range catering to infants, boys, girls, women and men,” says Vartul Duggal, General Manager-Marketing & Operations. “Being organic, our collection is skin friendly and comfortable.” Apart from white, the brand has added dark grey, light grey and royal blue this season. “This being an innerwear category, the perception has always have been to stick to basic color. However, with evolving taste of customers new colors, skin friendly fabrics and fits are beig added,” he explains. Duggal says a good deal of experimentation is taking place in thermals such as brushed effect inside and double chest thermals.

Accessories to enhance the beauty of garments The perfect option for New Age women is the thermal range offered by Kanvin which is trimmed with exquisite stretch lace. It is designed in edgy style, flattering fits and is available in exciting colours. “Our fabric blend choice ranges from 100 per cent cotton to techno blends with polyester, viscose, silk, modal, Lycra etc. The fabrics are of superior quality, treated with special enzyme washes to enhance softness. Our full-fledged inhouse-designers consider the aesthetic and functional aspects to create designs for men, women, and children,” he adds. Besides, fabrics and style, Kanvin has installed Japanese machinery from Juki,

Pegasus, Brother, Kansai, Highlead, Yamato and Ramsons. Its unit has day-to-day sampling to suit the changing style and fashion. “Demand for knitted garments is increasing at a fast pace because of comfort and soft feel. Hence, most of our garments are crafted from knitted fabrics,” adds Marwah.

“People are aware and understand that right blend and finish in fabric is key to warmth. Keeping this in mind we are continuously developing products that cater to customers demand for lightweight, extra soft thermals that give extra warmth. Yes, the brand value is an integral part of the product and customer experience, henceforth brand value always matters.”

Aditya Marwaha Director, Kanvin

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32 trends and styles

Swarovski studded shawls, new fabric blends, colours galore this winter To keep up with changing trends and demand, winter wear makers have come up with collections in new fabric blends, colours and style, write Shubhangi Bhide and Ajay Goswami

he onset of winter brings in numerous new styles, and fashion trends every year. Brands and retailers either follow latest trends or create their own to woo New Age consumers. Innovations in fabrics, blends, colours and styles are the hallmark of the season every year.

“Earthy tones work wonders in casuals during winters but one of our collections that does the best in occasion wear is Swarovski studded shawls. Keeping intricate details along borders or just slight embellishment of the logo, these pieces prove to bestsellers year after year.”

Amit Jain Managing Director, Shingora

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• Sporty looks in demand this winter • Dull shades are replacing shiny ones • Styling and design have become more casual this season • Fabrics like polyamide, nylon, viscose, modal and Lycra are being introduced in collections “This year, dull shades have replaced shiny ones with prints, cotton and knits being more in demand,” says Raman Kapoor, Managing Director, Replay Square. “Reversible jackets in cotton and memory fabrics are emerging as latest fashion trends. We offer 50 types of jackets in 32 varieties of fabric.”

Demand for sporty, comfortable range Brand Lure has introduced a range of sports jackets as “of now, the sporty look is pretty much in demand,” notes Vinay Agarwal, Director. The brand, popular for men’s jackets, plans to launch its sweatshirt range by next season. Kanvin on the other hand has introduced a special range of thermals in miyabi. “This range of ultra soft and sensuous premium thermals is crafted from a blend of fine light weight Japanese fibre to give maximum warmth and comfort. The silicon finish makes them gentle on sensitive skin,” reveals Aditya Marwah, Director, Kanvin.

For the perfect bridal look Shingora’s biggest launch includes its ‘Contempor-aari’ collection that fuses traditional with the contemporary. Embedding the aari technique in geometric patterns keeping to different color stories and themes, this collection

“Embroideries and fancy yarns are the style statement of the year.”

Guneet Singh Director, Juelle

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TRENDS AND STYLES

“The market for women’s wears is good and we are making every effort to tap this market.”

Vinay Agarwal, Director, Lure is an ode to the modern Indian bride. “Earthy tones work wonders in casuals during winters but one of our collections that does the best in occasion wear Swarovski studded shawls. Keeping intricate details along borders or just slight embellishment of the logo, these pieces prove to bestsellers year after year,”notes Amit Jain, Managing Director of the brand. One of the brand’s popular collections is Swarovski studded shawls. “We also feature ranges in prints, jacquards, checks and more,” he adds.

Youth adapt new fabrics and styles Every new season also ushers in new fabric and style trends. Keeping up with this, Juelle has introduced new fabrics like polyamide, nylon, viscose, modal and Lycra to its collection. “Our winter wear range is trendy, chic and highly adaptable to the youth,” states Guneet Singh, Director. “The sweaters have become more casual, lightweight and brighter with embroideries and fancy yarns emerging as the major style statements,” Singh explains.

“This year, dull shades have replaced shiny ones with prints, cotton and knits being more in demand.”

Raman Kapoor Managing Director, Replay Square

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Embroideries along with checks and jacquards also feature in Shingora’s collection adorned with funky and floral prints. Kanvin’s collection, on the other hand, compliments a range of fabrics including, jersey, interlock, auto striper, velour, fleece, feeder striper, terry, jacquards, pointelle and satin. “Our fabric blend ranges from 100 per cent cotton to techno blends with polyester, viscose, silk, modal, Lycra etc. These fabrics are treated with special enzyme washes to enhance softness,” adds Marwah.

Designs become casual Styling and designing have become very casual, points out Singh. “Full sleeves, round neck short length sweaters are in demand this

“The fabrics used are of superior quality, treated with special enzyme washes to enhance softness.”

Aditya Marwah Director-Thermals Category, Kanvin year. Loose fitted garments in crop lengths are also in demand,” he adds. “Basic and subtle jackets are catching consumers’ attention. The range should match the sensibilities of young and old alike,” observes Kapoor.

