Over time, a pantheon of fashion brands and designers have recognised Middle East’s burgeoning luxury market. But, Ritu Kumar realised this back in 2014 when the designer label launched its first store in Burjaman City Centre in Dubai in 2014. Now the brand is doing another collaboration in the desert city—this time with Namshi.com—an online shopping website that operates only in UAE. In an interview, Amrish Kumar, Ritu Kumar’s CEO, tells us what we can expect.
Excerpts from the interview:
ELLE: How and when did the collaboration with Namshi.com happen?
Amrish Kumar: We first started speaking to Namshi about a year ago at their headquarters in Dubai. They knew the brand well and were excited about the prospect of joining hands with us. It took us some time to strategise the launch of the brands LABEL Ritu Kumar and Ritu Kumar and we decided the new year would be a good time to do it. Namshi enables us to rapidly reach a large audience across the Middle Eastern countries. There is a deep interest and love of Indian art and aesthetic and both teams are confident this will be a success.
ELLE: What kind of clothing can we expect at the online store?
AK: We have launched the LABEL Ritu Kumar and Ritu Kumar brands with Namshi with a curated set of styles which are relevant to the Middle East. About 10% of the collection is exclusive to the Middle Eastern market. So we will have our international fashion product as well as the India contemporary premium line.
ELLE: Tell us about your stores at Dubai Festival City and Burjaman City Centre. When and how were they conceived?
AK: The Middle East has been an exciting prospect for us. While launching our first store at Burjaman City Centre in 2014, we believed that we had a unique product positioning for this market and we were well placed for it. In 2016, we launched our second store at Dubai Festival City. The Burjaman CC store caters to mainly the Ritu Kumar line whereas the Dubai Festival City houses the LABEL Ritu Kumar brand.
ELLE: How do you think the Middle East has and will be changing as a market for luxury clothing in the future?
AK: The luxury market in the Middle East has entered a new phase of development. Middle Eastern consumers are experienced and increasingly savvy, but the region is grappling with shifting economic currents and the rise of digital technology.
