Kitsch and Tell

Set to open doors in Delhi’s Defence Colony in the first week of August,Kitsch’s new flagship store is getting its finishing touches and Charu Sachdev,along with her sister Priya,is busy overseeing the process. Then again,launches are something the sisters are quite familiar with. The two spearhead TSG International Marketing Pvt Ltd,a company formed a few years ago to manage the retail operations and marketing of an enviable list of luxury brands such as Yves Saint Laurent,Victoria Beckham,Alexander McQueen,Celine,Dolce and Gabbana,Rag & Bone,Alice + Olivia,Halston Heritage,Herve Leger,Stella McCartney,Diane Von Furstenberg and Catherine Malandrino in India. “It’s been a good inning so far and we now have fair sense of the market expectations and behaviour,” says Charu,the company’s founder and CEO. Priya is the Creative Director.

One of the pioneers in bringing luxury labels to India — apart from Delhi,Kitsch is present in Mumbai and Hyderabad — both agree that the luxury fashion market in the country is still at a nascent stage. They also feel that the multi-brand format scores over the standalone single brand store in the Indian retail market. “The returns per sq ft are also higher,” admits Charu who is now keen to take Kitsch to tier II cities. “It’s the next phase of growth,” explains Charu listing cities like Surat,Ahmedabad,Ludhiana and Pune.

Menswear is now a part of the line-up at Kitsch and designer Jason Wu,a favourite with Michele Obama and French label Chloe will be added soon. “We update the collection every six months as our clients are keen to experience new brands,” says Priya. To add to the shopping experience,the two have also roped in noted Indian chef,restaurateur and author Ritu Dalmia for a Kitsch restaurant that will open above the flagship store.