Womens Wear Vol.19 No.4.

ORGANISER

BRAND LEADER

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OR GA NI SI NG P A R T NER

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India and Global Fashion Communication Channels

M.P.Unit MUMBAI UNIT

P R I NC I P A L A SSOC I A T E

Confederation of Indian Textile Industry

CONFERENCE 2019 DHAKA Fibres • Yarns • Fabrics • Textile Machinery & Technology • Chemicals • Dyes • Softwares • Garments • Brands & Fashion

September 20-21, 2019, Radisson Blu, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Conference n CEO Conclaves n Expo/Showcase n B2B Meetings n Factory Visits

BANGLADESH: VISION 2022

GEARING UP FOR NEW GENERATI N TEXTILES Bangladesh, the hotspot for global growth, for the first time ever, holds a two day global conference and forum for interactions and discussions of potential partnerships between gathering of over 500 decision makers as buyers and sellers along the supply chain.

PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS WHAT’S NEXT FOR BANGLADESH: ROADMAP FOR GROWTH BANGLADESH READY FOR NEW GENERATION TEXTILES: SYNTHETICS FIBRES, YARNS & SUPPLY CHAIN BUSINESS OF BRANDS: CHANGING DYNAMICS OF SOURCING NEW PRODUCTS: ATHLEISURE, ACTIVEWEAR & SPORTSWEAR DENIMS & JEANSWEAR : THE PREMIUM PRODUCT BECOMES THE FOCUS WORLD OF COTTON & BEYOND: FIBRE, YARNS & SUPPLY CHAIN TECHNOLOGY UPGRADATION: TEXTILE 4.0 & APPAREL 4.0 SUSTAINABILITY: THE ROLE OF RAW MATERIAL AND DYES, CHEMICALS COMPLIANCE: BEST & FAIR PRACTICES ALONG THE SUPPLY CHAIN

INDIA-BANGLADESH FORUM SUPPORTED BY

Bangladesh Cotton Associations

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association

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Bangladesh Indenting Agents’ Association

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CONTENTS 10 OVERVIEW - Women’s wear: East and West needs to blend to sell well

14 WESTERN WEAR - Increased brand play opens up segment, boosts growth

17 IF EXCLUSIVES 24 FUSION WEAR - Fusion wear a break away from dressing norms

27 IF EXCLUSIVES 34 ETHNIC WEAR - New brands queer the pitch for unorganised players

38 COVER STORY - Shree adds shine to its repertoire!!

42 IF EXCLUSIVES 47 WOMEN’S DENIM - Growing opportunities lure many brands

52 IF EXCLUSIVES 46 WOMEN’S INNERWEAR - Innerwear market driven by solution-based approach

59 IF EXCLUSIVES

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

Advisor

Director - Salil Chawla

Customer Relations - Sanchita Banerjee Team Bipasha Bhattacharya

Mangaging Editor - Sujata Dutta Sachdeva VP-Corporate Communications - Shraboni Mukherjee Editorial

- Narayan Subramaniam Shubhangi Bidwe

Editorial Asst. - Ranjit Kaur Correspondent - Ajay Kumar Goswami Sales Team

- Sagar Sardar Reena Prajapati

- T. K. Sengupta

Production & Admn. - Dinesh Poojary Graphic Designer

- Sanjeev D. Sonavane Subhash Gade Manohar S. Rajgurav Kenneth Menezes

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.

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10 OVERVIEW

Women’s wear: East and West needs to blend to sell well Each category in women’s wear has undergone a lot of transformation. Growth in women’s wear market is much higher than menswear and is expected to continue in future. Ethnics still remain top draw with fusion wear and western wear increasing market share, writes Ajanta Ganguly and Ajay Kumar Goswami

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he women’s apparel industry in India is riding a wave of momentum accelerated by relaxed dress codes, fabric innovations, and fusion dressing.

Indian women are lucky to have a choice of both western wear and ethnic wear as and when their mood decides. With more and more Indian women joining the corporate world, her dressing too has undergone a sea change.

Style is something every woman has she just needs to find which one suits her on different occasions and different days. Basically, it’s all about her sense of style as Yves Saint Laurent says, “Fashions fade, style is eternal.”So whether it’s dressing up or dressing down, style is a way to say who you are without having to shout it aloud from the rooftops. So be it western wear, fusion wear, ethnic wear or denim wear, there are many choices a woman can make which defines who she is.

And this style sense percolates down from outerwear into innerwear, giving her a sense of confidence like never before.

• Western wear currently accounts for around 38% of the entire Indian women’s wear segment • Its growing at 11% per annum • The women’s denim market, currently worth Rs 30,000 crore, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15% • Expected to reach around Rs 54,000 crore by 2023 • Fusion wear has evolved into a separate category by itself • Fusion wear segment has gone through various transformations over the years • Ethnic wear has remained one of the top categories in women’s apparel • Ethnics has undergone a sea change and taken on a totally new identity Western wear segment growing rapidly This sudden growth in western wear is the increase in the number of working women, the entry of many international brands as well

as the rise of brand awareness through the popularity of e-commerce and social media.

Western wear currently accounts for around 38 percent of the entire Indian women’s wear segment which is growing at 11 percent per annum as a whole.

A Technopak study highlighted western

Rahul Mehta

Managing Director, 109°F

“Indian brands will make a comeback once the novelty of international brands wears off”

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OVERVIEW wear takes about 25 percent of the Rs 78,500 crores worth women’s wear market in India. In fact, the growth of this market is much higher than menswear which is growing at 9 percent in comparison. The market is flooded with unbranded smaller players with the share of brands in women’s western wear segment estimated below 25 percent. However, the segment is expected to grow by a whopping 20 percent to eventually cross 40 percent by 2025.

“The market would see a six-fold increase over the next decade. It is faring well owing to the push provided by various e-commerce platforms. This negates the misconception that branded market, owing to its price range, has no takers,” points out Ashish Gurnani, CoFounder, PostFold.

Growth in women’s western wear segment has happened mostly through omnichannel retail. As customers face a huge time crunch, they prefer to shop online. Online channels offer discounts throughout the year which help in attracting customers. Offline channels, on the other hand, help customers identify the products’ quality, especially in the case of international brands. These brands are highly aspirational, which has intensified competition among domestic brands.

Fusion wear is the bestseller

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Ashish Gurnani

Co-Founder, PostFold

“The market would see a six-fold increase over the next decade. It is faring well owing to the push provided by various e-commerce platforms. This negates the misconception that branded market, owing to its price range, has no takers.”

Along with western wear, denim, especially

Manohar Chatlani

Managing Director, Soch

“With an increasing move in this segment from unbranded to the branded segment and its resurgence as a garment of choice, I see this segment (ethnic) only growing from strength to strength. We believe we have not penetrated a large geographical spread and we also intend to increase touch-points where our consumers can experience and buy, across online and offline formats.’’

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jeans have gained popularity amongst women of all ages, shapes, and sizes because of their comfort, functional aspects and durability.

Women comfortable with western wear have taken to wearing jeans pairing them with both tops, T-shirts as well as kurtis. Indo-western style was just the beginning of everything fusion. This mix and match style is picking up particularly amongst women in small towns.

The women’s denim market, currently worth Rs 30,000 crore, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15 percent to reach around Rs 54,000 crore by 2023. Earlier known as the aspirational subcategory of ethnic wear, fusion wear has evolved into a separate category by itself. The basic idea of fusion wear is to combine two different cultures as it fills the gap between ethnic and western clothing.

“In recent times, fusion wear segment has been flooded by international brands that have slowly pushed up the aspiration and purchasing pattern of Indians. However, the presence of these brands is restricted to western wear. Increasing purchasing power of the mid to premium segment is leading to many high-end designers launching their retail prêt sub-brands to push overall sales,” points out Sreyashee Haldar, Design Head of women’s brand W. The fusion wear segment has gone through various transformations over the years. Originally confined to categories like saris, kurta sets, and salwar kameez, it has gradually transformed to kurta sets having no dupattas, the salwars switched over to leggings, palazzos, straight fit pants, and tight

trousers. Many brands have also evolved with long kurtas to be worn as maxi dresses with scarves which can also be used as workwear.

Kirti Shah, Director, Zola believes fusion fashion’s growth has just begun. “It still has a long way to go. With teenagers being highly inspired by western culture, fusion wear is likely to play a vital role in the future,” he adds. The brand has created a niche for itself in the segment by providing a premium feel to its customers.

Nothing sells like a good pair of denim jeans One of the most popular apparel segment is western wear is denim jeans. Denim wear is evolving as a unique apparel category, largely driven by high fashion quotient along with durability and low maintenance costs.

With immense possibilities of pairing it with western tops and T-shirts as well as Indian kurtis, women in smaller towns are opting for denim over ethnic wear. This is luring many big and small brands to open stores in these towns. There are unprecedented opportunities for growth of women’s denim in these markets Influenced by Westernisation, urbanization and other factors such as new technologies, styles, finish, looks and trends.

“The denim segment has captured not just

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12 OVERVIEW big cities but also Tier I and II towns. These markets allow you to expand your customer base as not all competitor brands may be present in these cities,” says Neha Shah, Assistant General Manager-Marketing, Pepe Jeans London. What’s more, looking at the growth opportunities, many global brands have made inroads in small-town India.

“Organised denim players are catering not only to the premium category but also to the upper-middle and mid-category of consumers.

And not many super-premium brands have picked up growth in India, with just a handful of stores,” explains Shah.

Growing demand for fresh styles and designs has redefined the denim market in India. The traditional blue denim has now been reinvented into a new avatar with more options in colors, finishes, looks and washes.

The availability of stretch denim in the last two years has taken the market by storm as it has addressed the challenges created by the demand for a perfect fit and comfort.

This season is also about embroidered, printed denim with ripped and unique washes.

Studded and embellished effect denims are

ruling with frayed and uneven hems adding the perfect amount of edge to the casual pair.

“Classic jeans are being revamped this season with denim basics and work-wear being fine-tuned with assortments like subverted design details and concept cuts,” Our brand has come up with Gymjns -- a pair of jeans with features of ath-leisure bottom wear.

These jeans with their super stretch fabric and ergonomic construction offer unrestricted freedom of movement, making them ideal clothing for today’s fast life,” says Sanjay Vakharia, CEO, Spykar.

Price factor plays an important role in influencing the purchase decision, especially among women. Many brands are now repositioning their prices to cater not only to sec A but also to the mid-level segment.

They are introducing denim across all price segments for a wider audience. Even Pepe Jeans London too has introduced a range of denim called the Beat London collection starting from Rs 1799 for its e-commerce partners. This is aimed at the younger Pepe Jeans customer, with a price point that is lower than the average Pepe Jeans price.

Sanjay Vakharia CEO, Spykar

“Classic jeans are being revamped this season with denim basics and workwear being fine-tuned with assortments like subverted design details and concept cuts Our brand has come up with Gymjns -- a pair of jeans with features of athleisure bottom wear. These jeans with their super stretch fabric and ergonomic construction offer unrestricted freedom of movement, making them ideal clothing for today’s fast life.”

Innerwear shapes up this segment significantly Modern Indian woman’s openness to indulge in premium innerwear and her sense of style slowly filtering from outerwear into innerwear has given a huge push to the innerwear segment. There have been phases in the Indian apparel industry that have changed the way we dress up. Now is the time for the lingerie segment. The Indian lingerie market, currently worth $3billion, is likely to reach $8.4 billion by 2020. Experts say the women’s innerwear segment accounts for around 5 percent of the total apparel market. The category will grow at a CAGR of 14 percent to reach Rs 31,306 crores in 2021 and Rs 60,277 crores in 2026. Bras and panties contribute 85 percent of the total women’s lingerie segment. In 2015, this segment was estimated at Rs 14,000 crores and is expected to reach Rs 30,000 crores by 2020.

Many premium brands are now rocking this niche segment with massive advertising and marketing propaganda. While some Indian women just want to feel comfortable wearing the right lingerie, others want to feel sexy and confident. Whatever the reason, spending on innerwear is now as important as outerwear.

Brands like Candour London are investing in sweat-free fabrics that are highly suitable for the Indian climate. The brand is currently

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OVERVIEW

Neha Shah

Assistant General Manager-Marketing, Pepe Jeans

“The denim segment has captured not just big cities, but also Tier I and II towns.

These markets allow you to expand your customer base as not all competitor brands may be present in these cities.” What’s more, looking at the growth opportunities, many global brands have made inroads in small-town India.” working on other environment and pocket -friendly fabrics besides cotton.

One of the world’s largest intimate apparel companies, Triumph International recently expanded its Triaction Sports bra range with the launch of a new global high-performance collection. “Boasting of the best bounce control levels besides offering versatile fits and ensuring superior comfort, this range supports women effortlessly throughout the day,” affirms Shweta Verma, Head-Marketing of the brand.

“Earlier, consumers didn’t accept innerwear as a foundation to their outerwear. This resulted in their lack of willingness to spend money on lingerie. Today, the hurdles have shifted to different topics and we now have to cater to scattered consumers and create more sophisticated shopping environments and higher engagement levels,” she adds.

Stale inventory and efficient management of omnichannel, are some of the other challenges that the innerwear industry faces. A specific size chart for the Indian body type or a Fit test to determine e right bra is very important but very few retail outlets actually offer this kind of service.

Ethnic wear will always remain the popular choice Traditionally, ethnic wear has remained one of the top categories in women’s apparel segment. However, it has undergone a sea change and taken on a totally new identity with new form-fitting cuts and styles in a wide

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variety of materials and colors. However, hard western wear might be trying to make inroads into the women’s fashion, Indians have always been and will be traditionalists at heart. Ethnic wear will always cut across all geographical and age boundaries but now the Indian women’s wardrobe is more unified with a wider range of clothes.

The ethnic wear market is largely ruled by unorganized players across India. Each region has strong players but at the same time, few brands have managed to build a strong presence across India on the basis of ethnic wear alone. Even 20 years ago, this segment was mainly driven by local retailers and friendly neighborhood tailors, whose only source of inspiration was designing books and catalogs.

But cashing in on India’s fashion legacy and style mixes across different states, many small and large branded players have now entered the market. Ethnic wear manufacturers thrive during festival and marriage season as although the styles may be different, the buying power and enthusiasm is at an all-time high both in North and South India.