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34 iF eXclusive Duke’s latest active wear line is inspired by Europe’s cosmopolitan dressing style

uke Fashions has unveiled its active wear collection for 2018-19 for a range of activities like yoga, fitness, leisure and comfort. The collection has a modernist aesthetic with unlined structures, bright colors and fine branding. Inspired by the cosmopolitan dressing style of Europe, the collection defines trends of international sports fashion through its elegant styles and international designs that are full of vibrancy. The entire collection is available in various styles having superb fits, variety of fabrics and interesting patterns.

Ideal for all activities The Duke Active Wear Collection is ideal for all kinds of leisure, casual, running, jogging and sporting activities. It comprises sports and relax wear like tracksuits, jogging suits, lowers, lounge wear. It weaves fashion with function to create international and sophisticated styles. The fabrics are soft, lightweight, stretchy and perfectly suited for making active wear. The company offers performance designed clothes for strenuous activities. The brand incorporates exceptional details into its designs thus adding to their sensational form. Known for standardised fits, superior quality, wide range and ‘fashion-right’ styles in its segment, Duke is most trusted amongst consumers. The brand’s designers use innovative materials to create better-looking, more comfortable activewear.

International styles at affordable rates Kuntal Raj Jain, Director, Duke Fashions says, “Our target audience is today’s youth who is looking for trendy and stylish range that is in sync with international designs, fashions and quality. Duke is a value for money brand and our mission is to make available the international designs and styles at highly reasonable prices. We see it as our duty to provide our customers the inspiration they need to look and feel confident.” Duke Fashions is the winner of President Award besides three national awards: Excellent Quality Readymade Garments, Outstanding Entrepreneurship and Quality Garments. It was chosen ‘Indian Power Brand’ in the US. These awards were given to the company for its innovation, product quality, being the most preferred apparel brand and inspirational leadership. The company has a marketing network comprising more than 4,000 multi brand outlets and 360 exclusive stores across major in India. Moreover its products are exclusively placed at big chain stores and on online shopping portals.

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36 iF eXclusive Shingora to expand product category, launch new collections

interwear brand Shingora has introduced its autumn/ winter ’18 collection featuring embroideries, checks and jacquards. This collection is adorned with funky and floral prints. “Our biggest launch however, is the ‘Contemporaari’ collection that fuses traditional with contemporary. Embedding the aari technique in geometric patterns with different color and themes, this collection is an ode to the modern Indian bride,” says Amit Jain, Managing Director, Shingora. Alongwith shawls and scarves for women mufflers and pock squares for men, Shingora also dabbles in other accessories such as ties, belts and throws for home or travel. Shingora shawls have become a major attraction for women who love occasion wear. “We also have a full wedding gifting segment that is perfect for a bride’s trousseau or clothes that can prove to be great gifts to bridesmaids and relatives,” Jain adds.

Shawls for the elite Shingora offers silk squares and cotton scarves as well. Although the brand offers casual shawls in earthy tones, one of its collections that generates most demand during the festive season is Swarovski studded shawls. “Keeping intricate details

along borders or just slight embellishment of the logo, these pieces are bestsellers year after year. We also feature prints, jacquards, checks and more,” notes Jain

Latest technologies for fine finishing Shingora prides itself on using latest technologies in processes such as printing and weaving. Featuring handlooms and powerlooms, seamless screen printing, knitting machines and more, the brand’s products are finished with top of line equipment. Talking about the demand for his products, Jain says, “There has not been such demand in the product category. Preferences generally vary from season to season. In winter, the most preferred category is embellished Swarovski shawls. However, since we are present across the country, we can’t say that a particular category works better than the other.”

Yarn prices affect exports, global business Exports is a strong business segment for Shingora, however, lately it is facing challenges due to an increase in woolen yarn prices. This increase affects fabric prices further adding to cost of production, and ultimately that of finished product. “This, in turn, affects sales and outcome expected out of it,” Jain explains.

The increase in yarn prices has also affected the brand’s business in global markets, China, sells the same quality at lesser prices. “Business is declining gradually and the future doesn’t look too positive,” laments Jain

Retail presence across India Shingora is present in over 50 locations across India and aims to spread to 100 locations by 2019-end. The brand has EBOs at CityWalk and DLF Promenade in New Delhi, Ghumar Mandi in Ludhiana and at the Chandigarh Airport. The brand has been successfully running over 50 pop-ups in almost in places like Agra, Gorakhpur, Banaras, Jammu, Karnal, Guwahati etc. It is also present in large format stores with brands like Meena Bazar and Globus in case of LFS.

Making a mark with jackets, Replay Square optimistic about this season

aman Kapoor, Managing Director, Replay Square, a manufacturer of designer jackets, has a very positive view of the current market. The market, according to him is good “as production level has gone up.”Dull shades in prints and cotton have replaced shiny ones. Reversible jackets are in demand with knits being majorly used in them,” he says. The brand offers 50 samples of jackets in 32 clothing varieties. The jackets are available in 60 GSM and 80 GSM polyfil and are priced in the range of Rs 2,200 to Rs 3,300.

Matching customer sensibilities Elaborating on the design trends, Kapoor says, “Basic

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and subtle designs are catching consumers’ attention. They need to match the sensibilities of both the young and old. We have mastered the art of combining both these elements in one product.”

Raw material prices, duties major concern However, the brand is plagued by various challenges like high raw material prices and duties. “Price of raw materials has shot up to unprecedented level due to rupee fluctuations. Duties have been raised to the tune of 5 to 7 per cent. We have raised prices accordingly for end consumers but this does not make good business,” notes Kapoor. “Also, owing to labor issues, we have not been able to increase our production for a long time,” he adds. “The Ludhiana market, if addressed adequately, has a tremendous potential. It is quality-oriented and at par with global markets. The market supplies to all leading chains in

India. Despite a few difficulties, we are in for a happy ending, “affirms Kapoor.

Sweatshirts replace sweaters; blazers feel the heat Kapoor points out lately, the market for sweaters have witnessed a huge fall due to increasing popularity of sweatshirts. “Many jacket players have switched their production to sweatshirts. The other category facing tough times is blazers. This segment has currently lost tempo due to fitting issues,” he adds. “Blazers now are limited to the wedding and festive seasons only.” Replay Square, available in 400 MBOs in the North India currently, has almost finished its manufacturing and distribution activities for the season. Though it faced some issues in procuring the raw material from China, the brand has started receiving payments for products. It hopes to receive bulk payment by the end of this month.

