SEPTEMBER 2013 | VOL. XIV | NO. 9 | `100

BEST IN MERCHANDISE ANDTRENDS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD.

DiversityIn India’s

EthnicityLiva:The sensual fabric

Gen Maverick:Edgy style

Fashionara.com:Creates an online buzz

SESESESEPTPTPTEMEMMBBBER 2013133 | | V VVVOOLOL. XIV | NO. 9 | `100

01-Cover_BoF_Sept-2013-FINAL.indd 1 9/6/2013 6:11:06 PM

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SEPTEMBER 2013 | 174 PAGES | VOL. XIV NO. 9 | www.imagesfashion.com

Editor-In-Chief: Amitabh TanejaEditorial Director: R S RoyPublisher: S P Taneja

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I distinctly remember that way back in the early 2000s, when modern fashion retailing was being born in India and we had a handful of malls, many of us watch fashion in India used to love seeing an eight or nine year old girl dressed in a tiny pink frock joyfully trot about at Ansal Plaza or a High Street Phoenix. One noticed that while her mother was dressed differently from her counterpart in the west, this girl dressed the same and we believed that modern fashion retail would truly arrive in India when this little girl would grow up and have a largely western wear wardrobe.

Well, 13 years have passed, and that little girl is in her 20s now and she has apparently surprised us! Ethnic wear forms an amazingly strong part of her wardrobe! While speciality ethnic wear retailers and brands have benefi ted from the development of this category, major large format fashion retailers are also recognising it. Kudos to the new Indian woman for having a mind of her own, or before we fall for another global cliché, we wonder if it is her “dil hai Hindustani” heart!

In this issue of Images Business of Fashion, we study the Indian ethnic wear market —its size, segments, potential, trends and profi le some of its leading brands.

The India Retail Forum 2013 is scheduled to be held on 25 – 26 September 2013 at the Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre & Hotel. Last year, the event saw a record attendance of over 2,500 retail industry professionals, 175 speakers, both from India and abroad and more than 100 exhibitors all converging together under one roof. This year as we witness the 10th anniversary of the Images Retail Awards, the event promises to be even bigger and better.

We invite you to join us at this grand congregation of India’s retail business, with the promise that you will fi nd it both a perfect knowledge platform, full of immense opportunity to network and discuss the challenges being faced by the industry and plan your way forward.

Amitabh Taneja

Advertising

BUSINESS HEADSantosh Menezes, Assoc. Vice Presidentsantoshmenezes@imagesgroup.inMob.: +91 9820371767

Editorial_Sep_13.indd 21 9/5/2013 5:52:52 PM

EVERY MONTH

15 Editorial

21 Letters To The Editor

38 August In Brief

51 Outlets

122 Season’s Offerings

MY THOUGHTS22 Ethnic Retailing At Its Best

Harish Kumar, Chairman and Founder of Neeru’s, share his views on colour

selection for ethnic wear and suggest black as a colour for all occasions

ANALYSIS86 The Next Billion Dollar Shoppertunity

The in-depth research on the buying behaviour of the consumer and importance of

understanding customer demand.

DESIGNER WEAVES90 Blender’s Pride

A combination of woven ethnic wear with tulle fabric and use of neon hues in the

elaborate embroidered motifs stitched on silk sherwanis, showcased by leading

designers in the bangalore fashion week.

DISTRIBUTOR PROFILE95 Business Success

Interview of Manish K Mehta, Propritor, New Fashion, talks about the challenges in

the apparel distribution business.

ENTREPRENEUR98 Manyavar Modi

Ravi Modi, Founder of Manyavar, a renowned ethnic wear brand talks about his

journey to create a niche in the market.

HARD TALK100 Five Myths About The Indian Womenswear Market

Harminder Sahni talks about the myths of gender biases that are prevalent in the

Indian Fashion Industry and share his research on womenwear market..

BRAND DEBUT102 Liva For You

A new entrant in the market that initiates the use of Viscose as a fashion fi bre and

challenges other existing brands.

36

122

Celina Jaitly for JASHN

Concept: Rahuul Jashnani

Photography: Vickky Idnaani

Make up & Hair: Ojas Rajani

Styling: Joe Mansoori

cover courtesy

12

22

90

98

102

Contents_Septembert.indd 19 9/6/2013 6:41:40 PM

C O V E R S T O R Y

The potential and opportunities of Indian ethnic wear market, its growth and expansion plans, challenges associated with the segment and new trends which the consumers can follow. also it contains details about prominent ethnic wear brands existing in indian market.

DIVERSITY WITH INDIA’S ETHNICITY

52

RETAIL EXCELLENCE 106 Sub Brands For Stable Growth

Jacob John, Brand Head, Louis Philippe elaborates on the label’s new sub brand

category and transition from classic for a trendy lifestyle.