“With an increasing move in this segment from unbranded to the branded segment and its resurgence as a garment of choice, I see this segment only growing from strength to strength. We believe we have not penetrated a large geographical spread and we also intend to increase touch-points where our consumers can experience and buy, across online and offline formats,’’ observes Manohar Chatlani, Managing Director of Soch, a leading ethnic wear manufacturer.

With changing lifestyles, the need for fussfree and easily accessible garments is also increasing which can only be fulfilled by a largely ready-to-wear garment market Instead of eating into each other’s market, ethnic, fusion and western wear are seen combining together in the form of Indo-western style.

Today, women style their everyday looks in such a way that it gives a modern yet traditional outcome. As the French fashion

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Sreyashee Haldar

Design Head of brand women’s brand W

‘’In recent times, the fusion wear segment has been flooded by international brands that have slowly pushed up the aspiration and purchasing pattern of Indians. However, the presence of these brands is restricted to western wear. Increasing purchasing power of the mid to premium segment is leading to many high-end designers launching their retail prêt sub-brands to push overall sales.” designer Coco Chanel once said, ‘’ Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only.

Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. ‘’And it is this fashion sense that the urban Indian woman is currently emulating in her dressing style.

Shweta Verma

Head-Marketing, Triumph

“Earlier, consumers didn’t accept innerwear as a foundation to their outerwear. This resulted in their lack of willingness to spend money on lingerie.

Today, the hurdles have shifted to different topics and we now have to cater to scattered consumers and create more sophisticated shopping environments and higher engagement levels.”

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14 WESTERN WEAR

Increased brand play opens up segment, boosts growth The smart, confident Indian women is now willing to experiment a lot more with her dressing and this has given a huge boost to the western wear segment both formal and casual. The market will see more brands entering the fray in future, spoiling the New Age women for choices, write Shubhangi Bidwe and Ajay Kumar Goswami

W

ith more Indian women joining the corporate world, breaking the glass ceiling and taking on versatile roles, her dressing too has undergone a sea change. Her newfound confidence, freedom of expression is mirrored in the way she dresses up. And this has given a huge boost to the women’s western wear segment in India, which continues to grow with new brands entering the fray. “Western wear accounts for around 38 per cent of the entire Indian women’s wear segment growing at 11 per cent,” says Ashish Gurnani, Co-Founder, PostFold. The segment has seen a huge boost both in terms of demand and supply. A Technopak study highlighted, western wear takes about 25 per cent of the Rs 78,500 crores worth women’s wear market in India with. In fact, the growth of this market is much higher than menswear which is growing at 9 per cent in comparison.

• Western wear segment is growing at around 11 per cent • The segment can be classified into casual and formal western wear • Social media is helping women keep up with latest trends • The market is ruled by simple cuts and cotton-blend fabrics • Advent of global brands has increased competition for Indian brands • Women have a lot more choices with new brands making inroads Demand attracts more players Of course, like most other women’s wear categories, the reason for this exponential growth in western wear is the increase in number of working women, entry of many international brands, growing popularity of e-commerce and social media, rise of brand awareness especially among working women with high disposable incomes.

Better interaction with brands through social media channels is making consumers more

Rahul Mehta

Managing Director, 109°F

“Competition is intense and as of now, international brands seem to hold the edge. However, one has always respected the Indian consumer for her astuteness in sensing an overpriced product when she sees one. Hence, I see domestic brands making a comeback in a couple of years, once the novelty of international brands wears off, and consumers see much better value for money in Indian brands, and find them catching up on fashion content.”

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WESTERN WEAR

Sandeep Jain

Executive Director, Monte Carlo

“Women are experimenting with their looks as they do not want to lag behind in this fashion era.” aware of global trends in western wear. “This affinity is also increasing due to reasons such as the changing dress codes at work to evolving personal preferences for aesthetic or comfort reasons,” explains Gurnani. What’s more, it’s not just metros, demand for western wear has grown even in smaller cities across India.

Largely a part of the women’s wear market in India, western wear can be classified into casual and formals. The casual segment includes: denims, T-shirts, tops, etc while the formals are all about skirt suits and pant suits. “Women are experimenting with their looks as they do not want to lag behind in this fashionable era,” opines Sandeep Jain, Executive Director, Monte Carlo.

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Market to six-fold increase

Omnichannel boosts growth

The share of brands in women’s western wear segment is estimated below 25 per cent as of now. However, the segment is expected to grow by a whopping 20 per cent to eventually cross 40 per cent by 2025. “The market would see a six-fold increase over the next decade.

It is faring well owing to the push provided by various ecommerce platforms. This negates the misconception that branded market, owing to its price range, has no takers,” points out Gurnani. The entry of international brands has also added to awareness about this category.

These brands are highly aspirational, which has intensified competition among domestic brands.

“The discounts offered by international players, who come with deep pockets and a lot of funds to sustain first few years of poor EBIDTA is over-pampering the consumer to moving away from same genre domestic brands,” feels Ankit Sood, Head, Fashion Trend Forecasting Planning at Madame. He says “Women’s wear market in India is like a gold mine waiting to explode.” And that western wear for women is being accepted in conjunction with ethnic wear. The market is likely to grow by 48 per cent in 2019 and post an impressive 8.5 per cent CAGR by 2020.

The advent of international brands is the biggest challenge, and at the same time opening up of Tier II markets the biggest opportunity, believes Rahul Mehta, Managing Director, 109°F. “Competition is certainly intense and as of now, international brands seem to hold the edge. However, one has always respected the Indian consumer for her astuteness in sensing an overpriced product when she sees one. Hence, I see domestic brands making a comeback in a couple of years, once the novelty of international brands wears off, and consumers see much better value for money in Indian brands, and find them catching up on fashion content.”

Growth in women’s western wear segment has happened mostly through omnichannel retail. As customers face a huge time crunch, they prefer to shop online. “Online channels offer discounts throughout the year which help in attracting customers. Offline channels, on

Ankit Sood

Head, Fashion Trend Forecasting & Planning, Madame

“The discounts offered by international players, who come with deep pockets and a lot of funds to sustain first few years of poor EBIDTA is overpampering the consumer to moving away from same genre domestic brands.”

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16 WESTERN WEAR the other hand, help customers identify the products’ quality,” adds Jain Sood goes on to say, “E-Tailing has proved to be a major boon to brands and manufacturers in this category, as customers in remote or nonviable locations for physical stores are also being serviced. As the customer is switching more towards comfort clothing, a category of active wear has emerged to stay for a few more years.” The Indian sartorial sense is evolving, owing to the intensity of globalisation shaping up tastes. Global brands like Gucci, Prada are the entering wardrobes of customers who are willing to pay. The emergence of fusion wear, combining the sensibilities of traditional design, with the cuts and finesses of western attire, is ruling Indian market.

Styles, colors and trends Sood says, “Women’s fashion is all about perfect fits, trendy colors and sophisticated silhouettes. The upcoming trend are: multiple layering, blended in solid and engineered structures.” Simple cuts and cotton-blend fabrics rule the chart, at Monte Carlo incorporating all these trends into its collection. “Starting from dry-fit materials to denims in different washes, cotton-blend attires, we have encompassed all of them,” adds Jain. The brand’s color palette for the

and brightness. Colours this season will be muted to deep.”

Another brand that creates unique and trendy styles to suit a woman’s personality is Vanca. “Our future forward fashion and designs allow a woman to be in vogue and wear the best always,” avers Rajeev Sinha, CEO of the brand. Drawing inspiration from European fashion to create contemporary and timeless styles for men and women, the brand’s design inspired styles harmonise with a woman’s inner self to bring out her real personality with utmost grace and élan.

There is growing shift from tailored to ready-towear clothing with many small and big Indian companies propelling growth, especially of branded apparels. “With changing lifestyles, the need for fuss-free and easily accessible garments is also increasing which can only be fulfilled by a largely ready-to-wear garment market,” adds Gurnani.

Ashish Gurnani

Co-Founder, PostFold

“The branded women’s westernwear market would see a six-fold increase over the next decade.”

Rajeev Sinha CEO, Vanca

“Our future forward fashion and designs allow a woman to be in vogue and wear the best always.” season veers towards light, sorbet colors with a special segment dedicated to breezy whites.

Technology and textural advancements also figure in its scheme of lineup, with the brand introducing technology enabled apparel that combines convenience with style.

109°F the new age fashion brand for women offers finely crafted designs for the uber cool women. The current collection has basic, classic cuts, no over the top styling.

And Mehta says, “There is a noticeable move towards natural fabrics, but women’s fashion continues to be dependent on polyester and man made fabrics for its sheen

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If Exclusive

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109°F reflects daring woman’s attitude

A

new age fashion brand for women, 109°F offers finely crafted designs for the uber cool Indian woman who is young at heart, aware of international fashion trends and confident of making a statement in any situation.

“Cosmopolitan, bold and carefree, she loves to travel with style and comfort. She is not afraid

to experiment with her style,” states Rahul Mehta, Managing Director, 109°F. The brand’s current collection with its basic and classic cuts reflects this daring attitude of the modern age woman.

Market shifts to natural fabrics, smaller cities

woman looks more at the style, fit, and trend of a garment rather than its brand name. To cater to these needs, brand 109°F is now restrategising its channels of distribution. As Mehta informs “we are increasing our focus on the online channels.”

Currently estimated at $6 billion, the womenswear market in India continues to be dependent of polyester and other manmade fabrics even though there has been a noticeable shift towards natural fabrics. “These fabrics are preferred for their sheen and brightness and are preferred mostly in deep and muted colors,” adds Mehta. From metros and big cities, the market is moving towards smaller cities. “However, brands still need to keep the style sensitivities of this market in mind,” warns Mehta.

Rahul Mehta

Managing Director, 109°F

“Cosmopolitan, bold and carefree, she loves to travel with style and comfort. She is not afraid to experiment with her style”

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International brands hold an edge The advent of international brands is intensifying competition in this market, feels Mehta. “The opening of Tier II markets presents a big opportunity. However, international brands still hold an edge in this segment. The astuteness of the Indian consumers in identifying an overpriced product will ensure the return of domestic brands in the market,” adds Mehta. He feels a

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18 If Exclusive

Madame reinvents collections every season

Ankit Sood

Head, Fashion Trend Forecasting Planning, Madame

“As seasons change, fresh concepts hit our store every forthnight.”

S

ticking to its ethos of being a designahead brand, Madame continuously reinvents its multiple product categories with seasonal freshness.

“Our upcoming collection boasts of multiplelayers of fabrics blended in a combination of solids and engineered structures,” notes Ankit Sood, Head-Fashion Trend, Forecasting & Planning. These fabrics, ranging from cashmere to cotton and viscose blended fabrics span over various categories of dresses, denims, winterwear and accessories.

“As seasons change, fresh concepts hit our store every forthnight,” adds Sood.

International brands make market competitive The women’s western wear market continues to grow exponentially with new

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labels being launched every year. “However, these brands vanish as quick as they are launched,” rues Sood. The sector is becoming very competitive with many international brands entering the market. “The discounts offered by global players, who come with deep pockets and enough funds to sustain first few years of poor EBIDTAs, is luring the consumer away from domestic brands of similar genre,” he adds.

this category to serve customers in remote or non-viable locations,” adds Sood.

Thus according to Sood, the women’s western wear category is still far from saturation and the rise of fusion wear can be termed as an elongated fad. “Omni channel’s the future of retailing,” he says.

E-commerce helps penetrate unexplored markets Aaround 30 per cent of the Indian women popular still shies away from experimenting with their clothes and is a happy with their traditional, subtle and comfortable wardrobes.

“However, e-tailing has proved to be major boon as it helps brands and manufacturers in

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If Exclusive

19

Monte Carlo to go athleisure now branded market, owing to its price range, has no takers. “In fact, the branded western wear market is faring well, owing to the push provided by ecommerce platforms. The entry of international brands, has also added to awareness in this category,” he adds.

Customers expand budgets for quality products Customers have understood the connection between price and quality. A good quality product justifies its price, thereby attracting consumers to increase their budgets. “People who seek a good branded product don’t mind paying extra for it. We ensure that our customers get value for money,” adds Jain.

Monte Carlo already has a pan-India presence.

“However, we seek to penetrate further in the western and southern regions of India,” says Jain. The brand is already adding around 25 stores across the country every year. “In product

“I

nnovation is the mother of progress as it contributes to the growth and development of any segment,” says Sandeep Jain, Executive Director, Monte Carlo. “In the apparel segment, innovation shapes up new styles and trends,” he adds. His brand, Monte Carlo is innovating by incorporating latest styles and fabrics trends in its upcoming collection.

From dry-fit materials, to denims in different washes, to cotton-blend attires, the collection encompasses e everything. “We have also added floral and other prints in this collection to give it a contemporary look,” adds Jain.

Another innovation that Monte Carlo

has incorporated in this collection includes technology enabled apparel which combines convenience with style. “The color palette veers mostly towards light, sorbet with a special segment dedicated to breezy whites,” adds Jain.

Sandeep Jain

Executive Director, Monte Carlo

“In product assortment, we are yet to exploit our full potential in the athleisure segment. Modern Indian woman is ready to experiment and does not want to lag behind in fashion.”

Womens Wear_2009.indd 19

assortment, we are yet to exploit our full potential in the athleisure segment,” he sums up.

Increase working women drives western wear market Jain points out, both the casual and formal wear segments in women’s western wear are fast growing due to a rise in participation of women in workspace. “Modern Indian woman is ready to experiment and does not want to lag behind in fashion. Ranging from business formals to smart casuals to Friday dressing, she is concerned about her looks at her workplace,” notes Jain.

Jain also believes that it is a common misconception amongst consumers that the

7/14/2019 7:50:26 AM

20 IF EXCLUSIVE Pay less, dress well with Vero Moda Brand’s Spokesperson “The latest A/W ’19 collection offers a versatile range of tailored separates, sheer tops, ruffle sleeves, waist tie-up bottoms and indigo denim essentials.”

I

nspired by latest European trends, Vero Moda offers stylish womenswear straight off the runways. Synonymous with contemporary fashion and design, the brand thrives on serial innovation and styling. “We are the brand of choice for many fashion-conscious, independent young women who want to dress well and pay less,” states the brand spokesperson. “We offer good quality, affordable and inspiring clothes for the young woman who wants to have fun with her looks,” he adds The latest A/W ’19 collection offers a versatile range of tailored separates, sheer tops, ruffle sleeves, waist tie-up bottoms and

Womens Wear_2009.indd 20

indigo denim essentials. “We also have classic evening wear with sharp silhouettes apt for the party season. These products are in sync with global trends in terms of colors, silhouettes and fabrics,” he adds.