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38 iF eXclusive Vingo to add summer collection, launch own portal to expand retail

elhi-based garment company, Vingo Clothing has big plans for the future. The company, which recently launched its winter range, is now working on its summer collection, “Which will be more colorful and youthful,” says Anuj Jain, Managing Partner, Vingo Clothing. “Comfort and functionality describe our summer range that comprises track pants, round neck and half sleeve T-shirts. We have also added collar T-shirts. The collection is mostly made with cotton-based fabrics, with poly elastain cotton been the dominant fabric” he explains.

An appealing light, smart winter range The winter wear range comprises sweatshirts, tracksuits, joggers , thermals for both men and women. The range boasts of new themes and designs trending in the market. “We have sweatshirts in round neck, full sleeve with hoodies and full zippers. The collection is available in navy, black, anthra and mélange grey colors with largely bright hues for women. We have also worked on regular and smart fits,” notes Jain. With winters shrinking every season, heavy clothing is being replaced by light and smart wears, Jain opines. “Customers, want to look smart, giving rise to the concept of minimum

clothing. We offer slim quilted thermals that are comfortable. We are also working on fine counts in thermals which can be used as outer wear and under jackets. Besides, we plan to introduce T-shirts made of quilted knits next season,” he says. Noting that “innovation is happening in all aspects of the product,” Jain reveals sweatshirts and jackets are the most popular product categories today. “Nehru jackets are also gaining traction,” he adds.

Innovative fabrics and blends Every year, Vingo replaces old fabrics and blends with new ones. The company currently makes sweatshirts and track suits with two thread fleece. “Thermals are been made

from cotton and cotton polyester fabrics with brushing inside and silicon finishes,” Jain adds. The company recently introduced Vingo quilted thermal -- a three layer quilted fabric with Sueding Technology which gives warmth and silicon softness. “Unlike normal thermal brands, it uses soft cotton-rich fabric and employs extrabrushing quilted technique to give a feather-like softness to the user. This makes the thermal skin-friendly, light-weight stretchable and a perfect agent to give a slim-look. It is available in three colors: Anthra, Grey, & off-white for men, women and kids,” states Jain. Noting that the market for winterwear is huge with a big potential, Jain hopes they achieves their target of 10 to 20 per cent growth in summer season. The company aims to expand its product category and retail operations. “We have been successful in tapping UP market and plan to expand in Punjab and Haryana markets also,” he says. Vingo is also available online through major e commerce portals. “Our own portal is on the cards,” reveals Jain. “We are looking for more distributers and wholesalers to consolidate our retail channel in the coming season. We are trying to fill the gap created by end users who look for quality –oriented products at pocketfriendly prices,” he adds.

Adding more variety to its range, Juelle is positive about business this winter

he latest winter wear range from Juelle is trendy, chic and highly adaptable to the youth. “Embroideries and fancy yarns have emerged as the major style statement this year. Sweaters have become more casual, light weight and brighter,” notes Guneet Singh, Director of the brand. “In terms of fabrics, cotton and manmade blends are in demand,” says Singh. “We have introduced polyamide, nylon, viscose, modal and Lycra to our existing range,” he adds.

Casual styles, designs in demand Singh believes innovation and experimentation are important factors need to remain updated, especially in the sweater segment. Demand keeps changing every season especially amongst the youth. “We experiment a lot with new blends and fits every season,” he adds. “This season, styles and designs have become more causal with full sleeves, round neck short length sweaters being more in demand,” says Singh. “However, loose crop length garments are also selling well,” he adds.

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Fashion, the driving factor

A promising year ahead

“Being an urban fashion brand, we are more focused on blends that make our garment look more casual and funky, for us demand for pure wool sweaters is less,” opines Singh. Since winters are relatively mild these days, sweaters have become more of a fashion statement and their functionally in on the decline. “Fine knits and lightweight sweaters are in demand for the last three to four years. This demand is likely to increase following international trends and forecasts,” he observes.

Business for Juelle, in the last year was good as old stock were cleared. The brand has started this year’s winter season “with a bang and hopes to cross last year’s targets. We are expanding with new varieties and categories like loungewear, light track suits, light fashion jackets, dresses and gowns,” notes Singh. Juelle is present across India in many multibrand outlets. The brand believes this to be the “most promising retail channel.” It also has a limited e-commerce platform. “Online presence is more of brand-building exercise which gives visibility to the brand,” Singh says. “However, it is not a viable mode of sale. It is difficult to do justice to offline as well as online retail simultaneously as online sales is more about discounts,” he adds. Juelle has robust plans for the future. It recently started a new production facility with increased capacity and efficient work. It has also added a line of sleigerintarsia machine. “This year, we plan to focus on delivering more variety and complex knit structures to the market,” adds Singh.

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iF eXclusive

UV&W to tap over 2,000 MBOs, increase online presence by 2020

elieving in “innovation plays a vital role in this category,” thermal wear brand UV&W has added new blends besides introducing new styles this season. In addition to its base color white, the brand has introduced thermal wear in dark, light grey and royal blue colors this season. “The response has been good and the feedback has encouraged us to play with more colors, blends and fabrics for the coming season,” observes Vartul Duggal, General ManagerMarketing & Operations of the brand.

New colors, blends pep up collection Duggal points out although, thermal wear has always stuck to basic colors, consumer tastes have evolved to include new colors, skin-friendly fabrics and fits. The brand offers double chest thermals in new colors, though Duggal believes “there is not much scope for styling as the segments are pre-defined.” UV&W has also added various blends to its collection from the last season.

Future retail plans “As of now we are connected to over 800 MBO’s and plan to tap over 2,000 MBO’s by 2020-end. We are available on all major portals,” he adds.

