Desire Junior Vol 9 No.1

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OM SAI MAA

VOL 9 No. 1

JUNIOR

BIBA GIRLS

Dressing up young fashionistas a publication by

STYLE FEATURE

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doll_india

dollindia

www.dollindia.com info@dollindia.com

DOLL, Shed 9/A, Elphinstone Bridge Road, Near Parel Cotton Press Factory, J.B. Marg, Parel (E), Mumbai- 400012.

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Jayesh Shah– 9322228063 / Milin Nagda– 9820228063

Jayesh Shah- 9322228063 / Milin Nagda- 9820228063

STYLE FEATURE

doll_india

dollindia

www.dollindia.com info@dollindia.com

DOLL, Shed 9/A, Elphinstone Bridge Road, Near Parel Cotton Press Factory, J.B. Marg, Parel (E), Mumbai- 400012.

doll_india

dollindia

www.dollindia.com info@dollindia.com

DOLL, Shed 9/A, Elphinstone Bridge Road, Near Parel Cotton Press Factory, J.B. Marg, Parel (E), Mumbai- 400012.

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Jayesh Shah– 9322228063 / Milin Nagda– 9820228063

Jayesh Shah- 9322228063 / Milin Nagda- 9820228063

STYLE FEATURE

doll_india

dollindia

www.dollindia.com info@dollindia.com

DOLL, Shed 9/A, Elphinstone Bridge Road, Near Parel Cotton Press Factory, J.B. Marg, Parel (E), Mumbai- 400012.

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STYLE FEATURE CONTENTS 1

OM SAI MAA

VOL 9 No. 1

JUNIOR

28 KIDS ETHNICS 31 COVER STORY 33 BRAND LEADERS 36 INFANT WEAR 40 BRAND LEADERS

BIBA GIRLS

Dressing up young fashionistas

46 CHALLENGES 47 CHALLENGES

a publication by

48 BRAND STORIES 10 OVERALL

58 TRENDS & STYLES

14 KIDSWEAR RETAILING

62 FEATURE

18 BRAND LEADERS

68 SUBSCRIPTION DFU PUBLICATIONS

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Published and Edited by Sanjay Chawla at: 38/314, Unnat Nagar 4, Off M. G. Road, MHADA Colony, Goregaon (W), Mumbai 400 062.

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OVERVIEW

Growing market potential continues to drive brands ahead

Kid’s wear segment has always promised tremendous opportunity for growth, more so now than ever in the past. Indeed there are numerous challenges still plaguing the segment and mindsets need to change if brands and retailers are to increase their market share, writes Brian Parker and Ajay Goswami • India’s kids’ wear market is approximately 20 per cent of total apparel market • Is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.0 per cent over the next 10 years • Currently estimated at Rs 73,274 crores and projected to reach Rs 166,147 crores by 2028.

• In 2013, the kids’ wear segment was pegged at $8.3 billion, contributing 20 per cent of India’s entire apparel market.

• Well-crafted marketing strategies will be needed going into the future • Global and domestic brands have made major inroads • Unbranded segment is bigger as they cater to tastes and are priced well • It’s a price sensitive market • Growth pegged to higher incomes, growing fashion sense among kids entry of big brands

OVERVIEW Siddhartha Bindra, Managing Director, BIBA Girls, says “A key percentage of this business is chaotic. No other segment of apparel is as unorganized as the children’s apparel market. A sizeable chunk of the business is dominated by unorganized high-volume players.”

“Kid’s wear still remains a highly unbranded market and products are sold through unorganized retail channels,” Bindra explains.

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he Indian fashion landscape is brimming with optimism that stems from continued economic prosperity of its people. Coupled with social changes triggered by technology, are revolutionising communication and networking. The urban-rural divide is rapidly narrowing. Ongoing infrastructure projects and business-friendly taxation policy will create a level playing field and provide opportunities to make supply chains more efficient in times to come. Businesses now have a better chance to improve their top and bottomlines.

Promising segment attracts numerous players Viewed against this backdrop, and predictions of sustained growth and economic prosperity, the domestic kid’s wear segment is destined for a bright future. For some time now, analysts have been harping on the potential that exists in this segment. In fact, a recent Technopak indicates, market share of kid’s apparel constitutes to be 20 per cent of the total apparel business. It is expected to clock in a CAGR of 9 per cent annually for the next decade. Estimated at Rs 73,274 crores at the moment, by 2024 it is expected to touch Rs 1,66,147 crores.

This shimmering pot of gold is attracting not only new players but also existing brands to venture into the kid’s wear segment. Though

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not all of them end up successful. For many this has been a mirage – you can see the pot and as you get nearer, it only gets further away from you! Having said that, companies and brands that do their homework meticulously and are willing to be in it for the long haul, have seen a higher rate of success.

Unorganized players continue to push ahead There are several inhibiting factors that must be cleverly negotiated and dealt with, more importantly, one must have the ability to predict the pitfalls and muster the necessary skills and resources to overcome them. In fact, of the total kid’s wear market, just about 30 per cent comprises the organized sector (brands and retail). Much of the business still is with the unorganized players where the entry level is low, and business is largely driven by not so ethical practices. Driving home the point, Siddhartha Bindra, Managing Director, BIBA Girls, says “A key percentage of this business is chaotic. No other segment of apparel is as unorganized as the children’s apparel market.

A sizeable chunk of the business is dominated by unorganized high-volume players.”

Even though the organized sector may see no competition from unorganized players, the reality is otherwise. “Kid’s wear still remains a highly unbranded market and products are sold through unorganized retail channels,” Bindra explains.

Counterfeiting is commonplace. And in a fashion-conscious and price sensitive market, it does have an impact on the brands, maybe not directly but in an indirect way. Another way of looking at this from brands’ perspective is players in the unorganized sector are inadvertently helping in market expansion. Sections of society that buy unbranded goods lack the purchasing

power but are enamoured by fashion and some day they will go for the original.

The chasm between the organized and unorganized sectors may be narrowing, as players in the latter category who have grown sizeably large in terms of their operations are graduating to become brands. Both have coexisted and will continue to do so in future. As Sohail Patca, Director, Ruff observes: “Even as more national and international players plan to tap into the kid’s wear market, this segment will see drastic change in the category movement from unorganized to organized.” He believes, “Bigger players/brands will explore buy out options of established companies in the unorganized sector in order to establish their presence in the Indian market.”

Boys wear dominates but girls wear catching up fast The kids apparel market caters to children

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OVERVIEW

Siddhartha Bindra

Managing Director, BIBA Girls “A key percentage of this business is chaotic. No other segment of apparel is as unorganized as the children’s apparel market. A sizeable chunk of the business is dominated by such unorganized high-volume players.” between 0 to 14 years of age and is segmented into boys-wear and girls-wear. Boys-wear segment currently accounts for majority market share and is worth about Rs 37,838 crores. This is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8 to 9 per cent to reach Rs 88,085 crores by 2028. “High growth categories of clothing in this segment are denim, T-shirts, shirts and uniforms which will see high CAGRs of 13, 10, and 9 per cent respectively over the next decade,” says Neha Shah, Senior Manager, Marketing, Pepe Jeans India.

Though the market share is skewed in favour of boy’s wear, current trends indicate this gap is narrowing fast. Girl’s wear is exhibiting strong signs of growth marked by an increase in spending on the girl child and a gradual and sure shift in preference of clothing that is driven by changing trends. Traditionally, the girlswear segment was inclined towards ethnic and cultural clothing but it is now shifting towards more contemporary and fashion outfits. The girl’s wear market is expected to catch up with boy’s wear sooner than later. Girl’s wear market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11 per cent over the next decade.

Girl’s wear currently accounts for about 49 per cent of the total kid’s wear market where bottom wear, ethnic, T-shirts, denim, dresses, winter wear and uniforms constitute the main product categories. Uniforms are the dominating category worth Rs 10,806 crores and expected to tick along at a CAGR of 9 per

cent to reach Rs 25,582 crores by 2028. Over the years, ethnic wear is emerging as another dominant category making up 23 per cent of the market segment. “A major shift in trends has been towards Western apparel including denim and T-shirts, which are growing faster than traditional categories. This is expected to register CAGRs of 13 and 12 per cent respectively,” states Neha Shah.

Competitive spirit drives growth The huge potential of kid’s wear market is luring local and international brands into this category. While big brands, and indeed the lesser ones, jostle for increased market share, it is opening up avenues for realignments and growing market overall.

Flexibility is key when it comes to the smaller brands succeeding in a competitive environment. To compete and grow in the presence of big players, it is imperative for domestic brands to meet the challenges headon. Improving product quality with attractive price points is being resorted to as a definitive strategy to hold their positions. Understanding of local fashion preferences and fusing them with international trends, and producing collections in quick turn-around time, gives domestic brands the much-needed leeway.

India’s burgeoning population of 1.30 billion is obviously what is driving the kid’s wear market. It is estimated that about 375 million

of the population is below 15 years and this constitutes a consumer base that is very attractive for any marketer or brand. Strong and sustained economic growth is putting more disposable money into the hands of parents who are inclined to spend more on kids clothing.

In today’s urban India, a growing trend towards nuclear families with working parents are willing to spend more for their child’s comfort and convenience. Increasing media exposure, and deep penetration of internet services, is having a major influence on youth across the country. Children are more aware and are imposing their choice on what clothes they wear and therefore, being active participants in purchase decisions. Being exposed to media and children therefore, are more aware about which brands which cater to them. This has resulted in their active participation in apparel purchase decisions.

In such a rapidly evolving scenario where change is the only constant, it is critical for brands and marketers to keep pace with consumer behavioural trends.

Internet commerce and social media are platforms that today’s youth are clued into and these are driving their purchase decisions. A deep understanding of the medium and how it is being used must drive the formulation of marketing strategies for brands and retailers alike. Consumer attention spans are now reduced to a few seconds, so how does a brand

OVERVIEW

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Positivity in future growth

Sohail Patca Director, Ruff

“Even as more national and international players plan to tap into the kid’s wear market, this segment will see drastic change in the category movement from unorganized to organized. The bigger players/brands will explore buy out options of established companies in the unorganized sector in order to establish their presence in the Indian market.” grab his or her attention requires highly creative and compelling communication campaigns.

Demand grows in unconventional markets Smaller towns and cities, is seeing a surge in demand for fashion products. This is having a positive impact on the retail scenario which is moving to professionalize their operations from being mere mom-and-pop stores. Typically, the merchandise retailed in stores is designed to suit local tastes and at pocket-friendly price points. However, brands are beginning to realise the potential of smaller markets and making inroads through e-commerce and multiple formats to target consumers. Pricing remains an important factor when it comes to the Tier II, III cities.

Consumers in small towns now have access to technology that is giving them exposure to trends and developments worldwide. This is having a notable impact in the growth of kid’s wear segments and is going to be a significant driver for brands to establish themselves and grow in these markets. “Parents are willing to spend money on their kids even if it means compromising on their own clothing needs.

All they want is good quality and reasonable pricing,” says Bhavin Jasani, Brand Head, Kandy Floss.

Kid’s wear as a distinct category of the apparel industry has traversed a long and arduous journey. The landscape is littered with interesting stories of brands that have made it to the big league; some are struggling to get there, yet others have fallen by the wayside. However, there is no doubt of the vast potential that lies ahead and capitalising on the opportunities will require carefully thought-out strategizing and commitment.

Brands and retailers must look to grow in tandem, going beyond their comfort zones of operating in urban cities and make forays into semi-urban and rural India. Future growth is going to come from these markets. From a fashion perspective, kid’s wear brands will need to offer clothing solutions rather than mere products that will satisfy both – the kid and the parent. For new entrants into this segment, these are exciting times provided they prudently use the vast knowledge to fasttrack the learning curve and thereby avoid the challenges and pitfalls faced by established brands and retailers.

Bhavin Jasani

Brand Head, Kandy Floss “Parents are willing to spend money on their kids even if it means compromising on their own clothing needs. All they want is good quality and reasonable pricing.”

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KIDSWEAR RETAIL

Department stores, online retail it’s a mix of both that drives sales Omni channel retail is perhaps the best way forward for brands in the fast growing kid’s wear segment.

However, Indian parents still prefer buying from local shops, so departmental stores will continue to be the best retail format for this segment, find out Prerna Sharma and Ajay Goswami

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tudies indicate the fast growing kid’s wear segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.1 per cent to reach Rs 145,445 crore by 2027. This has attracted numerous players into this segment both domestic and global brands. As Vinod Kumar Gupta, MD, Champion says, “The millennial culture, growing fashion awareness among kids and their active participation in dressing choices have led to a change and unveiled the true potential of the kids’ segment.

The emergence of e-commerce, have opened up markets, boosting growth of kids’ wear in India. With increasing competition, success has to be a combination of high quality, good

• Omni channel retail is the way forward for brands • The major challenge for kids brands is to balance between lower price expectation and retail cost • Despite growth in branded retail, Indian parents prefer to buy children’s wear from local shops or street side shops • In near future, large format and departmental stores will dominate kids’ wear • Growing influence of social media has given a boost to e-commerce design and right value for money product.”

Giving a global perspective, Shantanu Dugar, Director, Nauti Nati sees the dominance

of domestic players in the segment, “While it may seem global players are playing a significant role, however, in reality this is far

KIDSWEAR RETAIL

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utmost important to understand the consumer psyche in India feels Gupta. “Despite growth in branded retail, majority of Indian parents prefer to buy children’s wear from local or street side shops. Moreover, 70 per cent population living in rural areas is still deprived of e-commerce, online can never be the best option to reach the majority. EBOs, MBOs and LFS will gain more potential consumers, if proper focus is given on right product sourcing and price point,” Gupta explains. Besides ensuring a prevalent marketplace on social media, Dollar Industries has over 1,00,000 MBOs and 20,000 shop in shops across the country. It has a presence in many large formats like: Brand Factory, More

From extensive promotions to building real-time connection with the audience, social media has enhanced the process of reaching consumers.

Dollar Industries is relentlessly pushing for more and more digital outreach. The brand is utilizing every inch of space in e-commerce sector, apart from sustaining its own online shopping site Dollar Shoppe. After all, what was once a staple product with barely any innovation stands as an impregnable market today, thanks to the extraordinary advancement of digital forum.”

Indrayan too believes online retail is here to stay. Even though it has a downside, convenience is a great lure. “The biggest negative is that it has become purely discount

and Reliance Trends. “We believe reaching the potential customer both online and offline can help retain customers in this fast-changing and competitive market,” he adds.

Manu Indrayan, Co-founder and CEO, 612 League believes, “There is no single channel, which can justify kid’s wear retailing. Market situation is weak and it would not be right to single out any specific channel. Consumer sentiments overall is at its lowest and kids’ wear is affected by it. Moreover big structural changes are happening in the market. Junior wear manufacturers are struggling to get the right channel to retail their products. People who are already aligned in a certain way have to change. And online retail has spoiled the game with heavy discounts, gives low realization to business. The situation is complicated.”

driven. That should change. So far, there are no hopes of consumers giving full price for the merchandise they buy online. Indeed online channels have been helpful in reaching out to consumers in remote areas and for brands that have no physical presence. It is a good trend to first launch a brand online and then enter physical retail. It helps gain customer base and know the market better.”

Higher disposable incomes, exposure to global fashion trends have changed mindset with consumers more willing to purchase branded clothing. A report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India revealed of the total Internet users, 75 per cent of them are youngsters. Of the total estimated 9 million youth using Internet, 1.9 million are kids. This section is positively experiencing a 70 per cent year-on-year growth. Besides, many parents too find online retailing more convenient.

