Fashion Week, a single standpoint for retailers: Neeta Lulla
Fashion Week, a single standpoint for retailers: Neeta Lulla

Neeta Lulla, who has been in the fashion industry for more than 25 years now and has been an integral part of Bollywood, draping all the high profile celebrities, talks about fashion and the retail industry with Varun Jain.

 

Varun Jain (VJ): What channels do you retail your products from?

 

Neeta Lulla (NL): We retail our products via 3 formats which include our stand alone Neeta Lulla stores, MBO’s such as Aza, Samsara etc, and through online store formats which includes our own website www.neetalulla.com and retail portals such as www.fashionandyou.com, www.indianhanger.com, www.desicouture.net etc.

 

VJ: Do you have any exclusive store? What traits have to be ingrained in a designer's store so that it stands apart? What are the areas you generally focus on? Any example?

 

NL: Yes, I have an exclusive stand alone store. A designer’s store should have a great customer service experience which is the key to set it apart. Also, since a lot of work in a designer store is customized, it is imperative to have sufficient quantity of samples, embroideries for clients to choose from. The Neeta Lulla flagship store has two sections – one being the off the rack and the other being the bespoke. My area of involvement is primarily handling clients for the bespoke while I also guide my staff in terms of store ambience and client interaction.

 

VJ: Throw some light on your expansion plans.

 

NL: We are currently in an expansion mode and are looking at potential franchisees to partner us in our growth plans both in India and abroad. We are also increasing our reach through Shop- in- shop formats in various designer MBO stores. Recently, we have also launched www.neetalulla.com which is one of India’s first stand alone designer online stores.

 

VJ: How do you think the fashion weeks create an opportunity for the retailers?

 

NL: The fashion weeks definitely create awareness for the retailers. It serves as a right platform for the retailers to come and see the designs which are best suited for their set of consumers. In India, the designers industry is still not very organised, so it becomes difficult for retailers to get through them. In that case, these fashion weeks creates an opportunity for them. In a nutshell, it serves as a single stand point for the retailers to interact with the designers and then take things forward.

 

VJ: What are the current trends in fashion industry that you see with respect to retail?

 

NL: There are two major trends we are currently seeing in the fashion industry – licensing and franchising. Several leading Indian designers are beginning to license their brand names to enter the mass segment in retail and also to enter other product categories. The fashion industry will also increase its presence in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities via franchising.

 

VJ: How do you think the corporate world and the fashion designers can work in synergy to give a boost to the retail industry?

 

NL: The corporate world will have to play a major role to give a boost to the retail industry. The Indian fashion industry has always been constrained by lack of management capability and also by lack of fund infusion. These are two aspects where in the corporate world can play a significant role to give Indian designers a boost in retail.

 

VJ: What is your take on the fashion and personality licensing? Any plans of making the most of the same?

 

NL: Licensing in Indian fashion is a definite “Yes” if Indian designers are looking at increasing their retail presence, footprint across other product category as well as sales turnovers. With respect to personality licensing, Indian fashion brands are currently known by the face of their designers. Hence, this gives an immense scope to personality licensing since you are leveraging an established name and face. “Yes”, we are currently focusing on the same.

 

VJ: What is the worth of Fashion industry? What is your share?

 

NL: The Indian designer fashion market is estimated at Rs 1200 to Rs 1400 crore as per recent reports. While we are amongst the leading fashion brands in the nation, I would like to think of my share in the Indian fashion industry more in terms of the contribution my brand has made with respect to constantly setting trends over the last 25 years rather than commenting on the revenues.

 

VJ: What marketing strategy do the fashion designers employ? What is yours?

 

NL: There is no guideline for the marketing strategy a fashion designer should employ. With the advent of so many designers in the recent past, I believe that apart from the product, the marketing strategy each one applies will be the differentiator for each designer. Hence, the time is ripe for the fashion industry to not just use creativity for its products but also to pull the consumers by way of its marketing strategies. Having said this, it is very essential to constantly keep working on the product quality and client servicing.

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