Kanvin’s new thermal range promises best warmth and comfort

ollowing its motto: ‘Inspire to design, design to style and style to perfection,’ Kanvin’s A/W ’19 collection is a special range of thermal wear in Miyabi fabric. “This range of ultra soft and sensuous premium thermals is crafted from a blend of fine lightweight Japanese fibre to give maximum warmth and comfort. Silicon finish makes them gentle on sensitive skin. They are designed to combat the cold with ease and confidence,” notes Aditya Marwah, Director of the brand.

Appealing aesthetics a big positive Operationalised in 1999, Ludhiana-based KA Exports, adheres to minute designing and detailing of products throughout its manufacturing process. “Our products are marketed under the brand name ‘Kanvin.’ They are designed to appeal to the aesthetic sense of customers and give them ultimate feel of comfort and ecstasy,” adds Marwah. The brand is widely trusted for its excellence in quality. The ladies thermal range is trimmed with

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exquisite stretch lace, a perfect complement to your sensuality. “It is designed in edgy styles with flattering fits, in exciting colors,” states Marwah. “Our in-house-designers consider the aesthetic and functional aspects of the garments before designing them. Their creativity and experience helps them to introduce an attractive collection each season.”

Robust infrastructural facilities Kanvin has maintained long term relationship with its clients by delivering more value than they expect, or are paying for. “We have strategic alliances with some of the leading fashion brands,” adds Marwah. “The Japanese machinery installed at our facility is sourced from Juki, Pegasus, Brother, Kansai, Highlead, Yamato and Ramsons. The unit also has day-to-day sampling to suit the changing style and fashion,” he further states. As demand for knitted garments is increasing, most of the brand’s garments are crafted from knitted fabrics.

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40 revieW

9th International Sourcing Expo gets a huge response, Indian participation sees an increase

he 9th edition of the International Sourcing Expo, co-located with the 3rd edition of the Footwear and Leather Show was held from November 20-22, 2018 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. The three-day event, occupying 16,500 gross sq. mt. area showcased the full spectrum of product and service from off-the-shelf clothing to made-to-order pieces, fabric and functional textiles. It attracted over 700 textile, apparel and footwear manufacturers and agents from 18 countries.

There was significant interest in organic and eco friendly textiles which was apparent from the number of exhibitors who displayed these credentials on their stand. Some even put up handwritten signage saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;Got Certifiedâ&#x20AC;? on their pavilion.

Indian participation continues to grow Indian participation across both the International Sourcing Expo and Footwear and Leather Show continued to be by far the largest among all attending nations with 130 companies attending the event. Led by key

Growing interest in certified, ecofriendly textiles Australian buyers are currently looking for long term partnerships with reliable suppliers, people they can trust, with transparency in the supply chain. With visitors playing quiet a premium on certifications, there was an increase in buyers wanting to know about the manufacturing process and supply chain details.

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revieW

‘The quality of the show has improved over the last two to three years’ The Melbourne International Exhibition Australia was held from November 22, 2018. This year the event got a huge response from both exhibitors and visitors. Julie Holt, executive Director, Melbourne International Sourcing exhibition Australia, speaks to DFU about the show and current Australian market Please elaborate on the major exhibitors at the show. What was the visitor turnout? Co-organised by three major exhibitions -The China Clothing Textile Accessories Expo 18th edition, 3rd Footwear and Leather Show, and 9th International Sourcing Expo -- the Melbourne International Exhibition Australia was attended by over 700 exhibitors from 20 countries. This also included a few new countries and a number of companies from the United States. The show, from being a purely Asia Pacific Indian sub continent show is transitioning to having elements of Africa, Europe and the United States. The quality of the show has also improved over the last two to three years.

Which was the largest participating country? Besides China, it was definitely India which had about 130 participants from apparel, footwear and leather brands. Many brands have been participating for years and are familiar with the buyers. Along with them several new buyers were also added this year.

Tell us more about the Australian textile and fashion market. Compared to the rest of the world, active wear has a strong growth market in Australia. Since Australians are particular about the quality and narrative of a product, fast fashion is not popular in the country. Hence, we did not have enough exhibitors in that category. However, the market for accessories is strong leading to a large number of exhibitors in this show.

What is the focus of the exhibition: exports or the domestic market? The Australian Fashion Council, which cohosted this show, aims to partner Australian designers in exporting our designs. We hope that some of these Australian designers have captured the attention of international

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influential companies which will provide them with an export market. AFC aims to not only protect the industry in Australia but also expand it.

Though the number of exhibitors has grown exponentially, the number of visitors has not grown proportionately. How do you plan to tackle this? To enhance visitor experience, we introduced many new initiatives such as the global runway and an online business matching platform to connect with exhibitors. We have also increased the number of seminars by 30 per cent. Rather than increasing the number of exhibitors or visitors to our show, we aim to make them stay longer with us and engage in sourcing activities.

What are Australian buyers looking for? Australian buyers today seek long term partnerships with reliable suppliers besides a transparent supply chain. Since the last two years there has been a growth in the number of visitors insisting on certifications and details of manufacturing and supply chains of a product. There is also a significant interest in organic and eco friendly textiles. This was evident in the number of exhibitors who displayed signs/ handwritten signs saying ‘Got Certified’ on their pavilion.

What is the status of Chinese market which till now was the largest exporter for Australian apparels? The Chinese market has reached a threshold and is on the decline. India and Indonesia are the two countries that are likely to see a big jump in buyer activity from Australia. Since some of the garment innovations in these countries are similar to those in Australia, trade with these two countries along with Malaysia is likely to increase.

What was the highlight of this year’s show? There were three highlights in this year’s show. First, the number of countries who participated increased to 20. Second, the global runway not only engaged the audience but also made them reflect on the show. The third highlight was the VIP buyer programme combined with online business matching platform.

What will the next edition offer? It will be a more engaging opportunity. Opinion will be expanded one way presentation, a more effective business matching platform and a trends area. We expect European participation as well particularly on the runway.

Any particular new sector which could be addressed? We need to make navigability of the show easier for buyers; to have more clearly designated products and trend areas.

