Getting Back on Track
For once, hearing multiple opinions about my work has given me clarity and re-affirmed my faith in my original goals. A couple of weekends ago I went to Mumbai and met with fashion boutique owners to get feedback on my collections and design sensibilities. Most of the store owners said they liked my clothes but that it didn't fit in with the rest of the collections in their store. I understand where they are coming from- if someone walked into a high-end store willing to spend upwards of Rs 5000 on a garment, they wouldn’t want something simple looking (no matter how well cut or well tailored). One store owner added that women in Mumbai get put off by cotton!
At first I hid under the shelter of my brand positioning and stereotypes about Mumbai and Delhi (which is that they are into bling and my brand is far from that). Honestly however, there is a lot of creativity out there that has nothing to do with bling in the high-end fashion market. I came back from Mumbai wishing that my clothes were just as creative (rather than safe) and wondering if I should tap into the high-end market to make some money. But the truth of the matter is that Mumbai and Chennai are very different markets, and I am much more excited about designing affordable well-cut clothes made from high-quality handwoven textiles rather than a few high-end pieces. At the same time, I would be lying if I said that making money isn’t starting to become a pressure – hopefully that will change once I earn some!
My trouble and difficulty now lies with being in Chennai and figuring out my initial market here. I’ve talked about this before- how my fabrics appeal to older women who appreciate the textiles of traditional sarees but the cuts and silhouettes appeal to younger women. While I am trying hard to incorporate brighter colours and a good mix of traditional and modern textile designs in my collections, the toughest part is choosing which styles (cuts and silhouettes) to make. I get the feeling that women want something different, but not too different, and figuring out the fine line between Unique and "too different" is a lot tougher than it may seem. The halter dress (Black Orchid from the Monsoon collection) is young in style and many women liked bought it but many also said that it was too dressy and that they don’t have an occasion to wear it to. The sand washed cowl neck tops always do well, but cowl necks have now become a Brass Tacks staple and they are so safe! Snapdragon, one of my personal favourites, has a fitted torso and a wide sleeve and while customers love the fit, they prefer a regular cap sleeve rather than a wide one. What if I had made it with an ordinary cap sleeve though- wouldn’t that have made the top too ordinary?
I’m happy to hear suggestions on how to walk this tightrope, and in the meantime here is a photo of a blue ikat fabric in silk that I bought in Hyderabad to make Black Orchid (in blue).
Drying on my balcony (yes, I washed it myself).
At the store when I bought it.
Labels: branding, collections, design process, fashion, growth, ikat, retail
posted by Anaka at
8:42 AM
8 Comments:
good luck with figuring it out!
Good one Anaka.
I have proposed to work with you. Maybe whenever you decide, I will be very happy.
short answer: market segmentation ( as i read the first 2 paras) -
2) looking at chennai market - you can look to build a person's ward robe with classics , additional pieces, fun pieces, edgy and adventurous ones, out of the box pieces, etc
A black linen trouser would be a classic , while tops/blouses become additional pieces and the black orchid in your latest collection can be the fun piece.
Thanks Adithya! Once you're done with B-school you can come back and give me advice :)
Sophia- would be happy to work with you. I just need some time to get this off the ground and accumulate some funds.
Anrosh- that's an interesting way to look at it. I've always felt it is safer to try and cater to different types of people rather than making different categories of garments for one customer type. For example, the black orchid may be the "fun" piece for some, but for others it might be the "once in a year for New Year's party only" purchase. Similarly, a top like Snapdragon might be regular work wear for some but for others it's the experimental piece.
Catering to different types of customers assures me (well, if I do it right) some sales security because it means I will have a dress with sleeves for the women who don't wear sleeveless and another more revealing option for those who want to show more skin. I will also have the safer work wear (regular fitted sleeve, buttons down the front) as well as the more adventurous ones (cowl neck with raglan sleeves or wrap top with wide sleeves) and customers have some choice depending on their taste.
Hi Anaka the blog is interesting because you raise so many issues with starting and sustaining a business.
I don't work in this area at all so have little idea but in general I think Indian tastes are very conventional - be it Chennai or Mumbai. It sort of has to cover off all the price tag = how much embellishment, modesty requirements etc. etc. The monsoon collection in fact I can see most people in Sydney wearing though a summer because both cotton and cuts are important (love that grey and yellow shirt dress by the way, really nice) but I am not sure what people in Chennai would say for e.g.
Also I think people in India just don't wear dresses even though it is completely right for the climate. It seems to be more of trousers if you want to wear western clothes? Are your tops more sucessful?
Hi Anu,
This is the interesting but also the really tough part about getting a business off the groung. i.e. figuring out my market, my brand, and how to position myself in a way that my market finds the brand appealing.
I agree and disagree with what you say about Indian tastes. I think it depends on the city, and also depends on the socio-income group. Some people are more well-travelled than others with more exposure and more willing to experiment. And I really think there is a big difference between Mumbai and Chennai. What women buy as evening dresses in my store in Chennai, women in Mumbai would buy as work wear. Women in Chennai would get stared at on the street if they wore something tight a showing a bit of leg. In Mumbai, not necessarily so.
I think that for many women a dress is too far outside their comfort zone, and because we don't wear them during the day, one needs to have enough occasions to wear them to in order to justify buying one. A few women buy my dresses and wear them as kurtas. And yes, tops are more successful- but even then many women ask me for longer tops, more cap sleeves, looser waist lines..... sometimes I can't help but thing that they are describing a kurti and that's exactly what I do not want to make.
reading the above comment - what i would interpret the customers needs as they want something more relaxed and comforting fits - stylish and western looking at the same time. ( talbots here ) - but i don't think that is the market that you want to cater too - but most seem 20's and 30's also would you be looking into those relaxed fits - because in a hot, humid weather are relaxed fits more comforting ?
on another note i was at a anne fontaine store recently - beautiful tops = amazing sleeves - very stylish - could you reinterpret those ?
in terms of brand building and market segmentation , i think you should have a seperate style that will sell only in bombay - is it feasible business wise ? may be you have to try -
it is always about creating markets - isn't it and the market in bombay for those stylish, adventuours ones are there - and this is where your creativity that you have to restrict yourself because chennai needs are different can come into play.
handwoven garments with great style can be really classy. the creases that puts off many people are the best part. it has a very elegant, understated and comforting attitude , one can never get that in a mill woven cloth - this is where advertising and marketing play
Hi Anrosh: None of my clothes are super tight. In fact when you are dealing with semi-delicate handwoven textiles sans lycra, it's hard to get a perfect close fit anyway. But what my garments do have as a lot of shape, and my sizes work under the assumption that a woman has a certain proportion of bust, waist and hip. So one problem is that the proportion doesn't necessarily work for everyone (although it does work for most).
The second problem lies in people's level of comfort- not so much physical comfort but rather what they are socially comfortable with. For example there are women in their late 30s who look great in my dresses, but then they have to worry about what their husband might say or what their in-laws might say or just what people might say. That's a very Madras thing I think; not the caring what other people say but the fact that other people ARE saying something. You've seen my collections- none of those dresses are too revealing or scandalous, and if anything they are on the conservative side.
In terms of brand building I *think* (but don't know for sure) that I should put more energy into marketing the stuff that is more adventurous and more fashion-forward. For business sake I can always have a bunch of other stuff at my store that sells, but those aren't the clothes I would put on the website or in my ads.
Thanks for writing Anrosh- you advice and suggestions does a lot more than you think :)
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