APRIL 2013 | VOL. XIV | No. 4 | `100 | US$20

MAGNUM OPUSPRESENTING THE

IN ALL ITS

GRANDEUR

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April 2013 | 150 pages | VOL. XIV No. 4 | www.imagesfashion.com

editor-in-chief amitabh taneja editorial director r s roy publisher s p taneja

chief of bureau (mumbai) nivedita j pawar (sr. assoc. editor) chief of bureau (bangalore) rajeev kumar (assoc. editor) sr. correspondent aakriti agarwal correspondents roshna chandran (bangalore) shahona datta (kolkata) sanjhi agarwal (delhi)

creatives art director pawan kumar verma asst. art director dinesh devgan layout designer rajeev kumar sr. photographer vipin kardam

circulation & support assoc. vp – consumer connect anil nagar general manager – administration hemant wadhawan sr. manager – circulation r p singh dy. manager – operations rajesh kumar sr. executive – subscriptions kiran rawat production general manager manish kadam sr. executive ramesh gupta

The recently concluded 13th edition of the India Fashion Forum (IFF) was a roaring success. The three day business event saw participation of hundreds of exhibitors and delegates from the across the country and abroad. The conferences were complemented by knowledge workshops, exhibitions, fashion shows and award ceremonies. The forum brought together the entire fashion, shoes, accessories and textile sector together.

This entire set-up created a palpable energy around the venue which further catalysed business deals and became a platform for many deliberations, interactions and recognitions. The three day magnum opus was an exciting stage for all those who attended it. The action packed event saw industry stalwarts from all fashion areas - the regional and national retailers, home grown and international brands, journalists, bloggers, consultant, the IFF this year was bigger and better than ever.

Attention to details is the key to success for any business. Workshops on trend forecasting by WGSN on the first day and the Masterclass conducted by Edith Keller and her colleague David Landart from Groupe Carlin International gave an elaborative presentation on Colors and Shapes for Summer 2014. These sessions were very useful for the industry professionals and were aimed at improving the understanding of trend forecasting in the industry. Shoppers Stop session presenting their team was inspiring as they shared their knowledge and experience in a way that will benefit all retailers and fashion brands. Their insights into customer behaviour, key success factors, human resources and other critical management inputs will benefit managers and entrepreneurs alike. The relevance of the media was very aptly highlighted by a session on fashion brands and retailers collaborating with fashion influencers to increase the fashion consumption.

Journalists and bloggers are indicated as fashion influencers since they are the ones who feed the fashion trends to the end consumers. It is time for these two important stakeholders in the fashion industry to come together and contribute to the successful development of the fashion industry, and the India Fashion Forum was delighted to present the ideal platform for such a discussion.

The forum this time was more comprehensive and attended to subjects and issues that will positively impact the business of many brands and retailers. The event reiterated the positive approach that the fashion industry must carry forth while aiming for higher skies. Here’s to another profitable year!

Amitabh Taneja

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APRIL 2013 I VOL. XIV I NO. IVCONTENTSMY THOUGHTS

22 Active Fashion Sandeep Mukim, CEO, Proline, talks

about the challenges in the activewear segment.

15Editorial

21Letters To The Editor

44March In Brief

62Outlets

144Season’s Offerings

E V E R Y M O N T H

130

66 C

OVER

STO

RY

JOURNEY

122 Growing the family run business

Surinder Mahajan, Director, Yougal Sons, talks about their journey since inception and their future plans.

INDIA FASHION FORUM OVER THE YEARS HAS BECOME A MIRROR TO THE RAPIDLY EVOLVING WORLD OF INDIAN FASHION AND

RETAIL. IMAGES GROUP, THE ORGANISATION BEHIND THIS FORUM, REALISED THE NEED TO BRING THE INDUSTRY TOGETHER TO

LEARN, SHARE AND EVOLVE WHICH IS VITAL TO THE NEW INDIA.

Fashion your Future

Presenting the

MAGNUM OPUSin all its

GRANDEUR RETAIL WATCH

113 Rudraksh: The premier destination for fashion aficionados

Rasika Wakalkar, Director, Rudraksh, talks about the challenges of sustaining in a tier II market and the strategies behind their success.

BRAND WATCH

116 A bare denim legacy CEO Paresh Rungta, Hoffmen

Jeans, explains what makes his brand different from the rest, reasons for the new venture and their exciting roadmap ahead.

