Summer Fair Express Vol 19 No.1 by InsideFashion

VOL 19 NO. 1

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Company Name : SIDDIQUE CREATIONS Brand Name : SILVER SEASONS Contact Person : Mr. Kafil Aktar (9831926731) Address :152 B, M.G. Road, 1st Floor, Kolkata - 700007 e-mail : siddiquecreationskafeel@gmail.com Products Offered : Salwar Suits

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40 76 CONTENT 66

BRAND LAUNCHES

LEAD STORY

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122 TRENDS AND STYLES 126 COMPANY UPDATE 128 BRAND STORIES 132 PREVIEW

Contents

139 REVIEW 140 POLICY

FASHION SCOPE

FASHION POST

142 E-TAIL

BRAND WATCH

146 BUSINESS NEWS

BRAND RETAIL

151 INDUSTRY BYTES

BUSINESS OUTLOOK

152 MEDIA QUOTES

DFU PUBLICATIONS Editor-in Chief & Publisher & CEO - Sanjay Chawla

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Mangaging Editor - Sujata Dutta Sachdeva VP-Corporate Communications - Shraboni Mukherjee Editorial - Narayan Subramaniam Shubhangi Bidwe Editorial Asst. - Ranjit Kaur Special Correspondent - Ajanta Ganguly Correspondent - Ajay Kumar Goswami Prerna Sharma Sales Team

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MUMBAI OFFICE: 38/314, Unnat Nagar 4, Off M. G. Road, MHADA Colony, Goregaon (W), Mumbai - 400 062. Ph: 022 2875 5181, 2877 2282, 3001 4700 e-mail: dfuif@yahoo.co.in / dfu@rediffmail.com DEHLI OFFICE: Salil Chawla, Business & Mktg: New Delhi - 110017, Mobile: +9193503 18639 e-mail: salildfu@gmail.com, salil@dfupublications.com All reproductions rights reserved. Owned & published by: Sanjay Chawla and printed by him at DFU printing division. Published and Edited by Sanjay Chawla at: 38/314, Unnat Nagar 4, Off M. G. Road, MHADA Colony, Goregaon (W), Mumbai 400 062.

43 FASHION SCOPE Raghavendra Rathore to present ‘An Ode To The Bandhgala’ at Lakmé Fashion Week 2019 every creation by the clothing brand. Says prolific designer Raghavendra Rathore, about the collection, “Nexa is a car, but it’s inspiring artists and supporting the creative community, to wake up to a new India of possibilities. A symphony of artisanal values, our heritage, and our rich cultural roots brings together a collection that is called An Ode To The Bandhgala, The Indianization of Fashion, where primitive values connect with a modern expression of fashion” Talking about the association R. S. Kalsi Sr. Executive Director, Marketing & Sales Maruti Suzuki commented, “NEXA is an exciting experience of innovation and excellence. We are the creators of new, ever-evolving, always inspiring.

ce designer Raghavendra Rathore will soon be unveiling his latest collection, An Ode To The Bandhgala, influenced by and created around formal evening dressing. The bespoke range encourages textures and techniques, intricate embroideries and luxe fabrics, that can recharge underprivileged talent that sits, undiscovered and uncapped, across the cultural landscape of India. It navigates through the rich handicrafts and artisanal heritage our country offers, with a sense of responsibility that leans towards sustainable fashion. The collection will be showcased at this year’s Lakmé Fashion Week Summer Resort 2019. Slick cuts and modern silhouettes make for exemplary sartorial style, inspired by Nexa’s range of automobiles that emulate an elegant balance between classic and contemporary appeal. The colour palette comprises dark neutral tones of blue, black, ivory and charcoal grey, that are unique, powerful and distinctive, just like

44 FASHION POST Anita Dongre teams with Rajasthani painter for bridal line

In the line’s inaugural photoshoot, Abbas is styled in a light blue and gold ensemble as well as a baby pink suit with grey Bandhgala with the brand’s signature gold Kalash print. Agular wears a denim kurta with a rustic comb print on and a silver on black rabbit print kurta.

Anita Dongre has teamed up with a traditional Rajasthani painter, Lekhraj, to create a new bridal line titled Pichhwai. The limited edition collection was created over the course of two years. The Rajasthani art of Pichhwai is eons old and known for its intricate detailing. Anita Dongre has translated its fine brushstrokes into a 15 piece bridal-focused collection where the art form has been hand painted directly on to her garments. On a visit to Rajasthan, the designer happened to meet Lekhraj. Intrigued and inspired by the intricacy of his work and his flawless brush strokes, she felt she had to give this art another form of life.

Anita Dongre designs S/S ’19 collection with Tencel

Anita Dongre has used Tencel for her spring/ summer 2019 ready-to-wear collection. The collection represents summer at its best, abounding in floral prints, vibrant hues and light and flowing, fuss-free silhouettes. These garments would be perfect accompaniments to a luxury resort holiday or destination summer weddings. Tencel is a branded Lyocell fiber extracted from raw wood. A product of Lenzing, the fiber is crafted within a closed-loop production system and is biodegradable and compostable. Brands like H&M, Marks & Spencer, Jockey, Raymond and Arvind incorporate Tencel in their designs. Tencel made a major impact when Lenzing collaborated with Rajesh Pratap Singh for a ready-to-wear collection.

Lekhraj handpainted his art on to Dongre’s traditional wear designs to create a new outlook on an age old tradition. The pioneering collection features classic bridal lehengas with floral motifs and birds celebrating the cornucopia of nature. A black cocktail dress and gown also feature and the hand-painted menagerie stands out on their dark hues. The limited edition line is an innovative take on traditional wear and Dongre’s collaboration brings the traditional art world into fashion in a new way. A showcase of exquisite Indian aesthetics and craftsmanship in a contemporary language is prevalent in all of Anita Dongre’s designs. With Anita Dongre, Lenzing hopes to create a long-term partnership encompassing all of the designer’s brands-the eponymous prêt and luxury label Anita Dongre, the high-street labels And and Global Desi and the sustainable label Grassroot. Tencel is already being used in some designs of And and Anita Dongre. Global Desi’s forthcoming collection for spring/summer 2019 will incorporate EcoVero, another fiber from Lenzing. While the collaboration takes forward Dongre’s quest for sustainable design, it offers Lenzing greater exposure in the Indian market. Both Anita Dongre and Lenzing share a common vision of sustainability. While Lenzing has the right fiber, Dongre has the right design sensibility.

House of Masaba launches first menswear collection House of Masaba has launched its first menswear collection after hinting for months. Masaba Gupta had been teasing customers for months on social media by posting several photos of Bollywood celebrities wearing menswear by her label House of Masaba. Her first menswear offerings were modeled by Roshan Abbas and Pablo Naranjo Agular.

The brand also launched its Chennai flagship store on January 2. Planned since 2018, the store opened on the city’s Khadi Nawaz Khan Road and houses the brand’s entire product lines.

Ogaan to multi-brand designer store in Mumbai Ogaan will open its first multi-brand designer store in Mumbai’s Kala Ghoda district. The boutique has been posting the elements of Mumbai that inspire the business on its social media including old Bollywood and Art Deco architecture. The store aims to open in the New Year. Currently, Ogaan has six boutiques: five in New Delhi and one in Hyderabad and the Mumbai store will be its seventh. The chain of boutiques was launched in 1989 in New Delhi as one of India’s first multi-brand luxury fashion boutiques retailing Indian designers. It houses designers including Rococo, Anamika Khanna, Yavi, Deepa Gurnani, Jayanti Reddy, and Kavita Bhartia among others.

Designer Gautam Gupta launches new luxury prêt and fushionwear label Renowned fashion designer Gautam Gupta has launched a new luxury prêt and fusion wear label from the house of Asha gautam and GG. The former is more of a heritage brand, whereas (GG) being a more stylish one. The

46 BRAND WATCH Adidas ranked the most attractive brand in Hyderabad ndia’s Most Attractive Brands Report 2018 (MAB 2018), in its fifth edition, has listed the country’s Most Attractive 1000 brands by consumer choices, based on TRA’s proprietary model of Brand Attractiveness. Samsung Mobiles bagged the first place in the list followed by Tata Motors and Apple iPhone.The study is an annual syndicated primary research conducted with 2500 consumer-influencers across 16 Indian cities. Consumers of Hyderabad ranked Adidas as the most attractive brand in the city, ranked 33rd All-India. Aditya Birla Group was ranked on the second position by the city and Ashok Leyland at the 3rd TRA Research has been scientifically measuring Buying Propensity conducting syndicated research on its’ proprietary matrices of Brand Trust and Brand Attractiveness since 2010. Hyderabad consumers show a distinctively higher preference for some brands including

Peter England launches wedding wear for Chennai Super Kings

Deloitte, Star India Health Insurance, Essar Oil and Zara.

Ethnic wear brand Manyavar’s its 529th store in Gujarat comprises the all new Virat collections and offers the latest trends in the market. The brand caters to the debonair man who proudly flaunts his desi avatar on weddings, parties and other special occasions. The clothing line consists of sherwanis, kurta sets, formal suits and Indo-Western fusion wear. The accessories range includes jackets, lowers, dupatta, juti, kamarbandh, bajubandh, kilangi, etc the brand also deals in boys’ clothing. Manyavar, India’s leading celebration wear brand, offers an exceptional range of traditional outfits and accessories for men in wedding collection, partywear and clothes for other special events. Some of the country’s finest fashion designers and artisans have been brought together to create the products at Manyavar.

Zodiac launches ecofriendly menswear range

international trends. The brand was listed in the top five most trusted brands in the apparel category for seven consecutive years.

Manyavar’s new store in Gujarat houses Virat collections

Indian premier league club Chennai Super Kings has launched Peter England’s wedding collection. With the collection, the brand is looking to tap the market especially in Southern states ahead of the upcoming wedding season and is banking on the popularity of CSK cricketers to drive sales in the region. The campaign will feature cricketers like MS Dhoni, Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo and Murali Vijay in wedding attire. The collection range features suits and blazers and will be available across stores in all major cities. Peter England and CSK had earlier partnered this year for the launch of an exclusive range of merchandise which included T-shirts and accessories. Peter England is a men’s wear brand from Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail. With a strong foothold in the formal and causal men’s wear segments, Peter England also offers innovative collections in denims, linen, festive wear, kurtas, accessories, and more. The brand is known for its standardized fits, superior quality, wide range and fashionable styles. It brings customers a contemporary, chic, fashion forward branded apparel at price points that work with every budget. Peter England delivers the latest national and

Zodiac’s brand Z3 Relaxed Luxury has launched an eco-friendly menswear range that uses recycled water and a “Zero Liquid Discharge” process. The brand uses 92 per cent recycled water during its garment production process. The heat from recycled water is extracted and used in manufacturing which reduces the carbon footprint of the process. The brand also has a “Zero Liquid Discharge” process designed to reduce environmental pollution. The brand retails a selection of men’s casual shirts in a variety of colors, checks, and prints as well as tailored jackets and chinos. Clothing from the Z3 line, which retails from Rs 2,299, ($43), is positioned in the mid-segment of the market. Zodiac launched in 2008 is aimed at men looking for relaxed clothing that is also suitable for the office. The Zodiac brand retails alongside its Z3 line on its dedicated e-commerce site as well as in stores across India.

48 BRAND WATCH New sports heroes bag big endorsement deals

ost of the endorsement deals in 2018 were bagged by relatively unknown sportspersons including Hima Das, Rahi Sarnobat, Arpinder Singh, Bajrang Punia and Manika Batra. Hima Das, the young athlete who became the Indian woman to win gold in a track event at World U-20 Athletics Championship, bagged a deal with German global sportswear giant Adidas and financial services conglomerate Edelweiss. The sprint runner was also named the brand ambassador for SBI’s integrated digital banking platform called YONO and UNICEF Youth Ambassador. Swapna Barman, the first Indian heptathlete to win an Asian Games Gold in August, was signed up by State Bank of India for its digital app and by Adidas as well. Post his achievement of becoming the youngest Indian to hit a century in a test

Flipkart launches in-house women’s western brand

debut against West Indies in October, Prithvi Shaw was roped in as the brand ambassador for stationery brand Youva. He was already endorsing MRF, Danone’s protein brand Protinex, Indian energy major Indian Oil and Nike. Manika Batra, the first Indian table tennis star to clinch gold at Commonwealth Games and bronze at Asian Games was signed on by nutrition and health brand Herbalife Nutrition India as its sponsored athlete in September. Vinesh Phogat, who has won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, Spain Grand Prix, and a silver at the Asian Championships in February, has been signed by sports management agency Cornerstone sport for brand endorsement, off-field engagement, social media and other and other commercial engagements.

Western wear label, ‘Ann Springs’, focused on the new age Indian woman with a bold individual style and an eye for the latest trends. Designed especially with the 22-25 age group in mind, Ann Springs features over 150 unique styles starting at Rs 399, with plans to double the selection in the next few months. Inspired by fast fashion, Ann Springs couples trendiness with day-to-day functionality. It is the sixth private label offering from Flipkart Fashion, following in the footsteps of Divastri, a women’s ethnic wear range; Metronaut, for the urban man; Anmi, a brand of fusion ethnic wear; Miss & Chief, kidswear; and the Cara Mia line for women’s footwear and accessories. The brand aims to create stickiness for its large women shopper base and solidify Flipkart Fashion as the top destination for all of India’s fashion needs.

Max Fashion blends winterwear with smart casual fashion

Flipkart Fashion, India’s largest online fashion store, has launched its new in-house

Max Fashion always tries to gratify customers with the newest styles and trends. The winter range showcases trends that combine high street fashion and winter wear. It is composed

of smart casual clothing in advanced fabric bases. This has been designed keeping in mind the new generation which loves to break the monotony.Max Fashion presents an exclusive range of winterwear to celebrate the latest fashion trends even during the winter season.This trending street collection draws its inspiration from the upbeat city culture with biker jackets, cool slogan sweat tees, faux fur jackets. Max Fashion is a one-stop for clothing, accessories and footwear needs for the entire family. The value fast fashion brand was launched in the UAE in May 2004 and now has a presence in the Middle East, India, and Africa. The retailer is growing 35 per cent per year and would maintain this growth for the next two or three years. The company is also evaluating omni channel retail and is currently piloting the endless aisle system by integrating its store inventory with warehouse inventory. If a particular size of dress is not at a particular store at the time, and is available at inventory, it would be delivered at the customer’s house the next day.

Raymond to retail Bihar khadi

Bihar’s khadi fabrics will be sold under the brand name Bihar Khadi at Raymond outlets across India. Raymond will directly procure khadi fabrics from weaver organizations in Bihar above the base cost and sell them. The company will also provide design, manufacturing and marketing support to weaver organisations of the state. Khadi is

50 BRAND WATCH Duke wins Excellency in Fashion Award ’18

uke Fashions has bagged the coveted Excellency in Fashion Award ’18 for its extraordinary contribution in MSMEs development of Punjab. Duke’s constant endeavor is to create benchmarks and constantly reinvent. Duke is India’s top T-shirt brand. This is a value for money brand and its mission is to make available international designs and styles at highly reasonable prices. Launched in 1966, Duke offers clothing for men, women, and children in the premium and mid-premium segment. The range covers T-shirts, jackets, sweaters, sweatshirts, tracksuits, thermals, jogging suits, shirts, denims and trousers, lowers, bermudas, shorts, value packs, lounge wear, accessories etc. Duke is influenced by latest international fashion trends. It has fully equipped vertically integrated garment manufacturing plants, with knitting, dyeing, processing, finishing, mercerizing, compacting, embroidery and printing under one roof. Duke has 50 shop in shops, 360 EBOs and 4000 MBOs. It is in 200 large format stores like Spencer, Walmart and Hypercity. It

Mandir expands traditional wear range with new store

is online on Myntra, Snapdeal, Jabong, Flipkart and Amazon. Step Ahead is a premium lifestyle footwear collection from Duke aimed at men. It is specially designed and crafted for the utmost comfort, style and durability.

GST-exempt and a current favorite among brands looking to go sustainable. Raymond will use a variety of processes and techniques to make the khadi suitable for everyday wear. Raymond wants to make the brand aspirational or design-wise acceptable to today’s young consumer. So the company will buy from the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, apply its own techniques and processes to these fabrics to make them wearable, shrink-free and to make them more attractive. Raymond is a textile and apparel manufacturer. It will also greatly expand the retail presence of Ethnix and Next Look this financial year. The two brands, along with Raymond Khadi, are expected to contribute Rs 150 crores to Raymond’s revenue next year. In addition the Khadi and Village Industries Board will open Bihar emporiums at several cities like Kochi, Ludhiana and Mumbai to market khadi fabrics and other khadi products of Bihar. There are 84 khadi organisations in Bihar which together manufacture khadi fabrics worth Rs 30 crores a year.

store recently at Acropolis Mall, Kolkata that is spread over an area of 2,000 square feet. The brand has already crossed the Rs 100 crore mark in 18 months and expects the sales to triple by 2023 as it looks to expand through EBOs, large format MBO’s and e-commerce platforms. The apparel brand, 2Bme was launched in 2017 and positions itself as an affordable high street fashion brand.

Big plans for 2Bme, aims Rs 300 crore

Shiva Texyarn launches denim wear brand

2Bme, a fashion apparel brand owned by the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group is betting big on the Indian apparel market and expects to generate revenue of Rs 300 crore (approx $43 million) over the next four years. The brand also plans to add 12 more stores in the coming months in prime malls of Kolkata, Delhi-NCR, and Hyderabad. The brand launched its second

and women. Wulf Jeans will be available in all leading stores in major cities in India and will be priced under Rs 2,000 (approx $30). Shiva Texyarn is a leading Indian textile company known for their flagship products like designer fabrics, rucksacks / specialised military gear including high altitude and adventure clothing.

The Hyderabadbased sari brand Mandir opened its second store in the city to expand its array of traditional wear. The brand’s first store in the city’s Banjara Hills, has been running for several years but has also recently been updated with new product lines and décor. The brand, which calls itself “the wedding specialist” mainly retails saris but also features kurtas, jackets, lehengas, blouses, and accessories. The sari selection is expansive and includes daywear saris in linen as well as opulent pieces intended for formal wear and weddings. Patan patolas, pure kanchivarams, uppadas, handmade paitnis, and gadwalls all feature in store alongside more minimalist offerings.

Bhaane focuses on urban youth

Shiva Texyarn has launched a denim wear brand Wulf Jeans foraying into the denim sector. The company will offer a wide range of denims at affordable price points for both men

Urban-contemporary clothing brand Bhaane opened in 2012. The product is meant to highlight the person wearing it and not to highlight the clothing itself. The first physical store was opened one-and-a-half years after launch. This was driven by the realization that that it’s important to have a tangible access point to share what the brand and community are about. The pricing point for Bhaane has made it accessible to the urban youth. Another advantage is the backing of a large manufacturer. Bhaane is run by Anand Ahuja, husband of Sonam Kapoor, a self-confessed sneaker geek, a Kobe Bryant fan and the founder-CEO of Bhaane and India’s only multibrand sneaker boutique, Veg-NonVeg (it has stores in Mumbai and Delhi). His individualistic sense of fashion and his love for the street subculture have impacted both his brands. He started Bhaane when he came back to India after being in the US for almost a decade. The idea is to create a community of young creatives in India.

52 BRAND RETAIL American Eagle Outfitters to launch 25 outlets in three years

merican Eagle Outfitters, US-based midto-premium denim wear brand, plans to launch 25 outlets in the next three years across India. Currently, American Eagle Outfitters has three operational stores spread across Delhi-NCR and Chandigarh. Besides this, the brand is available through its own website and also on fashion portal Myntra. The brand, by this year-end, will open six to nine more outlets. It will launch 25 stores in the next three years. Some of these stores will be opened in Hyderabad,

Chennai, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi and a few other locations. It will launch its Mumbai outlet in the next few months.

Alcis Sports to focus a lot more on EBOs

caps, scarves, etc. for men, women and children. This year, will see Fila flagship stores opening in top cities of the domestic market in addition to franchise-owned standalones in Tier II and Tier III markets. The brand may also open its own retail stores with additional categories of exclusive merchandise being added to the existing product mix. Fila features among the top three in large format stores such as Reliance Footprint, Central and Metro, and is getting into a strategic alignment with Shoppers Stop wherein it will be launching its Heritage line as part of shopin-shop formats. Online, the brand is available on players such as Flipkart, Amazon, Koovs, Myntra and Jabong. The global market for sports and fitness clothing is projected to touch $231.7 billion by 2024. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to be the fastest growing region, with a CAGR of 6.9 per cent over the forecast period. Emerging markets such as India and Thailand, as well as China, are now being considered by top sportswear retailers for expansion.

Lotto to add more to retail space in Tier II, III cities Alcis Sports, is looking to increase EBO presence and boost sales from these outlets from 10 per cent to 15-20 per cent by the end of 2019. The brand’s major focus has been on distribution and MBOs. Almost 30-35 per cent of business comes from MBOs, 25 per cent from online, another 20-25 per cent from largeformat stores such as Central and Shoppers Stop. Founded in 2016, the brands has a very flexible supply chain. The sportswear collection includes caps and socks. Shoes and backpacks will be added. The product is environment-friendly and provides technological benefits such as moisture management, anti-odor and antistatic features. Wonder Tee, weighing 80 gm and the lightest product, is made of eight PET bottles. The bottle’s material is converted into yarn, which is then turned into a T-shirt. The brand currently sells about 20,000 of these every month. The brand is able to replenish products within a week. Since it is able to control its complete value chain, and since it doesn’t have high marketing spends, it’s able to pass on the cost benefit to customers. Alcis Sports is present in almost 750 multibrand outlets and 12 exclusive brand outlets, apart from large format stores such as Central and Shoppers Stop and e-commerce platforms. The brand ambassador is cricketer Shikhar Dhawan. Last year Alcis closed at Rs 24 crores and will close at Rs 60 crores this year.

