Contents MENSWEAR TRENDS STORY - FORMAL
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MENSWEAR TRENDS STORY - CASUAL
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MENSWEAR TRENDS STORY - DENIMS
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COVER STORY - EAGLE BIRDS
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STYLE PAGES - MENS WEAR
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TRENDS FORECAST - KIDS
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KIDSWEAR TRENDS STORY
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STYLE PAGES - MENS WEAR
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SUBSCRIPTION 48 DFU PUBLICATIONS Editor-in Chief & Publisher & CEO - Sanjay Chawla
Advisor
Director - Salil Chawla
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- T. K. Sengupta
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MENSWEAR TRENDS
‘We aim to expand and consolidate all our operations’
Ramesh Kaushik VP, Brand Experience, Blackberry “Cotton & linen remain our first choice in summer fabrics with blends for business suits. Our collection offers structure, checks, floral prints and solid patterns. The color palette is vibrant blue, deep tones and subtle pastels for a summery look”
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ith a market size of Rs 97,000 crore, menswear is the largest segment in Indian apparel market, making up 43 per cent of overall market. Out of this, men’s formal wear accounts for Rs 15,000 crore, with five to six premium brands worth to Rs 3,000 crore. While the market for men’s ethnic wear is estimated at Rs 1623 crore and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.5 per cent, this will largely be within the high fashion, high value segment that is heavily guided by occasionbased purchases.
Season’s offerings Latest innovations in men’s formal wear include: multi-use garments that can be worn effortlessly on multiple occasions. Blackberrry Formals Winter ’18 collection, for instance, is crafted to let the outfit transform from business look to evening party look. “It includes three-piece suits which give the advantage of carrying multiple looks with a single ensemble, there are multi-collar
In festive/winter collections, menswear brands are experimenting with a plethora of designs and silhouettes. Mutli-use garments that transform effortlessly from formal to evening wear, to a play of layers and textures in ethnic wear, the choice is huge this season. Shubhangi Bidwe tracks the latest trends. Multi-use garments are the latest launch in men’s formalwear Deep sunshine colors such as the bright shades of blue are the hallmark of men’s formal wear Ethnic wear collection is dominated by a lush mix of gold metallic with powerful notes of red, navy and wine colors and other accents Ethnic wear market has a play of layers and textures In ethnics traditional fabrics like brocades, silks, and velvets come in play Formals revolve around comfort of aspiring men Ethnic wear aims to strike a balance between ethnic skills and modern sensibilities
MENSWEAR TRENDS
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Vito Notaristefano Head of Design and Made-to-Measure Specialist, Tailorman
shirt that blend for different occasions. This upcoming season collection covers the different moods and occasions,” states Ramesh Kaushik, VP, Brand Experience. “Fashionable tuxedos are a highlight of this collection with satin lapels. Deep tones with bright blue bring appeal to this collection. The celebration shirts on the other hand, come in premium lustrous fabric blends with rich texture and clean fit. Prints and contemporary checks are the highlight here. Trousers come in deep tones and textures with checkered options and structure patterns,” he adds. Tailorman’s new ethnic collection on the other hand, denotes a firm masculine assertion, yet keeping a core nature of playful romanticism, silhouettes. It reflects shadows of a man who is complete within himself and is entrenched in his roots and origins. “We play with a fusion of cultural staples, the bandhgala, the kurta and the sherwani with a sleeker influence that speaks to a modern and global audience. We also aim to view traditional fabrics like brocades, silks, and velvets through a contemporary lens,” eluicidates Vito Notaristefano-Head, Design and Made-to-Measure Specialist, Tailorman.
Color Palette and Theme Kaushik states deep sunshine colors such as bright shades of blue are the hallmark of men’s formal wear, the ethnic wear collection of Tailorman is dominated by a lush mix of gold metallic with powerful notes of red, navy and wine colors, among other accents, explains Notaristefano Not just colors, the themes of men’s
formal and ethnic wear are different. Men’s formal wear such as Blackberrys Formals A/W’18 collections revolves around the comfort needs of aspiring men, while the ethnic wear market aims to strike a balance between ethnic skills and modern sensibilities, bringing the two together in a seamless fashion.
