30th August 2021, Mumbai:

Tata Group Company Trent has appointed P Venkatesalu as the new chief executive officer and executive director for three years, effective 6 October 2021. As per a Fashion Network report, Venkatesalu was earlier the executive director of finance and chief financial officer at the company.

He will replace Stephen Rayfield who has resigned citing personal reasons. Venkatsalu joined the company in 2008 and has been with the company for 13 years and heads the finance and accounts, legal, and secretarial functions. He is also responsible for the strategy and investment activities of the company.

Trent operates Westside, a chain of fashion retail stores as well Landmark and Zudio fashion stores. Through a joint venture with Spain’s Inditex, Trent also operates the fashion brand Zara in India.

TOP 5:

• 'V-Mart Retail' to open 55 stores this year
• 'V2 Retail' reports Rs 11 crore net loss in Q1FY21
• Lakme Fashion Week & PETA India, Indian fashion designers pledge to go leather-free on the World Fashion Day
• 'Shein' becomes the world largest online-only retailer: Euromonitor International
• Shantanu & Nikhil launch 2021 festive couture collection ‘Oasis’

Watch YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnQ6v9wBHyOlRPSDgJMsJaA

31th August 2021, Mumbai:

Pioneer of Eri Silk manufacturing and an established leader pan India, Fabric Plus has collaborated with Liva, the brand from the house of Aditya Birla Group to introduce innovative fabrics made using Liva Modal fibers from Birla Cellulose and Eri silk.

LIVA Modal is a 100 per cent nature- based fiber with unique features of magnificent drape, matt sheen and light weight. It can be easily blended with other fibers, be it silk or cotton.

Liva and Fabric Plus also reimagine handloom fabrics to create high-end fashion saris, mekhala chadars, stoles, etc. This is first of its kind initiative in North East India wherein two leading textile players have joined hands to promote sustainable handloom textiles.

J Roy, Fabric Plus believes, the association will unleash hidden potential of the business allowing the consumers to have more pleasing experience and customers to remain even more loyal.

TOP 5:

• 'Future Lifestyle Fashion' report Rs 325 crore net loss in Q1
• Trent Ltd appoints P Venkatesalu as new CEO and Executive Director
• Amit GT launches women’s couture collection at 'India Couture Week'
• Future Retail files new case against Amazon seeking asset sale clearance to Reliance Industries
• Donear Industries signs agreement to buy RSWM assets

Watch YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnQ6v9wBHyOlRPSDgJMsJaA

29th August 2021, Mumbai:

Designers Shantanu & Nikhil have launched their 2021 festive couture collection ‘Oasis’. As per a Vogue Business report, 70 per cent of the collection comprises menswear, showcased alongside key womenswear silhouettes.

The collection taps into the label’s signature tropes. It includes military-inspired detailing, juxtaposed with tribal motifs. For the men, it offers printed silk draped kurtas, armour-esque bandis, military-detailing festooned bandhgalas, cowl trousers, jewelled brooches and safas. For the women, the designers have created hybrid styles that can be worn anywhere They have paired voluminous drapes with sharply constructed bodices to form one-of-a-kind pieces, then embellished with hand-embroidery, crystals and leather appliqué in a palette of gold, navy, red and blacks, as well as in multi-hued digital prints for the neo-luxe bride.

Oasis’ infuses timeless designs with unique elements and contemporary ease. The collection hits all the boxes—a design edge, unapologetic glamour and masterful construction.

TOP 5:

• At India Couture Week, Ashima Leena showcases ageless femininity
• As customers return to 'embrace summer,' Gap is ready to shine
• INDIAsize is now available in Delhi! In the apparel industry, it aims to bring India's standard size chart
• Flipkart, an Indian online retailer, has strengthened its supply chain network in Karnataka, creating over 14,000 jobs
• Nehha Chandra to be the new Head-Marketing for Ritu Kumar Brands

Watch YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnQ6v9wBHyOlRPSDgJMsJaA

26th August 2021, Mumbai:

India’s largest D2C fashion brand Bewakoof.com plans to accelerate its growth plans by investing in marketing, branding, technology and talent acquisition. As per a BW Disrupt report, the company aims to achieve Rs 2,000 crore in sales by 2025. Bewakoof recently launched several digital campaigns featuring celebrities like Rajkummar Rao, Sanya Malhotra and Farhan Akhtar. It also plans to sign other A-list celebrities to launch high decibel marketing campaigns across digital, OOH and TV. Another plan includes launching a gamification led loyalty program to upgrade its Bewakoof Tribe by new and exclusive launches for the club members.