John Jacobs to expand retail presence

Lenskart’s eyewear brand John Jacobs will expand its retail presence in the country by adding 50 new stores over the next two years.

The brand aims to generate sales worth Rs 500 crore (approx $71 million) by March 2021. The company will invest around Rs 15 crore on its retail expansion with a focus on major metro cities across India. It is also negotiating with e-commerce players to strengthen its online presence and will start selling soon on Flipkart. John Jacobs contributes between 20 to 25 per cent to the company’s overall sales and is expected to contribute around Rs 180 crore this fiscal. Lenskart had posted revenue of Rs 311 crore in the fiscal year 2018. In terms of online reach, John Jacobs currently sells on its parent Lenskart’s online platform besides at over 450 offline stores across India.

Fila spreads out retail across India

Fila is now available in India in more than 1,200 counters across 350 large format stores. The global sportswear retailer deals in footwear, apparel and soft accessories, which include bags, socks,

Footwear brand Lotto runs around 40 EBOs and plans to add another 60 stores every year. Additions to retail space will continue at an accelerated space over the next years across Tier II and III cities. Lotto has created a niche in the Indian sportswear market targeting value segment customers. It has grown significantly over the last two or three years at a healthy CAGR of 50 per cent. Over the years, it has invested significantly in strengthening its in-house design capability and operational processes. The brand invests in product design, innovation, and product quality to provide customers the best product at a reasonable price. The brand looks to maintain a balanced mix of footwear, apparels, and accessories across all channels to foster growth. There has been a rapid expansion in e-commerce specifically in the footwear segment. The sports lifestyle industry in India is expected to grow at a modest 15 per cent with growth fueled by the athleisure category. The performance category will also continue to grow at a modest pace. Consumers are investing time in understanding the quality and features of sports apparel and sports footwear and then making informed purchase decisions. Men and women prefer simple designs that are stylish with comfort-giving technologies such as memory foam in-socks, knitted shoes.

54 BRAND RETAIL Arvind enters value fashion with Unlimited

Patrapada and will house clothing, accessories and footwear from the fashion brand. Max also launched its new exclusive range of winter-wear on the occasion. The exclusive range of winterwear includes: biker jackets, cool slogan sweat tees, faux fur jackets and more. Launched in the UAE in May 2004, Max Fashions has become the largest fashion chain in the Middle East in the affordable section. The brand is present in 16 countries including India where it now has 200 stores.

Kompanero aims to have 100 EBOs by 2025

rvind Fashions expects to garner onethird of its total revenue from Unlimited, its value fashion retail brand, in the next three years. Unlimited is a large format (8,000 sqft to 10,000 sqft) value fashion store for families, which primarily sells in-house brands such as Karigari, Anahi, Sugr, Ruggers, Excalibur, Colt, Newport, etc along with

a couple of licensed brands such as Elle Studio and Cherokee. Unlimited is the only brand in Arvind Fashions’ portfolio that addresses the value fashion segment. All the other brands Arvind Fashions has address the mass premium and premium segments. Unlimited currently contributes 25 per cent to the company’s sales.

Arvind Fashion looks to widen its brand distribution

The company has been witnessing about 20 per cent growth in its revenue year on year. It is betting on categories such as kids’ wear, innerwear and cosmetics in future. It is already one of the largest companies in the kids’ wear segment and sees innerwear and cosmetics as having the potential to become multi-crore businesses. Currently online sales contribute about 15 per cent to the company’s revenues. The aim is to grow this share to about 25 per cent.

Arvind Fashions’ plans to have a wider distribution for its brands including US Polo Assn., Arrow, Tommy Hilfiger and Flying Machine. At the same time, the company is leveraging on the power brands’ ability to expand into new categories, product lines and sub-brands. For instance, Flying Machine has expanded in the athleisure segment, while US Polo Assn. has made forays in innerwear and shoes. Arvind’s other brands such as Gap, Calvin Klein and Sephora are still in the early stages of their growth journey in India. Many of them have crossed the Rs 100 crore mark and have the potential of becoming multi-crore brands. The value retail business Unlimited is now close to the Rs 1,000-crore-mark in revenues and it also has a huge potential to be scaled up significantly.

Max Fashions to open 50 stores in three months

Bangaluru-based leather handbag and accessories brand Kompanero aims at having a 100 exclusive outlets by 2025. Kompanero currently has 25 exclusive outlets, mainly in Tier I and II cities. The plan is to open outlets in Guwahati airport, Chandigarh airport, Chennai Express Avenue, R City Mumbai, and two more locations this December. The brand’s is aimed at professionals aged 27 years and up. Kompanero, launched in 2014, targets millennial customers with new product ranges such as minimalistic accessories. The average store size is 500 sq ft though the largest store is over 1,000 sq ft. The brand goes to Australia and has also been building up a steady presence across UK high streets. Other international markets the brand is available in include Korea, Japan, and Canada. The brand also has just launched in the US. Kompanero offers a range of leather bags with a distinctive weathered look, vintage appeal and a contemporary design. Each Kompanero bag is handcrafted and piece-dyed. They are then individually distressed. Each of them is unique. Kompanero is a brand of ASG Leather, one of India’s most reputed manufacturers and exporters of exquisite leather bags, briefcases, and small leather goods.

Craftsvilla plans offline expansion with Rs 100 crore in 2019 Landmark Group’s apparel brand Max Fashions plans to add another 50 brick and mortar stores in 20 new cities in the next three months. The brand recently strengthened its retail presence with the opening of its fourth store in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The new store is located in DN Regalia in

56 BRAND RETAIL Arvind Plans to add 30 to 35 stores every year

rvind entered the value fashion segment in early 2016 by re-branding its large format discount store Megamart as Unlimited. For the first two years after re-branding, the company had just 50 Unlimited stores. Another 50 stores were added in the last 18 months. The company has 90 Unlimited

Craftsvilla, the online retailer of ethnic brands is planning to open about 1,000 outlets with an investment of Rs 100 crore next year. The expansion will be achieved through a combination company-owned stores and shop-in-shops in large format stores (LFS) and smaller multi-brand outlets. At present, Craftsvilla has 62 outlets, which will cross 75 by the end of current year spread across Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kolhapur, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Varanasi and Chandigarh. It recently opened its 50th offline store in Chennai recently. The Mumbai-based company, which started in 2011 as a marketplace to sell ethnic products, has in the past year revamped its offerings to become an ethnic lifestyle brand with focus on women’s fashion. With in-house design and manufacturing units, the brand has been able to expand its private labels range both in the online and offline channels.

Major brands/retailers eye small towns, rural markets for expansion

stores and 10-odd Megamart stores across 60 cities. The plan is to add 30 or 35 Unlimited stores every year and become a Rs 2,000 crore company by 2022. The organised value fashion market in the country is expected to grow from two billion dollars to 15 billion dollars by 2023.

across the country. Online fashion retailer LimeRoad is looking to open 3,000 offline stores in the smaller towns in the next three years. The stores which will range in size between 600 sq ft and 800 sq ft will be owned by franchisee partners and operated by the company. Textile manufacturer and retailer Raymond is expanding its exclusive retail outlets in Tier IV towns and beyond. The company has so far opened 200 small format retail outlets called Mini TRS (The Raymond Shop) in about 80 weeks in smaller towns with populations as low as 50,000. The plan is to open 100 more outlets in the coming six months. Raymond estimates there are 800 smaller towns in the country where it can potentially open smallformat exclusive outlets. Chinese handset maker Xiaomi is preparing for a bigger offline push by opening over 5,000 small format exclusive stores - Mi Stores - all over the country by the end of 2019. Xiaomi has already opened around 500 stores across 14 states, especially in Tier III and rural areas. The aim of these companies is to address the next potential market and increase their market share.

AKS Clothings to open 20 stores by mid-2019

Companies across verticals are looking to open offline stores in smaller towns

100 crore revenue mark in the third quarter of fiscal year 2018-19. Started in 2014 with a capital of Rs 3.5 lakh, AKS Clothing deals majorly in ethnic and contemporary wears. The brand offers a plethora of original and comfortable styles in flattering patterns and elegant weaves.

AKS Clothings, the online apparel brand of Yuvdhi Apparels, which recently opened up two offline stores in Nagaland, plans to open at least 20 stores pan India by mid-2019. AKS is also part of the Myntra brand Acceleration programme. The brand has crossed the Rs

The brand already sells its products through top online fashion stores such as Myntra, Jabong, and Flipkart and now the company also sells them through its website. It exports its products across India to countries such as Singapore and Malaysia.

Spencer’s Retail looking to push up its store count across India

Spencer’s Retail is increasing store count in existing clusters in the east, south and north India. The store count now is over 140 across the country. Spencer’s Retail is the multi-format retailer from the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group. The retailer opens a store every 10 days. The Kolkata-based Spencer’s Retail 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.

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58 BRAND RETAIL Mufti to open 40 stores this year

kurtas, accessories, and more. The brand is known for its standardized fits, superior quality, wide range and fashionable styles. It brings customers a contemporary, chic, fashion forward branded apparel at price points that work with every budget. Peter England delivers the latest national and international trends. The brand was listed in the top five most trusted brands in the apparel category for seven consecutive years.

Manyavar opens ninth Punjab store

ndian fashion brand Mufti is planning to expand its brick and mortar store count in the country by opening 40 stores this year. The company is planning to enter the South and East Indian markets besides launching its athleisure range this year by April 2019. The clothing brand, is expected to reach

V-Mart expands retail presence, adds three new stores

Value fashion retailer V-Mart Retail has expanded its retail presence with the addition of three stores this month in Uttar Pradesh to take its store count to 200. The company launched its 200th store in Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh. V-Mart had earlier opened stores in the city of Kannauj and Naubasta .The 200th store is a key milestone for V-Mart, more so, as it has added the last 100 stores in three years, while we took twelve years for the first 100. In all, V-Mart has opened 29 new stores in the current fiscal year so far and expects to add a few more in the coming months. V-Mart has planned an investment of Rs 300 crore ($41.5 million) over the next five years to expand its retail presence in the country and expects to generate of Rs 3,500 crore by 2023. For the financial year 2017-18, V-Mart had reported a net profit of Rs 78 crore with a revenue of Rs 1,227 crore.

Peter England opens new format men’s Obsessions store

Manyavar has opened an ethnic store in Punjab. The collection available at the store consists of fine sherwanis, kurta sets, formal suits and Indo-Western fusion wear. With this, the brand has nine stores in Punjab. In India overall it is available in 200 cities and nearly 550 stores. Manyavar is a leading celebration wear giant with traditional outfits and accessories for men in wedding collections, party wear and clothes for other special events. Some of the country’s finest fashion designers and artisans create the products at Manyavar. The brand ambassador is Virat Kohli. Manyavar has a worldwide presence in three countries The brand believes in staying fashion forward with collection updates and new styles every year.

Peter England has launched its anchor store format Men’s Obsessions in Bengaluru. Spread across 5,000 sq ft, the store offers apparels, accessories, grooming, salons etc. The basic idea was to create a one-stop-store for men. The design concept works around three different objectives – showcasing the brand legacy, positioning as value retailer and what the brand targets to becomes. The store has been given an industrial and raw look with similar fixtures, white-washed walls and grey ceiling. To target the value and niche segment, a lot of price communications has been added around the store. A number of digital signages will be incorporated in the store. Some more Men’s Obsessions will open in malls and a few high street locations in metros. Peter England is a men’s wear brand from Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail. With a strong foothold in the formal and causal men’s wear segments, Peter England also offers innovative collections in denims, linen, festive wear,

Manyavar, which opened in 1999, never discounts its merchandise. It either donates or destroys unsold stock. This is an apparel brand that mainly thrives on Indian cultural celebrations and festivities. It now sells fusion clothing — a mix of modern and traditional wear — instead of just ethnic, which are reserved for special occasions. The retailer is also trying to push its clothes as an everyday wear instead of just weddings or social functions. From local boutiques to established traditional retailers and regional brands, every ethnic wear retailer is vying for a share of the consumer wallet in a market that is governed more by design than brand.

a revenue of Rs 400 crore (approx $55.2 million) at the end of FY18-19. Mufti was launched in 1998 by Kamal Khushlani and currently retails through 275 EBOs, 1,200 MBOs and 110 LFS. It is also present on all major e-commerce portals including its own website.

60 BRAND RETAIL Hrithik Roshan’s brand HRX to open offline stores

RX will open its first physical outlet this year. This will be in Bangalore followed by stores in Pune, Delhi, and Mumbai. HRX is a fashion and lifestyle athleisure brand backed by actor Hrithik Roshan. Currently it sells exclusively on Flipkart’s fashion units Myntra and Jabong. The brand is looking to add new categories like eyewear, innerwear, and wearables. It is also exploring international markets. HRX licenses various product categories and verticals to partners who are capable of managing the product and distribution. Fashion, fitness and technology are the main pillars of HRX and for each vertical it has licensed out categories to business

partners including Myntra for fashion and accessories, Curefit for fitness content and clean eating and Xiaomi for tech wearables. Besides clothing, HRX also has a signature workout called the HRX Workout and a meal plan called HRX Athlete Meal pack sold under the Curefit umbrella. Each partnership is structurally different from the others and the financial models are created with mutual agreement. Curefit is an equity partnership. Xiaomi is a pure play licensing arrangement in lieu of royalty payout to the brand. The country’s athleisure market is currently valued at Rs 8,500 crores and is expected to reach Rs 54,000 crores by 2020.

Vajor on retail expansion spree

Vajor had embarked on a brick-and-mortar journey early this year. So far it has four stores, one each in Delhi, Pune, Chennai and Bangalore. Vajor is a women’s wear fashion and lifestyle brand dealing in clothing, footwear, bags, jewelry and other accessories. The plan is to add seven more stores within the next few months. These may be in Mumbai, NCR and Hyderabad.The brand aims to bridge the gap between off-the-rack clothing and luxury couture. In the first quarter of the next fiscal, Vajor will make a debut in other merchandise categories. Vajor which opened in 2014 has a home decor line which brings a range of kitchen and dining, garden, lighting, storage accessories, bath and room and decor merchandise as well. With a specific goal in mind, Vajor brings international appeal with superior aesthetics to the home and wardrobe. Vajor launches a new collection almost every month, in keeping with the fast pace of the industry and eliminating the barriers of seasonal fashion. The brand has its own identity, which is about being organic, rooted and modern bohemian in its approach.

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62 BUSINESS OUTLOOK

S/S19: A mixed bag of sentiments “We see a huge opportunity for business growth in the upcoming season,” says an optimistic Harkirat Singh, Managing Director, Woodland. “Rising incomes, globalisation, improved employment and living standards in the country have led to the expansion in market,” he adds. With demonetisation and GST behind them, apparel makers, brands and retailers have seen a revival in sales last season. In fact, most are now looking forward to the next summer with hopes of positive sales. “I am hopeful of a good summer season, especially after February,” says Rahul Mehta, Managing Director, 109° F. Deepak Bansal, Director, Cantabil too agrees and says, “We expect a good season ahead.” Bansal anticipates Cantabil’s the growth rate to range between 10 to 12 per cent. Similarly, Rishab Oswal, President, Monte Carlo expects his brand’s sales to increase by 10 per cent next season. Guarded optimism about next season

ome market players are still apprehensive as they see flat growth this season and next season may not be too different. Shistanshu Jhunjhunwala, Director, Turtle is guarded as he says, “The season has largely remained flat with some weeks where we saw growth like the festive season etc, there has not been a natural increase in walk ins. The upcoming season will be volatile due to the political

• Most brands optimistic about business next season • Wedding season to be positive for business • Some brands expect 10 to 12 per cent growth • Streetwear to be the buzzworld in fashion • Lack of trained workforce, inventory management, growing competition pose major challenges • Elections to create some instability in business next season scenario and upcoming elections. However, the wedding market will be strong.” Agrees Bansal, “Competition in retail is increasing and the customer is completely discount-oriented that makes maintaining prices a big challenge. Overall market is good, particularly in wedding season. We as an industry are dependent a lot on it. We are hoping to generate good business in coming months.” People like to dress in globally accepted styles, says Kuntal Raj Jain, Director, Duke “Dressing has become an important aspect of one’s identity and personality. Fast fashion has given customers immense options and a great platform to choose their product. Each platform provides a constant stream of new information”. Along with designers’ notes, you’ll find appropriate social media handles and # to use when sharing their snaps sprinkled throughout the spectacle. This has given huge variety and has opened the market for customers where they are able to indulge in many fashionable sources. Sanjeev Mukhija, Managing Director, Breakbounce believes streetwear will be the global buzz word in fashion. ““The upcoming season and year ahead looks

BUSINESS OUTLOOK

“Customers have become more discount-oriented, making maintaining prices a big challenge.”

“I am hopeful of a good summer season, especially after February. I think the e-commerce craze is slowing down, whilst it will remain a strong channel, fears of offline retail being wiped out are exaggerated.”

Deepak Bansal Director, Cantabil

Rahul Mehta Managing Director, 109° F extremely promising with strategic focus on growing our footprint in large format stores and gain visibility with some power packed in-store marketing which offers our loyal consumers direct benefit/instant gratification. Presence through online channels too will be strengthened.” Oswal, however, sees a galore of opportunities in the ready-made garment segment. And Jhunjhunwalla perceives digital e-commerce and omni-channel to be the major growth areas.

Challenges abound despite promising growth

espite growing at a promising rate, the Indian apparel industry faces its own challenges. “Mainly lack of trained workforce,” rues Jain. “In today’s business environment, it has become imperative for manufacturers to cater to consumers according to their tastes and preference. Mass media penetration and growing disposable income has made Indian consumers more demanding and adaptable to change,” he adds. “Inventory management and control is also one of the biggest challenges followed by working capital,” states Jhunjhunwala.

“We see a huge opportunity for growth in the upcoming season. Rising incomes, globalisation, improved employment and living standards in the country have led to the expansion in market.”

Harkirat Singh Managing Director, Woodland

As competition in retail is heating up, “Customers have become more discountoriented, making maintaining prices a big challenge,” says Bansal. Makhija seconds this opinion citing educating consumers to differentiate between street wear and casual wear as being some of the other challenges faced by the industry. “Advent of international brands is the biggest challenge, and at the same time opening up of Tier II markets the biggest opportunity,” points out Mehta. The footwear industry too faces its own set of challenges. As Singh notes, “most production is still handmade. Timely and efficient delivery

64 BUSINESS OUTLOOK

of products, managing multiple warehouses and stores, easy transition to present taxation policies, managing multichannel and offline, seamless management of returns and cancellations, are some of the problems faced by footwear manufactures,” he explains.

Discounts boost sales, offline retail to thrive

“The season has largely remained flat with some weeks where we saw growth like the festive season etc, there has not been a natural increase in walk ins. The upcoming season too will be volatile due to the political scenario and upcoming elections. However, the wedding market will be strong.”

Shitanshu Jhunjhunwala Director, Turtle

“EOSS is a golden opportunity for retailers to clear old stocks and make room for new arrivals. While it helps customers get their desired discounted rates, it helps the retailers to increase footfalls in a short span. However, we have a different range for online sales and our discount policy too has been kept strictly different from offline stores.”

the right product at the right time in the right place,” avers Jhunjhunwala.

Kuntal Raj Jain Director, Duke

ne of the growing trends in the industry is discount sales which brands employ to attract customers. Jain views this strategy “as a golden opportunity for retailers to clear up old stocks and make room for new arrivals. It helps customers to buy their desired clothes on discounted rates besides helping retailers to increase footfall in a short span,” he observes. Mehta on the other says they are hoping to cut down discounts this season, but are offering sharp prices from day one to customers. “I think the e-commerce craze is slowing down, whilst they will remain a strong channel, fears of offline retail being wiped out are exaggerated,” he opines. Jain points out, high inflation has forced tight pocket customers to wait for end of season sale to grab their favorite apparels, shoes and accessories. “It is a golden opportunity for retailers as well to clear old stocks and make room for new arrivals. While it helps customers get their desired discounted rates, it helps the retailers to increase footfalls in a short span. We vary with this statement as we have different range for online sales and its discount policy has been strictly kept different from offline stores.” And one brand moving away from the discounting model is Turtle, which plans to focus on fresh sales by ensuring “we have

“The upcoming season, and year ahead look extremely promising with a strategic focus on growing our footprint in large format stores besides gaining visibility with some power packed in-store marketing. This offers our loyal consumers direct benefit/ instant gratification. We will also strengthen our resence through online channels.”

Sanjeev Mukhija Managing Director, Breakbounce

66 BRAND LAUNCHES

Retail expansion, new launches to mark business As brand/retailers get ready for the upcoming season, they are sprucing up their product basket with new additions. Also on the card is retail expansion to newer cities and newer formats. Omni channel retail is certainly the most favoured option, write Ajay Goswami, Shubhangi Bidwe

“T

he market has always been challenging, but now, it has worsened with growing trend of discounts, both online and offline. “Discounts run all around the year disturbing the market. They thrive due to the extreme rivalry in corporate sector to capture maximum market share,” opines Ashok Singhal, CEO, Callino London. “Expensive labor and difficulty in finding a good retail space are adding to retailers woes,” he adds. “Even if space is available, it comes at an exorbitant amount.” The brand currently has 120 retail outlets across India. This includes 50 big shops, and remaining are MBOs. Callino now plans to venture into large format stores and associate with major retail chains in the country.