Do you see the number of Indian participants increasing next year? There might be a slight increase as we are not actively perusing a larger participation because we want a more dense experience. We want exhibitors and visitors to be more active together. Our seminar program is quite successful compared to other sourcing events. We branded the sourcing program for the first time this year which was well received and offers a lot of value for visitors and exhibitors alike.

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42 Review A comprehensive learning program The Global Sourcing Seminar Program led by industry experts provided a comprehensive program of learning for both exhibitors and visitors. From WGSN’S international denim trends, insights into the main Asian fashion supply industries, Modern Slavery Act, ethical sourcing advice, help for fashion start-ups, international fashion and footwear insights and more, the seminar series catered to various needs of industry professionals. The two-day seminar program, on its first day detailed the potential and prospects of the local sector, both on the domestic and export front, investment opportunities and FDI incentives offered by the Indian government. Mukhtarul Amin, Chairman, Council Leather Exports India, delivered his expert view of Indian leather and footwear sector. The second day of the seminar program included an exhibitor-focused seminar

Global business matching to fasttrack buyer/seller experience The 3rd edition of Australia’s only dedicated Footwear and Leather Show and the 9th edition of International Sourcing Expo Australia introduced an online business matching program to fast-track buyer/seller experience. The program used a powerful recommendation engine to match buyers and sellers. Exhibitors connected with relevant buyers and attendees for private networking opportunities and meetings at their stand or in a business matching lounge.

Exporting Australian designs The Australian Fashion Council, who partnered in the show, aimed to partner Australian designers to export Australian designs to other countries. The council thus not only aims to protect the Australian industry but also expand it. It aims to reach out to different

export organisations, the Indian contingents of suppliers attracted sourcing managers from Australia’s large fashion retailers, niche fashion brands, online outlets and designers. Many brands have been participating for years and are familiar with buyers. Along with them several new buyers were also added this year. Apparel Export Promotion Council, Wool and Woolen Export Promotion Council, and Handloom Export Promotion Council were part of the Indian participation with dedicated pavilions that represented suppliers, and their industry, at the International Sourcing Expo. The Council of Leather Exports led their industry contingent at the Footwear and Leather Show with 30 suppliers joining the pavilion. They held the largest pavilion at Footwear and Leather Show Australia for the third consecutive year.

New initiatives to connect with exhibitors To enhance visitor experience, the organisers introduced new initiatives such as the global runway and an online business matching platform to connect with exhibitors. They also increased the number of seminars by 30 per cent. Rather than increasing the number of exhibitors or visitors to the show, they aim to make these exhibitors and visitors stay longer with the show and continue engaging in sourcing activities

presented by senior retail consultant Sarah Gale to provide a comprehensive overview of the Australian market, and seasonality within different regions.

Global Runway, a major attraction Held exclusive for the first time as a part of the show, the Global Runway, drew significant attention and showcased collections by both emerging and established Australian and international designers. These runway shows were held by Australian Fashion Council and designers from Indonesia and China.

associations in Hong Kong and countries like Japan, Vietnam.

Highlights of the show This year’s show had three main highlights. First, the number of participating countries increased to 20. Second, the global runway not only engaged the audience but also made them reflect on the show. The Indonesian stand, in particular, created a lot of interest. The quality of garments on display also went up remarkably. There was an increase in display of Indonesian modest wear which has a huge market in Australia. The third highlight was the VIP buyer programme combined with online business matching platform.

A more effective platform The next edition of the show will feature a more effective business matching platform and a trends area. European participation, particularly on the runway, is likely to increase. It will have clearly designated products and the trends area. Indian participation next is likely to only increase slightly as the organizers seek a denser experience. It aims to actively engage the exhibitors and visitors alike.

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Global Textiles Conclave 2018 highlights key industry initiatives and plans

ice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu, inaugurated Global Textiles Conclave 2018 on November 27, 2018, in New Delhi. The Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani also graced the occasion as guest of honour and delivered the keynote address in the inaugural session.

Focus on skill development and technology upgradation Speaking at the session, Venkaiah Naidu stated that innovations and transformations should be focus area for textiles and apparel sector. He advised the industry to focus on backward and forward integration, value addition and diversifying products. He also stated that the industry should consolidate MSME sector by establishing Hubs and Spoke model of cluster development facilities, give major thrust to skill development, upgrade technology and adopt Industry 4.0.

Key initiatives and schemes for industry development Naidu also highlighted the various initiatives taken by the Indian Government such as establishing textile parks, technology upgradation through TUFS, etc., scheme for integrated textile parks which have fuelled the growth of the textile industry of India. Irani highlighted initiatives like Silk Samagra, Samarth introduced by the Government to support Indian textile value chain. She appreciated the industry captains for supporting the government by adopting GST reforms and urged them to tap the huge potential in technical textiles which has been identified as a sunrise sector. She also stated the national sample survey organisation will collate the data of Indian textile retail market by collaborating with office of the Textile Commissioner.

A pat on their backs Naidu conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award to Suresh Kotak, Chairman, Kotak & Co. And also gave away Pioneering Awards to Shekhar Agarwal, Vice Chairman, RSWM Ltd., P. Nataraj, Managing Director, KPR Mill Ltd., Neeraj Jain, Joint Managing Director, Vardhman Textiles Ltd. And Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu, Chairman & Managing Director, LMW Ltd. Global Textiles Conclave 2018 was organized as part of Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Confederation of Indian Textile Industry- CITI .

Awarding excellence and innovation Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, gave away Innotex 2018 Awards to the top three Winners for

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doing excellent work in their fields. R. Pothiraj received the first prize for his innovation on

‘32 per cent reduction in energy consumption in running airjet looms.’ Dhivagar bagged the second prize and Raj Kumar got third prize for their innovations in “Zero Defect of Spandex Miss Plating in Knitted Fabric” and “Computerised Vertical Embroidery Machine”, respectively.

Support for industry concerns and export promotion The minister advised the industry stakeholders to have brainstorming sessions on the current challenges and opportunities prevailing in the global T&C Sector and prepare a roadmap for the future of the Indian textile sector.