TRENDS110 Gen Maverick

Professor Asha Bakshi, Founding Dean, NIFT, says the gen x is being more

experimental with the use of new fi bre, texture and do not hesitate in doing its mix

and match.

WEB WATCH112 Womenswear Drives More Traffi c

Arun Sirdeshmukh and Darpan Munjal, Industry Experts, talks about the challenges

and opportunities of online fashion retail.

STREET FASHION116 In Vogue On Road

The budding designers of Pearl Academy in Delhi talks about latest trends-

Neon Hues.

NEW ENTRY118 Reliance Trends Ties Up With Bisou Bisou

This alliance of the Globally renowned apparel brand with Reliance Trends, opens

new avenues for fashion lovers.

PERSONALITY OF THE MONTH120 Traditional Yet Fancy

Kiran Vora, Director of Asopalav Silk India Pvt. Ltd. talks about his personal and

professional life.

BRAND WATCH128 Ready To Roll

Prasanna Kumar Galla, MD, RR Sports share his views over opportunities

and challenges of sportswear retailing and also talks about the brand’s

expansion plans.

110

116

118

120

Contents_Septembert.indd 21 9/6/2013 6:42:01 PM

22 | September 2013 | IMAGES Business of Fashion

my thoughts

The ethnic market has grown largely in the last decade. Keeping up with the

ever-changing consumer demands and preferences, the ethnic wear industry

for whom India has become highly competitive. This has led to proliferation of

brands riding on the burgeoning middle-class that has benefi tted by rising incomes

and fast urbanisation. Malls and select shops, which earlier catered to only western

wear clientele, today have dedicated fl oors for ethnic fashion. With the introduction

of new fabrics, rising awareness through fashion shows, advertising and more, the

demand for ethnic wear is growing steadily. Owing to rich cultural and religious

diversity, a wide range of occasions are celebrated. On festive occasions, consumers

tend to purchase ethnic wear for both personal use and for gifting purposes. This is

another factor that drives the growth for women’s, kids and men’s ethnic wear.

Be it professional or even casual get-togethers, there is nothing more comfortable

than the ethnic wear. In fact, most non-resident Indian (NRI) women dress ethnically

and prefer the sari or the salwar kameez over the pant suit or skirt, no doubt to display

the pride being an Indian in a foreign land. The sari, initially considered a messy

garment, when pinned and pleated neatly gives women a different aura itself. Some

Indians take pride in their clothing, food, music and literature in order to keep their

heritage alive. Surprisingly, this pride is something which is shared by the foreigners

in India as well. No wonder, ethnic retailing is the best bet!

Now if we were to closely observe the Indian ethnic wear industry, one might fi nd

that the rush in the early 90s to wear all things western and look cosmopolitan has

fi zzled out. By the late 1990s and the 2000s, the Indian ethnic fashion was back in

vogue, after a reinvention. The sari and the salwar kameez got a makeover. Even

khadi, which had loss its charm and was limited to certain sections of the society, has

got an image makeover to become a symbol of stature and style. Modern designers

have given Indian saris a new lease of life when they were once neglected and were

worn only during weddings and formal functions. They have experimented with

fabric, embroidery and length and voila, so that every Indian woman now wants to

fl aunt chiffon, satin or a net sari. Bollywood, too has popularised the sari concept and

provided great impetus. The salwar kameez met with the same fate. While they were

shunned earlier for being baggy, shapeless and only garment that one had to wear,

they were transformed into beautiful and silhouette-hugging fashionable clothes by

IF YOU ARE A STICKLER FOR FASHION AND LOVE WEARING YOUR CLOTHES WELL, THEN YOU ARE SURE TO HAVE RECEIVED THIS PIECE OF ADVICE, ‘WHEN IN DOUBT WEAR BLACK – A UNIVERSAL SOLUTION FOR ALL YOUR COLOUR AND WEIGHT PROBLEMS. FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO BE TRADITIONAL, ETHNIC WEAR IS A SAFE BET– SAYS HARISH KUMAR, CHAIRMAN AND FOUNDER, NEERU’S.

ETHNIC RETAILING AT ITS BEST

My thoughts.indd 22 9/5/2013 4:43:42 PM

52 | September 2013 | IMAGES Business of Fashion

cover story

THE INDIAN ETHNICWEAR MARKET OFFERS HUGE POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH, AS THERE IS A SLOW BUT SURE TRANSITION FROM THE UNORGANISED TO THE ORGANISED. THIS CHANGE IS TANGIBLY NOT ONLY IN THE METROS, BUT ALSO IN TIER-II AND -III CITIES. IMAGES BUSINESS OF FASHION TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS SEGMENT TO UNDERSTAND THE CHANGING MARKET DYNAMICS.

