Interviews
News Flash
Lingerie brand Amante set to replicate India success story
31 Dec '09
3 min read
Riding on the success of 'Amante', a lingerie brand which was launched in India by the Sri Lankan based MAS Holdings; it is now all set to replicate the story in Sri Lanka within the next two years. MAS Holdings is South Asia's largest intimate apparel manufacturer, with an annual turnover of US $700 million and manufactures lingerie's for well-known international brands like Victoria's Secret and Marks & Spencer.
Amante is currently sold in 250 multi-brand stores across all major cities in India such as Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, Bangalore and Chennai. It derives 40 percent of its business from the North, 30 percent from West, 20 percent South and 10 percent from the East. Amante was launched in India, drawing from experiences of over 20 years in designing and producing for the best known lingerie lines in the world. It is looking to replicate this success in other countries like Malaysia and Singapore too.
Speaking exclusively to Fibre2fashion, Mr Ajay Amalean, Managing Director of MAS Corporate Solutions and Retail, India, said, “We have achieved a sales growth of 150 percent in 2009, when compared with 2008 and have projected growth of 75 percent in 2010, which is well above the industry average for the premium segment, which compromises of three major players with an approximate growth rate of 30-40 percent”.
When asked to divulge details on the modifications made in the products to satisfy the diversified Indian customer, he explained by saying, “We have made certain modifications to our products keeping in mind the sensibility of the Indian woman, like classic pieces that are must-haves to complete any wardrobe and finely crafted lingerie that offers style, support & comfort in equal measure.
“Just to give an insight into few of our products, all our padded bras come with 2mm ultra thin cups to ensure a smooth appearance underneath clothes and become invisible beneath outerwear and were introduced to change the perception that padded bras, add volume. The thin flexible skin friendly wire, which is encased in a soft oval casing called fortitube, is a patented wire casing fabric by MAS to reduce underwire loss through wear & tear.
“We tested lots of silhouettes and found only 2 or 3 that work. In India the best selling silhouettes are full cover & Demi. Silhouettes like plunge, halters and balconettes aren't well accepted, hence, we made modifications in some silhouettes to cater to the needs of the Indian women.
“Also with respect to color palette, vibrant shades like bright pinks, blues and yellows, did not find many takers, due to which darker and richer tones like maroons, violets and burgundy were introduced in addition to classic shades since they go well with Indian skin tones.”
When asked to reveal future plans for the brand in India, he said, “The focus for Amanté over the next 3 years will be to consolidate our India operation, therefore we have no plans to expand beyond India before 2012 and in India, the focus will be on expanding the width & increasing the efficiency of our distribution network and streamlining our replenishment & stockholding process.”
Amante is currently sold in 250 multi-brand stores across all major cities in India such as Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, Bangalore and Chennai. It derives 40 percent of its business from the North, 30 percent from West, 20 percent South and 10 percent from the East. Amante was launched in India, drawing from experiences of over 20 years in designing and producing for the best known lingerie lines in the world. It is looking to replicate this success in other countries like Malaysia and Singapore too.
Speaking exclusively to Fibre2fashion, Mr Ajay Amalean, Managing Director of MAS Corporate Solutions and Retail, India, said, “We have achieved a sales growth of 150 percent in 2009, when compared with 2008 and have projected growth of 75 percent in 2010, which is well above the industry average for the premium segment, which compromises of three major players with an approximate growth rate of 30-40 percent”.
When asked to divulge details on the modifications made in the products to satisfy the diversified Indian customer, he explained by saying, “We have made certain modifications to our products keeping in mind the sensibility of the Indian woman, like classic pieces that are must-haves to complete any wardrobe and finely crafted lingerie that offers style, support & comfort in equal measure.
“Just to give an insight into few of our products, all our padded bras come with 2mm ultra thin cups to ensure a smooth appearance underneath clothes and become invisible beneath outerwear and were introduced to change the perception that padded bras, add volume. The thin flexible skin friendly wire, which is encased in a soft oval casing called fortitube, is a patented wire casing fabric by MAS to reduce underwire loss through wear & tear.
“We tested lots of silhouettes and found only 2 or 3 that work. In India the best selling silhouettes are full cover & Demi. Silhouettes like plunge, halters and balconettes aren't well accepted, hence, we made modifications in some silhouettes to cater to the needs of the Indian women.
“Also with respect to color palette, vibrant shades like bright pinks, blues and yellows, did not find many takers, due to which darker and richer tones like maroons, violets and burgundy were introduced in addition to classic shades since they go well with Indian skin tones.”
When asked to reveal future plans for the brand in India, he said, “The focus for Amanté over the next 3 years will be to consolidate our India operation, therefore we have no plans to expand beyond India before 2012 and in India, the focus will be on expanding the width & increasing the efficiency of our distribution network and streamlining our replenishment & stockholding process.”
Fibre2fashion News Desk - India
Popular News
Leave your Comments
Editor’s Pick
Folker Stachetzki
Brother Internationale Industriemaschinen GmbH
Esteemed Clients
-Ltd..jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Thermore (Far East) Ltd.")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSllC Ltd)")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)")
