In a post a few weeks ago I had talked about creating Brass Tacks Gold, a higher end line where I could be more creative with handwoven fabrics without having to think of practical things like sales. My regular line, Brass Tacks (madras), would have a wider price range and potentially more mass appeal because I would keep in mind a variety of customers with different needs, different body types and different budgets for shopping.
Then I made the foolish mistake of talking to knowledgeable people in the business of retail and fashion! I’m joking of course- I am grateful for their time and generosity. The only problem is that I’m confused now. Below are the different options in front of me:
Option 1: Making Brass Tacks Madras a lower-end line with more appeal to a wider (and younger) segment of the market.
One person suggested that my lower end line (Brass Tacks Madras) should be produced in slightly larger volumes and sold everywhere. He also made a good argument for why I should be willing to make ideological compromises on the lower end line in order to appeal to a wider age and income group; Brass Tacks currently appeals to such a tiny niche and that’s not enough for me to keep this financially viable. A mass appeal line would mean using blends of polyester with cotton, or prints that aren’t particularly unusual but still very popular. I would still make well-cut clothes for this lower end line, but the inexpensive fabrics would allow me to price the garments in the range of Rs 400 to Rs 1000.
The big plus of this option is that I could potentially reach out to younger women who are still in their last year of college or first few years of work, and once they are used to the cuts and tailoring quality of my brand, they might slowly gravitate towards the higher-end, hand-woven line. The downside is that I’d have to expand my production capacity and given my perennial tailor problems, that’s a daunting task.
Option 2: Making the brand appeal to a wider (and older) segment of the market
I recently invited a partner of a high-end designer boutique in Chennai over to my store to give me some feedback. He strongly felt that I should be focusing on older women who have more spending power and catering to them by designing more comfortable, looser silhouettes and perhaps also including a line of sarees and stoles in my store. It’s really hard for me to think creatively when it comes to loose, flowing kurtas, and although I do love sarees I’m not sure that’s a great idea since one of the best sari stores in Chennai (Shilpi) is located right opposite the street from my store. The idea of designing a few styles that I can sell at higher prices is very appealing however. It would be nice to make the money I need to sustain this business through smaller volumes. Also, I could stick to handwoven and natural fabrics.
Option 3: Incorporate a high-end party wear line into Brass Tacks Gold
Last week I went to another designer boutique, and I noticed many evening dresses that were very similar to a lot of my evening dresses like Epiphyte and Black Orchid, except these dresses were made in fabrics like chiffon and georgette, with a habotai silk lining and sometimes a little elastic at the empire line to hold the dress together. In other words, those dresses have a wider mass appeal just because of the fabrics used – Chiffon and georgette silks are a lot more fluid and crush a lot less compared to Tussar silk or hand-woven mulberry silk. Perhaps by designing a higher end line of dresses in more mass appeal fabrics I will be able to reach out to more women in the demographic that I want to target – women who have spending power but who are currently not Brass Tacks customers because the fabrics don’t appeal to them.
Paralyzed and clearly still analyzing, I think I am inclined towards trying all of the above, without categorizing them into any brand label for now. I’ll add a few cotton-lycra pants, a couple of looser kurta styles, and I have to try at least one printed chiffon dress (I know just which print to use already). And then I’ll take it from there but in the meantime I’d love to hear thoughts and suggestions.
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11 comments:
I'm paralyzed too after reading this, but i can say one thing, don't start using polyester blends and all of that... it just dilutes the brass tacks philosophy. i'm in a city that has a winter but otherwise if i liven in chennai i would stay as faraway as possible from that stuff!
Could you please consider a lower end line using cotton prints or plain handloom cotton in vivid and bright colour? This is sure to appeal to young women especially in Indian weather where it is hard to wear silk or polyester. The cuts and stitching details in your elegant blouses would still be unusual compared to the mass-produced ubiquitous `kurtis'. I'm sure people would love to buy them.
