30 May, Mumbai 2025

Marking its first international expansion within the GCC region, men’s fashion label The Bear House has forayed into the United Arab Emirates market. This move represents a key milestone in the brand’s global growth strategy, with a focus on establishing a brick-and-mortar presence and strengthening omnichannel operations across the Middle East.

Known for its smart casual collections featuring comfort-driven silhouettes and essential wardrobe staples, The Bear House has launched its offerings through prominent regional e-commerce platforms including Noon, Namshi, and Amazon. These platforms were strategically chosen for their robust local reach, efficient logistics, and strong appeal to style-conscious consumers in the region.

Harsh Somaiya, Co-founder, The Bear House, says, the GCC offers the company a clear opportunity to fill the ‘affordable luxury’ gap in the market, currently dominated by either high-end luxury or mass-market value brands. As the fashion and e-commerce hub of the region, the UAE offers a perfect launchpad with its advanced infrastructure, ready consumer base, and excellent market access.

Founded in 2017, The Bear House started as a digital-first brand and has since expanded its physical footprint in India, with retail locations in Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The brand recently raised Rs 50 crore in a Series A funding round, and also secured Rs 3 crore in investment during Season 4 of Shark Tank India.

The UAE launch marks a pivotal moment for The Bear House as it positions itself as a contemporary, globally-minded Indian menswear brand catering to modern consumers across key international markets.

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29 May, Mumbai 2025

Global Japanese apparel retailer, Uniqlo plans to host its Arigato Festival in India from May 30-June 5, 2025.

A Japanese word meaning ‘Thank You,’ Arigato emphasizes Uniqlo’s deep appreciation for its customers who have embraced its LifeWear philosophy. This special bi-annual event celebrates the continued support of its loyal customer base in India.

Nidhi Rastogi, Marketing Director, Uniqlo India says, customers are at the center of everything that Uniqlo does. The brand has gained a growing community of loyal customers in India and through this Arigato Festival it aims to appreciate them by offering exciting deals, exclusive gifts, and special in-store experiences, he adds.

This season, Arigato Festival will offer customers their favorite LifeWear essentials at special prices. Some of these popular items in this range include Women’s Linen Blend Tapered Pants, EZY Jeans, Women’s Linen Blend Open Collar Shirt, U AIRism Oversized T-shirt, Women’s Ribbed Bra Top, and Women’s Crepe Jersey Bra Camisole, etc.

Uniqlo will also offer Japanese-style hand towels for all purchases over Rs 8,000. These unique towels feature iconic Japanese motifs like Mount Fuji and Sakura flowers, making them a perfect addition to any home.

Coinciding with the Arigato Festival, Uniqlo will also launch its newest collections starting May 30, both in-store and online. These include the highly anticipated Uniqlo X Anya Hindmarch collection, featuring four women's styles, one kids' style, and two sizes of pouches. Additionally, the Louvre x Doraemon UT lineups will also be available. These new collections seamlessly blend high-quality LifeWear with distinctive creativity and storytelling, bringing fresh, playful designs to brighten summer wardrobes.

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30 May, Mumbai 2025

Women's fashion brand Madame plans to strengthen its presence by launching numerous stores across the Tier II & II fashion markets in Central India in 2025.

The brand recently opened its second store in Chattisgarh with a new outlet on the Main Road in Raipur. According to Akhil Jain, Managing Director and CEO, Chhattisgarh represents a vibrant, growing market with tremendous potential for premium women’s fashion. The overwhelming response to the brand’s recent store openings encourages it to fast-track its expansion.

A women’s western-wear fashion brand launched by Jain Amar Clothing in 1993, Madame focuses on offering trendy and stylish clothing for young, fashion-conscious women, catering to various occasions and seasons.

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29 May, Mumbai 2025

In a bold move to reinforce its leadership in Indian fashion, homegrown denim brand Spykar has roped in action star and fitness icon Vidyut Jammwal as the face of its latest campaign. The collaboration introduces ‘Chico,’ a standout relaxed-fit denim designed for modern lifestyles and self-expression.

Spykar’s new campaign highlights Chico as the brand’s most desirable fit, offering engineered comfort, premium stretch denim, and breathability. With its balance of structure and ease, Chico caters to a generation that values authenticity and movement.

"Spykar has always spoken the language of denim expressive, unapologetic, and relentlessly authentic," said Sanjay Vakharia, Co-founder and CEO of Spykar. "With Vidyut joining our community, we’re not just adding a face; we’re amplifying a mindset. Chico represents everything a denim universe requires style, performance, and purpose. This collaboration is a powerful step forward in our journey to shape how India wears and owns its identity."