Fabrics used In formalwear, cotton and linen remain the first choice of brand owners, when it comes to summer fabrics with blends for business suits. “Our collection offers structure, checks, floral prints and solid patterns across the collection. The colour palette is vibrant blue, deep tones and subtle pastels for a summery look,” informs Kaushik. Ethnic wear, on the other hand, is gradually shifting from cotton to thicker fabrics. “Until last month, we were looking at a lot of cotton and linen fabrics to beat the hot and humid weather but with slow transition into fall and autumn, we’re shifting to tones a shade darker and fabrics a little thicker than what we donned earlier this year,” notes Notaristefano.
Styles and cuts As for styles and cuts, ethnic wear market sees a play of layers and textures. “Asymmetric patterns have made a big come back this season and especially in our ethnic wear collection. As the year ends, the wedding season begins. This switch draws attention to motifs traditionally inspired from mosaic and art deco, a perfect balance between patterns and modernism,” adds Notaristefano. Formalwear on the other hand aims to explore multi-use properties of
“Our new ethnic collection ‘Romeo’, works around the concept of ‘romance’. The collection is emboldened by and embodied with references and inspirations taken from iconic characters like ‘Django’ from Tarantino’s ‘Django Unchained’; and Leonardo Di Caprio’s suave and contemporary take on the great Mr Gatsby” the garment. Blackberrys collection is based on the use of multi-occasion garments. “These are equipped with reversible jackets, detachable collars and lapels and surprise elements that give them the option to wear the outfit for different occasions. The trousers come with functional units, like reversible trims, satin waist that go perfectly for weddings and when worn with a belt becomes a formal trouser for work.”
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CASUAL WEAR
Fashion and lifestyle gets a new dimension
Harkirat Singh Managing Director, Woodland India “The collection comprises apparels and footwear to wear on a lavish holiday. It has fashionable pastel colored polo, collared shirts for breezy mornings, stylish boat shoes, and classy lace-up sneakers”
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he casual wear market in for men and women encompasses shirts/tops, trousers/skirts, denims, T-shirts, activewear, and dailywear. The men’s casual wear market has higher penetration and is comparatively more mature than women’s. The market, in recent years, has recorded substantially higher growth, especially in the branded segment.
Latest innovations In recent years, there has been a huge growth in T-shirts like polo tees, active wear, and denims growing at a CAGR of around 14 per cent. The market is riding on growing fashion consciousness among modern men, increased brand penetration, higher disposable incomes, social media reach, and the adoption of specialised clothing with special features like odor resistance. This trend is ubiquitous in both metros and in small cities. A striking example of this is the recent Resort Wear collection from Woodland. “The collection comprises apparels and footwear to wear on a lavish holiday. It has fashionable pastel colored polo, collared
Casual wear is the mainstay in fashion world today. While global brands have made inroads in India, domestic brands are adopting global trends in colours, fabrics, styles to come up with collections to suit Indian tastes, writes Shubhangi Bidwe. shirts for breezy mornings, stylish boat shoes, and classy lace-up sneakers,” says Harkirat Singh, Managing Director, Woodland. “Izod, in its Fall/Winter 2018, collection offers two key capsules – Winter Nautical, encapsulating the college prep and nautical themes; Explorer, the quintessential winter look,” informs Sumit Dhingra, Chief Executive Officer-Heritage Brands Division, Arvind Fashions. Similarly, Cantabil, in its upcoming S/S ’19 collection follows international trends. “We are introducing athleisure, global nomadic culture, sustainability, fabric innovations, feasibility, regeneration, comfort, minimal structured floral and geometric prints, minimal styling, individuality, modern migration, hand feel of textures and functionality of design,” explains Deepak Bansal, Director, Cantabil. The theme for the S/S ’19 is free spirit, functional and reflection. The brand has opted for minimal styling as per its targeted consumer group.
Style statement As far as style goes, Cantabil works on minimal styling as per its targeted consumer
group. “We give value addition in each and every style which represents a unique individuality and style identity. Our theme for S/S ’19 is free people, functional and reflection,” remarks Bansal. Woodland on the other hand positions itself as a rugged, outdoor brand, preferred by adventure enthusiasts. “Our brand combines activity focused designs and technologically advanced materials, created in the most innovative and effective manner. We are also committed to sustainable and eco-friendly business practices through innovation and technology,” remarks Singh. Classic Polo goes through global colors followed by global forecast sites to offer a collective color palette for the season. “This includes our core colors, pastels, bright tones, mid tones, darker shades and mélange,” says Usha Periasamy, Director. Woodland, on the other hand, opts for vibrant colors such as olive green, ice blue, black, red, lilac, orange, wine etc, while Cantabil’s color palette includes colors for the season SS-19 such as shades of indigo, blue cadet, sunny yellow, riot red, rubber plant green and khaki.
