The ‘Desi’ trend is one such example which is inspired by youth and draws inspiration from the past and has seen a massive sprout in the recent years which has been widely accepted by the GenY.
Many brands like Mad(e) in India, Chumbak, Happily Unmarried and India Circus saw the opportunity in this space and has scaled their respective business to a different level. These brands celebrates the quirks, colours, rich cultural fabric, diverse and mystical aspects of this bustling nation and its people in the form of diverse offerings like apparels, accessories, home décor, dining, etc.
Talking about the men’s fashion, the ‘desi’ print and designs have been successfully infused in the casual wear (mostly t-shirts) & accessories (wallets, bags, diaries). The ‘Yummies’ or young urban men with a penchant for luxury goods, a well-groomed personal appearance and a habit of spending on themselves. Celebrities like Ranveer Singh and Vir Das have played a major role in promoting this fashion trend.
One important aspect behind success of any brand is the pricing strategy and interestingly the products of these brands is priced on the higher side but this hasn’t stopped people from going all out and spending their heart out.
Taking this discussion on ‘desi trend’ further, Mr. Pankaj Acharya, Founder & CEO, Mad(e) In India in an interview with Suman Prasad, spoke about his venture and the inspiration behind it, his views on the men’s fashion trend of ‘Desi Prints’, USP of the brand, pricing strategy and whether he fears that this trend will lose its sheen after few years.
Excerpts from the interview.
Q. What is Mad(e) in India all about? What was the inspiration behind starting this venture?
Simply Put, MAD(e) IN INDIA is a brand about India. Celebrating Indianness. A brand celebrating the quirks, the colours, the spirit, the ancient, the nouveau, the mystical identity of India and its people. We, at Mad(e) in India, design, create and retail lifestyle products that truly capture the essence of India and its sub culture and have its own story to tell, Which we believe resonate with people identifying with us.
People who love India, who take great pride in either being an Indian or are intrigued with this amazing, wonderful and truly Incredible India.
Being a marketer and an avid follower of Consumer Behavior, we wanted to harness our strength and experience that has been created over a period of time to build a brand and a B2C business of our own. The insight we started working upon was that people world over have started believing in India. They have started to accept India as the next big thing.
And that is how ventured to start this brand ‘Mad(e) in India’- An experience brand, it offers a range of Lifestyle products and accessories which have an integral India story and Indianness in its designs. A fusion of our insights and creative deliveries, the product offering includes lifestyle desirable products with artistic appeal, which depicts India in its vivid form with total focus on joy, storytelling, experience and the pride of ownership.
The dream is to make it a Global lifestyle brand. With a purpose in life to work towards ensuring that each one in the world celebrates the spirit of India. Celebrating, ‘why we are the way we are.’
Q. What are your views on the fashion trend of ‘Desi Prints’ for men’s?
Desi Prints is fast catching on. A way to express individualism. A way to express Love for the country. This new found love and passion for our country’s love is getting expressed in many a form, and fashion & desi prints is one of them. As the world takes notice on India, its here to stay for long.
Q. Why do you think young men are increasingly getting inclined towards ‘desi prints’?
Desi Prints is cool, it is intriguing, trendy and more importantly it helps them exhibit their love and pride for the country in a very novel way. It helps them in a global language of fashion showcase their individualism
Q. Who do you see as your competitors? What is Mad(e) in India’s market share?
Currently we are competing with lot of brands in T-shirts category who are doing Desi Fashion. But when it comes to other categories like Neck Ties, Wallets, Bags, Diaries, Scarves etc. we don’t have much of competition.
Q. What is the USP of the brand? What makes Mad(e) in India different from other brands in the same space?
Each of our Designs have an innate story about India to tell. The designs are very unique. Also the brand is not only about quirky side of India, but, also the regal and royal. The emphasis on quality and our premium approach sets us apart.
Q. Please share the availability of Mad(e) in India products.
We have 19 multi brand stores in cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ko-chi, Pune, Chennai, Goa, Coorg and 3 exclusive stores in Gurgaon and Mumbai.
In online space, we are available across Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal, Paytm, and other smaller stores.
Q. Why have you kept your price on the higher side?
We always pay attention to quality. Lot of hard work and design inputs go in producing these products. We want it to be an aspirational and premium brand and that’s why our pricing is little more than products of similar nature.
Q. Every trend has a saturation stage and then fades out. Do you fear that this trend of ‘Desi Design/Print’ will lose its sheen after few years?
The new found love and pride about India is here to stay. There are million stories in India, we can go on and on and on to bring them out. I firmly believe this is just the beginning.
