Agent Of Change

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: study prior to the launch of the women’s line to get a fix on what works and what doesn’t. The study revealed that women respond to their apparel needs in the following order of preference—fit, price and brand name. Getting the right fit is of utmost importance and unlike men’s wear where a size 42 will fit a big chunk of the population, in women’s wear, size varies widely.

And while the ground rules haven’t changed much, the market has matured.

R Satyajit, COO, Allen Solly, says, “The consumer has evolved. Today’s consumer is exposed to international trends and therefore she is much more demanding. Also, as the market opens up, more and more international brands will troop in. It definitely puts pressure on the Indian brands to think ahead of competition and continue exciting the consumers.”

Teething troubles notwithstanding, analysts believe Allen Solly has come a long way from being viewed as only an ‘office wear’ brand to being a complete fashion and lifestyle brand. “As we move forward, we will raise the fashion quotient of the brand. We are looking to double our retail footprint in India over next couple of years,” adds Satyajit.

As a strategy, Madura Garments has never restricted any of its brands to one segment. For example, Allen Solly, after exploring the men’s and women’s western wear market, is test marketing clothing for kids. Since it is a soft launch and at the experimental stage, the company is not aggressively campaigning for it. Similarly, Peter England, which was a mid-market readymade apparel brand for men, has now launched a retail wing, People, that houses apparels and accessories for kids, young adults, men and women.