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Usha Periasamy Director, Classic Polo “We go through global colors followed worldwide forecast sites and come up with a collective color palette for the season with respect to the brand and our market segment. This includes our core colors, pastels, bright tones, mid tones, darker shades and mélange” Fabrics Used
Deepak Bansal Director, Cantabil “We have introduced high quality fabrics, minimal and value added styling keeping in mind the functionality of the product, wash processing to generate feel to the garments and use of sustainable raw materials”
With the emergence of new styles, the fabrics used are also undergoing a huge change. The upcoming collections of Classic Polo for instance, will see the use of fabrics like mercerised cotton, Lycra, micro knitted denim. Similarly, Woodland has launched a collection of varied fabrics for the season such as light wear cotton, linen, rayon etc. Cantabil is using denim, knitted dobby, 3X1 twill in heavy over-dyed tint, satin, organic fabric with less Lycra, linen and cotton dobby, blended linen, imported TR, single cotton jersey and dobby knits.
Future trends Every year fashion and lifestyle industry gets a new dimension, which is good for the business. As Bansal says, “The most widely growing trend in casual wear is increase in online stores. Other trend is customization of clothes and accessories,” Dhingra believes the launch of the sports flex fabric, which offers stretch for maximum comfort, quick dry-moisture is pulled to the fabric surface where it evaporates, roll resistant collar, UV protection, will play an important role in determining the future fabric trends. Whatever may be the case the future of casual wear market in India certainly looks promising.
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TRENDS: MEN’S DENIM
Evergreen denim dons new style, colour and cut for A/W’18
Denim’s versatility has made it a must have in every man’s wardrobe. Every season, brands innovate with wash, colours, fit, accessories and more to make their collection stand out in a crowded market. For A/W ’18 brands have experimented with denim to give it a new look and feel, finds out Shubhangi Bidwe. Denim has been a primary piece of clothing to a large population for over a decade
Sumit Dhingra CEO-Heritage Brands Divison, Arvind Fashions “Denim will be a key category both from business point of view and future trend. “We are working on multiple fabric bases for denim. While 100 per cent of our range is cotton-stretch, we have also introduced knit denim this season – these ensure you have the look and feel of denim but comfort of a sweatpants. We have also introduced a new slimmer fit”
Spykar has created a line of denims called Purist which offers pure form of denim The Spykar collection is dominated by the color black Being Human Clothing A/W’18 collection is divided into two themes: athleisure and denim Izod has introduced knit denims this season Stretch has become an integral part of denim range today
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enim has been a primary piece of clothing to a large population for the last 10 years. There is no bottom wear, especially in men’s section which rivals or competes with denim. It is a versatile product that adds function and utility to a fashion statement. Denim is so all encompassing that it is difficult to narrowly define it. While being a high utility garment, it is also serves as high end fashion. It is one of the few products across the category which has this appeal and utility, and is a great leveler. As for the merit of the fabric
and functionality, it lasts as it is a much tougher, versatile and universal garment.