BY RAJEEV KUMAR WITH INPUTS FROM

TECHNOPAK ADVISORS

Diversity In India’s Ethnicity

The Indian ethnicwear market has

evolved in the last decade. Rising

disposable income and awareness

have greatly infl uenced consumer tastes and

preferences by making them more brand

conscious. Hence, ethnicwear brands have

started mushrooming all over the country in

what used to be a traditionally unorganised

market. Interestingly, the unbranded and

unorganised sectors straddle all segments of

the Indian ethnicwear market and continue to

dominate 85 per cent of the market. Further,

in the organised sector, the largest skew of

brands’ as well as formats’ product offerings

is within the mid-premium segment. Overall,

the sector is fragmented, with few brands

having a strong positioning. The lack of clear

product and service differentiation has resulted

in low brand loyalty and few national brands

are gaining salience. The organised sector is

dominated and driven by brands and formats

offering mid-fashion contemporary wear.

Ready-to-wear (RTW) has a greater presence in

the organised sector in comparison to Ready-

to-stitch (RTS). Consumers are increasingly

seeking convenience, comfort, and style from

the ethnicwear segment and this trend seems

to be driving the growth of modern formats, the

organised sectors, and RTW.

COVER STORY.indd 52 9/5/2013 5:40:09 PM

86 | September 2013 | IMAGES Business of Fashion

analysis

THE NEXT BILLION-DOLLAR SHOPPERTUNITYCONSUMER SHOPPING HABITS HAVE EVOLVED OVER TIME. IN A BID TO INFLUENCE THESE CHANGING HABITS, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO UNDERSTAND THE CUSTOMERS BETTER. LET’S EXPLORE HOW TO CATEGORISE THEM BASED ON THEIR INCOME AND BUYING BEHAVIOUR AND DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO WIN THEIR CONFIDENCE.

Consumer research is an investment aimed at understanding consumers

better, whereas shopper research is a form of payback, whose needs have been

understood and responded to. The payback is in the form of the shopper choosing a

particular brand over another at the point of sale. An insight, however, is incomplete until

the commercial opportunity behind it is identifi ed.

To understand consumers better, it is essential to categorise them into segments in

order to identify the opportunities and develop strategies more effectively. On the basis of

their income and shopping habits, we identify the fi rst segment as the ‘low income value

explorers. This segment is typically constrained for resources and seeks to maximise value

in every purchase across categories. The second consists of the population that is slightly

higher up on the affl uence curve, they are the ‘fi rst-time modern trade shoppers’ - those

who for the fi rst time are exposed to the reality of organised retail, to the deluge of brands,

to the proliferation of choice and to the profusion of categories that they have never had

before. Nielsen’s research suggests that these two categories together are worth US$3

billion.

Analysis.indd 86 9/5/2013 5:00:24 PM

98 | September 2013 | IMAGES Business of Fashion

entrepreneur

RAVI MODI, FOUNDER AND THE MAN BEHIND THE ` 500 CRORE PLUS BRAND MANYAVAR, HAS TRANSFORMED THE WAY ETHNIC WEAR IS RETAILED IN THE COUNTRY. FROM A SMALL RETAIL STORE AT THE AIR-CONDITIONED MARKET IN KOLKATA IN 1990 TO HAVING A NETWORK OF 270 EXCLUSIVE BRAND OUTLETS (EBOS), MORE THAN 700 MULTI-BRAND OUTLETS (MBOS) AND 100 SHOP-IN-SHOP (SIS), THE BRAND HAS COME A LONG WAY. ANUSHREE JAIN SPOKE TO THE FOUNDER TO KNOW HIS MANTRA FOR SUCCESS.

MANYAVAR MODI

The journey began in 1990 with a small retail store at the

Air-Conditioned Market in Kolkata, dealing with western

and Indian menswear. However, Ravi Modi, Founder &

MD, was not satisfi ed with the then state of affairs in the ethnic

wear market - the products were overpriced, lacked creativity,

the supply chain was erratic in nature. All these factors affected

the ultimate consumer.

It was probably then the idea to start his own label struck him

and Manyavar was born. In order to exploit the opportunities,

Modi, launched his own label Manyavar in 2002. The brand

owned by Vedant Fashions Pvt. Ltd, initially began marketing

its range primarily in the eastern region, including the states of

Assam, Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal (Kolkata).

The brand kept adding two or three states every year to its

distribution network. Within a short period of time, the brand

almost acquired a pan-India presence by taking the MBO route.