• Discounting is negatively impacting the market • Omni-channel retail is the preferred expansion format • New segments like athleisure and lingerie are being targeted for expansion • Retail expansion goes hand in hand with new product launches Balancing online and offline retail Meanwhile, Callino is also planning online and exclusive stores in the next two years. “We are less interested in online retail as it does not satisfy our consumers. We are available only in North India but will spread our footprint in the Western and Eastern parts of the country,” Singhal informs. French Clothing brand Celio is also planning aggressive expansion strategy, which includes deeper penetration in current cities and

venturing into new ones. “We are bullish about India as a whole and believe there is potential in every corner of the country,” says Abhishek Shetty, Head-Marketing, PR & Loyalty. The brand is currently present across more than 400 points of sales in MBO, EBO’s and LFS. “We are also present on major ecommerce platforms like Myntra, Jabong, Amazon, Flipkart, etc,” adds Shetty. Dollar Industries, which has over 95,000 MBOs across India is looking for better market

125

presentation. “We don’t have exclusive brand outlets but plan to introduce these formats in the

“We are looking for diversification in ladies and kids wear. We are expanding ourselves into different segments, mainly in footwear and also in e-com business where we are expecting high growth in forthcoming years.”

Kuntal Raj Jain Director, Duke

near future,” notes Ankit Gupta, Vice-President of the brand. Dollar also has a presence in large format stores such as like Reliance Trends, D-Mart, Brand Factory, More and Unlimited (Arvind Brand) to increase customers reach. Now it plans to expand in the export market besides setting up pop-up stores. Today, young Indians use digital methods to research a product before making a buy decision. However, shopping decisions are not necessarily based on the opinion of one channel. They depend on availability and convenience—any channel that offers them the right kind of convenience and fulfils other criteria such as touch, feel and service level help millennials in making a buying decision. Hence, omni-channel retail strategy boosts growth for brands. “The real challenge is to ensure technology flows seamlessly across channels to create the right omni-channel experience,” says Shetty. Ankit Sood, Head-Fashion Trend Forecasting & Planning, Madame believes omni-channel retail offers 100 per cent benefits. Madame currently has 120 EBOs, 300 MBOs, four large format stores alongwith over 100 points of sale.

New launches boost brand value Besides expanding retail, brands are also planning new product launches. While leading clothing brand Madame will venture

into athleisure and lingerie segments, lifestyle brand Duke has ventured into footwear with Step Ahead, a premium lifestyle footwear collection. “This footwear collection is specially designed and crafted for utmost comfort style

“Celio has delivered its strongest performance in 2018-19 on the retail front and we will work towards taking the brand to new highs in coming years.”

Abhishek Shetty Head-Marketing, PR & Loyalty, Celio

BRAND LAUNCHES

“Brands are focusing on enriching customer experience and to do so they are all opting for omni-channel retail, so that they can reach customers on the go. Being present in brick and mortar stores and online market places, helps customers buy our products.”

Ankit Gupta Vice-President, Dollar Industries

and durability. It offers lifestyle casual shoes, sports shoes, loafers, joggers, running shoes, smart casuals, sneakers, moccasin, sandals, flip flop, etc,” states Kuntal Raj Jain, Director, Duke. “It perfectly epitomizes the brand’s style, aesthetic and production,” he emphasizes. Dollar is looking at expansion in the althleisure category, the brand will launch a new product category for both Dollar Bigboss & ForceNXT i.e., athleisure range. “For athleisure, our main target is those who are passionate about athletics, workouts and sports,” Gupta explains. In its athleisure range the brand will introduce joggers, track pants, polo T-shirts, capries, etc.

Scaling new heights Buyers today have become more aware, smart and conscious about fits, styles, trends, colours et al. They always want to look smart regardless of age and are sensitive about pricing. Value for money is their primary aim. To cater to this need, brands are expanding their operations. Callino London, for instance, has planned a big retail expansion by 2020. “Our reach will increase and we will be available on all popular retail formats,” affirms Singhal. Celio, on the other hand, plans to work towards taking the brand to new highs in the coming years.

“The upcoming season would certainly test the entrepreneur’s capabilities to ensure topline along with maintaining the bottomline of business . Markdowns will continue to be a major threat in all formats.”

Ankit Sood Head-Fashion Trend Forecasting & Planning, Madame

70 LEAD STORY

Stori aims big with a 15 crore marketing plan for 2019 • Stori caters to men’s classic formal wear • New S/S collection reflects the different tones of summer • Merged floral prints and dense checks rule the men’s shirt’s market • Brand Stori contributes 40 per cent to the company’s revenue • Red Flame range contributes 60 per cent to the revenue

“There is no shortcut to attaining brand loyalty besides sticking to your principles, focus on competence and constant innovation.”

Manoj Bhaiya Managing Director Stori Fashions

• Stori aims to set up 100 EBOs by 2022 and 500 MBOs by 2019

tori has made a mark in men’s classic formal wear segment with its innovations and well researched creations. For S/S ’19 the brand continues to move forward with its innovative creations. In the coming year, the brand is looking to expand its products basket and retail spread, write Shubhangi Bidwe and Ajay Goswami. The overwhelming response to its S/S ’19 collection has further spurred the growth plans of Stori Fashions. The brand now plans

to scale new heights by signing a Bollywood celebrity as its brand ambassador. “We plan to spend around Rs 15 crore towards marketing and advertisement in 2019. Our media plan also includes featuring our brand in most popular channels and theatres across India,” notes Manoj Bhaiya, Managing Director of the brand.

Merged floral prints, dense checks rule The nature-inspired stimulating S/S ’19 collection of Stori Fashions reflects the

LEAD STORY

different tones of summer inspired by the depths of the sea. “We have innovated on the stretchability factor in various categories including shirts, trousers and blazers,” says Bhaiya. The S/S collection reflects latest market trends. “Our consumer insight evaluates the commercial value of each of these trends. Today, merged floral prints and dense checks rule in the men’s shirt’s market. Our washed casual blazers and T-shirts have already become trendsetters in the India’s ready to wear market. Our collections are created with a lot of hard work and dedication. An immense amount of research goes into the creation,” he adds.

“We continue to move on the growth path and achieve a turnover of Rs 500 crore in the next three years.”

“Our collections are created with a lot of hard work and dedication. An immense amount of research goes into creations.” Apart from blazers and T-shirts, Stori will also launch a wide range of accessories. “We have also introduced knitted joggers, shorts and track pants this season which will reach the shelves this month,” Bhaiya says. Catering to men’s classic formal wear, Stori offers formal and club wear shirts, and formal and cotton trousers. “Brand Stori contributes 40 per cent to the company’s revenue. It offers formal and club wear shirts, and formal and cotton trousers. Another range Red Flame shares the largest pie of our sales at 60 per cent. It offers men’s casual wear including shirts, trousers, T-shirts, blazers, shorts, track pants, etc. The Dagerrfly range,

launched three seasons ago, offers finest denim for men. This range is growing at an astonishing speed and we expect it to contribute around Rs 25 crores to our sales in the next financial year. The price range for Stori and Redflame starts at 795, while Dagerrfly starts at 1,299,” informs Bhaiya. Stori’s expertise in sourcing, process oriented manufacturing, branding strategy etc, allows it to provide cost effective and high quality garments to customers. “Distributors play a vital role in the success of our brands. Our distribution network gives us an advantage over our competitors,” Bhaiya avers. The brand is present in over 5,200 MBOs across the country and plans to add 500 more MBOs in 2019. “We opened 20 EBOs last year, and plan to add another 25 EBOs by March 2020. Our aim is to set up 100 EBO’s by 2022,” adds Bhaiya.

Robust plans for the future “It is a fast paced world with market inundated with competition and innovation. There is no shortcut to attaining brand loyalty besides sticking to your principles, focus on competence and constant innovation. We continue to moves on the growth path and achieve a turnover of Rs 500 crore in the next three years,” he signs off.

74 IF EXCLUSIVE

Pepe enthralls consumers with new collection

“It is our constant endeavor to understand our customers and leverage technology to evolve the customer experience.”

Neha Shah Assistant General Manager (Marketing) Pepe Jeans

he Insiders range from Pepe Jeans Spring/Summer 2019 collection builds upon its idea of creating Pepe Jeans London club. Split into three design ranges, the first caters to the creative and restless. “Selfexpression is the key ingredient of this range. Consumers of this line add their own sense of non-conformist style to their clothing be it through slogans and motifs, logos or the addition of bright splashes of color, which feature throughout alongside tropical pastels, sporty stripes and military

inspired colours and prints (for women’s wear), and camouflage and khaki (for menswear) for an easy summer wardrobe of elevated basics,” says Neha Shah, Assistant General Manager-Marketing, Pepe Jeans. “The Revolutionaries & Challengers line emphasises on innovation and ingenuity,” adds Shah. “It employs traditional techniques and local materials in new and exciting ways, new processes and ways of wearing to add a new layer of meaning, a new sense of style,” she further states.

Updating wardrobe staples The designs in this range update wardrobe staples through technique and

technical innovation. “Laid-back denim is at the core of this collection, a fresh blue and white palette encapsulates retro styles built around shorts and great shirts. For womenswear, boho seventies styles like peasant tops, co-ordinates and relaxed bottom wear rule while for the Explorers & Curious Line, being inquisitive and resourceful is the key. The range, is adorned with an eclectic spirit from prints and pattern to style and silhouettes. It includes botanical blooms, unfurling foliage on Hawaiian shirts for men and an artsy feel for women with bold prints, colors and creative details,” adds Shah. Pepe Jeans India manufactures a wide array of chic casual wear for men, women and kids. “Jeans is our core product and sells well. The brand’s portfolio also includes T-shirts, flat knits, sweaters, sweat shirts, jackets as well as woven merchandise. The accessories range consists of bags, wallets, caps, socks and footwear,” notes Shah.

Wow retail experience Pepe Jeans believes that e-retail and brick and mortar stores do not compete with each other. “It is our constant endeavor to understand our customers and leverage technology to evolve the customer experience,” says Shah. Currently the brand e-retails through partners like Myntra, Jabong, Amazon, Flipkart, Cilory and Ajio. “Our objective is to ensure a ‘wow’ experience for our customers every time they shop from Pepe Jeans – be it through our stores or e-retail,” she states.

76 IF EXCLUSIVE

Monte Carlo’s new collection with millennial twist

“Cotton and linen will dominate the summer season with blends remaining in fashion for festive wear.”

Rishabh Oswal President, Monte Carlo

taying ahead in the style game, Monte Carlo has launched its new collection that gives a millennial twist to traditional attires in terms of fabrics, cuts and colors. “This collection will set the right mood for the beginning of the new era,” notes Rishabh Oswal, President of the brand.

Comfort and class in focus Believing that “less is more,” Monte Carlo blends comfort and style in all

its garments. Each garment is inspired by comfort and class. The brand has also evolved in terms of technology and innovations. “We have mindfully curated designs that match international standards. The color palette for this season has hues of pink, red, beige, brown, yellow etc. We intend to focus on new cuts in top wear alongwith fancy sleeves and neckline,” adds Oswal. Talking about emerging fabric trends for the upcoming season, Oswal says, “Cotton and linen will dominate the

summer season with blends remaining in fashion for festive wear.”

Tapping future growth opportunities “The ready-made garment section offers a galore of opportunities that will help us grow in the market,” states Oswal. “This year our sales are likely to increase by 10 per cent,” he adds. Monte Carlo is available through over 230 EBO’s and over 1,500 MBO’s across the country. “We have few plans under consideration that include plans for an aggressive expansion,” Oswal sums up.

78 IF EXCLUSIVE

Being Human to expand in Tier II, III cities with EBOs

“Classics like linen and cotton will continue to be used for basic styles but for advanced styles we have experimented with blends like modal, viscose, etc.

Kunal Mehta VP-Marketing and Business Development Being Human

ur upcoming Spring/Summer ’19 collection is a fun mix of varied inspirations,” says Kunal Mehta, VP-Marketing and Business Development. “The collection can be divided into two lines: athleisure and denim. Our athleisure line fuses minimalism and grunge with a color palette that is dominated by neutral greys and muted blues which clash with florescent green and bright orange highlights. For the denim line, we have dug into its American heritage, and reinterpreted it for modern times. This is a fun holiday collection that is high on 90s youth fashion and comprises resort shirts and acid washed jeans,” he adds.

Effortless luxury

style

offers

laidback

“We can describe our style as effortless and casual and offer laid back luxury. For this season, we have worked on seven themes. These include five big and two capsule ones. For the athleisure line, our themes include: ‘Lab Sports’ and ‘Deconstruction.’ The first is minimalist while the other is techno grunge. The themes for the denim line are: Americana, Poetic Nature and

Soda Punk. Although visually these themes are different from one another, their central highlight remains denim.” Apart from these, the brand has two capsule collections: Africanation and Art not War. As the name suggests, Africanation is inspired by Africa but is available in a new modern youthful avatar for holiday beach style. The Art not War, theme is inspired by art and sends out a positive message of peace. Being Human, this season has experimented with new fabrics, like heavy weight interlock with pique texture for track pants and shorts, fluid viscose for resort shirts. “Classics like linen and cotton will continue to be used for basic styles but for advanced styles we have experimented with blends like modal, viscose, etc. This gives fluidity to the garments majorly used for our line of resort/holiday shirts with bright floral and statement stripe prints,” states Mehta.

Sales growth spurred by retail expansion

The A/W’18 season generated good business with the brand registering an overall growth of 15 per cent. The brand expects similar growth for spring/ summer’19. “Sales will definitely be better and higher as we plan to expand our EBOs and other point of sales in Tier II, III,” adds Mehta. The brand has 67 EBOs and is present in around 206 large format stores. It

has a strict EOSS/discount policy. “We offer the same discounts at all points of sale and hence don’t see a major impact,” he adds. Looking at the opportunities in the Tier II, III markets the brand is looking to expanding their. “We plan to enter Tier II, III cities and open 20 more EBOs in the next financial year,” he says. Cities where the brand plans to open stores include: Raipur, Vapi, Srinagar, Bikaner, Meerut, Faridabad, Shilong, Itanagar, Dimapur, etc. Speaking future fashion trends, Mehta says, “The future trends will be largely influenced by sportswear of the 90’s and 80’s which is being given an edgy makeover with the infusion of streetwear elements.”

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Sustainability marks Numero Uno’s new collection

he S/S’19 collection of Numero Uno offers an interesting mix of natural and sustainable fabrics alongwith technologydriven sustainable wash. The collection comprises ‘One Glass Water Jeans’, and a new collection of graphic tees known as ‘Magic Tees’. “The print colors of these tees change as you move from indoor to outdoor. The collection encompasses youth inspired and slogan tees that are self expressive, and celebrate individuality. Aesthetically created, these bright color-blocked tees add to customer’s youth appeal,” says Manjula Gandhi, Chief Product Officer, Numero Uno.

S/S’19 collection Numero Uno’s S/S ’19 has three broad themes:

Feeling Natural Inspired by nature this theme features familiar textures, simple shapes and warm colors. “It layers up well crafted easy pieces with a homely feel for true authenticity. The theme advocates being close to nature, and emphasises on the importance of sustainable living. The fabrics are textured and hand-spun giving the garment a home-grown nostalgic feel. The prints are bio-inspired, ditsy-floral and

“There is a lot of textile experimentation going on which includes combining aesthetics with utility and function, be it active wear or something as casual as denims.”

Manjula Gandhi Chief Product Officer Numero Uno

retro-geometric, accompanied by checks and stripes in pastel and bright colors,” Gandhi explains.

with boro-inspired repairing are also a highlight,” she adds.

Intouch

Elaborating on key fabric trends for the season, Gandhi notes “there is a lot of textile experimentation going on which includes combining aesthetics with utility and function, be it active wear or something as casual as denims.” Sustainable fabrics are becoming important. Hence, blends like cotton with Tencel & modal, linen, in shirting, recycled polyester denims, are being adopted by brands. Fits for men and women like slim/skinny fits continue to rule in the casual/denim category. “These fits are further enhanced with cropped hems. Frays and open hems, with side-stripe detailing for a cool and sporty look will be sought after in future. Loose silhouettes/boyfriend fits are also being explored by younger customers.” Besides these other future trends include: large repeat woven patterns, and heritage and windowpane checks in bright colors; top-to-toe white dressing, creative layering of deconstruction and reconstruction creatively layered; bold graphic messages promoting self love, freedom, unity and positivity, and street inspired graffiti prints on tees/denims/jackets; urban camouflage prints; color-blocked panels and stripes in tees; bold graphic prints & logos with offbeat placements and authentic vintage washes with or without damages. Althleisure continues to grow as a trend as fashion gets sportier with on and off-court clothing ruling the scene. “The side-stripe bottoms inspired by track bottoms are latest fashion trend which will continue to rule the fashion scene,” Gandhi affirms.

“This theme reconnects us to emotional and physical stimulants; colors that soothe or energise us, and materials that calm and stimulate our senses,” Gandhi explains. A holiday inspired theme, it offers brighter pigmented colors, bright checks, horizontal stripes, tropical and beach prints and underwater marine inspired motifs. Fabrics are soft, fluid mostly blended with Tencel, modal & mélanges,” she further states.

Creative Manifesto “This theme celebrates individuality with contrast patterns, strong silhouettes and offbeat colors,” notes Gandhi. The collection is driven by the youth who wish to express themselves through clothes. The personalised approach of this theme allows customers to stand out from the crowd and make an impact. “This look is carried off with a confident rebellious attitude and grounded by a casual spirit,” she adds.

Color palette to suit moods “The color palette for this collection concurs with the themes,” observes Gandhi. It spans from subtle neutrals like beige, grey, khaki and sweet pastels like lilac, peach, sky, to super bright salmon, golden yellow, dk pink, red, teal& violet. A headto-toe white ensemble gives a calm and minimal vibe in the summer heat. “In denim, the indigos span a wide range from pale, sunfaded and bleached out blues to brighter mid-tones, vintage and heavily washed, to deep raw clean look denims. Frayed denims

Combining aesthetics with utility

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Celio to expand fashion horizon with a linen range the cotton and blends segment to cater to different segments of customers. Celio had a healthy season last year during the same period and is confident of delivering an even stronger performance this year on back of quality and trendy products. “We have substantially increased our investment to step up our engagement with consumers through an interesting mix of traditional and new age media while retaining the French heritage and values of the brand. We would continue to invest in building a stronger brand , build a winning team and elevate the consumer shopping experience across channels,” adds Gupta. Summer is a key season for the brand and having grown about 35 per cent last year, “we would like to build and continue the same momentum this year,” he states.

Expansion plans

elio brings a breath of freshness to Indian fashion with its chic and relaxed menswear,” says Abhishek Shetty, HeadMarketing, PR & Loyalty. The brand in its upcoming collection will focus on smart casuals, weekend casuals and jeans. These offerings can be classified into four main product groups: Free Urban, Smart and Essentials. Free is a denimwear and sportswear range sporting a casual and colorful spirit. It has products likes T-shirts, bermudas cargos and outdoor wears. Urban is smart, casual and chic collection with sophisticated and elegant products including linen shirts and bottomwear, jeans, smart polos, chinos, leather and faux leather jackets, etc. The Urban range has a lot of detailing in the garments and can be worn for different occasions such as casual, work or evenings. The Smart range offers business and work essentials with a fashion twist. It comprises leaner shirts, business jackets and some bottomwear. In the Essentials range the brand offers a wide selection of well priced basics for example: polos, plain tees, etc.

Linen in focus for summer

For the summer season, the brand will launch a wide range of linen top and bottom wear. “Not only are these 100 per cent linen

products but they also come with a wide range of prints, collar and sleeve options, which elevates the style quotient of the products,” explains Shetty. The brand will also launch a range of top and wear and bottmwear in

“Not only are these 100 per cent linen products but they also come up with a wide range of prints, collar and sleeve options, which elevates the style quotient of the products.”

Abhishek Shetty Head-Marketing, PR & Loyalty Celio

Currently present in 108 cities, Celio plans to adopt an aggressive expansion strategy by deeply penetrating in current cities besides entering new cities. “We are bullish about India as a whole and believe there is a potential in every corner of the country,” affirms Gupta. The brand is present across more than 400 points of sales in MBO, EBO’s and LFS. “Additionally, we are also present on most major ecommerce channels such as Myntra, Jabong, Amazon, Flipkart, etc,” he adds. Serving the needs of a la mode men since 1978, Celio is present in 60 countries with more than 1,140 outlets. “We now aim to expand our fashion footprint, one store at a time and develop style-conscious clothing for generations to come,” adds Gupta.

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Turtle to strengthen online presence

“O

ur spring/summer 2019 collection introduces two distinct ranges: formal and casual,” says Shitanshu Jhunjhunwala, Director, Turtle. The formal collection is inspired by the ‘tech’ look, while casual collection, inspired by artistic vision, focuses on ‘patterns and colors’. The formal collection introduces a range called ‘Expandables’ which offers stretch in everyday work wear clothing. This range is available in ‘Prince of Wales’ checks in vibrant red, blue, summer and mints colors.

Eco-friendly shirts collection Another of the brand’s invention is an organic collection of shirts where the tag has special seeds which blossom after they come in contact with mud and water under congenial environment. “A young and fresh collection, it’s offbeat in terms of colors, patterns and styling,” Jhunjhunwala notes. For its casual wear range, Turtle has introduced ‘Artorial’ shirts that are printed in vibrant colors like aqua, mint and peach have got the ball rolling for the collection. “We focus on innovations in fabrics and patterns,” Jhunjhunwala says, further adding “our styles and cuts offer a minimalistic look in fresh and vibrant

colors that range from sea green to mauve, pink, peach, coral, subdued greyand khaki, aqua, sky and royal blue, white, cream and lemon. Our organic collection is full of whites, beiges and khakis.”

