Divya Couture to increase production, up retail presence

Divya Couture by Divya was launched in 2014 to cater to the demand for affordable designer clothes. The company is now targeting entering 25 MBOs by 2016 and is in talks with large format stores. Elaborating on the idea of launching affordable designer wear, Divvya Bhatnagar, Proprietor, says, “I was earlier associated with the glamour world since 2003, where I gathered understanding about designing and costumes. Realising a dearth for affordable designer clothing, I decided to launch my own line.”

Bhatnagar first started supplying it to multi designer outlets. Initially, the plan was to get into the western segment, introducing European styles for people, who like to flaunt international fashion. Later, she introduced an Indian collection to cater to the demand for ethnic wear. “Not restricted to any age group, my collection is versatile and vibrant for those, who are young at heart,” adds Bhatnagar.

A blend of western and Indian wear

The western line under the brand consists of shorts and long dresses, short and long skirts, shirts, Indo-western kurtis, tunics and jackets, trousers, plazzos and jumpsuits. The ethnic segment offers kurtis, short kurtis, kurti shirts, long kurtas, plazzos, and fusion wear. “We also have products like cigarette pants, stoles and scarves to match with the ensembles,” informs Bhatnagar.

The company has two labels, Divya Couture by Divya. Nearly 70 percent of the collection is in bright shades inspired by the diverse cultures and Indian heritage. Talking about the summer range, she says, “We have played a lot with pastels for this summer, because they are soothing and comfortable. We are also introducing an entire linen and cotton range. Otherwise, we have focused on viscose, cotton, satin, crapes, cotton satins sourced from Gujarat, north India and other Asian countries.”

Production and retail plans

The company has a tie up with a factory in Bangalore for bulk requirements above 500 pieces, orders below this number are produced at its workshop in Khar, Mumbai. “On the retail front,” says Bhatnagar, “we are present in five stores in Mumbai having 25 outlets. Over the next 3 to 4 months, we plan to add another 30 outlets. For the mid-segment, we are looking for a distributor network. The other line is in the niche segment, we wish to restrict it to specific places. We want to explore Mumbai, followed by New Delhi, and five to six states for expansion and concentrate on West and North India.”

The collection is present through Kimaya in Bangalore and Bhatnagar is in talks with others retailers to establish presence there. In the next couple of years, the company will also explore the EBO route. “We are new, but doing well, growing at 15 to 20 percent. This year we are expecting a rise of 12 to 15 percent. We also want to scale up production,” she sums up.