‘When it comes to latest innovations, a slew of Insta-cool brands are leaving their mark while keeping people and the planet in mind’
After a decade of experience in corporate India, where she led business for some big names, she decided to start on her own to address the absence of peppy, spicy, sexy yet comfortable wear in the Indian innerwear market. With Clovia, she wants to redefine the Indian lingerie market, and help customers choose beyond standard cuts, shapes and colors. Her mantra – lingerie is a critical part of your wardrobe and it doesn’t need to be drab and boring.
The objective is to occupy the most-favorite brand space in the minds of her consumer as the space presently awaits an occupier.
Interview
We have witnessed great inclination in case of innerwear sales in the last few months due to the prevailing work from home scenario. Increasing awareness about health, best fit, and personal hygiene coupled with the growing millennial population are some other factors that have led to the rapid growth for the industry. In the latest Union Budget, the government has announced about seven mega textile parks to be launched in three years, to enable the textile industry to attract large investments, boost employment generation, and become globally competitive.
In the last couple of years, especially from the times Pandemic has started we have observed an increase in demand for comfortable home wear. In these times, we have witnessed a 9X growth in sleepwear & loungewear, a 6X scale growth in maternity lingerie and feeding nightwear. Another category that people have become more cautious about is athleisure.
When it comes to the preferred fabric for innerwear, cotton fabric holds the largest market share. This Is attributed to the properties of cotton that make the product soft, lightweight, and more breathable. Consumers prefer cotton fabric over others as they provide comfort, high absorbency, and resistance to moisture. Moreover, they are more durable as they withstand heat, detergents, and even bleach, which makes them more economical.
Polyester & Modal are also popular fabrics when it comes to innerwear. While Polyester is fully artificial, Modal is a type of rayon and second generation regenerated cellulosic fiber which is around 50% more absorbent than cotton. It is the softest fabric in the segment. Shrink resistant, high wet strength, and absorbent properties of the fabric make it more durable during multiple washes and even tumble drying.
The prevailing work from home scenario has given a massive boost to our sleep & loungewear range since last year. In the right course of time we have expanded our categories from lingerie to sleepwear, maternity wear to activewear and recently forayed into personal care as well.
In the last couple of years, there’s been a slight shift towards purchase of shapewear & activewear with mixed reactions from the consumers. Interest in shapewear waned, making the inclusion of stable categories like lingerie and loungewear in pre-COVID a savior. Demand for more traditional shapewear will return when events kick off again and interest in occasionwear is renewed. Activewear continues to go from strength to strength, as consumers love to experiment with shapewear that offers sweat-wicking capabilities and can support your body during exercise.
When it comes to latest innovations, a slew of Insta-cool brands are leaving their mark while keeping people and the planet in mind. HARA uses eco-friendly bamboo fabric and plant-based natural dyes made from turmeric, indigo and madder root, while Organic Basics offer undergarments consisting of silver woven into organic cotton, which makes these pieces antibacterial and heat regulating, requiring fewer washes. Marks & Spencer also introduced sustainable sports bras recently. We see a lot of potential in the beauty and personal care market. This segment is growing phenomenally and there are a variety of brands available addressing all possible needs of customers. With the launch of Clovia Botaniqa, we are tapping into the wider age group of women, who face problems like stretch marks, acne, dry and darkening skin, etc during post-pregnancy.
In terms of marketing for the new personal care range, the brand has collaborated with tennis player Sania Mirza. We collaborated with Sania Mirza as she isn’t just a celebrated tennis player but also a proud mother and this latest range is dedicated to new moms. In an experiential short video, Sania talked about how Clovia Botaniqa is an absolute skincare solution for pregnant women and new moms who face problems like stretch marks, acne, dry and darkening skin, etc during and post-pregnancy. We took the launch of Clovia Botaniqa as an opportunity to strengthen our social media presence and make a significant connection with the audience instantly. Apart from collaborating with Sania, we have also looped in over 1000+ mom and lifestyle/beauty influencers for Clovia Botaniqa who are talking about our latest offerings like - clay masks, hair oils, face serums, etc. On a regular basis, we also leverage celebrity line up for activewear, bralette and other categories. Quite recently we have also collaborated with Adah Sharma, Chetna Pande, well known screen faces in their set of work profiles.
While we are progressively continuing to foray into new product lines, we’re also encountering a host of organic/inorganic opportunities to grow internationally, which we are going to explore in the coming quarters. We are also planning to see Clovia’s presence in at least 2 more international geographies. Meanwhile we plan to triple our offline store count in the coming year.
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