The Hindu Business Line : Fabindia plans more outlets in South

The magic of kalamkari, ikat, chikan, and mangalgiri, to mention a few, has caught the public fancy and has become popular among artists, writers, politicians, and even some of the P3P.

Fabindia's ready-to-wear garments have, with its distinctive prints and earthly colours, carved a niche of their own, Ms Belle said.

Despite the preference for the convenience of man-made fibres, there is an increasing awareness of the variety of India's textiles. To most people, especially Gen X, a visit to any Fabindia outlet is a lesson in the diversity of India's crafts and textiles.

It all started in 1958. Much before the American companies discovered Indian textiles, John Bissell left his job as a buyer for Macy's to work for the Ford Foundation as a consultant to develop the export potential of Indian textiles.

He found that the textile industry was largely village-based with a diversity that the world had not seen before.

In 1960 Fabindia was incorporated in the US by Bissell to showcase Indian handloom textiles. The company started with the export of Indian dhurries.

The focus gradually turned to retailing of dhurries, bed linen, and table linen in the domestic market. By the 80s, the company added the garment line from hand-woven and hand block printed fabrics.

Fabindia products are sourced from villages all over India and the company provides employment to about 10,000 artisans.

It works closely with artisans providing various inputs, including design, quality control, access to raw material, and production co-ordination.

Today, there are 26 outlets in India and one each in Rome and Dubai.

Fabindia in the south is growing at a rate of 22 per cent and is planning more outlets, Ms Belle said.

Chennai has three outlets and one more is likely. There are two more outlets for Bangalore and one at Coimbatore being planned, she said. The brand is already present in Kochi.

The company recently opened a store in Mysore. In Pondicherry the store is set in a 130-year-old house in the French quarter. The cost of setting up a store varies, depending on the real estate. The average cost of setting up store would be about Rs 30 lakh, she said.

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