This is a climbdown nobody minds?high-fashion brands easily available online at affordable prices? as this is a win-win situation for all concerned. If the designers are getting a readymade platform for retail without having to invest in high-maintenance stores, plus the added benefit of a highly expanded clientele base, the masses will now be able to flaunt big labels without going bankrupt. So don?t be surprised if you see a middle-class bride from Indore decked up in a Rohit Bal lehenga-choli or a young professional from Lucknow attending a traditional function in an Anita Dongre salwar-kameez. And, of course, it gives e-tailers an edge over other players and a chance to market themselves as ultimate fashion destinations.
Rohit Bal calls it the future of fashion, and he couldn?t be more right. Online retail is here to stay, and who can blame the big-ticket designers for being a part of it? So if you have online store Jabong tying up with Rohit Bal, Wendell Rodricks, Nishka Lulla, Yogesh Chaudhary, Priyadarshini Rao, Tanya Sharma and Rinku Dalamal for selling their collections at ?guilt-free? prices, Myntra has partnered with fashion designer Anita Dongre to launch her spring/summer collection in the affordable luxury segment exclusively on the portal. The Bangalore-headquartered shopping retailer also recently launched the 2014 collections of ?BIBA by Rohit Bal? and ?Indian by Manish Arora?.
The latest collaborations mark a new phase of online shopping in India that is charting new paths and patterns of consumer behaviour in India, especially in smaller towns and tier-II and -III cities, where aspirations are high, but there is restricted access to shopping malls and multi-designer stores.
The future only seems brighter. As per a recent report by Research and Markets, a leading source for international market research and market data, the online apparel retail sector in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 35% in the next 10 years. Currently, online apparel retail constitutes merely 5-7% of the apparel market in the country, the report says.
So, what is on offer for the common man? By collaborating with Bal, Jabong aims to offer affordable designerwear to fashion-conscious women. Priced between R5,999 and R18,000, Bal?s collection will comprise Indian ethnic wear, which includes lehenga-cholis, sarees, suits, kurtas, etc.
Arun Chandra Mohan, founder and CEO, Jabong, says the association came in response to the numerous queries on designer clothes on their website. ?Bal?s collection will cater to the growing demand for what?s new and next in designerwear for women,? he adds.
For Myntra, getting associated with Dongre helped them enable seamless shopping in tier-II and -III cities. ?Our association with the designers to launch exclusive lines will enable a seamless shopping experience, particularly for those in smaller cities, who have limited access to premium and designer brands,? says Mukesh Bansal, co-founder and CEO, Myntra.
Positioned in the affordable luxury segment, Dongre?s collection is a fusion of contemporary silhouettes with Indian influences. Dongre is currently offering kurtas, churidars, salwar-kameez, tunics and tops on Myntra. The price range starts from R3,990 and can go up to R18,990. A total of 52 styles will be on offer.
?I believe in creating accessible luxury and Myntra takes it forward by catering to the fashion choices of modern India,? says Dongre. The portal has also partnered with two international brands?Desigual and 883 Police. In the next 10-12 months, Myntra aims to add over 50 international brands exclusively to its portfolio, apart from New Balance, Supra, Stanley Kane, Jansport and Time Force already available with them.
Fashionandyou.com, another e-commerce portal, is also upping its ante. Suminder Pal, general manager, sales and sourcing, Fashionandyou.com, says, ?We are tying up with both established as well as upcoming designers. Upcoming designers provide us the acceptable price point and exclusivity. To name a few, we are currently working with Ritu Kumar, ANS and Red Oranges.? Earlier, the Gurgaon-based fashion portal has worked with designers such as Bal and Tarun Tahiliani.
Another major fashion e-tailer, Yebhi.com, however, has no plans as of now to reach out to fashion designers, says Manmohan Agarwal, CEO of the Gurgaon-based company.