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4th Intex South Asia gets an overwhelming response The 4th edition of Intex South Asia, held from November 14 to 16, 2018, at BMICH in Colombo, Sri Lanka, showcased a wide range of innovative Products

he 4th edition of Intex South Asia, held from November 14 to 16, 2018, at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre (BMICH) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, showcased a wide range of innovative yarns, apparel and denim fabrics, clothing accessories and allied services. The show was jointly inaugurated by Taranjit

Singh Sandhu, India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka as chief guest and Indira Malwatte, Chairperson & CEO, Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) as guest of honour. Tan Yang Thai, High Commissioner of Malaysia in Sri Lanka and Sharad Amalean, Chairman, Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) were the special guests at the event. The opening ceremony was attended by many

diplomats, representatives of government bodies, heads of several trade bodies & chambers of commerce, industry leaders, delegates from several countries as well as electronic and print media of Sri Lanka and South Asia. Sharad Amalean, while addressing in the inaugural session, said, “The reason for having Intex in Sri Lanka is, because it is a neutral ground in terms of the hub that is being created in textile industry in this region. So with advancement of digital platforms across the world, it’s important that the supply chain is being supportive in this region and this exhibition contributes for us to become faster, meaningful and relevant in the industry.

Strong line up of exhibitors spells success The largest trade fair of its kind in the region, Intex South Asia welcomed over 200 leading and quality textile suppliers from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Switzerland, Australia, etc. There were country pavilions from India with 45 companies and Taiwan with 12 companies organised by Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) and Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF) respectively.

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Review Focus on Textile 4.0 concept A panel discussion on ‘Textile 4.0 – South Asia Dialogue’ highlighting the upcoming industry trends was organised alongside Fashion Fiesta at the event. The panel discussion was moderated by Rahul Mehta, President, CMAI and & Past President, International Apparel Federation and on the panel were Aroon Hirdaramani, Head of Future Leaders, Joint Apparel Association Forum of Sri Lanka& Director, Hiradamani Group; Ujwal Lahoti, Chairman, TEXPROCIL

see 4.0 concept could be implemented in their respective countries and businesses. The Fashion Fiesta included a special dance performance by Sway Dance Group of Sri Lanka and series of fashion shows that unveiled the creativity and design in textiles presented by Taiwan Textile Federation, The Woolmark Company, Sri Lanka Textile & Apparel Institute and a special sequence to highlight and promote apparel brands made in Sri Lanka by the Sri Lanka Apparel Brands Association (SLABA).

Showcasing innovations and future trends

This edition also saw the arrival of confirmed buyer elegations/groups from India, Taiwan, Nigeria and United Arab Emirates at the show. Overall, the show was attended by over 3,500 leading apparel exporters, sourcing offices, brands & retailers, indenting agents, e-tailers and others from over 18 countries and regions.

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& Managing Director of Lahoti Overseas (India); Furqan Ahmed, Director, MN Textiles (Pakistan) and Md. Golam Saroar, Managing Director & CEO, Bengal Hurricane Group (Bangladesh) who presented their views on the challenges and future of the textiles & apparel industry of South Asia and how they

At the Interactive Business Forum held on the second day, Sarah Schlenger, Research & Development (R&D) Commercialisation Manager-USA, The Woolmark Company(TWC) presented the use of merino wool in today’s fashion garments such as active wear, athleisure, eveningwear and TWC’s focus on innovation related to product development from as well as fashion trends/forecast for 2019/2020. The second session was presented by Shafiq Ahmad, Country Manager-Pakistan, Better Cotton Initiative(BCI) who gave valuable insights on ‘Future Proofing for Business – The Sustainable Way’, the role and commitment of BCI towards sustainability and Global brands associated with sustainable cotton sourcing.Sharad Amalean, while addressing in the inaugural session, said, “The reason for having Intex in Sri Lanka is, because it is a neutral ground in terms of the hub that is being created in textile industry in this region. So with advancement of digital platforms across the world, it’s important that the supply chain is being supportive in this region and this exhibition contributes for us to become faster, meaningful and relevant in the industry.

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Weaves 2018: Emerges as a platform for Indian weavers to showcase globally

eaves, South Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier textile fair, hosted 250 stalls spread over 20,000 sq. mt. pavilion, acted as a gateway to the textile industry for the weavers and providing them with an opportunity to showcase their products and connect with global customers. The event, held from December 5 to 8, 2018 at Texvalley, Erode, Tamil Nadu, facilitated partnership between Indian and international buyers with manufacturers and traders of this region. Weaves was held in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), at Texvalley, largest wholesale textile market in the heart of Erode.

Weaves generates Rs 800 crore revenue The buyer-seller meet Weaves generated

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revenues of over Rs 800 crore. The theme of the event was Global Connect for Weavingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. It attracted about 1,000 business visitors and over 250 exhibitors representing the textile industry ranging from fabrics to weaving machines. The event was inaugurated by A. Sakthivel, Vice-Chairman, Apparel Export Promotion Council and Regional Chairman, Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), who noted that the state accounted for 60 per cent of yarn and fabric exports, and 85 per cent of knitwear exports. It provides 40 lakh jobs per year, 60 per cent of which are held by women employees.

Single point of textile sourcing Texvalley is an integrated textile market, first of its kind in South India. It is an initiative by the government of India with the support of

the government of Tamil Nadu to help weavers in this cluster elevate to the next level. The market represents the southern states textile activities, which has grown in terms of value, volume and variety over the decades. It houses domestic textile zone and export zone with a complete eco-system of business ethics, compliance and certifications. It has thus become a single point of textile sourcing for domestic and global market.

Elevating weavers to the next level Texvalley, an integrated textile market, in South India represents the southern states textile activities, which has grown in terms of value, volume and variety over the decades. It houses the domestic textile and the export zones, with a complete eco-system of business ethics, compliance and certifications.

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Review

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48 Business News The plan is to double production capacity over the next three or four years. Lux will merge its two group constituents, JM Hosiery and Ebell Fashions, with itself. JM Hosiery owns the men’s brand GenX and Ebell Fashions owns the women’s brand Lyra.

