• Investment World
• eWorld
• Catalyst
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest

Stocks

• Quotes
• SE Diary
• Scoreboard
• Open-End Mutual Fund

Cross Currency

• Rates
  
  

Shipping

• Ports
  
  

Archives

• Yesterday
• Datewise
• Resources

Group Sites

• The Hindu
• Business Line
• Sportstar
• Frontline
• The Hindu eBooks
• The Hindu Images

Boby Kurian

Bangalore , May 7

APPAREL major Madura Garments is expanding its denim vistas. The company has extended two of its leading brands, Allen Solly and Peter England, into jeanswear.

While Allen Solly will position `Clean Jeans' as a work-wear option, Peter England under its casual sub-brand, Elements, will offer more of core denim. The jeanswear in Allen Solly will be priced between Rs 1,099 and Rs 1,399, and that of the mass-priced Peter England between Rs 595 and Rs 895. The company is currently in the midst of rolling out the jeanswear range of both brands.

Mr Vikram Rao, Group Executive President of Indian Rayon, which manages Madura Garments, said the move reflected the company's confidence in managing jeanswear business. "We have acquired a lot of expertise in the last three years," he said. He noted that SF Jeans, the company's standalone denim brand, has successfully positioned itself as an edgy fashionwear. "We have come out with jeans in Allen Solly and Peter England. We may tomorrow bring jeans in Louis Philippe. But styling in these cases will be in tune with the ethos of the respective brands," Mr Rao added. The `Clean Jeans' in Allen Solly is perhaps an extension of the brand's positioning as unconventional workwear. "These jeans will have no frills. They will not have rivette or leather badge. They will be lighter and will come in regular straight fits with a twist of fashion," Mr Vasant Kumar, Vice-President, Madura Garments, said.

Ten years ago, Allen Solly forayed into the Indian market as bold, unconventional workwear with the positioning `Don't Wear Uniforms To the Workplace.' "We are extending that spirit of the brand and placing jeans as a workwear option. We are offering customers `Clean Jeans' which may co-ordinate well with a white shirt or a tie," Mr Kumar added.

The inclusion of jeanswear in Allen Solly and Peter England is indicative of the company's drive to evolve all its major brands — Louis Phillipe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Peter England — into complete lifestyle wardrobes.

Madura Garments, which entered the AV Birla fold through an acquisition by Indian Rayon, saw net sales and volumes increase by a little over 20 per cent in 2003-04. The net sales touched Rs 391.9 crore from Rs 326.1 crore in the previous year, while volumes jumped to 74.3 lakh pieces from 61.7 lakh.

More Stories on : Strategy | Brands | Readymade Garments

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

Stories in this Section
HLL opens Ayush centre in Mumbai

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line