Pakistan fashion brand to start India operations online

Indians can now place their orders online for Pakistan's iconic fashion brand Khaadi, known for its traditional hand-woven prints, as the company is ready to start its e-store operations Friday.

The label, launched with the intent of reviving the ancient craft of the handloom and popularising the traditional medium, will be a direct competitor to India's own handicraft and handloom retail repositories - Fabindia and Anokhi.

"India has a large population of women who are looking for affordable, yet trendy fashion and we offer just that," shared Sharmin Raza, Khaadi's retail general manager.

"We regard Fabindia and Anokhi as direct competitors in the Indian market. But we are confident in the strength and uniqueness of our designs, and quality of our products to gain a significant market share amongst the trendy and fashionable women of India," said Raza.

This is not the first time a Pakistani fashion house has used virtual doors to penetrate the Indian market. Fashion retail chain Labels that houses multiple fashion brands, was the first to take the e-commerce route. Raza feels having an e-store is a "much quicker method to penetrate" the Indian market than opening a bricks-and-mortar store. They can be accessed at www.khaadi.com.

"We will be focusing on social media and online marketing as a means to create awareness of the brand in India," said Raza.

The brand that offers pret, unstitched fabric and accessories is already shipping to the US and Canada. They have tied up with international courier company DHL to ship to India. According to Raza they will be using a pricing model in US dollars similar to their Pakistani prices. "Indian customers will be responsible for shipping and if applicable, custom charges," said Raza. "Rates will be based on package weight and destination. Any duties applied by the Indian customs authorities will also be the responsibility of the customer," Raza explained.