One8 clocks in Rs 100 crores in its first year

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail aims to double earnings in fiscal’20

arnings of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail may double by fiscal ’20. In the September 2018 quarter, the company reported a 62 per cent year-on-year jump in operating profit before depreciation. Revenue grew by eleven per cent. Aditya Birla is the owner of Louis Philippe, Allen Solly and Peter England and has the license to sell apparels under the Forever 21 brand. The ebitda margin of Madura Garments expanded 200 basis points to 13 per cent in the September 2018 quarter. For the Pantaloon chain, ebidta margins expanded to 6.6 per cent in the September quarter from 4.8 per cent year-on year,

Lux targets Rs 1500 crores by 2020 Lux Industries has established its presence across the manufacturing value chain. The company is targeting a turnover of Rs 1,500 crores by 2020. The extensive distribution relationships have helped replenish sales with speed. The large pan-India distributor

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thanks to higher operating leverage with more stores maturing. The consolidated ebidta margin of Aditya Birla jumped to eight per cent from 5.5 per cent. The company’s strategy to offer lesser discounts on its brands has resulted in better profitability amid falling discounts by the industry especially online retailers. Aditya Birla will open around 300 new stores in fiscal ’19 across business segments, most of them in Tier II and III cities. It had 2,465 stores at the end of March 2018. The company expects margin expansion to continue fuelled by buoyancy in the operating leverage.

family (950 across India) has enhanced product accessibility. Lux currently has nearly 350 circular knitting machines and fully automated in-house stitching units. The plant in West Bengal is a state-of-the-art 12 lakh sq. ft. manufacturing facility. The plant is extensively integrated from knitting to cutting, making it possible to deliver products with speed, coupled with enhanced value addition. The plant has 108 stitching / sewing machines, eleven high-speed knitting machines and 60 sock knitting machines, as well as a cutting machine.

Athleisure brand One8 has clocked in a revenue of Rs 100 crores in the first year of its launch. The brand was created by India’s national cricket team captain Virat Kohli in association with German retailer Puma. Kohli has signed a Rs 110-crore eight-year endorsement deal with the German retailer. He is the first Indian sportsperson to sign such a big deal with a single retailer. Kohli is not the first Indian cricketer to create his own brand. Former Indian skipper MS Dhoni created his sports clothing and footwear brand Seven while Harbhajan Singh had also launched the Bhajji sports line of apparel and sports gear. Even global sports legends like tennis superstar Roger Federer, former basketball legend Michael Jordan and footballer Cristiano Ronaldo have successfully rolled out their own brands.

VIP Clothing to suspend license agreement with Eminence

VIP Clothing will not continue the Eminence license agreement entered with Eminence group for manufacturing and marketing of undergarmenta\s under Brand name called Eminence. The agreement is due to expire on December 31, 2018. Contribution towards sales from the brand was not significant and hence VIP won’t be renewing the agreement further from January 1, 2019. VIP Clothing was incorporated in the year 1991. Its current market capitalisation stands at Rs 246.14 crore. In the latest quarter, VIP reported gross sales of Rs 2,223.78 crore and total income of Rs 2, 236.58 crore.

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50 Business News Future Retails targets Rs 2,500 crore revenue in 2019

uture Retail, the retail arm of Future Group, which owns footwear brands such as Converse, Sketchers and Clarks, has targeted revenue of Rs 2,500 crore in 2019. The company is expected to clock revenue of Rs 1,600 crore this year. Future Retail recently launched its 44th fashion departmental store in India. The store -- Central, in New Delhihas a footwear section spread across 10,000 sq. ft. It houses both the company’s in-house brands as well as other brands such as Woodland and Red Tape. Future Retail will set up 12 new Central stores next year. The company is also present in the value fashion segment through its chain of 61 ‘FBB’ stores which it plans to take it to 100 next year. It also

E-retailing facing huge losses in India From 2015 to 2018 losses have risen some 100 per cent in eretailing sector. Already, high last-mile delivery costs have compelled hyperlocals like Grofers to switch

sells value segment apparels, footwear and accessories in its Big Bazaar stores. to an inventory-led model from an aggregatororiented one. Even so, they’re struggling as margins remain thin. However, the large amounts of money mopped up by food delivery and grocery delivery companies have materially altered the narrative of these

companies — from a focus on unit economics, these have started spending heavily on customer acquisition once again. Reliance on financiers is high and any pullback in funding may lead to some sort of consolidation. Customer acquisition costs remain high as players try to grow market share. Amazon India often looks to give sellers maximum return on investments by building products and services for them that bring down their costs and boost sales. Over the last 12 or 18 months, more and more of their sellers are choosing to sell on Amazon. That shows that sellers are broadly successful on Amazon’s marketplace and not just a few big sellers driving sales. The cash burn may be high but e-retailers believe it is money well spent. It’s not only customers they’re catering to by making things more affordable, they’re looking out for vendors too.

Flipkart, Myntra to restructure their fashion businesses

Walmart-owned online retailer Flipkart plans to restructure its fashion business. To achieve this, the company is shuffling the technology teams at Flipkart and Myntra. Amar Nagaram, Head of Consumer Shopping Experience at Flipkart, has been moved to Myntra in a newly-created role of chief technology and product officer (CTPO), while Myntra’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Jeyandran Venugopal has moved to Flipkart to head its engineering division. Nagaram may eventually head Myntra,. He has worked at Flipkart for about seven years, joining as an engineering manager in 2012 and taking on different roles, more recently as vice president heading consumer shopping experience. Before joining Flipkart he was employed with Walmart Labs. Last month, Walmart merged the two fashion businesses of the Flipkart Group — Myntra and Jabong. This combined entity, would come under the direct control of Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO, Flipkart.The merger would lead to downsizing of Jabong’s 400-member team by almost 50 per cent. Walmart aims to draw synergies between the two companies in sourcing products from various fashion labels and merchants, which till now was done separately by both teams.

