“THE JOURNEY OF INDIAN FOOTWEAR COMPONENTS INDUSTRY & THE ROAD AHEAD”

IFCOMA, which turns 28 years old has today grown in leap and bounds. It has a strength of a strength of over 300 members. y Md Sadiq, CSIR-CLRI

GST Council panel for 2-pronged strategy to curb fake invoices

The Law Committee of the GST Council has suggested a two-pronged strategy to tackle the issue of fake invoices, sources said.

SOLETHREADS: FLIP FLOPS ONLY

Solethreads is a ‘Made in India’ open footwear manufacturing and retail brand that is disrupting the category by introducing a range of innovative, quirky and in-trend flip flops for the youth.

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHILE BUYING LEATHER SHOES

Undoubtedly, leather is a material loved by many for its durability, appearance and flexibility. Owing to these features, leather footwear is widely preferred. But choosing the best one from a multitude of brands out there could be quite challenging. Gauravi Rajauriya, a graduate from Footwear Design and Development Institute, shares some tips.

EDITOR'S PICK

EDITOR'S PICK

CONSUMERS HAVE BECOME VERY SELECTIVE

“The pandemic has heightened health and safety concerns for manufacturing employees on-site. With this, we now face a new set of hygiene measures to ensure employee health and safety with new protocols, while continuing production and productivity,” Ishaan Sachdeva, Director, Alberto Torresi shares with S&A.

Gold jewellery demand to decline 35% in FY21: Icra

Gold jewellery demand is expected to contract by 35 per cent in volume terms this fiscal, hit by the coronavirus pandemic and high prices, according to a report. The demand is likely to see a rebound in the second half of this financial year after a poor performance in the first two quarters, ratings agency Icra said.

BD NATHANI'S MEMOIR MY JOURNEY THROUGH LALA LAND COMING IN FEBRUARY'21

The memoir, My Journey Through LaLa Land, documents the professional journey, and also dispels myths about traditional family owners in India, also known as lala. BD Nathani initiated his career as a sales executive and went to launch some of the most successful footwear and lifestyle brands in India, especially in the 90s and 2000s. The book is scheduled to be launched on 20th feb’21

Shoes For Cosmopolitan Women

With a wide range of shoes and accessories comprising of heels, sandals, wedges, espadrilles, boots, loafers, mules, bags, wallets, and more, Pazzion claims that it caters to the needs of today’s woman, the confident, elegant woman who sets trends with good taste. In an interview with S&A, Manisha Malik, Master Franchisee and India Head, Pazzion, states, women in India are extremely conscious about the way they look and hence are prepping for their back-to-work look while they are still working from home.

Bugatti Opens First Exclusive Store In India

India’s first exclusive Bugatti store at Select CITYWALK, New Delhi offers fashion enthusiasts trendsetting global designs, brought to life with time-honoured craftsmanship.

UNIQLO OPENS ITS NEWEST STORE AT DLF MALL OF INDIA

Spread over two floors with a total retail space of 17,500 square feet, UNIQLO DLF Mall of India, Noida promises a new shopping experience for the area with its thoughtful designs, high quality and functional products that are made for all. This is the fifth UNIQLO store in Delhi-NCR.

Luxottica brings its global digital revolution in eyewear to India

Luxottica India is setting new benchmarks in bringing digital transformation in eyewear retailing with the introduction of ‘Smart Shopper’ - the first innovative-of-its-kind platform, now available at select optical stores in India. Offering unique concepts like endless digital collections and augmented reality through Virtual Try-on, the Smart Shopper platform is now available to the end consumer, providing a safe and experiential shopping experience.

Louis Vuitton launches its global exhibition in Wuhan

Luxury brand Louis Vuitton Malletier, a fashion house and luxury goods brand of LVMH, the largest luxury group globally, has chosen Wuhan, the Chinese city where coronavirus originated, as the first stop for its new global traveling exhibition.

JAPANESE QUALITY AT REASONABLE PRICE

Established in Tokyo, Japan in 1989, Owndays Co., Ltd, one of the largest players in the fashion eyewear space, is expanding its India footprint. The company announced the launch of a new store in the country’s IT capital Bangalore, marking the sixth store in India, others being in Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Chandigarh. Owndays is on its way to open in Delhi and Mumbai as well. Currently, the company has a global presence of 350 stores spread across 12 countries including Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia. OWNDAYS came to India in Jan 2019 and its India presence is in collaboration with GKB Opticals, which is a big name to reckon with in Indian Eyewear Industry already. Speaking on a recent store launch Sanjay Malhotra Business Head -India, Owndays said, “We are thrilled to be opening yet another outlet in India as the demand for quality eyewear at affordable price is increasing considerably and our product has been loved by Indian customers.”

