Ethnic focus pays off for Manyavar

Ravi Modi-promoted Manyavar, the focused men's ethnic wear brand that sold men's kurtas, sherwanis and wedding collections priced between Rs 595 and Rs 25,000, has signed up sarod players, the brothers Aman and Ayan Ali Bangash, as brand ambassadors.

The two embody Indian tradition with a future outlook, said Modi. The two endorse the philosophy of the brand, "It's different, it's Indian,", according to Mohit Tikmany, CEO of the brand.

Modi's company, Vedanta Fashions, launched Manyavar in 2000. The production facility at Howrah produced around one million units per annum, making it one of the largest brands in men's ethnic wear segment.

Sales touched Rs 50 crore in the last financial year, and the target was to push sales to Rs 100 crore by the end of 2008 -2009.

Manyavar garments were being sold nationally at multi-brand outlets like Pantaloons, Central, Pyramids and Reliance Retail, as well as through exclusive brand outlets in Ahmedabad, Agra, Bhubaneshwar, Gauhati, Indore, Kolkata, Jallandhar, Ludhiana, Meerut, Surat and Varanasi.

Manyavar aimed to add 12 exclusive outlets this fiscal in cities like Chennai, Jaipur and Kochi.

Modi's spouse Shilpi, trained in NIFT as a designer, conceptualized the decorations on Manyavar garments, which were executed by the skilled and traditional embroiderers and zari workers in Kolkata and its surrounding areas..

The brand recently tied-up with some television networks as a co-sponsor for future programming and events.