Charting a long course from being only a t-shirt brand, Classic Polo, the flagship brand of Royal Classic Groups (RCG), has branched out to several categories. Today, the brand is a known in the men’s category catering to young professionals. It fuses international trends at affordable prices. IMAGES Business of Fashion talks to Usha Periasamy, VP – Operations & Brand, Classic Polo on the brand’s new innovations for the spring summer 2015 collection.
Roshna Chandra (RC): Tell us about the new spring summer 2015 collection at Classic Polo.
Usha Periasamy (UP): As far as the theme is concerned, the collection’s vibrant high-summer casual story draws influence from the sunshine state, where sporty pieces are refreshed via kitsch humour and expressive graphics. Odd pattern mixes see consumer mass-market objects from indulgent snack-orientated still lives through to pharmaceutical pills, transformed into postmodern repeat prints with a retro feel for quirky summer tops, new resort sets and bottom-weights. The combination of these patterns lend a texture and offer a new directional way to incorporate these designs into cool, sports-inspired looks. Cleanedup simple garments have an urban skate influence with loose volume silhouettes, where subtle details are important alongside lightly washed and laundered finishes.
The collections also draws inspiration from the concrete textures and graphic murals that are the everyday backdrop of the urban skater. So, we have incorporated the same into our workwear denim. Bio-dynamic’s urban canvas has a raw underground edge that is energetic and full of confidence. Varsity details are projected onto denim and workwear, while the classic white tee becomes a blank canvas for expressive paint applications and layered graphic effects. These dense, accumulated prints also create a new, chaotic take on camo, while textiles feature granular washes and surfaces that mimic concrete textures and oxidised finishes.
For the fabric, we have used fresh multicoloured gingham and windowpane checks that are played out in zingy tones of lemon, clementine and green with pastel brights, offering a fresh approach to menswear cotton shirting, casual cotton and linen. Dry linen textures, rustic geometric tweeds and uneven denim laundries are balanced by refreshing pastel cottons and muted metallic finishes.
The menswear collection colour palette emphasises spicy mid-tones and casted neutrals, providing a soft summer and transitional story for spring summer ‘15. The fashion colours encompass the palette’s range with a mix of pastels, brights and muted jewel tones. However, brights primarily dominate the accent palette with cerulean, lagoon, persimmon, carmine rose and metallic silver.
RC: Please share your views on the latest consumer behaviour trends?
UP: Customers are looking for different styling as per international brands. They are willing to experiment with different styles. What is interesting is that they are now much more confident and bold about what they feel and what they are. Men today do not mind wearing pink shirt, which until recently was considered a feminine colour in India.
RC: Which category has been giving you the highest percentage of sales and why?
UP: As we are a casual brand and dominated by t-shirts, our sales come mostly from the t-shirt category. It makes around 60 percent of the total sales. However, our woven category is also growing. Within each category, fashion products are growing very fast.
RC: What has been the growth rate in the past one year and where do you see the industry in the next five years?
UP: This financial year, retail in India is projected to reach US$ 700 billion. The growth rate is expected to be 14-16 percent. Only 8-10 percent of retail is organised in India. Out of this, 33 percent is apparel and fashion, while our industry records an average growth rate of 16 percent. Growth in the last 6 months has been slow but we are expecting to grow by 13-18 percent in the next 5 years.
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