Ritu Beri is putting India's luxury labels on the global map and promoting an environment conducive to creative thinking. Team viva experiences her concept first hand
last summer, designer Ritu Beri was always thinking about branding India in style. “It is sad that there is no Indian brand that’s recognised globally despite the fact that historically we have been connoisseurs of luxury. Our royals were the reason brands like Cartier became popular. Our maharajas had at one time picked up everything that you associate with grand living today and given them cult status. Yet, we could not develop a global brand considering we have the widest range of artisanal strength and craft to create products of great hand-made value and uniqueness. We have a huge talent pool. What is needed is the right perspective, packaging and marketing,” she had told us.
Yesterday, she took her concept forward by holding a meaningful dialogue with experts from across the world as part of her luxury league.
“There are several bottlenecks in promoting the Indian fashion industry, which is just 25 years old, a novice compared to fashion houses in the West which are hundreds of years old. Some of our own talented designers have been picked up by them. But no home-grown brand has managed an alliance. If you look at it, it has taken a Westerner, John Bissell, to promote Fabindia, as a recognisable, wearable Indian brand. We do not yet know how to put things together the right way; it is either too much or too little, an extra button there or a threaded patch too less. We need an eye with a global perspective to package our art, to identify what works in the world market and help weavers and craftsmen create a contemporary vocabulary. We always look at our fashion from a tribal and ethnic perspective.
It is for this reason that I have put together the luxury league, a think tank which has experts, consultants, analysts, industry and government representatives from home and abroad, to brand India. We have already had round tables with luxury consultants. We are also promoting young designers who work with home-grown fabrics and marketing their collections as well”, she told us.
She further added, “The essence of luxury lies in our heritage. There is no better way to appreciate India than by celebrating India’s rich cultural legacy.” As part of The luxury league “Creator in Residence” programme, Ritu will conduct a pan-India talent search. “One talented Indian craftsman will receive a sponsored work experience with a suitable world-class luxury company in France.”
Thanking the Make in India Week in Mumbai which made the luxury sector’s relationship with Make in India possible, Ritu Beri, Founder, luxury league, sought the support of stakeholders, “My desire is to strengthen the voice of India abroad and to open Indian doors to the world by showcasing our artistic talent through creative interactions and dynamic networking. The objective of the foundation is to brand Indian luxury globally, and to create an increased pool of knowledge and competence.”
Adding to Beri, H.E Alexandre Ziegler, Ambassador of France, said, “France is the country partner for this initiative. With the collaboration of French brands and Indian craftsmen, we will ‘make with India’. This country is a huge market, we made billion euros last year.”
The sessions addressed the intersection between social media, virtual reality, and leveraging these capabilities to generate and sustain demand. Panelists from sectors as diverse as luxury wellness, banking, and holistic healthcare addressed the opportunities and challenges in appealing to millennials, an increasingly significant, and highly exposed consumer base.
Defining luxury, Rakesh Sarna, Managing Director and CEO Taj Hotels Palaces Resorts Safaris, spoke about social transformation, “India is fast becoming one of the world’s fastest growth engines. By 2025, we are expected to have six global megacities, producing high quality luxury goods and services, and great talent. We have the potential to assume a leadership presence in the global economy. While we aspire to become the luxury capital of the world, we must also aspire for the prosperity of our people and address the rising economic inequity. luxury doesn’t refer to ‘brands’ — it is the richness of society. We therefore must work together towards India’s literacy and skill, which can create self-esteem, to power India’s growth potential.”
luxury and disruption world of the digital space
How would you define luxuryIJ Old school conventional thinking is that luxury isn’t about the pricing or the functionality of the product. It is about the aura, association and the status. But suddenly it all dramatically changed when internet came in.
luxury which had an extremely cosy ride suddenly got disrupted. How does luxury now take things forward where many do not go with the conventional thinkingIJ This is the era where the generation thinks about not owning a car because after all we have Ola and Uber. They do not think about getting into a luxury hotel because they think Airbnb is enough. The question here arises is how does this generation move towards luxury which is about status, aura and associationIJ luxury which is all about the experience and online platforms cannot replicate that. How does the luxury market move for what it has always known for to an unknown world of digitalisationIJ “The world of luxury is based on three things: absolute control over the intellectual property, distribution and the creative process. And digital platform is about transparency. Today, luxury has decided to communicate and to be a part of the world in which physical and digital go hand-in-hand. It’s really not a question of generation, according to the data of a photo sharing app, the highest engagement in terms of sales are from those between 45 and 76 years. Hence, the world of luxury has not changed in terms of their approach. It is still about aura, beauty and aspiration,” said Paloma Castro Martinez, Senior Digital and luxury Consultant.
Asked when how does online portals are able to sale luxury when they are just a catalogueIJ And can these portals speak the language of luxuryIJ She added, “Online portals are more like a search engine. Five years ago, one would not have imagined an independent channel in a leading video sharing app. But then it happened to give viewers a personal experience. And in context of India, content ownership is lacking at present.”
Many luxury brands are opting the other way round to grow their market. So do we need to change the luxury market altogether because the next generation is completely different from the past generationIJ “luxury should be setting the standards and not following the standards. I don’t think luxury changes as per the market demand. Overall, it is about keeping the standards without lowering them. For instance, Gucci is a brand which conveys the same message whether in terms of an outlet experience or a digital platform. One may or may not like it but they understand that it is Gucci,” elaborated Paloma.
The changing face of start-ups in luxury
Where does India can engage itself better to create a luxury perfume brand that originates from India and yet is globalIJ
“People are looking for values. It’s not the packaging or fragrance but the story behind it. The young generation is deeply committed to social and global issues and they are trying to contribute in one way or the other. The Indian values should be promoted along with the fragrance. The idea of history with tradition should be brought into global platform,” said Serge, Contemporary French Perfumer.
Photo: Pankaj Kumar