Being Human the lifestyle brand, best known for its innovative T-shirts endorsed by Bollywood superstar
Salman Khan, is targeting a turnover of Rs 225 crores in the current fiscal. Mandhana Industries, the force behind the brand, plans to come up with biker gear that will have T-shirts, key chains, caps, polo T-shirts, among other items, in association with Japanese two-wheeler maker Suzuki Motorcycle India. Aggressive expansion on the cards: The company, which clocked in a turnover of Rs 145 crores in FY 2013-14, is planning to open 25 stores by March 2015. The brand currently operates through 23 exclusive brand outlets and 100 shop-in-shop formats present in about 23 cities. The brand is targeting 60 percent turnover growth next fiscal. Apart from its presence in about 14 countries, Being Human products will soon be launched in the UK, South Africa, Canada and Sri Lanka. Latest styles in brand’s T-shirts: The brand is a rage among patrons, especially for its T-shirts. And what works for it is that it is backed by top star Salman Khan’s Being Human Foundation. Mandhana Industries manufacture, design and retail the brand. The brand has created a niche with its innovative T-shirts especially among the youth. Saurabh Singh, Head of Design Menswear Being Human, points out that the T-shirt is an ever evolving category, “There is a huge surge in fabric blends in cotton, viscose, cotton-poly, modal, jute, linen blends et al.” About 30-40 percent of Being Human collection has value additions in fabric blends and they are not just limited to Lycra, Tencel and Modal it also includes cotton blends with viscose and linen. Singh says, colour blocking and fabric innovations like slub effects, new compositions, innovative wash treatments are the biggest trends driving T-shirts today. As for styles, T-shirts are taking a smarter direction. “No more are they only worn with a pair of jeans or shorts rather they are being paired with smart chinos and a casual jacket to complete the smart casual look. This season, we have worked on four different directions in our collection. Colour-wise they range from dusty pastels, saturated greens with earthy tones, washed out indigos and a bright colour palette of happy colours accentuated with hits of fluorescent shades,” explains Singh. “Our style statement for all seasons is simply ‘Look good, do good’. And for the look good part, we as a brand leave no stone unturned in bringing the latest international trends. Some of the statement T-shirts, this season include: Indigo jersey in extreme washed out look, super lightweight 100 gsm jersey with photo prints and bold colour blocked T-shirts in multiple colour options,” explains Singh. Fashion versus basic knits: Nearly 35 percent of Being Human T-shirts are basic and the rest is divided equally between mid-fashion and hi-fashion. Singh says, “The fashion category has certainly made business more complex but we have no complains, as fashion is something we enjoy doing and like the challenge of doing new things each season even though it takes a huge amount of effort in terms of design, fabric sourcing and at the same time maintaining our high quality standards in the finished garments,” Singh opines. In terms of fits, a T-shirt's fit is the personal choice of each individual. However, being a youth and fashion centric brand, Being Human has kept the fit slim, almost a tailored fit, at the same time it’s not body hugging as a gym T-shirt would be, to achieve lean and smart look. All these add up its growing popularity. In fact, the popularity of the brand can be gauged from the fact that it has over 20 million followers on the social media. Source: Fashion United,
