The Hindu Business Line : Tommy Hilfiger to debut with sportswear, jeans

ARVIND Murjani Brands Ltd, a 50:50 joint venture between Arvind Brands and the Vijay Murjani-managed GVM International, will launch the premium apparel business of Tommy Hilfiger in the country through five exclusive stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chandigarh in mid-April. The eponymous designer behind the brand will be in India to mark the entry of the brand.

Mr Darshan Mehta, President of Arvind Brands, who will head the operations of the joint venture, said the brand will hit the market initially with sportswear for men, jeans for men and women and will add kidswear and women's sportswear lines later. "Our stores will be large-sized, ranging between 2,000 to 5,000 sq ft area," Mr Mehta said. To begin with, Delhi will have two stores, while Mumbai, Bangalore and Chandigarh will have one each. "By the end of the current calendar year, we hope to have seven stores, adding a second one in Mumbai and foraying into either Hyderabad or Chennai," he added.

The joint venture plans to ramp up the chain of stores to 10 in the next year and has ruled out putting Tommy Hilfiger in department store chains and upmarket multi-brand outlets . Mr Mehta claimed the brand's Indian stores would offer an experience on par with its overseas outlets anywhere. Arvind's partner, GVM International Limited, is a licensee of Tommy Hilfiger Licensing Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tommy Hilfiger Corporation

Mr Mehta said Tommy Hilfiger knits would be priced between Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,700, while woven shirts will fall in the price bracket of Rs 1,700 to Rs 3,500. The bottomwear, Mr Mehta, said, could be priced between Rs 1,900 to Rs 3,500. "The brand will look for a 20 per cent premium over its competing brands in the domestic premium apparel market," he added. The JV will also be marketing accessories such including bags and perfumes — Tommy and Tommy Girl — for men and women.

More Stories on : Brands | Readymade Garments

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Lee Cooper eyewear, innerwear to hit shelves by end April

D'damas to roll out signature jewellery

Godfrey Phillips sees nothing surrogate here

Samsung bid to push microwaves

BPCL `Speed' draws more sporting enthusiasts

Mother Dairy ice-cream forays into Punjab, UP

Cholamandalam AMC launches exercise in brand-building

Tommy Hilfiger to debut with sportswear, jeans

Talks on with Sierra for footwear rights

Shampoo war: How will it wash?

Oscar launches DVD player at Rs 4,290