Face Off

Age?Twenty-five and already a self-made man. Not that Gautam Kapoor agrees with that. Despite a garment export business started with his o...

Age?

Twenty-five and already a self-made man. Not that Gautam Kapoor agrees with that. Despite a garment export business started with his own savings which is going great guns 8212; and a successful stint as a model 8212; Gautam is still hungering for greater heights. quot;I have a lot toachieve.quot;

So, what is next on the agenda?

Well, instead of modelling clothes for other people like Raymond8217;s and Mafatlal, he wants to dress people in his own clothes. So next in line is a range of clothing which he will retail in various up-market stores like Impressions at the Oberoi, Glitterati at Kemp8217;s Corner and Rolling Stone at Worli. His venture is already drawing a lot of attention 8212; not for the range but for the name, a rather strange-sounding name 8212; Gomzi.

Where did he come up with that name?

To Gautam8217;s ears Gomzi8217; doesn8217;t not sound strange at all. His grandmother, for no apparent reason, started calling him Gomzi and the name stuck. Now it has attached itself to the newclothesline.

So when will Gomzi hits the racks?

The first item in the Gomzi line 8212; jeans 8212; is already on the shelves of Delhi and Mumbai stores and are available in no less than 20 colours. quot;I have been exporting these colours to the USA and they are really selling. Let8217;s see whether they work here or not.quot; Other metros too are a part of the long-term plan.

So what are the chances of him making a dent in a brand conscious segment?

Well, Gautam is taking no chances. He intends to establish Gomzi Jeans as a brand amongst heavyweights such as Levi8217;s and Pepe. So for now, his prices cling to the lower end of the segment he wants to play in. They start from Rs 800 and go no higher than Rs 1,100. The rest of the range, including women8217;s clothes, will go no higher than Rs 2,000. And soon, his advertising campaign, air and print, will also be released.

That sounds like very big money.

quot;Yes, it is going to cost a lot,quot; says Gautam. But there are a few costs he didn8217;thave to incur. He modelled himself for the brochure and ads. Also photographers like Atul Kasbekar, Sumeet Chopra and Jatin Kampani willingly worked for free 8212; they are all friends.

His business seems to be his life. How did he get into it?

That is easily explained. His father, based in Dubai, also exports garments. But while the son wanted to follow in his footsteps, he didn8217;t want reap the benefits of his father8217;s success. So he came to Mumbai, seven years ago, trained with his uncle and a little over two years ago he started his own outfit 8212; Mantide Designs. While the head office is here, Gautam gets a lot of production done in the Far East and Dubai as quality control is stricter there.

Story continues below this ad

So why did he come back to India when he could have proved himself just as well in Dubai?

quot;Patriotism,quot; is his answer. And it also the old Mumbai magic at work again. There is somthing about the city, he says, which makes it difficult to leave. quot;It is like a magnet,quot; he laughs.

So, is he here all alone?

Well, no. Though he has his own place in Juhu, he prefers to live with his uncle8217;s family. quot;I hate living alone,quot; he grimaces. A problem that might be be solved quickly. He lets out that marriage is very much on the cards but all he8217;ll say is, quot;It will be soonquot;. Well, it is no secret that Gautam is dating model Sheetal Malhar. And this is one relationship that for all outward appearances seem model.

So what is Gautam most likely to say?

quot;I am what I am.quot; It is also the catch phrase of his ad campaign and the motto of his life. quot;Some people hate my guts because I am what I am. I can8217;t be a hypocritic and I don8217;t understand why others have to be. Be what you are.quot;

And what is he least likely to say?

A question he has no answer for. quot;I don8217;t know.quot; Then who does?