Rakesh Grover, the Managing Director of the Intimate Apparel Association speaking at the inauguration ceremony
Having realised a total trade turnover of over Rs. 500 cr, Intimasia has been a revelation in connecting all the major facets of the intimate apparel industry with each other and facilitating an effective exchange of crucial ideas, contacts, and opinions. Spearheaded by the Intimate Apparel Association of India, India’s largest intimate apparel trade show proved to be an incredible opportunity for intimate apparel retailers as well as fashion entrepreneurs, brands, manufacturers, and other stakeholders to network among each other and share their experiences and insights in the sector. Rakesh Grover, the Managing Director of the Intimate Apparel Association of India, reflects on the event by declaring it as an unprecedented success. “We are so happy to see the phenomenal growth of the industry spurred just by this one event. We hope to see many of these faces and more in the coming years!” he says.
Seeing how the intimate apparel industry is currently growing at an annual rate of 15 per cent, the success of Intimasia demonstrates the potential heights the industry could reach if it could organise its regional bases and build a solid national market. As it stands, the total value of the industry is estimated at a whopping Rs. 2,450 cr; at Rs. 500 cr – the sales and partnerships generated by the event yielded over 20 per cent of that amount, which stands as a remarkable achievement in the history of this sector.
Hosted at the Adlux International Convention and Exhibition Centre, this event featured some of the most popular intimate fashion brands in India and internationally- including US Polo, Hanes, V-Star, Ramraj, Naidu Hall, Lux Dollar, Bodycare, Paris Beauty, Juliet, Little Lacy, Sherry, Lady Care, Sweet Dreams, Red Rose, Sonari among other flourishing brands in this line of business. Through a set of workshops, exhibitions, fashion shows, press junkets, talks and award ceremonies; over 1200 firms and business organisations were able to promote and market their brand to visitors and further extend their customer base. In an unprecedented but game-changing move for the intimate apparel industry, the event organisers also set-up consumer focus groups and collected their input as an effort to coordinate customer-retail interaction. They were also able to look into growth opportunities for the industry, both by interchanging strategies among each other as well as by learning of new initiatives and market trends discussed in the events.
By showcasing apparels such as lingerie, men’s innerwear, kids’ innerwear, sleepwear, loungewear, camisoles, slips, swimwear, beachwear, shapewear, thermals, active wear, yoga wear and socks, Intimasia demonstrated its wide appeal to all the visitors. The entrepreneurs, the event coordinators and the consumers were able to seek out business opportunities and plan out development schemes. Furthermore, the event proved to be a fantastic boost to the economy of Kerala in terms of driving up employment and sales for the State. Thousands of individuals from Kasaragod, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Kollam, Malappuram, Calicut, Trivandrum, Kannur, Palghat, Alleppey, Kozhikode, Thrissur and many other smaller towns of Kerala were able to attend the event and get an idea of what makes their State special in terms of intimate apparel fashion due to the high brand awareness and literacy rate of this state. Not only did this threeday affair provide many enterprising opportunities for so many retailers, consumers, brands, manufacturers, and distributors and stakeholders, it showcased how a tradeshow could directly impact growth of such a major industry in such a short period.
Yusuf Dohadwala, Chief Organiser & CEO of Intimate Apparel Association of India, says of the event, “We are amazed at how much revenue was generated through this event. It really shows how these networking opportunities could lead to increased sustained growth in the industry in a matter of just a few days.”
India’s Largest Lingerie Fashion Show
INTIMASIA was India’s largest trade event that assembled all the stakeholders from the intimate apparel industry under one roof to decide on a concrete road map for the future. The fashion show, in which 10 out of the 70 participating intimate wear brands exhibited their designs and products, helped to a great extent by giving everyone present a clear idea of the styles, cuts, colours and fits that are poised to rule the market in the coming years. And it was the models who made all those bewitching designs come alive on the runway.
Yusuf Dohadwala said, “We wanted to provide a platform to new talents who are inhibition-less and do not consider intimate apparel fashion to be a taboo subject. This is why we went all over the country to audition all the talented models who would want to be part of this game-changing event that would put India on the global intimate apparel map.”
