This is another first for Aamir Khan. He got an international brand like Van Heusen to design clothes for his film Ghajini, something that the brand had not done till now. For Shital Mehta, COO, Van Heusen, India, it has been a year-long learning curve. After all, designing clothes for pernickety actors like Aamir Khan cannot be easy, can it? asks Priyanka Joshi
What led you to design clothes and style for Ghajini, having refrained from associating your brand with other Bollywood films?
It’s true that we have never associated ourselves with Indian films or stars. But as consumers cut back on discretionary spending amid rising unemployment and turmoil in the financial market, it made sense to connect with the Indian masses through an icon like Aamir Khan. Most apparel makers faced a more-than-difficult operating environment during the second half of 2008. We expected our Ghajini line to be a hit.
How much was Aamir’s contribution to designing his look?
Aamir worked closely with the in-house designers. We started working on the clothes a year back. Every look was designed keeping in mind that Khan would have a fit body complete with eight-pack abs. His business tycoon character is reflected in narrow ties and mid-waist, straight-fit pants and besides, he also sports formal shirts, trousers, waistcoats, ties, suits and blazers. The modern and minimalist formal apparel range captures the look of Aamir Khan in this movie and starts at Rs 1,299.
What were your sales targets, since you launched a few days prior to the movie’s release?
We think the film has generated enough curiosity among audiences. We expect to see almost 30 per cent jump in our sales over the four weeks period, with major contributions from north and west India. We had stocked the line across 400 stores already.
Any store-level marketing campaigns that you are running?
We had SMS campaigns and email marketing gimmicks to inform our customers about the nearest stores that house the Ghajini collection. This is continuing after the release of the movie too.