Latest innovations Spykar, a prominent Indian denim brand for the last 25 years, has been consistently making a great pair of jeans to serve young Indians. The brand has extremely well crafted products. “Spykar has always been known for its fashion denim, which is known as ‘Actif’, which is high fashion. The brand has created a line of denim called ‘Purist’. As the name suggests, it is a pure form of denim which gives ease and comfort to the
TRENDS: MEN’S DENIM customer. It is simple garmentation, with high end and rich fabrics and is extremely simple and subtle. It has a lot to do with fabric, fits and finally the washes,” states Sanjay Vakharia, CEO, Spykar. Spykar’s YNR collection is extremely edgy, topical and in line with what is happening worldwide. Since this concept is yet to enter India, it is doing well somewhere else. The brand ensures surface treatment through its Actif collection. This collection offers innovations like ankle length and encompasses everything that is happening currently in the world of fashion. For example, if boot cuts come into fashion, probably Spykar will be the first to include it into the YNR collection Innovation is the also the foundation of Being Human Clothing’s A/W’18 offering. The collection is divided into two themes: Athleisure and Denim. “Keeping it extremely trendy and youthful, the collection introduces new products across all categories with a key focus on denims and shirts. Each line has multiple themes covering latest trends in casual and street wear,” says Saurabh Singh, Head Designer-Menswear, Being Human. The athleisure collection has two themes ‘Digital Grunge’ and ‘Modern Noise; whereas the denim collection draws inspiration from ‘Future Rises from the East’ and ‘Into the Wild’. Each theme is distinct in terms of color palettes and styles in sync with latest
fashion trends. “Digital Grunge is inspired by street sports grunge vibe with bright pop colors and a contrast of sheen and matte finish where as Modern Noise is a completely monochromatic theme primarily in black, grey and white along with a few muted pastel featuring graphics with heavy distress and noise effects. Denim line, Future Rises from the East draws inspiration from the clash of oriental and western influences, animal prints, paisleys, bright plaids and Japanese prints, fused to create a modern bohemian ad-hoc style statement. Into the Wild explores the heritage of denim work wear and how it was worn by miners, lumberjacks and other blue collared workers back in the day. The line reinterprets it to keep up with current times,” Singh explains
Regular blue, black and pop colours As far as color pallete is concerned, a big play on black is happening in Spykar. “Our collection will also have regular blue and grey sets. Black being the eternal favorite has been doing well in the last three to four years,” notes Vakharia. The color palette for Being Human includes monochromes and bright pop colors keeping in sync with the themes for the season. “Apart from our casual collection which is always a hot seller, we also have a smart casual collection which works well for the festive season. Featuring key pieces like smart tailored stretch shirt paired with slim fit chinos are perfect to wear for an evening out or a festive event,” Singh informs.
Future trends Elaborating on future trends for the segment, Singh states, “In the past few seasons, we have seen a drastic growth in denim segment making it stand out as a category in youth fashion. While athleisure will be a steady market, denim will involve
Sanjay Vakharia CEO, Spykar “Spykar has always been known for its fashion denim, which is known as ‘Actif’, which is high fashion. The brand has created a line of denim called ‘Purist’. As the name suggests, it is a pure form of denim which gives ease and comfort to the customer”
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Saurabh Singh Head Designer-Menswear, Being Human “Keeping it extremely trendy and youthful, the collection introduces new products across all categories with a key focus on denims and shirts. Each line has multiple themes covering latest trends in casual and street wear” more experimentation and innovation.” Sumit Dhingra, CEO-Heritage Brands Divison, Arvind Fashions is optimistic about the future. “Denim will be a key category both from business point of view and future trend,” he opines. “We are working on multiple fabric bases for denim. While 100 per cent of our range is cotton-stretch, we have also introduced knit denim this season – these ensure you have the look and feel of denim but comfort of a sweatpants. We have also introduced a new slimmer fit,” he adds.
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COVER STORY: EAGLE BIRD
It’s all about multi-use garments to fusion of cultural staples A brainchild of three entrepreneurs, who wanted to address the gap in casual wear space in India, Eagle Bird was launched in 2015. The Mumbai-based brand offers short kurtas, long pathanis and denim shirts. Harsh Jain, Pankaj Bhanushali and Kanji Bhanushali, Directors of Eagle Bird speak about the brand’s operations, collections and future plans. Launched in 2015, Eagle Bird offers short kurtas, long pathanis and denim shirts
Harsh Jain Director “Our year on year growth has been quite promising, and we hope to continue with the same in coming years. We have been well accepted by an increasing number of customers. This kind of acceptability can be acquired only through continuous thrust on value added products that touches people’s life in a constructive way”
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hat is Eagle Bird’s USP? Our capacity to experiment and add value to everything that we do, be it fabrics, colors, styles or designs, is our biggest USP. We experiment a lot with fabrics, colors and designs. Our entire collection is divided in plains and prints, having about 110 variants in each. We mostly use pastel colors in both plains and prints.
Who is your target audience? Customers in the age group of 18 to 60 years and since our collections are not restricted to any income class or category, we don’ classify them in any other category. Our garments are priced in the range Rs 899 to Rs 1,499, hence, can be afforded by everybody.