EXPERT SPEAK

118 Fashion franchising: an outlookAmit Gugnani, VP, Apparel Operations, Technopak, indicates franchising in fashion industry as one of the viable ways to grow.

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125 Redefining women’s fashionwear

Nitesh Raheja, Director, Raheja Group, talks about the latest offering

from their armoury, Hiva Lifestyle brand launched in

March 2013.

APRIL 2013 I VOL. XIV I NO. IVCONTENTS

STREET FASHION

136 In vogue on road Summers are in and

fashion lovers in the capital know just how to exploit the sun. Some of the divas and dudes share their fashion statement and preferences.

PE

RS

ON

AL

ITY

OF

TH

E M

ON

TH

In a conversation...Get to the know the personal side of Shailesh Chaturvedi, CEO & Managing Director, Tommy Hilfi ger India

132 Happy feet Anupam Bansal, Executive

Director, Liberty Group, talks about the technology used and health benefits of the new perfumed, anti-microbial and anti-fungal socks.

142

RETAIL EXCELLENCE

140 Growing strong and steady

Shitanshu Jhunjhunwala, Co-Director, Turtle, shares the growth plans and strategies of the brand.

129 Designed for the visual generation

Rajiv Majumdhar, Partner at Praxis and Head of Design at Fastrack talks about the latest store of Fastrack in Bengaluru based on the concept of The Metal Forest.

BRAND DEBUT

134 Evolution of Indian fashion houses

Harminder Sahni urges that the need of the hour for domestic brands is to take tougher and interesting routes to create India’s own brand on the lines of GAP, Zara or Tommy Hilfiger.

HARD TALK

INNOVATION

129

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• MARCH IN BRIEF •

46 | April 2013 | IMAGES Business of Fashion

Orissa-based Jas Group has recently opened its third multi brand outlet at Janpath in Bhubaneswar. The store sprawls over an area of 15,000 sq. ft. and stocks 52 international brands including Calvin Klein, FCUK, Levi’s, Nike, Sisley, Clarkes, Jack and Jones, Being Human, Gant, Izod, Arrow, Caterpillar, PUMA, United Colors of Benetton, Swarowski, Vero Moda, Only, Tommy Hilfiger and Prada to name a few.

The store is predominantly revolving around the idea of enhancing displays with a clarity of presentation that enables customers to appreciate the proposed looks and to choose their colour and size quickly and easily. Every detail, each element of the presentation, is designed to convey an atmosphere of independence, where customers choose according to their own personalities from a multi brand display under one roof to make shopping a fun experience. It is a theme based retail outlet. The brands thus form the soul of the store but the focal point revolves around the theme, Jazz. Though independent of the brands, focal points speak of music and the enviable youthful zest for life.

Talking about the interiors, decor and visual merchandising (VM) of the store, Singh said, “The layout compliments the philosophy with the use of a silver and black colour theme which goes with the trendy imagery and brand mix of the store. In-depth detailing in terms of visuals, window display, focal point, mannequins to seating tools have been done to keep alive the spark and build elements of excitement.” The store has an international look and feel to it. The concept layout was made in Europe and was implemented in India by the VM team, headed by Ritma who designed the conceptual elements. “We believe that customers should visit the store not only for shopping but to rejuvenate their senses.

ALL THAT JAZZ MAY BE TERMED AS INDIA’S FIRST EXPERIENTIAL MULTIBRAND RETAIL STORE. SHAMSHER SINGH, MANAGING DIRECTOR, ALL THAT JAZZ, IN CONVERSATION WITH SHAHONA DATTA, EXPLAINS THE THOUGHT BEHIND MAKING IT DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT.

‘Jazz’inup a concept store

The layout compliments the philosophy of the retailer with the use of a silver and black colour theme which goes with the trendy imagery and brand mix of the store.

Silver chrome fi nished mannequins were imported from Korea as they add to the youthfulness and style quotient.

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• RETAIL WATCH •

April 2013 | IMAGES Business of Fashion | 113

• RETAIL WATCH •

Owned by Renee Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. and promoted by husband wife duo, Chetan and Rasika Wakalkar, Rudraksh is evolved from Rasika’s desire to enter the world of fashion retail. Designerwear store Rudraksh was opened in September 2008 in Aundh, Pune. Since the store is about Indian designers, they chose to name it Rudraksh as the word has an Indian ethos and connotes an evolution of the being, co-relating it with fashion which is constantly evolving as well.

