17 January 2022, Mumbai:

With the help of forensic security professionals, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited is probing a data breach on its platform. Over 5.4 million email addresses and phone numbers from the company's database were released online as a result of the breach.

The company has maintained that the data breach and ensuing investigation will have no impact on its business or operations. A group of hackers known as 'ShinyHunters' made the email addresses public, according to ET Bureau. 

"ABFRL is investigating an information security issue involving illegal access to its e-commerce database," an Aditya Birla Group spokeswoman stated in a statement, according to the Press Trust of India.

"As a precaution, the company has reset all customer passwords and enabled OTP-based authentication, as well as taken further steps to secure access to customer and employee information."

Personal customer information such as names, phone numbers, dates of birth, addresses, order histories, credit card details, and passwords was also included in the public data, according to sources.

Customers may face additional problems as a result of the vast amount of information given if others utilize it for fraudulent purposes. ABFRL employee information was also exposed in the data breach, including salary information as well as personal information ranging from religion to marital status.

According to the company, ABFRL operates a wide range of fashion brands and has a shop network of 3,264 outlets across India, including roughly 26,841 multi-brand outlets.

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15 January 2022, Mumbai:

Six Jharkhand migrant labourers were freed from a garment manufacturing plant in Karnataka, where they had been held, hostage.

According to a government statement, migrant labourers from East Singhbhum district were forced to work for 18 hours a day by a contractor and were insulted and beaten up on several occasions for refusing to work long hours without appropriate nourishment.

"After receiving training at the Skill Development Centre, Dimna, the ladies went to work at a garment factory in Bengaluru, where they were compelled to labour under inhumane conditions," the statement reads.

They were held captive and not permitted to return." When the problem was brought to the attention of Jharkhand's Chief Minister, Hemant Soren, it was claimed that he asked officials to ensure the safe return of the migrant workers.

There have been stories of such occurrences in the past, when Jharkhand workers were rescued from other states. Jharkhand police rescued 17 women (including one kid) who were allegedly being trafficked after being promised sewing operator work at a Tamil Nadu textile factory about a year ago.

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17 January 2022, Mumbai:

According to sources, while the consumption of cotton yarn is around 700 tons per day in the garment industry in Tiruppur, the entire consumption of man-made fabrics is 2,000 tons per year.

Garment manufacturers, except a few, are reluctant to move towards man-made fabrics even though the price of cotton yarn is hovering above Rs 350 per kilogram. A Kondasamy, the partner in Aviram Knitters, said, "There is a big market for man-made fibres in India and around the world as they offer several advantages."

"These fabrics (except polyester) are mostly biodegradable and offer much more comfort than cotton fabrics. Even many fabrics offer cool temperatures to the human body. Most importantly, modern technology and textile processing have made the fabric softer than cotton.

These fabrics have moisture retainability, which helps absorb wetness," he added.

According to sources, the consumption of cotton yarn is around 700 tons per day in the garment industry in Tiruppur. But, the entire consumption of man-made fabrics is 2,000 tons per year.

Explaining reasons why garment units are reluctant in using man-made fabrics, the general manager of Alagendran Exports, Thirunavukarasu, said, "Traditionally we flourished in the cotton yarn market. The processing technique is different from cotton yarn and man-made fibres. Besides, we haven’t received orders for man-made products."

Elaborating, treasurer of Tiruppur Exporters Association P Mohan said, "Tiruppur garment industry is comprised of small, medium and bigger garment units.

Cotton yarn is the foundation of the industry and this is why units refuse to move towards man-made fibres and fabrics. In processing, man-made fabrics need a different process. Dyeing units refuse to take risks."

"Among man-made fabrics, viscose is widely used but there are several concerns. Viscose is a delicate fabric, and many dyers claim that after dyeing the fabric loses strength. Besides, colour correction is a problem in man-made fabrics.  

In terms of shrinkage, cotton has 5 per cent, viscose has 7 per cent. If the dying isn’t proper, it increases to 12 per cent,' he added.

Cotton yarn

According to sources, the consumption of cotton yarn is around 700 tons per day in the garment industry in Tiruppur.

New Indian Express

(The news article has not been edited by DFU Publications staff)

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15 January 2022, Mumbai:

Mulmul, a Delhi-based womenswear brand is gearing up to widen its retail footprint. In the year 2021, the brand inaugurated three new stores at prime locations, in the heart of Mumbai and Bangalore, India. With plans to build 5 more stores in the next twelve months.

The brand will start off its expansion in cities like Kolkata and Chandigarh over the next few months.

Mulmul's ideology is rooted in creating exquisite pieces of Indian craftsmanship without compromising on comfort and design based on an ethical design process that sufficiently embodies the essence of Mulmul as a brand.

Mulmul is owned by Modi’s, a Delhi-based business family. This label, true to its name, specialises in pure mulmul cotton kurta sets that have become a sworn favourite with Bollywood celebrities.

