Fashion Forward

FabAlley was quick to adapt to the ‘keyboard up’ dressing trends last year as work-from-home became the norm. It is now doubling down on its online presence and partnerships with major online retailers abroad, setting it up to be the go-to destination for millennial women everywhere.

- ARNIKA THAKUR

YOU DON’T HAVE to be a fashion guru to know that the pandemic has changed the way people dress. People swiftly ditched jeans, or heels, or anything uncomfortable, while loungewear, sweatpants and other such roomier, looser garments became de rigueur. Even Anna Wintour, global editorial director of Vogue, who for long scoffed at the idea of sweatpants as fashion, was spotted in a pair on the magazine’s Instagram page.

Of course, apparel makers had to follow the changing trend, especially ones that specialise in workwear for women. Like FabAlley. The Delhi-based brand spent the lockdown months of April and May last year in overhauling its collection and soon launched a line of loungewear and clothes that could be worn through the day.

“We designed clothes that were roomy, and stylish across seasons, but also crafted with skin-friendly fabrics like cotton and linen,” says Tanvi Malik, co-founder of High Street Essentials (HSE), which houses FabAlley and its sister brand, Indya. The company also designed capsule collections (a limited edition line that is more functional than stylish) for “above-the-keyboard” dressing. It also ensured customers could access these new designs, beyond just their online channels, by offering them the option to try and buy clothes at home, or to book an exclusive time slot at one of their 33 stores.

“We started working on these lines in early Q1 (FY21). It meant that by the time services resumed, we had a fresh, new, and very relevant catalogue to offer to our customers,” says Malik. “For both FabAlley and Indya, these categories performed extremely well and carried online revenues till markets opened up again,” adds Malik, who started HSE in 2012 with Shivani Poddar, her friend of 22 years.