“Initially we had to educate the market about designerwear price points because of exclusivity, fabrics and more as there was a very small percentage of the city open to buying designerwear. So, these were the factors that restricted our growth. What came in handy was a small but ready consumer base as being a native Puneite helped,”says Wakalkar.

Today, although the market has grown to serve more options to a Pune customer, Rudraksh banks on the first mover advantage which always helps. When asked about the competition in that market today, Wakalkar shares, “We primarily face competition from metros such as Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata as our client base tends to travel a lot and one always has more mind space to shop when travelling.” But she is quick to add that they now understand the market thoroughly, and although the economy and market vagaries exist everywhere, Rudraksh has been able to create a loyal consumer base in Pune.

Rudraksh started mainly with pret in its product portfolio and later added diffusion and couture along the way. “Though we have always done Indianwear from the beginning besides Western and eveningwear, the bridalwear response has only recently picked up locally,” says Wakalkar.

Rudraksh presently offers a range of pret, diffusion and couture in Indian and Westernwear to its customers, in the form of churidaar-kurtas, tunics, saris, gowns,

The premier destination for fashion afi cionadosCHETAN AND RASIKA WAKALKAR FORAYED INTO FASHION RETAIL THROUGH THEIR FLAGSHIP DESIGNERWEAR STORE, RUDRAKSH IN PUNE. BHAVYA VYAS CAUGHT UP WITH RASIKA WAKALKAR TO UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINING IN A TIER II MARKET AND THE STRATEGIES BEHIND THE RETAILER’S SUCCESS.

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• BRAND WATCH •

116 | April 2013 | IMAGES Business of Fashion

Hoffmen Jeans, one of Eastern India’s leading denim brands has been in the market for a long time. The brand, which had only been catering to the men’s denim and casualwear segments for more than 20 years, has evolved, entering the women’s jeans segment. The strategic business move is rather a collection of denims and T-shirts for women between the ages of 18 and 35. For over two decades, the brand has been taking stride in its much-awaited revamp, with their effusive business strategy of inflating their collection and catering to both sexes.

“Due to the huge gap in the women’s apparel segment, we wanted to bank on this expansion. Though there were international brands in the women’s segment, the absence of national brands in an equal proportion was an interruption to fair market competition at the domestic level. Thus, we wanted to introduce a womenwear segment with constant products upgrades,” says CEO Paresh Rungta, Hoffmen Jeans. With a firm belief and the determination to grow in volume, product innovations and technology, Hoffmen has already developed new wash technologies and become a promising brand.

The brand was started when there was no women’s denim brand present in Eastern India. “The products were mainly coming from Delhi, Mumbai and Bangkok. So, we took this as an opportunity to venture into this segment. However, we had to limit our costing as we were competing with an unorganised sector,” says Rungta. Further he explains, “Initially, it was very difficult to develop the market as a brand whose price range started from `900 because people were buying huge quantities from the unorganised sector. However, we have overcome these limitations and are getting a good response because our product, fitting and patterns are very good.”

KOLKATA BASED HOFFMEN JEANS RULED THE FASHION ROOST IN 2012 WITH ITS MOVE INTO THE WOMEN’S DENIM SEGMENT. CEO PARESH RUNGTA TALKS TO SHAHONA DATTA ABOUT WHAT MAKES THE BRAND DIFFERENT FROM THE REST, REASONS FOR THE NEW VENTURE AND THEIR EXCITING ROADMAP AHEAD.

A bareDENIM

legacy

Operating in both MBO and EBO formats, Hoffmen Jeans is aiming at clocking in `50 crores by the end of 2014.

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• EXPERT SPEAK •

118 | April 2013 | IMAGES Business of Fashion

• EXPERT SPEAK •

The worth of the Indian domestic textile and apparel market has been estimated at US$ 58 billion, of which about 70 per cent is made up by apparel, and the remaining 30 per cent by textile. The substantial population, in conjunction with such key factors as surging urbanisation, increasing number of double-income families, higher disposable incomes, rising presence of modern retail, et cetera, has placed India high on the priority list of both domestic and international retailers. Again, it is anticipated that the apparel segment will benefit by the expansion of modern retail, which currently accounts for 18 per cent of the total market and has the potential to grow to 25 per cent over the next few years.

