Moda Biella for Autumn ’21 is promoting ‘The Peacock Theory’
Italian luxury brand Moda Biella is known for its top-notch fabrics. The brand is marketed by Indian company OCM, one of India’s largest fabric manufacturers. In an interview with Fibre2Fashion, Malcolm Campbell, the European Advisor of Moda Biella and Vikram Mahaldar, MD & CEO, OCM, discuss the luxury market of India and the factors influencing it, and how Moda Biella is set to leverage it through expansion in the coming years.
Moda Biella was launched by OCM in India 2 years back. How has the brand fared in the Indian market in these two years?
Vikram Mahaldar: It’s like a dream come true. Everything has fallen into place for the brand to become what it is in a short span. Right from our Italian partners to sales & marketing teams to product designers to the manufacturing team to our European advisor (Malcolm Campbell), everyone has contributed to its success. Although majority of the brand’s journey has been through the pandemic so it has been an uphill journey but we’re really happy to have scaled up the way we have, in terms of product, network, marketing initiatives and so on and so forth. We have given it our all to build a network of loyal channel partners, and end customers alike who are part of the Moda Biella Guild of Distinction now. I feel really happy to see a concept that we put together on a strategy board a couple of years back blossom to become a well-recognised brand now.
Malcolm Campbell: The brand was launched with the motto “The Heritage of Luxury Fabrics” and that is exactly the position that Moda Biella has established within the Indian sartorial menswear market, the provider of top-notch fabrics for sartorial suits, elegant jackets, and smart tailored trousers. We are the brand that the tailors turn to for their requirements. Our collection is diverse and covers all aspects of menswear tailoring. During the pandemic the creators, designers and technical team continued with their design and development work. So now, as the retail sector recovers, we are in the strongest position to satisfy our customers’ requirements and grow our brand to be the best, the most reliable, the most technically innovative and the most creative in India. Two years after our launch, we are more confident, more respected, more admired and more established with a forward plan that is ambitious and creative. We are proud and confident.
What are some of the innovative approaches that a brand like Moda Biella is implementing to stay relevant in current times?
Campbell: Moda Biella will always be at the forefront of fashion and style because of its Innovation. Be it design innovation, technical innovation, or sales and marketing innovation, Moda Biella is without a doubt the leader in the field. Featuring unique and exclusive products within the collection such as ‘TravelSmart’, the suit that looks good on arrival, ‘Comfort and Joy’ natural stretch, ‘Cool Wool’ cool touch technical application for a cooler handle to the cloth and ‘Super Blacks’ the blackest black in The Universe. All these innovations in beautiful cloths and colours, with outstanding marketing promotions both in press and in store, ensure that Moda Biella will leave its competition standing at the start line. The textile design team, production team, technical team, and sales team, are the best that there is, working together like a top league cricket or football team, totally coordinated for success.
Tell us a bit about the design process which goes behind each collection. What is the significance of various colours in fabric selection?
Campbell: The cloth textile design process begins a few seasons before a collection hits the market. The designers review historic seasons sales, the current seasons reaction, the season that is about to be launched and the trends for the season that they are working on. Colours are very important, and while the core colours may be navy, black, grey and beige, it is important that the fashion colours are featured strongly too, in order to maintain the fashion trends. For Autumn 2021, the colour trends are focused on nature with shades of earth, sky, sea, lagoon, forest, midnight, saffron, spruce and cinnamon, even the names of the colours reflecting a natural theme. The trends for Autumn 2021/ 2022 were broken down in to four sectors 1. Sartorial Serenity – fashion suitings, 2. Work Ethics – office suits, 3. Social Sophistication – outdoorwear, 4. Country Confidence – casual jacketings and blazers for that relaxed look. Each group is carefully considered not only for colour and design but also for the end consumer, the Indian gentleman who will wear the garments. The design process is a bit like a mathematical calculation, there are so many variables to be considered before the correct answer is achieved.
You have recently collaborated with top fashion institute NIFT. What is the idea behind this collaboration and what does this mean to you from business perspective?
Campbell: The idea is to stimulate, educate and encourage the young textile students of India, by giving them the Moda Biella Master Class tutorials on raw materials, weaving, tailoring and colour, to encourage them to work with natural raw materials like merino wool, silk, cashmere, linen, bamboo, and cotton, and to create intricate textile designs. Too many of today’s fashions are in black, navy and grey, in panama or twill weaves, very simple. Moda Biella wants to bring back the art, the skill, and the master craftsmanship to textile design. From a business perspective we are seen by the textile community leading the way with the education of our students. We give certificates which the students can present with their CV’s and organise design competitions which gets the students press coverage and recognition. We also encourage our customers to consider the students for work experience attachments. We hope one day that cloths created through this initiative (the Moda Biella Academy) can become commercial and successful in the retail market place.
Is OCM going to provide any kind of internships to students of NIFT in future?
Mahaldar: We have been associated with NIFT for many years now, offering internships to a host of students from the textile design fraternity under the able guidance of our design studio. During their internship, the students are shown the different stages / processes of how fabrics are made and contribute effectively to designing the upcoming range. We look forward to keep an ongoing association with them and further strengthening an industry-institute rapport through workshops, guest lectures and internships.
Campbell: We are always looking for good textile design talent, good technical ability, production acumen and sales potential within students, and would like to think that the top students would be encouraged to seek employments with our company or with our associates.
How different was the design process during the pandemic? How was sourcing, production, team cooperation etc affected?