Western wear evolving constantly Western wear has always been an integral part of the Indian fashion industry. Accepted by people of all ages, personalities and body type, the category evolves constantly. “This segment combines high street fashion with streetwear to suit individuals with varied tastes,” notes the spokesperson. “Overtime, the category has come to be viewed as a wardrobe staple in the country, with the styles being sported across occasions – workwear as well as casualwear.”

Apart from its popularity among students, increasing acceptance of western wear as workwear, is boosting growth in several other categories. Alongwith increasing global fashion sensibilities and preference for comfort wear at work, the ethnic and fusion wear categories have also made significant contributions to this segment. “The influx of international brands and increasing e-commerce penetration is further accelerating growth,” adds the spokesperson.

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IF EXCLUSIVE

21

Latin Quarters sees new additions Saurabh Jhingam Director

“Consumers in this segment are well-travelled and have higher access to the internet. This helps us reach our consumers in the Tier II cities as well,”

A

woman’s lifestyle brand, Latin Quarters aims to add denim dresses, shirts and jump suits to its AW 19 collection alongwith the regular evening dresses and tops. “We will use a lot of cotton viscose base, rayon as well as laces in this collection,” informs Saurabh Jhingam, Director of the brand. “The collection will also include intricate design details in the body and sleeves of the garments, alongwith embellishments on long dresses in delicate fabrics. The color pallete for this collection will span navy, black, wine, olive and few core colors like mango, red, and rust colors.”

Womens Wear_2009.indd 21

Retail footprint boosts bottom-line growth Everyone went overboard with fusion wear in the last season. However, western wear will retain its popularity, feels Jhingam.

“Consumers in this segment are well-travelled and have higher access to the internet. This helps us reach our consumers in the Tier II cities as well,” adds Jhingam.

Latin Quarters has EBO’s in all major metros across India and is penetrating further into smaller towns. “We are fortunate to have a strong presence in the market with repeat customers,” says Jingham. Aspiring customers

in small towns have good purchasing power which offers positive growth prospects.

“Increasing internet penetration has also opened up new opportunities for us,” he adds.

All channel partners of the brand are churning good revenues, with a few regional zones registering unexpected growth. “Our offline business is doing remarkably well and we are now aggressively going online with our products,” states Jhingam.

Many online brands in this segment are switching to offline, indicating an increase in demand and supply of western wear in India.

“Our brand too is witnessing strong growth owing to our in-trend product line, affordable prices and expanding retail network,” he adds.

Too many players crowd the segment With many MNC brands entering India, westernwear segment is growing at a rapid pace. However, this has also made the segment crowded as everyday some brand launches new products. It has grown on its own, that is why so many new MNC brands are here. On its part, the Latin Quarters too is gearing up with new products to fulfill market expectations.

Gone are those days when older women could not carry western fashion, nowadays each one wants to dress well be at work or at home. “If the product is good, the price is not important. What matters is the quality of the product with good marketing strategies balanced with correct pricing. With the plus size market expanding into western wear category, the segment is here to stay.”

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22

The Brand The brand Shyam Garments was launched two years ago. Mr. Premjis hard work has brought the brand where it is. The brand majorly deals in women’s party wear T-shirts. There is a huge collection of T-shirts in colours, and prints. The brand has its own production unit though the capacity is unknown. The fabrics used are more of lycra , slub lycra from China and the rest from the Indian markets from Mumbai and Ludhiana. The brand doesn’t work in the retail format. They work through a format of distributors. They have 6 distributors with the help of whom the brand has a strong presence in Andhra Pradesh Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Goa.

Collection The brand has a collection of screen printed shirts for women. There is a splash of colours and new colours have been introduced like egg colour and tan, a mixture of both light and dark colours have been used for the collection. The brand targets women of all age , teenage and upwards. The price points vary between Rs. 160 to Rs. 260 and is extremely affordable.

MFG. BY- SHYAM GARMENT PLUS JAI MATAJI

Womens Wear_2009.indd 22

JAI DADA

7/14/2019 7:50:26 AM

23

MATA PRSAD CHAWL P.M. ROAD NEAR BJP OFFICE KHOTWADI SANTACRUZ (W) MUMBAI 400054

shyamgarment2017@gmail.com MOB - 8652435978

Womens Wear_2009.indd 23

7/14/2019 7:50:27 AM

24 fuSIONWEAR

Fusion wear a break away from dressing norms It’s the category that mixes western designs and Indian sensibilities. And young India is being drawn to it. With demand growing, many brands are experimenting with fusion wear while, many more are entering this niche space and the future holds a lot of promise, find out Shubhangi Bhidwe and Ajay Kumar Goswami

F

usion wear -- a blend of ethnic and western wear often mixed and matched in different style is now most in demand across age groups.

The versatility of fusion wear allows it to match any casual or semiformal or even work wear sometimes.

As women step out of their homes, their fashion senses have evolved with western

• Fusion wear has evolved into a separate category by itself • There is a rising awareness about eco-friendly fabrics in fusion wear • The color palette this season is vivid with unusual combinations such as mustard, tomato red, earthy fresh shades • The market is flooded with international brands that has slowly pushed up the aspiration and purchasing pattern of Indians

Sreyashee Haldar Design Head, W

“We have defined fusion dresses as a very acceptable fashion category with the launch of our ‘Yolodress.’ Our summer suits -- a three-piece set in cotton with a short kurta, cropped pants and a layer of a light voile long jacketmostly in monochrome makes women look formally yet fashionably dressed.”

Womens Wear_2009.indd 24

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fuSIONWEAR

25

elements being incorporated into ethnic wear to suit changing needs. This has led to the rise of fusion wear in India. “The fusion wear market in India has been growing remarkably since the last few years. This trend allows women to break away from the shackles of set clothing norms and mix & match their garments,” explains Deepa Surekha, CEO, Be Indi.

Combining cultures through new styles, designs “Earlier known as the aspirational sub category of ethnic wear, fusion wear has evolved into a separate category by itself,” notes Sreyashee Haldar, Design Head of brand women’s brand W. The basic idea of fusionwear is to combine two different cultures as it fills the gap between ethnic and western clothing.

“Innovation and styling rules this segment as it relates to every niche market that we target,” says Rakesh Moradiya, Director, Divyanshi Fashion. For the upcoming season the brand has included a lot of flared cuts paired with gold embellished fabric embroidered palazzos, dhotis, and pencil fit pants.

The innovative designs by W have, over the years, defined Indian fusion wear fashion. “For this season, we have amalgamated western prints and silhouettes with Indian sensibilities, giving a modern appeal to Indian wear,” adds Halder. Another popular brand in this segment, Be Indi, believes in customising its designs and marketing them as per customers’ demand.

“We aim to make women look the best in a

Deepa Surekha CEO, Be Indi

“Fusion wear allows women to break away from the shackles of set clothing norms and mix & match their garments.” crowd by adding a hint of western silhouettes to our garments. For this season, we have tweaked the ethnic lehenga cholis into capes, transforming the traditional banarasi to crop tops and maxi dresses that cater to all sizes of women,” adds Surekha.

to kurta sets having no dupattas, the salwars switched over to leggings, palazzos, straight fit pants etc. Many brands have also evolved with long kurtas to be worn as maxi dresses with scarves which can also be used as a workwear,” adds Surekha.

Transformations in the industry

Eco-friendly fabrics, vivid colors dominate

Kirti Shah, Director, Zola believes fusion fashion’s growth has just begun. “It still has a long way to go. With teenagers being highly inspired by the western culture, fusion wear is likely to play a vital role in future,” he adds.

The brand has created a niche for itself in the segment by providing a premium feeling to its customers.

The fusion wear segment has gone through various transformations over the years.

Originally confined to categories like saris, kurta sets, etc. “It has gradually transformed

Womens Wear_2009.indd 25

Given India’s climatic conditions, there is growing awareness about eco friendly fabrics.

W has launched eco friendly sustainable “Liva- Eco” fabrics this season apart from regular cotton, rayon and natural flax that are predominantly a part of its range. “We have defined fusion dresses as a very acceptable fashion category with the launch of our ‘Yolodress.’ Our summer suits -- a three-piece set in cotton with a short kurta, cropped pants and a layer of a light voile long jacket- mostly in

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26 fuSIONWEAR monochrome makes women look formally yet fashionably dressed,” adds Haldar.

Even the color palette for this season is vivid with unusual combinations such as mustard, tomato red, earthy fresh shades. “Natural textures are the calling on voile and cotton fabrics. For upcoming festive season, we will see growing demand for flared cuts and embroidered fabrics in bright colors such as olive green, gold , tomato red, mustard and earthy shades,” says Morvadiya.

Kirti Shah Director, Zola

“With teenagers being highly inspired by the western culture, fusion wear is likely to play a very vital role in future.”

Global brands add variety In recent times, fusionwear segment has been flooded by international brands that have slowly pushed up the aspiration and purchasing pattern of Indians. However, the presence of these brands is restricted to western wear.

“Increasing purchasing power of the mid to premium segment is leading to many high-end designers launching their retail prêt sub brands to push overall sales,” said Haldar.

The entry of big designer labels and brands offers customers a wide variety of styles to choose from. These labels are influencing the growth rate of fusion wear in India. However, they need to create a niche and identity as only differentiated and unique brands are likely to survive in this rapidly evolving market.

The future for fusion wear in India is bright as the highest spending power will be in the hands of teenagers. This age group will be the main driving forces for the growth of this category which will evolve higher in future.

“Only those brands that will be able to scale up will emerge as winners,” adds Haldar.

Rakesh Moradiya

Director, Divyanshi Fashion

“In the upcoming festive season, we will see a growing demand for flared cuts and embroidered fabrics in bright colors such as olive green, gold, tomato red, mustard and earthy shades.”

Womens Wear_2009.indd 26

7/14/2019 7:50:31 AM

If ExcluSIVE

27

‘Yolodress’ from W this season

Sreyashee Haldar Design Head, W

“The basic idea of fusion wear is to combine two different cultures as it fills the gap between ethnic and western clothing. Even a few years back fusion wear was an evolving category and just the aspirational new subcategory of ethnic wear. But today Fusion wear is a clear category by itself and it is brands like W that have revolutionized this entire segment.”

identity, clearly defining its USP, making it differentiated from the mass and then finally being able to sustain that positioning. Constant and innovative changes in the product portfolio every few months, is just part of the brand identity,” explains Halder.

Given India’s climatic conditions, there is rising awareness about eco-friendly fabrics “This season we have launched eco-friendly sustainable ‘Liva- Eco’ fabrics apart from the regular cotton, rayons and natural flax that are predominantly a part of our range. Dresses today are no longer defined as western. We have launched ‘Yolodress’ with innovative prints, silhouettes, and colors to create a fusion dress. Our new range of summer suits comprises of a three-piece set in cotton with a short kurta, cropped pants and a layer of a light voile long jacket, mostly in monochrome.

The colour palette next season is vivid and combined unusually to be unique,’’ points out Halder.

Designer wear push up middle class aspirations The medium range is always the bestseller segment especially now when purse strings are tight. Summer months are hot and humid

and heavy expensive garments are not popular. Premium and Super premium markets are definitely evolving but it needs to have its own niche and identity. Only differentiated and unique brands in this category will grow or survive as simultaneously the mass market is rapidly spreading and capturing majority. It is mainly during the festive or marriage season that the more expensive brands do well.

Halder believes big players and expensive designer wear have pushed up sales in ethnic and fusion wear categories. With higher purchasing power of the mid to premium segment, many designers have launched retail prêt sub-brand to push up overall sales.

“In recent times we see the market is flooded with international brands that have slowly pushed up the aspiration and purchasing patterns of Indians. However, the presence of International brands is restricted to western wear so the other segments have nothing to worry about,” she observes.

As a leading fusion wear brand, W needs to constantly keep evolving this category and redefining fusion fashion. Just about any combination of the East and West that makes a woman look and feel like one is what the brand tries to achieve.

W

for women’s style statement of giving a modern appeal to Indian ethnic wear has been pivotal in defining fusion fashion. “The basic idea of fusion wear is to combine two different cultures as it fills the gap between ethnic and western clothing.

Even a few years back fusion wear was an evolving category and just the aspirational new subcategory of ethnic wear. But today Fusion wear is a clear category by itself and it is brands like W that have revolutionized this entire segment,”opines Sreyashee Halder, Design Head of W. Fusion wear is in high demand in Tier II and III cities as well as the metros.

Fusion wear is all about the right mix and match The fusion wear segment has gone through various transformations over the years. Originally confined to categories like saris, kurta sets, and salwar kameez, it has gradually transformed to kurta sets having no dupattas, salwars has switched over to leggings, palazzos, straight fit pants, and tight trousers. It all depends on how the wearer combines it with a more leaning towards ethnic or western. “Fusion wear brands such as W need to put a lot of effort into building a brand

Womens Wear_2009.indd 27

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28 If Exclusive

Be Indi knows Indian sensibilities

Deepa Surekha CEO, Be Indi

“Homegrown brands know how to blend Indian-ness with the right amount of western elements.

Be Indi creates the best silhouettes using old traditional fabrics like Banarasi, kantha stitches and block prints etc.”

T

oday’s women demand clothes that touch the roots of their origin and match the wavelength of their contemporary thoughts.

They believe be it office or casual wear, they can stay rooted to the ‘Indi’culture. “Fusion wear allows woman to break away from the shackles of set clothing norms and mix & match her garments,” says Deepa Surekha, CEO, Be Indi. The brand offers comfortable yet blingy clothes that cater to the tastes of the modern, women. “For this season, we are tweaking ethnic lehenga cholis into capes, transforming the traditional banarasis into crop tops and maxi dresses catering to all sizes,” Surekha says. The brand will launch fresh cuts and silhouettes in traditional banarasi fabrics, Georgette capes with skirts, long maxi dresses in happy colors to bling amongst the festivities of 2019.

Be Indi creates the best silhouettes using old traditional fabrics like Banarasi, kantha stitches and block prints etc. “These elements connect with our customers and convince them to choose ‘Be Indi’ for their wardrobe,” adds Surekha.