Future trends to focus on sustainability Talking about future trends in fashion, Jhunjhunwala says, future trends will focus on tech and sustainability with innovations in fabrics and yarns. Various fabric finishes have been initiated that are durable and utilitarian. “Blends are here to stay,” Jhunjhunwala explains. Key blends available today include cotton linen, linen Tencel, Excel linen, knit linen, cotton Tencel, cotton modal, cotton polyester, etc. “Floral prints will be popular alongside fresh bold brush strokes motifs. Exaggerated patterns and colors are likely to be popular alongwith small dot geometrical patterns,” he adds. Turtle recently reformed its hand woven collection in terms of, bottoms and jackets and bandhis. The new and improved woven fabric used in this collection alongwith an earthy color palette makes it a crisp and sharp range. “We are relaunching this collection along with accessories like totes and shoulder

“The current season has largely been flat although some weeks have witnessed exponential growth. There hasn’t been any natural increase in walk-ins.”

Shitanshu Jhunjhunwala Director Turtle

bags,” adds Jhunjhunwala.

Wedding season brings in optimism Talking about business, Jhunjhunwala says, “The current season has largely been flat although some weeks have witnessed exponential growth. There hasn’t been any natural increase in walk-ins.” The upcoming season too is likely to be volatile due to the political scenario and upcoming elections, he feels. However, the wedding market is strong and the brand is optimistic about it. Inventory management and control is one of the biggest challenges facing the industry today followed by working capital. “Emerging opportunities will be in the digital space, e-commerce, and omni-channel.We are present in over 1,000 MBOs, over 100 EBOs and large format stores like Central, Shoppers Stop, Pantaloons, Brand Factory, Reliance, Max,” observes Jhunjhunwala. Although online sales form a small part of Turtle’s business, the brand plans to strengthen its e-commerce presence “as a lot of people first view a product online and then come to our store to purchase it. We also plan to expand our business in Bengal and UP,” he sums up.

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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Dollar charts future growth with exports, pop up stores

“Today, brands opt for omni-channel retail to reach customers on the go. It enables end users to buy products at retail stores as well on online market places.”

Ankit Gupta Vice-President Dollar Industries

“W

e choose to create our own styles rather than following any particular theme,” affirms Ankit Gupta, Vice-President, Dollar Industries. “We try to bring out the styles that go with the trend, are fashionable, comfortable and most importantly fit well,” he explains. This season, Dollar has experimented with stretchable and body-hugging fabrics and is concentrating on bright and pastel shades. “In upcoming season, we will launch a new category ‘Athleisure’, for both Dollar Bigboss & ForceNXT,” notes Gupta. “Our main target customers are those who are passionate towards athletic activities, workouts and sports. For the Athleisure range, we will introduce joggers, track pants, polo T-shirts, capri, etc.”

Cotton blends, Lycra elastane fabrics in demand Noting that innerwear has evolved from being just functional to fashionable, Gupta says, “Today people are prone to wearing good innerwear when they go for gyming or sport activities as fit, comfort and style all play a very important role here. Innovations in this category will largely depend on the fabrics being used.” The brand will use cotton blend

and Lycra Elastane for this season. It doesn’t experiment much with the prints in innerwear. Stating that this has been a good season for the brand Gupta notes, “We take time to appreciate our dealers and arrange business tours to motivate them to perform better. This not only increases our sales, but also gears us for the summer season,” he adds. As summer is longer than winter, Dollar offers a diverse range of products for men, women and kids. For winters there are: Dollar Ultra and Dollar Wintercare, which fall in the thermals category.

Exploiting both omni-channel retail “Today, brands opt for omni-channel retail to reach customers on the go,” states Gupta adding “it enables customers to buy products at retail stores as well on online market places.” At present, Dollar does not have any EBO but is present in over 95,000 MBOs.

“We have also created our presence in large format stores like Reliance Trends, D-mart, Brand Factory, More and Unlimited (Arvind Brand) to increase our reach,” informs Gupta. “We are actively present on leading online portals like Amazon, Flipkart, Jabong, Snapdeal, Myntra etc, for all our sub-brands. We have our own shopping portals as well: www.dollarshoppe.in and www.forcenxt. com,” he adds.

Focus on exports, new pop-ups One of the main focuses of the brand is retail branding, “as a lot of customers like to purchase on the basis of ‘Touch & Feel’, therefore, while the online market places are convenient for customers most customers come from our retail points,” adds Gupta. The brand in future plans to expand exports besides introducing pop up stores for better market penetration that allows the brand to increase overall presence, visibility and reach.

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Duke’s S/S’19 collection is a mix of function and fashion

“The collection makes a cheerful, modern fashion statement for men, women and kids”

Kuntal Raj Jain Director, Duke

untal Raj Jain, Director, Duke believes “innovation is most important in the fashion industry.” With a style statement that says, ‘clean, chic and vibrant attitude’ for the not so patient generation, the brand recently launched its Spring/ Summer’19 collection. “The collection focuses on confident layering of garments, colours and textures. Functionality and fashion both contribute equally and complement the product. This coming season we would be preceding European Winter fashion,” Jain says.

Unique blend of global fashion Duke makes durable clothing for all ages. Its latest designs in international fashion are specially designed for today’s youth. “The collection makes a cheerful, modern fashion statement for men, women and kids. We offer a unique blend of global fashion, international trends and innovative customer services, to our customers in India,” he states. “Fast fashion is exploding as shoppers shift to value-for-money fashion, aligned with latest global trends. To stay innovative and competitive, we experiment with

new talent, new ways of working, new partnerships and new investment models. In fabrics, we use cotton, PC, neps, snow slubs, injection slubs, washed, etc,” adds Jain.

Catering to demanding customers Talking about the apparel industry, Jain says, “Despite growing at a promising rate, the Indian apparel industry faces challenges like lack of trained workforce. Mass media penetration and growing disposable income has made Indian consumers more demanding and adaptable to change. It has become challenging for retailers and manufacturers to keep up with shifting demands and cater to customers’ constantly changing preferences.” He says, high inflation has forced tight pocket customers to wait for end of season sale. It is a golden opportunity for retailers to clear old stocks. This helps customers get discounted rates besides helping retailers increase footfalls in short span.

Foray into new segments Noting that marketing has undergone many changes during the past few

years, Jain reveals Duke has an unbeatable marketing network of over 4,000 multi brand outlets, over 2,000 LFS and over 360 exclusive stores across major India. “We have already covered major Indian towns and now plan to extend in these cities and the Gulf markets. We also plan to diversify in ladies & kids wear segments besides expanding footwear and e-commerce business,” he adds. Duke recently launched Step Ahead, a premium lifestyle footwear collection specially designed and crafted for utmost comfort style and durability. It comprises casual shoes, sports Shoes, loafers, joggers, running shoes, smart casuals, sneakers, moccasin, sandals, flip flop, etc. “We aim to grow sales and market share by participating in the craze for shoes and apparels,” states Jain. Engaged in omni-channel retail, Duke has tied up with top retailers like Central, Reliance Trends, Reliance Market, Walmart, Reliance Footprints, Best Price, Aditya Birla Retail, Hyper City, Metro, Brand Factory, etc. “Our e-commerce presence is through Flipkart, Jabong, Myntra, Sanpdeal, Tata Cliq, Ajio etc. We also sell through our own website,” adds Jain.

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Callino ready to spread out in all retail formats

lassic Prints define Callino London’s shirts collection for upcoming summer season. “Prints are more popular nowadays as they are well accepted among all age groups,” notes Ashok Singhal, CEO.

18 stitches per inch for better functionality Callino London offers both cotton and pure, blended linen shirts. Besides, it also offers a collection of white shirts made with 100 per cent cotton. “We put in 18 stitches per inch in shirts which strengthens the garments and increases its functionality,” Singhal explains. “We use dedicated threads from Germany named as Gutterman. In solid, bright fluorescents, structure weaves etc., these shirts are available in tailor or smart fit,” he states. Callino London also offers formal and cotton trousers. “Our formal trousers are silicon-

“The buyer has become more aware, smart and conscious of fits. He wants to look smart regardless of his age and is sensitive about pricing.”

Ashok Singhal CEO, Callino London

treated which ensures its crease stays forever. This is a super-crease concept for permanent crease. Besides, we offer adjustable belts with trousers which contain elastic and can be stretched as per convenience,” adds Singhal. The non-denim or cotton trousers are available with different washes and finishes. These trousers are made of Lycra fabrics to make them more comfortable.

and February,” Singhal observes. “We have maintained a minimum growth rate of 25 per cent every year irrespective of business sentiments in the market,” he adds. The entire production of Callino London is done through outsourcing. “We do R&D in house and rest is done by our dedicated vendors. The buyer has become more aware, smart and conscious of fits. He wants to look smart regardless of his age and is sensitive about pricing,” he adds.

Waist coats, jackets and more

Being a 100 per cent MBOs and big shops brand, Callino London currently has 120 retail outlets. “Out of these, 50 are big shops while the rest are MBOs,” Singhal says. The brand also plans to tie-up with major large format stores across the country. Apart from this, online and exclusive store retail is also on the cards in the next two years. The brand is not really interested in online retail as, “it does not satisfy our consumers,” views Singhal. It is currently available in North India only but will soon spread its footprints in the Western and Eastern part of the country. “The market situation, over time, has worsened due to the huge discounts offered both online and offline. Labor has become expensive and it’s difficult to find a good retail space due to their exorbitant rates,” notes Singhal. “We plan to expand our retail operations to all popular retail formats,” he sums up.

Besides shirts and trousers, Callino London also has a range of waist coat and linen jackets. The waist coats are light weight with digital prints. “We have also introduced waist coats made of knitted fabrics, our linen jackets are available in solid colors,” adds Singhal. The brand’s blazers are made of linen and knitted fabrics. They are available in summer checks and light colors such as pink, lemon, aqua and marine, etc.

Good times ahead for the brand “Owing to the big wedding season ahead, we hope to do bumper business in January

Spreading its retail wings

Stall No 1611

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Tom Tailor introduces ‘in-between’ range

“Though we successfully launched our winter collection, we are not yet ready to launch a summer collection. Instead, we are looking for ‘in-betweeners’, new essentials of everyday wardrobe.”

Devendra Gupta Founder, Inceptra Lifestyle

ll collections of Tom Tailor exude individuality and a sense of style, and skillfully combine classic pieces with seasonal fashion trends. The brand for the upcoming season is launching two exciting collections: ‘Leisure Saturday’ and ‘New Denim City’ in both women’s and men’s categories. “Though we successfully launched our winter collection, we are not yet ready to launch a summer collection. Instead, we are looking for ‘inbetweeners’, new essentials of everyday wardrobe,” says Devendra Gupta, Founder, Inceptra Lifestyle, owner of Tom Tailor brand.

Introducing season-less collections Tom Tailors offers apparels that satisfy one’s desire to look cool without being oversdressed. “Season-less is a new aesthetic for today’s youth. Dressed-up leisure looks are in demand with layers of bright knit styles and flower midi skirts or bright coloured sweaters with blue high waist jeans,” notes Gupta. All collections are inspired by a particular theme. “For the new season, we plan to launch trans-season statement styles

with fresh spring colors and prints. Trends such as rose-red combinations, multi-color stripes, suited dress-ups, slub effects, ecru details and photo prints will dominate the collection,” he adds. “P eopl e are done w i th basi c styl es and seek new fabri cs and cuts thi s season. N atural fabri cs w i l l be on an upsw i ng w i th ani mal pri nts, saturated col ors, knotti ng detai l s and deni m emergi ng as key trends,” adds Gupta.

Focus on e-commerce Currently present across 42 offline channels along with a notable online presence, Tom Tailor now plans to relaunch its website. “The online channel will be our main focus this year,” affirms Gupta.

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Woodland foresees positive growth ahead

“This season looks promising in terms of business as there is something new that the brand has to offer keeping in mind customer’s tastes and preferences.”

Harkirat Singh Managing Director Woodlan

s the weather warms up, Woodland is ready with its Spring/Summer 2019 collections that will hit stores soon. “The fabrics that will rule this season include: suede, canvas, blends, etc. Men will experiment with different designs, colors and prints no longer sticking to only basic, conventional and understated style,” notes Harkirat Singh, Managing Director, Woodland. “Brogues will make a comeback along with printed shoes and stylish espadrilles for men and women with animal prints, florals, checkered and dotted patterns,” he adds. The appetite for adventure sports has grown over the years. This adventurous spirit defines Woodland’s collection that includes an extensive line of footwear, performance apparel and outdoor gear. “Our offerings range from lightweight jackets for active pursuits to summit tested parkas for the coldest places on earth,” adds Singh.

Sneakers, chunky silhouettes, thick soles to rule the market Elaborating on the footwear market, Singh says, “The footwear market will continue to be driven by sneakers. We will also see chunky silhouettes and shoes in colorblocking and monotone neutral colors. The color palette includes maroon, white, brown,

black, blue, grey, etc. Shoes with thick soles will also rule the market.” Woodland combines activity focused designs with technologically advanced materials. “The raw materials used for making our shoes including soles are manufactured in-house. Italian machinery is used for tanning and finishing the handpicked Italian hides. German technology is used to manufacture tough rubber soles. Direct Injection Process (DIP) is used for PU/TPU soles, produced by German giant Desma’s advanced machines and robots. This perfect synergy of design, material and construction is the target Woodland strives for, in every product,” notes Singh.

Men’s footwear to lead the market The total size of online footwear market in India is pegged at Rs 6,300 crore, of which, Rs 850 crore is women’s shoes and Rs 5,450 crore men’s footwear. “We see a huge opportunity for growth. Rising income, advent of globalisation, improved employment and living standards in the country will lead market expansion. Trekking and hiking shoe segment is also anticipated to exhibit healthy growth during the forecast period owing to technological advancements that ensure more comfort and flexibility for hikers,” he adds. “With GST, there was a remarkable drop in women’s footwear sales,”

Singh explains. However, men’s shoes were relatively less hit. Men are leading the way in Indian footwear market. “This season looks promising in terms of business as there is something new that the brand has to offer keeping in mind customer’s tastes and preferences.”

Timely delivery, inventory management pose challenges “The industry still faces a lot of challenges.” rues Singh. Though technology has marked its presence in modernisation of footwear industry, most of the production is still handmade. “Timely and efficient delivery of products, managing multiple warehouses and stores, easy transition to present taxation policies, managing multichannel and offline, seamless management of returns and cancellations, are some of the problems faced by footwear manufactures,” he observes.

Expanding its wings Woodland is present in over 5,000 MBOs and 600 EBOs. “Online sales do not affect our sale strategy as there are equal number of customers for both,” states Singh. The brand organises End of Season Sale twice a year. “We are growing geographically across India between 30-40 stores each year and will continue this growth pattern his year too,” he affirms.

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Toonz on a major product, retail expansion spree

he Spring/Summer’19 collection of Toonz Retail is based on the theme: Spring garden, Fun Fiesta and Blue Safari for its Wow Mom range aimed at new born to three years olds. Toonz also has an apparel brand for kids in the age group 3-12 years. “Known as Superyoung, the brand revolves around the themes: street carnival, summer camp and surf town,” says Sharad Venkta, MD & CEO.

Classic styles with fresh prints new fashion trends

While the Wow Mom theme runs through elements such as waves, beaches, star fishes, shades of blue, color pop; fiesta features candies, funfoods, balloons, circus. Spring, on the other hand, is inspired by plants, gardens, check prints etc. The brand, Super young revolves around the theme camping, binoculars, maps, compass, traveling, badges, high fashion colors and trending fashion.

“Silhouettes and cuts have changed as per high fashion,” notes Venkta. “Classic styles with fresh prints are likely to emerge as the next fashion trend with cotton, linen, Lycra and blend fabrics being preferred,” he adds. As Toonz Retail has revamped certain categories and styles to cater to both new and old markets, it expects both to flourish. “New born babies and gifting segments offer major opportunities aided by changing buyer trends and disposable income. Our challenges include: growing competition and newer niche brands,” he explains.

Omni-channel retail for a personalised experience “When a business enjoys visibility across a range of different channels, it automatically translates into a more personalised customer experience,” says Venkta. Toonz tracks its customers over multiple channels while comprehending their preferences. Omni-channel retail allows businesses to

get ideas on how to create offers which may persuade customers to engage themselves while shopping at physical stores. Toonz currently is present across 100 EBOs and 100 MBOs in four key markets of Southern and Western regions. The brand now plans to expand in Gurugram, Jodhpur, Noida “We also have our own website by the name toonz retail. We are present on Hopscotch and other market places. We have tied up with BabyChakra for product listing and recommendations. The brand’s new expansion strategy includes expanding its omni channel, online and digital operations. We plan to expand our baby care and ride on segments. New apparel styles will be our key focus area,” observes Venkta.

“When a business enjoys visibility across a range of different channels, it automatically translates into a more personalised customer experience.”

Sharad Venkta MD & CEO, Toonz Retail

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Derby Jeans ready to launch sustainable line of shirts

“S

ustainability will drive future fashion trends,” says Vijay Kapoor, Managing Director, Derby Jeans Community. The brand is launching innovative sustainable shirts as a part of its S/S ’19 collection. “This collection reduces 80 per cent water and energy consumption in garment manufacturing process,” he adds. The S/S ’19 collection will offer a fashionable yet customer centric range with Indian climatic conditions playing a major role in its design aspects.

Inspired by five major themes “Lightweight fabrics with breathability and moisture absorption constitute the functional aspect of this range,” notes Kapoor. The hybrid workwear range features rinse washed jeans that can be worn for work and casually. “The range provides a variety of product mix for urban and aspiring markets,” adds Kapoor. It is inspired by five major themes:

Sun Soaked: A breezy summer collection for high summer, featuring casual lifestyle products.

Cultural Raise:

Denim on Denim:

prevail in this season also,” says Kapoor. The growing trend towards customisation provides a unique opportunity for players who have already launched their pilot projects in this segment, he feels. Noting that volatile buying patterns along with heavy discounting are major challenges being faced by brands, Kapoor explains “Our EOSS strategy is focused on liquidating previous season’s products by restricting new launches to avoid stock pile up.”

This focuses on Derby’s DNA story that caters to the denim cult.

Expanding across all channels

A street collection inspired by rising subcultures across the globe for ‘the young at heart’.

Counter Culture: Fashionable and casual lifestyle collection inspired by #REBELINME culture with positive aspirations.

Natural fabrics in demand Derby has been listed among the top 100 sustainable brands in the country. Hence, the brand does not use synthetic fabrics like polyester that are made from petro chemicals and highly exploit natural resources. The major fabrics for summer are: linen, cotton and their blends. “A few regenerated fibers like Tencel, Excel are blended onto natural fibers for a soft handfeel and comfort,” adds Kapoor. “Stretch fabrics that offer unmatchable comfort are our strength,” he notes.

Downtown:

Restricting new product launch to avoid stock pileup

A hybrid workwear and party focused collection catering to the urban and semi urban market.

“The upcoming season will yield 15 per cent YOY growth in current business scenario although strong competition will

“This collection reduces 80 per cent water and energy consumption in garment manufacturing process.”

Vijay Kapoor Managing Director Derby Jeans

Derby has a strong presence in Tamil Nadu and plans to expand in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana initially, before spreading operations across India. The brand, as a part of its growth strategy, will focus on expansion in large format stores and online operations. “We are currently present in over 70 EBO’s and also have an online presence,” adds Kapoor. Believing that “brands need to putin more efforts to develop a new set of business processes rather than tinkering with existing ones,” Derby now plans to create 1,000 successful first generation entrepreneurs by franchising the Derby jeans community, thereby putting India on the fashion map of the world by March, 2025. The brand also plans to launch a new range of sweat shorts by the end of Summer ’19.

Hackman Enterprises: gurbindersinghvedi@gmail.com

9654760447

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Nitrite launches a new range for women

“Slim and relax fits are in fashion these days especially in garments with spandex

Varun Mittal Director, Nitrite

itrite, a brand that offers sportswear, performance wear, active wear, yoga wear, gym wear, play wear and athleisure et all, recently launched a new range in women’s wear. The new range include: yoga wear, gym wear and atleisure wear with spandex for stretch and comfort. “We use knitted fabric with built in technology for moisture management,” states Varun Mittal, Director of the brand. “Our garments offer anti-odor, anti bacterial, UV protection properties with aroma and elastomeric finish.”

Slim, relax fits in neon and pastel shades With people becoming more conscious about their health, athleisure wear market is growing at a rapid pace. New brands and companies, both national and international, are entering the market. “The consumer is being offered a wide choice in terms of designs and patterns,” Mittal opines. “Slim and relax fits are in fashion these days especially in garments with spandex. In colors, neon and pastel shades are preferred,” he adds.

Growth in women’s category Though the men’s category’s contributes more to activewear market than women’s and kids, the women’s segment is growing fast as newer companies have jumped into this space with a wide collection of quality and affordable garments. “Earlier, the split between men’s and women’s category was

70 and 30 per cent respectively. But, now with growth in women’s category, the split is 55 and 45 per cent respectively,” Mittal observes. What’s more, growth, which was earlier concentrated in metros, is spreading to Tier II, III cities. “The market has a bright future with new players likely to enter this space,” he sums up.

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Cantabil aims to make a mark in kidswear “The market, overall, is good, particularly in wedding season. We are dependent a lot on it and hope to generate good business in coming months.”

Deepak Bansal Director, Cantabil

ur new kid’s collection will take some time to come to the level of our existing collections,” notes Deepak Bansal, Director, Cantabil. The brand is already and established name in men’s and women’s categories and is now foraying the kidswear market. “As of now, the response has been good,” Bansal adds. Since the brand already has a well-established retail market, “the new venture will not prove too challenging for us.” affirms Bansal.

