Leading textile and fabric manufacturer Raymond plans to expand its ethnic wear brand, 'Ethnix by Raymond,' by adding over 100 new stores. Introduced a couple of years ago, Ethnix by Raymond is a brand designed for occasions and celebrations and now boasts over 114 stores.
The Ethnix brand has already made significant contributions to Raymond's branded apparel segment, showcasing strong performance.
Raymond aims to leverage the rapidly growing ethnic wear market in India to fuel growth for Ethnix by Raymond. Gautam Hari Singhania, Chairman and Managing Director, emphasises, Raymond has expanding by setting up Ethnix by Raymond stores in every corner of the country.
In addition to expanding its physical store presence, Raymond is also broadening its ethnic line under the Ethnix by Raymond brand. In FY24 alone, the brand added 53 new stores to its network. Raymond's branded apparel business, which includes other brands like Raymond Ready to Wear, Park Avenue, ColorPlus, and Parx, achieved sales of Rs 1,587 crore for the financial year ending March 31, 2024.
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Premium leather goods and accessories brand Nappa Dori has achieved a major milestone in its retail journey by opening its first physical retail store in Sri Lanka. Situated in the Departures area of Bandaranayake International Airport in Colombo, the store offers a wide range of fashion and travel products.
Evoking a vintage aesthetic, the store's interior features a fully wooden design that is complemented by modern elements such as large digital screens displaying the brand’s latest brand campaigns. The store offers a wide variety of products, including handbags, leather accessories, travel bags, and laptop bags, catering to both men and women.
Opening a store in Columbo’s international airport, will benefit Nappa Dori by providing it a diverse customer base. The brand offers a range of travel-friendly items, such as suitcases, leather organizers, air pod cases, and hand-luggage-friendly bags.
Founded by Gautam Sinha in 2010 in New Delhi, Nappa Dori aims to provide functional and timeless products for modern life. The brand also has retail locations in India, the UK, and UAE.
Embarking on an ambitious growth trajectory under the leadership of Debdeep Sinha, Chief Business Officer-Apparel, apparel maker Raymond plans to add 50 to 80 stores per brand annually over the next few years.
Besides, the company also plans to introduce innovative features like auto-checkout and digitised easel stands in all its EBOs. Additionally, it will use LCD screens on the storefront to showcase in-house merchandise and enhance visual merchandising efforts. While the company’s current average store size ranges from 1,400 to 1,500 sq. ft, it aims to open larger stores exceeding 2,000 sq. ft. in major markets to accommodate their growing product offerings.
As Raymond celebrates its centenary year, the company boasts a rich portfolio of legacy brands including Park Avenue, Raymond Apparel, Color Plus, and Parx. Renowned for its formal wear, Park Avenue is positioned as a versatile wardrobe brand offering both formal and casual attire. Color Plus caters to the premium casual wear segment, while Parx occupies the mid-premium casual wear market. Together, these brands cover the spectrum of mid-premium to premium offerings in both formal and casual wear categories.
Raymond Ready to Wear serves as the ready-to-wear counterpart to Raymond's fabric business, showcasing innovative collections such as Air Light—a feather-like collection of suit jackets designed for comfort during long wear. Their formal tech-smart products, like the stainless collection, boast stain-resistant properties, ensuring durability and easy maintenance.
Among their latest offerings are collections like the Fearless Collection and the Techno Smart Collection, featuring four-way stretch fabrics for unprecedented comfort and flexibility. These products blur the lines between formal and casual attire, allowing wearers to seamlessly transition between work and leisure activities without sacrificing style or comfort.
With a focus on innovation, quality, and customer comfort, Raymond is poised to continue its legacy of excellence in the apparel industry as it enters its second century of operation.
Ethnicwear retailer Sai Silks Kalamandir reported 11 per cent rise in revenues to Rs 360 crore during the fourth quarter ending March 2024 compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year.
The company’s revenues for the entire financial year 2024 also increased to Rs 1,374 crore, compared to the previous year.
During the fourth quarter of this fiscal year, the company's store sales grew by approximately 6 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year. Sai Silks Kalamandir also inaugurated six new stores spanning 43,896 sq ft in the Varamahalakshmi format during the year.
Currently, Sai Silks has 60 stores across India spanning key markets including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
Based on the data from the online women's clothing and footwear brand Public Desire, a new study conducted to examine apparel market revenue, clothing prices, and consumer buying habits, shows, the traditional trend of wearing simple, home-grown cotton garments in India is being replaced by fast fashion items.
Rapid urbanisation, westernisation, increasing disposable incomes, and a growing young population have made India a prime target for fast fashion brands with an average Indian spending approximately $2,500 per year on clothes, says the report by Public Desire.