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17 January 2022, Mumbai:

Clothes price rise imminent in 2022, if GST rates hike happens down the year. 

Though so far so good on the back of GST hike relief all thanks to GST Council has recently decided to defer the GST rate hike for textiles from 5 percent to 12 percent, as per industry back of the envelope calculations the prices of clothes are likely to go up by up to 20 percent this year due to increase in prices of the raw material, like cotton, yarn, and fabric and also packaging material, freight costs, etc.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• GST Council has recently decided to defer the GST rates hike

• The proposed hike for textiles was from 5 percent to 12 percent

• Consistent rise in prices of the raw materials forcing price rise

• Prices of clothes are likely to go up by up to 20 percent

A likely hike in GST will inevitably trigger price escalation as trade is already sitting on the verge of taking price increase owing to a perpetual increase in prices of raw materials, freight costs, etc.

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14 January 2022, Mumbai:

Currently, Madbow has a few in-house brands catering to lifestyle and fashion like stalkbae.com, streetstylestalk.com, slaydeal.com, lovedamoda, and SlayXO.com.

Madbow Ventures Ltd is one of the leading names in the fashion industry. Co-founded by Naveen Mahlawat in August 2016, it is a platform for brands where it creates brands across the categories and moves them to scale them at a fast pace with the help of technology, marketing, and years of experience in operations to make successful D2C brands.

Currently, Madbow has a few in-house brands catering to lifestyle and fashion like stalkbae.com, streetstylestalk.com, slaydeal.com, lovedamoda, and SlayXO.com. All these websites cater to different customer segments like one deals particularly to the masses segment whereas StalkBae is more toward the premium products.

The brand has a base of around 12,00,000 + satisfied customers in a market of more than 25K serviceable PIN codes throughout India. Recently in 2021, MadBow owned an export license and catered to international borders like Europe and Africa.

Madbow’s private label brands have got huge success on social media and have collected more than 1 million followers on social media. At the same time brand/label 

Revenue Targets

Since its inception, the company has sown a positive growth rate. MadBow Ventures Ltd is targeting to close FY 2021-22 with GMV of Rs 30 crore revenue whereas their aim for the next 18-24 months is at least Rs 100-120 crore. During the last 12 months, Madbow has received more than 600K orders across all the channels.

Expansion Plans

The fashion e-commerce started the business from the scratch and currently owns 5 fashion labels into Western wear, Footwear, Lingerie with more than 1,500 SKUs in total across the categories. MadBow Ventures Ltd is planning to launch fashion brands /labels into kids, ethnic, high fashion, cosmetics, and General merchandising as well as bringing all the fashion and lifestyle requirements under one roof. After experiencing amazing responses from various events and exhibitions, the management is also planning for 100+ MBO stores and 10 EBO by end of 2022. 

Recently Madbow has done strategic tie-ups with leading marketplace players like Myntra, AJIO, Amazon Fashion, etc, and provided curated designs after discussing with their fashion teams.

Fund Raising

Currently, Planify is a strategic investment banker for Madbow Ventures for fundraising. Rajesh Singla, CEO of Planify told "We have seen great traction from the investors for Madbow Ventures Ltd. Investors today are looking for positive cash flow companies which can scale the business exponentially. Madbow fits this investment framework beautifully." The company is raising funds for expansion with the help of investment banking firm Planify and GYC Advisory.

Funds and IPOS

With a blueprint of the expansion ready, Naveen Mahlawat, also the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of MadBow Ventures Ltd., discusses sourcing funds in the coming months.

“We are in constant talks to raise $5 million funds in the coming months and are expecting to float our Initial Public Offerings (IPO) in the next 24-36 months. There is a lot of demand for the latest fashion and with our in-house designing, we introduce innovative designs of garments and footwear to bring freshness in our portals at reasonable rates.”, says Naveen Mahlawat.

The brand is promoting itself majorly through new-age marketing channels like social media platforms, Influencer marketing, roadshows like participating in events and exhibitions on a pan India basis.

Madbow built its competency in retail tech over time and have developed their own private label brands with unmatchable quality and competitive pricing of products. The brand is growing rapidly with repeat and referral customers since 2016.

INDIAN RETAILER 

(The news article has not been edited by DFU Publications staff)

17 January 2022, Mumbai:

The DTC activewear market remained one of the busiest in 2021 with a large number of acquisitions and IPOs being launched.

Some of the most prolific deals during the year included the acquisition of Sweaty Betty by Wolverine World Wide, the purchase of Beyond Yoga by Levi’s, and the snapping up of Osprey by Helen of Troy, the owner of Hydro Flask.

In terms of monthly website visits Arc’teryx and Tracksmith remained the fastest-growing DTC athletics brands.