Another advantage is that foreign brands are able retail easily online now.

Gupta points out kid’s fashion category being the highest growing in fashion segment in recent times, has attracted the attention of

Vinod Kumar Gupta MD, Champion

“Despite growth in branded retail, majority of Indian parents prefer to buy children’s wear from local or street side shops. Moreover, 70 per cent population living in rural areas is still deprived of e-commerce benefits, online can never be the best option to reach the majority. EBOs, MBOs and LFS will gain more potential consumers to the market, if proper focus is given on right product sourcing and price point.” from the truth. In children’s’ wear, 85 per cent of the market is driven by unorganized brands, which are 100 per cent domestic brands, even if international brands cater to 70 per cent of the remaining 17 per cent, it is still only 10 per cent of the overall mix.”

A blend of brick and mortar and online retail Omni channel has been the mantra of most brands for every segment of apparel retail.

And kid’s wear is also going through the same channels. Indeed, with demand from New Age consumers who have higher disposable incomes, internet retailing has seen the fastest growth among all retail formats. And with big brands offering variety at cheaper price through online discounts the medium appeals to many buyers today. Growth of mobile internet retailing has really caught on. People in smaller towns are now extremely fashion conscious and with a credit card and smart phone in hand, online retailing has only grown.

However, before deciding which method of retailing is best for kid’s wear business, it is

Social media adds a new flavour Growing influence of social media and influencers has given a boost to e-commerce.

As Gupta states, “The trend of social media has come a long way from only connecting people to playing a deciding role in business.

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KIDSWEAR RETAIL

Manu Indrayan

Co-founder and CEO, 612 League “There is no single channel, which can justify kids’ wear retailing.

Market situation is weak and it would not be right to single out any specific channel. Consumer sentiments overall is at its lowest and kids’ wear is affected by it.

Moreover big structural changes are happening in the market.

Junior wear manufacturers are struggling to get the right channel to retail their products.

People who are already aligned in a certain way have to change.

And online retail has spoiled the game with heavy discounts, gives low realization to business. The situation is complicated.” online retailers. “Yet, in a country like India, where 70 per cent of the population is rural, it is not possible to gain business just through online marketing. Though few e-commerce companies are gradually tapping the rural market, it is still not enough. Moreover, majority of Indian consumers prefer to buy hosiery or kids’ wear from small mom and pop stores, which reduces the opportunity of online channels.” Due to a steep rise in e-commerce and consumer demand, online channels are definitely making a great impact in the growth of kids’ wear but in terms of value and volume, offline channels generate more revenue.

Indrayan adds, “We as a brand are now looking for modern ways for doing business.

First step is towards B2C strategy, more in the e-commerce and digital space. Before e-commerce was popular, there were still many

private labels but they would deliver to brands, feeding to their clients or supplying stores, etc, but now e-commerce has taken retailers out of equation and private labels have come to front.”

All small and private labels have found a space for themselves. It translates into an abundance of products as small labels can also reach out to consumers pan India. The culture of buying brands is also going down as people have enough brands and products to choose from.

From consumer’s point of view, it is all about getting the right product, price and availability.

The premium tag, which was associated with brands is slowly diminishing.

Retaining customer loyalty a challenge With growing retailing opportunities, the most challenging aspect would be to keep customer

loyalty. While brands will bombard consumers with new promotions and sale offers, it will be challenging for a particular brand to stay loyal to its customers and meet their expectations.

As Indrayan puts it, “The major challenge for junior wear brand is to find a balance between low price expectation and retail cost because many have good products but where would they get the required money for the value they are providing.

When I work with a departmental store or retail chain, they have certain margin expectations and discounting expectations since the entire market is driven by discounts. The kind of product positing and price is the biggest challenge for us.” The fact is, junior wear is a complicated category which is why there are fewer brands.

It requires a lot of variety, continuous product development faces sizing issues. Moreover, it takes a lot of time and perseverance to establish

KIDSWEAR RETAIL

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requirements are met and they also tend to shop more frequently with kids’ rapidly changing. We are working in a wider assortment to address this. Secondly, the number of sizes is much higher than in case of adults, brands and one has to work on their own grading and sizing parameters and constantly evolve.”

Future trends Indrayan believes for now and future, large format retail and departmental stores are going to dominate the market. “The question is whether brands will be able to sustain as big retailers have their own labels. In this format whether consumers buy your brand or opt for private labels depends on how much space is given to each and what value proposition is given. So, consumers’ preference will be towards departmental stores.”

Dugar however sums up, “Going ahead, we would see a greater shift in preferences across

Shantanu Dugar Director, Nauti Nati

“While in women’s and men’s wear, physical stores can be run with limited assortment, in kids’ wear, all categories have to be serviced primarily because mothers prefer going to those stores where most of their requirements are met and they also tend to shop more frequently with kids’ rapidly changing. We are working in a wider assortment to address this. Secondly, the number of sizes is much higher than in case of adults, brands and one has to work on their own grading and sizing parameters and constantly evolve.”

a junior wear. Big retailers have a good future as they have enough access to supply chains.

Domestic brands, which are already established can grow but setting up a brand in present times is challenging.”

While Dugar feels, “In women’s and men’s wear, physical stores can be run with limited assortment, in case of kids’ wear, all categories have to be serviced primarily because mothers prefer going to those stores where most of their

regions from unbranded to branded as the latter can offer dependable quality and access to international fashion in an organized manner.

Organized retail in general is increasing and this will make distribution for retailers/brands easier. Kids’ wear will continue to outstrip men’s and women’s wear as the shift from unbranded to branded continues to accelerate.

We can expect CAGR of 20 per cent over the next five years.”

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BRAND LEADERS

PEPE JEANS

‘Our target audience is fashion conscious children’ “The collection for younger children is more playful and has more patterns and saturated colors, whereas clothing for older children is a bit more reminiscent of adult fashion. Our target audience is fashion conscious children and parents who are not afraid to loosen their purse strings for quality products in the latest trends. Pepe Jeans London puts the countryside and the urban city side by side for the autumn/winter 2019 collection, one which has a sense of warmth at its core.”

Tell us about your children’s collection.

When Pepe Jeans entered India in 1989, the brand focused on denim and casual wear for men and women. After 16 successful years in the Indian market, Pepe Jeans decided to foray into the children’s category.The collection caters to children from 4 years to 12 years and consists of classic casuals and fashion denims.

The collection for younger children is more playful and has more patterns and saturated colors, whereas clothing for older children is a bit more reminiscent of adult fashion. Our target audience is fashion conscious children and parents who are not afraid to loosen their purse strings for quality products in the latest trends. Pepe Jeans London puts the countryside and the urban city side by side for the autumn/ winter 2019 collection, one which has a sense of warmth at its core. In a colorful mix of knits and puffa jackets, plaid shirts and hoodies, zip-up tops and folksy-fun pieces for girls, the collection celebrates both the iconic heritage of the Pepe Jeans London brand through archive logos and motifs as well as a sense of adventure. Pepe Jeans London has always been inspired by the eclectic spirit and heritage of London and brings them together for something that also takes its style nods from the great outdoors. Style and substance come together for practical pieces

– outerwear staples that tap into a retro charm but always make sure the Pepe Jeans London children are toasty warm.

tastes and styles in a pocket friendly pricing.

Pricing and variety play an important role when it comes to smaller cities.

What are the trends in the segment?

Explain your retail network.

The market potential for children’s wear has attracted many global brands to India. Brands tailor the line specifically for Indian audiences.

The children’s fashion industry has evolved and begun to imitate the adult fashion industry with miniature versions of different denim styles like ripped jeans, glittered jeans, studs, tassels, etc.

Parents have become concerned and conscious about their children being on-trend. Children influence the buying decisions of their parents and exert significant buying power. Favorite TV characters or celebrities, movies, TV serials, friends etc attract and influence children’s purchasing decision. Brands have created their marketing strategies and merchandising around this proposition to create the want and desire among children. Brands have also started innovating with natural, hygienic and flexible fabrics to offer comfort. The industry is definitely a blooming and promising category which has huge potential in the years to come.

Though we see a shift from unorganised to corporatized retail, most Indian parents prefer to buy children’s wear from local shops in smaller cities. The collection caters to localized

We are in family stores. We have exclusive brand outlets across Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Kolkata. Additionally we are also in key adult stores. Today Pepe Jeans children’s wear is available across 74 brand stores nationally as well as at large format outlets such as Lifestyle, Shoppers Stop and Central. We are also on Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra and Jabong.

BRAND LEADERS

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RUFF

‘Entry of new players will make this market more organized’ caters to boys six months to 16 years, middle and upper middle class, looking for fashion with quality fabric. Our products are distributed through bookings twice a year and fillers as per season. We plan to open more EBOs expand to all key large formats. Children’s wear is very competitive business. We have to deliver something new every time and have to be on our toes throughout the journey. Only innovativeness has kept us growing.

Which fabrics are generally being used in junior wear?

Sohail Patca Director

What is brand Ruff all about?

DS Corporation is India’s leading manufacturer of children’s wear marketed as brand ‘Ruff’. We believe in the best, from fashion forecasting of latest trends to machinery upgradation. Ruff

Comfort is the key. Mill made cotton tops the list. Especially poplin in various counts and constructions make the best tops. Pre-washed knits, ranging from 180 to 200 gsm, make the best T-shirts. It’s also a season of blends, as we are developing new fabrics which are better in terms of look and durability. Finally it all depends upon how the garment is treated and finished at the washing stage which determines its look and the feel.

Elaborate on current style trends.

Everyone wants a piece of style, even if it’s

simply wearing a unique belt, buckle or owning a coveted sticker posted carefully on a beloved beat-up car. Growing fascination for a personal style has reached a new crossroad. Our brand is inspired by the diversity of youth culture.

Street smart is the key word. Denim being the king of fashion everything revolves round it.

Funky detailing, cool prints and bright colors make a child look cool. With right accessories like belts, caps, bags and cool badges they are ready to rock-n-roll.

How is business?

Challenges are in infrastructure, marketing strategies and profits. Healthy competition would enable all players to have their share of profits, as the junior wear industry in India is huge. Every segment is active in junior wear-- super premium, premium, upper mid and economy. All big brands are already in the junior wear category. Entry of new players will make this market more organized.

The most lucrative segment in junior wear for brands looking for line/category expansion is six months to 10 years.

Price line has moved upward and customers are ready to pay any price if it is worth it. With growing spending power of parents, they spend on themselves and want their children to look good too. So the children’s wear market is growing since India has the maximum population in this category. High spending power directly affects sales of the company. With better production facilities Indian companies are able to cater to international markets in terms of design, production of branded children’s wear and thus take huge export orders which in turn help the company grow not only in the domestic market but also in the international market. Of the junior wear market in India the share of branded is around 30 per cent.

Why aren’t knit fabrics used for junior wear in India?

It is true that knits are one of the most comfortable and suitable fabric for children or for that matter anyone. But knits have a small space in Indian wardrobes. Among the reasons are availability and awareness. The belief is that the story of knits ends with a round neck T-shirt or a sweater. But now the scenario is changing. Knits are popular in metros.

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BRAND LEADERS

MONTE CARLO TWEENS

‘Workmanship in junior wear is complex’

Sandeep Jain

Executive Director Tell us about the brand.

Monte Carlo Tweens offers urban casual wear for boys and girls six to 16 years. We have casual sweatshirts, T-shirts, jackets, pullovers, shirts and denims. We have worked on a few themes for the season. Attivo Sports is based on sportswear and has a lot of cut and sew detailing with multi color blockings and clear graphics. Tapeworm is based on lots of tape detailing and their multiple uses whether it is in the form of panels or zippers or direct implication on garments. Hybrid Fusion

comprises lots of imported fabrics which have been blended with different Indian fabrics to give a perfect hybrid look. Bookings for autumn/winter ’19’20 have grown by 40 percent. We are planning to grow at 20 percent for the next three years.

Is junior wear a complex segment?

Junior wear is seen as a complex segment.

The workmanship in terms of embellishments, cut n sew, add on works, artworks is much more complex in comparison to adults’. At the same time MRPs have to be kept under check.

Since children outgrow their

clothing parents don’t want to spend fancy amounts. There is high pressure to provide unique fast fashion at affordable prices.

There is always a major issue of supply chain management that the right product should be on the floor at the right time. Also you have to make multiple artworks in the same design to fit all sizes. Multiple techniques of printing take a lot of time and thus increase lead time. To counter these issues we have increased the depth vs. width. Also we are trying to have our road shows a bit early so as lead times can be taken care of.

How is the business scenario?

There are many small unorganised players in the segment along with a few regional high fashion houses. Business is never an easy process and it has its difficulties at times. At times retail is difficult, when the season is not supporting and sales are not happening. At times production is difficult, when your planned schedules keep on getting postponed due to some or the other reason. There have been lots of new entries into this segment, making it more competitive. So existing players have to pull up their socks to outsmart new entrants. GST has helped in having a single MRP structure across the nation due to uniform taxation instead of differential taxation state wise. FDI policies have made lots of small players convert themselves to FOB vendors to big players but this could be a great opportunity for them as well.

BRAND LEADERS

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DEAL JEANS

‘Our core focus is comfort and adding value to garments’

Sameer Patel

Founder and Chairman What is Deal Jeans all about?

Deal Jeans is a leading fashion apparel brand with exclusive positioning in the high fashion space. Deal Jeans is positioned in the bridge to casual bracket. We are known for designer denims and casual chic tops in excellent fits and vivacious styles. We have products like: capris, jeans, pants, dungarees, shorts, jeggings. We use fabrics such as cotton-based denim, georgette, rayon and cashmere for tops.

Aiming to reduce the use of harmful chemicals during washes, Deal Jeans emphasizes on fading fabrics by laser which is far more environment-friendly compared to acid washing or sandblasting. We avoid bleaches and other chemicals in the washing process. We strive to reduce water consumption per pair of jeans.

We already have 16 product categories in our seasonal collections which may expand in coming years.

embroidery and laser printing are trending along with tearing and grinding effects. Urban parents are increasingly committing themselves to ethical and environmental issues. As the trend is moving toward organic and natural fibers, we are exploring to provide options to customers who are eco conscious with products like organic cotton. Our range has been crafted with sleek, refined silhouettes for the festive season. Indigo, blue and black shades have been replaced by colorful shades to add vibrance. Our season’s patched and distressed denims are undoubtedly the trendsetters for their designer aspects. In earlier days, parents were value-conscious and spent thriftily on children’s apparel. However, today, parents are fashion conscious and look for premium quality in children’s outfits. Fabrics, fits and colors and patterns are style driven because trends keep changing in the blink of an eye.

What are the style trends?

Explain your retail network.

Prints and patterns are the drivers when it comes to consumer choices. This season has embroideries and gel embossing, studs and appliqués with ripped embellishments. Color palette is light to dark shades in emerging bright and pastel colors. Denim has interesting finishes and unconventional cuts. Frayed and uneven hems add that perfect edge. AOP

We have 12 exclusive outlets in India and plan to launch eight more this finscal. We are in MBOs and large formats. Also, we are exploring overseas markets. Initially, Deal Jeans started with MBOs as our first distribution channel.

We then went into modern retail through large format stores. With online shopping being preferred by consumers, Deal Jeans expanded

to online shopping portals. The growth of online shopping helps establish a brand much faster since there is no geographical boundary anymore. After capturing the market through MBOs and large formats, the brand added another channel of standalone stores to increase further market penetration.

