Dear all, If Quentin Tarantino were a fashion veteran in India instead of a Hollywood cinematic extraordinaire, his preferred domain of choice would no doubt have been kidswear retail – forthis is where all the action is happening in India. For it’s true – the kidswear segment in the Indian Retail Industry has gained some serious traction over the years. While the sector was almost non-existent till a few years ago, it has now imprinted itself as the most propitious segment of the Indian fashion industry with even a dedicated annual fashion show to its name. But honestly, in my opinion, the transition of kidswear retail from infancy to maturity was inevitable. As financial stability and purchasing power of modern parents grew in the last few years, an inevitable shift from ‘need-based’ to ‘aspiration-based’ manifested resulting in a boost hitherto irrelevant to the Indian fashion industry as a whole. Growth drivers included increased influence of social media, double income nuclear families and brand awareness and an increasing inclination towards high quality products of parents – the last of which trickled down to kids as well, who have now emerged as an independent buyer group altogether. This evolution of kids as consumers has changed the way brands perceived and operated in this space, making way for newer trends.
The June issue of Images Business of Fashion is led by a research on the Indian casualwear market, its size, growth, evolution and key trends and opportunities and growth over the years. The issue also talks to smart casual leaders like the Denmark-based clothing company–Bestseller, Raymond Apparel Ltd’s Parx, and French born fashion major Celio. It also features Tom Tailor’s online collaboration for India. The issue puts together our pick on of the most eye-catching ad campaign of the season—the smart one on a new look for every day of the week by Vero Moda. In the InFashion section of the magazine, Dan Cotton, EVP APAC, WGSN shares insights on the new trend watching feature WGSN IN Stock. This section also looks at how palazzo trousers are making a style statement, be it casual or Indian ethnic section among different age groups of women. We also take a look at some new launches, seminars and conferences that created a lot of buzz.