India ranks India second only to Switzerland ($2,825 per person) and on par with Australia ($2,500) in terms of average annual clothing expenditure. The country also ranks third in overall clothing expenditure, trailing only the United States and Norway. This high average spend is attributed to multiple factors, including the cost of individual items and the number of purchases.
In contrast, China adopts a more modest approach to clothing consumption. Despite having the second-highest apparel market revenue globally, Chinese consumers buy an average of 21 items per year and spend a total of $259.09—the lowest on the list. This equates to an average price of just $12.11 per item.
Brands are capitalising on this by leveraging social media platforms and influencers to promote their products. Combined with rising disposable incomes, this digital marketing push has fueled a growing desire for fashionable apparel.
Tailored exclusively for the burgeoning youth market in the country, Max Urban, the latest venture by Max Fashion, has launched its inaugural collection.
Titled, ‘Love Labels, the collection redefines the traditional size norms by embracing a more empowering approach. The brand reimagines traditional sizes as affirmations of self-love and body positivity. It celebrates diversity in body shapes and sizes through a captivating campaign film that promises to provide clothes that not only fit perfectly but also uplift and empower customers.
Using a language that not only empowers individuals but also makes them feel confident in their own skin, the 'Love Labels' campaign revolutionises the way sizes are perceived, says Sumit Chandna, President & Deputy CEO, Max Urban.
Drawing inspiration from casual, vacation prints and serene patterns, this inaugural collection by Max Urban offers a refreshing range of styles. The collection is available at over 500 brand stores Max Fashion’s newly launched e-commerce platform. It will also be showcased in over 50 selected stores across major cities in India. With prices starting at just Rs 199, the collection offers international fashion at competitive prices.
Committed to expand the reach of Love Labels, Max Urban plans to increase the number of stores throughout the year.
Renowned menswear brand, Snitch has unveiled its latest formal wear collection offering a sophisticated range of premium tailored men’s suits. Featuring five distinct variants including the ‘Travel Collection, ‘Linen Collection, ‘Occasion/Festive Collection’, and ‘Standard Collection’, this collections expands the brand’s offerings significantly.
Siddharth Dungarwal, Founder, Snitch, says, embodying the epitome of craftsmanship and elegance, the collection offers meticulously tailored suits made from the finest fabrics and using impeccable tailoring techniques.
Designed to cater to a variety of occasions ranging from board meetings to formal gatherings and holidays, the new collection promises to elevate the wearer's style quotient. Available in a palette of sophisticated hues such as grey, dark navy, and black, etc, these suits have debuted on Snitch’s direct-to-customer e-commerce platform.
Originally established in 2020 as men’s apparel brand focusing on direct-to-customer sales, Snitch later expanded into brick-and-mortar retail. The brand Snitch recently secured Rs 110 crore in a series A funding round, building upon its initial investment garnered through the acclaimed entrepreneurial television show, ‘Shark Tank India Season 2.’
Renowned watch and accessories brand, Fastrack has expanded its youth-focused product range with the launch of a new watch collection named ‘Fastrack Fleek’.
Designed for both men and women, Fleek was launched with 17 vibrantly colored watches and a captivating campaign film. The range aims to seamlessly transition the wearer from daily activities to dates and parties. By offering watches with colorful faces and contemporary styles, Fastrack seeks to strengthen its connection with Gen Z consumers in India.
Priced between Rs 2,795 and Rs 6,195, the new collection is now available across Fastrack's brick-and-mortar stores, its direct-to-customer e-commerce platform, and Titan World outlets. The diverse range is designed to cater to various budgets and style preferences.
Featuring dynamic visuals inspired by the shapes and facets of the watch, the campaign film is set in a surreal world. The video showcases a blend of life-size props, dynamic camera movements, and lively choreography that embodies the brand's ‘Seriously Playful’ attitude. It features the protagonists interacting with bold shapes and each other in a fresh, stylish manner, making a serious style statement.
The Tata Group is negotiating with stakeholders to buy either a stake or the entire business of Fabindia.
The acquisition deal is worth less than the $2.5 billion pegged by the clothing company’s aborted initial public offering. If successful, the deal could be the largest in the segment, after Aditya Birla Fashion Retail’s acquisition of a controlling stake in TCNS Clothing last year.
The acquisition of Fabindia will boost the ethnic wear portfolio of the Tata Group. in the ethnic wear space. Also, Fabindia’s ethos resonates with that of the Tata Group as it makes its products from traditional techniques, and hand-woven fabrics that are sustainably sourced.
In January, Fabindia agreed to sell subsidiary Organic India to Tata Consumer Products at an enterprise value of Rs 1,900 crore. This was part of its restructuring exercise after it abandoned its Rs 4,000-crore IPO last year, citing uncertain market conditions.
