7 For All Mankind spreading India footprint

Well-renowned all-American designer jeans brand 7 For All Mankind recently made an entry into India through Maxxus Retail, a retail and distribution platform for international brands to enter and expand in India. This year, 7 for all Mankind also known as 7,

Seven Jeans or 7FAM, owned by VF Corporation, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a limited edition line. It has some unique styles for men and women, which have been designed through R&D over the last 10 years to pick the right fit, wash and fabric for this new collection.

“This is the first brand we got into India through Maxxus Retail. Ours is a platform for brands that we feel are luxurious in their product but are aspirational and at an attainable price point. We are speaking to three other brands which we are bringing to India. We are also working on our own multibrand outlets, which would house many brands,” says Ramit Shakdher, Managing Partner. These outlets would belong to Maxxus Retail. Shakdher says they are doing it since they see a void in the premium price points.

As a leading global premium denim brand, 7 continues to increase its worldwide footprint. It offers low waist, natural waist and high rise jeans for 20 to 50 year olds. In India, it is the low and high waist jeans that sell the most. The brand follows the same fashion cycle worldwide. It showcases 12 deliveries a month so there are new products in the stores every month.
 “We have a contract where Maxxus is the exclusive distributor for 7 in India. Everything is still done by 7 and VF. They do the production and the design, all we do is distribute for them in India. We buy it from them, retail and wholesale it; manage the PR and marketing. We manage India as a region but we don’t do licensing or production,” Shakdher explains.

For the coming season, 7 is offering a lot of embellished jeans. There are jeans with crystals, nailheads and stones on them. Since the months are cold, they have skinny options. Also there is a lightweight corduroy in stores.

The first 7 store opened in January 2010 at Select City, New Delhi. Over the next three years, the company is looking at opening stores of around 800 to 850 sq. ft. area in various up-market locations. It’s also willing to look at smaller stores if it works, such as the one at Select City mall in New Delhi. It plans to open new stores in Mumbai in 2011, and then in Bangalore or Hyderabad in 2012. Also on the cards are more wholesale locations depending on the right retail destination. The company is also looking at a store investment of $150 per sq. ft. Maxxus plans to have its own multi-brand stores which will house the products as a part of a multi-city project.