Indian women are no longer bound to a housewife’s job in today’s society; instead, they are redefined. They freely and enthusiastically contribute to the household and lead a business. Currently, the retail business is booming, and women are eagerly joining this sector to get information from a fresh perspective. It is a profitable job, and there is an intense desire among women to work in retail. A constantly rising tribe of female entrepreneurs has been carving out a name for themselves in various fields and businesses.
In a society where gender stereotypes abound, there are 6 Indian clothing firms created by women who impact the fashion retail sector and are critical in the development of successful enterprises.
Indian clothing brands Founded by Women
Indian clothing brands Founded by Women
Here are some of the top Indian clothing brands that are founded by women.
Biba
Founder : Meena Bindra
Founded: 1988
BIBA was established as a brand in 1988 by designer turned entrepreneur Meena Bindra. After years of wholesale distribution to traditional retailers, it opened its first exclusive store in Inorbit Mall of Mumbai in the early 1990s.
BIBA was one of the first few brands to employ the shop-in-shop model.
In 2012, it was named the Most Admired Women’s Indian Wear Brand of the Year by Images, and at the CMAI Apex Awards. BIBA was named Best Women’s Ethnic Wear Brand of the Year.
BIBA has attracted people across India with its characteristically North Indian design sensibility. It has created the BIBA Girls, a children’s collection.
BIBA now has a presence in 76 Indian cities, with 192 exclusive brand locations and over 250 multi-brand outlets, and Biba Apparels’ annual sales are projected to be about Rs. 600 crores.
Pooja Uniyal
WROGN
Founder: Anjana Reddy
Founded: 2012
Wrogn is a Bengaluru-based startup started by Anjana Reddy and owned by Universal Sportsbiz. On November 20th, 2012, it was established. Sachin Tendulkar was one of the first investors, buying 21% of the company in 2013. Wrogn then enlisted Virat Kohli as a brand ambassador before investing with him. The brand has gone from strength to strength since its launch in 2012, coinciding with Virat Kohli’s meteoric ascension in the cricketing world. The income for the fiscal year 2016-17 rose to an incredible Rs 101 crore.
In 2018, Wrogn reached a new high when it became the official clothing partner of IPL team Royal Challenger Bangalore. With its youth-centric design and marketing, the fashionable sports brand has struck a chord with the youth.
Universal Sportsbiz, the brand’s parent company, has raised Rs. 91.5 crores in funding from Altera Capital, Accel Partners, and others.
IMARA
Founder: Anjana Reddy
Founded: 2015
IMARA, which was also launched in 2015 by Anjana Reddy, the CEO and creator of USPL, has struck a chord with fashion-conscious young urban women. The brand began by selling at Shoppers’ Stop stores and is now available on fashion websites such as Jabong and Myntra. With the opening of exclusive brand locations around the country, IMARA is pursuing an omnichannel approach.
The brand offers the young a wide range of styles and experiments to choose from, all at reasonable pricing. Since February 2020, Kareena Kapoor Khan has been the brand spokesperson for IMARA. Jacqueline Fernandez was the company’s previous brand ambassador.
IMARA now has 210 places of sale across India, with the goal of doubling that number in the next two years.
Indya
Founder: Shivani Poddar and Tanvi Malik
Founded: 2016
Shivani Poddar and Tanvi Malik launched Indya, an omnichannel quick fashion business, in 2016. New-age silhouettes with classic embroideries, designs, and motifs are the focus of the brand.
The brand now has over 300 retail locations around the country. With 25 own-stores throughout India, Indya has taken the first step in its offline journey, with many more to follow.
HSE, Indya’s parent business, has positioned itself as a one-stop-shop for all urban, twenty-something women’s fashion demands. HSE also owns FabAlley, a fast-fashion Western wear brand with globally contemporary garments and accessories, and Curve, a plus-size Western wear brand. All three companies have their own distinct style signatures and are tailored to today’s ladies.
Ashwini
Vajor
Founder: Natasha AR Kumar
Founded: 2014
Vajor is an e-commerce women’s wear Fashion & Lifestyle company started by Natasha AR Kumar in September 2014.
On April 17th, 2018, it established its first retail location in Delhi. The business plans to open ten to twelve new stores in Goa, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Pune, and Jaipur in the near future.
Vajor has also opted to broaden its product offering by entering the menswear and ethnic clothing segments in order to reach a larger audience. Women’s clothing, footwear, handbags, jewellery, accessories, and home décor are now available.
Okhai
Founder: Kirti Poonia
Founded: 2008
The Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development established the Okhai Centre for Empowerment in 2008. Kirti Poonia, a TAS participant, saw that Okhai’s products merited the world’s notice. In 2015, she transformed the NGO into a full-fledged e-commerce company.
Apparel, accessories, and handicrafts are among the items produced in Okhai. These items are available for purchase in retail showrooms in Mithapur and Ahemdabad. The items are a combination of the Tribal Women’s traditional art form and the designer’s designs. In 2015, Kirti established the Okhai website. The goods were gradually added to platforms such as Tata Cliq, Amazon, Nykaa, and others.
In the near future, the firm intends to generate Rs 50 crore in sales by 2025, employing 1 lakh craftsmen in India and pushing for fair salaries for Indian artisans while offering clients with cheap and sustainable design.
With the staff on board, Okhai intends to move the project forward at a faster speed. They also plan to open ten physical retail locations while expanding online and expanding into related sectors.
They also want to develop in the areas of maternity wear, sustainable children’s clothing, Diwali and Holi-themed items, emotion, and theme-based collections.
Conclusion
Women are now in charge of everything, from traditional woman-friendly businesses like cottage industries to cutting-edge startups.
There are around 8 million female entrepreneurs in India, and women hold 10% of all official businesses. According to studies, female-owned firms in India are predicted to increase by up to 90% in the next five years, compared to similar enterprises in the United States and the United Kingdom, which are expected to grow by 50% and 24%, respectively.
FAQs
Who are the top women entrepreneurs in India?
Some of the top women entrepreneurs in India are:
- Vandana Luthra – VLCC
- Shradha Sharma – YourStory
- Falguni Nayar – Nykaa
- Upasana Taku – Mobikwik
- Suchi Mukherjee – LimeRoad
- Mansi Gupta – Tjori
- Nisaba Godrej – Godrej Consumer Products
- Sugandha – Docttocare
- Gazal Kalra – Rivigo
- Vani Kola – Kalaari Capital
Which are the top clothing brands in India?
Some of the top clothing brands in India are:
- Peter England
- FabIndia
- W for Women
- Raymond
- Allen Solly
- Mufti
- Indian Terrain
- AND
- Pepe Jeans
- Mufti
Which are the Popular Indian Brands of Clothing for Women?
Some of the most popular clothing brands for women are:
- Zara
- Biba
- Global Desi
- Globus
- Levis
- W for women
- AND
- Forever 21
- Only
- The Label- Ritu Kumar