A year after signing an exclusive licensing agreement with British designer menswear brand Simon Carter, the apparel and retail company Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL) is opening the first of the eponymous stores in India.
After setting up a debut standalone store in Chennai’s Express Avenue mall, the second is a 1,200-sq-ft exclusive store in Mumbai’s Phoenix Market City.
The first set of 10 stores will open in Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune and Chandigarh over the next few months, Vishak Kumar, CEO, Madura Fashion and Lifestyle, an arm of ABFRL, told
Simon Carter’s quirky approach to clothes and accessories — shirts patterned with beetles and butterflies or an Indian wedding band-themed pocket square — is intended to “unleash the inner dandy in men”, said Simon Carter, the London-based fashion designer and creator of the brand. “We see large untapped demand for our signature conversation pieces, in fabrics that are light and suitable locally. I think Indians freely understand colour, texture and pattern — we think it’s a huge opportunity.”
Simon Carter’s complete range comprises classic suits, jackets, shirts, blazers and accessories, including cufflinks, bracelets, shoes and watches.
The collection is priced between ₹3,000 and ₹14,000.
“Simon Carter is a step into luxury,” Carter said. “It’s a treat if you buy a shirt from us, but it won’t break the bank.”
ABFRL will invest about ₹15-20 crore in the first year for building the brand locally for setting up stores, mostly in malls and high streets.
“We see this as being a ₹ 250-300 crore brand in three years,” Kumar said. The India collection will partly be sourced from the UK, while the rest of the merchandise will be created at ABFRL’s Benguluru factory. Online, the brand is already available for sale on Myntra and on www.simoncarter.in.
ABFRL, part of the Aditya Birla conglomerate, has a network of 8,000 points of sale in over 700 cities and towns, and includes more than 2,000 exclusive ABFRL brand outlets.