Nikhaar Creations: Focuses on brand consolidation, spreading retail

A relatively new entrant, fusion wear is still largely unexplored. Not many players work in this category, though demand has grown steadily. Retailers are still hesitant to accept this as a segment which however, holds great potential. Women’s fashion sense and preferences have changed completely but the retail scene has not transitioned yet which is causing a mismatch in fusion wear segment. Nadeem Petiwala, Creative Director, Nikhaar Creations explains, “The Indian textile and apparel market is huge but it is not willing to experiment and innovate and little R&D is been taking place. Moreover good quality fabrics are difficult to source — one cannot stagnate and use the same fabric which were in use 15 years ago. Out of the box thinking is absent. Innovation in textile is low and there is a limit to the extent designers can play around with the same fabric over and over again.”

Low fabric innovation a downer

Petiwala points out cotton is largely used for fusion wear as it is all about comfort, so there is not much scope to play around with the same old fabric. “About a decade ago there was a range of fabrics in cotton, unfortunately today one does not see much innovation as garment manufacturers are using the same design for the mass segment. However, there have been innovations in the use of fabric such as Liva. But Liva is not fabric for the masses, it is a class fabric which comes at a cost which the majority of people cannot afford.” He says, it’s not about selling 5 to 10 apparels designed using premium fabric. “There is a huge population there looking for products which are aspirational yet economical. In terms of value and volume, the women’s segment is large compared to the men’s. Women can’t walk around using the same stuff for years on end as men do, they regularly change their wardrobe but how can that be possible if product is not good in terms of quality and pricing. Indian woman has to spend on clothes for herself and her family, thus she is forced to maintain a balance. Demand in this segment is huge and if it is tapped properly it can be a bonanza but this is not possible without innovation and affordability.”

Brand looking for consolidation

Nikhaar Creations collections are at an affordable price range from Rs 500 to Rs 1,500, targeted at the mass segment. Their price points are such that women can keep their wardrobe updated without spending too much. The brand does a lot of innovations in bottomwear. The collection includes cigarette pants, fitted trousers and palazzos all of which can be used either during regular or in a corporate setting.

The brand is now looking at more consolidation, working on inventory less business practices, doing away with traditional manufacturing and retailing practices, entering e-commerce because that is where the future lies. Currently their offline retail has been put on hold since the market is going through turbulent times. The focus is now on “the excessive reach” online where they see tremendous potential in fast fashion and plus-size clothing.