The brand is currently present only in MBOs Large format retail is also on the cards The collection is divided into plains and prints Targets boys and men in the age group 18 to 60 years MRPs have gone up by 20 per cent
COVER STORY: EAGLE BIRD
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Kanji Bhanushali Director “Our capacity to experiment and add value to everything that we do, be it fabrics, colors, styles or designs, is our biggest USP. We experiment a lot with fabrics, colors and designs.” media and globalisation has enlightened our customers in such a way that they now know what exactly they want to buy and when.
What made you opt for the casual wear category? Since there weren’t many players in this segment, we decided to venture into it. This is not the usual casual wear segment. The products are unique and offered by only a few players though the market is huge. If crafted properly, this segment offers immense scope, the reason our performance has been improving and likely to continue in future also.
Pankaj Bhanushali Director “We are spreading our retail footprints aggressively in northern and southern markets. These include states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. We are also experimenting and adding new categories on product side”
What are your growth expectations from this year? Our year on year growth has been quite promising, and we hope to continue with the same in coming years. We have been well accepted by an increasing number of customers. This kind of acceptability can be acquired only through continuous thrust on value added products that touches people’s life in a constructive way.
What about raw material and price increase? We source from the domestic market where availability is not an issue. Our MRPs have gone up 20 per cent.
What kind of competition do you face? The market for this segment is very big but so is competition. As long as competition is healthy, it’s good for growth as a brand and industry as a whole. The rise of social
Elaborate on your retail spread. We are present in MBOs only. Our sales and distribution network, on a pan India basis, is growing considerably, hence, we don’t feel the need to go online. Though, it is certainly on our minds. Large format retail is also on the cards and we may soon be available in this format.
How important is branding for you? Branding is the reason we wish to explore large format retail. We also advertise and do branding in shops. Additionally, we plan to participate in all upcoming fairs.
What are your future plans? We aim to not only expand but also consolidate all our operations from production to retail. We are spreading our retail footprints aggressively in northern and southern markets. These include states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. We are also experimenting and adding new categories on product side. Our recent concept ‘FatherSon’ under ‘Eagle Bird Junior’, is the best example in this context. Under this concept, we offer the clothes for both father and son, as the name suggests, it’s been quite a success. We keep experimenting with new concepts which help us grow continuously in these competitive times.
style feature
Brand & The Collection Formed by its owner Paresh Dhanji Dedhia in 1995, Dare Jeans offers formals, casuals and jeans in 100 per cent cotton sourced from reputed mills such as Raymonds, Arvind Mills, Vardhaman, Ashima, etc. The brand is offering a huge range of denims and casuals as a part of its winter collection along with introducing a new core denim super core series in knitted denims in different washes such as cloud, pigment and china touch ups, etc. Available in all shades of indigo, these jeans will be available in the price range of Rs. 999 to Rs. 1,999. Having a pan India presence, Dare Jeans is particularly operational in the western and northern parts of India especially Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Kashmir. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, M.P, UP, Gujarat, etc.
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A vibrant dash ofopportunities attract established and new players Kids wear is offering tremendous opportunities to brands looking to expanding their market reach. While competition is high but the perks of being in the business are also extremely enriching, find out Ajay Goswami and Prerna Sharma
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ndia has emerged one of the most promising markets for apparel with its wide consumer base. Indian apparel market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9 per cent, from $41 billion in 2013 to reach $102 billion in 2023. While kids wear market was estimated at $8.3 billion, making up 20 per cent of India’s overall apparel market, given its higher growth rate, this share is expected to increase to 22 per cent by 2023, reveals a Technopak study. Kids wear segment is somewhat skewed towards boys wear as of now. Boys wear was estimated at $4.3 billion in 2013 compared girl wear, which was estimated at $4.0
• Technopak study estimates kids market at $8.3 billion • Makes up 20 per cent of India’s overall apparel market • Is expected to increase to 22 per cent by 2023 • Comfort tops the key criteria for all manufacturers • Cotton remains most preferred fabric • Girls wear is catching up fast with boys segment • With the onset of festive season, vibrant colours are in demand • GST proved to be a positive brands as business was streamlined
Sharad Venkta MD & CEO, Toonz Retail “At Toonz Retail, we believe in offering heavy discounts to attract online and offline customers. The strategy is simple. Besides selling our current fashion, we also look forward to launching new season’s collection”
billion. But with an increase in spending on the girl child, girls wear segment is expected to catch up with the boys wear in the near future. Girls wear segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11 per cent over the next decade, while the boys wear will grow at 10 per cent.