Eye on men’s semi-casual, formal wear

The men’s collection in Cantabil is a mix of semi-casual and formal wear. “Since this collection is designed for summer, it has more cotton and pastel shades. Shirts are available in dobbies, checks and prints,” states Bansal. Other fabrics used include: Oxford, Cambridge, plain and prints. The

prints are of two types: digital and polka dots. “We have at least 8 to 10 types of print designs. We also offer cotton, PV and denim trousers,” he adds. Cantabil also offers women’s clothing “though the range is not large. It’s mostly western wear comprising a casual wear range,” notes Bansal.

Discount-oriented customer a bug bear

One of the challenges that the brand faces is the rise of discount-oriented customers which makes maintaining prices a big challenge. “The market, overall, is good, particularly in wedding season. We are dependent a lot on it and hope to generate good business in coming months,” adds Bansal further. Cantabil is particular about its brand’s retail strategy. As Bansal informs, “We sell through EBOs only and are particular about it. We have about 237 EBOs and plan to add around 50 more this year, with on an average five or six EBOs every month.

We are mostly saturated in North India and plan to expand in the Eastern and Western markets.” Cantabil doesn’t retail online as it believes it attracts only young customers, below 30 years. “We largely target customers 30 to 50 year old. Moreover, people are moving away from online buying, especially in apparels, as it leads to issues ranging from size, shape and colors,” he adds. Even though competition in retail is increasing, Cantabil expects a good season ahead. “Business last year was good and we achieved around 20 per cent growth. This year, we expect to grow by 10 to 12 per cent,” he sums up.

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Breakbounce gears up for an eventful year ahead

“Streetwear is the buzz word in fashion and we plan to capitalise on being the first and the only authentic ‘Men’s Streetwear Brand’ in the country,”

Sanjeev Makhija Managing Director Breakbounce

he style mantra, ‘Stay Street Ready; Be the Street Show Stopper,’ inspires ‘Switch’ the Spring/Summer collection of Breakbounce which is vibrant, pro fun, and also a little quirky. “The collection seamlessly slips in and out of distinct personas from being a true street player with athleisure styles to the loungy weekend lover to indigo crafted art lover to the wanderer soaked in an overdose of outdoor prints to the night lovers and party show stoppers,” says Sanjeev Makhija, Managing Director, Breakbounce.

In line with the global trends Marked by a vast range of cropped length pants across denims, washed cotton pants, knitted bottom, etc, this collection takes global trends head on. Bold print on print ensemble providethe hottest mash up of sport and street styles with innovative taping details. “The color palette ranges from rejuvenating pastel cool to the earthy overtones and black and white with color pops,” notes Makhija. Printed tees with graffiti and varied handwritings are in trend. “Inspired by nature, terrain,military and scribbled art, these prints are based on equally varied fabrics like linen, cotton linen, bamboo blends, cotton slubs, etc. Their designs vary from side seam taping to cropped pants to retro inspired styles,” he adds. “Streetwear is the buzz word infashion and we plan to capitaliseon being the first and the only authentic ‘Men’s Streetwear Brand’ in the country,” states Makjhija. “However, educating our consumer to differentiate between street wear and casual wear besides dealing with their expectations of deep discounts are some of the challenges we need to counter.”

Tapping growth through all channels He believes omni channel is the future of retail as it provides effective consumer satisfaction, better inventory management and fulfillment. Breakbounce is currently present in over 130 large format stores including Lifestyle, Central, Globus, etc, and over 120 top rated MBOs across India. “We are also present on e-commerce platforms such as Myntra, Jabong, Flipkart, Amazon. Presence on such powerhouse platforms helps us reach and address larger consumer base and establish better connect with the audience,” Makhija adds.

Expansion focused on Northeast The upcoming season and year ahead for Breakbounce looks extremely promising

“with strategic focus on growing our footprint in large format stores and gain visibility with some power packed in-store marketing which offers our loyal consumers direct benefit/ instant gratification,” adds Makhija. Break bounce plans to strengthen its online presence besides introducing new retail formats like pop up shops and experience stores. “The Northeast will be our new focus for expansion,” he says.

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109° F to focus on profit making retail

“I see Indian brands making a comeback, once the novelty of international brands wears off, and consumers see better value for money in Indian brands.”

Rahul Mehta Managing Director, 109° F

ahul Mehta, Managing Director of 109° F is hopeful of a good summer season, especially after February. “The women’s western wear market, which is growing at 12 to 15 per cent will reach approximately Rs 20,000 crore,” he opines. “We would be amongst the top five brands in our product category. Continuous updating of fashion, sharp pricing, upgraded quality, brand communication and loyalty building will enable this growth,” he adds.

Finely crafted designs for urban women Launched in May 2006 by Creative Lifestyles, 109°F has, in a short span of time, became one of the leading brands in women’s western wear category in India and has met with tremendous success in overseas markets such as: UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Nepal and Iraq. A new age fashion brand, 109° F offers finely crafted designs for urban Indian woman who is young at heart and aware of international fashion trends. “Our consumer is cosmopolitan, bold,

care-free and loves to travel with style and comfort, knows her style and isn’t afraid to experiment,” notes Mehta. The brand’s strategy for the season is: simple commercial fashion, avoiding elaborate over-adorned garments. “We believe consumer’s tastes are becoming more classic and less ostentatious,” Mehta explains. The color palette for the season are shades of bright along with light shades. In terms of fabrics, “linen, 100 per cent cotton and handloom fabrics in addition to standard polyester fabrics for prints will be in trend,” he notes.

International brands a challenge, Tier-II markets an opportunity Mehta points out, the advent of international brands is the biggest challenge being faced by industry as of now. “At the same time, opening up of Tier II markets presents the biggest opportunity. Competition is intense but as of now international brands seem to hold the edge. I see Indian brands making a comeback, once the novelty of international brands wears off, and consumers see better value for money in Indian brands,” he adds. 109° F hopes to cut down discounts this season but has been offering sharp prices from the inception. “While e-commerce will remain a strong channel, fears of offline retail being wiped out are exaggerated,” notes Mehta. The brand is currently exiting some of its non-profitable outlets and

focusing on profit-making stores. In future, it plans to consolidate and increase sales per square feet rather than expansion.

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Twills launches S/S ’19 collection in five ranges

“Our core range of shirts is made of filafil, cotton linen, plain indigos, cotton slub satin and dobbies. Nearly 20 per cent of our sale is generated from the core range.”

Naveen Gamini Managing Director Twills

aunched in 1999, menswear brand Twills recently launched its S/S ’19 collection in five ranges. Bluemint is made of indigo fabrics; the second range Painted comprises printed fabrics; Linonlife range offers linen fabrics in summer color; HIM comprises checks; while the fifth range comprises striped fabrics. “In addition, we also have a separate collection of kurtas,” notes Naveen Gamini, Managing Director of the brand.

Believing in conceptualised selling, Twills divides its merchandise into various concepts every season. “Our core range of shirts is made of filafil, cotton linen, plain indigos, cotton slub satin and dobbies. Nearly 20 per cent of our sale is generated from the core range,” adds Gamini. Its fastest selling products include casual shirts and trousers.

Value for money collections A mid-segment brand, Twills offers total value for money. “Nearly 60 per cent of our customers are below 40 years, while 40 per cent are officegoers. We sell casual products made of superior fabrics at midsegment rates,” adds Gamini. .

Retail spread Present in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh & Orissa markets, Twills operates through 4,00O MBOs, 175 shop-in-shops and 107 EBOs. “We plan to add 200 shop-in-shops and 2,500 MBO in the next two to three years. We will also open EBOs in Tier I, III cities across India, especially in Maharashtra and UP,” adds Gamini. In 2019, the brand plans to add boy’s knits and winter wear to their merchandise. New washes in denim and shirts including water repellent trousers and

denim plus a radigo pocket range in trousers and denim to minimise mobile radiation are in the pipeline.

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Myriad to nurture customers through new products

“Our multi discipline approach of experiential marketing enables us to interact with customers via digital and social media platforms.”

Sunishka Geonka Creative Director and Founder Myriad Activewear

nspired by power and energy of the youth, Myriad Activewear’s new collection uses graphic texts in a subtle way. “The power of the youth breaks through the conventional designs of this collection that focus on directional and refreshed approaches to prints, silhouettes and colors. They also enhance the multi-generational feel by liquidating abstract prints and bold colors,” says Sunishka Geonka, Creative Director and Founder of the brand. The collection features easy to wear interchangeable separates adorned with athletic stripes and holographic metallic printed crops paired with sports style wide leg pants to synthesis looks from ‘Office to Crossfit’.

Enhanced performance, functionality in eclectic mix of colors Myriad balances maximal and minimal elements within its design to enhance performance as well as functionality. “We instrument a two-line approach of core and

fashion that builds awareness about activewear and their usability for daily casual and active wear,” states Geonka. The brand’s color palette for the season is an eclectic mix of contrasts and pastel colors that underlines a sense of power and conversation. Subdued midtones of grey, blues to dark tones of royal blue, reds and ashy green offer a base to fix bright yellows. Coral and mint green glow with holographic metallics traditionally look athletic and enhance street style to offer the roaring energy of the youth. Myriad Activewear’s versatility comes from its advanced fabrics. “Our designs enable us to explore a greater variety of fabrics from nylon and four way polyester stretch blends, polypropelene to Tencel and breathable yet aesthetically unique meshes,” adds Geonka. These oversized, spaced bonded and geometric meshes create a youthful look and offer breathability and moisture management. The classic black fishnets have been updated with dynamic neon brights.

Accessories complement brand’s designs Myriad has also introduced a new range of accessories “to complement the style and aesthetics of the designs using patent and classic holographic transparent PVC fabric,” says Goenka. These include clutches that can be used to dress up from the Barre Class to a Bar. Also, knee thigh high socks made from circular and breathable mesh fabrics with

contrast stretch are the new fashion trends.

Myriad expects to generate greater sales than previous year. “Our multi discipline approach of experiential marketing enables us to interact with customers via digital and social media platforms. We also focus on conventional marketing methods which aid long run business propositions with consumers,” reveals Geonka. “Brands will continue to focus on performance and adapt to seasonal trends in kid’s activewear category gaining exposure as international brands like Ivivva, Macy’s, JC Pennys have introduced the kids activewear category specifically programmed to curate an experience for young children,” she adds.

New avenues planned Myriad is expanding its product portfolio from accessories to men’s and kid’s activewear. “Our aim is to be recognisable in all fields in order to pursue a flagship store that is approachable to our clients and larger audience. We are also exploring new markets such as Tier II and III cities like Ludhiana, Hyderabad and Kolkata, where high net worth individuals have the ability to spend and invest in new brands” she sums up.

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Neva to reclaim its position through new collections “The future holds tremendous opportunities as we move from one milestone to the next and plan to include over 100 franchisees and increase the number of stores to 300.”

Anuj Jain AVP-Advertising Neva

“O

ur new Spring/ S u m m e r Collection 2 0 1 8 - 1 9 is not only high o n s t y l e b u t a l s o a t r e a t f o r quality conscious customer,” says Anuj Jain, AVP-Advertising, Neva. “The collection provides clothes for all members of family. It has a range of T-shirts, track pants, capris, bermudas, value pack and innerwear. The intention is to have a sweat free and a comfortable summer season for the family,” he informs.

International quality at Indian prices Established in 1998, Neva’s initial innovative practices still resonate across the thermal innerwear industry even now. Although the brand has become an indisputable market leader through

its innovative and quality products, it has never rested on its past laurels. “We entered the market with aspirations to provide unique and international quality clothes which drove us to consistently raise the standards of industrial practices and innovations,” adds Jain. “Our policy has always been to provide international quality at Indian prices,” he states. Now, Neva is evolving into the whole new concept, ‘Clothing for Life’, a revolution in the context of clothing and dressing. “Clothes have been our companion in exploring the outside world. And ‘clothing for life’ has been our root thinking. Hence, we offer the best innovative clothing technologies that make our customers everyday outings lively and fun,” Jain explains.

Spreading retail footprint Neva primarily operates in six categories: thermal wear, active wear, sweaters, jackets, inner wear and lingerie for men, women and kids. “Neva Mod quilt, Neva Esancia, Neva Velveti, Neva Mod wool, Neva Sofit, Neva Stile, Live free, Neva Maxx, Feona Jersey, Neva Miss, Neva Mint are some of our top brands,” notes Jain.

The brand has a dedicated and disciplined employee base of over 1,200, a wide distribution network across Indian subcontinent and more than 300 channel partners who have helped it gain a retail base of over 7,000. “Our products also sell overseas,” Jain says. Neva has strategically decided to foray into large format stores and multi brand outlets. As its product portfolio is increasing rapidly, the brand plans to showcase its range in MBOs through a special counter. “This will enable customers to see and choose from the large range of the brand’s products. The future holds tremendous opportunities as we move from one milestone to the next and plan to include over 100 franchisees and increase the number of stores to 300,” Jain adds further. “We aim to regain our undisputed leadership position in thermal wear category over next three years; create an unenviable and aspirational brand/product line in all season active wear for the entire family and achieve 50 per cent revenue growth year on year for next the three years,” he sums up.

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Retail expansion on the cards for Raisin cotton, linen, rayon, etc. The colors palette is an amalgamation of pop, cool, and warm tones, closely fitting with the concept of ‘You Are Hue,” he adds.

Blending Indian culture with contemporary influences

“We look at providing a holistic retail experience for consumers which is important in today’s fashion industry.”

Vikram Pacheriwal Co-Founder, Raisin

taying close to its core strength of providing exceptionally comfortable fashion, Raisin, in the upcoming summer season, plans to introduce a new collection ‘You Are Hue’ Spring/Summer ’19. “True to its name, this collection is a colorful medley of pop, cool and warm tones with a host of styles and patterns to cater to all customers,” says Vikram Pacheriwal, CoFounder, Raisin. “Designed with different hues depicting various emotions, this collection explores breathable fabrics like

Representing the perfect blend of Indian culture and contemporary influences, Raisin offers modern fusion wear crafted to be comfortable, yet stylish. “This collection, created with a strong belief that fashion cannot exist without comfort, comprises a variety of products like dresses, kurtas, tunics and gowns crafted from premium fabrics like linen, cotton, georgette, cotton-silk, khadi-silk and muslin,” notes Pacheriwal The brand offers a wide range of patterns without repetition or similarities. “Our target audience spans 18 to 45 years, giving different personalities and styles an array of choices to express their individual sense of fashion,” he adds. Apart from kurtis, dresses, kurta sets, maxis, and tunics, Raisin recently launched jumpsuits and safari suits and plans to introduce more products. “Trends change quickly in a span of few months,” states Pacheriwal. The brand constantly updates its collections to ensure trendy clothing. “We launch a new collection every three to four months keeping up with current styles and seasonal changes,” he informs. The brand also updates its patterns and designs according to trends besides introducing seasonal colors.

Tackling challenges head-on Pacheriwal expects spring/ summer collection to see good traction. “Our collection is fresh and trendy which is sure to attract consumers. We expect an upward curve in sales,” he says. Limited cash flows in the market and growing preference for discounts have failed to dampen the brand’s spirit which plans to offer latest products and styles. “Compared to previous year, the market maybe a little challenging but we strive to remain the topmost choice of consumers,” adds Pacheriwal.

Omni-channel presence to boost retail The brand has an offline presence in over 50 shop in shops and plans to enter MBOs and LFS soon. “Eventually, we plan to have franchises and open EBOs but that may take some time,” he states. A strong advocate of omni-channel retailing, Raisin’s online presence is through own e-commerce website www.raisinglobal.com. “We are also available across all e-com retailers: Amazon, Myntra, Jabong, Flipkart and Ajio,” adds Pacheriwal. Stating that the online world has treated the brand quite well so far, Pacheriwal says “there is a requirement of discounting and campaigning to increase in this format but we managed to see constant increase in our customer base.” The brand recently held its ‘End of Season Sale’ with offers on its own website and all other top e-com websites where it is present. “We look at providing a holistic retail experience for consumers which is important in today’s fashion industry,” sums up Pacheriwal.

AAI SHREE MOGAL / ACEROLA Mfg. of Boys Shirts, Jackets and Blazer coats. Devraj Patel (9167326162) / Mahesh Patel (9769611299) Address : Room No. 3, Hansraj Chawl No.1, Near Milan Mall, Milan Cinema, Subway Road, Santacruz(W), Mumbai - 400054 Mob : 9867983698 email : acerolafas.inc@gmail.com

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July captures domestic market with stylish range

performance meet international paradigms,” informs Bajaj. Besides having a premiere presence on all leading retail websites, July has established a global footprint by exporting its creations to counties like Spain, Italy and the UAE. The brand is also an official licensee for Warner Brothers characters in Italy and Disney characters in the Indian market.

Tough competition for the organised market

elieving that you are beautiful is the first step towards understanding your worth as a woman,” says Sumant Bajaj, Managing Director, Pearl Clothing, owner of premium apparel brand July. The brand, in its efforts to evolve constantly, has launched a new range of active, sports, lounge and night wear for the domestic market.

Superior fabrics, stylish patterns

“Our premium quality lounge wear and sleepwear is made from superior combed cotton yarn with a dash of elastane for that ideal look and fit,” notes Bajaj. “Our design team creates stylish patterns and cuts for the garments alongwith new and pleasing print designs,” he adds. The chemicals and dyes used in the clothes are skin friendly and fused well for comfort. The brand does not make bulk quantities in any single design.

Each garment goes through strict quality tests and is packed in smart packs. A reputed production house in the branded readymade garment industry, July is known for its quality and commitment to clients. “Our facilities and standards of

Talking about the Indian market, Bajaj says, “Both organised and unorganised sectors in India face competition from each other with people opting for trendy and fashionable garments. Organised sector always tries to meet the requirements of customers in terms of price and good quality. However, competition is tough.” He feels online retail has taken this segment to a big level. “The discounts that these markets offer attract customers but it has a drawback too. Customers generally don’t get latest products online and have to satisfy themselves with old stock at a good discounted price.” The brand’s portal www.julynightwear.com offers an exclusive collection “created with extra love and care, these select collections are top of the line on every count -- be it quality of fabric, texture or style,” adds Bajaj.

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Arvind Lifestyle aims at Rs 7500 crores

Arvind’s branded apparels business comprises licensed international brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and US Polo Association. The company is around 13 per cent online and 87 per cent offline. Arvind has 1400 own stores across all brands put together.

rvind Lifestyle Brands aims at touching a revenue of Rs 7,500 crores by 2022. It has been growing at 20 per cent in the last five or six years. The focus over the next five years will be on driving profitability and return on the capital employed.

About 150 to 200 stores are opened every year. In large formats it is present in around 1500 counters across Central, Lifestyle, and Shoppers. Going forward, Arvind mainly aims at Tier III since Tier I and Tier II have been pretty much filled up. With brands like Flying Machine under its portfolio, the company believes it has a strong position in the denim space Arvind Lifestyle Brands is the apparel business of Arvind. It is 60 per cent men’s wear, 15 per cent children’s wear, ten per cent innerwear, 12 per cent in women’s wear and beauty contributes six per cent. Arvind demerged its brand apparel business Arvind Fashion and its engineering business Anveshan Heavy Engineering. Arvind Lifestyle Brands will be listed as Arvind Fashion after the demerger.

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With style, denim never out of fashion Denim a wardrobe staple has seen numerous innovations in terms of fabric, colours washes, styles over the years. With its popularity only increasing across age groups and geographies, denim makers are incorporating new style trends to woo customers, find out Ajay Goswami & Ajanta Ganguly

ust like the ubiquitous little black dress for formal wear, the basic denim blue jeans for casual wear never goes out of style. The youth driven denim market in India promises both domestic as well as global manufacturers lucrative returns along with volume growth in the overall apparel market for both men and women. Indian market trends over the last couple of years has predicted increased penetration of denim across semi-urban and rural centres, driving volume growth across mass market and unbranded segments. The increasing shift of rural fashion market from ethnic to western wear, online retail penetration and versatility and innovation in design and styles is what is rocking the denim industry. Denim is among the highest growth categories in the Indian apparel market and has the largest numbers of local and global players. Most denim brands are now busy bringing out their Spring/ Summer ’19 collection in a colorful medley of cool, warm tones in a host of styles for both men and women.

