Rubans aims 40% growth through licensing

Rubans – a brand born out of an amalgamation of creativity and business acumen has bagged the licensing rights of French fashion label Marie Claire for fashion Jewelry. The brand not only intends to offer an international collection akin to Indian aesthetics through its Marie Claire line but also looks for a 40 per cent growth in terms of business, revealed Chinu Kala, ?Owner at Rubans.  

Talk to us about the journey of Rubans.

I kick-started my entrepreneurial journey by establishing ‘Fonte Corporate’ and since then worked with some big brands such as Segrams, Microsoft, Oracle, ITC Limited, Max IPL, to name a few. What followed was a natural progression of my creative talent. I combined my expertise with my business acumen to put together a fashion label – Rubans.

What inspired you to get into brand licensing?

A brand has a lot to offer, especially a brand like Marie Claire which has been there for many years and  they definitely have a huge brand loyalty. I thought it was a good idea to add an International Brand of such stature to my current line of collection. And that’s how brand licensing comes out to be an excellent platform.

How will you strategize retail activities for Rubans products and Marie Claire range?

The products have been divided in a certain way – Marie Claire is international, premium and stylish whereas  at the same time Rubans is equally stylish but then style is akin to the needs of modern Indian woman. The price range for Marie Claire collection will start at INR 599 and go up to INR 4,000.

How do you plan to monetize on the brand - Marie Claire?

All our stores will have dual branding of Marie Claire and Rubans. Marie Claire being a premium fashion brand we are looking at adding new customers thereby increasing our revenues by 40 percent. This licensed collection will not only help us play on price points but also change the look and feel of our stores giving them an international makeover.

Talk to us about the retail penetration of the licensed range.

Since we have signed up recently, many announcements are yet to be made. However, we will be available online very soon and the entire collection will be available at our physical stores as well.

According to you, what has been the USP of Rubans?

Rubans is a high-fashion accessory brand. We bring international runway-worthy fashion to India at an affordable price. We also have an in-house designing team which keeps the freshness of designs intact and also helps us introduce new designs on a fortnightly basis.

How do you intend to scale up your brand?

We have just embarked on our journey to franchising wherein we shall be helping people start successful venture by leveraging our expertise in the subject. We are looking ahead to open 20 more stores by the end of this year and have our presence in all the cities of this country by 2020. I have overcome these hurdles and have successfully created a format for this business ready to be franchised. Our franchisees would get associated with a brand that is readily accepted in the market. We shall provide them with market research reports, manpower support, hand holding, and training during initial setup and a full proof business model.