Vidyut Jammwal brings his bold, individualistic spirit and fitness-driven persona to the campaign, embodying the essence of Chico’s confident new era. "Spykar represents a mindset one that’s confident, original, and unapologetically expressive," Jammwal said. "Joining the Spykar community felt like a natural fit. Chico is not just about denim, it’s about freedom, strength, and owning your space with pride."

This partnership reflects Spykar’s role as a cultural catalyst in Indian fashion, championing purpose-driven style. As Spykar and Vidyut Jammwal unite, the message is clear: when confidence meets comfort, denim becomes a statement of identity.

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29 May, Mumbai 2025

Currently expanding its footprint, Ranbir Kapoor's lifestyle brand, ARKS aims to increase its revenue to Rs 100 crore within the next three years. Launched in February 2025, the brand has demonstrated swift growth, says Abhinav Verma, CEO and co-founder.

Having initially launched with sneakers, ARKS has since diversified its offerings to include a growing line of men's and women's apparel, boasting over 150 SKUs. The brand plans to expand its collection by 20 per cent-25 per cent by the end of the fiscal year and is preparing to introduce a new perfume line soon.

The brand’s sneaker line contributes around 35 per cent-40 per cent to its revenue, while online channels contribute a 65 per cent to the overall business, states Verma. Currently, 60 per cent of ARKS' apparel caters to men, but the brand is actively working to significantly expand its women's range and evolve into a more unisex offering.

Following the successful launch of its flagship store in Mumbai and a direct-to-consumer (D2C) website, ARKS is now setting its sights on offline expansion. It plans to open a new brick-and-mortar store in Delhi, with plans to further expand into Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune thereafter.

Emphasizing the importance of physical retail, Verma notes, physical stores play a vital role in nurturing community and delivering brand experience. Predominantly owned by Kapoor, ARKS remains a bootstrapped venture and is targeting profitability within the next three to four years.

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29 May, Mumbai 2025

Spending in India is changing and how. More and more people are now putting in their money, in services like transport and health over traditional purchases such as clothing and footwear.

This shift is highlighted in the latest National Account Statistics released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). The report gives an insight into consumer behavior over the decade leading up to 2023-24.

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Private Final Consumption Expenditure (PFCE), which measures the total spending by households on goods and services, provides insights into economic trends and consumer preferences.

As per the MoSPI data, overall PFCE in India showed good growth, increasing at an average annual rate of 5.9 per cent over the last decade, reaching Rs 99.1 trillion in the financial year 2023-24. However, the story within this growth is one of considerable reshuffling in spending priorities.

Wardrobe spending shrinks, services increase

One of the most notable changes is the dipping household budget towards clothes and footwear. The share of this category in total consumer expenditure has fallen from 6.7 per cent in 2013-14 to 4.6 per cent in 2023-24, a drop of 2.1 percentage points.

This indicates that while people are spending more overall, apparel and footwear is taking up a smaller fraction of their increased expenditure.

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Table: Share in private final consumption expenditure (India, %)

Note: Based on data from the National Account Statistics, MoSPI.

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The decline in the share of spending on items like clothing and even food (which dropped from 30.5 per cent to 26.4 per cent) has been accompanied by a marked increase in the share of services. The share of transport expenditure grew from 14.3 per cent to 18.9 per cent, reflecting increased mobility and related costs. Spending on health care has gone up from 3.9 per cent to 5.2 per cent of total expenditure, growing at a faster pace than many essential items. Communication services also rose from 2.2 per cent to 2.9 per cent.

This redistribution suggests that as incomes grow, consumers are allocating more of their budgets towards services that enhance lifestyle, connectivity, and well-being.

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Spending pace across categories

Further insights emerge from the average annual growth rates of different PFCE components in India, calculated at constant (2011-12) prices to adjust for inflation. This data underscores the slowdown in the expansion of spending on clothing and footwear compared to other sectors.

Clothing and footwear registered an average annual growth rate of just 1.9 per cent over the decade in India. This is significantly lower than the overall PFCE growth of 5.9 per cent and lags behind many other categories.

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Table: Average annual growth rate of PFCE components (at constant 2011-12 prices)

Source: MoSPI, ET calculations. (Includes other fuels)

The highest growth in India was seen in ‘Furnishing, equipment, household maintenance’ (6.6 per cent), indicating a strong focus on home improvement. The relatively sluggish growth in clothing and footwear spending, therefore, is not just about a shrinking share but also a slower pace of increase in actual expenditure compared to the broader consumption basket.