Trend forecast for Spring/Summer ’19 Experts estimated the market size of Indian denim at Rs 20,205 crore in 2016. It is now projected to grow at a CAGR of 14.5 per cent and reach Rs 39,651 crore by 2021, and Rs 77,999 crore by 2026. The men’s denim segment comprises 84 per cent while women’s and kids’ denim segment comprise 10 and 6 per cent respectively. It is thus definitely a segment that garment manufacturers are including in their general apparel portfolio even if they are not a strictly a denim company. Denim sells well across all economic segments as it is affordable, trendy and widely accepted in society as it covers all and reveals nothing. “For the denim line this season, we dig into American heritage and reinterpret it for our modern times on one hand while on the other, we have a fun holiday collection high on 90s youth fashion inspiration, resort shirts and acid washed jeans summing up the look perfectly. As a style statement, we can describe our styles as effortless casual and laid back luxury. For this season we worked on

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• Denim among the highest growth categories in Indian apparel market • Has the largest number of local and global players • Denim sells well across all economic segments • Lightweight fabrics with breathability and moisture absorption important functional aspect of denim • High-end ﬁnishes, innovative product designs gaining popularity • Colors, structures, patterns becoming cleaner more muted • Stretch denim is very popular seven themes, five big ones and two capsule. For the athleisure line, we have ‘Lab Sports’ and ‘Deconstruction’ as themes the first is minimalist and the other is techno grunge. For the denim line the themes include Americana, Poetic Nature and Soda Punk, visually they are very different but denim is central highlight of all these themes. Apart from these five we have Africanation and Art not War as capsule collections,” says Kunal Mehta, VP, Marketing and Business Development, Being Human Clothing. India’s climatic conditions play a major role in the design aspects of a range. Lightweight fabrics with breathability and moisture absorption are important functional aspect. Denim apparels are considered low maintenance and easy to wear which makes them readily acceptable. Denim wear is available in different designs, stretch and colours and forming a part of apparel segments like dresses, joggers’ pants, jeggings, lightweight denim shirts, denim shorts and accessories. Denim products with high-end finishes and innovative product designs are gaining popularity across the globe. Owning to its fit and comfort characteristic, stretch denim has catch up the trend. Colors, structures and patterns are becoming cleaner and more muted. Deep indigo, greys and black denims besides blue in all a variety of shades always take centre stage in the denim portfolio. “Pepe Jeans London looks to the traits and personalities of ‘The Insiders’ for its spring/ summer 2019 collection, which builds upon its ongoing exploration of the idea of ‘the club’: The Pepe Jeans London club. Self-expression is key here bringing their own sense of non-

conformist style to whatever they are wearing, be it through slogans and motifs, logos or the addition of bright splashes of colour. The Revolutionaries & Challengers line puts emphasis on innovation and ingenuity with traditional techniques and local materials used in new and exciting ways. Laid-back denim is at the core of this collection, a fresh blue and white palette encapsulating retro styles built around shorts and great shirts; and, for women’s wear, boho Seventies styles like peasant tops, corduroys and relaxed bottom wear. Lastly the ‘Explorers & Curious’ line which is a collection with an eclectic spirit from print and pattern to style and silhouettes,’’ points out Neha Shah, Assistant General Manager- Marketing, Pepe Jeans. Denim mills today are focusing on a range of innovation in their fabrics and high quality yarns to fight their way to the top in this competitive scenario. Denim shirting has a good future because the Indian shirting market is largely non denim, leaving enough scope for denim to replace non denim clothing. From being confined to small urban pockets and casual settings, denim is now trending in both men’s and women’s apparel segments across India. This has seen consumption of denim going up considerably. A traditional cotton yarn player is now increasing its product portfolio to include denim in both top and bottom wear. Although denim is popular across all age groups and income classes, the young generation wears it the most, especially the fancier and coloured denims. Recently there has been a big play in colours, with over 10-12 sulphur colours trending this summer. “Staying close to our core of providing

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exceptionally comfortable fashion, in the upcoming season, Raisin is all set to introduce a new collection ‘You Are Hue’. The collection, keeping true to its name is a colourful medley of pop, cool, and warm tones with a host of styles and patterns to cater to the preferences of our customers. Armed with a combination of premium quality fabrics and aesthetically crafted styles, Raisin is ready to build itself as the ultimate go-to brand that is widely accepted and revered when it comes to high quality fabrics, chic designs and trendy styles,” explains Vikash Pacheriwal, Co-Founder, Raisin, a new fashion brand that aims to blend Indian culture and contemporary influences.

“For the denim line this season, we dig into American heritage and reinterpret it for our modern times on one hand while on the other, we have a fun holiday collection high on 90s youth fashion inspiration, resort shirts and acid washed jeans summing up the look perfectly.

Kunal Mehta, VP, Marketing and Business Development, Being Human Clothing Innovations and challenges in denim Changing fashions make innovations in existing and new products necessary. With international ramp shows heralding in new seasons in a rapidly growing tech-savvy India, the fabric industry is working overtime to be in tune with current trends. Experts feel India is capable of a lot of innovation and variety since it has around 12 lakh textile retailers spread across the country Manjula Gandhi, Chief Product Officer of Numero Uno explains, “We have innovated with an interesting mix of natural and sustainable fabrics, technology driven sustainable washing: ‘One Glass Water Jeans’. And there is a new collection of graphic tees known as the ‘Magic Tees’ where the print color changes as you move from indoor to outdoor. In denims, indigos span a wide

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range from pale, sun-faded and bleached out blues to brighter mid-tones, vintage and heavily washed, to deep raw clean look. Also, frayed denim with boro-inspired repairing is a highlight. Our denims range named ‘Amekazi’ takes inspiration from native American culture, military clothing and vintage denim styles amalgamated with Japanese design to form a distinctive Japanese-American aesthetic.” The emergence of tattered denim has provided a perfect option for fashion conscious youth. The applications of distressed/ripped/ tattered/patched denim in many new forms come every season and can also be seen in jackets, shorts and skirts along with denim jeans. New denim fabric washes, which are basically shades of the denim fabric are created by the top players who focus on achieving different hues of blue by washing the fabric in certain dyes, bleaches or other agents that affect the denim colour. Dark indigo, faded blue/vintage/aged, stone wash and distressed jeans are new denim fabric washes trending now. “Key product innovations that we engage in a balance of maximal and minimal elements within our design to enhance performance as well as functionality. We instrument a two-line approach of core and fashion, that centres around our marketing strategy of contributing to building awareness of active wear products and its usability for daily casual wear and active wear. The collection continues to follow extreme silhouettes and sculpted volume silhouettes that have fluidity for movement that is lightweight and cooling transitioning from

“Staying close to our core of providing exceptionally comfortable fashion, in the upcoming season, Raisin is all set to introduce a new collection ‘You Are Hue’. The collection, keeping true to its name is a colourful medley of pop, cool, and warm tones with a host of styles and patterns to cater to the preferences of our customers.”

Vikash Pacheriwal Co-Founder, Raisin

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124 Trends & sTyles future because the Indian shirting market is largely non denim, leaving enough scope for denim to replace non denim clothing. “We have two exciting collections: Leisure Saturday and New Denim City, coming in for women’s and men’s respectively. Fashion today, means ready-to-wear all the time. We are now over with winter trends but not yet ready for an entirely new summer wardrobe. This is the time where we are looking for ‘inbetweeners’ new essentials of our everyday wardrobe. Season-less, is a new aesthetic for today’s youth. Dressed-up leisure looks are the key; layering bright knit styles and flower midi skirts or bright coloured sweaters with a new blue high waist jeans. Fabrics used in our general apparel portfolio will include linen that will be a big fabric trend in the coming season. People are done with basic styles and we think will see new details and cuts being used in this fabric. Natural fabrics will also see an upswing,’’ says Devender Gupta, Founder (Inceptra Lifestyle), the force behind brand Tom Tailor, an online shopping site for men and women. The future of denim industry will depend on how brands build their omni-channel strategy and its technology through which they can tap additional customers across smaller cities.

“Sustainability in fashion will be the biggest drive for future. Hybrid products from Derby’s Denim DNA will be our unique style statement.”

Vijay Kapoor Managing Director, Derby Jeans Community Studio to Street,” points out Sunishka Goenka, Creative Director and Founder of Myriad Activewear.

Fabric trends weave comfort with style There are many types of fabric in the current range of denim which includes knitting denim, chalk denim, structured denim, normal denim, jacquard denim and printed denim. The types of fabric in the current range of cotton include: stretched cotton, structured cotton and blended cotton. Cotton and Lycra have been most preferable components in denim.

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A large chunk of denim is a combination of these two fabrics and there has been a lot of incorporation of Tencel, Modal and viscose, especially in the fashion segment. “Sustainability in fashion will be the biggest drive for future. Hybrid products from Derby’s Denim DNA will be our unique style statement. Our hybrid workwear will feature clean rinse washed jeans that can be worn for work & casual lifestyle. Our range will complement our hybrid jeans and provide a wide variety of product mix for urban and aspiring market segments. Some of the key fabrics used with denim this season include a few regenerated fibers like Tencel, Excel are blended onto natural fibers for a soft hand feel and comfort, stretch fabrics are our brands’ strength that offers unmatchable comfort. Derby is listed among the top 100 sustainable brands within the country and hence, we do not use synthetic fabrics like polyester that are made from petrochemicals that exploit natural resources,’’ says Vijay Kapoor, Managing Director, Derby Jeans Community. The Indian denim market is bursting with challenges. The first challenge is stiff competition by both local and international players, the second is pricing of yarns and fabrics going up constantly while MRPs remain almost static in the basic segment, resulting in a pressure on manufacturers in terms of business, revenue and margins. Most bigger players have a R&D team to visit national as well as international markets and implement their findings in their portfolio. Denim mills today are focusing on a range of innovation in their fabrics and high quality yarns to fight their way to the top. Denim shirting has a good

“We have innovated with an interesting mix of natural and sustainable fabrics, technology driven sustainable washing: ‘One Glass Water Jeans’. In denim, indigos span a wide range from pale, sunfaded and bleached out blues to brighter mid-tones, vintage and heavily washed, to deep raw clean look. Also, frayed denim with boroinspired repairing is a highlight.”

Manjula Gandhi Chief Product Officer, Numero Uno

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The mid segment is stronger and bigger as it reaches a wider number of aspirational customers across Tier II and III cities. The rising aspirations of these price and quality conscious consumers looking for more variety and innovation in the denim segment have led to a growth spurt. And in the premium luxury segment, a variety of designs, mixed blends and sophisticated finishes is the need of the hour. Not only in the western section as bottom and top wear, denim has penetrated into almost every category in women’s wear in some form, including blouses and kurtis in ethnic wear. Denim never goes out of style but how brands handle innovation to keep the segment looking and feeling is the magic wand to market success.

“Pepe Jeans London looks to the traits and personalities of ‘The Insiders’ for its spring/ summer 2019 collection, which builds upon its ongoing exploration of the idea of ‘the club’: The Pepe Jeans London club. Self-expression is key here bringing their own sense of non-conformist style to whatever they are wearing, be it through slogans and motifs, logos or the addition of bright splashes of colour.”

Neha Shah Assistant General Manager (Marketing) Pepe Jeans

“Key product innovations that we engage in a balance of maximal and minimal elements within our design to enhance performance as well as functionality. We instrument a two-line approach of core and fashion, that centres around our marketing strategy of contributing to building awareness of active wear products and its usability for daily casual wear and active wear.”

Sunishka Goenka Creative Director and Founder, Myriad Activewear

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126 COMPANY UPDATE

‘We offer an exclusive range of hangers’ The brand

Committed to offering the finest hangers with highest quality standards to enrich lifestyles, KK Fashion Hangers has been involved in designing, producing, and quality testing, customisation of hangers since 1973. The brand recently launched ‘Personalised Hangers’ “that make a unique marketing tool for your business and spread your brand name, especially if you give them away with every purchase. Our various treatments of Logo O8 will connote the taste of your product while maintaining its authenticity. Go ahead, make your mark”, says Managing Director, KKPL. In future, KKPL will continue to provide excellent service, stable hanger quality and reasonable price to all the customers.

The collection

KK Fashion Hangers offers an exclusive range of fashion hangers for the most-fashionable dressers. It’s incredibly-versatile contour hanger helps garments to retain their shape. “You can use this hanger in multiple ways for all types of clothes: silky, slinky materials, the narrowest of straps, asymmetrical

“The brand recently launched ‘Personalised Hangers’ “that make a unique marketing tool for your business.”

Managing Director KK Fashion Hangers necklines, and halter or off shoulder necklines will stay on and prevent wrinkling and creasing. And there are little hooks for ties, belts, scarves and more,” says Managing Director. Its salient features boast of unique contoured shape for all sorts of clothes; rounded edges that do not stretch or dent stretchy fabrics or damage delicate fabrics; unique designs that prevents clothes from slipping off; notches for hanging spaghetti strappy stuff, lingerie, etc, hang up multiple items on the same

hanger using the inner horizontal bar; space saving design, etc. These hangers are perfectly designed for a wide variety of clothes. “They are made of high quality material, which make it easy to carry and use. It is great to facilitate the hanging of a coat, jacket, sweater, shirt, etc. They are very easy to hang and remove. Their elegant designs complement a wide variety of clothes,” says Managing Director.

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Swimx (Jalaram Vingo Swimming Wear) Clothing “New additions on the cards”

“International quality at Indian prices”

Dinesh Rawat, Proprietor

Anuj Jain, Managing Partner

The brand

Summer is considered to be the best season to show your real self that was submerged under the layers in winters. It is the time where the style parade gets officially a green signal. Vingo which understands clothing for everyone has come up with a summer collection with prices starting at Rs 359.

A swimwear brand from Jalaram Swimming Wear, Swimx, established in 2018, serves people all across age groups and genders. The swimwear range is mainly made of nylon and lycra fabrics. “We use four way Lycra which stretches in all four directions, giving more elasticity and comfort to the wearer,” says Dinesh Rawat, Proprietor of the brand. Rising infrastructure and increasing residential swimming pools is fuelling demand for swimwear says Rawat. The brand currently supplies garments to Gujarat, Goa, Bengaluru, Maharashtra and Hyderabad etc.

The collection

Swimx offers different products for different genders. Body suits, trunks, long costumes and cycling suits for boys. For girls, there are frock styles, half sleeves, sleeveless, body suits, cycling suits, hotshots, capris, leggings, T-shirts etc. The same product line is for adult women. Trunks, t shirts, long costumes and cycling suits for men. The price range for kids is from Rs 225 and goes up to Rs 895, while for girls, its between Rs 395 to Rs 1,229. Women’s swimwear is priced between Rs 995 to Rs 1,995 and men’s swimwear is in the range Rs 475 to Rs 595. “Besides, we also manufacture swimwear accessories including goggles, caps and earplugs. All our manufacturing is done in house, only fabrics are imported,” notes Rawat.

Future plans

Swimx develops new categories and designs every year. “We may see some new additions in the coming season. We expect good business ahead,” adds Rawat.

Summer collection

The T-shirt range has been specially made of pique knit fabric with sweat free technology which will make you free from the clutter of sweat. It will not only let you enjoy a hot summer day but also make you look fashionable because of the bright colours. The collection aimed at all members of family has a range of T-shirt, track pant, bermudas, value pack for men and women. The intention is to have a sweat free and a comfortable summer season for the family. Vingo has also come up with value packs with different types of T- shirt in one pack in vibrant colours. The fabric is comfortalbe. Vingo is also offering a set of track pants in various colours made of diagonal or double jersey fabric that makes it easy for a run or workout. Established in 2016, Vingo Clothing provides international quality at Indian prices. Sensing the changes the market is undergoing and anticipating future selling trends, has Vingo decided to foray into large format stores and multi branded outlets. This will enable customers to see and choose from a large range of the brand’s products.

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Ciara, Collars, Nexx

Fashion-N Fortune

The range of casual shirts to go big

Setting trends for the indsutry

Hira Lal Chaudhary, Director

Lalit Gemavat, Director

The brand

Launched in 1998, Aditya Shirts has three brands that offer different types of shirts. The first brand launched by the company was Ciara; followed by Collars, launched three years later; Nexx was launched in 2018. “Ciara and Collars deal in formal shirts, while Nexx offers casual and party wear shirts,” says Hira Lal Chaudhary, Director.

The collection

The shirts under the brand Ciara and Collars are available in the range Rs 599 to Rs 1,399, while those under Nexx are priced between Rs 850 to Rs 1,350. These shirts are available in cotton, prints, checks and plains. The brand primarily focuses on prints and Chinese collars. Nexx range of shirts also includes short and long kurtas. The designing and production is done in-house and fabrics are sourced from the best mills such as Arvind, Ashima etc. “We produce 4,000 shirts per day,” Chaudhary says.

Retail footprint

Aditya Shirts has a pan India presence. The company has big stores in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra. “We have big retail counters across the country, and are available in 2,000 outlets outside Maharashtra,” adds Chaudhary.

Future plans

Aditya Shirts plans to expand its range of casual shirts besides strengthening retail in the country. “We recently started exporting to Dubai and may soon launch a new brand of trousers,” Chaudhary informs.

Established in 2006, Fashion-N-Fortune is one of the largest Indian manufacturers of handkerchiefs, boxers, shorts, bermudas and pajamas in woven and print. The company has a corporate office in Mumbai. “Backed by three decades of experience, our well equipped in-house production unit has a dynamic team of professionals who believe in holistic approach in manufacturing to ensure the finest quality products,” says Lalit Gemavat, Director.. The brand stands for 5 F’s: force, fashion, fanatic, flawless, fantabulous. Force: The brand aims at putting all its force and strength to satisfy its end consumers and retailers. “We endeavor to help our customers gain maximum benefit from the product,” notes Gemavat. Fashion: Fashion-N-Fortune strives to deliver products that are stylish and set a trend that others want to replicate. Fanatic: The owners and employees have a single motto to deliver quality products at a reasonable rate. Flawless: Fashion N Fortune seeks to develop a flawless manufacturing and supply process. “We try to use automation wherever possible to deliver before time and avoid all gaps in the process,” adds Gemavat. Fantabulous: Fashion N Fortune tries to create fantabulous products along with maintaining fantabulous relationships with all its clients. “Integrity is of utmost importance in this manufacturing house,” he states.

The collection

The brand offers high quality of three types including: Solo: for price sensitive clients; Emjay: a mid – range of blue collared handkerchiefs; Crossline: this includes white coloured handkerchiefs of unbeatable quality and style. “We also offer boxers, ties and socks,” adds Gemavat.

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Texas Jeans Spreading footprints in North East Tanuj Tulsiyan, Director The brand

Texas Jeans started in 1992 makes jeans, shirts, shorts, casual trousers. It is into fashionable and aesthetic clothing for men 16 to 61 years. Since corporates allow employees to wear denim, the color and fit and feel of the cloth gives the look of trousers and comfort of denim. The brand has a huge presence in almost 15 states with more than 800 MBOs. It also has EBOs in about seven states, some are Orissa, Maharashtra and Kerala. Plans are to expand in Northeast India. The monthly manufacturing capacity is 20,000 pieces.

New collection

For this season, Texas Jeans is coming up with subtle shades in hues of olive, grey, beige and blue. The brand is coming up with ankle fit denims, which are shirt length denims. There are a few new designs and easy fit denims. Texas Jeans is also introducing denim shirts for the upcoming season. These have variations in color with blues and with different washes like cloud wash, scrap spray, Dx wash, ice, tone and indigos. The fabric for shirts is more into checks and florals.

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Fashion is at the heart of Bhavini Fabrics “Today’s consumer is very fashion-oriented and to meet their requirements has been our goal for the last 15 years.”

Dharmesh Samani Proprietor Bhavini Fabrics

We are a fashion based fabrics manufacturer. Fashion is at the heart of our company’s vision, values and philosophy. Youngsters are our primary target. Every season new trends are introduced. Two seasons are followed and range is always different for each season. We do not like repetition in anything and that makes us stand out in the market.

Today’s consumer is very fashionoriented and to meet their requirements has been our goal for the last 15 years, the time since we started the company. This period has been amazingly well for us. We are constantly working on new things. Innovation is done in-house while final product in which we deal is generated through sourcing. We have tied up with some of the best mills in the industry.

Fabric Varieties and Production

Lycra and printed fabrics have been introduced a lot this season. Fabrics are quality oriented and designing is done keeping in mind the current trends in the market. We currently have half prints and half plain fabrics, borders, dobbies, Lycra prints, Lycra plains and Tencel prints etc, the entire product line is based on customers’ liking as they expect us to come up with new trends every season. We deal in casual and club wear fabrics for men and boys. Casual and club wear both are done in an equal ratio. We believe in global fashion, inspired by overseas markets and social media trends. Every season we have 300 designs of which 1,000 meter fabric is done in one matching. Since we have three colour designs in one matching, it makes for 3000 meter in one design.

Upcoming Season

Market seems good. Compared with summer, winters are more worthy for us as it is followed by festive season also. Planning for every season is done twothree months in advance.

Trends for Next Winter

For winters, work is on. Indigo prints, courdroy Lycra with prints are being introduced for coming winters. Winter production is always 30 to 40 per cent up. For summer, supply has begun. We are hoping it is good as booking are going on fast. Mumbai is the major city for product deliveries. It’s the backbone of our business, followed by Indore, Ahmadabad and Delhi etc. We have 300 garmenters with us. Every year the number goes up 25 per cent. All supply goes to garmenters only. In the next season, men’s ethnic segment is on the cards.

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Fairyland for Fashion in Paris to attract 1,800 exhibitors “The Fairyland for Fashion, the banner under which the twice-yearly Paris trade fairs held by Messe Frankfurt France at the Le Bourget exhibition centre are grouped, is dedicated to materials, clothing production and forward planning for textiles, clothing and accessories. The event comprising the upcoming Apparel Sourcing, Avantex, Leatherworld, Shawls&Scarves, Texworld and Texworld Denim Paris shows, will be held from February 11-14, 2019 in Paris Le Bourget.”

he Fairyland for Fashion, the banner under which the twice-yearly Paris trade fairs held by Messe Frankfurt France at the Le Bourget exhibition centre are grouped, is dedicated to materials, clothing production and forward planning for textiles, clothing and accessories. The event comprising the upcoming Apparel Sourcing, Avantex, Leatherworld, Shawls& Scarves, Texworld and Texworld Denim Paris shows, will be held from February 11-14, 2019 in Paris Le Bourget. An absolute must for anyone involved in designing collections of clothing and accessories, The Fairyland for Fashion will feature over 1,800 exhibitors, producers from every continent, who will on average meet over 14,000 principals. The event will include lectures, round-table discussions, catwalks and specific itineraries for fabrics.