Transforming towards a bright future She feels fusion wear segment has gone

Womens Wear_2009.indd 28

through variable transformations. “From originally being confined to categories like saris, kurta sets (including dupatta), etc, the segment has transformed to kurta sets without dupattas, the salwars switched over to leggings, palazzos, straight fit pants etc.”

Many brands have also introduced long kurtas that can be worn as maxi dresses with scarves.

Fusion wear has a bright future as it serves all ages, occasions and sums up as a contemporary global Indian wear, blended with ethnic carrying a hint of western wear.

The segment is likely to be dominated by homegrown brands who know the Indian sensibilities and demands of the customers.

“These brands know how to blend Indian-ness with the right amount of western elements. They stay rooted to the sustainable and Banarasi fabrics with block prints which amalgamate the Indi looks with western silhouettes,” adds Surekha.

Spreading its wings Surekha believes online and omni-channel retail has given customers more options to choose the fusion wear brand. “The silhouettes blended with ethnic elements with a hint of western look cater to the masses who do not want their Indian-ness to fade away,” she says.

In future, Be Indi aims to spread its wings wide. “We plan to set up 100 flagship stores to deliver the best fashion by the end of 2020,” adds Surekha.

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30 If Exclusive

Traditional dresses in modern avatar, it’s 18 Fire

R

akesh Morvadiya, Director, 18 Fire feels, it’s important for his brand to introduce new innovations in styles while keeping them minimalistic at the same time. “The styles should relate to every niche market we target,” he says further adding, “our style statement for coming festive season includes a lot of flared cuts paired with gold embellished fabric embroidered palazzos, dhotis, and pencil fit pants.”

The brand has introduced an exclusive combination of high-end kurtis with plazzos and dhotis in its new collection. “We have used fresh color combinations like mustard, tomato red and earthy shades,” adds Moravadiya. The brand uses fabrics with natural textures like various varieties of cotton and embroidered fabrics.

Fusion wear, combining two cultures Innovation and novelty has led to the popularity of fusion wear in India. It helps in adding variations in the fusion wear styles.

“The basic idea of fusion wear is to combine two different cultures. The segment fills the gap between western and ethnic wear. This is leading to its rapid growth in India,” adds Morvadiya.

Rakesh Moradiya

Director, Divyanshi Fashion

“The basic idea of fusion wear is to combine two different cultures. The segment fills the gap between western and ethnic wear.”

Though international brands are gaining exposure, Indian brands are retaining their own essence. “Every brand in this segment has its own niche and style. Competition boosts our energy and encourages us to introduce new variations in our collections,” adds Morvadiya.

Offering the best of both the worlds “Due to the political and economical changes in India, more people are demanding

Womens Wear_2009.indd 30

super premium products today,” says Morvadiya. However, the brand provides both economic and super premium products under its brands Divyanshi and 18 Fire brands

respectively. The main attraction is its mix and match products. “Our products deliver our customer’s needs as we strive to grow with them,” adds Morvadiya.

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IF EXCLUSIVE

31

Zola runs on outstanding price value

I

ndia’s fusion wear industry is on a growth curve and causing ripples in the women’s wear segment. Zola, a wellrenowned brand for young women, is standing firm in the potential markets of ethnic and fashion wear. With every fifth person in India being an adolescent between 10-19 years and every third a young person below 24 years, fusion wear is a booming industry.

significant inroads in Kerala. The ethnic wear segment is largely dominated by unbranded and local players, but Zola Ethnic is making its presence felt strongly. “We haven’t stuck to any special variant but made it for all variants.

We keep the latest trends in mind so that we can deliver according to the sensibilities and changing mindset of people in big and small towns,’’ says Shah.

Earthy fashions making a mark in metros, small cities

Varied portfolio for women and kids

In the women’s apparel market, there aren’t too many top-line brands to cater to the needs of the middle class, though the potential is big enough to give large space for many brands.

Almost until two decades ago, was hardly any brand consciousness among middle-class women. The time was right to find a position in the branded apparel market with a brand exclusively for women, Kirti Shah, Founder of Pragati Fashion understood the demand and on time, which enabled the company to take the early bird advantage.

“We knew that was going to change. We understood, even the middle class was going to have a different approach in their choice consideration of buying apparel. The well-educated new generation might look for some big brands to talk about. We had comprehended this change in mindset and needs of women in advance,” says Kirti Shah, Managing Director, Pragati Fashion.

Zola’s aspires to win over markets in Tier II

Womens Wear_2009.indd 31

Kirti Shah Founder

“We keep the latest trends in mind so that we can deliver according to the sensibilities and changing mindset of people in big and small towns.” and III cities with an outstanding price-value.

Capturing market trends and newness in color, quality fabrics and paying maximum attention to fabric selection, fitting and perfect quality is its USP. The company’s ‘Earthy Fashions’ philosophy comes with a brand promise of ‘We want to make you feel good to look good at affordable rates’, has worked well.

Zola has found a strong footprint across all geographies in the country with more

The brand is seen in the two ends of the market: metros and small-towns, where branded products are sold. That bears testimony to the fact that Zola is a brand equally preferred by women in metros and rural India.

Zola is a well-known brand for tops, kurtas, salwar, chudidars, jeans, gown, ethnic wear, girls’ wear, palazzo, leggings, tunics, middis, Indo western outfits etc. “By building a uniform brand for all these variants, Zola has created a greater recall value in the minds of women. For kids also the brand has a wide range of ethnic and western wear and night wear. It also has a fabulous marriage collection,” explains Shah.

The future for this concept is very brighter because in the future the highest spending power will be in the hands of teenagers. This age groups are the main driving forces for elders when it comes to buying patterns today, thanks to the huge social media exposure. Zola is cashing on this to do business and earn their bread and butter and sometimes even the cherry on the cake when the good times are rolling.

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STYLE FEATURE 32

The Brand Natural is a very young brand just 25 years old,

dealing in ladies night wear. This has a variety of nighties, night suits, capree suits and two piece night suits etc. The brand has its own production unit with a production great production capacity.

Various comfortable fabrics are used for the products and the raw materials are procured from Mumbai. They have not ventured into any of the retail format and are into direct booking and selling. Their business is through 100% table bookings. They also export to Saudi Arabia.

They have a pan India presence and strong in the states of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Delhi and Gujarat.

We have ready stock which is delivered on demand and bookings.

New Collection Natural has a huge collection of night wears.

The basic fabrics used are skin comfortable like rayon, satin, hosiery, cotton and denim.

There are no specific colour range. It is the darker shades like maroon, blue and browns which are more in demand. The range has a lot in prints. The prints are mill prints which are more in demand. Natural targets the age group of 15 to 20 years for their night wear and all age groups for all their other products.

The price band with is with in Rs 400 to Rs. 1500 being the wholesale rates.

Womens Wear_2009.indd 32

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34 ETHNIc WEAR

New brands queer the pitch for unorganised players Traditionally, ethnic wear has remained one of the top categories in women’s apparel segment, however, it’s undergone a change and taken on a new avatar with new cuts, drapes. The entry of new brands has cut into the space of unorganised players, write Ajanta Ganguly and Ajay Kumar Goswami

I

ndian women are lucky to have a choice of both western wear and ethnic wear as and when their mood decides. Women’s ethnic wear has always been the prima donna of the women’s wear segment, sitting smugly in its invincible hold over Indian women. However, hard western wear might be trying to make inroads into the women’s fashion, Indians have always been, and will be traditionalists at heart. Ethnic wear will always cut across all geographical and age boundaries but now the Indian women’s wardrobe is more unified with a wider range of clothes.

Fusion wear has rapidly evolved as a practical but trendy option for daily office wear, casual outing and even formal wear. It is this kind of modernization that has been included

• Ethnic, fusion and western wear are combining together in the form of Indo-western style • Many new players have entered this space as brand play has gone up • Key growth drivers are comfort, style, trendiness blended with individual’s own fashion style • Ethnic wear have evolved from traditional form to a revamped avatar • The entry of big brands has infused new life into this segment in the ethnic wear portfolio to make it appeal to the younger generation. As Karl Lagerfeld, creative director of the French fashion house Chanel once said, “I want everyone to wear what they want and mix it in their own way.

That, to me, is what is modern.”

Instead of eating into each other’s market, ethnic, fusion and western wear are seen combining together in the form of Indo-western style. Today, women style their everyday looks in such a way that it gives a modern yet traditional outcome.

Manohar Chatlani

Managing Director, Soch

“With increasing move in this segment from unbranded to the branded segment and its resurgence as a garment of choice, I see this segment only growing from strength to strength.

We are among the top five ethnic wear players in the country, and our aim is to delight more and more customers and be among the top three in the next couple of years.”

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ETHNIC WEAR

35

Siddharath Bindra Managing Director, Biba

“With the modernisation of lifestyle and changing preferences, ethnic wear like salwar kameez have evolved from their truly ethnic form to a revamped avatar with different cuts and drapes. The salwars have transformed to pants, palazzos and skirts whereas kurtis have transformed to long floor length dresses, anarkalis and asymmetric flare kurtis. Fusion wear serves as a comfortable yet a stylish option for daily office wear, casual outing and even evening wear; hence, this modernization has been widely accepted.”

Fusion wear fashion industry holds a big market potential and can grow many folds in the near future. There are many new entrants in the industry who are focusing only on fusion wear, as that is the hot seller item. The key growth drivers are the comfort, style, trendiness blended with every individual’s own fashion style. The growth in the ethnic wear market is currently backed by a rise in disposable income from a growing middle class, the influence of social media and celebrities in buying decision as well as easy accessibility with e-commerce and omnichannel routes.

Uniqueness is the USP of ethnic wear India’s fashion legacy lies in its vibrant colors, exotic embellishments and exquisite handmade designs and handprint techniques.

Rajasthani prints, Kashmiri work, Kutch work and mirror work, batik prints and traditional forms of artistry are all used to add the wow factor and an extra zing. These style mixes are a representation of the uniqueness of different states of India and the primary reason why

Womens Wear_2009.indd 35

ethnic wear continues to hold its own over the growing popularity of western casuals.

“With the modernization of lifestyle and changing preferences, ethnic wear like salwar kameez have evolved from their truly traditional form to more of revamped avatar with different cuts and drapes. The salwars have transformed to pants, palazzos and skirts whereas kurtis have transformed to long floor length dresses, anarkalis and asymmetric flare kurtis. Fusion wear serves as a comfortable yet a stylish option for daily office wear, casual outing and even evening wear. Hence, this modernization has been widely accepted.

Keeping this trend in mind, BIBA has changed its designs over the years and recently launched a modernized version of sari kurta, gowns and casual wear,’’ explains Siddharath Bindra, Managing Director of Biba, a leading brand offering a complete and exclusive ethnic wear range.

In fabrics, Biba’s Spring/Summer 2019 collection comes with newness that is seen through the content and composition varieties, blended together in cotton, modal, viscose, rayons, flex, linen, etc in fresh textures and beautiful dobbies. “Our latest product addition is the Indie Mickey Range in partnership with Disney. The Biba collection features IndieMickey that brings alive the favourite toon character in a unique Indianised style inspired by the indigenous arts, crafts, and craftsmanship of India. The Indie Mickey range comes featuring Mickey prints and intricate embroidered Mickey motif in the designs,’’ he adds.

Although, western wear has lower penetration in the India in Tier II, III cities,

demand is steadily growing. Growth may be on a lower base but the entry of organized retailers in the women’s wear segment is fuelling latent demand. The ethnic wear segment has to fight harder especially among the younger generation and in the metros.

Dominance of unorganized players rapidly eroding The ethnic wear market is largely ruled by unorganized players across India. Each region has strong players but at the same time few brands have managed to build a strong presence across India on the basis of ethnic wear alone. Even 20 years ago, the ethnic wear segment was a completely unorganized category with an almost non-existent brand presence. It was a space mostly driven by local retailers and friendly neighborhood tailors, whose only source of inspiration were design books and catalogs. It was an era, where design inspiration was not instantly downloaded through a mobile phone and there were limited options in styles. Even fabric design innovation had become stunted due to lack of competition and complacency.

However, the entry of big brands has infused new life into this segment. This coupled with the sharp rise of women in the workforce along with disposable incomes, has led to heightened demand of both ethnic and fusion wear in the workspace. Primarily western and fusion wear has impacted ethnic wear tremendously as it has helped create a new language of ethnic wear which is less bound by rules, and worn as per a person’s needs and desires. The salwar kurta has now evolved into a fashion

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36 ETHNIc WEAR

Sanjeev Aggarwal CEO, Rangriti

“A constant challenge that ethnic wear segments go through is the increase in western wear in the market. Western society has successfully influenced the Indian market on a big level. People are more attracted to western clothing than towards ethnic. To overcome this challenge, we continuously try to come up with wide varieties of beautiful and designer ethnic collections that blend the feminine cuts and shades in a perfectly graceful and trendy manner.’’ statement where kurtis are paired with pants and palazzos and a lehenga choli is taking the form of a gown.

“With increasing move in this segment from unbranded to the branded segment and its resurgence as a garment of choice, I see this segment only growing from strength to strength. We are among the top five ethnic wear players in the country, and our aim is to delight more and more customers and be among the top three in the next couple of years. We believe we have not penetrated a large geographical spread and we also intend to increase touch-points where our consumers can experience and buy, across online and offline formats,’’ observes Manohar Chatlani, Managing Director of Soch.

“The Indian ethnic wear market is large and accommodates a wide variety of players.

Premium designers are a niche part of this market and address very specific needs. While there has been a rise in designers with their prêt lines, we cater to a much larger and wider audience across the country. We believe that a large chunk of consumption in the ethnic wear market will be driven by the movement from unbranded to branded and that there’s

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enough scope for different brands, retailers and designers to thrive,” he adds.

The retail landscape is changing rapidly and larger market players need to adopt both e-commerce and smart marketing and retailing avenues which is a perfect blend of all the available shopping channels including physical stores, web stores, radio, television, and mobile devices. In this digital age, a traditional market player has to become far more tech-savvy to compete besides having a physical presence to stay ahead in this cutthroat competitive retail-sphere. There are many internal and external driving factors which include the intersection of two worlds of offline and online, digitalization, globalization, customer’s awareness and social media influence across India.

Unique challenges of the ethnic wear segment Although India’s fashion industry is rapidly growing and gaining world recognition, there is a lot of scope for improvement. For consumers, product quality and affordability are of great importance along with the brand name. Making the consumers shift from the unorganized

sector and other brands to organized sector and outlets is a challenge. The bigger brands are now relying on high-quality products with good finishes to build consumer trust.

