Karan Behal, founder and chief executive of top-selling brand PrettySecrets, talks about trends, forecasts and consumer behaviour.
The innerwear/intimatewear sector has changed drastically over the last one decade. What factors have contributed to this?
Over the past decade, the average woman in India has gained exposure from social media, the ways of the West and similar sources. This has led innerwear and intimatewear to no longer remaining a hush-hush discussion, but rather one wherein women openly have a say in their choice and preferences. Women no longer accept lingerie as casual innerwear-they make time to try, select and make the purchase. Innerwear and intimatewear are now seen as fashion accessories instead as a necessity. For example, women make calculated purchases of innerwear with an event, activity or occasion in mind. This has been driven by the media, product innovations within the industry and an increased awareness of fashion orientation and health trends. The sector has also witnessed a rise in the number of working women, a rise in the disposable incomes, and a thriving youth population. Bringing together these factors, the innerwear/intimatewear sector has experienced drastic change over the past decade and is poised to experience unprecedented growth.
What are the current consumer preferences for innerwear?
Consumer preference will shift towards practical choices in innerwear and the companies will cater to functional requirements increasingly. Majority of Indian female body types have a heavy bust and they require a high support full coverage bra. Full coverage bras will not only remain a simple functional aspect, but will also come in several style options and trim additions. Similarly, plunge bras that are bought for deeper necklines are currently among the trends in the market. Owing to the growing trend that suggests consumers take notice of the colour palette in their wardrobe while shopping for lingerie, more women seek to match their lingerie sets. Even as per different skin tones, we have added three different nude shades to cater to these specific needs. Likewise, we added neon colours to the PrettySecrets 2017 collection when neon outerwear was hitting the market. Preference for natural fabrics will see a rise as consumers become increasingly conscious about their purchases. Bamboo-based fibres such as modal viscose will gain popularity. Our Breathe collection consists of all natural 100 per cent cotton bras and we keep adding more options in solids and prints. Our Super Soft Essentials in modal are an all-time favourite among our customers. Natural fibres are super absorbent and perfect for Indian weather, and hence it will work well in the market.
What are the trends in terms of trim and accessories in innerwear?
Bra accessories such as strap extenders and hook 'n eye adjusters are doing well because of their functionality. It is natural for body shapes and size to constantly shift and change over the years and consumers will look forward to these accessories to sustain their existing products much longer. These accessories also add features such as backless, strapless effects to everyday bras. Accessories such as silicon padding and bras that have removable padding have also gained popularity as awareness about their usage has increased. Majority of women all over the world have asymmetric bust shapes and additionally removable padding aids in giving a perfect fit.
What are the elements that you need to change in your collections? Designs? Colours? Material?
We take pride in our designs and colours as that is our USP. Our unique designs and colours are widely appreciated across the country and actually run synonymously with the PrettySecrets brand name. The sole element that we believe we need to strengthen in our collection is the engineering and raw material component. Fit and comfort along with the feel of the fabric are of utmost importance when it comes to the first layer of clothing you wear on your skin, and hence it's imperative to get these right. Additionally, through intensive consumer research, we have seen that the fundamental press points for women when it comes to lingerie is comfort and fit. Hence, if these aren't right the customer does not and will not ever consider buying.
Which segment is driving growth for you: sleepwear, loungewear, athleisure, or any other?
We are currently experiencing enormous growth in the sleepwear segment. Our sleepwear collection is unique when compared to any other product in the market. Our collection consists of distinctive prints that are fun and quirky. These are developed inhouse by a highly experienced design team. We offer the widest catalogue of sleepwear in the market; our products are available at affordable price points and are value for money. We also offer products for all sizes, XS to XXL. In India, sleepwear is currently a booming category as is evident by the growing demand. Indians are now not only taking fashion consciousness to the streets but to home as well. People are increasingly recognising the need to buy sleepwear of a specific quality.
Which fits and styles will be in vogue in 2019/20?
In the dark palette, there is a preference for classic romantic tones such as maroon, brown, grey and navy which compliment dusky skin tones. These colours will commonly be seen in our Tempt Me collections and bralettes. In the light tones, the market preference is shifting from candy pastels to sophisticated luxurious pastel tones such as dusky rose, champagne gold, pearl white and an entry of precious gemstone shades. Prints will be changing into ditsy florals with a polka spread and striped with floral effects. Florals will continue as an evergreen trend, followed by abstract prints. These are mostly digital and juxtaposed shapes and textures. Then you will have stripes and geometric prints as another favourite, but with a new twist of organic elements to break the monotony. There may still be animal prints with some brands, but the demand in the market has revealed a declining trend. Hawaiian prints with flora and fauna prints will trend in the swimwear category. In silhouettes, snug fits with a contoured feel and look; broad bands with seamless innerwear such as our Miracle Fits which take the exact shape of the body and create a contoured look. Then there are lightweight modal fabric products which give a "barely there" feel when worn. We have modal fabric hipsters, boyshorts, thongs and bikinis that cling to the hips without giving any marks or irritating the skin. For the 'no show look' with a glimpse of silver effect, lurex seamless innerwear will also work well in the market.
Which price points work well for your brand(s)?
₹399-899.
Which are the top trends in innerwear for women and men?
1. Bra and bralette sets with special design features at the back and on the sides, such as caged bras, lace wing/band bralettes that are used with outerwear garments.
2. Growing technological additions made to bras such as dotted accupressure padding in bras (regulates blood flow in the body).
3. Front open bras and reversible bras and other such "easy to wear" designs which are made keeping primarily the 'function' of the product in mind.
What kind of fabrics will influence innerwear in 2019/20?
Seamless technology is an on-going trend. The seamless look is very aesthetic and functional as well. This trend will continue going forward to next seasons. Lurex is a growing trend within fabrics. We will soon be seeing lurex fibres in single jersey fabrics/polyamide/ polyesters, lurex graphic artworks and lurex stripes on camis, PJ sets and even bras. This trend can give a versatile usage in the innerwear market. Spacer knit fabrics will be a booming fabric trend. Spacer is a highly breathable, cushioned, multi-faceted fabric, used in the practical making of a wide variety of products. We may see its use in the innerwear as bra cups. In synthetic fabrics, polyester blends with peach finish in bras, brushed poly-cots in nightwear/lingerie, fleece effect in knitwear tops and sleepshirts will also see a rise owing to the extreme comfort they give to the user. In natural fabrics, eco-friendly consumerism is a growing trend which attracts the market to our Super Soft collections that include products made of modal fabric. This fabric is essentially made of re-purposed bamboo fibre and will be a growing trend in coming seasons.
Which are your top-selling products online and offline?
Our top-selling product online is from the Miracle Fit collection that has padded non-wired and padded wired varieties-both have been a huge success in the online market. Those are followed by the Breathe collection owing to a growing market of conscious consumerism that looks for products in natural fabrics. The next is Tempt Me, which caters to the bridal market and has a loyal customer base. Additionally, we have bridal trousseau events at a few stores to celebrate our loyal customers. The offline market demand trends are similar to the online ones, but here we have customers who do not visit the store only to scroll through the options, but have specific needs when they enter a store. The BasiX bra which has a core basic styling with multiple colour options has worked well for us. Functional bras such as nudes, convertibles and strapless bras which are a 'must have' in every woman's wardrobe and require a good fit are among the top-sellers in offline stores.
Published on: 21/06/2018
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.