Wide range of RMG on display Apparel Sourcing Paris, the biggest trade fair in Europe for sourcing, comprises 600 clothing manufacturers from 17 countries. From basics to high-end, the fair covers the whole range of ready-to-wear for women, men and children, grouped by area of expertise

in fashion clothing: knitwear, dressmaking, tailoring, sportswear, evening wear, made-tomeasure, lingerie and swimwear, workwear, textile accessories, etc.

and stands its own among the other offers at the trade show, which is now attracting a growing number of retailers, in addition to buyers of fabrics or manufactured products.

Dedicated to technological innovation, sustainable development

Featuring Shawls and Scarves

Avantex Paris is the first international trade fair dedicated to technological innovation and sustainable development in the fashion industries. Featuring 38 exhibitors from 9 countries, the fair brings together companies, from the design phase through to retail, to offer effective solutions for encouraging and shaping tomorrow’s fashion. Far more than just an exhibition, it is a real network bringing together the brands, industries and research that share a similar determination to integrate fashion and technologies for the future and to explore the challenges and prospects for tomorrow’s markets in a series of highly regarded lectures.

Flexible materials in focus Featuring 58 exhibitors from seven countries, Leatherworld Paris is dedicated to flexible materials used in particular in certain branches of fashion such as leather goods, footwear, gloves and fur items. A vast range of fashion articles and accessories made of leather, fur and related materials that attest to a wealth of technical skills. In this domain, the finished product is certainly not overshadowed

Shawls&Scarves Paris is the only international trade fair dedicated solely to scarves and shawls. It will feature headscarves, wraps, capes, ponchos, etc in materials like cashmere, wool, silk, cotton, linen, bamboo, etc, from entry level to very high end, both woven and knits. The fair will feature 33 exhibitors from 17 countries in September 2018. The Fairyland for Fashion, the French agency for Messe Frankfurt France, was established in Paris in 1953. The Messe Frankfurt France subsidiary was founded in 2002 in order to acquire the Texworld trade fair. Since then, its portfolio has expanded with Apparel Sourcing Paris, Avantex Paris, Leatherworld Paris, Shawls&Scarves Paris and Texworld Denim Paris. The company is firmly rooted in the global fashion industry environment while actively promoting young design at the same time. Today, with twenty staff, a turnover of 26.2 million euros and 75 marketing agencies throughout the world, the company is in a position to organise every type of trade fair in France. In 2017, the company’s trade shows brought together around 3000 exhibitors from 21 countries and 30,000 visitors from 110 countries.

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Bangladesh leads in Apparel Sourcing Show Paris “The recent Apparel Sourcing Show, hosted in Paris, noted that China’s dominance of the global clothing manufacturing sector might soon come to an end. Bangladesh, with its lower production costs, will overtake China, with many Chinese manufacturers shifting their production facilities to the South Asian nation. As Michael Scherpe, President of Messe Frankfurt France points out, attendance at the 2018 show declined 2.6 per cent from the earlier event. However, still around 29,000 fashion aficionados visited the show’s five dedicated display halls – Avantex, Leatherworld, Shawls & Scarves, Texworld and Texworld Denim. Focus on the textile micro-factory phenomenon.”

he recent Apparel Sourcing Show, hosted in Paris, noted that China’s dominance of the global clothing manufacturing sector might soon come to an end. Bangladesh, with its lower production costs, will overtake China, with many Chinese manufacturers shifting their production facilities to the South Asian nation. As Michael Scherpe, President of Messe Frankfurt France points out, attendance at the 2018 show declined 2.6 per cent from the earlier event. However, still around 29,000 fashion aficionados visited the show’s five dedicated display halls – Avantex, Leatherworld, Shawls&Scarves, Texworld and Texworld Denim. Focus on the textile microfactory phenomenon. In addition to the hundreds of stands, daily conferences and catwalks shows also engaged the show’s attendees. One such round-table conference, within Avantex – the event’s dedicated high-tech and smart fibres zone – focused on the textile micro-factory

phenomenon, a development that has been driven by growing demand for localised production facilities and more reactive supply chains. One of the most high-profile contributors to this particular discussion was Christian Kaiser, Project Research Manager for the Deutsche Institute fürTextil und Faserforschung (DITF), one of Germany’s largest textile research centres. He highlighted the role high-tech design systems had to play in the development of such micro-factories. The panel also discussed the impact a new generation of largeformat inkjet printing systems – particularly with regard to polyester and pigment sublimation for cotton and mixed – had on creating flexible opportunities for small-batch production.

China retains a robust presence Chinese companies retained a robust presence throughout the event, most notably via a memorable showcase of the work of a number of mainland fashion designers over

on the Premium Brands Ready to Wear stage. One particularly dazzling sequined jacket came courtesy of the Ningbo-based Aiyimei Group, which employs 3,200 people across a range of disciplines, including garment making, textile printing / dyeing and knitting. China Textile Information Centre (CTIC), a Beijing-based trade body, installed several outsized ‘silent salesmen’ booths, information points designed to showcase the mainland’s many strengths across the garment manufacturing sector. Pre-eminent among these was the Fabrics China Trend Forum, a range of displays designed to position China as a global leader in innovative textiles manufacturing. In addition, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) hosted its own bespoke Hong Kong Pavilion. This year, it focused on six of the SAR’s clothing businesses in particular – Asia Smart Industrial, Asiatex Enterprise, Come Base, Eto Knit Company, Hi-Style Manufacturing and the Yester Group. China put in a particularly impressive show in the fashion accessories sector with Zhejiang Golden Point Textile attracting particular attention. The company now provides finished textiles to a number of leading international brands from our Shaoxing facility.

Emergence of Bangladesh There were clear signs of Chinese manufacturers moving their production facilities out of China at the conference. Leading among these was the Hong Kong/ Guangdong-based Yester Group. Overall, Bangladeshi investment into the textile industry has propelled the country to be the second most preferred sourcing option, transforming the fortunes of many local businesses, including Zaber&Zubair Fabrics. The Noman Group company, one of the largest vertical operations in South East Asia, now outputs over 110 million metres of textiles every year.

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Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics gets bigger

he upcoming Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics to be held from March 12 to 14, 2019, will see larger product zones and country pavilions – proving the fair’s growing recognition from worldwide suppliers who view these zones as gateways to the apparel market. Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics is a global flagship for apparel sourcing. Exhibitors and visitors alike will benefit from product zones with clear themes, from highend wool to original designs, as the one-stop locations aim to make it easy for visitors to locate more potential business partners. Verve for Design, a product zone for original designs from all over the world, will see an increase in floor space this year and four new international exhibitors joining the zone. Verve for Design enjoys increased popularity among worldwide exhibitors who view Shanghai as a prime business platform. The Milano Unica Pavilion will feature highquality Italian exhibitors and has increased in size. Turkey zone will include more suppliers

and new exhibitors. Bunyem will display jacquard and plain fabrics for women’s wear. Kotonteks has fancy woven fabrics for

women’s wear. Ramnur will offer jacquard and brocade. Unlu Transfer will bring digital printed, coated, foiled and embossed fabrics.

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GTTES textile show attracts over 9,000 visitors

lobal Textile Technology and Engineering Show (GTTES) was held in Mumbai, from January 18 to 20, 2019. More than 9000 people attended. Key brands, companies and business houses visited the event. The event was a platform to connect exhibitors with many new markets which have never looked at India as a sourcing opportunity. Both for Indian manufacturers and foreign exhibitors these new and developing markets can bring future opportunity for business and expand their customer networking in an unprecedented way. The fair offered new optimism, opportunities and prospects for the textile industry with 400 exhibitors, 49 countries and 65 international business delegations. GTTES is a global relationship builder that provides a platform to the textile and textile technology segment to facilitate meaningful business relationships. These services inspire, empower and connect the most promising companies with latest technologies, corporations, investors, industry experts, and international media with the goal of increasing their chances of success and positive impact on the textile industry. GTTES is a platform that enables networking and exchange of ideas and brings together the latest technologies from around the world under one roof. Among the participants were: Sri Lanka, Slovenia, Belgium, China, France, Germany,

Italy, Japan, Spain, Turkey, UK, USA, Taiwan, Morocco, Algeria. The event has achieved its place as a reliable international business platform for both domestic and overseas companies. GTTES facilitates interaction with all export promotion councils which will help industry to know more about export opportunities, various government subsidies, market initiative schemes available for Indian manufacturers and help to gain information and develop new opportunities for exports from India.

The event is a platform to connect exhibitors with new markets which have never looked at India as a sourcing opportunity. Both for Indian manufacturers and foreign exhibitors these new and developing markets can bring future opportunity for business and expand their customer networking in an unprecedented way. GTTES is a must to visit event for every company in textiles and textile engineering. A highlight of the event was the launch of the Colorix digital printing solution by the Orange Group.

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Over 13,000 buyers flock Hong Kong Fashion Week Fall/Winter “Among the markets outside Hong Kong, this edition of the Fashion Week saw the highest buyer attendance from Mainland China, Indonesia and the US, showing that the sourcing sentiment in both mature and emerging markets has remained unaffected. Among emerging markets, buyer attendance from Russia recorded an increase. The results also highlight that despite economic uncertainties, global buyers still value Hong Kong’s position as an unrivalled sourcing hub for global fashion traders and retailers.”

rganised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the 50th edition of HKTDC Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/ Winter wrapped up at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

(HKCEC). The four-day fair was held from January 14 to 17, 2019 and attracted nearly 13,000 buyers from 78 countries and regions. Among the markets outside Hong Kong, this edition of the Fashion Week saw the highest buyer attendance from Mainland

China, Indonesia and the US, showing that the sourcing sentiment in both mature and emerging markets has remained unaffected. Among emerging markets, buyer attendance from Russia recorded an increase. The results also highlight that despite economic uncertainties, global buyers still value Hong Kong’s position as an unrivalled sourcing hub for global fashion traders and retailers.

Informative seminars and presentations attract new, old buyers Information-sharing events during the Fashion Week included: “The Visionary Fashion Trends for Spring/Summer 2020” presentation by leading international fashion forecaster Fashion Snoops, as well as seminars exploring issues such as sustainable development in the fashion industry, the cotton market outlook and the latest cotton textile technologies. Industry players from emerging markets showed enthusiasm for Fashion Week,

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including Urszula Tomaszewska-Kislo from Poland who visited the event for the first times. She operates 30 shops in Poland together with an online store selling clothing under her own brand. The show deepened the Polish buyer’s understanding of current fashion trends and provided it a good platform for sourcing highquality goods. The brand not only found four potential clothing suppliers and garments but also placed an onsite order for $10,000 worth of women’s sweaters offered by a supplier from Mainland China. Cloud-based Job Order System to deal with costs, stock issues The fashion industry needs to deal with challenges arising from rising costs and smaller orders. iGarment (Hong Kong) addresses these issues through the development of an innovative cloud-based garment production coordination system. Participating in the Fashion Week for Fall/Winter for the first time this year, the brand showcased its iGarment cloud-based Job Order System that covers everything from sample development to production progress and shipping.

Factory visit for practical experience During the first two days of the fair, iGarment met more than 100 buyers, exhibitors and designers from Hong Kong, Mainland China and Southeast Asia. To understand their needs, the company arranged visits to those factories that have adopted its system. Due to the overwhelming response from buyers, iGarment has already decided to return to the fair next year.

Contest for local designers invites applications Since 1977, The HKTDC has been organising the Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers’ Contest (YDC) to unearth talented local designers. This year’s competition will be held during CENTRESTAGE in September, and is now open for application.

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The Corporate Fashion and Uniforms Zone at the fair showcases uniform collections from some of Hong Kong’s top designers including Allan Chiu, Barney Cheng, Kurt Ho & Nelson Leung, LuLu Cheung and Mountain Yam. The World of Fashion Accessories brings together items ranging from shoes and bags to fashion jewellery, scarves and shawls. New entrant, The Federation of Hong Kong Footwear Ltd showcases its latest shoe designs with a fashion parade. Special product zones such as: Fashionable Sportswear, Thermal Clothing, Bridal & Evening Wear and Intimate Wear & Swimwear, feature the latest designs. Incorporating the designs of 60 designers from different countries and regions, the International Fashion Designers’ Showcase presents fashion masterpieces from around the globe under one roof.

business to other steps of the product journey, including its care.

Fashion Launderette

Buyer forums, trend-forecasting seminars and sharing sessions on the latest production technologies at the fair provided effective platforms for the industry to gather market information and exchange ideas. Leading international fashion trend forecaster Fashion Snoops organised a seminar on “The Visionary Fashion Trends for Spring/Summer 2020”. Other seminars featured industry

The theme is a spin-off from fashion brands who are repurposing launderettes and bringing them back into style. The concept is less about a wash and more about a ‘refresh’. As more people invest in sustainable and betterquality clothing, fashion launderette can add confidence that quality products are safe. Brands and designers are trying to extend their

FASHIONALLY presentations showcased local fashion designers Six Hong Kong fashion designer labels presented at “FASHIONALLY Collection #13” and three “FASHIONALLY Presentation” sessions during Fashion Week. Yeung Chin, Jane Ng, and Alee Lee displayed their latest collections at FASHIONALLY Collection #13. The FASHIONALLY Presentation showcased design of local fashion designers Arto Wong, Jason Lee and Carrie Kwok through theatrical storytelling. Yam Chan, a theatre personality, also collaborated with FASHIONALLY for showcasing his handcrafted dolls MICH at the MICH ▪ ALLY Exhibition on Jan 16-17 Jan, 2019.

Forums, seminars provide effective information platform

leaders and experts addressing issues such as rapid footwear prototyping, the sustainable development of the fashion industry, the cotton market outlook and the latest cotton textile technologies, as well as online-to-offline (O2O) retailing strategies. HKTDC arranged 90 buying missions from 43 countries and regions, bringing more than 3,800 companies to the show. Participants of the mission included representatives from fashion brands, major chain stores and distributors from both traditional and emerging markets, such as: Czech Republic’s Zoot, Indonesia’s The Goods Dept, Japan’s LEON International, Korea’s Lotte Department Store, Russia’s Forward, the United Kingdom’s Temperley London, and 3NT from the United States. App for seamless access to the fairground HKTDC recently launched the new Exhibitor e-Badge that offers seamless access to the fairground. This initiative, together with the Buyer e-Badge introduced last year and the e-Business Card function, enables exhibitors and buyers to link up digitally simply by scanning each other’s QR code. HKTDC has been organising the Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers’ Contest (YDC) to unearth talented local designers since 1977. This year’s competition will be held during Centrestage in September 2019.

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Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia invites global designers

ercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia has called for emerging designers from all over the world to apply for a free participation in the catwalk schedule of the event. Emerging talents will be given a unique opportunity to show their collections to the world. Designers should have at least two yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience of operations, experience of at least three fully produced collections; a collection of at least 25 looks of the relevant season (fall/winter 2019). Ten slots are available. The winners will get an individual fashion show time slot in the main Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia catwalk program and organizational and logistics support. For the first time 10 selected emerging designers from different countries will be granted a show at the biggest fashion week in Russia and Eastern Europe. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia is always looking out for new talents and has already launched a number of projects for

young designers. The fashion week takes place in Moscow twice a year, in March and October, since 2000, showcasing over 150 designers. This edition will be held from March 30 to April 3, 2019. Each season, MBFW Russia is attended by over 55,000 guests, including thousands of buyers, journalists, and

industry experts. The fashion shows are live streamed through hundreds of websites and media channels.

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COMPANY UPDATE

Lovzme.com aims to be a one stop destination for lingerie

ovzme.com is a Greenfield e-commerce venture, promoted by Lovable Lingerie Ltd. (LLL), India’s leading marketer of women’s innerwear, under Juvenca Online Pvt. Ltd. The company has already two lingerie brands ‘Daisy Dee’ and ‘Lovable’ in its kitty. Though yet to be launched officially, the marketplace has already garnered a tremendous response from buyers and sellers alike.

Akhilesh Kumar, Business-Head, Juvenca Online Pvt Ltd, has been with the company for the last 10 years. He has been handling various responsibilities. Primarily, he has significantly contributed as a Media and Marketing Head for the groups’ all brands: Lovable, Daisy Dee and Livein Jeans. He has played a pivotal role in launching the first marketplace solely dedicated to lingerie in India– www.lovzme.com

What makes your marketplace stand out from others? Though the industry is flooded with marketplaces, there is no platform solely dedicated to the lingerie segment. We have about 100 of brands with us including thousands of listings in terms of ranges and varieties. Some of these current brands include Amante, Clovia, C9, etc. We ship around 100-150 orders per day. The market place caters to women in the age group of 16-55 years. We are promoting it on a pan India basis and aim to make it a one stop destination for women’s lingerie.

What is the criterion for brands to get listed in your marketplace? The first and foremost criteria is quality. If quality parameters are at their place and in sync with our requirement, no matter how big or small the brand is, we are always for it. Our primary aim is make a place which values the interest of buyers and sellers both, is value for money for buyer and money for value to seller and that is possible only if our priorities as a marketplace are not misplaced..

Does it aid the growth of organised market? Yes, it does. We are trying to streamline the way the industry works. If we get any small brand which caters to all requirements of a marketplace, it automatically translates into the organised business. And with online, there is no limitation as such to what extent we can reach out to industry people.

How does the website function? Buyers visit our website through Google ads, social media and organic searches. They can access their desired

Vinay Reddy, Founder, www.lovzme.com, has a vast experience in the industry and has been instrumental in the success of Lovable Lingerie Ltd and Federal Brands Ltd for so many years. He is the driving force for the success of businesses and mind behind innovating new business models in the time to come. He is also the Chairman and Managing Director of Lovable Lingerie Limited and Federal Brands Limited.

COMPANY UPDATE

products with just one click and take guidance from experienced customer care executives to choose the right product for them. The site also provides features such as fit calculator that helps buyers to find the exact bra size to help them choose the perfect lingerie. Apart from this, it also provides a super fast checkout process, which is just a three-click step. Each product on Lovzme has a ‘Best fit for Occasion’ and ‘Best fit for Body type’, so that consumers can be assured about their choice. The site ships around 100-150 orders per day. It gets around 83 per cent of its traffic through mobile phones. Also, Lovzme has its own app and is planning to launch advanced version of it.

Please elaborate on the current lingerie market in India. The current lingerie market is valued at Rs 28,000 crore and is growing by CAGR of 10 per cent. This growth is being fuelled by rising product awareness and a more open approach and attitude towards buying lingerie, thanks to the growing number of social media channels and increasing digitalization. Urban markets are not the only contributors to this growth as remote markets are also having an equal share in this constantly flourishing market of innerwears.

What are the major challenges in this segment? There are challenges in every business and ours is no different. One of the major challenges that we face is expanding our reach to the every corner of the country in the current competitive environment. The markets are fragmented and our initiative will certainly help them to become one.

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Future Group aims at Rs 1000 crores online sales where they hold stakes as also exclusive marketing arrangements.

Future Group is expecting online sales of around Rs 1000 crores this financial year. The company is expanding in the e-commerce space and plans to take its fashion discount retail chain Brand Factory online by March this year. Presently, the company has an online presence in the fashion segment with brands like FBB and Future Lifestyle. India has tightened FDI norms for the e-commerce sector, disallowing online marketplaces with foreign investments from selling products of the companies

Luxury menswear brand Induspolo to go online Known for its distinct fit, high quality fabrics and innovation, Induspolo will now be available exclusively on all online platforms. The brand will showcase the collection in luxury retailer. Induspolo is a brand of Pitaya Brands Sourcing & Retail which produces and distributes apparel and accessories for men. Induspolo, with h i g h l y recommended design with expertise in superlative tailoring offers a perfect mix of elegance and casual. This made to measure and ready to wear offering will be available in its exclusive store in Bengaluru. Customers can also avail them on online portals such as Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, etc.

Myntra, Jabong to add 7 lakh new customers

Myntra and Jabong plan to add nearly 7 lakh new customers during their End of the Season sale that will last from December

Big Bazaar is Future Group’s largest store and operates for a population range of one lakh plus. The company is within five kms of consumers in 13,000 pin codes and is now working on opening small stores in every part of India. Future Group is reasonably strong in all the categories it’s in — food, fashion and home. Its first aim is to retain market share in the organised food and grocery market. Future Group expects its business to grow by 20 per cent overall in the current fiscal year. Future Group is India’s fashion and retail conglomerate. The company is also looking to take the franchise route in as many as eight states. It has started in three states, Punjab, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, where franchise stores are being opened and serviced by the company’s wholesale centers. 22-25, 2018. Both the platforms expect to generate around 10 times more sales, compared to non-sale months, during the period. Also, both e-commerce sites expect to generate 50 per cent of their sales from Tier II and Tier III Cities. Myntra has partnered brands like Forever 21, Swarovski, Tommy Hilfiger and Jack & Jones, among others, for End of Reason Sale. A part of the Flipkart Group, Myntra and Jabong expect to see over 2.5 million shoppers during the ninth edition of the Myntra’s End of Reason Sale. Myntra, which is betting big on kirana stores for last-mile delivery, has extended its network to over 9,000 stores.

Mumbai-based Clothing Rental caters to remote locations in India

The Clothing Rental, based in Mumbai, specializes in Indian as well as western wear for men and women. About a decade old, it pioneered the concept of a shared economy, reducing the need for expensive purchases and making high fashion affordable. They now cater to any location in India says Shilpa Bhatia, founder and director of marketing at The Clothing Rental. The brand caters to remote locations where many e-commerce companies fall short. The Clothing Rental delivers to Delhi, Noida, Haryana, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Udaipur, Raipur, Jaipur and many others. Focusing on building an online presence the brand invests in the website and app development. New collections are added constantly and the brand stays ahead of the curve by keeping itself abreast of digital trends. With an

e-commerce portal, The Clothing Rental also has two offline stores in Mumbai. Flyrobe is another online fashion rental start-up. The company allows users to rent premium apparel and accessories, and curates apparel and accessories from designers such as Ritu Kumar and Masaba Gupta. Flyrobe currently operates in Mumbai and Delhi and plans to branch out to Hyderabad and Bangalore in the coming months. The Clothing Rental and Flyrobe are among the 15-odd start-ups that have mushroomed in the past 18 months to tap the market for pre-owned branded and designer apparel and renting garments.