Hi Kalyani: i thought about the polyester because a lot of women who come to my store are disappointed when they learn how easily my cotton and linen trousers crush. Many women want something that will look smart througout their day at work... and a polyester-cotton blend might do that. Haven't made up my mind yet though, just thinking out loud.
Nita: Of course I will consider any suggestions that some my way. The problem with cotton prints and plain handloom is that they aren't exactly cheap.. I already use a lot of plain handloom fabrics, and the final cost of the garment does not work out to be less than Rs 650. Stitching details take a lot of time, and my tailors do not come cheap either. I will however pay attention to your feedback about colour and make sure I choose brighter colours.
Loose clothes...pl. don't. It will dilute the lovely work you do today. There is Shilpi always to cater to the 'loose fit'clientele!
And polyester..oh god no.
Well, they won't be loose and unshapely, but just more figure forgiving. Right now my clothes are made with the assumption that women have small-ish waists, but that cuts out a whole segment of the market.
And not that I am justifying this, but there are a lot of high-end, expensive brands that use polyester. I'm not a fan myself, but if it's a great polyester-cotton-lycra blend, it might work really well for fitted, wrinkle free trousers. Just saying...
Hi Anaka,
Rs. 650/- for a well-tailored blouse is very reasonable for many people. The only problem is if the cloth does not last many washes. I have this problem with some blouses from places like Fabindia - they don't last. So if a polyester-cotton blend does that, that would be great. Please keep us posted about any such new additions to your collection!
-Nita
on another note your product line is coming along nicely
Hi Nita, I have a couple of tops in the store for Rs 650, and a few more in the range of Rs 700 to 900. They are all pre-shrunk and in most cases the colour, even if it bleeds, should not fade on the fabric. The cloth should last- I own many Brass Tacks clothes and they do last several washes. But I don't think it's just the price- I think the styles and the fabrics probably don't appeal to everyone. If I had printed tops in slightly looser fits, with sleeves, that might sell a lot faster than a cowl neck fitted top in indigo.
Anrosh- thank you!
Congrats on living your dream!
I stumbled upon your blog and felt I should add my two pence over your concerns in regards to your line and the store. (I might be stating the obvious...but here goes)
Firstly, it is essential to be neither too broad nor too narrow in your approach. When you try to be broad, then it will be more expensive and more difficult to sell.
If you are too narrow then there will not be enough revenue/profit.
So your thought of trying all three options may be a good idea, however resist the temptation of trying all at once. Stick to maybe 1-2 segments, like the low priced pret and maybe seasonally (short term) try to incorporate couture evening gowns/dresses.
Secondly if your customers ARE requesting you to offer some less "wrinkly" options then that is exactly what you need to do. Does this mean you are diluting your design philosophy? Not actually, because you are trying to catering to clients requests.
Clearly define your options and track them, so you will be able to evaluate your targets and prepare for the next step.
Finally show the difference between each segment, because no two segments should have the same needs and values.
I've recently moved to Chennai and will drop by your store as it is kitty corner from my home....cheers!
Hi Rupa, That's a good point about how listening to customer feedback is not necessarily diluting my design philosophy. I'm not going to go all out with the synthetic fabrics, but instead use fabrics like viscose and tencel that have natural origins but require many chemical processes to convert it into yarn and fabric. These fabrics have a fall that is almost like silk, but it's not as expensive.
I'm also going to use more prints and ikats in each collection because I'm realizing how popular surface textile crafts are.
Please drop by the store- I'd love to meet you!
Hi Anaka,
I found a website that may interest you in case you haven't seen it before.
www.gamthi.com
These people are suppliers of block print fabric. I found about them from a friend who does quilting, and has purchased cloth from them. I know you are more interested in weaves, but they seem to have some really interesting patterns in their `desert' series. I don't know if you can make a line appealing to younger people from these types of unusual prints while keeping your distinctive cuts.
Just a thought!
Nita
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