APRIL 2014 | VOL. XV | NO. 4 | `100

THE WESTERN FORMALWEAR MARKET IN INDIA

Market Sizing & Research Western Formals Trends Forecast Fashion Weeks – Lakme & ILPA Linen Club • Rupa • Baggit

BEST IN MERCHANDISE ANDTRENDS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD.

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APRIL 2014 | 146 PAGES | VOL. XV NO.4 | www.imagesfashion.com

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Dear Readers,

From the 7th of April to the 12th of May 14, over 81 crore Indians will vote for the 543 Lok Sabha seats. It is the biggest election in the history of mankind.

It is also widely expected that after the General Elections business and economic activities will see an upsurge and all major players will have clarity on the environment through which they will have to steer their ships. That should make a very signifi cant change to the business sentiments. It has been 25 years since we have seen a single party majority. The fact that business in India has grown tremendously over this quarter of a century despite no single party being totally in control of pushing through its own agenda is an ode to the resilience and resourcefulness of Indian enterprise. And nothing else.

Hopefully this year we will have a much smoother playing fi eld for all to play in.

And while we might have been tempted to bring out an issue on Indian formal wear for netas our Cover Story this month in Images BoF is on the Western Formalwear Market in India. It is a category that has seen the birth of many a brand in India. And yet we suspect it is still quite urban and with the men’s segment dwarfi ng the women’s by some magnitude. Our cover research unveils the true size, sectors, prospects and challenges in the category. This is followed up with discussions with some of the foremost fashion brands, retailers and fabric companies, to put the critical issues in the formalwear category into true perspective. Team Ingene also chips in with its forecasts for western formalwear fall-winter ‘14-15. We also track a couple of fashion events. Also in the issue are our regular features like Outlets, Brand Tracker, My Thoughts, Retail Watch, Retail Excellence, Technology, Web Watch and Design Concept.

Happy reading and please do cast your votes this year.

Amitabh Taneja

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contents | April 2014

28

EVERY MONTH

17 Editorial

24 Letters To The Editor

28 Outlets

30 Brand Tracker

MY THOUGHTS32 Accessories Polish Your Formal Look

Nina Lekhi, Founder of Baggit stresses on the importance of accessories in a

formal wear wardrobe

PERSPECTIVE34 Emergence of Western Formal Wear

Dr Sanyogeitaa Chadha writes on the factors contributing to the change in

clothing patterns in India and eloquently defi nes western formal wear

TRENDS66 Trend Byte: Western Formal Wear FW 2014-15

Latest trends in western formal wear by Ingene

DESIGN CONCEPTS68 W and Indigo Nation

Nominees of the design concept of the year in the IFA 2014

LAUNCH PAD72 Duke Sun 'n' Surf

Duke launches its new SS '14 collection for leisure wear enthusiasts

RETAIL EXCELLENCE74 Linen Club: The Niche Fabric

S Krishnamoorthy , CEO - Domestic Textiles, Aditya Birla Group elaborates on

the brands successful franchise model and the challenges in the segment

SPOTLIGHT 78 Raghavendra Rathore: After the Hiatus

Renowned fashion designer, Raghavendra Rathore talks to us about his

comeback after four long years and trends he envisages for the forthcoming

season

RETAIL WATCH82 Time to be Exclusive

Nikhil Jain, retail head, Rupa & Company talks about the recently opened

exclusive Rupa outlet and the brand's further expansion plans

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34

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68

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48

THE FORMAL WESTERN WEAR MARKET IN INDIAAmit Gugnani, senior vice president

for fashion- textile and apparel

and Kanti Prakash Brahma, senior

consultant for fashion at Technopak

Advisors, highlight the burgeoning

market for formal western wear

CREATING WESTERN

FORMAL WEAR FOR INDIA Images Business of Fashion talks to renowned brands in fashion retail to present industry insights in western formal wear

