Van Laack, eyes bigger share in shirts market

After launching its first exclusive store at New Delhi’s posh DLF Emporio Mall last year, German luxury shirt brand Van Laack is now looking at establishing its presence across the country, which includes smaller cities. Elaborating on their plans

Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird Group says, “As of now, we are looking at strengthen the brand’s presence in the Delhi market. Since this is a German shirt maker, the brand has a high degree of presence and visibility across Europe and UK. It is popular among European and UK customers.” In India, Van Laack plans to showcase classic and innovative styles and designs in a multitude of colours and silhouettes. “You can look forward to the most amazing array of colours and patterns for both men and women,” says Bhatia.

The brand has over 130 years of legacy in creating shirts for both men and women. It has been Bhatia’s personal favourite as well, as he says that it has the most spectacular craftsmanship, attention to detail and perfectly cut silhouettes. Van Laack is well renowned for its signature three-hole buttons.

Even though the brand has been well received in the Indian market it faced some challenges in the beginning. “The Indian audiences have become more discerning and they buy luxury brands more for their craftsmanship and unique offerings rather than their flash appeal. With aspiration levels of people in Tier II cities driving volumes, the term small town for a Tier II city is no more appropriate when it comes to the retail business,” Bhatia opines. For him, fashion and well-being is no more just restricted to the metros rather it has penetrated cities like Pune, Chandigarh, Surat among others.

Summing up, Bhatia says, “The luxury market in India is expanding and you can see a magnitude of global luxury players vying for the space. There is huge competition for customers’ minds and brands are coming up with creative ways to garner eyeballs.”

Van Laack offers smart casual and semi-formal options in apparel and accessories for both men and women. Its shirt collections include Van Laack Business – the entry price level; Van Laack Royal – core price level; Van Laack Handmade – top price level. Commenting on their product expansion plans for the India market, Bhatia says, “As of now, we plan to stay with the current offerings and if we foresee a gap we shall improvise and add other products to cater to the demand of an ever evolving market. Currently, Van Laack executes a made-to-measure service, which will also be visible in our store soon.”