How do you strike a balance between comfort and style?

The days when fashion was the exclusive preserve of adults are long gone. Although clothing is still produced for a practical purpose, the act of wearing anything has become an art form of its own, one that we call fashion. Our core focus is comfort and adding value to garments.

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BRAND LEADERS

UNDER FOURTEEN ONLY

‘We are an uber cool brand for young adults’

Abhishek Agarwal Managing Director

Tell us about the brand.

Under Fourteen Only caters to children under 14. It is a fashion forward uber cool brand for young adults from the Creative Group. We have a pan India presence and distribute through all formats of retail, online, offline, EBOs, distribution. We plan to add new product lines and categories as we progress

Would you say junior wear is a complex segment?

Children’s wear is seen as a complex segment as it deals with a complex consumer base where we are addressing two behaviors.

One, is the person who uses the product and the other is the person who makes the purchase or the buying decision. Also sizing and the SKU in this segment are far more complex than men’s or women’s wear. Customers have to be given

the best value for purchase as children outgrow their garments. Also, customers today have a lot of options, so if we are not on the ball we can lose out to competition rapidly.

The most difficult part of the business as far as retail goes is competition from the unorganised market. Another big challenge is the high margins retailers charge for children’s apparel, which make the cost for the ultimate consumer high and hard to sell against competition.

Retailers’ margins should be reasonable for new entrepreneurs to able to have a level playing ground against established brands

So what’s the way out?

Innovation and customer acquisition are key to success. Another way to keep growth coming is having happy customers who will come back to buy your brand.

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BRAND LEADERS

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612 LEAGUE

‘The market is not vibrant enough’ the merchandise they buy. Online has been helpful in reaching out to consumers in remote parts and also for brands who do not have a physical presence there. It gives these brands good exposure and then they think of coming into the physical space. It is a good trend to set up first a brand online and then get into physical retail. It helps you gain a customer base and know the market realities. Learning from this experience you can bring additional changes and that works for any brand.

Is junior wear a complex category?

Manu Indrayan

Co-founder and CEO

now looking for modern ways for doing business.

The first step is toward a B2C kind of strategy, more in the e-commerce and digital space.

Before e-commerce was popular, private labels would deliver to brands, feeding to their clients or supplying stores etc. But now e-commerce has taken the retailers out of the equation and private labels have come in the front. Now all these small and private labels have found a space for themselves. It translates into an abundance of products in the market as small labels can also reach out to consumers on a pan India basis.

So what’s the way forward?

What are the style trends?

Every season has a different flavor. In children’s wear, basic garments remain the same. Only the designs and patterns are changed.

How is the business scenario?

The market situation is extremely weak.

Consumer sentiments overall are at their lowest in the current scenario. Retail space in India is limited and because of this what is happening is that the space for brands having their own EBOs is shrinking. Standalone stores are not always viable. In the current scenario junior wear manufacturers are really struggling to get a right channel to retail their products. On the top of that online has spoiled the game as this channel on account of heavy discounts gives low realization to their business. Right now the situation is very complicated. We as a brand are

As far as retailing is concerned, for now and the future, large format retail and department stores are going to dominate the market. Earlier brands were using the EBO model to grow. The MBO model was also popular. Then came large format retail. This is further divided into lifestyle format, value format and hyper value format. Then came online retailing and marketplaces. Earlier the share of large format retail was very low. It would stand at between 15 percent to 20 percent. In the last two or three years the market has been completely captured by corporate retailers or organized retailers. The culture of brand buying is also going down as people have enough brands and products to choose from. From the consumer’s point of view, it is all about getting the right product, price and availability. The premium which was associated with brands is diminishing now.

Do you think online is a threat?

Online is a channel which is here to stay.

It has negative sides but it is convenient and has many advantages too. What is bad with online is that it has become a purely discountdriven channel. That should change and if that happens it is a very interesting channel.

But so far it has not happened yet and there is no hope of consumers giving full price for

Junior wear is a more complex category than any other segment and that is why we have few brands in the category. It requires a lot of variety, continuous product development and has a great number of sizing issues. If you do shirts or trousers, it has a less number of issues. Our brand does boys’, girls’ and babies’. We handle around 35 product categories and how to sell and where to sell these products is the biggest challenge of them all. It takes a lot of time and a lot of perseverance to get a junior wear brand established in the market. It takes years to create a brand in the apparel space.

These investments take time to the range of five to ten years and it requires patience. Corporate retailers have access to supply chains but setting up a brand in the present times is going to be very challenging. The major challenge for a junior wear player is to find a balance between lower price expectation and retail costs. If I work with any department store or retail chain, they have a certain margin expectation as well as discounting expectation since the entire market today is driven by discount schemes. And the kind of product positioning and the price it should be at is the biggest challenge for us.

What are the price segments?

I don’t think there is any mid premium or upper premium segment in India. There is a premium segment but it is very small in size. What is found in a big way is the low to medium segment. Though consumers in adult segments like men’s wear and women’s wear are willing to pay high amounts, in the junior wear segment even premium customers are not willing to spend much. Price consciousness is very much attached to the customer’s mind.

It is because of abundant supply and choices consumers have in terms of product and price point.

A product which is available for Rs 900 is available from another brand for Rs 450. Consumers look for lower prices. It’s a self-defeating proposition but this is what is happening today.

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BRAND LEADERS

BODYCARE KIDS

‘Next season, we will offer new patterns and new character-inspired garments’

Mithun Gupta Director

Tell us about the brand.

We cater to children up to 14 years and offer vests, briefs, trunks, panties, bloomers, boxers, T-shirts, lowers, capris, shorts, frocks, skirts etc. Next season, we will offer new patterns and new character-inspired garments. With expansion in our product line and vibrant colors and combinations, cartoon-inspired products can trigger our retail expansion which in turn will grow our market as well.

What are the style trends in infant wear?

Vibrant and flashy colors are in. Cotton is an evergreen fabric. Cotton and organic products are important since comfort and the quality of fabric plays a vital role especially in infant wear. Popular cartoon characters are among the major factors that influence trends in children’s wear. India follows international trends when it comes to children’s wear.

Denims, T-shirts and funky shirts are among the most popular product categories in boys’ wear and the trendiest in terms of designs, colors, themes and styles. The most popular product categories in girls’ wear are denim skirts, jumpers etc and they follow latest trends in designs, colors, themes and styles. Cargos are a promising category that can be expected to trend in the near future.

Cotton is the top selling

fabric in children’s wear. Kids’ wear will be more design driven in future other than character driven as of now. The line will have more vibrant colors and combinations. Festive lines for children will be a hit.

How do you perceive infant wear market in the country?

Infant wear market is at a promising stage and has enormous potential. It’s growing at 10 per cent a year, which makes it one of the fastest growing markets. The infant wear category might be around Rs 9000 crores as of now in the branded segment and Bodycare contributes around three per cent. As far as brands are concerned, there are very few players in the market but still the segment is very competitive and price sensitive. There are many regional players. Comfort and quality are the prime factors to influence purchase in infant wear. When it comes to infant wear, some parents are very price conscious because they think that their child is going to outgrow their clothes in another six months, so at times they don’t spend heavily on children’s wear. But consumers are loyal if you give good quality at a good price especially for this category. The preference for branded infant wear has increased in India. This is because of awareness of fashion trends in infant wear among parents.

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BRAND LEADERS

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CHAMPION

‘Stripes are making a comeback in this segment’ What makes for success in this segment?

Success has to be a combination of high quality, good design and right value for money.

What are the style trends in junior wear?

Use of two or more contrasting colors is more in fashion than a monochrome apparels.

Stripes are making a comeback. Glitters and sequins are trending too.

What is your retail network?

Vinod Kumar Gupta Managing Director

Tell us about the brand.

Dollar Champion caters to both boys and girls aged 4 to 12 years. Girls have an ubersleek range of T-shirts with matching bottoms.

Dollar Champion, the premium segment, has a vibrant apparel collection. Champion Kidswear is designed with exciting prints and stripes, keeping in mind the comfort factor. Fitting and quality have always been Dollar’s USP. We are targeting 14 to 15 per cent sales growth.

In the super-premium segment, we have a JV with Pepe Jeans. In the economy segment, we have an aggressive dealer push along with a possibility of acquisitions.

Explain the current retail trends in children’s wear.

Children’s wear is growing at 8.1 per cent. Owing to the market potential, many international brands have entered India in the last few years. The millennial culture, growing awareness among children about fashion and their active participation in dressing choices have led to a change and unveiled the true potential of the segment. With e-commerce, hitherto remote markets have opened up, thus boosting growth.

Dollar Industries has more than 1,00,000 MBOs and 20,000 shop in shops across the country. We are in large formats like Brand Factory, Reliance Market, More by Aditya Birla and Reliance Trends.

What is the business scenario in this segment?

With the tremendous growth in children’s wear segment, the sector is gaining more attention among retailers. As the market expands, more and more brands will enter the field, competition will increase engaging strategies have to be implemented to keep target consumer hooked. As retailing opportunity grows, the most challenging side of retailing will be to maintain customer loyalty.

While all brands bombard the consumer psyche with promotions and sales offers, the challenge

for a particular brand is to retain customers’ loyalty and meet expectations. This sector is growing beyond the upper mid and economy range. With more foreign brands entering the market, children have the option of wearing clothes of luxury brands.

Has e-commerce helped?

Growing disposable income, exposure to global fashion trends through the internet have made today’s consumers more aware and willing to purchase branded clothes. The category is experiencing 70 per cent year on year growth. Parents who find it tedious to go out shopping prefer online retailing because of its comfort and convenience. Another advantage of online retailing is that foreign brands are able, which was once seemingly impossible for customers. But in a country like India where 70 per cent population belongs to the rural area, it is not possible to gain business from just through online marketing. Though a few e-commerce companies are tapping the rural market, it is still not enough. Moreover, most Indian consumers prefer to buy from small stores or street shops, which lessens the opportunity for online channels to contribute more to the business. Due to the steep rise in e-commerce growth and consumer demand, online channels are definitely making a great impact on the growth of children’s wear market but in terms of value and volume, offline channels are ahead in generating revenue.

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BRAND LEADERS

KANDY FLOSS

‘We offer soft color palettes, good designs’ Bhavin Jasani Brand Head

“We cater to Tier II and III and target distributors pan-India regardless of cities, states and towns. As of now, we are not targeting retailers, corporates or multi chain stores. We will be targeting each and every state in the country.”

Tell us about the brand.

Kandy Floss is a 14-year-old brand that caters to newborn upto two year with just about every apparel product. We deal fully in cotton and hosiery products. We have baby frocks, suits for boys, rompers, night suits, jump suits, vests, bloomers, panties, blankets etc. Our purpose is to provide soft color palettes, good designs and economical price points. The brand stands out in every respect from others in the league, whether it is designing, production or popularity. We cater to Tier II and III and target distributors pan-India regardless of cities, states and towns. As of now, we are not targeting retailers, corporates or multi chain stores. We will be targeting each and every state in the country. It has started in a phased manner. Month by month we will be putting up more distributors.

What are the style trends?

In every part of the country parents have different tastes. Some like dark, some like soft colors, some want too many prints, some want

light prints. You have to make a mix of everything as a brand. We use soft colors, nothing dark, full of colors, design, embroidery. I try to make products cute and soft.

How is the market scenario?

Parents are very willing to spend money on their children. They may compromise with their own clothing but never with their children’s.

The only thing they need is a good product at reasonable price and that is what actually Kandy Floss stands for. The major challenge is to get a hold on the market. You don’t become a brand overnight. It takes a lot of time and efforts.

There are so many players in the market and they have been there for so many years.

There is a huge void in the infant wear market. There are very few brands in the category in the country.

I do not understand why people don’t want to get into this category.

Maybe because there are too many unorganised players and maybe anybody can make a small product easily. But with the internet the segment has got some attention and respect.

Jakhhu Patel 336, Ashish Ind. Estate, Gokhle Road (South), Dadar (W), Mumbai - 4000 25.

Tel.: 2433 1922.

Mob. 9322273127 E-mail : bambinikid@gmail.com

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KIDS’ ETHNIC

Mini-me versions of sherwanis, salwar kameez pep up kids’ ethnic category The market for kids’ ethnic wear has seen a big push with numerous regional brands making inroads. While not many national level brands have ventured into this space, smaller ones are doing good business catering to regional tastes with their innovations and designer creations, write Shubhangi Bidwe and Ajay Goswami

KIDS’ ETHNIC

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• Ethnic wear a big draw among children today • Kids’ ethnic wear is the fastest growing category: Technopak • Miniature versions of adult clothing are in demand • Focus on comfort, fabric, embellishments and colour • For Kids has introduced a new segment in small sizes for babies 0.6 to 1.6 years • Loveu Kids launched a two-piece sharara with frills on floral prints.

• Keel Beel uses fabrics from Surat and imported fabrics from Turkey to create fashion-forward styles • The collections of Pari Creations are made from imported fancy fabrics

I

ndia offers multiple, region-specific, product categories in ethnic wear.

While north India has salwaar-kameezdupatta and kurta-pajama; South India, prefers saris and lehenga-cholis. With economic liberalisation and better access to information, trends and products, ethnic wear has penetrated beyond the traditional consumption

Siddharth Bindra

Managing Director, BIBA “Offering an exquisite range of fashionable garments, this collection includes dresses, lehenga sets, girl’s tops, jumpsuits and salwar suits for girls. It also offers silk Anarkali suits with gorgeous embroidery and golden thread work; trendy asymmetric suits in eye-catching prints and soothing fabrics; and kalidar suits that occupy a wide space in every girls’ ethnic wear collection.”

centers into newer markets. Over the years, it has also percolated into the kids’ wear category.

Understanding market potential many brands are offering mini versions of sherwanis and fashionable salwaar kameez for children.

Moving ahead with innovations A Technopak study revealed, kids’ ethnic wear is the fastest growing category with many brands launching their own kids ethnic wear collections. A prominent example is Biba, which recently launched a collection for girls called Biba Girls that offers products in the premium category. “Offering an exquisite range of fashionable garments, this collection includes dresses, lehenga sets, girl’s tops, jumpsuits and salwar suits for girls. It also offers silk Anarkali suits with gorgeous embroidery and golden thread work; trendy asymmetric suits in eye-catching prints and soothing fabrics; and kalidar suits that occupy a wide space in every girls’ ethnic wear collection,” explains Siddharth Bindra, Managing Director of BIBA. Another brand, For Kids has also introduced a new segment in smaller sizes for babies in the age group 0.6 to 1.6 years. “We have launched ethnic wear styles for infants that can be worn during weddings, festivals, religious and cultural ceremonies. Our baby-lehengacholis have super-soft inners and are made of soft outer fabrics with embellishments that makes the baby feel comfy and happy,” says Pradeep Savla, Founder of the brand.

On its part, brand Loveu Kids launched a two-piece sharara with frills on floral prints. The brand also offers exotic, triple-flounce, waterfrill sharara with semi-open and jacket-type tops, twi-three jacket tops and sharara sets, etc.

Gujarat-based brand Keel Beel has launched an ethnic ‘sari-style’ gown. “This is a mulberry colured sari-style, with a frill-sleeve choli and attached draped dupatta and soft palazzo style that mimics sari drape,” explains Kaushik Mehta, Proprietor, Parshwanath Clothing Company that owns the brand.