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52 Fashion Post Ritu Kumar to open fourth flagship store in Mumbai

itu Kumar will open a new flagship store for Label Ritu Kumar in Bandra, Mumbai. The store will be the designer’s fourth in the city. The new store will be spread over 905 sq. ft. Its black store front with gold lettering will reflect the opulent aesthetic of the brand

Masaba to debut in Chennai with maiden store Masaba Gupta will open stores in New Delhi and Chennai before the end of the year.

and this will be contrasted with more rustic elements within such as exposed brickwork and industrial style fittings. The store will launch with Kumar’s autumn/winter 2018 collection “Just Dance”. The collection is inspired by dance, hip hop, and urban culture. The collection has a sportswear touch and features bold prints and metallics. Along with Kumar’s ready-to-wear, the store will house the designers latest jewelery collection in collaboration with the Mumbai-based jewellery brand Rhea Jewelery. The bold costume jewelery will be displayed front and centre in store illuminated by bright, overhead lighting.

The designer already has two stores in New Delhi. So this will be the third store and the first in Chennai. This year has been a whirlwind for the brand

with numerous pop-up shops in Canada, Singapore, Thailand, the US, UK, and Kenya, among other countries. This was the first time the brand retailed in many of those countries and international shoppers came out in full force to support the brand. The repeated trips to Canada and the US show the success of Gupta’s travelling store initiative. Known for designs that personify modern meets motifs, Masaba has taken the industry by storm with her unconventionally bold creations. The designer has also reinvented the sari in terms of prints and fabrics and made it more appealing to the younger generation. At the Amazon India fashion week, spring/ summer 2017 edition, her collection delved into the world of vivid and beautifully bold colors that illustrate the concept of quirky yet strong independent women.

Anushka Dandekar to launch exclusive lingerie line Television host and video jockey Anusha Dandekar has collaborated with leading fashion lingerie brand PrettySecrets to launch an exclusive lingerie line. The ‘Anusha for PrettySecrets’ collection will include a mix of lingerie, nightwear, activewear, and swimwear. The collection is targeted at the young, fun, fashionable girls who would like to buy something from a celebrity label collection at affordable price points. The collection will be available across all 28 PrettySecrets across pan-India and online. PrettySecrets was founded in 2011 and the brand expects to break even by end of the current fiscal. The brand has been expanding its product categories by collaborating with celebrities to enhance its visibility and tap the millennials for growth in the country.

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54 industry Byte

Spykar to enter content creation

he 26-year-old denim brand Spykar is contemplating to enter content creation. However, the brand has not set any deadline for this. Sanjay Vakharia, CEO, Spykar, said, “Our interest in music is quite large, specifically in alternative music. Whether it is rap or hip-hop, we are creating a lot of content around this. We are also figuring out where and when we should be there in content creation. As of now, it is going to be related more to fashion and music.” Music as a form of marketing offers brands a meaningful way to connect with its audience, especially when they are young. The choice of music also says a lot about the brand itself. Spykar has been targeting the urban population with its music associations such as

Global Citizen India with Coldplay and Jay Z. They were also part of the Bollywood Music Project, and did a music video with Brodha V. Vakharia told BuzzInContent.com that Bollywood and music will also be a way ahead for Spykar. Having kept a specific budget aside for

content marketing for 2019, Vakharia sees huge role of content in reaching out to its consumers. “Content in itself is kind of maturing. People are creating and consuming content. This started as a natural process. Now science and methodology has been put to it. It has been a few years of content creation; how it is going to pan out is something that is yet to be seen,” he said. According to Vakharia, the traditional mediums will always be important because the audience in India consumes it more compared to the digital space. “For a brand to be seen as a large brand, or potential and impactful brand, they have to consume the traditional medium as well. I don’t see any future currently without a traditional medium. It will not be digital only,” he added.

Devendra Chawla resigns as Walmart India COO

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evendra Chawla, COO, Walmart India has resigned from his post after a tenure of 15 months. He is likely to be replaced by Sameer Aggarwal, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Administrative Officer of the company’s Indian subsidiary. An alumnus of Harvard Business School, Chawla was responsible for merchandising, marketing, procurement and omni-channel at Walmart India. He was also a director on the board, as per filings available from the Registrar of Companies. Before this, Chawla was CEO of Future Consumer, and President of the Future Group for food, FMCG and brands. He was earlier a director at Coca Cola India. Aggarwal, who joined Walmart India in April 2018, currently leads finance, technology, legal, audit and strategy functions. An MBA from London Business School, he was earlier chief finance, development and supply chain officer at KFC Thailand and had worked with Sainsbury’s in UK and China. Walmart India owns and operates 23 ‘Best Price Modern Wholesale’ stores in India and two fulfilment centres. It has plans to add 50 new stores over the next 4-5 years.

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56 media quotes THE COMPLETE GARMENT PROCESSING UNIT

‘Unlimited is one of the key drivers for our future value creation as it is the only brand in our portfolio that addresses the value fashion segment, which can take advantage of the largest growth segment in the Indian apparel market — the value fashion segment.’ J Suresh MD & CEO of Arvind Fashions Ltd

Contact:

Bhagirath DIRECTOR Mobile: 9910522224 C-103, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase -1, New Delhi - 110020 Phone: 41612716 / 41612717 Works: Prithala Dhatir Road, Village Dhatir, Tehsil Palwal, Faridabad (Haryana) Ph: 01275 - 260078 / 79

‘We aim to continue with the same pace for store expansion for the next couple of years as well. In the next two years we should have around 60-75stores in the country.” Pankaj Vermani Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Clovia

e-mail: neelkanth_apparels@yahoo.co.in / naplc103@gmail.com website: www.neelkanthapparels.in

‘Spencer’s for the first six months actually got to a PBT break-even… this is a very strong step forward,” Sanjiv Goenka Chairman, Spencer’s Retail

“We are bullish about our potential to deliver strong, sustainable growth in this important geography. For over three decades, Nike has been a brand of China, for China’ Andy Campion CFO, Nike

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