C O V E R S T O R Y

86 ENTREPRENEUR86 Ethix Clothing: About Dreams and Ethics

Under the leadership of Avneesh Mishra and Dharmesh Gathani, the

brand is going strong and intends to reach the pinnacle of success in

the near future

TECHNOLOGY 88 Fendi Drones Up Tech-Fashion

A latest innovation by Fendi, ensured that cameras installed on drones

captured the Italian luxury fashion show live on its website

DESIGNER WEAVES90 Fashion Trends at Large

Highlights straight from the ramp of Lakme Fashion Week

96 ILPA: Bag and Baggage

Highlights of the leather on ramp show in Kolkata

WEBWATCH 98 Apparel for a Cause

Bharath Madhiraju, founder of Samtana.com talks to Images Business

of Fashion about their start up

PERSONALITY OF THE MONTH 100 Work Your Heart Out

Vasanth Kumar, executive director, Max discloses his personal and

professional side

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90

98

100

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48 | April 2014 | IMAGES Business of Fashion

lead story

PERCHANCE IT IS TIME TO REVISE AN OLD ADAGE - “WHEN IN THE GLOBAL ORDER, DO AS THE GLOBAL ORDER DOES!” AS INDIA MOVES AHEAD AND EMBRACES GLOBAL CHANGES AND DISCOVERS ITS PLACE IN THE GLOBAL ORDER, AND MOVES FROM BEING “A NATION OF SHOP-KEEPERS” TO ORGANISED BUSINESS CULTURES, THIS ISSUE OF IMAGES BUSINESS OF FASHION TALKS TO SEVERAL INDUSTRY LEADERS AND TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT WESTERN FORMAL WEAR TO TRACE ITS CURRENT DYNAMICS AND ITS GROWTH OVER THE YEARS.

MANUFACTURERS MANTRAS

Aptly sharing the context for the story to talk about what is in vogue when it comes to preferred choice of

fabric for western formal wear in India, Abhijeet Ganguly, head, Grasim from Aditya Birla says, “In men’s

formal wear while the hero is the fabric, brands have to keep reinventing themselves by coming up with quality

offerings which are in sync with what discerning consumers are seeking for as their wardrobe solutions. In the

last two decades and more specifi cally in recent years the dynamics of fabrics have changed to keep pace with

changing consumer expectations which vary from season to season.” Talking to yet another prominent player

from the category of fabric manufacturers, BSL Ltd that produces PV and PW blended fabric, 60 percent of which

goes out to various markets in the world. JC Soni, business head, BSL Ltd shares, “Most of the fabric that we

produce is used for formal wear. If you ask me what is in trend as of now, then without doubt people want fabric

that is comfortable and looks good. Another trend is of party and occasion wear and Lycra is used to add to the

CREATING WESTERN FORMAL WEAR FOR INDIA

•BY ZAINAB MORBIWALA

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launch pad

72 | April 2014 | IMAGES Business of Fashion

SUMMER IS KNOWN FOR SCORCHING HEAT AND BOILING TEMPERATURE. HOWEVER, DUKE REFORMULATES THE SEASON AS STYLISH AND ADVENTUROUS BY INTRODUCING ITS SPRING SUMMER SUN’N’SURF COLLECTION.

This season premium lifestyle brand, DUKE redefi nes the summer

with its leisure collection, SUN ’n’ SURF. It draws inspiration from

the concept voyage, an adventurous summer vacation as its theme.

The collection especially designed for the younger lot offers latest

international designs in eye-catching colours that stay cool in the hot

season. According to the brand it boasts of various designs such as stripes,

prints, embroidery, patch work, short lengths, round necks, collars and

washings to give variety to the clients.

Duke has an elaborate product range, from t-shirts to shirts, trousers,

denims, bermudas, lowers and lounge wears for men, women and kids.

The all new collection is quite versatile and makes a perfect choice for

casuals, offi ce, and evening wear wardrobe. It is made of 100 percent gas

mercerized cotton, whereas the t-shirt range is designed with 100 percent

long staple Egyptian cotton, while the collection has been treated with

special sweat absorbent technology that makes it perfect for hot and sultry

summer. The collection is priced at `425 onwards.

DUKESUN’N’SURF

•BY VANDANA RANA

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88 | April 2013 | IMAGES Business of Fashion

brown colour palette, fur shoulder wraps and ankle-length

trench coats.

