Store Count: 341 retail stores in India as of 9th September, 2021
India Launch: 1989, by Aditya Birla Group
Subsidiary Brand: Madura Fashion & Lifestyle
ABOUT THE BRAND
Louis Philippe is a Bengaluru-based premium menswear brand which was founded in 1989. The name of the brand is based on Louis Philippe, King of France from 1830 to 1848. It is a subsidiary of Madura Fashion & Lifestyle which is the division of the Indian conglomerate Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Limited (ABFRL). ABFRL is a fashion retail company owned by the Indian multinational conglomerate Aditya Birla Group.
The brand epitomizes fine clothing offering a range of formal, semi-formal clothing and accessories for men. It initially started as a shirts only brand, but quickly moved into leadership positions in trousers and suits as well. In 2010, it also introduced formal shoes for men.
Leadership
In India, Vishak Kumar is the CEO of Madura Fashion & Lifestyle (MF&L), a business unit of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. (ABFRL). He spearheads Van Heusen, Louis Philippe, Allen Solly and Peter England.
Growth & Achievements
- Louis Philippe expanded its offering with the launch of a sub-brand in 2007 called “LP by Louis Philippe”.
- The brand extended into the footwear segment in April 2010.
- In March 2013, with sales of over Rs 1,100 crore became the largest apparel brand in India.
- In 2018, the brand introduced a new retail identity “The Crest”
- In early 2023, it launched its largest store (5,500 sq. ft) at Viviana Mall in Mumbai.
- The brand’s manufacturing factory – Fashion craft Ltd was recently awarded TRUE Zero Waste Gold certification by Green Business Certification Inc. (‘GBCI’). It became the first industrial unit in India and the second worldwide to receive this certification.
Business Reach
Louis Philippe has more than 300 stores across India in more than a 100 cities. The brand is available in flagship stores, exclusive brand outlets, Planet Fashion, Trouser Town, departmental stores and major multi-brand outlets. It also has a presence across international markets such as UAE, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
The label is an online fashion and lifestyle magazine for men by Louis Philippe and it has a turnover of more than US $150 million.
Brand Motto
Louis Philippe was founded with the intention of making ‘the perfect shirt’, but it soon transitioned from manufacturing good quality clothing to becoming a fully premium brand of men’s apparel. Since then, the brand has heralded the creation of a premium segment in the Indian retail market.
Overtime, the company has also successfully created a benchmark for formal menswear in India. Today, Louis Philippe has capitalized on its ‘Upper Crest’ logo and now stands in a position where they offer nothing but the best.
How has Louis Philippe achieved this benchmark?
- Louis Philippe is one of the few brands whose logo speaks for itself. Their iconic crest symbol resonates with their massive customer base as a brand that stands for fine taste and fine living.
- The feeling brought about by their clothing makes customers feel elevated from the rest, and unique through their style.
- Their logo is intentionally created to justify the prices of their products and the place that they hold in the retail market today – As a brand they know who they are and who they want to appeal to.
- Louis Philippe’s style and designs are always involved in a process of innovation. They want to ensure that for every occasion their customer wore a readymade garment.
- It has always stretched the price value equation of their products with an intention to upgrade both, their products and their customers.
Mastering Trends
- Apart from new products, Louis Philippe has always been at the forefront of bringing the latest international trends and fashion to India. Whether it was Cubix in 1999, Riviera in 2002 or the Spirit of Italy in Spring Summer 2005, Louis Philippe has been committed to bringing the latest fashion to the Indian consumer, whether it is in fabric design or styling.
- While it was launched as a shirt brand, it has quickly moved into leadership positions in trousers, suits and is enthusiastically looking at the tee shirt and winter wear market. It also has a strong presence in accessories like ties, belts, socks, cufflinks, etc.
- Today, Louis Philippe it is a complete wardrobe brand and on its way to being a lifestyle brand.
- It also offers unique and exclusive features like made to measure in suits and trousers, which is not often offered by other premium readymade garment brands in the country.
Strengthening Market Position
Indian fashion retailers often face severe competition from international brands in the market. While most work hard on counter competitive strategies, Louis Philippe only expects its market value to increase over the coming years. This primarily is because of the following reasons –
- The Indian market is different from the international market. For the international market, the shirt is an innerwear garment whereas in India, it is the outerwear garment.
- The brand’s sharp knowledge of the Indian consumer over 15 years of consumer bonding and market research ensures that it does not make the merchandise mistakes a lot of international brands are bound to make.
- The brand has superior distribution strength and is well accepted even in multi-brand outlets.
- It is rapidly redefining consumer experience with its chain of exclusive flagship stores in the top cities in the country.
Speaking about Louis Philippe’s influence in the retail market, Hemchandra Javeri, President, Madura Garments, states, “This is just the beginning. Louis Philippe sees the arrival of international brands as an opportunity as it will further stoke consumer interest in the super premium category of readymade garments, a category that Louis Philippe has been slowly developing and seeding. Today, it is poised to reap the benefits and is all set to target high growth (in MRP sales) within the next three years.”
Sustainability
In January 2023, Louis Philippe’s flagship factory `Fashion Craft Ltd’ was awarded the `TRUE Zero Waste Gold certification’ from US Green Building Council.
TRUE Zero Waste certification is awarded to facilities that define, pursue, and finally achieve their zero waste goals, as well as reduce their carbon footprint and support recycling and extended use of materials. It rewards facilities that achieve highest ratings for minimizing their waste towards landfills or the environment.
Louis Philippe won this award because its factory has implemented variety of sustainability measures that includes –
- Reduce-Reuse-Recycle approach
- Diversion of waste from landfills
- Sustainable packaging
- In-house composting
- Zero-waste policy
- Hazardous waste prevention
There is also a strong emphasis on redesigning, innovation, and employee training across these aspects.
The brand embarked on its sustainability journey ‘ReEarth – For Our Tomorrow’ with a focus on operations to restore the balance between natural resources and business ecosystems.
With this, it aims to meet its ambitious sustainability targets and business for all relevant Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) initiatives. This transition will incorporate sustainability throughout all spectrums of design development and supply chain while promoting a circular approach.
In 2017, on the occasion of World Environment Day, Louie Philippe introduced its new collection, ‘Evolve’ & ‘Naturalle’.
The ‘Evolve’ range from Louis Philippe is a collection driven by sustainability, where raw untreated fabric forms the core of the product. The range reduces the use of harmful chemicals that are used for dyeing the fabric which thereby reduces the use of water to a considerable extent. This range is made using naturally coloured BCI (Best Cotton Initiative) cotton which is produced using sustainable methods. The Evolve range is authentic and true to its promise of sustainable fashion.
Another range of sustainable fashion from the House of Louis Philippe is the ‘Naturalle’ range from LP Jeans. Naturalle range is designed using 100% cotton, dyed using herbal dyes. These sustainable eco-friendly textiles dyed from plants and minerals leave minimal carbon footprint. This range reduces water and energy consumption by 30% and also provides a natural look and feel to the end product. The Naturalle range is a perfect example of eco-friendly fashion that helps reduce pollution caused by regular dyed textiles. Both the Naturalle & Evolve collections are available at Louis Philippe stores across India.