The monthly visits of Arc'teryx in the US spiked 264 percent over that period while that of Alo Yoga increased 124 percent and Tracksmith saw a 75 percent hike. The data was tracked by SimilarWeb, which also highlighted growth at equipment makers like Hydrow, Tonal, and Mirror.

Investors cash in on the rising popularity

In recent years, Outdoor Voices has emerged as one of the most significant DTC brands in the activewear market.

The market is also attracting brands from other categories like intimate brand ThirdLove, which forayed into activewear in September 2021. It was preceded by Thinx bu a few months ago.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• The DTC activewear market remained one of the busiest in 2021
• Acquisitions of the year Sweaty Betty by Wolverine World Wide & Beyond Yoga by Levi’s etc.
• The monthly visits of Arc'teryx in the US spiked 264%

• Investors cash in on the rising popularity

California-based brand Vuori recently announced a $400 million expansion that includes building 100 stores in the US and entering international markets. Its brand has been one of the most profitable activewear brands since 2017 and aims to repay shareholders, says Joe Kudla, Founder, and CEO.

Expansion plans of activewear brands are also being fuelled by the rising interest of investors in the category. In recent times, many investors including Norwest GV and Forerunner Ventures have shown an interest in this category.

Athleisure or activewear is currently one of the brightest spots in an otherwise challenged apparel sector. DTC brands can capitalize on the growing popularity of activewear by selling not just on their own DTC channels but also through wholesale.

Soaring popularity across categories

Athleisure has been one of the most significant segments in the apparel market. Over the last few years, the segment has attracted many streetwear, lifestyle, and women’s wear brands. For example, On is creating many activewear and athleisure products.

The sector is attracting brands beyond DTC as well. In January 2020, Target launched its own private activewear label followed by Kohl’s.

JC Penney revamped the activewear range in January last year in order to strengthen its order book. Matt Powell, Senior Industry Advisor for Sports, NPD Group points out, activewear remains a hot category for fashion brands.

The launch of stretch denim, stretch dress shirts, stretch suits is a testimony to this.

The category is also popular in footwear with sports shoes now more popular than fashion footwear. In apparel, the trend is growing steadily with many brands launching activewear collections to cash in on their popularity.

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15 January 2022, Mumbai:

By entering into a binding term sheet to acquire a 51 percent stake in the entity, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited, one of India's leading fashion companies, has entered into a strategic partnership with India's leading designer Masaba Gupta to build a gen-next focused fashion and lifestyle business under the popular and contemporary brand "Masaba".

Masaba's brand will primarily be scaled through the digital direct-to-consumer (D2C) channel, leveraging its strong connection with younger and digitally impacted customers.

In the next five years, the brand hopes to generate annual revenues of roughly Rs. 500 crore. "As a new generation of young and digitally native customers explore their demands within fashion and lifestyle, they actively seek brands that are colourful, vibrant, and digital," said Ashish Dikshit, MD, ABFRL. Masaba is a youthful, vivacious brand that takes a fresh and original approach to every lifestyle sector."

"As a new, homegrown company, I am happy to join with ABRFL to further consolidate the House of Masaba into a 360-degree, global lifestyle brand of the future," Masaba Gupta, Founder, House of Masaba, stated.

The brand will launch several product expansions to its portfolio, including cosmetics, personal care, athletic wear, and home decor, all inspired by the ever-evolving, India-Proud Gen Z customer.

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13 January 2022, Mumbai:

Khadi India, a handloom brand of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, will invite eight Indian designers to Dubai to display their inventive interpretations on Khadi textiles at the present Expo2020 event.

Khadi India will present a 'Sustainable Khadi Exposition' at Dubai's Expo2020, the Fashion Design Council of India said on Facebook, as part of its efforts to promote Khadi fabrics and items created from them on worldwide market.

The project is part of KVIC's 'Khadi Goes Global' campaign, which is being run in collaboration with the FDCI.

Designer Ujjawal Dubey will feature a collection of androgynous forms for men and women to highlight the mobility of Khadi textiles as part of the exhibition. Antar-Agni, Dubey's label, is noted for its gender-neutral and natural aesthetic, as well as a combination of modern and traditional aesthetics.

Designer Ashish Satyavrat Sahi will show pieces from his label Khadiwala, including neutral-toned outfits that accentuate the intricacy of the handloom fabrics used to create the ensembles. Womenswear by Charu Parashar will feature bold floral motifs and brilliant colours for a more colourful take on Khadi.

Rina Dhaka, Shruti Sancheti, Swatti Kapoor, Sushant Abrol (Countrymade), and Rahul Singh are among the designers who will be included in the event. After being postponed from 2020 owing to the pandemic, Expo2020 debuted in Dubai on October 1, 2021.

From heavy industries to tourism, the Indian Pavilion at the global expo is presenting a diverse range of Indian enterprises to foreign investors.

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