The drones “allow us to be pioneers once again and project

ourselves into the future. Fendi’s digital strategy resolves to

continuously raise the profi le of the brand,” said Pietro Beccari,

chairman and CEO, Fendi, which is owned by French luxury giant

LVMH. Beccari said that the drone footage, which was streamed

live on Fendi’s website and on social media, would “give our fans

a chance to see the show like it has never been seen.”

In the days following the fashion show, the dedicated area on

fendi.com will be enriched with special content about the event,

including the exclusive “making of” video to experience the birth

and implementation of the project up close. At the end of the live

show, users will be able to replay the video of the fashion show

on demand, with the “Drone Cam” footage, always on Fendi.com.

AT THE RECENTLY CONCLUDED MILAN FASHION WEEK, IT WAS POSSIBLE TO BE CONNECTED AND EXPERIENCE THE EMOTIONS OF THE FASHION SHOW IN REAL TIME WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF CHOOSING THE PREFERRED PERSPECTIVES BETWEEN THE ‘CLASSIC’ VIEW AND, AS NEVER SEEN BEFORE, THE AERIAL SHOTS CAPTURED BY THE FLYING ‘DRONE CAM’.

FENDI DRONES UP TECH-FASHION

•BY AARTI KAPUR SINGH

A latest innovation, masterminded by Fendi, ensured

that cameras installed on drones captured the Italian

luxury fashion house’s Fall-Winter 2014-15 fashion show

and broadcasted it live on their website, www.Fendi.com.

High defi nition drone cameras fl ew along Fendi’s catwalk of

the Fall-Winter 2014-15 fashion show. This innovative project

surpassed the traditional notion of fashion shows and, thanks

to its use of digital platforms, it aimed at bringing the audience

closer to an exclusive event by creating a revolutionary,

captivating, immersive and unprecedented experience.The

drones whirred ominously overhead in the closed showroom as

Karl Lagerfeld’s collection fl owed along the runway, with the

models seemingly unfazed by the new technology. The military

technology of drones seemed oddly appropriate for a collection

that looked back to the wartime - 1940s - with a green-and-

technology

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designer weaves

96 | April 2014 | IMAGES Business of Fashion

INDIAN LEATHER PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION ORGANISED ITS ANNUAL EVENT THE ILPA FASHION SHOW - LEATHER ON THE RAMP - IN KOLKATA. COMPLETING ITS 26TH YEAR THE ORGANISATION HAS LEFT NO STONE UNTURNED TO PROMOTE THE LEATHER INDUSTRY. ON THE OCCASION MAJOR EXPORT HOUSES SHOWCASED THEIR BRAND’S COLLECTIONS.

It was Kolkata’s rendezvous with fashion

as the city’s glitterati came together to

witness the biggest and the solitary leather

show by Indian Leather Products Association

(ILPA) held at Swiss Hotel. The models sashayed

the ramp with their implausible looks sporting

the outfi ts designed by Tejas Gandhi and Arnab

Sengupta and make up by Rajat-Kaushik. Leather

products showcased at the event included ladies

bags, handbags, clutches, hobo handbags, unisex

bags, mens bags, briefcases, portfolios, holdalls

(travel bags) and belts. Prestigious leather

brands and export units like Rene, Indostyle Hunt,

Shivmani, Kompanero, Metrolpoli, and Jiwan

displayed their exclusive products.

ILPA BAGS AND BAGGAGE

•BY PROSENJIT BISWAS

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contents

DENIM AND FASHION TRENDS – CAPSULE FOR INDIA

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

108

FACTS I RETAIL108 Mahattan Market Retail trailblazer Dover Street market fi nally lands in

New York

FACTS I BRAND110 Threads with star appeal Its’s not only its eco-thread which sets US- based bionic apart,

but its Creative Director Pharell Williams

FACTS I BRAND112 An exercise in utility and simplicity

US functional brand Spiewalk is celebrating its 110th

anniversary this year and is ready for its global relaunch

FACTS I BRAND

113 Tea time With its new tea label sub-collection, US men’s lifestyle brand

Bills Khakis is wooing a younger customer

RETAIL I SUSTAINABLE FASHION114 We are a fashion business not an eco boutique

Shopping with a clear conscience- More and more shops are

specialising in sustainable fashion

STORES I RETAIL CONCEPT118 Women’s Hour

London store Hostem has carved a niche for itself as a cult

menswear destination, following major expansion, women are

now catered to as well

SOURCING I FABRICS

120 Local goes GlobalA deal struck between major Chinese textiles company

Carloway mill will see harris tweed grow internationally

SOURCING I WAGES

124 Fair payEveryone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the

health and well-being of himself and of his family

SHOOTS132 Nineties in bloom

110

112 114

118120

124

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Contents_SWI.indd 107 4/3/2014 7:09:49 PM