The fi rst mover advantage

Manyavar reached its fi rst major milestone in 2008 when it

opened it’s maiden outlet in Bhubaneswar’s Forum Mart. It

was a franchise store set up with an investment of ` 20 lakhs

and spread across 400 sq. ft. area. The brand really cashed

in on the fi rst mover advantage and today has strong retail

presence across the country through EBOs and is also available

at the country’s leading retail chains like Pantaloons (now

part of Aditya Birla Group), Shoppers Stop, Westside, Planet

Fashion and Central. The brand’s product offerings include

sherwanis, kurtas, Indo-western suits, accessories along with

footwear for men. It’s sherwanis are available at price-points

ranging between `7,999 and `49,999 while Indo-western suits

are available between `5,999 and `39,999 and kurtas and its

sets between `599 and `11,999. Every Manyavar store has 20

per cent of its total area dedicated to their footwear items and

accessories. Each Manyavar product refl ects intense research,

Enterpeneur.indd 98 9/5/2013 5:30:12 PM

contents

DENIM AND FASHION TRENDS – CAPSULE FOR INDIA

136

FASHION TRENDS136 Welcome back, ‘90s

In the next season, wild prints with bright colours will

complement the trend. Skinny jeans and Leggings get

paired with loose-fi t boxy tops and the feet are tucked

into sneakers.

EDITOR’S PICK

139 Everything has to be authentic. But why? Authentic fashion and denim label products, with

heritage and authenticity are keeping the cash registers

ringing. How big brands like Levis and Nike rule

the chart.?

FACTS | STORE

144 Eye candy

The seven new shops in New York and Los Angeles may

be diverse but each is truly breathtaking

FACTS | PEOPLE

154 Nicola Formichetti, Artistic Director, Diesel The Italian/Japanese fashion director of Diesel who is a

frequent collaborator of Lady Gaga is the new Director

of the label- Diesel talks about his journey in the fashion

world.

FACTS | RETAIL158 Selling stateside

Fashion experts from Canada, Sweden, Spain an

Germany reveals the secret of selling in US market.

STREET LOOKS162 Revival of the classic

Faded From Head To Toe

Editor-in-Chief: Sabine Kühnl

Creative Director: Gian Luca Fracassi

Senior Editors: Maria Cristina Pavarini/Christopher Blomquist

Fashion Editor: Juliette Nguyen

Managing Editor: Wolfgang Lutterbach

Credits for India Capsule

139

144

154

158

162

Contents_SWI.indd 23 9/6/2013 6:51:39 PM

September 2013 | IMAGES Business of Fashion | Capsule for India – Sportswear International | 139

> Authenticity–a difficult word. Even

in Italian and German it’s a hard

word to pronounce. It is, nevertheless,

to be heard everywhere. Everyone

and everything wants and has to be

authentic–politicians, parties and

products, music, fashion and brands.

Mass media and mass labels leap on

to every tiny piece of a true story; the

fashion business, too, juggles freely

with this term. But what exactly is

authenticity? Authenticity means

genuineness. But above all it means–and

now it gets complicated–credibility. For

with credibility others come onto the

scene: you can be as genuine as possible,

but the others have to believe you.

Authenticity has many faces. In fashion

the labels that are regarded as authentic

are those that made their way into

the assortments via “real” life–goods

which were originally produced for quite

different locations–for the workplace,

for sport, for hunting. For example,

Hunter: Founded in 1856 in Edinburgh,

Scotland, this boot company grew

in a very short time from a five-man

operation to a workforce of over 600–the

company made rubber boots for the

soldiers in WWI. Hunter’s operations

today take place at open-air festivals.

To present your history, your fashion

and your products in a plausible way,

it’s also good to know who you are and

where you come from. For the question

posed to all these labels with a past is:

How do we build a bridge between the

past and the present? And since when

has the authentic been so important? In

the fashion world it began to get really

honest at the beginning of the ’90s after

we had come through the synthetic ’80s.

Away with the loud colors, elaborate

presentations, artificial looks. Cold

THE GENUINE ARTICLEEVERYTHING HAS TO BE AUTHENTIC. BUT WHY?

PRODUCTS WITH HERITAGE AND AUTHENTICITY ARE KEEPING THE CASH REGISTERS RINGING. BRANDS LIKE LEVI’S AND HUNTER KNOW THIS VERY WELL.

Δ

synthesizer beats became handcrafted

guitar riffs–unplugged, naturally.

Exaggerated shoulder pads and hair-dos

which had so much hairspray that they

could have survived into the next decade

(one guy actually asked me once: “Can I

break off a lock of your hair?”) became

narrow shoulders and anti-hair-dos. We

wanted to look as “undone” as Winona

Ryder in Reality Bites or like Kate Moss

in a CK campaign. Suddenly our jeans

had to be authentic and genuinely aged

since grunge looks should be accepted

as real. For this was new and different.

But–why then is authenticity still so

important today? Because we have too

much of everything. Masses of goods,

masses of clothes, masses of options.

Being genuine became, in itself, a

valuable distinguishing characteristic.

Particularly in our digital world, in which

any pimply

Editor's picks.indd 139 05/09/13 6:25 PM