Man's the word

After the success of designer store Kimaya in Mumbai, Delhi and Dubai, Pradeep Hirani goes back to the drawing board and constructs a new retail segment for men.

Pradeep Hirani is a man who champions the cause of the underdog. After making merry in women's fashion, he's done a 180 degree turn to capture a share of the wallet of the amorphous men's fashion segment.

"For years now," says Hirani, "the entire infrastructure of designerwear has been unjustifiably geared to womenswear, I thought it was time to start being fair to the unfair sex."

In October this year, the Hiranis, of the designer store Kimaya fame, launched what they claim is the first multi-designer menswear store in India "" Ayamik. A mirror reflection of the word Kimaya, Ayamik hopes to do just that, mirror the near-hysteria of the womenswear segment.

"Menswear," says Hirani, "aside from officewear, never had the energy of womenswear, it was always just a by-the-way extension of it."

That's evident in the fact that while Kimaya houses over 100 designers across its 6,000 sq ft flagship store, Ayamik, that houses designer Western, ethnic, and club wear in 1,000 sq ft, managed to ferret out only 21 Indian designers, including some high-recall names like Rohit Bal, Wendell Rodricks, Ashish Soni, Abraham & Thakore, Rajesh Pratap, and Shantanu and Nikhil.

Says Hirani, "There are no yardsticks in men's fashion. Right from setting up separate factories, constructing new business models, new rules for sizing, the designers need to be led by the hand."

Hirani claims Ayamik's merchandisers have had to literally move in with the designers when it's supply time, to apply pressure on delivery schedules and quality standards.

Despite the uphill climb, Hirani is planning six additional stores in the next two years. Market research reveals similar optimism. A Synovate PAX survey "" released in October for Q3 2004 to Q2 2005 "" that tracks media, prosperity and influence in 11 markets, saw a 27 per cent increase in men's spending on quality fashion and accessories across Asia including India.

"Today, basic is boring. In fact pink is in and so is detailing," indicates Hirani, who dons a similar look for our interview.

Brands like Louis Philippe and Arrow are also paying closer attention to similar trends. To tap into the emerging market for multiple wardrobes, they have been diversifying their product offering to cater to every lifestyle demand of their male customers.

Says Janak Dave, business head, Arrow, "Segments like urbanwear, partywear and sportswear are growing fast and we're investing heavily in introducing more value-added products with greater variety and superior design."

Based on consumer research, and demand from younger consumers with increased purchasing power, Louis Philippe also announced an expanded range of apparel and accessories. Their exclusive stores, averaging no less than 3,000 sq ft, will now have a luxury, formal, semi-formal, casual, party and a fashion forward line.

What's Hirani's investment in Ayamik? "Investment is to the tune of a couple of crores," he indicates refusing to divulge any further. Stock turnaround at Ayamik is estimated at three months "" optimistic, considering stock holding at any point is worth at least Rs 40 lakh. At lower price points (the highest price tag being Rs 15,000), and lower margins, driving volumes will be key for Ayamik.

"I work on gut feeling, not statistics," says Hirani, adding "for every man that goes to work, there's also a man who goes out in the evening."

He admits though that Ayamik will have to piggy-back off the successes of Kimaya for a while. (Girl power you say?) "It will be a lucrative business proposition in two years," Hirani adds confidently, "we will be the early bird that got the worm."