New collections for festive winter
With the market growing at a fast pace, many new brands forayed into this space while dedicated kids only brands have added to their product basket. What’s
more, top global and domestic brands have extended their lines to add kids’ wear to their collection. Toonz Retail’s new collection under labels ‘Super Young Boys/Girls Stories’ and ‘WowMom Boys/Girls Stories’, are loaded with theme-based clothes and coordinated styling. The collections encompass three different themes: inspired by cultural travel and hand sketched safari theme to create memorable travel diaries; for sporty kids who love outdoor fun; for water babies for that perfect beach holiday. Each theme is
KIDSWEAR named differently for boys and girls. The collection focus on playful and airy styles in cool breathable cotton fabrics for both babies and toddlers 0-3 years under the brand WowMom and young kids aged 3-12 years under Super Young. Using chemical free dyes in super soft finish for soft skin, the WowMom collection come in pastel shades and light colours going into bold prints, while it is all about bright colours in the Super Young Collection. There is a lot of excitement around the prints, caricatures, alphabets and quotes for kids. The summer collection includes shirts, tee-shirt dresses, jumpsuits, shorts amongst others, making the kids look stylish happy. Talking about the style statement, Sharad Venkta, MD & CEO, Toonz Retail states, “Wear anything which is cool, casual and goes with your personality. It should be classy, trendy and smart. The theme is inspired by coordinated styling.” Toonz Retail is expanding its infant range as the category has a lot of potential. “We are creating a range of 130 products under the
Wow Mom brand for infants, which includes products from the time the baby is born till the baby turns three. The second product category we are entering into is sports and this will be for an older age group of kids,” he says. Under the infant range, products like baby snuggle wrap, double terry, hood toy, baby nappy, diaper bags, baby dry sheet etc will be introduce; the sports range will include products like tennis ball, cricket ball and swimwear. Brand Little Girl’s winter collection is a splash of colours as the group it caters to is choosey about colours. They have both bright and soft colours in this collection. The brand focuses on colour trends in fashion in the UK and Europe. English red, purple, navy blue, fawn, black these colours are good for winter and are in fashion. This collection will have a good range of plazzos and dungarees in addition to the rest of the western range. The latest innovation by Arvind, Dearly, Fashion Forecast is embroidery. The garments are available for kids aged one
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Premji Banana Baby “Banana Baby has been focussed on quality. From the fabric to cotton, we choose the best. The fabric generally used is cotton, hosiery cotton, muslin, velvet and net. Most of the raw materials are procured from Mumbai, Korea, Thailand and China” booming. “Our USP is design and fabric. We use denim, Lycra, knitted Lycra, knitted cotton. These are sourced from mill owners. We target the age group between 2-15 year old boys. Our price range starts from Rs 350 to Rs 600. We operate in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka. We now plan to venture into girls wear for the same age group 2-15 years,” informs Avadesh.
Fabric trends
Kamlesh Nanda, FEON “Our clothes are elegant and something that kids would love to wear anytime. Partywear collection is easy and comfortable. As of now, we make clothes only for girls but plan to venture into boys wear in the near future. We plan to be present in all MBOs by 2019”
years onwards. Since the brand does not have an EBO, it is sold through leading MBOs across India. It manufactures around 13,000-14,000 garments in a month, which are sold through distribution centres across India. The company launches new collection only during summers. For upcoming winter, Bad Boys’ collection is mostly in dark colours. The fabric used is majorly hosiery denims, which is extremely light weight and very comfortable. This fabric has already been introduced by big brands and they are following with a variety of colours. The brand targets 3 to 14 year olds and the price points vary between Rs 1,100 to Rs 2,000. Cozy ventured into kids wear in 2004 since the segment was
The most popular fabric for kids’ wear is cotton and cotton blends which also has Lycra in it. These fabrics are not only stretchable but extremely comfortable. Toonz Retail for example has stuck to these fabrics. Most of the fabrics used are from mills and no local products are used. Bad Boys has stuck to cotton and denim. The denim is procured from Raymond and cotton is procured from local mills. Colored cotton too, is procured from the local mills. In denim, there are different washes. Catering to girls, Little Girl is choosey about the fabric it uses. They generally opt for and comfortable fabrics like Lycra, denim and some fashionable fabric, which is procured locally or imported. Fabric like cotton and linen are generally not used for fancy clothes. The major fabric is procured from distributors in Mumbai and accessories and laces are procured from China. The brand is conscious about the quality of its product as it caters to an age group which needs to be comfortable and happy. Therefore, they pick and choose the best from fabric to accessories to give complete comfort. This is the USP of the brand.
