Custom Jeans to launch Custom Junior early next year

Launched in 1994, Custom Jeans is a product infused with creativity and innovation. The brand stands out in the denim category for its innovations. The collection initially was more basic and sober but now it has been changed to designer wear.

Building upon the success, Custom now plans to launch a denim line for kids early next year. It would also introduce fashion pants and a limited collection of identical denims called Papas and Boys jeans in January 2012. Amit Tanna, Director, Shreeji Works, makers of Custom Jeans explains, “I have always had the urge to make denim for juniors, to fulfill my dream, Custom Junior will be launched at the January 2012 garment fair. Right now we are manufacturing a limited range, which we will introduce in the markets that accept our brand.” Apart from the garment fair, they plan to hold road shows in Ahmedabad, Pune and Mumbai. They also plan to use existing distributors of Custom Jeans to distribute the kids’ range.

Right now the price point for Custom Junior is kept between Rs 1,299 to Rs 1,599. “I want to penetrate the market with a good product at a reasonable price. At the January 2012 fair we will unveil a range called Papas and Boys Jeans. These are identical jeans for father and son. It will be limited edition with a few designs every month. The two jeans would be sold separately and not in one package under Custom Junior Industry,” informs Tanna.

Custom Jeans is known for real fashion with original leather, leather work, patch work and hand work. It isn’t too loud or funky but a real fashion pant with rhythm. As Tanna says, “We make 25 to 30 designs a month. In that we can’t go only with blue and black. You need to have all the colors of the themes. But we need to keep sensibilities in mind. For instance, we don’t blindly use a color like purple in men’s pants.”

He says, the company is witnessing a growth of 15 to 20 per cent every year. From production of 4,000 denims in 2001 it now has a capacity of making 35,000 denims a month. Besides the domestic market Custom also supplies to clients based in the US, UK and Dubai. “Custom Jeans is for the masses. My priority is to expand production than improve branding. Once I expand production and reach a level where I satisfy distributors, then I can think of advertising or branding,” opines Tanna.

Tanna rues that due to excise duty, wholesale rates have gone up by 10 per cent and retailers/distributors are not willing to absorb this. There are many small manufacturers in India with high quantities but their margin is just 8 to 10 per cent. And giving the government that 10 per cent won’t be feasible for them. Talking about the excise duty impact, Tanna says, “Nobody will pay out of their pocket. It’s the margin of the brand that helps it absorb the duty. But what about small brands whose quantities are high and margins low? Our prices went up by 5 to 7 per cent because of the excise duty.”

Summing up, Tanna speaks positively about the future of India’s denim industry. “For the last five years the denim industry in India has been rocking. If you create something good, the sky is the limit. Denims have overtaken casual trousers and its acceptability as casual, semi-formal to functional garment has boosted demand.”