Denim brand to unveil the women’s wear to meet rising demand
Wrangler has an eye on women. The iconic denim brand from the US is now looking to unveil an India-specific women’s sub-brand, Wrangler Girl.
Wrangler has always been characteristically male, oozing a macho, cowboy appeal. However, in India it went for a slight makeover, since its launch in 2000, donning a more urban look to target the yuppies.
Though it did have a women’s wear line, this was mainly an extension of the core brand with the same design team at work.
The product portfolio included denim bottoms, non-denim bottoms, shirts, T-shirts, jackets and accessories.
But the brand’s appeal quotient with women was on the rise, thanks to the growing awareness among Indian consumers and
the great Indian retail revolution.
From a trim 3% in 2002, it contributes a healthy 18% currently, making a rethink inevitable on the brand’s part.
“We realised we needed a separate identity for the women’s wear …The male branding cannot really appeal to women,” Anshul Chaturvedi, marketing manager, Wrangler, told DNA Money.
In the West, there is a women’s sub-branding under Wrangler Aura, but this is targeted at slightly older women. Chaturvedi added: “We will not move away from the core brand… the positioning will not be too feminine.”
At the same time, Wrangler Girl will have its own design team. Trims, laces and other embellishments will be used in modifying the look. The fabric itself will have a more feminine feel.
Chaturvedi said the aim is to increase the contribution of the women’s wear range under Wrangler Girl to 25% by December-end, 2007, from its current 18%.
The range, with a premium positioning, will be priced in the Rs 1,200-3,000 range.
