Indians well read, on-the-ball with global trends: Hidesign founder

Announcing the upcoming luxury collection Atelier, President and founder of Hidesign India Dilip Kapur on the launch of new store at the DLF Mall in Delhi said that they have plans of launching at least five collections this year.

The new collection will be made of deer and ostrich leathers. It is segregated under two categories, the Champagne and Caviar collections. Price of the collection would range between Rs 2,595 to Rs 25,900.

He feels that when it comes to the product, Indians love colour far more than the Europeans, while seasonality is less important than a desire for constant "newness".

Like most new economies, India has seen a tremendous change in the consumer landscape in the past decade, says Kapur who also feels that Indian consumers’ increased awareness about global trends has become a boon for the retail industry.

“They are well read and on-the-ball with global trends, expect great quality and service and want their money’s worth. The rising awareness has been a boon for the retail industry, with more and more consumers making the right decision of picking up an eco-friendly product, which may be less polluting, easily recyclable or promotes sustainability,” he said.

Talking about the brand's expansion, Kapur says the big challenge is that the expansion within India is becoming harder as not many malls are coming up.

Pointing on the role marriages in India play, he said, “It is still not clear what role 'heritage' has to play. Their taste and self-confidence in 'Indian-ness' is greater than in the Far East, led by the family oriented social occasions when even the most westernised become very Indian."

“A fusion and mingling of Indian design and western themes is likely more than elsewhere. The soft power of India is greater -- as seen through Indian movies, the 'fusion' with which young modern Indians dress in western clothes with Indian tops (kurtis is probably the single biggest item in Indian clothes),” he added.

According to Kapur, the brand does not cover its leathers with layers of pigments and paint or emboss it with artificial patterns to hide defects in low quality materials. Nor does it use electroplated steel or zinc fittings that do not age well.

Specifying that over the years, the brand has come up with some path-breaking designs but without trying too hard to be trendy, Kapur told, “Hidesign was never trendy in terms of design and is of no interest to us, and we have never experienced a hitch along the design lines.

Our aesthetic focus has been on a classic contemporary look, catering to the educated and sophisticated urban professional since the beginning.”

Talking about expansion Kapur said that expansion will happen through ecommerce and a lot of their energy will go in expanding internationally.

“In the next few years, we will have about seven stores coming up. But that's about it. We will also look to increase the share of its sales through ecommerce platforms,” he said.