“Enough, my friend. Enough…” he chuckles, as the photographer goes clickety-click in the snazzy design studio at one end of Celebrity Fashions' seemingly unending maze in MEPZ, Tambaram. Wearing a relaxed look that's become synonymous with Indian Terrain, V. Rajgopal, the man behind the menswear label of casual chic, takes some time off, from a typical workday punctuated with meetings, to trace the brand's 10-year sprint in a fiercely competitive retail environment.
“It's been a fascinating journey. Creating a brand and establishing brand values that connect with customers is completely different from manufacturing,” says the first-generation entrepreneur who has straddled the boom-bust-boom world of business with the sangfroid of a veteran.
“Today, when you walk into any multi-brand store, you see dozens of brands that have met minimum standards in terms of fabric, cut and stitch. When there is so much similarity, how do you kindle interest in customers for a particular brand? It has to be something more than a product attribute that hooks a customer — the sheer energy with which it is put together and sold and the way it communicates with the customer. Creating that magic is a huge challenge. Sadly, that magic disappears very soon. So you have to constantly innovate,” explains Rajgopal, Chairman and Managing Director, Celebrity Fashions and Indian Terrain.
American aesthetic
The IPS officer-turned-entrepreneur had set up Celebrity Fashions two decades ago. Supplying apparel to top Western brands gave him the confidence to enter domestic retail with Indian Terrain. Set up at the turn of the century, today, the Rs.100-crore brand boasts an American aesthetic that bridges work and leisure, youth and age, classic and contemporary. “Ten years ago, no one was capable of capturing the essence of the American outdoor lifestyle. Exporters were doing it, but only for the overseas market. So while everyone looked outside, we turned to India — and were probably one of those early movers to have seized the opportunity. ‘The spirit of man', Indian Terrain's catchphrase, has been totally in sync with India's soaring spirit over the last decade.”
New milestone
Indian Terrain hit a new milestone recently by opening its 50th standalone store in the country. Its range that includes trousers, shirts, jackets and tees with casual and work-to-evening-out cross-over appeal is also available in 340 multi-brand outlets. Plans are afoot to open 14 more exclusive stores and enter 60 more large-format stores by year-end. “Our growth plan includes looking at fresh markets. There's space in the tier 2 and 3 cities as well. Whoever creates a footprint of desirability there is sure to succeed. Besides, we plan to bring more categories onto the shelves. Our three-seasons-old knits have been a wonderful success story. It started as a small assortment, but today comprises 20 per cent of our overall sales. Dress pants and more accessories will be added to give the stores a complete look. Denim is another thrust area for us. With the right fabric tweaks and fashion updates, there's a lot of potential in this segment.”
Much of Indian Terrain's success comes from its unerring instinct for fabric. The hand feel and the wash are authentic American. “There is expertise involved in getting the casual feel. If you short-change that under the pretext of cost-cutting, the desired look will elude you. We do a lot of research and work with many mills to achieve our ends in terms of fabric weight, texture and performance. We have a young design team that visits the fashion capitals to pick up trends. It's a good four months before the manufacturing process commences.”
Defying doubters
In reminiscent mode, he says, “Ten years ago, when Indian Terrain launched its first store on TTK Road, people discouraged us. They were convinced the Indian customer needed choice and that he'd prefer multi-brand outlets. But now, 25 per cent of the sales happens at our exclusive stores. People are visiting us with specific needs and are satisfied. But I don't think I've dealt with the challenge of brand-building yet. And I'm not being overly modest. I'll say we have arrived when we figure on the top 25 list of brands in the country. A brand is about instant recall value. Look at Titan. Think time, think watch, and you think Titan. I want to take Indian Terrain to that pinnacle of recognition. When I travel to Mumbai and New Delhi, I don't see people sporting our trousers. I don't feel sad; I only see that as a big opportunity. Success like excellence is a continuing journey. It's work in progress…”
