Sharon Dias (third from right) at 'Shafaron' with friends on the launch day on December 18.
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'Shafaron' to reflect Mumbai's latest fashion trends
In the rapidly evolving fashion industry, 'Shafaron' - the exclusive women's garment store - located behind Grace Church, Margao, aims at introducing Mumbai's latest fashion trends to Goan market, informs store partner Sharon Dias in an interview with Nilesh Khandeparkar
I have a friend in Mumbai who is into the fashion industry and the idea was to get the latest fashion trends to Goa. Fashion conscious people from Goa usually travel to Mumbai to pick up their wardrobe, as latest trends in fashion take about six months or so to make their presence felt in the Goan market. However, many people buy online but face problems like quality of the material and the total absence of the 'touch-and-feel' factor. Two to three months back, I scouted for location for the design store while my Mumbai-based partner decided on the fashion wardrobe.
It is an exclusive women's store which has a mix of Western and ethnic clothes such a plazzo pants, silk Kurtas, long skirts with 'Zari' work, blouses, tops, etc.
It ranges from Rs 995 to Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000. Basically, we have paid attention to the affordability factor coupled with the fashion quotient. We also store cheaper accessories like scarves, 'Chandni' shawls, bracelets, necklaces, etc. The wardrobe range is aimed to suit the pockets of the Goan middle class.
We work online. I am aware of the Goan market and my partner in Mumbai is acclimatised to the latest fashion trends in the metros and what to introduce in the Goan market. It is basically a meeting point between what sells in Goa and the fashion trend in Mumbai.... a combination of both. It is a 50:50 effort.
We will try to get the latest fashion designs every month to Goa, on a rotation basis. We also propose to organise a sale of dead stock at the end of January and July, every year.
I have an experience in retail business, as our family has been into business for many years now. Although fashion is a different line of business altogether, the basic business concepts remain the same. Actually, it is a combination of our strengths - my partner has experience in clothes while my job is to run the business.
We are aiming at the six-month mark.
Being different, 'Shafaron' will store wardrobe which will not be available anywhere in the Goan market. As of now, I have not seen our products elsewhere in any Goan stores. In fact, every 15 days, my partner comes down to Goa to watch how the wardrobe moves from the shelf. More importantly, we alter the clothing to suit the customer's physique. We also guide the customer about the 'mix and match'. In sum, we provide a personal touch.
We're a bit slow in catching up with the latest fashion trends to hit the metros. Hence, at this store, we will work towards getting Mumbai's latest fashion trends to Goa as Goa is more attached and tuned to Mumbai's fashion tastes. We want the Goan middle class to catch up with the fashion trends in metros like Mumbai and at the national level.
As of now, we have no plans to conduct fashion shows. But, this can certainly be mulled at a later stage.
We may branch off into women's accessories, office wear, children's wear.