A seller of premium ethnic apparel, Fabindia has been making losses over the last three years. Although the brand’s revenues increased by 21 per cent to Rs 1,688 crore in FY23, expenses rose to Rs 1,730 crore, shows data from Tracxn. The brand ended FY23 with negative cash balances, according to the cash flow statement data.
After drawing its IPO plan, Fabindia made some changes in the brand’s management. It promoted William Nanda Bissell, with a 15 per cent stake in the company, to the position of Managing Director from his earlier post of Executive Vice-Chairman and Director. Viney Singh, previous Managing Director became a non-executive director on completing his tenure as the Managing D, became a non-executive director.
Fabindia has over 300 stores and apart from apparel also sells furnishings, furniture and lifestyle accessories.
Harshavardhan Chauhaan has been appointed as the new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Trident Group following his four-year tenure at Spencer’s Retail.
From 2020-24, Chauhaan played pivotal roles at Spencer’s Retail, overseeing initiatives in brand marketing, consumer analytics, digital and performance marketing, and eCommerce and omnichannel marketing.
Prior to that, he served as the Central Head of Marketing & Phygital (Digital Transformation) at DLF Ltd from 2017 to 2020.
His professional journey encompasses significant positions at ShopClues, Godrej Group, ITC Ltd, Hindustan Unilever, Reckitt, and Accenture. Chauhaan's expertise in the retail, eCommerce, and Martech sectors has garnered recognition, including his inclusion among the 50 Most Influential Retail, eCommerce & Martech professionals in India by CMO Asia – Africa – GCC Retail Congress.
As a part of its World Earth Day celebrations, India’s leading premium women’s wear brand Latin Quarters has launched its maiden sustainable capsule collection ‘Revive.’
Crafted from recycled materials, the Revive collection includes dresses, tops, trousers, and more. Priced in the range of Rs 1,799 ($20), the collection is available for purchase online and at select Latin Quarters stores.
Rahul Bhalla, CEO and Co-founder, Latin Quarters, says, the collection strengthens the brand’s mission to make conscious choices on behalf of its patrons, whilst supporting the larger efforts to being more environmentally friendly.”
Since the last decade and a half, Latin Quarters has been curating fashion for customers across India, adds Bhalla. The brand continues to evolve with time and inspire customers to make the right choices.
Founded in 2006, Latin Quarters currently has 21 exclusive brand retail outlets and is available on major online portals across the country like Myntra, Nykaa Fashion and Amazon.
Global footwear brand Skechers has collaborated with Indian cricketer Ishan Kishan to endorse the brand’s performance and lifestyle footwear collection.
Kishan has been appointed as the brand’s newest ambassador and will feature prominently in marketing campaigns across various platforms. This partnership will boost Skecher’s presence among the youth demographic as it will leverage Kishan's popularity as a key player for the Mumbai Indians and his widespread appeal across the nation.
Emphasising on the importance of comfortable and performance-oriented footwear in his sporting endeavors, Kishan names Skechers as the ideal partner that caters to all his requirements. He expressed his enthusiasm to contribute to the brand's commitment to crafting top-notch athletic footwear.
Viewing this collaboration as an opportunity to capitalise on India’s passion for cricket, Rahul Vira, CEO, Skechers Asia, notes, Kishan will prove as an ideal ambassador for the brand as his vibrant persona resonates well with Skechers' sporty and stylish offerings.
Skechers' latest performance and lifestyle footwear collections for both men and women are now available for purchase on the brand's website and retail stores across India, catering to the diverse needs of consumers seeking comfort, style, and performance.
Prreeti Jaiin Nainutia, Designer, Nirmooha, unveiled her latest collection, 'Ekatra,' at the prestigious platform of Lakmé Fashion Week x Fashion Design Council of India.
Showcased as a blend of pensive abstraction and versatile design, the collection offers a captivating fusion of men's and women's wear, adorned with botanical imagery and crafted from floaty textiles.
Nainutia incorporates intriguing prints featuring a plethora of leaves and asymmetric patterns in the collection. The color palette comprises shades of grey, peach, and rust, accentuating the intricate 3D embroidery, which has become synonymous with the Nirmooha brand. The use of delicate textiles such as glass organza, georgette, chiffon, lurex fabric, and linen imparts a sense of lightness and airiness to the garments, further enhancing their allure.
Expressing gratitude to the Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI team, Nainutia acknowledged their unwavering support throughout the entire showcase process. From the initial show allotment to the meticulous fittings and seamless execution backstage, the collaborative effort ensured a smooth and successful presentation of the collection.
Held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai from March 13 to 17, the esteemed fashion event featured an array of runway shows, panel discussions, and design awards. Supported by Reliance Industries, the event showcased renowned brands such as Rahul Mishra, Essé, and Itrh, among others, marking another memorable chapter in the vibrant tapestry of Indian fashion.