INDIA TO HAVE ITS OWN “FOOTWEAR SIZING SYSTEM” FOR THE FIRST TIME: A CSIR-CLRI LED EFFORT FOR A PERFECT FIT AND FOOT HEALTH

Design of footwear is a complex, multi-disciplinary task spanning many fields of Science and Engineering. Comfort of a shoe and proper foot health is ensured by a proper footwear size. In the absence of a ‘Footwear Sizing System’ in India, it is imperative that an ‘Indian Footwear Sizing system’ be developed based on the Foot Dimensions of the Indian feet. CSIR-CLRI under the aegis of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Government of India, Ministry of Commerce to conduct a nationwide survey for reliable data on foot dimensions of the Indian population using 3D Digital Imaging technique to establish the Indian Footwear Sizing System. Dr KJ Sreeram, Director, CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute

CAIT Accuses Amazon India Of Violating FDI Policy, Ecommerce Giant Denies

Traders’ body CAIT has accused ecommerce major Amazon of violating Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy and Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) norms, a charge which the multinational company denied.

BIRKENSTOCK OPENS ITS 2ND MONOBRAND STORE IN HYDERABAD

This successfully marks the opening of the second mono-brand store of BIRKENSTOCK in India after Delhi, offering both classic models and highlights from the latest autumn/winter collection. The brand is now present in over 100+ countries across the globe.

Adidas declares Sneakers as category has increased 3X in sales

Continuing to invest in India by bringing global stories and curating meaningful consumer experiences, Adidas, staying true to its creators positioning, has extended an opportunity to consumers to celebrate sneaker culture with the specially curated ‘Sneakers day’ initiative.

Altaroma - Who Is On Next? 2020

Despite the global health care emergency, the most awaited initiative of the Rome Fashion Week, Who Is On Next?, has not stopped. The fashion scouting project for young talents, now in its sixteenth edition, announces its finalists. Altaroma and Vogue Italia renew their partnership aimed at supporting the search for and promotion of emerging designers in the prêt-à-porter and accessories’ categories. This is a unique opportunity, which allows the selected brands to present their creations to a jury of experts and to receive support to consolidate their positions in national and international markets.

Everglasses: Never Without A Pair

EVERGLASSES encompasses three Ray-Ban lenses: Evolve Photochromic Lenses, Clear Lenses and Blue Light Filter. Always on your checklist when you leave the house, you are never without a pair.

TABLEZ BRINGS SPANISH DESIGUAL TO INDIA

Tablez India expands the international brand’s presence in New Delhi.

ZEROBARRACENTO SELECTED FOR SHOWCASE BY ALTAROMA

ZEROBARRACENTO has been selected for Showcase, a scouting project by Altaroma for new talents and independent brands of Made in Italy, which will take place from 15 to 17 September at the beautiful Palazzo Brancaccio on the occasion of Rome Fashion Week.

Fastrack Launches Audio Sunglasses

India’s youth accessories brand, Fastrack, expanded its existing portfolio of smart eyewear with the launch of audio sunglasses on Amazon Fashion.

ELDA SPRING SUMMER 2021

VALENTI tells about love on a summer afternoon. Inspired by the imagery and photography of the films: “Jamó n jamó n” from 1992 directed by Juan José Bigas Luna and “Lolita” from 1997 by Adrian Lyne.

DRIVING VALUE: SYED ANWAR SHA A JOURNEY OF A GLOBAL FOOTWEAR TECHNOLOGIST

After creating collections for a number of fashion footwear brands in India, UK and USA and gaining a lot of experience in managing significant footwear projects, Syed was headhunted by URBN inc., an American apparel and lifestyle retail company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

BRANDBOX LABS: VALUE INNOVATION

Its first brand collaboration with Locomotive has been crowned as a Myntra Superstar for achieving the highest sales in footwear in the Men’s Casual Category in 2019-20.

TAKING THE DEFINITION OF COMFORT FORWARD WITH TECHNOLOGY

Von Wellx Germany recently made headlines when it decided to shut its China operation. It claims that the decision was made as it believes that India is going to be the next manufacturing powerhouse of the world. In an interview with S&A, Ashish Jain, CEO and Director, Von Wellx Germany, said, “The positive intentions from the Govt., the demographic dividend of India and raw material availability were the top 3 winners for India. We are working very closely with the UP Govt. to help us in executing the whole plan.”

WHAT WILL YOU WEAR FOR TOMORROW?

Through LifeWear, UNIQLO claims it will contribute to better, more sustainable tomorrows.

Farm To Fashion Wardrobe

Inspiration awakens us to new possibilities by allowing us to transcend our ordinary experiences and limitations, says Namrata Lodha, founder of Myaraa. She claims that her inspiration came from her own backyard in Madhya Pradesh where she grew up, in Harda. There are many wheat farms in the area and after the grains have been harvested, the local artisans use the remaining wheat grass to create baskets, simple tools and handicraft items made from it, she shares with S&A in an interview.

Nike to Launch Its First-Ever Maternity Line

The brand has set its sights on the maternity market.