Women Entrepreneurs Score Big
Seeing how March 8 celebrates the various accomplishments of women all across the globe in the form of International Women’s Day, it is only appropriate that INTIMASIA, the largest intimate apparel trade show in India, honoured women and their incredible achievements in trade and commerce. Over the three-day event held during the same weekend at the Adlux International Convention & Exhibition Centre in Kochi, women entrepreneurs from all walks of life were able to build productive networks among each other and generate revenue for their firms.
Owing to the hardworking women in the traditional cottage industries, Kerala has become one of the leading States in handloom, handicraft and khadi production. The state’s prominence in the national textile industry made it the ideal venue for hosting such a glamorous and game-changing event. In fact, the opening day itself saw the arrival of men and women from all corners of Kerala, including Kasaragod, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Kollam, Malappuram, Calicut, Trivandrum, Kannur, Palghat, Alleppey, Kozhikode, Thrissur among others. The government as well as the culture of the State encourages a high level of education among the populace, leading to a record 94 per cent literacy rate. Women as a result have been involved in the intimate apparel market for a long time, both as powerful consumers and as successful entrepreneurs. Through the numerous workshops, talks, fashion shows, dinners and award ceremonies held at the event, women were able to exchange business ideas and share their experiences navigating through the industry. Intimasia did not only facilitate solidarity between the women but enabled them to form professional partnerships that can propel the intimate apparel industry onto further growth.
The event itself commenced by rewarding women entrepreneurs through the presentation of the Inner Secret Excellence Awards- Retail in Kerala, which involved over 500 retailers. The recipients include Beena Kannan of Seematti, Girija Kaimal of Cleopatra, KH Fathima of Nazia, Amina Anwar of Limora Lingerie Shop and Maimoonath SP of Hidel. They demonstrated how much progress women made over the years in multiple facets of this intimate apparel industry including manufacturing, distribution, retail, marketing, promotion and event management. They were indeed a crucial part of the event, contributing to a trade turnover of over Rs. 500 cr generated through sales and partnerships over the course of three days. This figure represents over 20 per cent of the total value of the industry- a remarkable achievement in and of itself!
Though only a handful of the numerous women were the eventual winners at the award function, there is no denying that there exists an incredible pool of female entrepreneurship in Kerala. These women are not only familiar with the ever-changing demands of the fashion industry; they also know how best to promote and expand their intimate wear businesses. Other award-winners at INTIMASIA include Seematti, Pothys Silk Sarees, Kalyan Silks, Jayalakshmi Silks, Aishwarya Silks, Pullimottil Silks, SM Silks and Sarees, Sunny Silks, Lulu Fashions Store, Ramchandran Textiles, Preethi Silks, Inner Shoppe, City Girl, Eve’s Essentials, Zivame, Catwalk, Face & Figure and other thriving stakeholders. These firms represent the potential of the intimate apparel industry, demonstrating how the industry can further develop through the efforts of these resilient and hardworking women.
Big Lingerie Brands Take INTIMASIA by storm
A one of its kind platform that brought together all stakeholders under a single roof, INTIMASIA was the gala event of the year. Supported by the Intimate Apparel Association of India (IAAI), the three day event was the largest trade event in the country this year. Growing at an annual rate of 15 per cent with an estimated valuation of $245 bn, intimate apparel is a booming industry that is projected to increase further in the future. And of this, Kerala is the fastest growing market, which was the key factor for the event to be held in Kochi. With a literacy rate of 94 per cent along with a per capita income of Rs. 1,96,842 Kerala is the most brand aware State in India. The average daily sales of intimate apparel in Kerala amounts to around Rs. 53,143 making its intimate wear industry worth over Rs. 5,000 cr.
INTIMASIA 2018 bought together retail giants, trade partners and potential investors. Featuring brands like US Polo, Hanes, FCUK, Fruit of the Loom, it showcased budding and established Indian and international brands. With a collective market share of over 2,500 cr, the presence of these brands signified how broad and lucrative the intimate apparel industry is. Especially with brands like FCUK and Fruit of the Loom which have been acquired by Rupa and Co., the intimate apparel industry in India is diversifying and expanding. Rupa’s acquisition of these brands certainly led to pan-India marketing and distribution of these otherwise luxury brands. Much of such liaisons and partnerships were generated and fostered at the event. INTIMASIA brought some of the best fashion stylists, bloggers, designers and lingerie models displaying their work on the ramp.
