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Journalism of Courage
A trunk show in Indias Tier II cities is a luxury labels quick-fix answer to reaching out to a bigger audience
An ongoing ladies kitty party of the swish set in Chandigarh is a great place to eavesdrop. Where women once discussed maids,mothers-in-law,and the odd Bollywood affair,today the conversation veers to designer handbags. You see,everyones got one. At the very least.
Nikhil Mehra,COO,Genesis Luxury Fashion India8217;s largest international luxury conglomerate which has labels like Bottega Veneta,Jimmy Choo,Canali,Etro,and Furla under its umbrella is only pleased to hear that. The trunk show is a great way to introduce an international brand to a new audience. Cities like Chandigarh and Ludhiana have been very receptive, he says. Mehra adds that even smaller cities like Raipur,Nagpur,Cochin and Coimbatore have immense potential for brands like Jimmy Choo,Canali and Tumi. We have barely scratched the surface,the Indian luxury industry is fast rising.
The luxury market in India is expected to grow at 25 per cent to 15 billion by 2015. The expertise,therefore,lies in not merely catering to a homogenous elite segment but in bringing an assortment of top-line brands for the emerging markets. For Varsha Ahuja,the brand manager of Judith Leiber in India,emerging markets is a term that increasingly points towards newer cities like Surat,Chandigarh,Ludhiana,Pune and Indore. The last one has,in fact,jumped many notches up in her serious-business-potential list. Indore was a virgin territory that we entered into recently. So far,only luxury car brands had made inroads here, says Ahuja. Having ventured with no expectations,the team at Judith Leiber came out impressed with sales figures and eager to return. The label reportedly sold 30 handbags,priced between Rs 30,000 and Rs 3 lakh,in Indore alone. It arguably sells abut 300 purses in India annually.
We co-hosted the event with a former client who had just moved to Indore. The consumers who came in were well aware of the luxury label and its offerings. A trunk show is essentially a brand-building exercise but most consumers in Tier II cities that we have gone to are now well-travelled and brand-aware, Ahuja avers. She plans on taking Leiber to Hyderabad and Chennai more frequently too.
While Delhi and Mumbai have a fair share among high-end fashion labels,Indias younger metros dont have any exclusive stores. Though there is a demand for the product,the infrastructure of a new city doesnt always allow for an international luxury brand to set up shop in the city. But buoyed by this response to luxury items,its no surprise that fashion labels are discreetly but assuredly making inroads into these markets. Among them is the Italian menswear label CornelianiSPL,promoted in India by OSL Luxury Collections. Given the high disposable income and aspiration levels,we have hosted trunk shows in both Chandigarh and Ludhiana, says Salesh Grover,business head,OSL Luxury Collections. The trunk shows have been successful,and even after the events,weve had customers from Punjab come down to Delhi to shop at our store, he says. It wouldnt be wise to discount the effect it has on the overall luxury business.
Lugging their full boxes to Punjab on a regular basis now are names like Jimmy Choo,Emporio Armani,Aigner,Roberto Cavalli,Poleci,Just Cavalli,Kenzo and Valentino,as well as designer jewellery labels like Rose Jewels,Alpana Gujral,Farah Khan Ali and Queenie Singh. Deep pockets and a discerning client base have always drawn international luxury labels to Ludhiana, says Divya Dhanda,a local entrepreneur. Though initially,everyone wanted to own a piece of luxury so as not to be left out,today I see luxury shopping has become a way of life for people.
Dhanda has spearheaded the trunk show phenomenon in Ludhiana,she was the first to get her friends to try on Choos and Leibers. Trunk shows arent held to create awareness these days but to facilitate buying. Its simply about cutting down on travel time, she says. Dhanda goes on to say that even Indian designers,such as Tarun Tahiliani,is keen to have a two-day exhibit of his latest collections in cities outside the metros.
In India,for over a decade now,Ermenegildo Zegna has had a successful run with its stand-alone stores in Delhi,Mumbai and Hyderabad. But whats taken the Italian luxury suit-maker by surprise is the growing demand for its bespoke Made to Measure and VIP services like wardrobe consultation in cities like Chandigarh,Ludhiana,Ahmedabad,Jaipur and Pune. That the fashionable and rich also reside in cities other than Mumbai and Delhi is no longer a question of debate and Zegnas experience in these markets in recent times proves that. The label admits to an increasing number of men with a discerning eye and eager wallets in newer cities looking to button up in a luxurious Italian suit that is priced upwards of Rs 1 lakh. Quite like a home shopping service,a team from Zegna,led by an expert,head to the customer armed with swatches and styles. In the tradition of a modern atelier,each item is then individually fitted,cut and sewn for a special price. This apart,Zegna is also rolling out VIP events wherein top of the list clients are invited and flown in too to view exclusive collections that dont feature in stores.
Hows that for a truly out-of-the box experience?