Campbell: The Covid-19 pandemic obviously had a severe effect on sales and marketing as the retail stores around India closed, and stock accumulated over this period. This stock is now beginning to clear, as the market returns to a new form of normality. This did not affect the development teams at Moda Biella. Work continued on newness, freshness, excitement of product and creativity of performance. The result is an outstanding collection for both Autumn 2021, and the collection that is now in work for Spring 2022. The team is focused on a brighter future, the return to a new normal, and have worked tirelessly during the lockdown to create new ideas for a distinguished and discerning customer. You will be amazed at how fresh and inspirational the Moda Biella collection is. We have worked like warriors, not worriers!
Which are the major markets of Moda Biella and which are the evolving ones in India?
Mahaldar: Moda Biella has gained momentum and popularity in a major belt in the north and west of India and in few pockets in the central, south and east of India. It’s a brand of choice in leading metros and big cities too. We hope to capture market space in other prominent cities and towns in the future.
What is the market share of luxury clothing in India as on date? How is it set to grow in future?
Mahaldar: The luxury fabric market occupies a very small niche in the larger pie of the branded fabrics market – perhaps close to 1-2 per cent of it. While the customer set is very niche, we had seen YOY growth in this segment. The propensity towards buying luxury clothing has been increasing at a gradual pace. With the slowing down of the pandemic and its severity, we’re hopeful that this space will scale up very soon and the purchase of these discretionary products should see reasonable growth.
What are the trends/factors that will define the fate of luxury fashion in India?
Campbell: The key trends that affect luxury fashion in India today are eco friendliness and sustainability. Protecting our planet by working with natural fibres is crucial. The other key factor is ‘wearability’, and the consumer buying a quality garment that will last. Disposable fashion and low prices is a thing of the past. The consumer will pay more for their luxury clothing knowing that they will look good and feel good in their clothes, for years, rather than for just months. Noble fibres and technical enhancements to the cloth like shower proof, stain resist, cool touch, will all become a part of the luxury cloth features that are promoted within Moda Biella.
What are some of the unique characteristics of clothing from Moda Biella? How do you plan to become a game changer with bespoke clothing?
Campbell: The Moda Biella collection is created in sections, so whether our customer is looking for garments for celebrationwear, formalwear, casual, workwear, whatever, they are catered for. We also encourage our clients to work within the Moda Biella ‘Working Wardrobe’ a collection of six pieces, a plain suit, a check suit, a blazer, a check jacket, chino trousers and a wool blend pair of trousers….then the fun begins as they mix and match to coordinate within this wardrobe of six pieces. Jacket from one suit with the trousers from another, or with the chinos or wool trousers, then with the blazer jacket. Worn with a shirt and tie, or an open neck shirt, or a lambswool rollneck merino jumper. The total number of outfits that can be created from these six pieces is sixty four!
Moda Biella for Autumn ’21 is also promoting ‘The Peacock Theory’, encouraging Indian men to look good, feel good and perform better when they are smartly dressed and feeling confident, like a strutting peacock. There are various cloths promoted within The Peacock Theory to assist our customers on their selection. We will work with our customers, we will advise them on the best colours, the best designs, our tailors will help them to create their own working wardrobe, and when that is established, we will help them to add and to enhance it next season and the season after that. Moda Biella wishes to have an ongoing relationship with all our sartorial customers in India.
How can a man always look his best in suiting and shirting? What are the topmost 5 essentials?
Campbell: A man should look smart, he should look proud, he should look handsome and attractive. He should have STYLE. Wearing the correct clothes can show your style without you having to say a word. A well fitted suit, be it single breasted, two button, or double breasted, with a waistcoat or without, with fitted trousers or pleated trousers, collar and tie or open neck shirt, can portray an elegant image of the wearer, and create a lasting impression, socially or in the office. The five key essentials are two suits, a check and a plain suit, a blazer, a check sports jacket and a pair of casual trousers. These five pieces can then be coordinated with accessories such as white shirts, coloured shirts, dark shirts, ties, cravats, knitwear, casual shoes, smart shoes, brogues …… With these outfits, with Moda Biella cloth, and with the help of the Moda Biella tailors, any man will always look his best and feel like a million bucks. Moda Biella is the heritage of luxury fabrics and style.
How has the overall demand of luxury clothing got affected by the pandemic? Are the effects being felt long-term or short-term?
Campbell: The effect of the pandemic has obviously been severe, as stores have been closed and the population resorted to an ensemble of track pants and t-shirts while they were not working or attending the office. Stocks were also carried over from a selling season of last spring and autumn seasons, which did not take place. However these short term effects are beginning to change as the market begins to recover. Social events such as weddings and sports events are starting to take place again, social activities that involve wearing suits are becoming popular again, and one of the key factors of change and improved sales. The market is recovering and Moda Biella is leading the recovery.
How does OCM further want to expand Moda Biella’s customer base in India? What are the strategies being planned?
Mahaldar: We envision Moda Biella being accessible and coveted for a variety of audiences and that endeavour starts right from trend forecasting, designs, network strength, brand imagery, marketing initiatives, customer service – every single piece of the puzzle needs to ‘fit.’We aim to reach wider geographies and a new set of customers who are looking for discretionary exquisite products like we offer in Moda Biella. Our sales team is constantly putting in their best efforts to increase the distribution network to reach customers in the heartland of India and occupy a decent pie of Sec-A and Sec-B of these markets.
Campbell: Moda Biella plans to develop beautiful new cloth qualities, fabric compositions, and textile designs and colours for the ladieswear market. This is a lucrative market, and once the menswear market is dominated, the ladieswear market will be developed. We are confident that with experience, and our sympathetic approach to fashion, that we will soon make major inroads to this sector of the Indian market. We also want to cover the generations across menswear, so the grandfather, the father and the son can all choose for their clothes from within the Moda Biella collection.
