Kaveri’s garments embody feminine grace at their finest
Kaveri is India’s only all-linen clothing brand, using only the purest linen fabrics. It is a slow fashion brand inspired by the natural beauty, texture, drape and history of the glorious fabric. It is all about trans-seasonal, easy-to-wear clothing. The brand’s ethos from the very beginning has been to provide inclusive and honest clothing using the finest linen fabrics for the women of today. In an interview with Fibre2Fashion, Couture by Kaveri Founder Kaveri Lalchand discusses womenswear, the brand and its latest collection.
When was Kaveri conceptualised? What is the idea behind the brand?
The idea for the brand spawned from my personal experience in 2011 when I struggled to find the right clothing that was visually appealing and comfortable to wear at affordable prices. This resulted in developing an ethos for brand from the very beginning; provide inclusive and honest clothing using the finest linen fabrics for the women of today—catering to all shapes and sizes, creating garments that exude confidence, versatility and free-flowing comfort, making them easy to wear every day where each piece has a story to tell.
Kaveri’s exquisite garments embody feminine grace at their finest; hand-made and hand-embroidered with love. Intense care goes into every little aspect from crafting the minute details to the edging that makes these pieces more precious and unique. Our contemporary designs flow and drape in exciting and flattering silhouettes that change the way you feel about yourself—powerful and whimsical and always effortlessly stylish, making every day beautiful for you.
How has the brand evolved ever since?
In the last five years, Kaveri as a brand has evolved from being a home for fine linen wear in your backyard to an internationally renowned phenomenon, expanding its presence online and delivering to over 20 countries around the world. It has also launched sub-brands such as Couture by Kaveri—which delivers elegant, grand bespoke outfits handmade for special occasions—and Baby K by Kaveri –which offers breathable and fun occasion wear in linen for kids. With Kaveri available at over 50 stores and also present on some international fashion runways, the brand is only just getting started and there is plenty more to come.
How has womenswear as a category grown in India?
With exposure to mass and social media, the evolution in style and fashion for women has grown exponentially over the years with growing categories ranging from couture, casual, sportswear, and athletic wear, to yoga, maternity wear and more—catering to various age groups and price points resulting in an abundance in choice for consumers.
Not only have these choices grown, but people are more attuned to consuming products from brands that resonate with their personal beliefs and follow ethical practices—a win for humanity and the environment.
What are some materials you work closely with?
We take pride in utilising one of the most sustainable and elegant fabrics known for its elegance and versatility: Linen. Not only does it work as a brilliant canvas to create exquisite designs but also bodes well with other natural materials such as cotton and silk—all culminating in our collective mission to safeguard our planet and humanity.
We have taken this further to construct our garments in the most humane manner by confirming to the internationally renowned REACH standards—a regulation of the European Union, adopted to improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals. At our mill, the industrial wastewater is treated in effluent treatment plants to purify the water for its reuse and to ensure that the water is safe to be released into the environment.
What is the demographic you cater to?
We cater to women in all shapes and sizes ranging between the ages of 25 and 65.
Which are your major markets in India and abroad?
We are stocked in India’s finest multi-designer boutiques, and expanding our presence internationally with stores in France, Spain, Portugal, Reunion, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Qatar and Lebanon.
What are the price points that work well for womenswear?
Our brand is in the prêt and luxury prêt segment. Our average prices range from ₹20,000-30,000 for luxury pieces to ₹12,000-17,000 for prêt clothing.
What is the inspiration for your latest collection?
This year, we traverse time and space, calling upon inspiration from the heavenly bodies above: that cast a mystic spell upon our earth below with mesmerising, textured and fluidic finesse.
Layered upon graceful linen, we pay homage to the likeness of precious stones that lay hidden in the ravines of majestic hills along enigmatic valleys and terrains.
The shades, layers, textures, cuts and finishes from our new collection constitute grand iridescence cocooned inside these gemstones, giving rise to a new world—from precious strokes of layered emotions on paper into an astounding work of sartorial brilliance.
Celebrating our reverence to the bodies out in the universe, the rustic charm of Mother Nature below and everything in between, we are ecstatic to present the next chapter in Kaveri’s fashion escapade with ‘Painted Sands of Time’.
What are the future plans for Kaveri?
We have been fortunate to have achieved organic growth in the market so far and wish to expand in our endeavors both online and offline through talks with potential investors so we can move to newer markets within India and abroad.
Published on: 27/01/2023
DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.
