Tapping into the mid-segment of the market that is valued at over Rs 40,000 crore (in 2018) and comprises modern-day women looking for accessible and affordable designer-wear, the house of Ritu Kumar brings their latest offering — Aarké. A ready-to-wear label with trend-based print stories, easy silhouettes and accessible pricing, Aarké, in the words of Amrish Kumar, managing director and creative director of Ritu Kumar, is an adaptable and ever-evolving label for the modern-day Indian woman. Excerpts from a chat:
What led to the creation of Aarké and how would you define the DNA of the brand?
The mid segment of the market for women was over Rs 40,000 crore in the financial year of 2018. It’s the second largest chunk of the market and an undeniably large market segment. It is not a new idea for us. Going down the value segment has been on our mind but the timing is always critical.
The essence of our newly launched brand lies in catering to women with Indian sensibilities who are looking for accessible, quality, designer-wear in their everyday lives. Ideal for a multi-tasking urban woman, Aarké has a collection that is the epitome of comfort, elegance and timelessness that makes for the DNA of the brand.
The house of Ritu Kumar has a number of endeavours that tap into various segments of the market, especially for women. Where do you see Aarké fitting into that?
Aarké caters to women who want affordable designer wear for occasions in their daily life. With a diverse range of breezy, light and comfortable daily wear, Aarké is targeting every woman who lives in the moment and is yet rooted in Indian sensibilities. We are in premium with Label, super-premium with Ritu Kumar and luxury with Ri — so it’s basically having your offerings in all the key segments of the market.
What is the sartorial signature of Aarké that sets it apart?
Our designs and aesthetics set us apart. Aarké’s design sensibilities are modern and young. The prints and designs are versatile for easy everyday wear and can be dressed up or down, depending on your mood and occasion. Coming from Ritu Kumar, we have used a few of our signature prints but ensured they translate well within the brand aesthetics.
Design and business-wise, what are your plans for the brand?
Like the modern-day woman, our designs are also going to be adaptive and ever-evolving. We would be working on design on the basis of trends as well as the want of the Aarké woman.
Currently, we are retailing from our own website www.aarke.in. We will soon be available on other online marketplaces and fashion aggregator websites. We eventually plan to have a store presence as well.
What can we look forward to from the house of Ritu Kumar in the near future?
We’ve just launched Aarké, and we’ll be working on taking this brand forward and focus on expanding our other brands.
Pictures: Aarké
