Sandeep Suri
Vice President – Sales OCM Private Limited
The cornerstone to our success has always been quality and manufacturing timeless pieces
OCM began its journey as a manufacturer in the textile field in 1924 and forayed into worsted fabrics in 1972. The Company’s ownership lies with the promoters of the Donear Group. The company markets Ferrara, the Italian luxury for the discerning buyer of premium suiting and jacketing fabrics. OCM Private Limited’s Vice President – Sales Sandeep Puri speaks to Fibre2Fashion about the Ferrara brand in India.
How far does the association of OCM and Ferrara go back? What are the terms of the association?
Ferrara is a brand which is essentially Italian inspired. A large segment of it is extra fine blends including exotic fibres like cashmere, mohair and so on. Ferrara was introduced to the Indian market in 2015 by OCM and since then has been entrenched with a discerning few who look for an international flair in their fabrics.
What is the market share of the brand in the Indian suiting and shirting space today?
The luxury end of the market rakes in about 1-2 per cent of the entire suiting space. Of which, Ferrara has proven itself to be a top contender amongst other luxury fabric brands in the market.
Which are the major markets and which ones are evolving?
The major markets for Ferrara are the entire northern Hindi speaking belt. Apart from which, metro cities and cities with an industrial belt are more prone to buying this high-end fabric.
What unique fabrics and colours does the brand offer to the Indian market?
The trends are forecast by an international team of designers, spread across the world incorporating some Indian sensibilities in design. With primarily classic and muted colours, the shades range from navys, charcoals, beiges, khakis, blacks, etc. Owing to the versatility of the fabrics, the designs are primarily muted or self-designs.
How is the brand retailed in India? How many MBOs, EBOs, franchisees, etc do you have?
The brand is extensively retailed through a select few leading luxury MBOs offering a diverse range of high-end fabrics.
What is the USP of the brand? What does its Italian lineage bring to the Indian market?
The USP of the brand is definitely the exotic fibres—it adds a dramatic impact to the fall, finish and drape of the fabric—having intricate blends of mohair, vicuna, alpaca and so on. We even did a limited-edited collection with rose and milk fibre which fared very well.
Which segment of customers is the brand targeted at?
Our target group is very niche – perhaps a middle-aged man, highly ambitious and successful; either a senior business position or a rising entrepreneur; someone who knows fashion, understands trends, and always wants to look the part. This of course spans geographies.
Are you also into bespoke clothing? If yes, what are the things which are to be kept in mind while undertaking such projects?
Our forte is making fabrics. We leave it to our channel partners – including bespoke tailors – to perfect the measurements and make the garment come alive.
How did the brand fare during the pandemic? How sourcing, production, team cooperation, etc was affected?
The pandemic was rough on the entire industry. With activities coming to a total halt during the lockdown, we of course were not able to promptly purchase. The team was highly cooperative, and we soon bounced back and have since then liquidated old stock and pushed out two new collections that have fared well.
What are some of the innovative approaches that Ferrara implements to stay relevant in a country like India?
With Ferrara, the cornerstone to our success has always been quality and manufacturing timeless pieces. Our customers want to invest in something that can lend to versatility in their wardrobe and be tailored with perfection. This consistent effort to stay ahead of the curve in luxury fashion is borne out of considerable amounts of research and then small-batch production.
What is the focus for the upcoming winter season? Any collection being worked upon for the same?
The upcoming winter season’s collection is going to be spectacular. We’ve sourced some of the finest merino from Australia and are creating some wonderful flannels and tweeds. Apart from that, we’ve got a heavy but luxurious bend in vicuna which is promising. All of these will be in classic colours and primarily focused on the jacketing/coats/overcoats spaces.
How does OCM want to further expand Ferrara’s customer base in India? What are the strategies being planned?
We have a few marketing initiatives which will be rolled out later this year. The idea will be to engage with our target audience, personally, through small forum discussions and empower them to dress for their earned success.
Published on: 27/05/2022
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.
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