“A constant challenge that ethnic wear segments go through is the increase in western wear in the market. Western society has successfully influenced the Indian market on a big level. People are more attracted to western clothing than towards ethnic. To overcome this challenge, we continuously try to come up with wide varieties of beautiful and designer ethnic collections that blend feminine cuts and shades in a perfectly graceful and trendy manner,” points out Sanjeev Aggarwal, CEO of Rangriti, a leading player in the women’s ethnic market.

The market is overcrowded with local and regional brands of the same category confusing the customer. Having different brands to choose from, with unique styles and themes, can get a little troublesome for customers.

The growth in women’s ethnic wear market has been precise and steady. Change in lifestyle, increase in fashion awareness has lead to significant growth in ethnic wear category. As per a Technopak study, India’s ethnic wear industry is currently pegged at

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ETHNIc WEAR over Rs 82,200 crore and is expected to rise to Rs 1,26,210 crore by 2019.

Premium segment is extremely competitive Top brands globally control only around between 4-8 per cent market share and is thus extremely competitive. It is only a handful of premium domestic brands that need to do aggressive marketing and advertising and churn out new fashion trends every few months that eventually survive. The only saving grace is that there is no competition from global brands in this segment.

“In the past five years of the Modi government, a lot has changed in the Indian market. Especially with GST coming in, we all have witnessed the retail market being affected. In the premium segment, everyone wants a piece of the cake that’s already too small. Everyone is facing a shortfall in sales in all segments. Earlier demand was so high, that no one had time to see into other’s business.

But now it’s survival of the fittest. Buyer’s capacity has decreased, so now one can only survive with having a unique product that’s a true value for money,’’ opines Siddhaarth Oberoi, MD, Sanskriti, a leading ethnic wear manufacturer.

Ethnic wear manufacturers thrive during festival and marriage season as although the styles may be different, the buying power and enthusiasm is at an all time high both in North and South India. Bigger brands built relationships with customers spanning generations in the event of an upcoming wedding or festival where the whole family visits the showrooms and makes apparel purchases for each person after consultation with a sales advisor. Fashion shows by upcoming and established designers in malls as well as fashion shows, above-the-line as well as below-the-line activities to increase brand recall as well as increased focus on E commerce are some of the ways in which ethnic wear manufacturers try to stay afloat in

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this competitive market.

A few years ago, no one would have thought women’s ethnic wear in India would seek innovation through fusion of styles and yet this is the new trend. Ethnic wear as a segment has been traditionally looked upon as catering to largely an older segment. There is now a revival of many young consumers opting for traditional silhouettes and mixing and matching their outfits for a contemporary Indowestern look. Brands are now cashing in on the fusion look as the traditional sari, churidaar kurta or the lehenga choli in their traditional construct are losing a bit of lustre. So it’s more about a mix and match style rather than ringing out the old and bringing in the new with these traditional garments being reconstructed and deconstructed to look trendy and sharp, without completely losing their ethnic identity.

The comfort and versatility of ethnic wear is now a practical choice for the current hot and humid months ahead and the ethnic brands are letting the good times roll for now.

Siddhaarth Oberoi

Managing Director, Sanskriti

“In the past five years of the Modi government, a lot has changed in the Indian market. Especially, with GST coming in, we all have witnessed the retail market being affected.

In the premium segment, everyone wants a piece of the cake that’s already too small. Everyone is facing a shortfall in sales in all segments. Earlier demand was so high, that no one had time to see into other’s business. But now it’s like survival of the fittest.”

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38 Cover story

Shree adds shine to its repertoire!!

Offering awe-inspiring ensemble since 2009, Shree goes blingy in its new collection

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ust like the Goddess Durga has 1008 names, ethnicwear brand Shree offers a diverse product range. The brand offers women’s kurtis, kurtas, leggings, jeggings, pants, trousers, palazzos, skirts, ethnic sets, tops & tunics, dresses and dupattas. In its upcoming festive 2019 collection, the brand plays around with a lot of bling in terms of surface treatment like Gota work, gotta patti, Jaipur Pitta embroidery work, foil prints that

• The festive 2019 collection of Shree plays around with a lot of bling • The brand has experimented with jacket –style of garments in this collection • It plays around with a wide array of fabrics such as cottons, rayons, and flex • Floral, geometrics, abstracts prints are added alongwith the brand’s own placement prints • The brand has over 3,500 retail partners

Sandeep Kapoor Managing Director

“Though inspired by regional art and architecture, our collections add a contemporary look and feel to the final garment.” helps solve the daily wardrobe dilemma of the modern young woman.

A modern touch to regional art Deriving its name from the Sanskrit origin word ‘Devi’ which means divine, Shree draws its inspiration from the modern Indian woman a woman who can balance both work and home with equal elegance and confidence. “Though inspired by regional art and architecture, our collections add a contemporary look and feel to the final garment. Some of the themes of these collections include Azam-the Mughal touch (inspired from Mughal art and architecture) Jashn-E-Jaipur (inspired from Jaipur block prints), Pixel Garden (inspired from the pixel art with a blend of floral motifs), an exclusive festive range –Glitz and Glam with royal classy fabrics and heavy embroidery,” notes Sandeep Kapoor, Managing Director, Shree.

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Cover story

Founded in 2009, SHR Lifestyle, is a lifestyle brand that provides up-to-date’ women’s clothing for its customers in India and abroad.

The brand offers an exquisite range of modern and ethnic wear for women at valuable rates for its customers.

Jacket style garments in a varied lengths and cuts In its upcoming collection, the brand has experimented with Togas, which are jacket style garments made in a variety of lengths and cuts. It has also added flared and umbrella styled kurtas to add volume to the brand’s product range and bring it on par with the festive collections of other brands. “We have also introduced flared dresses with stoles and scarves besides re-introducing short kurtis that are paired them with sharara ,wide legged bottoms as well as skirt pants. For the younger generations, we have added traditional jacquard and brocade lehengacholi with bright colored digital printed dupattas and stoles,” adds Kapoor.

Just like its styles, the color palette for the brand has moved from metallic (pastels) for the pre festive collection to royal hues for the festive season and dark tones post festive and winter seasons. “Coral being the predominant

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color of our Autumn/Winter 2019 collection, we have incorporated its diverse shades in our range,” adds he.

A play on fabrics and prints Keeping the pre-festive season in view, the brand plays around with a wide array of fabrics.

It has used cottons, rayons, and flex with surface treatment with gold,silver and copper foil as well embroidery. “We have used blends, jacquards, brocades, chanderi, santoon , poly silk , georgette, shimmer georgette for trims as well as layering , satin muslin for layering and drape , fabric with lurex for the flow and bling for pre festive collection. For our festive and winter collection, we have used knits and pashima,” adds Kapoor The prints of this collection are more in parlance to its theme and story board. “Floral, geometrics, abstracts prints in forms of khadi, foil, digital and pigment alongwith our own placement prints add to the brand’s flavor. The surface ornamentation over these prints gives the entire ensemble a festive bling,” adds he.

Sustainable fast fashion at affordable rates Catering to the needs of every woman, Shree compliments the personal journey of

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“Be it trendy fusion or a dazzling ethnic or casual work wear, we have it all for you.” woman through its awe-inspiring ensemble.

The brand embraces sustainable fast fashion at affordable rates in its portfolio spanning all seasons. “Be it trendy fusion or a dazzling ethnic or casual work wear, we have it all for you,” says Kapoor.

In future, Shree aims to realize the futuristic approach of its management through the support of its three key pillars including loyal customers, a team of experienced and dedicated professionals and proven business experience. “Our designers and artists design functional as well as aesthetically pleasing outfits for the modern day Indian woman.

These Indian classical apparels are given a ‘striking’ urban look without compromising on tradition,” adds he.

Thanks to its over 3,500 retail partners, Shree continuously achieves new milestones in the retail sector. Today, the brand reigns the list of ‘best-sellers’ on major e-commerce platforms like myntra.com and jabong.com.

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42 If Exclusive

Biba for new trends and designs

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ithout continuous upgradation in design and introduction of fresh drapes and styles, no brand can keep its consumers attracted for long,” opines Siddharth Bindra, Managing Director, Biba-India’s most loved women’s ethnic wear brand. True to its words, Biba has continuously introduced trendsetting designs over the years. It recently launched the Indie Mickey Range in partnership with Disney.

“This collection brings India’s favorite cartoon character in a unique style to life. Inspired by the indigenous arts, crafts and craftsmanship, the range features Mickey prints and intricate embroidered Mickey motif in the designs. It offers stylish, bohemian and quirky designs for both Biba and Biba Girls like crop tops, tunics, trendy tops, bohemian maxi dresses, shirt style kurtas and shrugs,” notes Bindra. The range has a color palette of hues of blue, red, white and black. The Biba Girls range has crop tops, skirts, short kurtas and dhoti salwars in bright pink and yellow colors too.

Siddharth Bindra, Managing Director

Combining style and comfort Bindra points out, people nowadays prefer trendy and comfortable styles. The brand, through its high quality fabrics, fresh prints and silhouettes fulfills the need of its patrons in the best possible way. “Our Spring/Summer 2019 collection offers blended cotton, modal, viscose, rayon, flex and linen fabrics in fresh textures and beautiful dobbies.” In designs, the

brand offers trendy yet traditional silhouettes along with classic and smart shapes. “In addition, we offer a lot more style options in core and solid kurtas with an elaborated range of bottoms to co-ordinate with,” adds Bindra.

The designs, including the cross over kurtas, cape gowns, tulip pants and prints, in its latest SS’19 collection have been well-appreciated by

“Ethnic wear has evolved from its truly ethnic form to a more revamped avatar with different cuts and drapes. Salwars have transformed to pants, palazzos and skirts whereas kurtis have transformed to long floor length dresses.” customers as the brand always “tries to offer the best combination of style and comfort.”

Changing landscape of Indian fashion Bindra notes the Indian fashion landscape has undergone a major transformation over the last few years. Brands are constantly curating new designs and trends owing to the fast changing fashion preferences. “They are curating new designs and trends, be it bold colors, new styles, fabrics and prints. Ethnic wear has evolved from its truly ethnic form to a more revamped avatar with different cuts and drapes. Salwars have transformed to pants, palazzos and skirts whereas kurtis have transformed to long floor length dresses, anarkalis and asymmetric flare kurtis,” he adds.

Fusion wear emerges as preferred option Bindra feels, fusion wear serves as a comfortable yet a stylish option for daily office wear, casual outing and evening wear. Keeping this trend in mind, Biba recently launched a modernised version of the sari kurta, gowns and casual wear section. “We offer great quality fashion with best comfortable fabrics and trendsetting designs,” adds Bindra With 275 stores across India, Biba plans to add another 125-150 stores, taking its total store count to 500 in the next two years. “We also plan to tap the franchise route to expand further into small cities and towns,” Bindra sums up.

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If Exclusive

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Soch to be among top three soon western looks with saris,” notes Chatlani.

Ethnic wear is also moving out of the largely occasional wear space it occupied earlier. “The comfort and versatility of ethnic wear has made it an active choice for many young women and it still remains the biggest category in women’s wear segment in India,” adds Chatlani. He attributes this to the rise of women in the workforce.

“However, western and fusion wear have impacted ethnic wear tremendously. It has helped create a new language which is less bound by rules, and is worn as per the person’s desires. An example is the evolution of salwar kurtis, which have now morphed in some instances into kurtis paired with pants/palazzos and the dupatta has moved from a functional part of the outfit to largely ornamental,” adds Chatlani.

Claiming his brand Soch to be among the top five ethnic wear players in the country, Chatlani reveals his aim is to delight more and more customers and be among the top three players in the next couple of years. “We plan to penetrate a larger geographical spread and increase touch points for our customers,” adds Chatlani.

“W

e strive to introduce latest in fashion with every collection we launch,” says Mahonar Chatlani, Managing Director of ethnic wear brand Soch. The brand’s style statement for the upcoming season is breezy and comfortable fabrics in a variety of silhouettes. The fabrics currently in use are: cotton, rayon, silk, georgette, chiffon and poly blends. “The current trend is moving towards

flowing fabrics made with natural fibers and A-line cuts. We have also seen asymmetrical cuts, layers and overlays or jackets with crop tops and fitted pants creating a stir in the market,” adds Chatlani.

Though Soch launches a wide range of hues in all its collections, this season the brand is focusing on saturated colors and neutral hues.

“We have created outfits in bright tones of mustard, coral, turquoise, stone blue and teal that inject a dash of color while keeping it apt for the changing season,” he states.

Exploring new territories Soch is exploring the East and North Indian markets as “they are big, lucrative and exciting.

We need to aggressively expand our foothold in these two markets while continuing to grow in the South and West,” explains Chatlani. The brand has 125 EBOs and 95 LFS across 45 cities and plans to double this network in the next couple of years.

Mahonar Chatlani

Managing Director , Soch

“We plan to penetrate a larger geographical spread and increase touch points for our customers”

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Tapping on growing ethnic wear demand Ethnic wear as a segment has traditionally catered largely the older age group. “However, we are now witnessing a revival with many young consumers opting for traditional silhouettes and mixing and matching their outfits for a contemporary Indo-western look. For instance, saris have gained momentum amongst young consumers who are experimenting with Indo-

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44 If ExcluSIVE

Sanskriti challenges fashion trends

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raditional ethnic wear never goes out of style and can make an Indian girl look far more glamorous than even a designer western dress.

Innovation and styling may be the driving force, but old is always gold when it comes to ethnic wear. With mix and match fusion wear being the most happening apparel segment, young women are coming back to wearing ethnic wear like never before.

Ethnic wear’s uniqueness difficult to match Women tend to prefer some experimentation in regular styles, but even the most modern non-conformist does wear ethnic attire on special occasions to look her best. Ethnic wear manufacturers understand that for women, wearing traditional clothes doesn’t mean you’re old fashioned, it just means you’re smart enough to challenge fashion trends.

As Siddhaarth Oberoi, Managing Director of ethnic wear brand Sanskriti says, “One has to be innovative always with style up to the mark to keep one coming back to buy your product.

The strongest fabric that we play with round the year is cotton. It can be blends of cotton with silk or linen but defiantly have the essence of cotton in them.’’