A specialist in kurtas and baby frocks Dearly

Arvind Chheda Proprietor, Dearly

“Suitable for Indian climate, our designs and fabrics keep our retailers and consumers happy.”

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KIDS’ ETHNIC

Pradeep Savla

Jayantibhai

Founder, For Kids

“We have launched ethnic wear styles for infants that can be worn during weddings, festivals, religious and cultural ceremonies. Our baby-lehenga-cholis have super-soft inners and are made of soft outer fabrics with embellishments that makes the baby feel comfy and happy.”

offers beautiful and stylish products with total comfort. “Suitable for the Indian climate, our designs and fabrics keep both retailers and consumers happy,” says Arvind Chheda, Proprietor of Fashion Forecast, the company that owns the brand.

Founder, Bambini “Our range is made from superior, fine count, imported Giza cotton and rayon which not only keeps our knitwear smooth and soft but also gives it a classy look,” a lehenga-choli set in sunshine yellow with golden roses printed on net, over a can-can skirt. “We have launched a soft caramel-gold, ready-to-wear sari-choli set that has fully draped pleats and knotted pallu,” states Pradeep Savla, Founder of the brand that offers gowns, lehenga-cholis, salwar-kameez and palazzokameez, for girls aged 2 to 17 years.

Focus on skin-friendly, imported fancy fabrics It is important for kids’ brands to offer skin friendly fashion therefore the focus can never shift away from soft fabrics like cotton. “Our range is made from superior, fine count, imported Giza cotton and rayon which keeps

All about delicate embroideries, soft colors Fruity colours, delicate or rich embroidery, motifs and soft sashes dominate kids’ ethnic wear this season. “We have launched deep crimson or ruby velvet embroidered frocks suitable for evening wedding receptions,” notes Chheda. “These value-added frocks have an overlay of embroidered net, over a printed skirt,” he adds. For boys, the brand offers both kurtas and dhoti-kurta sets that are popular for festivals, cultural functions and weddings. Our party-type and festive kurtas are available in bright colors with different neck styles such as the bandhgalas,” he informs.

Though customers want to touch and feel these garments to check their quality and softness, their color is also important. This has led to brands launching collections in soft summer colors. “Due to the hot weather, we have focused on pastel shades like soft pista green, pale blue, baby pink, peaches and lemon,” Chheda says. For Kids has launched

Bhavesh Thakkar

Director, Pari Creations “We start creating stunning garments from the fabric stage itself.”

our knitwear smooth and soft and gives a classy look,” observes Jayantibhai, founder of Bambini.

On the other hand, Keel Beel uses beautiful fabrics from Surat and imported fabrics from Turkey to create fashion-forward styles. “Our highest selling item in the last two months is the one-piece gown in soft viscose with panels of self-colured chikankari work on the skirt, with gorgeous Red-Tulip computer-stitched florals in resham and zari thread,” notes Mehta.

Pari Creations collections are also made from imported fancy fabrics including jacquards, silks, nets, tulle, embroidered or sequined fabrics.

“We start creating stunning garments from the fabric stage itself. For one to three year old kids, we use soft, light-fabrics in gentle shades and soft embellishments so that little kids don’t feel uncomfortable. Our embellishments are also a big hit among our customers,” adds Bhavesh Thakkar, Director, Pari Creations.

Price matters “There is growing demand for occasionspecific clothes with many private labels offering low-priced garments for kids,” says Bindra. With affordability being the key for all brands, their creations are priced modestly in the range of Rs 1,000-4,000. One of the top 10 brands of party frocks and gowns in India, Pari Creations offers ethnic ghagra-choli sets between Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 while gowns range between Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000. Similarly ghagra cholis offered by LoveU kids for two to four year olds are priced Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000. “We also offer ghagracholis for kids 5 to 15 years,” says Jigar Buricha, one of the founders of the brand.

COVER STORY

O

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BIBA Girls eyes Indian ethnic wear market

ver the last 32 years of its operations, home-grown brand BIBA has broadened its product portfolio from women’s ethnic wear to kids’ ethnic wear. It recently launched BIBA Girls, a devoted range for youthful divas aged between 02 to 15 years.

“Offering an exquisite range of fashionable garments, this collection includes dresses, lehenga sets, girl’s tops, jumpsuits and salwar suits for girls. It also offers silk Anarkali suits with gorgeous embroidery and golden thread work; trendy asymmetric suits in eye-catching prints and soothing fabrics; and Kalidar suits that occupy a wide space in the every girls’ ethnic wear collection,” notes Siddharth Bindra, Managing Director of the brand.

• BIBA Girls offers a devoted range for youthful divas aged between 02 to 15 years.

• The collection includes dresses, lehenga sets, girl’s tops, jumpsuits and salwar suits.

• BIBA now plans to expand into Tier II and III cities of India • Kidswear in India is expected to reach Rs 145,445 crore by 2027 • The rising trend of ‘mini-me’ garments is encouraging brands to design clothes for kids as they do for adults Wide variety at affordable rates Synonymous for pretty women in Punjabi, BIBA Girls offers a variety of styles and prints that are appreciated by its consumers. “The retail revolution offers us an opportunity to

expand our portfolio and grow across various segments,” says Bindra.

The brand currently caters to girls only.

“However, we plan to expand our product base and also set up more outlets in the country,”

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COVER STORY “There is a growing demand for occasion-specific clothes with many private labels offering low-priced garments for kids.” like Shopper’s Stop, Lifestyle, Pantaloons and Central, we also have a presence on all major online e-commerce websites like Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Jabong, Shoppers Stop, etc.

Our fundamental markets for expansion now include the Tier II and III cities which offer an extraordinary potential for growth,” he sums up.

“The market is rapidly advancing towards the organised sector as manufacturers and retailers attract customers with latest trends and fancy designs.” he adds. The brand recently launched the BIBA Jewellery range in selected stores across India.

Expanding middle class, increasing awareness drives growth According to Bindra, the expanding middle class is driving the growth of kidswear in India which is expected to reach Rs 145,445 crore by 2027. “Other factors fuelling its growth include the increasing awareness of new fashion trends amongst consumers, their need to dress up kids as per occasions, and migration of brands from metros and Tier-I cities to Tier -II and -III cities,” states Bindra.

The rising trend of ‘mini-me’ garments encourages brands to design clothes for kids as they do for adults. “There is a growing demand for occasion-specific clothes with many private labels offering low-priced garments for kids,” notes Bindra.

Kidswear remains an unbranded market Despite the segment witnessing higher growth in recent years, kidswear still remains an unbranded market with products mostly sold through unorganised retail channels. “It is not easy to establish a good kidswear brand as customers are becoming increasingly qualityconscious. To tap these consumers, brands need to customise their apparels according to their expectations. This requires a certain scale and time. Your product has to be better than others available in the market be it online or offline,” expounds Bindra.

Market moves from unorganised to organised sector “The market is rapidly advancing towards

the organised sector as manufacturers and retailers attract customers with latest trends and fancy designs,” avers Bindra. When BIBA launched its girls range, there were no branded ethnic players for kids in the market. “We were quick to identify this gap and launch a range that received a positive feedback from our consumers,” he adds.

Nowadays, parents associate good quality and design with brands. Their purchasing behaviour is influenced by materialism, social influences and digitalisation. Their preferences are evolving with changing fashion trends.

“Their growing disposable incomes are driving the growth of this market along with an increasing awareness of fashion trends and access to media platforms such as televisions, smart phones, movies, etc,” affirms Bindra.

From being just another ethnic wear brand, BIBA has evolved into one of the most prominent brands in the country. Its products are available through 278 stores across 110 Indian cities.

“Besides being present in all major retail chains

BRAND LEADERS

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TOONZ RETAIL

‘We have a new concept ‘Superyoung DIY’ jeans to explore a child’s creative mind’ season has an extensive option of gowns and dresses for the little princesses to choose from.

What are the new styles?

Sharad Venkta MD and CEO

Tell us more about your new collection.

The autumn/winter season is all about celebrations and parties. So the collection is focused upon a comfortable party ensemble. It is colorful, vibrant and energetic, resembling the nature of an enthusiastic child. The garments designed like this are heavy on style and light on the body, giving more options of layering and styling as per the occasion. The collection for Super Young is named as ‘Freestyle’, and Wowmom’s collection is called ‘My Waves’. Both collections are built on the thought of children expressing themselves and expressing their individuality. Freestyle has an outdoor, sporty look, with bright color palettes and edgy, oversized, interactive designs. My Waves resonates with the creative and cute style of toddlers, incorporating more of pop-ups, bright colors, and cute motifs.

For winters, SuperYoung collection is called ‘Entangled Woods’, and the Wowmom collection is ‘Forest Friends’. The themes convey and build on the idea of the mysticism and enchantment that surrounds the forests, in a child’s mind.

Entangled Woods has a darker and earthier tone to its collection, with more intricate designs.

Forest Friends depict the child’s imagination about the forests and animals, with warm colors and “manimals” being extensively used in the designs for the season. Keeping the festive collection separate altogether, the designs would be introduced in two segments--regular Indian ethnic wear and heavy Indian party wear. The western party wear collection of this

‘We have a new concept ‘Superyoung DIY’ jeans to explore a child’s creative mind’. This jeans comes with customized embroidered patches. Children can use the patches to design their own style by either stitching on the garment or attaching it with fabric glue.

The color palette this season comprises a lot of earthy, dark, and warm colors that resonate with the season. For the festive season, more of red, black, bright pink and dazzling blue are used in the designs. This season, many designs are built on corduroy, fleece, faux fur detailing, high density twills, brushed fabrics for sweatshirts and pullovers, quilted materials for intricate designs, etc. A lot of blended fabrics are used so that the garments remain light in weight and still retain their warmth. Laces and schifflis are used in the festive collection for the rich feel of a festivity, with plush fabrics like satin/silk and georgette coming into play. More of plush, lightweight blended fabrics are used to maintain the comfort quotient of garments yet maintain a competitive MRP. 3D elements are included in the designs to control strong sensory impact on the children wearing them, and keep them engaged with the same.

What’s your retail plan?

We have over 100 EBOs and looking forward to expand our presence in the large format segment. We are targeting the northern and western regions of the country. Our online portal is in development stage, and our products are already available on multiple e-commerce websites. We are available on: Amazon, Baby Chakra etc. However, our business is mostly focused on the offline segment.

How do you foresee business in A/W ’19 season?

With our focus being on festive wear this year, and India being the land of festivities, we are looking forward to lucrative business quarter for the autumn ’19 collection. This season has brought in many changes in product design which will positively impact the competitive business market.

34

BRAND LEADERS

DOLL

“While South India market prefers bright and vibrant colors; the north likes to be trendy” Manan Shah Director

“A year ago, the brand launched a new sub brand by the name of Diva

by Doll. “The difference between Diva and Diva by Doll is in the sizes it offers. Also, Diva by Doll does not have heavy handwork or embroidery or fabrics” Established in 1995, Doll is a fusion wear brand that offers ghagra cholis, ball gowns and shararas to girls in the age group of 5 to 13 years. The brand uses pure silk, Benarasi fabrics with embroidery and handwork. A year ago, it launched a new sub brand by the name of Diva by Doll. “The difference between Diva and Diva by Doll is in the sizes it offers. Also, Diva by Doll does not have heavy handwork or embroidery or fabrics,” says Manan Shah, Director of the brand.

The collection Both Doll and Diva by Doll offer a similar product range. “As our collection target wedding and other seasons, we offer both fusion and ethnic wear,” says Hina Shah, Designer of both these brands. For infants, the brand Doll offer inners and skirts in a minimum of two colors.

Diva offers its collection in a minimum of three colors. Its clothes are available in nine sizes from nine to 26, while that are Doll are available in 12 sizes from 24 to 36. The brand has customers in Bangladesh, London and US. With its products priced in the range of Rs 2,500-Rs 4,000, Doll is a premium brand, while Diva’s products are available in the range between Rs 950 to Rs 1,500. The brand has two factories with 60 machines. “In all, we make 300 pieces a week. While South India market prefers bright and vibrant colors; the north likes to be trendy. Earlier people preferred western frocks or gown, but now they are opting for fusion wear garments like shararas, ghararas and dhotis,” adds Shah.

Social media role Inspired from the film Frozen, the brand recently created a blue gown. It currently has three distributors in UP, Delhi and Chandigarh.

It has 700 point of sales in India. “South is our strongest market,” adds Shah.

However the purchasing power of consumers has declined. “There has been a 15 per cent fall in our sales as retailers are opting for more affordable brands. As they don’t prefer handwork, we opt for patchwork,” adds Shah.

BRAND LEADERS

35

PEPPERMINT

‘We are launching a new brand called CocoButter’

Santosh Katariya Managing Director

What is the brand all about?

We started as a manufacturer under the name Crystal Apparels in 1985. Brand Peppermint was launched in 2006. We cater to girls six months to 13 years and offer dresses, jumpsuits, gowns, evening wear, culottes, palazzos, jeggings, dungarees, shrugs, jackets, coats, capris etc. The vision is to become the most respected children’s wear brand in the country known for innovative designs, high quality and passion for excellence. We are launching a new brand called CocoButter. This will be a specially curated festive range for girls up to six years.

What is your retail spread?

We have six exclusive brand outlets.

Peppermint is in more than 1,000 multi brand outlets, 225 large format stores, and major e-commerce platforms like Myntra, Amazon, Flipkart, First Cry, Tata Clique, Ajio etc.

Do you feel junior wear is a complex category?

Yes, it is a complex product category from the manufacturing perspective. The complexity quotient is comparatively higher in girls’ wear.

There is more than a single use of fabric.

Trims require precise color matching. Unlike other product segments, multiple trims are used and each trim needs detailed grading,

which is directly proportional to the increase in garment size. Appliques, belts, buttons add to the making of a complex package. In India, consumer tastes change every few kilometers.

That’s the challenge. Choosing the right mix, right price point, right size ratio, color, silhouette and a product with the best amalgamation of these for a variety of consumers is definitely challenging. As far as production is concerned, super quick changes in styles of small lots, taking into consideration the other fashion quotient complexities, make it even more difficult to respond to market requirements in delivery time frame. Striking the perfect balance between top line and bottom line has been a challenge.

The major challenge is to strike this balance season after season. The entire season’s planning, inventory management, production cycle has raised the stake of doing business.

Moreover, discounted products running across e-commerce platforms through the year have is changing consumer buying sentiments. They force brick and mortar players introduce promos and discount from the beginning of a season.

Have you been affected by policies like GST? Peppermint being in a girls’ wear fashion segment, most of our products fall in the 12 per cent tax slab. This change in taxation policy has compelled us to inflate MRPs.

36 10

INFANTWEAR

Brands up the style quotient for newborns with new collections in innovative fabrics and styles Every mother loves to dress up her new born baby. However, dressing up an infant can be quite challenging as both style and comfort of the baby need to be kept in view. “Comfort and quality of clothes is the first factor that influences the purchase of infantwear,” says Mithun Gupta, Director of the brand Bodycare Kids which offers a wide range of innerwear and outerwear garments. In its upcoming season, the brand plans to introduce new patterns besides launching character-inspired garments.

C

omfort is also in the focus for the brand Cucumber which launches three collections every year; summer, pre winter and winter.

“Comfort, design and price points are the most important factors that help any kidswear brand grow as parents are very particular about their infant’s dressing,” notes Sunil Upadhyay, National Sales Head of the brand.

