R&C the casual wear brand is all set to introduce a new fashion line of shirts and denims this autumn/winter season. For shirts there is an elite theme of luxury sport like yachting and polo. Denims include washes, playing with small detailing
and rivets, tags etc. Ashok Shah, Chief Managing Director, Jeaneration, makers of the brand R&C, explains, “We have two styles of painter’s denims, where every piece has dabs of paint on it. We did handcrafted things. In fits, we have slim fits and a little bit of wear and tear here and there.” Further the brand is keen to enter the T-shirt segment probably by summer 2013. T-shirts will have value additions and will be not just round neck or printed tees. “It will be priced from Rs 750 for a fashion and go up to Rs 1,200,” adds Shah. Earlier the brand offered free accessories with denims and did very well. However, to control the MRPs they had to drop the scheme. Now plans are on to enter the accessories space like belts, bracelets, neck pieces, sling bags in the future.
With the tagline ‘Feels Better, Fits Best’ the brand believes in offering comfort with fashion. R&C is about fashion which changes every season. It offers check shirts, plain shirts, and engineered stripes. Basic fabrics are used and are spiced up with embroidery and logos. The denim collection has lots of washes. In winter the color palette is more of grey and dark washes and raw washes. In summer there are lighter shades of blue and more. Besides, the shirts are priced at Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,400 and denims are available at Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,600.
R&C started with party wear and was called as Jeaneration Clothing. Later it converted into casual wear and started getting into cottons. “That’s when we gave the name R&C and became a 100 per cent casual wear brand,” says Shah. Three years back, the brand launched denim. According to Shah casual wear category is growing by leaps and bounds. It started with teens as young people dislike uniform. They want to be free and wear colorful, casual clothes. “No one wants to grow old. Everybody wants to dress young. Casual wear is more than 50 per cent of men’s wear. It’s only in casual wear that you can be identified as a brand,” he adds. The brand has a presence in 300 to 350 MBOs in Kolkata, Assam, Delhi, UP, Jharkhand, Orissa etc. In some areas they have a shelf space and in some they are in shop-in-shops.
