Designer wear becomes affordable

Want to own a Rohit Bal or JJ Valaya creation for just about Rs.5,000-Rs.6,000 ($100)? It's possible now with fashion house owner Pradeep Hirani getting intellectual property rights (IPR) from leading designers and then manufacturing the garments before retailing at his new outlet Karmik. The business model that Karmik follows is simple, explains Hirani. "We get the designers to make a sample, and then we get it manufactured, produced and distributed. We also take care of unsold stock. Usually, all these things are done by designers themselves. So, we take the burden off from their shoulders," Hirani told IANS from Mumbai.
"Selling their IPR means designers give us a sample and leave everything to us. In the end, the designer gets revenue, which is equal to profit," he added. Hirani, best known for Kimaya, one of the largest fashion houses in the country, wants to keep up with the changing times by offering affordable designer wear to the increasing numbers of fashion aficionados here. Through his initiative, the first of its kind in the India, he also hopes to tie up with designers from Pakistan and Bangladesh.