• Comfort dominates the collections of all infant wear brands • These collections are mostly made in cotton fabrics • Infantwear is mostly sold through baby shops, family stores and online channels.

• These garments are highly price-sensitive as customers do not like to spend on much on them • The market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 17.9% from 2018-2023

INFANTWEAR

37

Cotton fabrics dominate infantwear collections

Sunil Upadhyay

National Sales Head, Cucumber “It takes years for a brand to settle down as they need to have sufficient funds to carry on their operations.

Therefore, though a large number of players exist in this market, most of these are unorganised.”

Keeping this comfort factor in view, brands are innovating on the fabrics of their new collection. Tejura Group brand Mama & Bebe’s new collection plays majorly with the cotton fabric as it is skin-friendly and safer than any other fabric used in this category. “Our use of fabric largely depends on the functionality of our products. We recently launched a range of comfortable outfits for mothers that enable them to feed their babies easily,” says Rakesh Tejura, Director of the brand. The color palette of this range includes regular tones alongwith an assortment of dark colors.

Price sensitiveness adds to market complexity The market for infant wear in India is very complex as many organised, unorganised and international brands operate in it. These garments are mostly sold through baby shops, family stores and online channels. “They are quite price-sensitive as customers are not willing to pay a higher price for them. Though brand conscious, these customers are not very brand loyal,” adds Tejura. “For new-born babies we offer gift sets comprising a full ‘Layette’,

T-Shirt, Diaper Pant, Cap, booties and wash – cloth at an MRP starting at Rs 600. We also offer cute hairbands and shoes in the range of Rs. 300 – Rs. 350,” notes Harsh Vora, Partner of the brand Infants Gallery.

38

INFANTWEAR

Insufficient funds, unorganised players adding to market risk Besides being complex, the infantwear market is also very risky. “It takes years for a brand to settle down as they need to have sufficient funds to carry on their operations. Therefore, though a large number of players exist in this market, most

“As a recent Euromonitor survey reveals, the infant wear market in India is projected to grow at a compounded annual rate of 17.9 per cent from 2018 to 2023. To tap this potential, Myntra plans to soon onboard dedicated organic clothing brands and winter collection for babies. Similarly, Walmart-owned Flipkart, which stocks dedicated brands like US Polo, Gini & Jony, Crocs and private infant label Miss & Chief, plan to scale up its kidswear segment across tiers.”

Innovations in the infantwear market

Offering the best gift for `first time’ moms, the brand lnfant’s Gallery has launched a `Babies Piano Gym Mat’, a soft matteress-like sleeper, which encourages a baby to play, learn and sleep soundly. “This mat will ensure that a when 3 month old baby kicks its feet, it feet hit against soft and dynamic foot pedals and he plays with the soft, cute, toys hanging above,” says Vora.

The mat has music, lights and cute animals o mobilise, motivate and exercise the growing baby. “Touching and shaking the rattles improves the baby’s co-ordination.

If you press a switch you get “feet dance” with music and animal sounds. After exercise, the lullabye music will soothe the baby to sleep. The piano keys are volumeadjustable,” adds Vora. of these are unorganised,” adds Upadhyay.

Though the involvement of bigger brands’ is currently miniscule, the market is continuously growing with many big players entering into it. “There are brands catering to every kind of requirement be it pricing, quality or designs.

This is leading to an increased competition in the market,” adds Upadhyay further.

Immense growth potential Currently growing at a rate of 10 per cent per annum, the infant wear market offers enormous potential for growth. India is home to an estimated 120 million children in the 0-4 year age group with the growth rate in the infantwear market now drawing a parallel to the one seen in the kidswear market. A huge consumer

base is making small garments a big business for retailers.

As a recent Euromonitor survey reveals, the infant wear market in India is projected to grow at a compounded annual rate of 17.9 per cent from 2018 to 2023. To tap this potential, Myntra plans to soon onboard dedicated organic clothing brands and winter collection for babies. Similarly, Walmart-owned Flipkart, which stocks dedicated brands like US Polo, Gini & Jony, Crocs and private infant label Miss & Chief, plan to scale up its kidswear segment across tiers.

In future, kidswear will be more design driven than character driven. It will have a more vibrant color combination with even the festive line becoming a huge hit.

40

BRAND LEADERS

CUCUMBER

‘Every creation of ours reflects a keen sense of innovation’ Sunil Upadhyay

National Sales Head “We have girls’ and boys’ bottom wear, innerwear, tops, panties etc.

We introduce three collections a year: summer, winter and pre winter. Hundred per cent cotton is used and no harmful chemicals are used.”

Tell us about the brand.

Cucumber launched in 2001 caters to infants in the mid segment. We have girls’ and boys’ bottom wear, innerwear, tops, panties etc. We introduce three collections a year: summer, winter and pre winter. Hundred per cent cotton is used and no harmful chemicals are used.

Skin friendly fabrics and soft colors are used.

Every creation of ours reflects are innovations.

Cucumber uses 100 percent mercerised cotton which increases the luster of the fabric, makes it stronger, with better resistance to tearing and abrasion and allows colors to be more vibrant.

What’s more, it absorbs moisture better, keeping skin cool. Recently we introduced accessories for children. We have 1,200 distributors and 36,000 retailers. We have a presence in the Middle East, Sri Lanka and Singapore. We have a highly equipped stateof-the-art manufacturing facility in Eastern India with a one lakh sq ft operation area.

The production capacity is around 17 million pieces a year. It has over 800 ultra-modern sewing machines with an automatic cutting and spreading facility.

How do you perceive the junior wear market?

The market is very risky in current times.

A brand may take years to establish in any category. And junior wear is the most complex of them all. One should have enough funds to carry on as payment issues are so big that nobody can survive without having good capital to sustain. That’s the reason brand failure is high in junior wear segment. Markets are changing fast. You

have to be genuine in every respect. Big brands’ involvement in infant wear is miniscule. But the market is continuously growing and we may see big players in the category in future. As of now not only small and unorganized players are getting organized but the entry of new players is strengthening the market, increasing the share of organized brands.

There are brands for every kind of requirement, whether it is pricing, quality or designs. So, when there are different players serving different income bases competition is likely to happen. Infant wear market has good growth prospects. There are a numerous players serving the masses in infant wear.

But they are not in the counting just because they are unorganized though they capture a larger share of the market. Comfort, design and price point are the most important factors for any brand to grow. There are many things that you need to address in marketing and retail fronts. Service matters. Parents are particular about their infant’s dressing. It is usual nowadays to change clothes three or four times in a day.

42

BRAND LEADERS

NAUTINATI

‘We provide fashion forward clothing for children’

Shantanu Dugar Director

Tell us about the brand.

NautiNati was founded in 2009 by Omega Designs, a star-rated export house. We cater to boys one year to five years and girls six months to eight years. We do not cater to boys older than five years as purchasing tends to become more brand oriented, and product differentiation becomes very hard. The brand was launched with the vision of providing fashion forward clothing for children in India at affordable prices.

Our USP is focus on natural fibers, accurate fits, and vibrant colors that match Indian preferences. All details – prints, embroideries

and trims-- are customized to the targeted age groups’ preferences and aspirations. Most of the brand’s products are manufactured in-house and adhere to the strictest export standard quality controls.

The brand clocked over Rs 40 crores last financial year, with nearly a 30 per cent contribution from e-commerce. In 2016, we launched a new brand for girls 9 to 14 years called Natilene as this age group requires a special focus and has a distinct identity – the trends are borrowed from young women’s range rather than children’s.

The brand is positioned in the country’s premier large format and online marketplaces. We are in 50 multibrand stores and hope to be in well over 300 in the next two or three years. We are launching ethnic wear for children. In 2020, we will launch our own range of footwear to be sold exclusively online.

What is the segment’ growth and market size?

It will continue to outstrip men’s and women’s segment as the shift from un-branded to branded continues to accelerate. It is expected to grow at 20 per cent over the next five years. It may seem global players are playing a significant role. However, in reality, this is far from the truth. In children’s wear 85 per cent of the market is driven by unorganized brands which are totally Indian. I would say international brands cater to just 10 per cent of the overall market.

What are the challenges in the segment?

In women’s and men’s, physical stores can be run with a limited assortment--only formals or only denims or only ethnic or only party wear.

However, in children’s, all categories have to be serviced – primarily this is because mothers tend to shop more frequently due to need, not want, as it is in their own case and as such prefer going to those stores where most of their requirements are met. We are working in a wider assortment to address this. Secondly, the number of sizes is much higher than in the case of adults – brands have to work on their own grading and sizing parameters and have to constantly evolve.

44

A

STYLE FEATURE

bout the brand: Positive Energy started its journey in 2006, started

by Mr. Jagdish Patel. Their stepping stone being kidswear, womenswear and mens wear. Gradually evolving by setting up strategies to enhance the brand in taking bolder steps into the trade. The brand has 2 units of production with a capacity of 700-800 pieces per day. The production is restricted to inhouse. The brand is mainly into sports wear, lounge wear and daily wear for all the three categories. The brand is present in major cities in India like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar, Hyderabad, Bangalore, etc. Positive is yet to make a pan India presence. The fabric used for the product is majorly hosiery procured from China, Korea, Ludhiana and Mumbai. Fabric from China and Korea is majorly used for sportswear.

STYLE FEATURE The brand is indirectly connected to the online portals but are not present in the MBO, LFS formats.Collection : As Positive Energy gears up for summer, they plan to bring in a huge range for all the three categories comprising of lowers, track pants, shorts, doctor shorts, capris, vests, t-shirts, leggings, hipsters, T-tops, hoodies, etc., all in earthy hues and regular colours like black, shades of blue and grey, lavender, pink, red, green, cement, etc. Since the brand targets all age groups the price tags vary accordingly. For the men’s section the price varies between Rs. 250 to Rs. 800, whereas for the womens’ section it is between Rs. 95 to Rs. 750, while the kids section it is between Rs. 350 to Rs. 800 . The brand is preparing itself for a pan India presence.

Jagdish Patel, Owner ►

Jagdish : 9869707575 Gala No. 9, S.K.R. Compound, Opp. Ganesh Mandir, Station Road, Mahim (E), Mumbai - 4000 07.

E-mail : positiveenergy924@gmail.com Website : www.positiveenergy.co.in

5

44

A

STYLE FEATURE

bout the brand: Positive Energy started its journey in 2006, started

by Mr. Jagdish Patel. Their stepping stone being kidswear, womenswear and mens wear. Gradually evolving by setting up strategies to enhance the brand in taking bolder steps into the trade. The brand has 2 units of production with a capacity of 700-800 pieces per day. The production is restricted to inhouse. The brand is mainly into sports wear, lounge wear and daily wear for all the three categories. The brand is present in major cities in India like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar, Hyderabad, Bangalore, etc. Positive is yet to make a pan India presence. The fabric used for the product is majorly hosiery procured from China, Korea, Ludhiana and Mumbai. Fabric from China and Korea is majorly used for sportswear.

STYLE FEATURE The brand is indirectly connected to the online portals but are not present in the MBO, LFS formats.Collection : As Positive Energy gears up for summer, they plan to bring in a huge range for all the three categories comprising of lowers, track pants, shorts, doctor shorts, capris, vests, t-shirts, leggings, hipsters, T-tops, hoodies, etc., all in earthy hues and regular colours like black, shades of blue and grey, lavender, pink, red, green, cement, etc. Since the brand targets all age groups the price tags vary accordingly. For the men’s section the price varies between Rs. 250 to Rs. 800, whereas for the womens’ section it is between Rs. 95 to Rs. 750, while the kids section it is between Rs. 350 to Rs. 800 . The brand is preparing itself for a pan India presence.

Jagdish Patel, Owner ►

Jagdish : 9869707575 Gala No. 9, S.K.R. Compound, Opp. Ganesh Mandir, Station Road, Mahim (E), Mumbai - 4000 07.

E-mail : positiveenergy924@gmail.com Website : www.positiveenergy.co.in

5

46 20 Industry CHALLENGES

Unorganised brands, demand for variety, discounts, challenge segment’s growth

M

any kid’s wear manufacturers have lost sleep over designing apparels for this segment as this is a highly complex category.

Functionality and pricing are sharper category compared to men’s and women’s categories.

However, since brand play is smaller comparatively it which enables individual brands differentiate their products based on the fashion quotient. Compared to boys’, girls wear segment is more complex as it uses multiple trims. “Each of trim calls for detailed grading that is directly proportional to increase in the garment’s size,” says Santosh Katariya, Managing Director, Peppermint.

Demand for wider variety Unlike men’s and women’s wear, there is greater demand for a variety in styles. “The premium kid’s wear segment prefers products with attractive designs and innovative patterns such as jumpsuits, culottes, palazzos, etc,” adds Katariya. All these categories need to be properly serviced as mothers shop more

DESIRE_Junior.indd 20

• Functionality and pricing are sharper in the kid’s wear category • Girl’s wear segment is more complex than boys • There is demand for wide variety of styles • Higher margins charged by retailers increasing consumer costs • Discounts across e-commerce platforms are changing buyer sentiments for their children. “As the number of sizes is more than in adults, brands have to work on their grading and sizing parameters,” explains Shantanu Dugar, Director, Nauti Nati.

They also need to increase their retail shelf space to carry such a wide variety of product assortment.

concepts within the same product to customise it to the required parameters. However, we still have a long way to go as super quick change in styles of such small lots make it difficult for us to respond to market requirements within delivery timeframe,” notes Katariya.

Diversity leading to changing consumer tastes

One of the most difficult parts of kids wear retail is growing competition from the unorganised makers. Retailers are charging high margins thereby increasing the cost for consumers. “Retailers need to reduce their margins to provide entrepreneur with a level playing ground against established brands,” points out Abhishek Agarwal, Director, Under

India has many languages and cultures which leads to constant change in consumer’s taste. “It is challenging to choose the right mix of producta, price point, size ratio, color and silhouette for such a variety of consumers. We are able to achieve this as we combine local

Balancing top and bottom lines

1/28/2020 5:05:49 PM

Industry CHALLEnGEs

47

Abhishek Agarwal

Director, Under Fourteen Only “Retailers need to reduce their margins to provide entrepreneur with a level playing ground against established brands.”

Fourteen Only.

Innovation and customer acquisition are the keys to success in this competitive market.

“Ensuring customer satisfaction can help brand growth in this segment,” adds Agarwal.

For this, retailers need to maintain the perfect balance between their top and bottom

Shantanu Dugar Director, Nauti Nati

“All categories in kid’s wear need to be serviced as mother’s shop more frequently and prefer going to those stores that meet most of their requirements.”

DESIRE_Junior.indd 21

lines. “They need to balance growth with sustainability. However, every season brands are compelled to plan their EOSS early. They need to plan their entire season’s collection, inventory management, and production cycles,” adds Katariya.

Discounts changing buyer sentiments Moreover, discounted products running across ecommerce platforms throughout the year are changing buyer sentiments.

“Brick and mortar stores are being forced to offer discounts right from the beginning of the season besides investing on product promotions,” Katariya opines.

Market driven by unorganised brands There is a shift in preferences from unbranded to branded market across regions as the latter can offer a dependable quality and access to international fashion in an organised manner. Organised retail is making distribution easier for retailers and brands.

Though global players seem to be playing a significant role in the kid’s wear segment, in reality 85 per cent of the market is driven by Indian unorganised brands Physical stores in the men’s and women’s segment can be run with limited assortment.