Big brands know that it’s always the customer who sets the trend and what is sold more is what the current market trend is. Less is more in ethnic wear nowadays, unlike a decade ago. The style statement is the right fabric with a figure-enhancing cut and drape silhouette with minimalistic embroidery and embellishments.

“No matter how much we are influenced

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Siddhaarth Oberoi

Managing Director, Sanskriti

“One has to be innovative always with style up to the mark to keep one coming back to buy your product.

The strongest fabric that we play with round the year is cotton. It can be blends of cotton with silk or linen but definitely have the essence of cotton in them.’’ by the West, an Indian lady still looks best in Indian attire. As per our experience, we would say sharara/gararas and lenghas with jackets or drapes are going to do well in the coming season. For the wedding season this year we plan to play more with solid warm colors such as gold, red, mustard and bottle green. The last few seasons bright and pastels played a big role but the trend is now changing. ‘’

Playing it safe in expansion plans Sanskriti is playing a wait and watch policy as regards its retail expansion. The past five years of the Modi government which brought in the GST has affected the retail market negatively.

People are careful about spending, so major geographical expansion plans does not make monetary sense. It is better to consolidate what is already established and give it another season while checking out market requirements in different parts of the country.

Having started three decades ago as a manufacturing wholesaler, Sanskriti has come a long way. With a lot of business online, selling to international markets, the company knows how well social media can help to make a profitable business. There are now many premium ethnic wear designer labels or ethnic wear flooding the already saturated market. Most medium-sized brands are facing a shortfall in sales in all segments but yet they have to keep all the ranges in their product portfolio. Sanskriti too has a range of premium ethnic wear to compete with designer labels in the battle for the survival of the fittest.

Ethnic, fusion and western wear may be cutting into each other’s market pie, but the average Indian woman is still a traditionalist.

And since fashion always repeats itself, brands know that ethnic wear will forever rule the roost.

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If Exclusive

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Rangriti brings grace and ethnicity

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very woman wants to look stylish and attractive,” says Sanjeev Aggarwal, CEO of the ethnicwear brand Rangriti. “She continuously searches for new mediums to keep themselves up to date with

Sanjeev Aggarwal CEO, Rangriti

“We continuously try to come up with wide varieties of beautiful and designer ethnic collections that blend the feminine cuts and shades in a perfectly graceful and trendy manner.”

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all the upcoming trends,” he adds. The brand has recently introduced new styles of kurtis and indie tops with printed, solid and yarn dyed fabrics. “Nowadays, there are different kinds of cuts and styles in trend such as straight, flared, kalidar, A- line and asymmetric. Each of these cuts add a sense of uniqueness to every collection. This time, we decided to adopt a mix of coral, dark blue and off-white colors to blend the summer and monsoon seasons,” adds Aggarwal.

Rangriti addresses the value fashion segment. “We cater to the premium segment by launching specific collections for them especially during the festive season. Our active collaboration with bloggers and influencers also helps us to increase our followers base and fan engagement on social media. However, we still need to work a lot on our social media engagements in order to strengthen our base,” adds Aggarwal.

Upcoming trends influence women’s ethnicwear market The women’s ethnicwear market has been constantly influenced by the upcoming trends.

Growth in this segment has been precise and steady with change in lifestyle, and increasing fashion awareness being the major growth drivers. As a recently study reveals, the ethic wear market, currently pegged at over Rs 82,200 crore, is expected to rise to Rs 126,210 crore in 2019.

“The need to look fashionable and upto date drives women towards westernwear. However, ethnic wear has not yet lost its touch,” says Aggarwal.

“No matter, how much a woman gets modernised, she never forgets her roots.

Western wear might make a woman look fashionable, ethnic wear adds grace and ethnicity to her personality,” he adds.

Feminine cuts and shades to counter challenge by westernwear According to Aggarwal, a constant challenge that ethnic wear segments go through is the increase in demand for western wear in the market. People are more attracted towards western clothing than towards ethnic. “To overcome this challenge, we continuously try to come up with wide varieties of beautiful and designer ethnic collections that blend the feminine cuts and shades in a perfectly graceful and trendy manner,” he further states.

Aggarwal views the Indian ethnicwear market as an overcrowded space. “Various local and regional brands of same category that exist confuse customers in choosing the most suitable amongst them” However, Rangriti remains unfazed as the brand has dynamic plans for its future. The brand plans to open 10-15 stores every quarter.

“We want to be present in every location where we see opportunity and a hunger for fashion,” adds Aggarwal.

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46 If ExcluSIVE Global reach next for Baabla Designer

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en-X and Gen-Y women are perpetually concerned about their looks. Be it office or homes, they want to look good 24X7. Their growing income and emerging lifestyles is propelling Indian fashion segment towards new trends everyday. One such fashion trend ‘kurtis’ holds enormous potential to make a woman’s womanhood memorable.

Established in 2015 in Jaipur, Baabla Designer Jaipur is a family-run business involved in manufacturing and exporting women’s ethnic wear. The brand, founded by Purshottam Khatri as a printing and stitching unit, currently operates under Pankaj Khatri and Vijay Khatri.

Fusing tradition and modern designs One of the most-prominent manufacturing units in Rajasthan, Baabla Designer Jaipur is well-known for its in-house brand ‘Baabla Designer’ The brand offers exclusive kurtis and printed fabrics. Supplementing its elite collection are palazzos, etc. The brand is popular for its value for money price range. “All our products are manufactured in-house with

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Designer caters to the needs of modern women by fusing traditional and modern innovative designs.

Expanding through trusted partners

Pankaj Khatri and Vijay Khatri Managing Directors, Sanskriti

“The brand has made its presence felt across all major states and cities.

Further branching out into untapped territories, the brand plans to expand operations globally.’’ high quality local and imported fabrics,” says Khatri. With over 100 years of experience in garment-manufacturing and exports, Baabla

The brand has made its presence felt across all major states and cities. Further branching out into untapped territories, the brand plans to expand operations globally.

The brand’s well-equipped manufacturing facilities boosts of a cumulative production capacity of 10,000 pieces per day. The brand’s team of employees combined with its cuttingedge technology and modern infrastructure ensures the best price, best quality, and timely deliveries. The company is headed by a professional and pro-active team who understand the dynamics of the fast-paced and challenging business.

As a company grows in new markets, it needs access to the right service providers, be it legal, tax, HR, marketing, foreign exchange, banking, etc ‘Baabla Designer’ too has “a trusted network of preferred partners that makes it easy for us to get the right support at the right time,” sums up Khatri.

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WOmEN’S DENIm

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Growing opportunities lure many brands Women’s denim segment has immense growth possibilities in India and brands have understood this well. Many brands have added a women’s category to their line while new players both domestic and global have entered the market. And small towns are the lure, write Shubhangi Bidwe and Ajay Kumar Goswami

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he women’s apparel industry in India, is riding a wave of momentum accelerated by relaxed dress codes, fabric innovations and celebrity collaborations and the allure of denim rests on traditional values: price and quantity. Indeed demand for denim wear is growing among women globally, as a recent study by NPD Group done among US

• Women prefer high waist, skinny as well as wide leg & flared denims with opened hems, damages and a bit of ripping off • The market for women’s denim is moving towards smaller towns • Sustainable denim is also catching up • It is difficult to keep denim MRPs denim under control with increasing raw material and labour cost

Neha Shah

Assistant General Manager-Marketing, Pepe Jeans

“Influenced by the westernisation, urbanisation and other factors such as new technologies, styles, finish, looks and trends, the denim category has captured not just big cities, but also Tier I and II towns.”

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48 Women’s Denim women revealed US women purchased 22 million more jeans in 2018 than in 2017.

In India too, jeans have gained popularity amongst women of all ages, shapes and sizes because of their comfort, functional aspects and durability. Women comfortable with western wear have taken to wearing jeans pairing them with kurtis. “This mix and match style is picking up particularly amongst women in small towns. The women’s denim market, currently worth Rs 30,000 crore, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15 per cent to reach around Rs 54,000 crore by 2023,” says Sameer Patel, Founder and Chairman, Deal Jeans.

Various industry reports indicate, the women’s denim market in India has been growing exponentially over the past decade.

“Influenced by Westernisation, urbanisation and other factors such as new technologies, styles, finish, looks and trends, the denim segment has captured not just big cities, but also Tier I and II towns,” explains Neha Shah, Assistant General Manager-Marketing, Pepe Jeans.

“Factors like higher disposable incomes are also contributing to this growth,” adds Patel.

The entry of international brands in smaller cities is adding fuel to fire.

Growth Triggers: Social change, higher income Socio-cultural changes across big and small cities, rising income, favorable demographics and increasing urbanisation are driving purchase decision among consumers from basic to fashion jeans. What’s more fashionbased purchases happen all around the year.

Consumers today have become very conscious about being trendy, wearing latest styles. “A lot of

this has been picked up from movies, celebrities and social media influencers. They also have easy access to numerous channels apart from retail stores and e-commerce platforms at the click of a button,” adds Shah. Denim wear is evolving as a unique apparel category, largely driven by high fashion quotient along with durability and low-maintenance costs.

Market moves to smaller towns A research paper by Devina Upadhyay and Riddhi Ambavale titled ‘A Study on Preference with Reference to Denim Jeans in Female

Segment in Ahmedabad City’ published in the ‘International Journal of Management and Social Science Research’ said most women preferred jeans to other garments simply because it’s more economical, comfortable and gives freedom from the dupatta.

Women in smaller towns are opting for denim over ethnic wear. This is luring many big and small brands to open stores in these towns.

There are unprecedented opportunities for growth of women’s denims in these markets, say experts. And as Shah points out, “These markets allow you to expand your customer base as not all competitor brands may be present in these cities.” What’s more, looking at the growth opportunities, many global brands have made inroads in small town India.

“Organised denim players are catering not only to the premium category but also to the upper-middle and mid-category of consumers.

And not many super premium brands have picked up growth in India, with just a handful of stores,” adds Shah.

High-street inspired styles, embellishments rule

Samresh Das

Design Manager-Denims, Shirts & Outerwear, Numero Uno

“The current trend in women’s denim is also inspired by high street style with enhancements like side seam details, embroidery highlight, high low hem detail, rip and repair, DIY look, etc.”

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Growing demand for fresh styles and design has redefined the denim market in India. The traditional blue denim has now been reinvented into a new avatar with more options in colours, finishes, looks and washes. The availability of stretch denim in the last two years have taken the market by storm as it has addressed the challenges created by demand for a perfect fit and comfort.

More experimental than their male counterparts, women prefers varied styles in terms of, fits, colors, washes, etc. As Samresh Das, Design Manager-Denims, Shirts & Outerwear, Numero Uno notes, “Current style trends in women’s denim focus on high waist, skinny as well as wide leg and flared

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WOmEN’S DENIm denims with opened hems, damages and a bit of ripping off.” Numero Uno has created new high-waisted styles and wide leg fits that flaunt the feminine curves. “We have incorporated a lot of side seam details in printing, taping and laces. We also do placement embroidery enhancement and embellishment with laces,” adds Das. “This season is also about embroidered, printed denims with ripped and unique washes.

Studded and embellished effect denims are ruling with frayed and uneven hems adding the perfect amount of edge to the casual pair,” adds Sameer Patel, Chairman, Deal Jeans.

“Classic jeans are being revamped this season with denim basics and work-wear being finetuned with assortments like subverted design details and concept cuts,” notes Sanjay Vakharia, CEO, Spykar. The brand has come up with Gymjns -- a pair of jeans with features of an ath-leisure bottom wear. “These jeans with their super stretch fabric and ergonomic construction offer unrestricted freedom of movement, making them an ideal clothing for today’s fast life,” adds Vakharia Another ongoing trend in women’s denim is personalisation. “People are looking for styles

that define their personality,” adds Shah. The concept of sustainable fashion is also slowly catching on with Pepe Jeans London taking its eco-conscious focus as seriously as its designs for the future of denim.

Brands reposition prices for midsegment Price factor plays an important role in influencing purchase decision especially among women. “Many brands are now repositioning their prices to cater not only to sec A but also to the mid-level segment. They are introducing denims across all price segments for a wider audience,” adds Shah. Pepe Jeans London too has introduced denims starting from Rs 1799 for its e-commerce partners.

This denim-led Beat London collection is aimed at the younger Pepe Jeans customer, with a price point that is lower than the average Pepe Jeans price point.

Das says high-priced denims are not accepted in India as the presence of international brands dominates the domestic brands. People like to flaunt their money while buying similar products from international brands. “Economic imbalance also plays a big role as people who

49

can afford high priced jeans move to global brands while those who can’t, stick to domestic brands,” he says. However, he points, out it is difficult to reign in denim MRPs due to an increase in cost of raw materials, labor and other economic factors. “Its felt more in denim wear as it involves expensive raw materials, a lot of embellishments and numerous laundry processes,” he says.

A bright outlook for the future Due to the lack of good denim brands in the country, established players are optimistic about steady growth in future. To leverage this growth, these brands have made robust expansion plans. Deal Jeans, which recently launched 15 domestic and three international EBOs, will set up five more EBOs in the near future. “We will also explore overseas market by 2020 as we foresee immense potential there,” adds Patel. On its part, Pepe Jeans plans to create the best in denim wear that appeals to its target audience. “We will focus on sustainability by launching a new range ‘Wiser Wash’. This has minimal water consumption without compromising on the overall look and feel,” adds Shah.

Sameer Patel

Founder and Chairman, Deal Jeans

“This season is also about embroidered, printed denims with ripped and unique washes. Studded and embellished effect denims are ruling with frayed and uneven hems adding the perfect amount of edge to the casual pair.”

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Pepe Jeans leads in denim personalisation

Neha Shah

Assistant General Manager-Marketing, Pepe Jeans

“Customisation service empowers customers and gives them an opportunity for personalisation; and therein lays a powerful tool that revolutionises denim fashion in India”

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epe Jeans London was the first brand in India to introduce a denim customization service that allows customers to step in to the design seat and personalize denim in a few easy steps.

“Pick a laser print to be tattooed on the denim,” says Neha Shah, Assistant General ManagerMarketing. “Next, choose the fastenings – be it buttons, rivets or tacks. Then select the brush of the garment and where exactly you want it. Lastly, choose the colors you want your print to be in. Pepe Jeans’ customization service empowers customers and gives them an opportunity for personalization; and therein lays a powerful tool that will revolutionize denim fashion in India. This service can be availed at our flagship stores in Mumbai, Delhi, Gurgaon, Bangalore and Kolkata.”

