India : Jeans Majors Try A New Cut For Customer Attention

Jeans players are now displaying their true genes. Levi’s has unleashed ‘Low Rise Jeans, Dangerously Low’ (a bottoms-equivalent of low-cut blouses). Wrangler is girding up its Flexibles Jeans ‘That Flex With Every Move—No Restriction.’ Lee Cooper promises jeans that let you stretch and ‘Free Your Legs.’

Amidst splash of campaigns celebrating resurgence and fashionability of denims, even the home-grown brand ‘Flying Machine’ has opted for a fresh exclusive retailing thrust and a new brand platform ‘Unusual Gene’.

Flying Machine’s new ad campaign (created by Lowe Lintas), which breaks in a couple of weeks, will compete for denim consumer’s attention with shots of jeans—and a bare-bodied, jean-wearing hunk—being engineered in a lab environment.

Industry players observe that having seen consumer preference shift to non-denim categories like khakis and cotton trousers, denim is once again trying to make a comeback and marketers are targeting teenagers through catchy, funky and sensuous ads.

Says New Delhi-based Indus Clothing Ltd CEO Harpratap Singh: ‘‘We’re looking at 20 per cent capacity expansion this year at our over 1 million pieces a year Gurgaon plant (following a 15 per cent expansion last fiscal) and a revival of our exclusive retail chain.’’ Indus Clothing is exclusive licensee of UK-based Lee Cooper Apparels in India.

Bangalore-based Arvind Brands Ltd, which has two licensee jeanswear brands (Lee and Wrangler) and two domestic jeanswear brands (Newport and Flying Machine) has decided to tap this new growth by establishing Flying Machines as a ‘Fashion Forward’ brand, targeted at boys and girls in the age bracket of 15-19.

Says Arvind Brands business head Ashish Pandya: ‘‘We are unveiling a new image for Flying Machine (FM).’’ After lying low last year, FM will add 20 franchised outlets (half of these in upcoming malls in the metros) to the existing exclusive network of 50 stores and consolidate its presence in 800 multi-brand outlets.

Indus Clothing, which developed five franchised exclusive Lee Cooper stores last year, is planning to add five stores this fiscal and an additional five in 2004. The brand’s decision to re-develop—it closed its three stores in 1998—an exclusive store-chain is dictated by its need to showcase a larger range of portfolio (major multi-brand outlets can absorb only one-third to a half of its overall 150 styles in a season) and also to address consumers’ preference for branded ambience.

Says Mr Pandya: ‘‘We’ll consolidate Newport’s 100 exclusive stores and around 2,200 multi-brand outlets this year. Under Fashion Forward thrust, FM will have capris (Rs 795) and denim skirts (Rs 495-Rs 595) and the products will be positioned on fits (like low-flares for girls) and fabric (cross-hatchs, slubs, broken-twills and denim-Lycra.’’

Arvind’s mass brand Newport (Rs 545-Rs 695 for jeans) will, however, see no major expansion. FM (mid-priced, sub-Rs 1,000 brand) is expected to grow 30 per cent and Newport 25 per cent this year.

According to Images, a Delhi-based garment research entity, the women’s jeanswear market is estimated at around 7 million pieces a year (59 per cent is branded) and men’s jeanswear 25 million pieces a year (two-third is branded).