“In kid’s wear all categories need to be serviced as mother’s shop more frequently and prefer going to those stores that meet most of their requirement,” says Shantanu Dugar, Director of the brand Nauti Nati which is working on wider assortment to address this issue. The number of available sizes in kid’s wear is much higher than those in adults. “For this, brands have to work on their own grading and sizing parameters and constantly evolve,” Dugar highlights.

Santosh Katariya

Managing Director, Peppermint “Brands need to plan their entire season’s collection, inventory management, and production cycles.”

1/28/2020 5:05:51 PM

48

BRAND STORIES

The kidswear segment is blooming with delightful fashion for girls, smart styles for boys and cute, cuddly outfits for infants. From sets to separates, ethnics to fusion wear, western-style frocks to glamorous gowns, girls can enjoy a myriad delightful creations. Boys can revel in Jacket-sets, hoodies, camouflage or cargo styles and cheeky T-shirts. Marie-Celine D’Mello explores the trends.

DEARLY

A

The “Embroidery Specialist”

rvind Chheda, the proprietor of Fashion Forecast, the company, with the kidswear brand, Dearly, started the enterprise in 1983. He says “My father was into garments, but at that time my children were small, so I had an interest in fashion for small children. I also had a talent for designing and the urge to be creative, so I decided to manufacture children’s garments.

We started with kidswear for small kids (1 to 4 years). Today also, 80% of our sales are in this age-group. 20% of our sales is for the 5-12 years age-group. We had a very clear USP: to give Baba-sets, and soft knitwear in fine, premium cotton, as it is skin-friendly and safe, highly suitable for infants and toddlers. We are also specialists in kurtas and baby frocks for babies, little girls and boys. We design and make our own unique embroidered fabrics in-house on leading Shiffle machines from Switzerland. So we are able to give beautiful stylish products with total comfort. Because we give unique designs and fabric suitable for Indian climate, we have regular happy customers and long-standing retailers also.”

“Knitwear tops or baba-sets comprise 30% of our production, while 70% is embroidered fabrics. Nowadays our all cotton jhablas and kurtas are doing well: Our party-type and festive kurtas in bright colours, with different necks, or bandh-galas, are a hit for cultural or social events, in the 4-12 years segments. Our party-frocks (5%) in this age group are loved for the great fashion. Retailers tell us that my buyers, mothers who buy for their kids, look for beautiful garments which `catch the eye’.

Then they want to touch and feel for softness and check the quality.

Colour is also very important. Our summer palette ranges from soft pista green, pale blue, baby pink, peaches, lemon: all pastel shades because

Style File of Dearly “All through the year our pretty partywear is a top-seller and has fruity colours, delicate or rich embroidery and motifs and soft sashes. I make the designs of the dresses as per the material. Like the striking and bright sailboat print is set off with a dotted yoke. Our 100% cotton ginghams in pretty shades, have floral rosettes. We also have sparkling tissue dresses with ribbon sashes in our girls’ party-wear. We have deep crimson or ruby velvet embroidered frocks, suitable for evening wedding receptions. Our value-added party frocks have an overlay of embroidered net, over a printed skirt. For boys our kurtas are very popular for festivities, cultural functions and weddings. My kurta-dhoti sets for boys are my fastest-selling, best profit-earning product, very successful for parties and weddings. We make them in lightweight, pure cotton and children will find them easy to wear, because they button all the way down the front, like shirts. We make them in rich, vibrant colours with fabulous embroidery. These kurta-dhoti sets are available for 6 months to 10 year old boys.”

“Our comfortable daywear for boys includes colourful appliqués with cute animals or `animal safari’ on striped outfits. We also have whiteon-white appliqué kurtas for little kids. So we cater to all these tastes!”

BLAZO

T

A brand beyond compare!

he Blazo brand is a renowned brand for boys from 1 to 16 years.

The portfolio comprises shirts, jackets, coats, blazers, waistcoats, t-shirts and shrugs. The MRP for shirts is below Rs. 995 and for t-shirts below Rs. 750. Jackets are below Rs. 1400, Blazers

of the hot weather. Another loyalty factor, is my reasonable price-points, which is very good for such assured quality!

My MRP for smaller kids is from Rs. 299 to Rs. 1000. From 4-12 years, it is Rs. 350-Rs. 1000. My regular buyers want to see, touch, feel the outfits and will never buy online. We are strongest all over South India, because it is always summery weather. During summer we are also very strong in North India, because they want quality cottons, sleeveless outfits and classy embroidery.

We are in MBOs all over and in leading large-format stores, as well.

approximately Rs. 3500.

We spoke to Niyam Haria, Director, Blazo.

“Our knitwear blazers are semi-formal, smart and lightweight so they are popular throughout the year. We make a smaller percentage of hoodie-jackets. “ “We have sets and separates (upperwear

only). We have approximately 50% knits and 50% textiles. Our sets are extremely popular, very attractive and are best sellers. This is because of the creativity and value-addition.

We have t-shirt sets and shirt-sets. We have open jackets, buttoned jackets, differentlystyled jackets. We have some very youthful hoodies as part our our tshirt-sets,” he adds.

“Our USP is that we set the trends. We have excellent communication with our long-standing retailers, who give us very good feedback

BRAND STORIES about customer preferences and tastes.

Keeping this in mind, we are also innovative in our creations and designs. We are a `fashionforward’ brand for boys for all-year round wear’.

We are in all the fashion stores (leading MBOs) throughout India. We are strongest in South India as our smooth, lightweight outfits are very wearable and comfortable in that climate.

While retaining our Parel plant, we have added more manufacturing capabilities, more creative designing facilities and more quality control with our new spacious factory at Asmeeta Textile Park, Kalyan. We have machines from Singapore and Korea, among others, and semiautomatic machines as well.

zebras, oxfords, striped and cotton-satin shirts. Attractive imported printed fabrics like Charlie Chaplin motifs, mostly cotton fabrics with softener washes.

2. Many washes to improve the look and feel of the outfits, like: acid wash, stone wash and oil-wash. Towel-finish is a nice, soft wash that gives a skin-friendly, child-friendly touch and your colours are bright also.

3. 100% Denim and Tencil Denim fabrics. Lots of attractive tartan and plaid checks (many colours).

4. Turn-up sleeves are “in trend” as they are smart/comfy.

5. Lined jackets with pique finish. Jackets with badge-and-ribbon pockets.

6. Embossed rubber prints on the inner T-shirt (of Jacket set).

Style File of Blazo 1. Semiformal shirts with cute motifs like

PARI CREATIONS

P

Bringing out the angel in you!

ari Creations is a girls’ ethnic and partywear brand that is very, very high on creativity. Says Bhavesh Thakkar, Director: “From 2000 to 2004 we were into garment retailing. It was doing well as a business but it did not satisfy the creative urge.

We are three brothers, who get along very well and have great synergy in business. My other brothers are Mukesh and Mehul. We wanted to start our own business as we felt garment manufacturing has great scope. Also our deeplyfelt creative spirit and talent for designing needed an outlet. We knew that our taste for designs, our passion for creating outfits for girls that would bring a smile to their faces, would lead to success. Mukesh is the creative force but we three find the business of dreaming and creating ethereal fashion is very exciting!”

“The fabrics we use are imported fancy fabrics: jacquards, silks, nets, tulle, embroidered or sequined fabrics as well. We make ethnic wear like festive ghagra cholis. We are known for our exquisite gowns and pretty party dresses, that encapsulate the latest styles, trends and ornamentation. Our sales of ethnic wear and gowns as compared to party frocks is in the ratio of 50:50. Our gowns are very, very glamorous, the kind you could wear to a high-society party or wedding. It is important to say we do not make just beautifully-designed garments but we are known for being `material creative’. We start with stunning creations at the fabric stage itself. Our embellishments on the garments are a very big hit with the girls and their mothers. For 1-3 years kids, we use

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soft, light-fabrics in gentle shades and soft embellishments so the little kids don’t feel uncomfortable. We are in the top 10 brands of party frocks and gowns in India.

We are in the leading MBOs all over India. Our ethnic ghagra-choli sets retail for an MRP of Rs. 2000 – Rs. 4000. Our gowns have an MRP of Rs 1500 to Rs 3000.

Our party frocks retail at MRP of Rs. 1000 – Rs. 1800. Our fastest best-selling gown is a ruby-coloured jacquard gown with velvet motifs and pleats.”

Bhavesh Thakkar adds, “From July to September is our peak season. We have a leading stall with an excellent location at the CMAI garment fair. We have a fabulously-designed stall that is the awe of visitors and attracts a lot of retailers.”

Style File of Pari 1. This season they have a white angel gown with a sparkling white skirt, adorned with white rosettes on skirt and sleeve. It has a delicate, feathery veil, like a bridal veil, that makes it look like gossamer angel wings. The style is also available in strawberryshake pink.

2. An elegant gown of shaded soft gold and pale pink, has a boxpleated skirt and box-pleated yoke with “cold-shoulder straps”.

3. The current fashion trend of long flowing net sleeves, adorns a gown, available in turquoise, baby pink, peach or sea-green.

4. A “Red-Carpet” – worthy evening gown, with a sheer black top has large florals in black and shadow print on a soft silver background.

Makes a little girl feel like a silver-screen heroine!

5. Another glam, “red-carpet” gown, with a softly pleated skirt in glowing navy-blue, has a shoulder-scarf that floats from a strappy top.

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BRAND STORIES

PANICKY

Fancy dresses for girls

“P

anicky” brand comes from Payal Creation, which was started in 1986 and manufactures girls’ ethnic and party wear, in the age-group of 1 year to 16 years.

The proprietors of Payal Creation are Navin Mehta and his sons, Bhavik and Bhupen. For 1-3 year olds, they make short frocks with soft

fabrics. “For 4 years to 16 years, we make party frocks and fancy long gowns. We use a lot of imported fancy fabrics in silks, nets and jacquards with embroidery, sequins and even `flocking’ details.

Style File of Panicky 1. A gown with black floral prints on the cream umbrella-type skirt, features a `cold shoulder’

“FOR KIDS”

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‘Price-worthy’ products!

he “For Kids” brand was started in 1994

by Pradeep Savla to give ethic wear and party wear for girls.

Pradeep and his business associates, Vipul Chheda and Jimish Nandu create and manufacture beautiful fashions for girls age 2 to 17 years. “We had the idea of giving young girls and teenagers, styles, like the trendy fashions worn by fashionistas (ladies)”, says Pradeep. “Our USP is the very strong and lasting trust that our retailers have in us, based on the longstanding brand value, excellent quality, trendy styles and the fact that “For Kids” is 100% manufactured by us (no job-work).”

“Our product portfolio consists of Gowns, Lehenga-Cholis, SalwarKhameez and Palazzo-Khameez, for girls aged 2 to 17 years. We have just started a new segment in small sizes, for babies aged 6 months to 1 ½ years. The reason being, we wanted to give infants pretty ethnic styles that they could wear for weddings, festivals, religious and cultural ceremonies, with a nice traditional touch. Our Baby-Lehenga-Cholis have super-soft inners, soft outer fabrics and soft embellishments, so that the baby feels comfy and happy, not itchy. (MRP: Rs 1500 to Rs. 1800).

“For the bigger age group (2-17) we have 3 ranges. Our `Basic Range’ of gowns and Lehenga-cholis (MRP Rs. 2500 to Rs. 3000) consists of plain and printed cottons, chikankari and chanderi cottons.

In the medium range, we have all the fancy fabrics: nets, silks,

brocades, sequined fabrics with Resham embroidery, appliqué, velvet florals and more (MRP Rs. 4000 to Rs. 5000).

In the very premium range (Rs. 5000 to Rs. 7000 or more) we have heavy, intricate embroidery, zari, and lots of hand-work and exotic styles for our gowns and lehenga cholis. Our retailers tell us that they are satisfied and customers are happy: with our good fabrics, finishes, styles and ornamentation. We are still a price-worthy product and brand. So our retailers keep coming back to us with orders.”

“We are strong all over India. We are in over 300 of the leading fashion stores (MBOs) all over India. Every year, summer and winter, we participate in the CMAI fairs. We meet retailers from all over India, face-to-face, and it is a good platform to showcase our new collections even to new and walk-in customers.”

Style File of `For Kids’ 1. A good innovation: a cute baby lehenga-choli, in sunshine yellow, with large golden roses printed on net, over a satin can-can skirt.

2. Another concept: a soft caramel-gold, ready-to-wear sari-choli set, with fully draped pleats and knotted (stylish) pallu (for bigger girls).

3. A beautiful Lehenga-Choli, with buckram and soft layered underskirts, a crinoline-style skirt with fluted flounces, in a light mauve colour, with a sequined top and frilly dupatta (stole). In all these sets, half-sleeve and full-sleeve choice is given.

4. One-piece mauve gown in an overlay of imported, sequined net fabric, with little satin rosettes on the neckline.

5. Gown with inter-laced pink flowers on pale green background. Zari, resham, tikki, stonework, Hand-embroidery in most outfits.

BAMBINI

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Smart styles for kids with Swag!

he Bambini brand was started in 1996 by proprietors, Jakhu Patel and his brother, Jayantibhai, who were originally into retailing. “We got into manufacturing because

bodice, with gold detailing on a frilled yoke.

2. A ruby coloured evening gown with a stole, features flocked gold floral motifs.

3. A soft-gold gown in gold jacquard selfchecks has a ruby-red shrug.

4. A gown with a multi-layered, handkerchiefedged skirt, comes in checked silk.

5. Very popular design with retailers is a fullyfrilled, mauvish-pink, net long gown.

MRP of frocks is Rs. 1450 to Rs. 2100. MRP of gowns is Rs. 2600 to Rs. 4600. “Our peak season is from August to December and we are very strong in South India.”

it has much more scope and we can sell our garments all over India,” says Jayantibhai, adding: “I do the designing because I have creative spark. We are an upperwear brand for boys aged 1 year to 16 years. We don’t

make shirts. We are a premium brand with an MRP of Rs 600 to Rs. 1000. Our USP is we are a premium designer product (knitwears and knitted fabric upperwear for boys). For one year to four years, cute and skin friendly fashion is important as the mothers do the buying. Our full range is in superior, fine count, imported Giza cotton fabric and rayon so our knitwear is smooth, soft, and has a classy look. We

BRAND STORIES

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are in all the leading MBOs. We are strongest in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Our product profile consists of: T-shirts, Hoodies, Jackets, Shrugs, Upperwear sets (like Tshirt with Jacket). Our upperwear is in 3 segments: Party, Casual and Daywear.

Bambini Style File (5 years – 16 years) Right now Hoodies are the rage, not just in winter, but lightweight ones are trending even in summer. Sleeved hoodies with a sporty look are in fashion for boys. Soft knit innerwears with silicon prints and Hoodie jackets with cheeky slogans like “Never SUCCESSFUL” or with a Knight-in-Armour are a big hit. There’s even a “Hoodie Guy” printed on an actual Hoodie!

Orange zippered Hoody Jacket goes with a gray inner. On a silver printed background “WE THE PEOPLE” is in shiny black diamiante: it looks stunning and is bound to fly off the shelves!

LITTLE BLOSSOM

“Our USP is that we are different from the others. One look at our design and you will see that they are different and catch the attention. We travel a lot to Europe and a few other important places, spend time studying and understanding the trends, to give fresh new concepts to the Indian apparel industry. Our concepts are so good, our designing so original that people want to copy us!

This is why, in such a short period of time, we are so successful in this competitive market!”

