Welcome to the Gen Next fashion world! The fourth edition of India Kids Fashion Week (IKFW) will be held in Mumbai from June 3 to 5 and in Delhi from June 17 to 19.

A number of major brands and companies are participating in the two events. In earlier editions, Bollywood celebrities and fashion icons, including Sushmita Sen and Karishma Kapoor, have walked the ramp along with children.

Market size The kids’ apparel market in India, for children as young as one year to as ‘old’ as 14 years, is witnessing a CAGR of 9-10 per cent and set to grow from ₹90,000 crore now to ₹100,000 crore by 2020.

The market for kids’ branded apparel would be almost 20 per cent of it, at ₹20,000 crore.

“IKFW aims to position India on the map of the fashion industry for kids. This initiative seeks to give India’s upcoming fashion fraternity for kids a platform to showcase their talent and make a mark in the international fashion industry,” Manoj Mahala, Director, IKFW, said.

IKFW provides brands and designers a platform and opportunity to tap this growing market, and clears the path for direct contact between the creator and the consumer.

Growth in the kids’ wear segment has been due to increased purchasing power, fashion-consciousness created by audio-visual media, penetration of latest fashion in semi-urban and rural areas, increased spending on children, brand awareness and organised players focusing on the kids’ wear market.

“The premium segments are, however, governed by brand consciousness on part of both parents and kids,” he said.

Key trends The key trends observed in the kids’ wear market include ethnic wear, domestic and global adult brands expanding to include kids’ wear lines as well, growing number of Indian kids’ wear brands as focus turns towards domestic consumption rather than just exporting, and expansion of online retailing to kids’ wear.

Most organised players initially focused on western wear categories such as denims, shirts and T-shirts. But many brands and organised players have recently forayed into children’s ethnic wear categories and offering ethnically-styled, high-quality products for kids.

However, despite the recent growth, the kids’ wear market is still almost 80 per cent unbranded with most sales taking place through unorganised retail channels, with a huge untapped potential for major brands.

In the kids’ apparel market, nearly 30 per cent component is that of school uniforms for both boys and girls. The girls’ apparel market is growing at a CAGR of 11 per cent compared to that of boys at 10 per cent.

“The demand for both boys and girls’ apparel is almost 50 per cent each,” Mahala said.

School uniforms According to a Technopak report, the school uniforms market is demonstrating healthy growth with a rise in the number of schools and a decline in dropout rates. In high-end schools, increasing competition and the desire to look smart has amplified brand consciousness among students. Many schools see uniforms as an extension of their overall image.

The report pointed out that the Indian apparel market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9 per cent, from ₹41 billion in 2013 to ₹102 billion in 2023. In 2013, kidswear, at ₹8.3 billion, alone contributed 20 per cent of India’s apparel market, but given its higher growth rate, this share is expected to increase to 22 per cent by 2023.

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