Snapdeal partners banks to strengthen presence in small cities Snapdeal has tied up with regional banks like Federal Bank, and Jana Small Finance Bank to strengthen its presence in tier II and III cities in the country. The e-commerce marketplace is looking to leverage the regional connect of banks to acquire new customers and boost sales and will offer discounts to customers shopping on its platform through these banks. The aim is to maximise the value for customers each time they buy on Snapdeal. Through existing and new partnerships, Snapdeal provides multiple opportunities to customers to enhance their savings.

With such partnerships, the company is looking to boost digital transactions on its platform. Snapdeal has a strong presence in Tier II and III cities and gets the majority of its orders from these cities. Snapdeal hopes to have 25 partnerships with banks, digital wallets, NBFCs, and payment networks before the end of this financial year. It is expecting more than 12 million users to avail of payment discounts on its platform. The expansion of its customer base and strong growth in non-metros has helped Snapdeal narrow losses in fiscal year 201718. Snapdeal has divested all non-core assets, including its logistics and payments businesses, and has been able to drive growth in real terms.

Asics strengthens online presence in India

E-TAIL Shoppers Stop re-evaluating its online retail strategy like Stop, Kashish, Haute Curry, and RS by Rocky Star. Shoppers Stop was hoping for a steep rise in online sales through its partnership with Amazon and was expecting online to contribute ten per cent from the current 1.5 per cent to the overall revenue.

Shoppers Stop is evaluating its omnichannel strategy. The fashion retailer sells products through its own e-commerce portal and also has a micro site on Amazon as part of its exclusive partnership with the global e-commerce giant. Amazon had picked up a five per cent stake in Shoppers Stop in September 2017. Shoppers Stop currently sells exclusively online to Amazon’s nationwide customer base offering its private labels in fashion

However, the new FDI norms coupled with a ban on exclusive deals have made Shoppers Stop reconsider its omni-channel expansion across India. Shoppers Stop operates large format department stores, home stores, beauty and specialty stores. Shoppers Stop has 83 stores spread across 38 cities. Shoppers Stop also operates 12 Home Stop and 108 specialty beauty stores along with 84 Crossword Bookstores. The personal shopper service is a completely customised shopping experience which curates fashion for customers, schedules an exclusive visit at the store or at the customer’s home with offerings based on requirements.

Japanese sportswear brand Asics has strengthened its online presence in India with the launch of exclusive website for the Indian market. The company plans to tap the consumers in Tier II, III markets with its e-commerce website and expand its consumer base across the country.

Myntra Design’s primary source of revenue comes from the marketplace fee it gets from sellers who list their products on its platform. Sellers like Tech-Connect Retail, and the business-to-business fashion arm Myntra Jabong are also critical to the overall growth of Myntra.

The new website will host the latest collections for all Asics products across its categories. Asics is also focusing on its offline expansion in India and has plans to add around 16 stores in the coming fiscal with a focus on tier 1 and 2 cities. It currently has 29 mono-brand stores and 300 multibrand stores across metros and tier 2 cities in India.

Splash partners with Ace Turtle to boost online retail

Myntra’s revenue for FY 18 declines to Rs 427 crore As per latest regulatory documents, revenues of Flipkart-owned Myntra for the year ended March 2018 declined by 80 per cent to Rs 427 crore. Its revenue had zoomed almost 90 per cent to Rs 2,000 crore in the previous year. Myntra’s losses, at Rs 151 crore, had reduced by 76 per cent. Its total expenses stood at Rs 926 crore. These documents of Myntra Designs, which runs the online platform Myntra, were sourced from business intelligence platform Tofler. Previously Myntra executives had said that the company would turn profitable at the end of March 2018.

Splash Fashions is looking to strengthen its online presence. With this in view the Dubai-based multi-brand fashion retailer has partnered Asia’s leading omnichannel platform Ace Turtle to strengthen its digital presence and drive growth in India. As omnichannel retailing is maturing, and the lines between online and physical stores are blurring, brands need to have a consistent presence across various sales channels. As a part of a larger focus on building an omnichannel strategy, Splash partnered Ace Turtle looking to use the latters expertise as a technology platform to accelerate growth across various sales channels. Splash Fashion, over the years, has witnessed tremendous growth in India, having captured the fashion preferences of

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Indian consumers. Owned by the Landmark Group and Splash has 20 stores across India and offers a range of products across categories like women’s wear, men’s wear, accessories and footwear. Splash plans to take its store count to 50 in the next three years and has earmarked an investment of Rs 150 crores on offline expansion.

Online retailer Koovs gets back on track

Koovs, an affordable western fashion brand hopes to maximise the opportunities presented by strategic partnership with Future Group. Avni Kishore Kumar Biyani has been appointed non-executive director, effective from January 1, 2019. Nonexecutive director Anant Nahata will step down from his position on the board of Koovs. Anant founded Koovs, the online fashion platform in 2013 and has been a major contributor to its development as a technology-driven fashion e-commerce destination in India. The brand has begun rebuilding stocks and resume marketing activities. In the first half, Koovs’ primary was to secure new funding to support growth and conserve cash to sustain the business by reducing marketing and stock levels. But in spite of these necessary short-term actions, the company was able to maintain high brand awareness, increase customer engagement through its social media channels, and deliver market-leading customer satisfaction, demonstrating the resilience and strength of the brand. Now the aim is to restart marketing activities and expand the product range, increasing the current trading margin, drive sustainable growth, enhance margins and build a path to profitability, with partners that will help to consistently build the brand, enhance the supply chain, and grow the product range.

Internet’s first apparel brand Turms aims to break even

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Aditya Birla relaunches ecom website

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail has relaunched its e-commerce website. The company plans to grab a slice of the country’s lucrative online fashion retail market with a revamped hybrid offline-toonline e-commerce model. India’s thriving e-commerce sector is largely driven by the country’s rising purchasing power, which is currently the second largest in the AsiaPacific region in terms of GDP based on purchasing power parity. Turms is looking to break even in the next six to nine months. The startup is building a R&D roadmap, setting up new revenue channels, processes and systems, optimizing the supply chain, commercializing Turms technology in adjacent sectors. Founded in 2016, Turms is Internet’s first apparel brand. It offers apparel with special

Over the years, not only multinational companies but also homegrown fashion retail players have started taking a keen interest in the offline-to-online e-commerce model. Reliance has decided to go into e-commerce adopting the offline-online e-commerce model atop its 7,500 stores across India. Similarly, fashion retailer V-Mart plans to adopt an online-offline strategy with new stores and a warehouse. The Future Group is working on a hybrid model, Tathastu, under its Retail 3.0 plan. The entry of dedicated fashion houses entering the e-commerce space directly could pose a stiff challenge to popular e-commerce giants, Flipkart and Amazon, which are largely dependent upon its sellers’ product base. Moreover, the new policy that restricts online marketplaces from influencing the sale price of products, or deep discounting practice, has put e-commerce companies in a tight spot. properties like stain repellent, odor resistant, cooling and sweat wicking, which does not need to be washed as frequently as normal clothing and requires less water and detergent. The aim is to provide the convenience driven shopper intelligent, functional and low maintenance apparel at an affordable price. The company has more than doubled its revenue over the last seven months.

With the e-commerce ecosystem maturing in India, it’s the right time for innovative and deep technology backed brands like Turms to disrupt the multi billion dollar apparel industry and create a niche market for themselves. Rameswar Misra, formerly a top executive at e-commerce portal Voomik, founded Turms along with Rohit Gupta, a technologist and people having experience in e-commerce, apparel and nanotechnology including Vineesh Chadha, Alok Sharma, Subhraneel Saikia, Sandeep Kataria and Anil Dhondalay. In October, Turms raised Rs 6.3 crores from a clutch of angels including Freshworks founder Girish Mathrubootham and former Reliance Retail Lifestyle president Bijou Kurien.

Vector E-commerce revenue falls by over 90 per cent Vector was Myntra’s largest vendor until a few years ago. Myntra has shifted sales from Vector E-Commerce to Tech Connect during the past few years, which has now become among the largest seller entities on the fashion portal. Tech Connect’s revenue grew to Rs 2,485 crores during fiscal ’17 from Rs 1.3 crores in fiscal ’16. Its employee benefit expense fell to Rs 49 crores from Rs 99 crores. The company has also sold its customer support business to Myntra Designs.

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BUSINESS NEWS

Aditya Birla works towards the future

Aditya Birla has set up an internal online platform to collate data, analyse and frame long-term business strategy. The recentlylaunched Liva brand by Grasim, as well as the registration of over 400 spinners, weavers and processors under the Liva Accredited Partner Forum to process viscose staple fiber as an alternative to cotton, will ensure sustainability of the business along the entire value chain. By 2030, the group expects more demanding laws and regulations, which will shrink

SAIF Partners invests in High Street Essentials SAIF Partners has invested in High Street Essentials. SAIF is a multistage and sectoragnostic investment firm. High Street Essentials, based in Noida, owns and operates women’s fashion apparel brands Fab Alley and Indya.

business operating space, and will require manufacturers to completely transform their value chains to remain sustainable. Investments on creating a market for viscose staple fiber in India may look like a costly proposition today, but in the long run is expected to pay rich dividends for the group. Aditya Birla feels it is better to make these investments to future-proof business today, rather than looking for a solution when the law mandates it. It believes the industry has to proactively self-regulate to raise its own standards. efficient manner and are well placed to build a very valuable business. Indian women are moving from unbranded to branded apparel, which presents an opportunity to build large women’s fashion brands. Fashion and lifestyle are one of the biggest drivers of e-commerce growth in India with the share of online retailing expected to go up from four per cent to ten per cent in the next three or four years.

Brands/retailers aim to cut down online retail returns

The capital infusion will help Fab Alley, founded in 2012 scale up its offline presence rapidly from 15 exclusive outlets and 120 shop-in-shops to 50 and 200 respectively by the end of fiscal 2020. Fab Alley is a western wear apparel line that competes with the likes of other vertical e-commerce firms such as Voonik. Indya is ethnic fusion wear. It competes with offline women-centric brands such as W, Biba and Global Desi. Both brands will be making ATL and BTL marketing initiatives in the next 12 to 18 months. Both brands are successful and have been built in an extremely capital

Many clothes bought online are returned. Almost a third of the shoes and clothes consumers try on are bigger or smaller than the size on the label indicates. Calculating sizes more accurately could help online retailers cut costly returns and improve customer satisfaction. Returns cost retailers

a fortune. Firstly, they have got an unhappy customer, and also they’ve got the reprocessing and putting it back into stock. The same brand in a different color is sometimes a different size. Targeting returns, fast fashion firms like Zara and H&M have introduced software that suggests sizes for online customers. Customers type in height and weight, which are processed alongside historic data on purchases and returns. Zalando, Europe’s biggest onlineonly fashion retailer, augments the data it gathers online with feedback from models who check new styles. Articles are put on a fitting model just before or as an article is online. This way, models flag about 30 per cent of stock as too big or too small. Sometimes a customer care person shows on her body how something should fit. A change in fabric or design can have a big impact. Size-related returns soared recently for one major denim brand after it adjusted its design.

Walmart India turnover up slightly The Indian unit of Walmart posted a marginal increase in turnover during fiscal ’18. Walmart India’s cash-and-carry business continues to show good growth year-on-year.

The company’s expansion, which was put on hold between 2011 and late 2017, was renewed this year after it opened three new stores to take its tally to 23 Best Price cash-and-carry outlets. Walmart generates about half its local sales from outside its bigbox cash-and-carry stores, either through members directly ordering online or its sales force visiting B2B members for orders. Cash-and-carry operators sell merchandise to local kirana or neighborhood stores, hotels, and catering firms. About three per cent of the trade in all consumer product goods moves through the organised wholesale segment and has been growing faster than the modern trade, albeit on a lower base. There are an estimated 10 million kirana stores in India and the majority of those are in the hinterland. While traditional wholesalers still have a big role to play in the distribution of FMCG products, organised ones expect to gain share due to the GST implementation. Most companies are reducing their dependence on unorganised wholesalers, especially after the new tax regime that made the distribution system more compliant. Even after demonetisation, the market saw a greater number of small grocers rush in to buy daily essentials from the big-box formats.

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BUSINESS NEWS

Khadi sales jumps 32 per cent

Khadi sales in 2018 jumped 32 per cent, lifted by the increase in fabric production by at least 40 per cent. The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) plans to take khadi to global markets. In 2018 KVIC managed to exhibit khadi products in over ten countries by displaying to the world the most niche products. KVIC has been expanding its khadi stores across India and expected to strengthen its presence in cities like Chennai, Varanasi, and Ahmedabad in the coming months. It is looking at touching a sales target of Rs 5,000 crores by the end of the fiscal year 2019. Khadi will have more international exposure, a bigger footprint

Ikea India’s net loss widens 114 per cent

in international exhibitions and in missions abroad. In India khadi will be promoted as a top notch absolutely fashionable product and will be positioned as premium and super premium.

Ikea India’s first store opened in Hyderabad. The second store will open in Mumbai and a third in Bangalore during 2019. Close to Rs 1,000 crores will be invested in the Bangalore store. The store will employ 800 to 1000 direct co-workers and engage another 1,500 indirectly in services. The retailer will invest Rs 5,000 crores in setting up an integrated commercial project and opening stores in

Solapur to be uniform hub of India

Measures will be taken to boost exports of products made using the indigenous hand-spun fabric. Companies, especially foreign firms, are trying to register khadi as a trademark. A German company, named Khadi Natureprodukte, had registered khadi as a trademark with the European agency, OHIM (Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market). Spain-based OHIM is the nodal agency looking after trademarks and design registration in the EU. Uttar Pradesh. The investment is expected to help create 8,000 direct and indirect jobs over the year. A typical Ikea store is an average 4,00,000 sq ft in size. With such a large space difficult to come by within a city, the company is looking to change its model and develop smaller stores, either standalone or within malls. By 2030, the company hopes to have a presence in at least 49 Indian cities.

Swedish brand Ikea India’s net loss widened 114 per cent for the year ended March 2018. Total revenue declined 17.6 per cent. The retailer reported 60.2 per cent increase in employee benefit cost while total expenses rose 84.2 per cent. The company is in an investment phase in India. It remains on track to invest Rs 10,500 crores in the coming years to build a multi-channel experience and a strong team.

The American footwear brand is thrilled to finish the year on such a high note and is looking forward to another successful year in 2019. The company’s prediction is that revenues will increase in the mid-single digit range as e-commerce offsets an expected $25 million decline in sales due to store closures. Crocs is turning toward India to fuel its next phase of growth. India is currently the sixth biggest market for Crocs with a high double-digit growth year on year. The brand has 100 stores in 50 cities across India. Crocs is a world leader in innovative casual footwear. Since it opened its first store in India in 2008, Crocs has successfully carved a distinct positioning for the brand among Indian consumers. The brand will continue to focus on clogs and sandals. In terms of regions, South India, due to its demographics and very high brand recall, contributes the highest for the brand among all regions in the country. Tamil Nadu alone has five stores.

Crocs expect six per cent revenue growth in 2018 fiscal For the full 2018 fiscal year, Crocs expects revenues to increase around six per cent compared to 2017. The fourth quarter of 2018 was one of the company’s best fourth quarters in years. Classic and lined clogs were particular standouts.

Maharashtra plans to make Solapur the uniform and textile hub of India. About 400 textile units have been set up in Solapur and the state government plans to raise this number to 2000 by 2022. The uniform manufacturing industry in India has an aggregate revenue of Rs 18,000 crores, out of which Rs 10,000 crores is generated from the manufacturing industry. The balance, Rs 8000 crores, is through supplies to schools in the form of direct sales by local retailers. Solapur is witnessing a higher demand for school uniforms, children’s garments, men’s and women’s wear because of the easy availability of transportation, labor and raw materials. Solapur is gaining significance for the garment trade. Maharashtra has invited investors from other states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The state’s textile policy includes a power tariff of Rs 3 per unit for co-operative cotton mills and Rs 2 per unit for power looms, cloth processing garment and hosiery units. The state had earmarked Rs 150 crores for this purpose. Plans are also to promote processing of cotton, silk and other manmade raw materials used for traditional purposes. Under the Fiber to Fashion mission from 2018 to 2023, Rs 4,649 crores will be invested in various schemes.

IF_Issue

Industry Bytes FDCI appoints new board members

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Gautam Singhania to exit from all Raymond Group companies

G Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), the country’s apex fashion body, appointed designers like Rajesh Pratap Singh, Rahul Mishra, Varun Bahl and Reynu Taandon as part of newly formed board of the in FDCI Board Elections 2018. Payal Jain, Anjana Bhargava, Paras Bairoliya and Nitin Bal Chauhan are set for a tenure. FDCI, which also organises the India Fashion Week, is led by Sunil Sethi.

Ananth Narayanan quits Myntra as its CEO

autam Hari Singhania, Promotor and Chairman of the Raymond Group will step down from all group companies and dissociate himself from day-today functioning to build an organisation which can run competitively and independently without the involvement of the promoter. Singhania has already moved out from the chairman’s post for the FMCG entities and Raymond Apparel which handles the branded apparel business. Next in line would be the two engineering entities — JK Files and Ring Plus Aqua — for which he is already looking for a professional chairman, and he may even move out from the top post of the flagship entity, Raymond Ltd. Singhania is creating independent governance for each company and will ensure the promoter family is always away from day-to-day functioning. He

sectors in India and across Asia. Flipkart has attempted to retain key personnel at Myntra, offering retention bonuses and packages to key executives and employees.

Rishi Vasudev to head Myntra, Jabong

will rather focus on strategy, new product development, budget, set targets, compensation and public relations for the business.

Flipkart Internet, which earns commissions from the marketplace, saw revenues jump 35 per cent. The trading unit Flipkart India reported a 40 per cent increase in revenues. Both Flipkart Internet and Flipkart India have accounted for 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the turnover for Flipkart’s Singapore parent unit over the last three financial years.

Aniruddha Deshmukh resigns as MD & CEO of Mafatlal Industries Chief executive officer (CEO) Ananth Narayanan has quit Myntra and Jabong. Amar Nagaram, the new head of Jabong and Myntra, will report to Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy. This means the CEO post at Myntra has been abolished. Nagaram had earlier been designated as the chief product and technology officer of Myntra in December, after he was moved to the fashion retailer from Flipkart. Narayanan, who joined Myntra in July 2015 after replacing founder Mukesh Bansal, is expected to receive a generous payout that includes employee stock options worth several millions of dollars. Under his leadership, the company has had many firsts for the industry— from the extensive use of technology to enhance customer experience to innovative business model partnerships in working with brands. He and the team have also built a very successful private brand business and have also created several industry shaping events. Prior to joining Myntra, Narayanan worked at McKinsey for nearly 15 years, where he headed product development in Asia and the consulting firm’s automotive practice in India. He has worked with companies in the auto, component and construction equipment

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Rishi Vasudev will head the fashion and lifestyle categories of Myntra and Jabong. Amar Nagaram will head product, tech and customer experience at Myntra and Jabong. Fashion portals Myntra and Jabong are run by Flipkart. Vasudev, former CEO of Calvin Klein in India, is the third Flipkart executive who has been parachuted to Myntra and Jabong since US retail giant Walmart completed its acquisition of Flipkart in August last year. Flipkart had in November moved Ayyappan R to head category management at Myntra. Ayyappan was previously heading the mobile phone category at Flipkart and is credited with making Flipkart the leader in that category. Last week, Nagaram moved to MyntraJabong when Ananth Narayanan quit after being at the helm of the online fashion retailer for three-and-a-half years. Combined revenues of Flipkart’s two main units, Flipkart Internet and Flipkart India, have risen 39 per cent. Flipkart Internet runs the e-commerce platform and Flipkart India is the wholesale unit.

Aniruddha Deshmukh, Managing Director & CEO of Mafatlal Industries has resigned from the services of the company and also as its director due to personal reasons. He has requested the company to relieve with effect from March 31, 2019. Deshmukh, will however, continue to serve the company with full responsibilities in the interim for the smooth transition. The Board of Directors appreciated the contribution made by Deshmukh during his tenure with the company. The Board has recommended by the Nomination & Remuneration Committee, appointed Priyavrata H Mafatlal, a whole time director designated as an Executive Director, as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Executive Director of the company with effect April 1, 2019. HA Mafatlal, Chairman will continue to guide the senior management and the CEO of the company.

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MEDIA QUOTES THE COMPLETE GARMENT PROCESSING UNIT

“We know strengthened industrial relations and social dialogue are a must when working towards improved working conditions and productivity within the supply chain.” Anna Gedda, Head of Sustainability, H&M Group

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 are primarily present in the womenswear segment as of now with premium quality textile products, produced from viscose. Now, we are moving towards an eco-friendly fibre variant called Liva eco.” Dilip Gaur, Managing Director, Grasim Industries

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

“Till date, the group’s investments in Gujarat are of over Rs 30,000 crore and counting. We have plans to invest about Rs 15,000 crore more. Kumar Mangalam Birla Chairman, Aditya Birla Group

We are delighted to be launching our new Experience Centre and look forward to our customers enjoying their visits. This format offers something for the entire family under one roof.” Viney Singh, Managing Director, Fabindia

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