Launched in 2012, by Prabhkiran Singh, Founder and CEO, Bewakoof has become synonymous with trendy fashion range of clothing, flip flops, mobile covers. In the last two years, the company has successfully rolled out several new categories like kurtis, indo-fusion apparel, denims, etc. Having served six million customers till date, Bewakoof aims to add one million subscribers in the next two years from the current 150,000, by launching exclusive collections and giving early access to the tribe members.

Watch YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnQ6v9wBHyOlRPSDgJMsJaA

TOP 5:

• Afghanistan's unrest has impacted the textile business in Surat, India.
• 'More Group' with an initial investment of Rs. 150 crores, enters the clothing retail market
• GOTS certification has been accepted by Intertek
• Export demand is causing a denim downturn in the United States
• Export demand is causing a denim downturn in the United States

31th August 2021, Mumbai:

Blending style with perfection and comfort, Focus Jeans launches new fashion trends every season. Incepted at the beginning of the 21st century, from a humble beginning the brand has expanded to over 4,500 outlets today. As Yogesh Kuruba, Director of Focus Jeans says “Professional approach to brand building and marketing has helped us emerge as one of the most promising brands in the B2B segment.”

Making a style statement

Focus Jeans offers over 250 styles along with different shades and fittings. Its product line comprises classic jeans, trendy (baggy fit, mom fit, wide legs, straight leg, and boot cut). The brand’s products are classified into various categories like Classicss, Fashionable, Premium, jackets, formals, lounge wear, kids wear, to name a few.

Spanning across markets

Focus Jeans caters to all kinds of geographies without distinction. It collaborates with other companies to fuel expansion plans share its journey with like-minded partners. The target customers are women in the age group 15 to 35 years with specific focus on 18-32 year-olds. The brand’s customers are loyal, conscious and seek good quality. Most of them are spread across metros, suburbs, towns, mini metros and Tier I and II cities.

TOP 5:

• For an occasionwear collection, Biba collaborated with Rohit Bal
• Sutraa This September, the Indian Fashion Exhibition will return to Patna and six other locations
• Kanpur will host the first edition of the Fashionista shopping fair in September
• In the first half of this year, Bangladesh emerges as the favored destination for Indian garment consumers
• Donear Group, an Indian textile company, has acquired Mayur Fabrics and the PV Suiting distribution network

Driven by the desire to deliver everything from high street denim trends to fashion staples, Spykar has been offering superlative products and great fits to customers since 1992. The brand synonymous with the ‘Young & Restless’ generation of today is now venturing into product licensing with Charlie Chaplin and Einstein-inspired collections in the pipeline.

Sustainability in its processes is always a focus at Spykar Lifestyles. The brand offers denim that uses the least amount of water in manufacturing in the country -- one glass of water compared to the usual 1,500 glasses. Moreover, Spykar relies on the use of solar power and there is no fossil fuel usage. Energy conservation and maintaining ecological balance is what makes Spykar a go-to brand for anyone looking at comfortable yet sustainable denim. Sanjay Vakharia, CEO, talks about the brand’s plans, new launches and retail network.

What is your collection for upcoming season?

We are launching a new range of sustainable denim products made using approximately one glass of water. These garments have been made without using any harmful chemicals, and area available in young and vibrant colors with subtle hues. Both the jeans and other denim garments in this range are available in a mix of dark, mid and light washes in trending fits. The collection focuses on three unique themes:

Gamescape: This involves the infusion of digital technologies in physical products. It includes the use of sporty details and electric colors in the garments. Beachcomber: It blends the utilitarian look with artistic details to enhance the perpetual holiday theme.

Homespun: This blends global prints and patterns with the idea of ease and comfort. It inspires consumers to live in harmony with nature. Prints used in this theme include nature inspired abstracts, multi-colored and tonal floral prints. The theme also favors artisanal and folklore inspired countryside prints.

What are your latest product innovations?

Our latest product range mixes a variety of patterns, cuts, prints and washes. The range focus on the athleisure and offers joggers, graphic shirts, regular and cropped T-shirts, trendy woven and denim shirts for both men and women. The jeans in this range are crafted from knitted denim while joggers are made in indigo dyed denim fabric.