> The nice thing is that the interest

in sustainability has increased

substantially in recent years. According to

the recently published Otto Group trend

study 2013 study, 46% of those surveyed

spend more money on ethically correct

products than they did one or two years

ago. If it was hardcore eco apostles who

bought green apparel earlier, the group of

those who would potentially buy fashion

items which have been manufactured

sustainably has gotten much larger. This

new group is willing to spend money–the

only catch is the gap in what is out there.

On the one hand there are the clearly positioned

eco labels such as Hessnatur, Armedangels and

a large number of small-label designers where the

steps in the textile production chain are conscientious. But

for those who want to wear fashionable and trendy looks,

they are–pardon my saying it so bluntly–left in the cold by

these collections. And then there are all the organic and

green collections which come sliding toward you at every

single vertical retailer. But what exactly do these terms

mean anyway? What are they worth? It has long been clear:

Terms commonly heard in the organic, eco and ethical area

are being instrumentalized for marketing reasons. But is

that the right approach? Let’s not kid ourselves: Fashion still

sells because of the way it looks. Don’t get me wrong, though,

I really do consider it important to give a lot of thought to

where clothing comes from. But still, the way it wears, the

cut and attractive material are the decisive arguments when

deciding to buy a pair of slacks, more so than sustainable

cultivation. “Those who care about organic quality in meat

and milk and buy fair-trade coffee and only buy their shirts

from one retailer which monitors the work conditions of its

workforce can still drive a car with a lot of horsepower and

travel to faraway destinations three times a year.” That was

a sentence from the Otto trend study. Meaning, the new

consumer who is interested in making ethical purchases

is pragmatic: sustainable, by all means, but only if it

accommodates his lifestyle and expectations and there are no

compromises when it comes to aesthetic appeal and quality.

QUIETLY AND SECRETLY DO GOOD THINGS, YES. BUT PLEASE DO

THEM WITHOUT BLARING IT OUT–AND NOT TO DISTRACT FROM A LACK OF GOOD DESIGN

OR CONVINCING FITS. BY MARIA HUNSTIG

It would be nice if more collections could

put all of that together. It would also be

nice if, when purchasing a premium

product, you can simply assume that

the money you are spending on it was

used for a product manufactured

in accordance with the best eco

practices. That is not currently

possible–it is no secret that jeans

selling for €15 and those retailing for

€250 are often produced at the same

factories in equally poor conditions.

So the question which still needs to be

answered is how the price for expensive

jeans can be justified. Ah, right, the

marketing expenditures….

Nudie Jeans, which pays workers at its only Asian

production facility fair wages and has been making jeans

using 100% organic cotton since 2012, offers carefully

worked out recycling options–and communicates all that

on its website and almost nowhere else. “We don’t want

people to buy apparel from Nudie because we are paying

our workers living wages–we want them to buy our products

because they like them,” says Sandya Lang, CSR manager at

the Swedish jeans label. That’s spot on, because those who

are interested in background details will be reached and

all other customers will buy because they like the product.

Instead of spending money on expensive eco marketing,

more should be put into design and personnel–then the

conversion will work without too much loss in profits.

If sustainable and fair fashion should in fact become

mainstream, then it has to shed its unappealing organic

aura. And that only works if your product is truly good. Do

good and talk about it? Yes and no. It’s indispensable that

consumers can find out about production conditions under

which brands are made on a company’s homepage or at

its stores. But the rest of corporate communication should

focus closely on having consumers associate brand names

with an attractive style or look instead of compulsively

adding green attributes to the brand–because (so far) that

hasn’t been the tipping point when it comes to fashion

shoppers.

industry | comment

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