Plans to open around 40 Balance stores in next two years: Rohit Bal

Ace designer Rohit Bal, who has a history of 25 years in the fashion industry, is on expansion spree as he plans to open around 40 stores of his label Balance in next two years.

After the successful launch of his standalone stores in Pune and Hyderabad, the master couturier opened his flagship store in Mehrauli in the capital. The store looks like a quaint haveli, and has designed by the combination of Rohit Bal's creative genius and impeccable execution on the part of Build Kraft India.

Sharing his idea behind this store, Bal, who has designed for the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, told IANS: "Actually we opened our first Balance store before anybody at the Crescent Mall in Lado Sarai. The mall has now shut down so the store is no longer there. But also the brand was going through a major revamp. Now this is the third Balance store in the country. We have plans to open around 40 Balance stores in the next two years."

He has joined hands with Mohnish Kabir Malhotra for the store that offers a range of casual to occasion wear. The store will also feature an extensive range of Rohit Bal accessories - Sunglasses, Ties, Pocket Squares, Perfumes, Wallets and Leather bags for the first time.

Ask him about the inspiration behind the store and Bal says that its because of the "huge demand for ready-to-wear pieces."

"We already have two stores: one is our dedicated couture store in Defence Colony, and second is in Emporio. We are opening a third menswear store in Defence Colony. There is a huge demand for ready-to-wear pieces because usually an order takes a month to complete and to match this growing demand for off-the-shelf products, we decided to open this store in Delhi," he said.

Malhotra, who is the franchise partner for this project, says that "it has been an absolute pleasure working with the maestro, understanding the brand and the way things function."

"When I heard about the expansion plan and that the talks were on about franchising the Balance label to other cities, I candidly asked Rohit 'How about I take the franchise for the Delhi store?' and he immediately said yes. Here we are now, few months down the line: the store is ready. We are hoping, god-willing if it does well, to open many more stores in India," he told IANS.

--IANS

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