The Business Of Fashion

Popular designers collaborate with India Inc. for scale and expansion

- Pavan Lall

FOR FASHION DESIGNER

Tarun Tahiliani, getting funding from a corporate house was incidental. It happened through a high-profile customer, none other than Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla. Birla had been a customer of Tahiliani’s Ensemble some three decades ago when he was getting engaged. They stayed in touch over the years and at one stage discussed the need for an Indian fashion brand focused on scale and accessibility. “It came out of a conversation and was a two-year ambling route. I had asked if they were expanding their designer brand footprint, and he (Birla) told me to meet the Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail (ABFRL) CEO for a deeper chat,” recalls Tahiliani.

The result was Tasva, a sub-brand that Birla has a minority stake in. The focus was to zero in on the ethnic space, not lose out on the homegrown touch, yet keep userfriendly clothes in traditional silhouettes at accessible price points that were not haute couture. Launched in December 2021, Tasva primarily caters to the premium occasion-wear segment, and has been growing at a fast pace.

Raising Cash