Corneliani finds its Footing amongst India’s Fashion-conscious Clientele

Corneliani has impacted the fancy of Indian elite clientele with its elaborate socks-to-shoes model. The brand vouches for its strikingly international blend of exotic fabric and fresh style to deck up the Indian male wardrobe ever since Blues Clothing Company introduced Corneliani to India in 2009. With OSL Luxury taking over Corneliani’s India wing in 2012, the growth has been reassuring. Salesh Grover, Business head, OSL Luxury, Corneliani, harps on the classic products that stay popular the year round.

Passion for Fashion

With OSL, Corneliani took a 360-degree distribution model as a mono, boutique brand. From neck-ties, knitwear, jeans, Polos, coats, suits, shoes to shirts, the brand flooded the market with exquisite style for pretty much everything a man needs to look suave, casually or formally.  To stay strong and emerge successful in an already competitive industry, Corneliani appealed to the high fashion sensibilities of its target audience, who found an absolute lack of Italian fashion in the domestic market.

“Back in 2009, the market was in its nascent stage and people were travelling abroad for luxury shopping. With Corneliani, we personalized fashion for every individual firstly with the ‘Made to Order’, and then, the ‘Made to Measure’ facilities,” said Grover. 

As small leather goods, belts, and accessories impressed the bustling buyer bases in Mumbai and Bengaluru, Corneliani floated its masterpieces such as the Identity jacket and the Field Jacket. The lightweight ID jacket comes with a detachable insert and a multitude of handy pockets that helps the wearer don dual roles of casual wear and business-friendly attire, and is a bestseller to this day.

On the other hand, the field jacket with a warm, soft padding, gave a comfy waistline regulation with a drawcord, detachable hood, patch pouch inner wallet pockets for sheer comfort.

Made to Measure, from Italy

“One often finds a two-button closure better than the three-button closure in a suit. If we do a deep dive, there is so much room for customising one’s look while dealing with a premium label such as ours. So, five years before, we decided to initiate a sea change in the wardrobe of our patrons, loyal and new, with this facility of designing one’s own garment,” maintained Grover.  

Evolving from the made-to-order facility, the brand provided an exclusive customisation in retail spaces. The brand nurtured its existing clientele with this offering to make one’s own silhouette from scratch. Soon, fashion-conscious customers realized the extraordinary value on offer through personalised fittings and are now praising the same with their reviews. “Twice a year, our Indian clientele gets to experience some fabric that are exclusive to Corneliani and can only be shipped directly from Italy. Coupled with the new collections and 200+ new SKUs, we have been satisfying our consumer base effectively every year,” added Grover.

A successful retail-only exposure has now diversified into e-commerce, as Corneliani explores slow commerce with Tata CLiQ Luxury on accessories and garments.   

Dressing Up

The pandemic presented unforeseen circumstances, for which Corneliani shut its retail base in India. Starting afresh, the brand finds strong traction in Mumbai and Delhi now. “We see a very valid and strong business proposition in Mumbai as we feel needed in the hub of Indian fashion. Mumbai is a haven for glamor with Bollywood, and there is a decent understanding of luxury fashion in the city. 

With Corneliani, OSL Luxury has been exposed to a thriving national market, and is looking to expand onwards and upwards. “In five years’ time, we plan to involve a minimum of two more luxury brands into the OSL Luxury domain,” Grover concluded.