He adds, “We are present all-India, but only in all the premium stores. In Mumbai, we are in stores like Sagar, Trios, Amarsons and Trendsetter. In Chennai we are in Pothy’s, Chennai Silks, RKMV and more. In Telengana, we are in all 22 stores of R.S. Brothers. In Delhi, we are in all the leading stores like Chunmun, Appeal, etc. We are strong in big cities of UP, Karnataka and Telengana.

Jay Gogari continues, “We always participate in the CMAI Fairs. It enhances our brand image and value.

Besides, the retailers come there from all over India and we can showcase our complete new collection to them at one go. In fact, showcasing to our retailers at the Garment Fairs has helped our Little Blossom brand to expand so fast! Since they saw and appreciated our range, we could get into leading stores, all over India.”

Creative fashion to charm you

J

ay Gogari and Tushar Gandhi are Business Partners of TJs Creation, started in 2014, with Little Blossom brand (tag line “Charming Beauty’, which does personify the brand).

We spoke to Jay Gogari, who says, “We had a lot of experience with garments, as we were into retail for 15 years, before getting into manufacturing; so we had a pretty good idea of customer tastes, the latest trends and how the market operates. We are a premium brand, take pride in our designs and we are present all over India. For smaller girls, aged 6 months to 3 years, we make pretty party frocks with MRP from Rs 1500 to Rs 2000. For 2 years to 10 years we make gowns: MRP Rs 2800 to Rs 4000. (We don’t make frocks beyond the 3 years age group). We only use fancy fabrics that are imported from Japan, Korea and similar places. So our outfits are totally original in fabric, concept and design.”

Style File of Little Blossom 1. Smaller girl’s dress in ice-cream shade in “Embossing Stitch” work, that gives an effect of Satin-Ribbon wickerwork all over!

2. A metallic blue (and a mauve-pink) triangular embossed dresses look very chic and classy.

3. “My First Birthday” dresses for one year olds in pretty net, satin or tulle with matching footwear (set) with rosettes.

4. Pista-green gown for girls with frills in a “waterfall effect”.

5. Two-tone gown in Bottle Green exotic net (with sparkles) in coldshoulder style. Also available in beautiful two-tone magenta mulberry sparkling net. Very red carpet style!

6. Multiple layered frilled dresses in different shades of net fabric.

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BRAND STORIES

“LOVU KIDS”

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Designer fusion wear and gowns

he Jini-Nimi Design Studio was started in 1994, by the father of (brothers) Dhaval, Jigar and Naitik Buricha, as they were into retail, but had a yen for manufacturing. Along with cousin, Kamlesh, they are directors of the company, which is twenty-five years old and has a few brands under its umbrella, with “Lovu Kids” being their girlswear brand, now twenty years young.

The age group is 2-16 years. It is a very premium brand for girls, present in leading MBOs everywhere like Carron, Sagar, Trios, Parichay and many more.

“Lovu Kids” is strong in all the metros, doing excellently in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. They are also strong in Gujarat, North and North-East.

“We are in G3 and Paris in Gujarat; in Paridhan in Kolkata; in Boston, Chennai Silks and Pothy’s in Chennai.”

Says Jigar Buricha, “We are a high-end premium brand and we do not follow the trends. On the contrary, we are pioneers and trend setters. Our USP is great quality, innovative designs. We are different

from the others, we always stand out and our customers and dealers appreciate this.”

Jigarbhai and Rajeshbhai do the designing.

Retailers regularly give them feedback about the customers’ tastes and preferences. They keep abreast of international and all-India design trends. But, it is their creativity which makes all the difference. Their strategy is to keep improving customer satisfaction.

“For 2-4 years olds we do ethnic cholighagras and gowns (MRP Rs. 1500 – Rs. 3000). For 5-15 year olds we do casual wear sets (MRP Rs. 1500 to Rs. 2500). We also do (in this age segment) Indo-Western Fusion wears, ghagra-cholis and gowns for which the MRP ranges from Rs. 2000 to Rs. 5500. We are using many attractive fancy fabrics and imported fabrics.”

Style File of Lovu Kids 1. Gharara style two-piece with frill on floral print.

2. Exotic, triple-flounce, “Waterfall frill” gharara with semi-open, jacket type top.

3. 2 or 3 piece jacket tops, gharara sets.

4. Frilly, permanent-pleat jacket over palazzos (set) that is very popular and trendy.

5. Very cute and girly jumpsuits that are beautifully designed.

6. Gown-styled ghagra choli, and also 3-piece gown-style gharara sets for the evening in rich colours like sapphire, navy, mulberry.

7. Gowns with separate jackets in fruity colours or stripes.

8. Cottons in long, loose mix-n-match print jackets over plain long innertop and soft malmal outfits in pastel shades.

HANSA DRESSES

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Lovely frocks for little cuties!

ansa Dresses, the company and the brand, was started in 1982 by Virendra Gada (Virubhai), with the tagline “exclusive children wear”. We spoke to Chirag Gada, Virubhai’s son, and asked why they only cater to newborns and 3 years in their brand. “We felt we should concentrate on babies (infants and toddlers) as there is no season for them. For older girls, you have summer, winter, wedding, festive clothes . But for babies you can sell pretty, soft and comfortable frocks all-year-round. We have no knitwear, only textiles. Our USP is that we give the best-quality, pretty designs, imported softfabric garments in a reasonable, economical

price. Our fabrics are soft polyester with pure cotton, skin-friendly linings. We exclusively do pretty party frocks that make tiny girls look cute!

Our MRP is Rs 500 to Rs 1600. We started selling in South India and are still very strong there. We are in `Bon Babies’ all over the South and also in `R.S. Brothers’. In Mumbai too we are in leading MBOs like Sagar, Carron and Comfort.”

Chirag continues, “We are not affected by online retailers or foreign brands at all.

Mothers want to physically see, touch and feel the garments they buy for tiny baby girls. For our quality and style, our price points are very reasonable. For the last 20 years and more, we

have dedicated retailers who are buying from us. Our retailers are very happy with us as our outfits (party dresses) sell very well! We are in metros as well as tier II cities.

Style File of Hansa Dresses 1. Soft ice cream pink satin dress, with overlay of net, soft appliqués and detailing. Puffy cotton (attached can-can style) underskirt.

2. Silk-finish, strappy dress in shiny Sapphire Blue with sequin bow at neck and back.

3. Baby-blue party-frock in shiny fabric, with sequined-net overlay and soft rosettes.

4. Lazor-cut tissue fabric in Rani Pink and Peach, just like a rose in full bloom with soft petals. It has a poncho-style bodice.

5. Soft shades (Peach, Grey, Tomato and Orange) furry-fabric (imported) that looks like angel-feathers.

BRAND STORIES

AIR GIRL

short dresses for summer.”

He adds, “We are present all over India. We are in Trios, Sagar, Trendsetter, Parichay and other leading stores in Mumbai; Pothys and Boston in Chennai among others. We are very strong in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata. Also in South India and Punjab.

“I love my style!”

B

abubhai Ahir started Fuleshwar Garments (Girls’ Western Outfits) in 2009, the brand name being `Air Girl’. The age group catered to is 2 years to 14 years and their MRP ranges from Rs 800 to Rs 1500. “Our USP is our trendy and very creative designing and excellent quality at a reasonable price. Young girls who love fashion, and mothers who want to dress their young daughters stylishly, are our very happy end-customers, is the feedback from our retailers,” he says.

“For the 2-4 year olds, we have short and long western dresses and really cute and comfortable sets. Our Capri-sets, Culotte-sets and Shorts-sets are extremely popular. We use fabrics like knits and georgettes for our tops and stretch fabrics for the bottoms and also similar matching tops and bottoms. For 5-15 years girls we have jacket sets, long dresses, party frocks, Capri-sets, culotte-sets and shorts-sets. What

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Style File of Air Girl

is trending now in Air Girl brand are Dividedskirt sets, culottes or shorts with jackets, and

INFANTS GALLERY

1. A beautiful satin-finish dress: the skirt in mehendi colour with splashes of gorgeous pink tulips and a pink matching bodice. Also available with gold-coloured tulips.

2. A scarlet-red net dress with cold shoulder and frills.

3. A lipstick-red, cold-shoulder gown with gold printed floral motifs.

4. Short dresses (party wear) in lovely styles and shades in shiny “zari-fabric”.

5. 2 piece culotte set in small and big “Houndstooth checks”.

6. Palazzo sets with Rosette-enhanced necks.

7. A-line skirted gown in red and black dots and striped fabric with a back sequinnecked bodice.

foot pedals and play with the soft, cute, toys hanging above. After this age, when the baby turns on its tummy and plays, it strengthens the abdominal muscles. There are: music, lights and cute animals (soft) to mobilize, motivate and exercise the growing baby. Touching and shaking the rattles improves co-ordination. If you press a switch you get “feet dance” with music and animal sounds. After exercise, the lullabye music will

Making mothers and babies happy!

“I

nfants Gallery”, the company and the brand, were started in 2014 by Business Partners, Haresh Vora and Umesh. This is a “one-stop-shop” for clothes and accessories for newborns to 5 years olds. They are wholesalers, who import from Thailand and China: extremely cute and loveable clothes, shoes, soft toys and various accessories for newborns, infants and small kids. We spoke to Haresh about his exciting range of offerings that make perfect gifts for `Baby Shower Parties’, `Name Ceremonies’, or gifts for new moms to cope with their baby’s needs while being busy, or even working, mothers.

“For new-born babies we have gift sets (MRP around Rs 600 when the retailer sells it) which comprise of a full `Layette’: Tshirt, Diaper Pant, Cap, booties and wash-cloth (available in Pink, Lemon or Baby Blue). There are also cute hairband and shoes sets at MRP Rs. 300 – Rs. 350. The mothers will love our many full-length Rompers in fluffy fleece for the cold or our short-sleeve, short Rompers (Hosiery – cool and comfortable) for summer. Our full length 2-piece baba suits in velvet or fleece and our short velvet T-shirts (also Hoodies) with cute motifs are very popular. We have a wide range of winter jackets in Leopard “Fake Fur” or Sunshine Yellow fur with a hood that has `Bunny Ears’. For summer we have soft Parachute Fabric Jackets; also Hoodies or with furry lining. We have lots of cute baby shoes, summer and winter caps and little sets of newborn baby caps also.”

Best Gift Ever!

“The best gift for busy working mothers, or `first time’ moms, who are worried the baby will cry instead of playing, is the `Babies Piano Gym Mat’, that would retail for around Rs. 1500. It is a sort of soft matteresslike sleeper, that encourages a baby to play, learn and sleep soundly. A 3 month old baby when lying will kick its feet against the soft, dynamic

soothe the baby to sleep. The piano keys are volume-adjustable. We are very proud of this product that makes babies happy and gives mothers some rest!!”

Style File of Infants Gallery 1. “This season we have sold lots of textured or velvet jackets with “furry” insides. The one with the Teddy Bear furry pocket was very popular.

2. Giraffe, Lion, Elephant, Monkey and similar cute small stuffed toys with attached Teething Rings and Discs (MRP Rs. 250 – Rs. 300).

3. Separates like soft capris and shorts with softener washes and cute detailing.

4. “Swaddle Me” Adjustable Infant Wrap, helps the baby sleep soundly in cosy comfort. Also blankets, towels, etc. for babies and kids.

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BRAND STORIES

ATTITUDE

they feel when they are held and loved by their family. The second category is our oldest and the strongest to date - Boys Sets.

Designer wear for ages 1 to 8 years: to go out, turn heads and win hearts!

“Our USP is that most sets are about practicality, but we are about fashion also. We always do our research and introduce the latest trends. Our sets are such, that though they are not sold as separates, they can be easily used in a mix-and-match fashion, which makes them versatile. We are very strong in Mumbai, Pune and in the South, particularly in Hyderabad and Bangalore.

In Mumbai, we are in Jelly-Molly, Carron, Sweety, Trios, Sagar and Lollypop Kids. In Pune, we are in Pinakin Collections, Sonali Collections, Chocolate and Coccoon.”

Rajiv Shah continues, “My Business Partner, Dhiren Gala, handles most of the designing. Every year, we do a lot of research to stay one step ahead of the trends. Designing new styles that catch on, is the toughest thing in the fashion world. We get a lot of feedback from our regular retailers. The fact that they keep coming back means they are happy because our creations sell well. They also help us add categories and products based on their suggestions. We usually did 30% knits and 70% textiles in our sets, but of late, knits and imported hosieries are moving really fast, so knits have gone upto 40%. We take part in the CMAI Fair (winter collections). Our peak season is from August to October. Our bottomwear consists of denims, cottons, 4-way knits.

Styles with a lot of attitude!

A

ttitude brand, a brand with a lot of personality, was started in 2002. We talked to Rajiv Shah, Partner, who said he was an engineer, but joined his family business in 2005. “We only do sets, not separates and we cater to boys from 6 months to 8 years. We do T shirt-sets, Shirt sets, Blazer Suits. We do 2-piece and 3-piece sets. For infants our sets are very, very soft and cute, for the older boys, we do attractive styles, not kiddie-wear, but more like what their older brothers (adults) may wear. For 1 year – 8 years we do kurta-sets also. For 6 months to 2 years, our MRP is Rs. 800 to Rs. 1800. Our Blazer suits and Jacket suits are 2- piece and 3-piece. Our MRP for these sets (1 year to 8 years) is Rs. 1500 to Rs. 2800,” he says.

All our garments are styled with the latest fabrics and fashion.

The fabrics are sourced from around the world. And the product is created all under our roof. Our product range consists of two distinct categories, Infants and Boys Sets. Infants Wear: Comfort clothing for boys from ages 6 to 24 months. This category caters to your babies that are new to this world. So, we design our clothing around how

Style File of Attitude 1. Lots of zippers, cords, eyelet detailing, also expensive and catchy accessories. We give a lot of trendy belts in our outfits (in leather, knits and denims). Roll up sleeves are also in fashion right now. We do really smart patches, appliqués, prints and cord-tieup necks.

2. A little fire-engine-red sleeveless jacket with an inner knit tee and turn-up shorts is delightful.

3. An imported hosiery sleeveless jacket has lively detailing and print, with a computer-designed inner knit tee and denim-wash bottomwear.

4. Very dashing red, grey print or soft-check Jacket sets and excellent waistcoat 3-piece sets.

5. Print-knit, lightweight hoodies.

6. Differently-styled kurta-sets in lively colours.

PURE PINK

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Be the princess of your dreams!

arshan Shah is the proprietor of Alice Clothing Company, the owner of `Pure Pink’ brand, making girls’ western wear for4 years to 14 years of age. He tells us that he was in partnership in a similar company and very well known to leading retailers, as he was into the garment business, creating and styling for twelve years. Having set up his own brand “Pure Pink” just six months ago, he is doing extremely well as they already know his work and capabilities, which are truly appreciated. “I always participate in the CMAI Fair.”

“My vision for the brand and my USP is

clear. I am in the Business of Fashion. We give new designs and introduce new concepts into the market; then the market tries to follow us.

I am the designer. This is a total partywear brand using only imported fancy fabrics. But I am always varying my cuts and styles to make them fresh and edgy, like on a fashion runway!

The market eagerly waits for my garments as we are very creative and give fresh fashion that others try to copy. That is why I have called my brand “Pure Pink”.

“We make short party dresses, midis and gowns. We also make sets: our sets retail for MRP Rs. 1500 to Rs. 2200. We have denim

sets, dungarees, skirt-top sets, palazzo sets, culotte sets and shorts sets. So we give style with plenty of variety. My shorter and long party dresses retail for MRP of Rs. 2000 to Rs. 3000.