Global spending patterns on clothing & footwear

The trend observed in India, where clothing and footwear command a lower share of household expenditure, is not an isolated phenomenon. Many countries, particularly developed economies, have seen similar shifts over recent decades.

A look at the data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Eurostat too have shown that the proportion of household budgets spent on clothing and footwear in many EU countries has either declined or stabilized at relatively low levels. For example, Eurostat data shows, the share of household expenditure on clothing and footwear in the EU averaged around 4-5 per cent in recent years, having seen a gradual decline from higher percentages in previous decades. Similarly, in the US, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics has shown a similar long-term trend of a declining share for apparel expenditures.

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Table: Spending comparison clothing, footwear India & the world

Source: MoSPI (India), illustrative figures based on Eurostat, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics trends for EU/US. Actual figures vary by year and specific country.

In fact, across many European countries, the pattern has been consistent. While absolute spending on clothing might have fluctuated or even risen modestly with economic growth, its proportion within the total consumer basket has shrunk.

This is often attributed to factors such as the rise of global "fast fashion" brands offering cheaper garments, increased consumer spending on durable goods, technology, health, and particularly services like travel, leisure, and communication. Market saturation for clothing in wealthier nations also plays a role. This long-term evolution provides a broader context for the changes currently unfolding more rapidly in emerging economies like India.

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The evolving Indian consumer

The combined data clearly shows Indian consumers are evolving, with patterns that are beginning to mirror some global long-term trends, albeit at a different stage of economic development. The shift away from basic necessities and traditional discretionary spending like clothing is apparent.

There could be several reasons for this change in India. Rising incomes could be one reason leading to a smaller proportion of income spent on essentials and a greater capacity for diverse spending. Also, increased health and wellness awareness could be prompting higher expenditure on healthcare services and related products.

Digital penetration, too, is boosting spending on communication and enabling more informed, value-driven purchases, including in apparel, where online shopping and price comparison are prevalent.

Also there is a remarkable growth of experiential spending, where consumers, particularly younger demographics, prioritize experiences (travel, dining out, entertainment) over accumulating material goods.

The Indian apparel market is characterized by both a growing aspirational segment and a vast value-seeking segment. The impact of fast fashion, e-commerce, and discount culture may influence spending patterns, potentially leading to lower average spend per item for some, even if volumes increase.

Recent trends update

Against the backdrop of the longer-term shifts detailed above, some very recent indicators from early 2025 suggest a potential positive turn for the clothing and footwear sector. As per the Retailers Association of India (RAI), consumer spending in footwear and textiles reportedly increased post-April 2025.

This follows earlier data for March 2025, where overall retail sales in India grew by 6 percent. Specifically, apparel sales saw a 6 percent year-on-year increase in March 2025, while footwear showed a 2 per cent year-on-year rise.

Furthermore, merchandise exports, which include ready-made garment textiles, also registered positive growth in April 2025. While these figures are more recent, they offer a fresh data point. Experts will be watching these developments closely to determine if they signal a sustained recovery and renewed growth in these segments or reflect short-term fluctuations.

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29 May, Mumbai 2025

Contemporary fashion label, Ostilos is launching ‘Pause,’ a handcrafted, non-seasonal collection that champions stillness and simplicity.

Signifying a move toward more purposeful dressing, the new collection encourage individuals to embrace quite elegance through their clothing. Designed as a capsule collection, existing outside the traditional fashion calendar, the collection features 64 styles - 42 for women and 22 for men -all crafted with versatile silhouettes, soft color palettes, and carefully chosen fabrics like breathable cottons, denims, and crepe blends. Each piece is made for effortless day-to-day transitions, offering both comfort and refinement.

Staying true to Ostilos’ design philosophy of quiet luxury and meticulous attention to detail, the collection incorporates hand-finished embellishments, layered textures, and subtle accents that elevate simplicity. The pieces convey a grounded sensibility, avoiding overt extravagance while telling a clear story of self-awareness and comfort.

Simran Lalwani, Founder and Creative Director, Ostilos, says, the collection has designed to make customers feel grounded, intentional and entirely themselves. It emphasizes inclusivity with a wide range of sizes and a timeless appeal that encourages personal styling. Rather than focusing on a single standout item, each design holds equal importance, forming a cohesive wardrobe that prioritizes authentic self-expression over statement dressing.

Aimed at modern individuals - from urban professionals and creatives to thoughtful explorers - ‘Pause’ is more than just a collection. It's an experience, offering not only well-made garments but also a philosophy that urges wearers to slow down and connect with their inner selves.

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