Sustainability in focus Keeping in mind the need for sustainable clothing and innovation, Pepe Jeans has introduced a range of environmentally conscious denims. The Tru-Blu range is created using technology that utilizes zero chemicals in the wash process thereby dramatically reducing water consumption.

The True-fresh range uses a revolutionary technology that neutralizes odor-causing bacteria on contact, keeping denims fresh for longer. Denims treated with this technology can be worn more often without washing. Even after days of continuous use, the denim retains its freshness.

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Pepe Jeans has also introduced latest weaving technology and fabric innovation with Powerflex denims. “These revolutionary denims come in a unique fabric with a dualcore technology – Lycra and polyester yarns spun together to create a higher elastic fabrication with a minimum 60 per cent stretch.

Boasting an impressive recovery so that it stays in perfect shape, wearers are treated to the ultimate comfort through this versatile and special elasticity. Powerflex denim is thermofixed to increase the stretch for better comfort and the denim is crafted from unique fabrics that use the latest weaving technology,” explains Shah.

And there are Gymdigo denims, a technology that combines joggers comfort and jeans performance. It’s suitable for the athletic, sporty and outdoor enthusiasts.

Style trends in the denim segment “The skinny jean lasted a long time and is no longer the predominant style,” explains Shah.

“While its popularity may never completely go away, we see that wider, flared, stretchable,

more relaxed-fit jeans are trending.

Personalization of denims is another ongoing trend. People are looking for styles that define their personality. Sustainable fashion as a consumer preference is also slowly catching on. Pepe Jeans London has long understood the importance of customer preferences in its production process, taking its eco-conscious focus as seriously as its designs for the future of denim,” she observes.

Fashion and basic products Pepe Jeans India manufactures a wide array of chic casual wear for men, women and children. Jeans is the brand’s core and is the hottest selling product. “When it comes to women’s denim wear, around 25 per cent is a core line which has a longer lifecycle and around 75 per cent is fashion based,” says Shah. Pepe Jeans is for the young at heart.

The brand caters to the fashion forward, who wants stylish and trendy denims that fit well at an affordable price. “Quality, fabric, fit, color, wash, price, feel etc, together influence customer’s purchase decision,” says Shah.

Pepe Jeans London is in the forefront of international denim-led fashion with every collection season on season. This has been possible because of the brand’s commitment to create strong fashion-led collections, the hottest multimedia marketing campaigns and the most exciting retail environments while remaining sincere to its DNA and in particular to its roots in London’s Portobello Road from where the brand originated.

Owing to its versatility, stylishness and comfort factor and the extensive choices which are available in fabric, colors, fits, finishes and functionality, denim is a high growth category for the brand. “Pepe Jeans is working toward innovation and creating the best in denim wear that appeals to its target audience as well as towards acquiring new customers. Another focus will be towards sustainability with its latest range of denims called Wiser Wash.

The USP of these eco-friendly denims is that they minimize water consumption and don’t compromise on the overall look and feel of the denim,” says Shah.

Women’s denim a growing segment For Pepe Jeans London men’s denim segment continues to dominate and has a larger share as compared to women’s for both international and Indian markets. “However, we see the women’s denim segment growing and has a huge potential,” says Shah. “Though much of our business comes from men’s denim wear, we cater to all categories such as men’s, women’s and children’s wear.”

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Numero Uno’s ‘The Real Denim’

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ur style statement has always been ‘the real denim’,” claims Samresh Das, Design ManagerDenims, Shirts & Outerwear, Numero Uno. “We have created new high-waist denim with wide-leg fits that flaunt the feminine curves,” he adds.

Embroidery, embellishments enhance new collection Das says, current style trends in denim focus on high-waist skinny as well as wide legged and flared denims with open hems, damages and a bit of ripping off. “Though inspired by high street style, this trend is embellished with a touch of enhancement like side seam details, embroidery highlight, high low hem detail, rip

class buyers who have a youthful approach towards life and spend a percentage of their

Samresh Das

Design Manager-Denims, Shirts & Outerwear, Numero Uno

“Age is not a determinant for the use of our collection. It is wide enough to accommodate a big age group.” and repair, DIY look, etc,” he adds. Numero Uno exploits this trend by incorporating a lot of side seam details in terms of printing, taping and laces in its new collection. “We enhance our collections by incorporating embroidery and other embellishments like laces and chifleys,” adds Das. “Pricing is the key as Indian customers are very price conscious.

Hence, keeping the target customer in mind alongwith the prices of competition brands, our denims are priced strategically,” adds Das.

Tranforming from denim to lifestyle Though Numero Uno is recognised as a denim centric brand, over the years it has transformed into a lifestyle brand catering to 18-35 year olds. “Age is not a determinant for the use of our collection. It is wide enough to accommodate a big age group,” says Das. The brand targets middle class and upper middle

Womens Wear_2009.indd 53

earning on fashion and lifestyle. “Our fashion products have seen a phenomenal growth compared to the basic/core products as Indians always look for something extra in their purchases,” adds Das. This has led to the brand investing more in research and creation of its fashion products.

Price play in denim purchase High priced jeans by domestic brands are not accepted in India as the presence of International brands dominates this segment.

“When it comes to spending money on similar products by both international and domestic brands, people adhere more to the flaunt factor,” notes Das. Economic imbalance also plays a big role as consumers who can afford to buy high-priced jeans prefer international brands.

“However, consumers who can’t afford them jeans stick to domestic brands but expect similar products,” he adds.

Numero Uno has a bright outlook for future as the brand believes “there are not many denim brands in the domestic market that understand the requirements of Indian women customers and offer merchandise to suit their body type, fits and sensibilities.”

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Feel free with GymJns from Spykar

Sanjay Vakharia CEO, Spykar

“With a four-way dynamic super stretch fabric and ergonomic construction, GymJns offer the user unrestricted freedom of movement, making them ideal clothing for today’s fast lane living.”

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he classic blue denim just like the little black dress never goes out of style. Denim is a versatile fabric and a staple fashion product that can be worn at just about every occasion. Classic jeans are revamped this season and denim basics and work-wear are back with a bang and fine-tuned in an artistic way.

GymJns is the new kid on the block this season Trending this season from Spykar are jeans

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with sports details and high functionality that can solve dressing complexities of the entire day by maybe just teaming it with another topwear garment. Made with ergonomic patterns and construction will be some of its added features. Keeping these in mind, Spykar recently launched its GymJns collection which is an entire line of jeans and joggers using bistretch (four-way stretch) denim fabric for both men and women.

“With the comfort of athleisure blending with street-wear, sporty details are popular this season with the stylish fitness enthusiast.

With a four-way dynamic super stretch fabric and ergonomic construction, GymJns jeans offer the user unrestricted freedom of movement, making them ideal clothing for today’s fast lane living. With a high fashion quotient of sporty placement prints and technical details like reflective tapes and seam constructions, they are available in a price range of Rs 1499-3099,’’ says Sanjay Vakharia, CEO of Spykar Jeans.

Fashion jeans are the bestsellers Although Spykar’s portfolio has a fair share of basic jeans, it is well known for its fashion products for the trend-conscious consumer.

Every season, there is a good mix of classic, on-trend and edgy fashion products, which are subcategorized in PURIST, YNR and ACTIF ranges respectively.

Complex and intricate designs and material mixes make manufacturing fashion products far more difficult at different levels as compared to basic. But it caters to an extremely discerning consumer base who want to stand out from the ordinary and are looking at that one particular pair of jeans that

manages to do just that. Fashion-conscious consumers want clothes with a strong identity that can help them define themselves.

Retro jeans always in style Love for retro style from the late 90s post-war culture which never goes out of style is also to be found in Spykar’s portfolio. Inspiration is taken from Native American culture, military clothing, and vintage denim style, and melded with contemporary Japanese design to form a distinctive Japanese-American aesthetic.

Hand-painted prints further enhance the story.

Simplicity and comfort are at the base of this deconstructed and unfussy trend. Work-wear classics are updated with new design details and silhouettes, while rich burnt tones add a subtle nuance With India being a value-conscious market, mid-segment denims sell better. Targeting the youth who are the biggest consumers of this product category is not an easy proposition.

Forever experimenting and easily carried away by clever advertising and marketing strategies of competitive brands, brand loyalty is low and it is challenging to keep them hooked onto a brand.

Denim as an apparel category, even today, is a trendsetter of trendy fashion.

Despite so many new product categories, the denim market is growing at 12-15 per cent year on year. Most big brands feel both offline and online formats need to co-exist as a part of the retail strategy. A bit of both depending on the mindset and geographical location of the target consumer group is essential to realize its full potential. Spykar intends to keep that in mind as it plans its way forward this Indian summer.

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Deal Jeans known for designer denim

“W

e have always stayed ahead of our competitors by introducing new innovations in our denims every season,”

Sameer Patel

Chairman, Deal Jeans

“This season, we are launching embroidered and printed denims with ripped and unique washes.”

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says Sameer Patel, Chairman, Deal Jeans.

“This season, we are launching embroidered and printed denims with ripped and unique washes,” he adds. The frayed and uneven hems in these jeans add a perfect amount of edge to these casual pairs. Studded and embellished denims are also ruling the denim trend this season.

become more fashion conscious. To cater to this need, Deal Jeans introduced the concept of designer denim in the Indian market. “Our collections offer customer centric styles and are on par with international standards.

They bridge the gap between the production and distribution timelines thus leading the competitive market,” he adds.

Denim market to grow exponentially by 2023

Eyeing the international market through retail expansion

From being a style statement to comfort clothing, denim has become an inseparable part of the woman’s wardrobe. “Jeans are the most popular amongst all types of denims as they are comfortable, functional, and durable.

“Women who are not comfortable with western wear, can pair jeans with Indian ethnic wear.

This mix and match style is picking among women in small towns who come from a traditional background,” notes Patel. He reveals that the current denim market of India is worth Rs. 30,000 crore and expected to grow at a CAGR of 15 per cent by 2023 amounting to be approx. Rs. 54,000 crore.

According to Patel, influenced by the social media, blogs and other factors, women have

Starting with MBO (Multi- brand outlet) as its first distribution channel, Deal Jeans captured the denim market through its presence in MBO’s and LFS before introducing standalone stores to increase its market penetration. “We now have 15 exclusive outlets PAN India, 3 international outlets and are available at 1,000+ MBO’s, 100+LFS and all leading online shopping portals,” notes Patel. The brand is currently expanding its exclusive brand outlets in India and internationally. It recently launched 15 EBO’s in India & 3 EBO internationally and plans to launch another five EBOs by this fiscal end. “We are also exploring the overseas markets as we foresee immense potential that can be capitalised,” Patel concludes.

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56 WOmEN’S INNERWEAR

Innerwear market driven by solution-based approach With women more willing to splurge on their innerwear today, brands are going all out to lure them with innovative products. Riding on increasing demand, India’s lingerie segment is poised for higher growth in future, say Shubhangi Bidwe and Ajay Kumar Goswami

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odern Indian woman’s openness to indulge in premium innerwear and her sense of style slowly filtering from outerwear into innerwear has given a huge push to push to the innerwear segment. There have been phases in the Indian apparel industry that have changed the way we dress up. Now is the time for the lingerie segment. “The Indian lingerie market, currently worth $3billion, is likely to reach $8.4 billion by 2020,” says Pankaj Vermani, Founder & CEO of lingerie brand Clovia.

The lingerie market has gained momentum mainly due to two reasons: an increase in the number of working women and higher disposable income. “As women ventured out of their homes, their preferences in lingerie changed and they found a new ways to pamper themselves. These two parameters have made the Indian lingerie market extremely profitable,” explains Vermani.

Experts say, the women’s innerwear segment accounts for around 5 per cent of the total apparel market. The category will

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• Indian lingerie market is likely to reach $8.4 billion by 2020 • Candour London is investing in sweat-free fabrics that are highly suitable for the Indian climate • Triumph International is launching Control Lite sports bra which offers 78 per cent bounce control with its 3D Powertech Innovation • Clovia has created a tool called the “Fit Test” for determining the correct bra size • Triumph International has expanded its Triaction Sports bra range by launching a new global high-performance collection. grow at a CAGR of 14 per cent to reach Rs 31,306 crores in 2021 and Rs 60,277 crores in 2026. Bras and panties contribute 85 per cent of the total women’s lingerie segment.

In 2015, this segment was estimated at Rs 14,000 crores and is expected to reach Rs 30,000 crores by 2020.

Brands invest in product with innovative features As the trend of ‘innerwear as outwear’

picks up steam, consumers are looking for variety in designs. “Women are opting for materials like silk, leather, exciting prints, chain embellishments, etc,” notes Monica Anand, Founder of the brand Switchers. The category is innovating in style, fabrics, etc, as customers are demanding good products with adequate pricing.

Brands like Candour London are investing in sweat-free fabrics that are highly suitable for the Indian climate. “We are also working on

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Women’s Innerwear

Pankaj Vermani

Founder & CEO, Clovia

“Media, awareness about fashion and health is driving demand. Coupled with growing youth populations, rise of women spenders, increasing disposable income and a need for more solution-based approach is proving to be a perfect recipe for growth in this segment. This is also the best time to innovate in products as customers are far more demanding and aware than they ever were.”

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other environment and pocket -friendly fabrics besides cotton,” adds Grishma Patil, Director of the brand.

One of the world’s largest intimate apparel companies, Triumph International recently expanded its Triaction Sports bra range with the launch of a new global high-performance collection. “Boasting of the best bounce control levels besides offering versatile fits and ensuring superior comfort, this range supports women effortlessly throughout the day,” affirms Shweta Verma, Head-Marketing of the brand. The brand is also launching a new style in its Dynamic Lite series of bras – the Control Lite sports bra. “This Cardo bra offers 78 per cent bounce control with its 3D Powertech Innovation,” Verma adds. She says lingerie has moved on from mere ‘underwear’ to being a part of the woman’s personality and they are finally experimenting in the form of luxury laces, different colors, vivid patterns, interesting cuts, etc.

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shows, etc. “Increasing presence of modern retail also helps brands to display their products through exclusive outlets and in malls, etc,” she states.

Anand points out, another key factor driving change in lingerie market is the changing mindset of Indian consumer. “The consumer is exposed to more information on lingerie from various sources such as media and social media which educate them on the possibilities of products and sets their expectations,” she

Global brands increasing awareness as social media drives change The influx of international players into the Indian market has given consumers a lot of variety to choose from. The entry of foreign players has revamped the way the industry operates. “The segment was earlier not as bold in advertising and product display. Purchases were limited to local stores and advertisement was also as prevalent as today,” adds Verma.

