Leaving your mark in an increasingly saturated industry is tricky. We get four rapidly-growing homegrown labels to tell us how they cut through the clutter
Today, it’s easier than ever to acquaint ourselves with new homegrown labels. Instead of patiently perusing the racks at a multi-designer store or at a one-off exhibition, we can sit in the comfort of our homes and scroll through Instagram. Living in the digital age has its advantages–brands have more accessible platforms to showcase their offerings and can reach a wider audience–but it also has a downside. The large number of players that have entered the industry in recent times need to compete for space in the closets of a consumer who is not only spoilt for choice but also has a rapidly dwindling attention span.
The far-from-rosy reality is that most new fashion labels fade from memory as soon as we refresh our feeds and only a few go on to garner a cult following. What does it take to fall into the latter category? The founders of four successful homegrown labels in India weigh in.
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Summer Somewhere, a conscious clothing label, was created with the clear goal of tackling the lack of impactful yet accessible vacation wear
Filling a gap
Many newcomers often channel their energies into rolling out products that already exist in abundance. According to Amalie Othilia Brandi Mikkelsen, one half of the designer duo behind celebrity-favourite label Malie, identifying and addressing a gap is key to cutting through the clutter. “It’s important to identify your ‘why’–why am I starting this, why do I think this product is needed in the market. It gives you a feeling of strength to have identified your vision and what your brand truly stands for,” says Brandi Mikkelsen whose creations merge the best of two contrasting cultures–the colourful textiles of India and the easy-to-wear mentality of Scandinavian fashion–with ease.
Meghna Goyal, founder of Summer Somewhere, has a similar piece of advice to offer. Her conscious clothing label, which quickly became a favourite with fashion insiders, was created with the clear goal of tackling the lack of impactful yet accessible vacation wear. “While there are many prêt labels in the market, ours is specifically designed for those seeking to complete their wardrobe before a trip,” explains Goyal.
Defining your aesthetic
However, zeroing in on a category that hasn’t already been catered to is only half the battle won. The next step is finding a signature aesthetic, and sticking to it. The advantages of having a distinct design language can be seen in the swift success of Drawn, a label that deftly blends art with fashion. The brand, whose pieces tend to sell out not too long after they drop online, works with upcoming artists and illustrators to create limited-edition, largely bright, bold prints, which are easy to spot in even the most crowded spaces. “With new brands launching every other day, it’s important to be clear about your brand’s USP. We don’t have a target of pushing out collection after collection. We spend a lot of time closing in on some very special artists we can collaborate with and create a small selection of silhouettes that we absolutely love,” says founder Rhea Bhattacharya.
“DON’T DIP YOUR HANDS IN MULTIPLE THINGS OR GET DISTRACTED BY TRENDS. DO WHAT YOU ARE BEST AT BECAUSE THAT’S THE REASON PEOPLE LIKED YOUR WORK IN THE FIRST PLACE”
Jhalak Mittal
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Jhalak Mittal of Happi Space–a size-inclusive label that’s loved for its bold colours, playful prints, and featherlight fabrics–emphasises the importance of not letting passing trends throw you off track
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According to Amalie Othilia Brandi Mikkelsen, one half of the designer duo behind celebrity-favourite label Malie, identifying and addressing a gap is key to cutting through the clutter
Jhalak Mittal of Happi Space–a size-inclusive label that’s loved for its bold colours, playful prints, and featherlight fabrics–emphasises the importance of not letting passing trends throw you off track. For Mittal, mastering a niche is wiser than dabbling in diverse areas. “My advice would be to stay true to your niche and be passionate about your designs. Don’t dip your hands in multiple things or get distracted by trends. Do what you are best at because that’s the reason people liked your work in the first place,” she says.
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The advantages of having a distinct design language can be seen in the swift success of Drawn, a label that deftly blends art with fashion
Keeping it authentic
If you look closely, you’ll find that most popular homegrown labels have another key attribute in common–a strong social media strategy, one that favours authentic content over unrelatable or excessively edited imagery. Goyal shares that Summer Somewhere’s launch shoot, which saw her as the photographer and her friends as models, really helped drive home the message that lies at the core of her label. “We always wanted to position the brand as very relatable and attainable.Each piece is one that I would wear or my friends would wear. To establish this, we shot our first collection with my friends during a trip to Mykonos. The girls self-styled the outfits in a way that matched their personalities,” says Goyal.
Bhattacharya, who unveiled her label during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic through an at-home shoot, has found that posting genuine content humanises a brand. “I think people appreciated the honesty and were almost rooting for me every time I posted an awkward picture trying to showcase the sleeve or back of the dress. A lot of our followers have been there since day one, and have had a front-row seat to all our wins and losses,” she says, explaining that a social media presence which makes room for imperfection and vulnerability is the secret to building a loyal, lasting clientele.
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