Para plans online foray to spread brand base

Para, the apparel brand launched in 2005, is planning to venture into online retail. Talks are in final stages, say partners Rachna Pujara and Pooja Jhunjhunwala, the talented designer duo who are garnering much attention from the industry. Para was first launched in the women’s wear segment and later added men’s and kids wear to its kitty. Para products include sherwanis, bandgala , jackets, tuxedos, casual waist coat, shirts, smart casuals and formals. For the Spring/Summer 2015, the label has lighter clothes and fabrics such as linen materials in light colours.

Making a mark in complex ‘kids’ segment

Para partners who started kids’ wear two years back find the segment very complex from manufacturing point of view. “People are demanding and want designer wear and at the same time, are reluctant to pay more because kids outgrow outfits,” they observe. “Now, father and son want to dress similar and we try to match their aspirations. Today, everyone is fashion conscious, even children are aware of what they should wear. Our men’s wear and kids wear products are enjoying good demand,” they explain. They believe the kids’ segment is growing fast with global players coming in. The future is positive however, Indian players need to establish themselves well as competition from abroad is increasing.”

Commenting on the organised versus unorganised segments, they say “Both the segments are doing well with people wanting to dress well. If the product is good, buyers will go for it be it branded or unbranded. Consciousness is on the rise and people are ready to go the extra mile, if an outfit is good.”

‘Para’ on an expansion mode now and has got terrific demand. “We are presently focusing on attending exhibitions. People are specially coming to Mumbai to buy our products. We are not doing any physical retail yet as we are quite busy with exhibitions. The clientele is so good that we have not felt the need for brick and mortar retail,” they say. “We are not doing large format stores because they are for bulk purchase and we are not willing to do that. We have exclusivity and quality which cannot be everyone’s forte. Our colours, finishing, lining, piping are different. We are from different school of thought. We want to do physical retail but not in bulk. It will be well mannered and keeping in sync with our reputation,” sum up the designer duo.