Aviraté to unveil lingerie collection in India

Avirate, the high street fashion brand designed in the UK and manufactured in Sri Lanka is ready with its festive winter offerings for women. Meanwhile it’s strengthening its retail presence in India and with a turnover of Rs 15-20 crores

the company is aiming to cross the Rs 50 crores mark in coming years.

Lingerie the new extension

The brand is ready to launch an extensive lingerie collection designed by Carol Malony, ex-designer for Victoria's Secret. “Also, we will be launching a teen collection by Spring/Summer 2014,” says Jahid Osman, Managing Director, Fashion 365 Retail.

Aimed at the fashion conscious urban women between 20 to 45 years, Avirate’s Fall/Winter ’13 collection is inspired by sports and active wear. The concept of functionality with colour blocking, laser cuts and origami details can be seen in this collection. The range has been infused with a spirit of youth and teen symbols, making the identity more visible. There is a lot of interplay with fabrics ranging from soft chiffons to matte jersey, CDC and stretch cotton. Multi colour graphic prints, origami dresses and colour blocked maxis are also part of the season’s offerings.

“Though the festive season is inclined towards ethnic wear, the scenario is changing slowly. With many parties and get-togethers taking place around this time, the festive season has become more glamorous, thus opening up avenues for western wear brands to get a slice of the customer’s wallet,” Osman explains.

The brand’s products include an extensive selection of day and eveningwear, dresses, tops, skirts, lingerie, shoes, bags and accessories.

Store network in India

Avirate’s collection is available in nine EBOS and and five large format stores like Kapsons and Sohum Emporia. Elaborating on its retail presence, Osman states, “EBOs contribute 80 percent of the total retail business and large format stores contribute the rest. We will strengthen our presence in the cities we are present in, like Mumbai and Delhi and then expand to cities like Kolkata, Goa, Hyderabad, Noida, Gurgaon and Thane in the next 7-8 months. We also feel that there’s potential in the states of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and East-India.”

The company has seen immense growth in its online business. Its contribution is 30 percent to its total business. The collection is currently present on e-commerce platforms like Myntra, Jabong, Flipkart, Fashionara and Zivame.

Avirate stepped into India in 2011 and was quick to realize that to be successful, it has to be flexible and open to learning. “As an element of our marketing pull strategy, our research and analytics teams operating in India, Sri Lanka and the UK work closely to forecast trends and customer requirements,” Osman explains. And that gives the brand an edge in this highly competitive market.