However, while the overall scenario looks promising, the retail industry has encountered numerous challenges in India. The rising cost of real estate in the metros and tier I cities has forced retailers to rethink their business models. While most retailers do want to achieve scale of operations, they are constrained by the amount of investment required in this endeavour. The overall economic outlook is also continuously exerting pressure upon the retailers’ profitability.

The gloomy macroeconomic scenario has also forced retailers to re-examine their current business models and appraise new ones, as a means to further the growth both within the country and overseas. As may be apparent, strategies vary from retailer to retailer, especially when venturing into unexplored markets. For example, while some retailers may prefer opening concessionary outlets

an outlookRETAILERS ARE LOOKING AT VARIOUS RETAIL MODELS AND BUSINESS STRATEGIES TO GROW IN THE MARKET. FRANCHISING IS INDICATED AS ONE OF THE VIABLE OPTIONS.

Fashion franchising

Sour

ce: T

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Ana

lysi

s

USD bn

2011 2016Modern RetailTotal Market

40

63

167

The apparel segment currently accounts for 18 per cent of the total market and has the potential to grow to 25 per cent over the next few years.

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• BRAND DEBUT •

April 2013 | IMAGES Business of Fashion | 125

LAUNCHED BY THE RAHEJA GROUP, HIVA LIFESTYLE IS THE LATEST OFFERING FROM THE HOUSE OF READY-TO-STITCH SALWAR KAMEEZ DUPATTA SETS. BHAVYA VYAS TALKS TO NITESH RAHEJA, DIRECTOR OF THE GROUP TO FIND OUT THE PLANS CHALKED OUT FOR THE NEW BRAND.

REDIFINING WOMEN’SFASHIONWEARLaunched on 8 March 2013 in Ahmedabad, Hiva Lifestyle is all geared up to showcase its range of ready-to-stitch Salwar Kameez Dupatta sets (SKDs) in the Indianwear segment of womenswear. Having mastered the demand and supply of the SKD segment with its five brands, the group now aims to lead the womenswear segment with Hiva Lifestyle.

Founded by brothers Hiralal Raheja and Mahesh Raheja, the Raheja Group has been a chief player in the Indianwear market since 2004. The group already has five well-established womenswear brands in its portfolio – Raheja, Relegance, Rafeel, Reems and Rangmaya. Hiva Lifestyle is the sixth brand being launched by the group, through which it intends to create a complete womenswear line. In addition, there are plans of channel expansion from B2B to B2C. With its current brands, the group had mainly been retailing its merchandise to the distributor, keeping away from the retail and branding activities.

With Hiva, the group is now aiming at securing a position for itself in the retail sector by tying up with various MBOs across the country. “Our ultimate vision is to position Hiva Lifestyle as a complete womenswear brand with

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• PERSONALITY OF THE MONTH •

142 | April 2013 | IMAGES Business of Fashion

BACHELOR IN ENGINEERING AND AN MBA, SHAILESH CHATURVEDI, CEO & MANAGING DIRECTOR, TOMMY HILFIGER INDIA, WOULD HAVE LIKED TO BE A WRITER OR PERHAPS AN INVESTMENT BANKER IF HE WAS NOT IN THE CURRENT PROFESSION. PASSIONATE ABOUT HIS WORK, HE HAS WORKED WITH MADURA GARMENTS IN INDIA AND BENETTON BASED OUT OF HONG KONG.

In a conversation...

Enduring memory from early career days: A lot of hard work, travelling to small corners of India after a student life spent mainly in south Bombay . Also, waiting in PCO booths to call home after 11 pm when call rates were the loweset in the pre-mobile era.What do you like most about your work life?:

My team. We are a cool bunch of people at Tommy Hilfiger who have lots and lots of fun while working very, very hard.What do you dislike most?:

Sheer exhaustive amounts of travel. In order to be market oriented, one needs to travel a lot to stores and I have been clocking more than 100 nights out of home every year for the last seven years. Gets on your nerves some time. The saving grace is my team in market - that is a joy to meet. The moment I enter a store, I feelre-energised.Favourite business icon:

Steve Jobs, Jack Welch and Tommy HilfigerAdmirable companies:

Apple, Aston Martin and Rolex

CAREER

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