Technology is transforming fashion industry to the next level
Since 2015, Universal Sportsbiz Pvt. Ltd. (USPL) has been shaking up the Indian fashion industry with on-trend products, smart celebrity tie-ups, and an unerring finger on the pulse of India’s youth. It has quickly created a mark for itself and is today regarded as one of the key players in the category. Headquartered in Bangalore, USPL’s brand portfolio includes Wrogn, Imara and Ms.Taken. USPL’s Chief Marketing Officer Nishant Poddar discussed about Indian fashion, technology and sustainability with Fibre2Fashion.
What’s trending in Indian fashion today, especially among the youth?
Fashion is fast changing and evolving like never before, with fashion cultures being created and restructured by trends on social media, youth culture, influencers or celebrities. With the change in lifestyle, the Indian youth is open, experimental and quick to adopt to the fashion progress.
Fashion has moved back to normalcy and there are elements of trends that are being brought into the seasonal collections; relaxed fits and airy silhouettes are the buzz words. Athleisure as a style has been trending for a while now. A mix of athletic fashion and lounge wear, athleisure has been amongst the most common picks of the youth. The young India is also experimental and open to explore the anti-fit, which is another word for oversized and relaxed silhouettes.
The fast-changing cultures is also leading to adoption of smart and casual attire which is like the yin and yang of putting clothes on in the morning. At one end of the spectrum, one may be dressed in a tuxedo, whereas at the other, one may be in a jean and a tee, walking across. It was during the pandemic—which forced people to stay indoors—that the smart casual attire was well accepted across segments. It consists of a simple shirt/polo to keep up appearances through online meetings and shorts/joggers as bottom wear.
As the situation normalises, in-person meetings are back. So, people are now once again altering their definitions of smart casuals. This could mean some realignment or fresh purchases and if not done right, it could be misunderstood. As smart casual outfits are about getting that balance, but just like a pendulum, balancing is essential.
Are you the first to bring the concept of Influencer/Celebrity tie-ups in the Indian fashion industry? How is the feeling?
It’s humane to seek validation and it’s quite natural to get influenced. The premise of the influencer marketing works on this module. The term influencer marketing has found its foot on the ground now but has been in the works forever. In the past, degree of influence varied based on acquaintance. People would gather/meet over a cup of coffee or drink and discuss varied topics and seek inputs from the experts or the experienced and proceed based on the feedback received. The experienced persons were the one who could influence purchase decisions with their knowledge, authority, position, or relationship with the audience.
The new age influencers in the world of social media are the one who have creative niches and they engage with the audience to influence their purchases. The route to use influencers as a channel to push sales by brands is Influencer Marketing. It is a form of marketing involving endorsements and product placement from influencers, who have a niche. There have been instances of celebrity led fashion brands, but we have blended the brands and celebrity together so that it looks synonymous and not forced.
What is the business model? Are the clothes at USPL really co-designed by celebrities?
The world of fashion has evolved with the advent of digital media and the consumption of content has led to a better understanding of fashion choices. The brand structure and the offering should be in tandem to depict the ethos and the DNA which stands to create the differentiations. The alignment of what the brand stands for alongside personality trait of the brand’s face is essential in order to showcase the partnership as a genuine one and not forced. Inputs from all stakeholders, including the market trends, are factored for a creative output.
Where in your business is technology used the maximum? Is it in logistics or data management?
The adaptation of technology is transforming the fashion industry to the next level, from AR/VR dressing rooms to temperature-changing smart fabrics to virtual goods in the metaverse.
Fashion has been at the forefront of innovation — from the invention of the sewing machine to the now retail through e-commerce. Like technology, fashion is forward-looking and recurring in nature.
Automation is enabling stitching and cutting of fabrics. AI algorithms predict style trends. Then there are clothes that are to be worn in virtual reality. Such an array of innovations show how technology is automating, personalising, and speeding up the fashion space.
In order to maximise the utilisation of technology, the industry is open to partner with technology providers, associating with start-ups, and even building their own technology.
Meanwhile, as the industry faces a long-overdue reckoning with its environmental and social impact, it is re-examining processes across the value chain to reinvent itself.
The rise of e-commerce is amongst the most critical impacts of technology. With the rise in the usage of internet, most individuals are now using their smartphones to shop around the world and take home their favourite items along with updates and notifications about their interest areas. Innovations such as payment via UPI/wallets and social media applications have made shopping a simplified experience better than ever.
The use of technology to create unique designs and styles has created a strong impact in the offering, alongside how clothes are manufactured. Various technologies are applied these days to manufacture bioengineered materials—apart from using digital printing technology—which has made a long-lasting impression on many industries, and fashion is probably one of the biggest beneficiaries of this innovation.
The advent of the Internet of Things allows us to make use of the internet to interact with everyday objects. The usage of Virtual Reality (VR) platforms is fast changing the ecosystem where the world is witnessing a convergence in the online-offline channels.
Where are the products manufactured? Do you have your own facilities?
Fashion is all about evolution—be it with design, fabric, technique, technology, silhouettes or others. To get to an optimal offering as ideated, it becomes imperative that there is a cohesive structure put in place with multiple avenues coming together to get the coordinated supplies. This means that we collaborate with partners who could help us scout and produce the offering as conceptualised.
Sustainability is an in-thing today. Where does USPL stand in terms of sustainability?
Sustainable fashion refers to garments and accessories that are produced in an ecologically and socially responsible manner.
While sustainable marketing campaigns have led us to believe that we can buy our way to sustainability, it’s not that simple.
The fashion that we might call regular fashion is actually fast fashion, like fast food. The faster newer trends arrive, the more harm you are causing to the environment. The fashion industry has the second largest harmful impact on the environment, be it through synthetic fabrics or bulk production. Sustainable fashion stands for the opposite of this – organic fabrics and environmentally friendly production. It is all about buying clothes which do no or little damage to the environment while being produced; and they are not a threat to the ecosystem after being discarded. Brands that are not conscious about preserving and protecting the environment, use up a huge amount of natural resources, energy, and chemicals for production of their garments.
The progress has been gradual and a genuine one to ensure that it is sustained in the collections and offerings.
Published on: 10/05/2022
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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