Business expectations ahead
Venkta is confident GST related teething issues will slowly fade and the market will be ready for festive buying. With lower taxes in the lower price slabs, customers are sure to gain and buying will increase. With one tax, movement of goods will be faster and reach consumers quicker which will boost sales, feels Venkta. Talking about the discounting, he adds, “At Toonz Retail, we believe in offering heavy discounts to attract online and offline customers. The strategy is
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simple. Besides selling our current fashion, we also look forward to launching new season’s collection.” Owners of Little Girl too are now positive about GST. Anything new that is introduced into the system, is always a rejection at first. It will take time for this sector to understand the pros and cons. However, it is for the good as everything is transparent and the unorganised market is getting streamlined, which is very good for brands. According to Khandar of Bad Boys, GST was the best thing that happened. The introduction of GST has smoothened business and it has become more transparent and hassle free. The unorganised sector seems to be settling down, creating healthy competition in the market. The brand has had a smooth sail so far. Market upheaval due to GST did impact business, however, it is rolling back now and the festive season is expected to be good. As a brand, they are looking forward to at least a 20 per cent growth by the end of this financial year.
Emerging opportunities
Everyday comes with a new opportunity, believes Venkta. He goes on to reiterate discounting trend is changing a lot of ways. “At Toonz Retail, we believe in offering heavy discounts to attract both our online and offline customers. The strategy is simple. Besides selling our current fashion, we also look forward to launching new season’s collection.” As far as the number of exclusive brand outlet goes, Toonz has 81 stores currently. “We are concentrating on smaller town where customers are aspirational.
Jayesh, Doll “We are a 23-year old brand mainly into ethnic wear. When we started, we were new in the market and trying different fabrics and designs. The customers were not much aware about these kind of garments, so we tried to club ethnic wear with western wear by giving our garments a more western look. We use silk, banarasi brocade, silk brocade and high-end fabrics” Delhi, Rajasthan, UP, Maharashtra and Karnataka are our primary markets where we have maximum presence and have plans to expand our retail presence in these states,” Venkta adds. Little Girl is looking to doing good business this year. The festival season has always seen a boom and now that the market is picking up, business will also boom. Expectations are for 20 to 30 per cent rise in business.
Online, the new frontier
Much like the overall apparel retail market, online retailing has penetrated kids’ wear segment as well. Alongside rapid Internet penetration, consumers have several incentives to select online retailing as their preferred channel for purchases,
both for themselves as well as their children. Online stores offer unmatched ease of shopping using user-friendly interfaces, wider product assortments, shorter delivery cycles and lucrative options like cashon-delivery in order to attract consumers to their portals and of course discounts. In addition to kids wear specific online shopping stores, several kids wear brands offer online shopping facilities. Even fashion focussed online retailers have dedicated a substantial share of their websites to the kids wear segment. Toonz Retail at present, is selling through major retailers like Jabong, Flipkart, Amazon, while being present in online kids’ specialty sites. It has also launched its own website. There is a remarkable change in online market. While marketplaces are consolidating, many new players are entering to take advantage. “We haven’t seen a remarkable difference in our store sales due to online discounting. For our category, parents tend to physically check the quality and safety features of products, also stores provide them personal interface which build confidence and thus tend to buy offline,” informs Venkta. Bad Boys is not present online as they do not match their business ethics. The products are premium and cannot be put on discounts. Last year, ventured online, however it was not a success. However, the brand engages with distributors in states who are connected with MBOs. They are engaged with about 200 MBOs and 15-20 LFSs. EBOs are not meant for the product as it is a single product.