However, now, brands are creating product awareness through advertisements, fashion

Monica Anand Founder, Switchers

“The consumer is exposed to more information on lingerie from various sources such as media and social media.”

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58 Women’s Innerwear

says. Vermani also views social media to be one of the key change drivers of changing mindset in terms of lingerie. “The creative and quirky content on these platforms help women make wise choices in purchase of their lingerie,” he adds. Another factor driving change is the increasing trend of Westernisation and technological advancements in manufacturing that leads to new product development.

Challenges on the way “India changes at tremendous speed and so do the hurdles that we face in day-to-day business,” avers Verma. When Trump first entered the market, there was limited exposure to modern trade. “Though this has changed a good deal, the lingerie sector is still dominated by unorganised trade,” she points out noting that there is still lack of awareness about the quality and fit of lingerie. “Earlier, consumers didn’t accept innerwear as a foundation to

their outerwear. This resulted in their lack of willingness to spend money on lingerie.” Today, the hurdles have shifted to different topics.

“We now have to cater to scattered consumers and create more sophisticated shopping environments and higher engagement levels,” she adds.

Virmani feels, stale inventory and efficient management of omnichannel, are some of the other challenges that the innerwear industry faces. “We also need a specific size chart for the Indian body type.” For this, the brand has introduced a breakthrough technology besides creating tool called the “Fit Test.”

This test asks a woman five questions on her body type before recommending the right bra.

Shweta Verma

Head-Marketing, Truimph International

“Lingerie has moved on from mere ‘underwear’ to being a part of the woman’s personality with experiments in the form of luxury laces, different colors, vivid patterns, interesting cuts, etc.”

“The tool has been used over 150,000 times,” adds Vermani.

“As the number of brands and products in the market are increasing, Indian consumers are much happier than they earlier were,” notes Patil. However, this has also increased their expectations for quality, value addition and correct pricing. The overall affinity towards brands and more so towards fast fashion is increasing.

A perfect recipe of growth

Grishma Patil

Director, Candour London

“As the number of brands and products in the market are increasing, Indian consumers are much happier than they earlier were. However, this has also increased their expectations for quality, value addition and correct pricing. The overall affinity towards brands and more so towards fast fashion is increasing.”

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“Media, awareness about fashion and health is driving demand. Coupled with growing youth populations, rise of women spenders, increasing disposable income and a need for more solution-based approach is proving to be a perfect recipe for growth in this segment. This is also the best time to innovate in products as customers are far more demanding and aware than they ever were,” states Vermani . The brand is currently expanding both in the online and the offline space with equal vigor. “The fun for a brand is to understand the audience and nuances of each channel and ensure a true Omni experience for the customers and the sellers. That’s the key focus for us for the next 5-6 quarters,” he adds.

Triumph on the other hand will focus on building its luxury and niche segments. “We will expand our retail presence through franchising opportunities. There is scope to expand into Tier II, III cities where there is growing demand for high-quality lingerie.” adds Verma.

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Triumph gears up for ‘Dynamite Lite’

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ingerie has transitioned from being merely ‘underwear’ to a part of woman’s personality and the way she expresses herself. “Indian women are experimenting with intimate wear by adding luxury laces, new colors, vivid patterns, interesting cuts, etc,” says Shweta Verma, Head-Marketing, Triumph. The brand is launching a new range of ‘Dynamic Lite’ series of bras. “This Control Lite sports bra will offer extreme support and 78 per cent bounce control through its 3D Powertech Innovation,” she adds.

The 2019 product line-up of Triumph also includes the global bestselling Amourette Spotlight and Sexy Angel Spotlight series featuring delicate floral embroidery, the adorable Lovely Micro Lace with gorgeous lace back and the delicate lace design of the Lace Spotlight series. “We also have new additions to the ‘Beauty-full’ range of bras for larger cups, like the Aqua Lily Spacer and the Beauty-full Essential series with smooth satin and feminine lace. We are launching the much loved Infinite Sensation series, with diamond mesh and bold-striped elastic trim for a contemporary twist,” states Verma.

Gobal brands changing industry dynamics The lingerie market in India can be categorised into five segments: superpremium (luxury), premium, mass-premium, economy and mass with the majority share being in the economy and mass-premium segments. “Until a few years ago, the industry was dominated by unbranded and unorganised regional players with a few home

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grown and international players in the premium and super-premium categories. This is slowly changing with the influx of global brands in the premium and super-premium segments.

Organised retail is slowly making in-roads into untapped geographical markets, with the trend likely to continue in future too,” adds Verma.

The entry of foreign players has also revamped the way the industry operates.

Not as bold in terms of advertising or product display, the purchase of innerwear was limited to local stores. However, with increasing product awareness through advertisements, fashion shows, etc, brands are also changing their retail strategies by displaying them in exclusive brand outlets, malls, etc.

Building niche segments in future While demand for premium quality lingerie is growing, Triumph plans to focus on building its luxury and niche segments. “Our penetration into the Indian market is extremely strong with presence across all sales channels. We distribute our products across 75 cities (direct supply) with more than 1,000 points of sale. We also have a significant online retail presence with all major e-commerce platforms,” adds Verma.

In future, the brand plans to expand into Tier II, III cities through the franchisee route. “We will also expand our e-commerce portfolio,” Verma sums up.

Shweta Verma

Head-Marketing, Triumph

“Until a few years ago, the industry was dominated by unbranded and unorganised regional players with a few home grown and international players in the premium and super-premium categories.

This is slowly changing with the influx of global brands in the premium and superpremium segments. Organised retail is slowly making in-roads into untapped geographical markets, with the trend likely to continue in future too,”

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Clovia redefines lingerie market

Pankaj Vermani Founder & CEO “The Indian lingerie marketplace has gained momentum because of two things: an increase in working women; and an increase in disposable income.”

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ingerie for the longest time was a staple product without any innovation,” notes Pankaj Vermani, Founder & CEO, Clovia. “However, the last few years have seen unprecedented growth in awareness – both from sizing/hygiene as well as fashion perspective,” he adds. On its part, Clovia launches over 200 styles per month with over 75 per cent of its inventory being less than 30 days old. “We aim to redefine the Indian lingerie market and help customers choose beyond standard cuts, shapes, and colors,” affirms Vermani.

A full-fledged lingerie brand, Clovia started as a bra-n-brief brand before extending to nightwear, shapewear and loungewear.

The brand has identified a lot of verticals in its products such as the beginner’s bras, maternity bras, etc. “We monitor our products through a state-of-the-art backend technology, which predicts future sales of styles that we offer to our customers,” adds Vermani. The brand also offers an easy exchange and return policy which reduces apprehensions.

Social media, fashion awareness drives demand The Indian lingerie marketplace has gained momentum because of two things: an increase in working women; and an increase in disposable income. “The rise in working women has led to a change in preferences as women have found a way to pamper themselves,” states Vermani. There is an increase in the affinity towards brands, especially fast fashion.

Media, awareness towards fashion and health is driving customers to demand more. Coupled

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with rising youth population, the rise of women spenders, increasing disposable income and a need for more solution-based approach, the lingerie market is on a growth spurt. “This is the best time to innovate in products as customers have become far more demanding and aware,” beams Vermani.

Social media is changing mindset in lingerie and moving the needle by talking about hushhush topics. Creative and quirky content helps in driving conversation about this topic and also helps in educating women so they can make wise choices.

Size matters Stale inventory and efficient management of omnichannel, are the some of the challenges that the innerwear industry faces. “Another big challenge is that of ‘one size fits all’. We do not have an India specific size chart for the Indian body type,” Vermani opines. Clovia has introduced a breakthrough technology by creating a tool called the Fit Test to solve this fundamental problem. “We did extensive research and developed this test that asks a woman five questions about her body type before recommending the right bra. This tool has been used/attempted over 150,000 times.

We are now focusing on meeting customer’s demands and ensuring growth on all channels of distribution,” he sums up.

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PrettySecrets answers to all innerwear needs “We recently re-introduced our Miracle fit bra collection with exciting new technology. The smooth seamless construction of this product h gives a comfortable fit without digging into the skin. The molded construction gives a natural lift and avoids side bulges, which is a unique feature in our top selling product.’’ Shaping hipster is a new product that combines the function of a hipster and a shapewear is now a new focus. Shapewear as a category and a combination of shapewear and lingerie is an emerging innerwear category.

Karan Behal

Founder and CEO

“Good quality stylish lingerie does not have to be expensive or uncomfortable. Keeping this in mind, PrettySecrets has a portfolio of over 1,200 products.”

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ndian women are waking up to the fact that buying lingerie is part of the essential shopping basket list and not a luxury item to be splurged on sometimes when purse strings are loose.

Brands are now focusing on understanding their customer base and the varied similarities and differences across different geographies and psychographic backgrounds.

Good quality stylish lingerie does not have to be expensive or uncomfortable. Keeping this in mind, Pretty Secrets, with a portfolio of over 1,200 products including lingerie, nightwear, active wear and swimwear, has been focusing on introducing higher fashion quotients in line with global trends to at affordable and reasonable prices for the growing Indian middle class.

Market optimistic with changing Indian mindset Experts say, the size of the intimate wear market including the nightwear segment, is Rs 20,000 crore and has been growing at 20 per cent CAGR over the past five years and will reach Rs 30,000 crore by 2020. Most brands are cashing in on the online category, which is expected to grow at a rapid 8-10 per cent by 2020.

However, the struggle to change the average middle class Indian woman’s mindset about buying or talking about innerwear not being a taboo subject continues. To add salt to the wound, in a traditional country like

India, for a segment like innerwear which is totally women-centric, is an industry run by men with most retail outlets also staffed by males. PrettySecrets, thus ensures that all consumer communication showcases lingerie and women in an extremely empowering light. The rise in fast fashion in the past decade has urged women to learn more about their lingerie needs as per changing trends every season.

The lingerie industry in India is largely unorganized, with unbranded and unorganized regional players capitalizing the mass and economy segments. However, through a smart advertising and marketing strategy, other key players such as Jockey, Enamor, Clovia and Amante among others have shaped up the intimate wear market keeping in mind their price points, product portfolio and range, utility and design.

Innerwear, once purely a functional product, is now a frequently bought feel-good product which makes a woman both look good and feel confident in their own skin. The lingerie brands segment has been rapidly growing in India, although this segment needs to do a long and tough marathon before it catches up with the western markets

Seasonal launches, new technology keep brand loyalty going Pretty Secrets has two seasonal launches: Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter. These have 300 styles in each season spread across categories. With two launches and two injection rounds per season, the company focuses on innovative product development with its USP being pop colours and prints.

“We put in a lot of effort in developing multiple prototypes of our products for quality, colour, fit checks and we actually conduct trials on real women across every size for all our products across each of our categories,’’ says Karan Behal, Founder & CEO, Pretty Secrets.

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“T

Candour London aims at trendsetting always

hough the Indian lingerie industry has been unorganised largely, visionary brands like us strive to bring a change by catering to customers’ diverse needs for styles, colors, fabrics, etc,” claims Grishma Patil, Director, Candour London. The brand recently invested in new innovations like sweat free fabrics besides working on new environment and pocket-friendly fabrics other than cotton.

The product portfolio of Candour London caters to both fashion and basic. “We are increasing our basic line to cater to the everincreasing demand,” adds Patil. A wardrobe study conducted by the brand indicated, both basic and classic styles will contribute to the growth of the brand. “However, basics do not always mean black, white and skin; non-wired/ non-padded. They also include lightly lined and colorful garments that are simple and wearable yet fashionable,” she states. l.

Product quality and price determine sale Patil says, the innerwear category in India is innovating in styles, fabrics, etc. Customers are opting for products with good quality and correct pricing. “Introduction of western trends and technological advancements is leading to the development of new products,” she adds.

“Small online labels that sell products cheap prove to be a huge challenge for organised players like us,” notes Patil. The brand has maintained its price-range between Rs 300 to Rs 1,500 as customers prefer good quality products with correct prices. “India is a price sensitive market hence, everything with correct

Grishma Patil

Director, Candour London

“Basics do not always mean black, white and skin. They also include lightly lined and colorful garments that are simple and wearable yet fashionable.”

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pricing sells,” she adds.

Spreading its network “With ever-increasing products and brands, the Indian consumer is much happier than he earlier was,” says Patil. To retain this joy

of consumers, the brand plans to expand its product line and retail network. It will also start own website in the soon. The brand is confident that these initiatives will help it to improve profit margin as Patil affirms, “We expect double digit growth in sales this year.”

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If Exclusives

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Switchers for exciting lingerie experience

“W

ith its varied customer base, the Indian market is extremely exciting,” says Monica Anand, Founder of lingerie brand Switchers. “The market offers something for everyone ranging from a cost conscious customer looking for a bargain to value seekers and also those who seek a more premium

Monica Anand Founder, Switchers

“We will deepen our style offerings and our line of mix and match accessories besides building our retail and e-retail channel partnerships”

Womens Wear_2009.indd 63

product and are willing to pay for it,” she adds.

Presentable yet comfortable lingerie in demand Consumers are looking for variations in the designs of their lingerie. Women are opting for materials like silk, leather, exciting prints, chain embellishments, etc. They are going for lingerie that can be flaunted, yet is comfortable.

“This is exactly how Switchers has been built,” Anand affirms.

The brand recently launched a new range of mix and match bras that allow women to style their bras with versatility with any outfit. The bra allows the wearer to remove the straps and the back of the bra completely.

“Customers can then mix and match colourful backs and straps to create the desired look,” adds Anand. “We have not changed our prices in the last few years as there has not been any resistance against them,” adds Anand.

Deepening its style offerings Anand says, the lingerie market in India is exploding. “It is growing rapidly with large online players recording sales year on year growth of over Rs 50 crore and more. The

consumer is exposed to more information regarding lingerie from sources like media, social media which educate them on the possibilities in terms of products and sets their expectations,” she adds.

Anand also views the lack of good quality materials and manufacturers and optimal inventory management as some of the challenges that the market is currently facing.

To deal with these challenges the brand intends to build its fashion lingerie offerings.

“We will deepen our style offerings and our line of mix and match accessories besides building our retail and e-retail channel partnerships,” he adds.

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