Fashion goes starry

MERCHANDISING: Star India is extending its reach into the retail biz with a range of home and personal fashion accessories.

Face it: you've always wondered where Tulsi in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Parvati in Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki or the scheming women in Virasat get their bedspreads, towels and duvets?

If so, homemakers, bahus and mothers-in-law aspiring to their apparel and accessories as well as sarees, salwar kameez sets, jewellery and footwear, will be happy to know that these will hit the market "" all under the brand umbrella called Star Parivaar.

To bring its serials closer to its fans, Star India is launching a bed and bath range called Star Homes by licencing the home furnishings from its top-rated serials on Star Plus to the export company Creative Mobus.

The company owns the Portico brand of home accessories in India. The company will manufacture the entertainment channel's home collection brand of furnishings under strict design and style guidelines from Star's newly set up Licencing and Merchandising division.

"These serials have a distinct DNA. And viewers aspire to the lifestyle portrayed in these shows," says Nanette D'Sa, senior vice president at Star India's licencing and merchandising division.

Besides bringing the highest TRP family soaps into people's homes, literally, Star has also tied up with children's garment manufacturer Lilliput to launch a range of apparel for boys and girls called Star Kids.

The clothes will be fashioned after popular children's shows such as Sonpari, Antariksh, Lucky and Prithviraj Chauhan. The children's clothing will be retailed at 75 Lilliput stores as well as other multi-brand stores across India.

The home collection and the Star Kids apparel will be launched in April. But that is not where Star's licencing and merchanidisng story ends. Nanette D'Sa, who joined Star from Mattel Toys four months ago, says that licencing and merchandising has yet to realise its potential in India.

"It's early days for the licencing industry in India. For us, too, it is just the beginning. We will create a whole range of merchandise around Kaun Banega Crorepati, Channel V and other properties as well."

Licencing and merchandising is a big business for entertainment brands abroad. Walt Disney Company, Warner Brothers and Nickelodeon are among the top 10 licensors.

In India, licensing is barely a Rs 500 crore business. But with starry kids' fashion and vampish sarees, it can only grow.

TWEEN PACKAGING

The Simpsons may not be hugely popular in India yet, but it has its own fan following. Keeping that in mind, Star is contemplating bringing in a range of Simpsons merchandise to India. "That will be a bit later in the year. Maybe after the full length Simpsons feature film that Fox is making, is released," says D'Sa.

However, she adds that negotiations with a manufacturer for the Simpsons range are on. "The Simpsons' range will target what we call Generation Fox. These are the tweens. We are looking at casual clothing, bed linen, bags, lamps, phones and other accessories for this range," says D'Sa.