Elle, Arvind Lifestyle pep up women’s wear

Women’s French couture brand Elle is ready to form an Indian

alliance as apparel maker Arvind Lifestyle Brands is at the verge of sealing a licensing agreement with it for fashion apparel and accessories. Arvind Lifestyle Brands MD and CEO J Suresh confirmed discussions to retail Elle-branded products in India. “We are likely to conclude talks with Lagardere soon,” Suresh said. This means that Arvind can now claim to have a true international portfolio of women’s wear, after its only offering to the Indian female consumer by way of Arrow.

Media conglomerate Lagardere SCA owns Elle, the world’s largest fashion magazine. It extended Elle’s style and beauty sensibilities into a lifestyle brand a few years ago. This ranges from a perfume line with designer label Yves Saint Laurent, exclusive jewelry stores, a kids line to the Elle Glamphone. Elle exclusively retails a multi-million dollar fashion and accessories range in the US through department store giant Kohl’s. This was expanded to home goods under Elle Decor. Elle also has exclusive stores across Southeast Asia.

Soon Arvind Lifestyle Brands will open exclusive Elle stores in India, targeting the 18- 35 years old and follow the shop-in -shop model by retailing specific categories like bags, footwear or lingerie separately. The addition of Elle would aid Arvind’s plan of mopping up revenue of around Rs 1, 250 crores by 2012, leveraging the French brand’s fashion heritage and equity. The makers of Arrow and Flying Machine, the company has been very keenly entering into license agreements with international brands since 2007. It tied up with sports lifestyle brands US Polo and Izod, launched Sixty Group’s denim brand Energie and introduced Nasdaq-listed Iconix Brand Group’s youth brand Mossimo for Megamart this year.