The color palette of our latest range caters to a wide consumer base. It includes a mix of bright and subtle hues alongwith earthy tones and pastels. The range includes cotton-based fabrics that have natural comforting properties, absorbing qualities and durability factors. These products mainly target young, fashionable and bold men and women in the age group 18 to 35 years.

Tell us about your retail network.

Spykar is available in 250 stores across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Delhi NCR, Gujarat and Maharashtra. We are also present in over 1,500 MBOs and 600 large format stores across India. By 2023, we aim to open 30 new stores across North and South India.

What are your expansion plans?

We plan to launch new Charlie Chaplin -themed merchandise carrying many different images including Chaplin’s own sketch and signature printed on T-shirts, Chaplin’s quotes, etc. We also plan to launch an Einstein inspired collection in coming months. In 2020, we launched a new product category ‘Underjeans’. These respond to fashion-conscious individual’s innate desire for appealing and individualistic innerwear.

26th August 2021, Mumbai:

Long dominated by occasion wear and formal wear, Indian menswear market is witnessing a newfound interest in contemporary clothing being created by homegrown labels. Focusing on style and comfort, these clothing ranges are being launched at affordable price points. One such range launched by designer Rina Singh, Owner of women’s wear brand Eka, reveals a GQ India report. Singh’s range includes easy-to-wear styles, timeless designs, and well-constructed clothes crafted using natural textiles. She believes, men in India have never focused on daily wear styles. Their choices have been mostly governed by festive wear from high street and luxury brands.

Demand for sustainable clothes grow

The pandemic has emphasized the importance of responsible buying to Indian men. Consumers now prefer buying clothes made with sustainable materials, transcending seasons and occasions. This is creating an opportunity for domestic brands to make their mark. Brand Lovebirds by Amrita Khanna and Gursi Singh leverages this opportunity with a new menswear line launched recently. The collection offers clean designs and minimal prints on casual everyday wear.

Changing lifestyles and rise in work from home culture have fuelled demand for comfort wear amongst Indian men, explains Singh. Eka’s new menswear range uses upcycled and recycled textiles from the brand’s archives, making the collection a more meaningful and conscious investment.

Moving away from high-street labels

One big challenge Indian brands face is reaching the average male consumer. Women’s wear brand Jodi by Gauri Verma and Karuna Laungani ventured into menswear on customer demand. They launched a menswear collection, The Hideaway featuring the brand’s signature prints. However, menswear brands are rarely visible in the market, feels Verma. A few that exist have to compete with high street brands and their pricing model. Male customers mostly depend on these high street brands and the mass market for their clothing choices, she adds. However, consumers are slowing moving away from high-street brands to fresh, homegrown labels, says Singh who received a positive response to her new range. The brand benefitted from creating online imagery to introduce menswear subtly.

Seasonless collections on the rise

Launched on Ogaan, Eka’s menswear range has received an encouraging response from customers, says Madhurbain Anand, Business Head, Ogaan. Anand hopes to see more contemporary collections from Indian designers in future. As a part of consumers’ daily wardrobes, young menswear labels like Harago, Itoh, and Bareek are launching seasonless collections. These collections are being appreciated not just by Indian but also international consumers. New sustainable streetwear brands like Prxkhxr, Op Haneen, No Grey Area, and Almost Gods too are launching collections. Menswear rooted in Indian heritage is being appreciated in the global market.

Affordable labels to drive market growth

Lavishly designed, Indian menswear is often extravagantly priced. However, the market also offers more affordable options. For instance, Jaypore a part of the Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail recently forayed into menswear category. The brand plans to offer ethnic and everyday wear for men in natural and sustainable fabrics. ABFRL has also collaborated with designer Tarun Tahiliani to create a new subsidiary to focus on affordable menswear. The brand will offer great quality and Tahiliani’s signature fit and his penchant for colors. The venture will offer outstanding quality to consumers at affordable rates.

The menswear sector offers immense potential for future growth, Anand says. Entry of new labels at affordable price tags along with the rise in e-commerce is expected to boost the sector’s growth in India.

TOP 5:

• Afghanistan's unrest has impacted the textile business in Surat, India.
• 'More Group' with an initial investment of Rs. 150 crores, enters the clothing retail market
• GOTS certification has been accepted by Intertek
• Export demand is causing a denim downturn in the United States
• Ikea plans to establish its first "city store" in India in Mumbai