Darshan Shah continues, “We are present and doing well all over India, especially Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi. Another major market for us is Mumbai itself. We are in Trios, Sagar, Carron, Trendsetter, Shahenshah and many more leading fashion stores. We are getting very good business from them. They tell us we are a very premium brand, topping in fresh fashions, liked by the customers and selling like hot cakes. Out of every 100 pieces we sent to the shops, 90% gets sold because people enjoy our designs; so in a short space of time we are doing very well!”

BRAND STORIES

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Style File of Pure Pink “Styling is the main element of this brand as it does not rely on the pretty fabrics alone. We give unusual cuts, silhouettes and sleeves and pretty detailing.”

1. Set of soft pleated dotted shorts with off-one shouder, frilled tops.

2. Brunch-style, fashion-forward dress with short contrast Bolero. Formal jacket-shorts sets in Blue, Pink and Rama Green with a “Fashion” inner.

3. Checked Pant-Suits as well as frilly party gowns.

4. Shrugs and Boleros on differently-styled sleeved dresses.

5. Shrug-style long open jackets, with cute inner tops, and trendy “turn-ups” on the dotted shorts.

6. Glittery, shiny Palazzo evening-sets.

7. Pretty, sequined party-frocks, glamorous gowns.

SUNNY

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A reputation for fashion!

he brand, SUNNY FASHION, creators of kidswear, was born in 1993 and enjoys a high reputation in the market.

We spoke to Kiran M. Fofadia, who along with his brother (and partner) Krupesh, is responsible for this smart bottomwear brand for boys from 6 months – 14 years. In the smallest boys segment (6 months to 2 years) the MRP is Rs. 700 to Rs. 800 for Full Pants; MRP Rs. 600 to Rs. 700 for Capris and Rs. 450 to Rs. 600 for Shorts. For bigger boys (2 years to 5 years) the MRP is Rs. 700 to Rs. 900 for full pants; Rs. 600 to Rs. 700 for capris and Rs. 450 to Rs. 600 for shorts. For the biggest age-group (6 years to 14 years) the MRP for full pants is Rs. 900 to Rs. 1300; for capris, it is Rs. 800 to Rs. 1200, and for shorts, it is Rs. 700 to Rs. 900,” he says. In Mumbai, we are in Benzer, Kamadhenu, Parichay and more.

We are strongest in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab and UP. “Our USP is our top-notch quality (from fabrics to styles, washes,

stitching and accessories). We make a premium product at a reasonable price. We are in the mid-price segment and so we are truly a value-for-money brand. Our retailers give us feedback that our customers love our superior style and quality, our top-of-the-line washes and finishes and are happy about the price-points. The fabrics we use include: Denims, Knitted Denims, R.F.D. stretchy knitteds, 4-way knits, cottons, corduroy, jacquard and printed knits. We are reputed for our very soft, skin-friendly products.

We use a lot of 4-way Indigo knits currently as they are strong and supple, lightweight and the drape and feel is very good. Our 4-way knits come in several attractive colours like light grey, bright navy, brick, caramel, butterscotch, tomato and pinkish-fawn. These colours are trendy,” he adds. “We have 2 style ranges. In the Basic range, the fabric is more important and the embellishment is minimal. The other style range is Totally Funky. So everybody can have a lot of choices.

We care a lot about the comfort factor and use soft washes like Cloud Wash and Towel wash. Right now, we are doing more cottons than denims. Kids love to run and jump in our stretchy 4-way knits. We have nice colours in cottons, like khaki, mustard, tan, brick, olive and grey-blue. The cargo trend is really big in fashion right now.”

Sunny’s Fashion Purpose (Vision) “To spread Happiness by providing affordable, comfortable and innovative offerings and to develop long-term relationships.”

Style File of Sunny For Smaller boys: RFD printeds in trendy new designs, Jacquard and pin-stripes. Stretchy, tie-up waists that are comfy and adjustable.

Smart patches, appliqués and spray-wash. Very soft knits with colourblock side panels. Also indigo cotton cargoes and coloured denims.

For Bigger boys : Around 12-20 colours in cotton long pants, camouflage styles with cargo pockets. Soft blue denims with cloud wash. Many outfits with funky belts and “Sunny” branded accessories.

Some “Print” pockets, some saddle-stitch details. Knit-cottons that look like twills, but are very stretchy for kids to run, jump and play games. Lots of “Funky” styles with Hi-definition prints and jeans-type or cargo pockets.

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BRAND STORIES

KEEL BEEL

K

New styles, fresh concepts

aushik Mehta of Parshwanath Clothing Company (Proprietor) started his company in 2008, with the “Keel Beel” brand, for Girls’ Ethnic wear. Later his brothers, Bhadresh and Pinakin joined him. We spoke to Kaushik, who was earlier employed in the boys sector and then decided to manufacture girls’ ethnic wear. “The first 2-3 years was a steep learning curve, then I got well-settled. In the last few years, the competition is much more. However, we are doing well because of our USP: giving different and glamourous designer styles for young girls at a reasonable price. We use beautiful fabrics from Surat and imported fabrics from Turkey and China and then create fashion-forward styles with exotic embroidery. We have 2 collections, Summer and Winter and we participate in the CMAI Fair. We are especially strong in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Mumbai, UP and Punjab. We are in the leading stores in Ahmedabad, Surat, Baroda and Anand. In Delhi, we are in Chunmun, Appeal, Madan Stores and many more. In Mumbai we are in leading stores like Carron, Kids Zone and Parichay, among others. We are manufacturers and wholesalers.

Our ghagra-choli sets are for Rs. 1500 to Rs 3000 (WSP). Our gowns are from Rs. 2000 to Rs. 3000. Our Patiala suits are Rs. 995 to Rs. 1200. Our churidhar suits are from Rs. 1200 – Rs. 1800. Our very very popular Palazzo suits are from Rs. 1200 – Rs. 2000. We use fabrics like: Dupion Silk, Silk Tafetta, Net fabrics and Chanderi silks.

Style File of Keel Beel 1. “Our best selling item; we have sold more than 50,000 pieces in

LEI-CHIE

T

Find your fashion!

he Lei-Chie brand, with its cute logo, is a girls’ western-wear brand, started in 2005, catering to the 1-12 year age goup.

The product portfolio has skirtblouse sets, dresses and party dresses. In our topwear the maximum is in knitwear, but we only sell sets, not separates,’ says Raju J. Thakkar, Proprietor. “I have spent 30 years in the garment business, but I started in retail. We did a lot of wholesale business.

We felt there is more scope in manufacturing and we could design cute, stylish and trendy outfits for girls. Even in retail, we were into girlswear. Nowadays, how we come up with new, fresh collections is that we survey all the international trends and markets on our computers (online). We also survey the domestic market and take feedback from our long-standing retailers. Then we do our designing and manufacturing. Our strongest markets are Mumbai and Gujarat. We are in all leading MBOs and stores like Carron, Roopam, Jelly-Molly, etc.

“Our USP is that we specialize in trendy

the last 5 years and are still flooded with repeat orders is our beautiful set of mulberry silk top in soft gold with a neck and border of poppystyle florals in fesive red matched with a cute Patiala in red with gold “buttis”. Also available in 5 colours like Rani Pink with Navy, Navy and Red combo, Rama Blue with Orange.

Retailers just call and ask for Design No. 1193.

2. Ethnic “sari-style” gown is our new concept introduced in the market; mulberry colured sari-style, with a frill-sleeve choli and attached draped dupatta and soft palazzo style that mimics sari drape. Prettily ornamented.

3. “Our highest selling item in the last 2 months is our one-piece gown in soft viscose with panels of self-colured chikankari work on the skirt, with gorgeous Red-Tulip computer-stitched florals in Resham and Zari thread.”

4. Elegant dark navy blue velvet gown with Balloon sleeves and `Daman’ with gold sequins and pink hand embroidered florals with “Zarkan” work on the bodice.

5. 3-piece set: Brocade inner has an A-line skirt with maple leaf motifs in soft gold and soft pink on grey brocade background. A smocking top in muavey pink has hand embroidery in gold. The jacket is a long, transparent gold net shrug with delicate bead-work.

sets: casual and semi-party sets. We use all synthetic fancy fabrics. We do shorter midis and long midis for partywear. Retailers say the mothers want to buy our sets because they are very comfortable to wear and you can mix-andmatch the tops and bottoms. We sell 60% sets and 40% dresses and midis because sets are more versatile. Price-wise, our MRP is Rs. 1000 – Rs. 1800 for sets and Rs. 1200 – Rs. 1800 for dresses. Semi-partywear is very popular. Our summer collection has lots of shorter midis, shorts-top sets (Tshirt and Blouse styles).

Palazzo-sets and culotte sets are very much in trend right now.”

Style File for Lei-Chie Gharara-styled and frilly palazzos, with “cold-shoulder” tops, or tops with brooch-style fabric flowers to ornament the necks/shoulders, pleated palazzos with strappy or frilled partytype tops, Culottes with flaps. The mix-andmatch, floral check print palazzos are very “European chic” looking.

Also some striped tops with dotted pants: very stylish and on-trend. The floral net fabric poncho styles with dhoti-pants look fashionably festive. Smart daywear dresses and elegantly designed evening gowns would make a young girl’s dreams come true!

STYLE AND TRENDS

57

New Age style conscious kids push brands to come up with trendy fashion The well informed kid today demands latest fashion trends while making their clothing choices. Brands have realized this need and come up with new styles, colours, designs to pep up their offering and lure children to buy, write Shubhangi Bidwe and Ajay Goswami.

• Brands have worked on their collections to make them trendy • Funky detailing, cool prints and bright colors are in • Mill-made cotton tops the list of preferred fabrics for tops • The current trend is moving towards organic and natural fiber • Denim have innovative lazer and embroideries, appliques, studs and gel embossing • Color palette comprises earthy, dark, and warm colors that resonate with the season

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STYLE AND TRENDS encourages brands to design clothes for kids as they do for adults. “There is a growing demand for occasion-specific clothes with many private labels offering low-priced garments for kids,” notes Siddharth Bindra, Managing Director.

“Our steady growth and devotion over the years along with the appreciation of customers helped us make a mark in the industry.”

Youth culture, fascination for personal style inspiring brands

Siddharth Bindra

Managing Director, BIBA “There is a growing demand for occasion-specific clothes with many private labels offering lowpriced garments for kids.”

W

ith a number of big brands entering Indian kid’s wear segment children’s fashion is experiencing a transformation. Latest trends are being adopted with mini version of adult fashion to attract New Age kids. Being vulnerable, children are easily influenced by television advertisements which lead to ‘pester power,’ where children harass parents to purchase products they want. With an increase in the number of working couples and higher disposable incomes, child’s pester power becomes inversely proportionate to the time available with parents. This drives growth of kids wear segment in India which is currently growing at 10 per cent per annum.

To cater to changing tastes, brands work on new themes, colours and designs, styles every season to grab market share. Kids brand Toonz Retail for example, has a new collection that offers a comfortable party ensemble. “Colorful, vibrant and energetic, this collection is light on the body,” states Sharad Venkta, Managing Director and CEO of the brand. Talking about their A/W collections Sandeep Jain, Executive Director, Monte Carlo explains, they have casual sweatshirts, T-shirts, jackets, pullovers, shirts and denims. “We worked on four to five themes including sportswear, tapework and hybrid fusion for the season.”

Constant love and support from patrons along with increasing demand for designs encouraged women’s wear brand BIBA to launch BIBA Girls, a dedicated range for young girls aged 2 to 15 years old. Rising trend of ‘mini-me’ garments

Growing fascination for personal style has reached a new crossroads with brands being inspired by the youth culture. Being street smart is the key word with denim growing as the king of fashion. “Funky detailing, cool prints and bright colors are all you need to make a kid look cool today. Adding the right accessories like belts, caps, bags and cool badges makes a kid ready to rock-n-roll,” observes Sohail Patca, Director of the brand Ruff.

Venkta says winter wear is not just about beating the cold, it’s also the season to socialise and calls for a higher style quotient.

“Winter styles are more about layering and warm fabrics that are lightweight, rich look, and comfortable,” he says. To keep up with the style quotient, Toonz Retail embellished its clothing lines with 3D elements and embroidery badges that make kids look cute. “Focusing on comfort and ease of movement, we introduced stretch corduroys this season,” he adds.

Earthy, dark and warm colors resonate with changing seasons Color palette for the season is a lot of earthy, dark, and warm colors that resonate with the season. For the festive season, more of red, black, bright pinks and dazzling blue is used in the designs. Many of these designs are built

upon corduroys, fleece, faux fur detailing, high density twills, brushed fabrics for sweatshirts and pullovers, and quilted materials. “Based on our design requirements, we use fabrics such as cotton based denims, georgette, rayon and cashmere for tops. As current trends are moving towards more organic and natural fibers, we are exploring options like organic

Sandeep Jain

Executive Director of the brand Monte Carlo “We worked on four to five themes including sportswear, tapework and hybrid fusion for the season.”

STYLE AND TRENDS

59 7

Sohail Patca Director, Ruff

“Funky detailing, cool prints and bright colors are all you need to make a kid look cool.” and natural fibers, we are exploring options like organic cotton,” explains Sameer Patel, Founder & Chairman of Deal Jeans.

The core essential this season is stretch as consumers become fashion conscious they also seek comfort. “Our range is crafted with sleek and refined silhouettes for the festive season.

Denim have innovative lazer and embroideries, appliques, studs and gel embossing making a fashion statement. Indigo, blue and black shades have been replaced by other colorful shades to add vibrance and style,” adds Patel.

The brand emphasises on using faded fabrics which is environment-friendly and reduces water consumption to zero.

Sameer Patel

Founder & Chairman of Deal Jeans “Based on our design requirements, we use fabrics such as cotton based denims, georgette, rayon and cashmere for tops. As current trends are moving towards more organic and natural fibers, we are exploring options like organic cotton.”

Mill-made cotton the preferred fabric With comfort being key, mill-made cotton tops the list of preferred fabrics. “Poplins in various count and construction make the best top-wear with pre-washed knits, ranging from 180 to 200 gsm making the best T-shirt. It’s also a season of blends, as fabrics that have a better look and are durable are used,” adds Patca. Changing lifestyles and the propensity of urban parent’s is making brands fabric conscious. “As per our design requirements, we use fabrics such as cotton based denims, georgette, rayon and cashmere. The current trend is moving towards organic and natural fibers. Hence, we are exploring product options

like organic cotton for our eco-conscious customers,” adds Patel.

Earlier knits were considered most comfortable and suitable fabrics for kids.

However, it occupies the least space in Indian wardrobe. “Reasons for this are availability and awareness. The masses still think that the story of knits ends with a round neck T-shirt or sweater. However, due to the growing fascination and excessive popularity and demand of the fabric in metros, the scenario is changing. The gloominess about knits is a thing of the past with India ready to accept its growing popularity,” adds Patca.

Moreover earlier, parents spent thriftily on kids’ apparels. However, parents have become fashion and quality conscious while purchasing their kids’ outfits. The sudden shift of preference in quality fabric, fits, color and patterns are influencing prices of kids; wear brands in India.

“Our kids’ denim ranges between Rs 1,3951,895 while casuals range between Rs 395-Rs 1,395,” says Patel. Similarly, Monte Carlo’s range start at Rs 795.

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