Bibhuti Dash is the founder and CEO of Louoj, the world’s 1st bespoke marketplace for designers, boutiques, tailors, fabric manufacturers/suppliers as well as buyers. His scope of work at Louoj includes myriad authoritative business operations, ranging from representing the firm to stakeholders, acting as an ambassador for the organization Bibhuti’s unique array of skills includes substantial years of experience in the IT industry. Subsequent to completing his course in web designing, he started working on several film editing, product development and 3D designing software. Later in his professional journey, he continued his freelancing work, which incorporated 3D designing, website and software development. Gaining valuable experience in the eponymous fields has helped him in his vision of combining all three — 3D designing, website and software development — to create a unique product that can solve a varied number of problems faced in the bespoke clothing industry.
The word ‘bespoke’ means something that is custom-made based on an individual’s specifications. When it comes to fashion, bespoke clothing came into existence decades ago. However, the advent of the ready-made apparel segment that has been growing at a phenomenal rate overshadowed the market for the bespoke clothing category. Nonetheless, it went out of style only for a brief span of time as not everybody seemed satisfied with the concept of ‘one-size-fits-all’. Consequently, the bespoke clothing range came back to prominence accompanied with advancements, better quality as well as enhanced fit than the ordinary tailored garments. Needless to mention, owing to its rise, many startups can be witnessed entering the segment.
What are the perks of bespoke clothing?
Undoubtedly, each human being is built differently, and one-size-fits-all doesn’t stand true when it comes to fashion. Even a medium or a large size differs dramatically from brand to brand and person to person. It wouldn’t be a surprise if one might be a size small in jeans at one label, and a size medium in another. Hence, if you need that perfect fit for each of your apparel pieces, bespoke clothing is the only viable solution to opt for. When your clothes are custom made, the exact measurements make your outfit fit you perfectly like a glove. Not just this, but you get to handpick everything as per your choice, right from the fabric, materials, design, colors, prints, stripes, to any other accessories you wish to add on. The idea of bespoke clothing is such that it brings out a person’s individuality while simultaneously allowing him/her to express his/her creativity in a manner that ready-made attires simply can’t.
How are startups redefining the segment?
There is no end-to-end bespoke marketplace that exists today that can remove the inefficiency in the business process chain and serves the need of consumers looking for bespoke clothing at affordable prices. Startups are gradually recognizing the same and the importance of custom-made clothing and that’s why they have been rendering a helping hand in uplifting the market as well as the community.
The outbreak of the pandemic accelerated the pace of technology adoption. Almost every business has been undergoing digital transformations ever since then and this sector is no exception. Covid-19 made various participants, especially small players in the clothing industry, realize the need to adopt digital technologies across the production to distribution to increase their reach to a larger market. Hence, startups seem to redefine the segment by building tailor-made solutions that help enhance the operations of businesses via leveraging the power of technology. The very core foundation of startups is based on technology and they rely heavily on tech solutions, such as VR/AR design, 3D Design, virtual fitting rooms, digital clothing, AI buyer prediction, sampling and using sustainable materials in the clothing manufacturing process, for their smooth operations. Imagine the in-store or online experience that could accompany such new offerings that will allow consumers to visualize entirely new and custom products.
Moreover, the growing sense of ideal fit, the consciousness of best fabrics, quality brands stepping in to produce and supply impeccable bespoke products, all this and more is leading to a substantial rise in people’s inclination towards choosing bespoke clothing. Hence, undoubtedly, several startup organizations are now acknowledging the dire need to fill in this gap in the industry and are emerging out in this area that are enhancing the customer experience with their high-end services to allure a significant section of society towards custom-tailoring.
Summing up: Startups ruling the future of bespoke
The bespoke clothing segment has a huge potential waiting to be tapped. Going forward, bespoke clothing seems to become a rage again with an ever-increasing number of individuals preferring it over ready-to-wear apparel. Individuals today demand a feeling of ownership in their pieces of clothing and pride in wearing something produced from scratch to suit their own style. The future of bespoke brands in India appears to be promising as we move ahead. With innovation, mass customization, tailor-made creation will be more refined and this will accelerate the evolution of the customer preferences in favor of bespoke. The segment will remain a mainstay in our country especially for intricate events like weddings. Startups with the assistance of technology in 3D designing and online body measurement tools are now offering customers a unique buying experience.