B-Town celebs lent their style to fashion brands

Actors from Hindi filmdom went beyond the big screen to lend their indigenous touch of style to offline and online fashion brands, thereby adding more power to the Rs.720 crore ($108 million) Indian fashion industry, in 2015.

A trend that has been very much prevalent in the west, the fashion bug bit Bollywood celebrities in a big way.

Online portal Myntra associated with actor Tiger Shroff for its label HRX (Hrithik Roshan Xtreme), a collection that draws its inspiration from actor Hrithik Roshan. Myntra also tied up with "Piku" star Deepika for All About You.

Deepika said the idea behind the label is to encourage women to be themselves and dress in a comfortable way.

"It is to show people what my own personal style would be like as I have always been styled for a film or a red carpet," the actress said during the launch of her apparel line.

"Queen" star Kangana, who is always experimental with her dressing, also showcased her creativity in design with a limited edition collection for Marquee, a line by Danish high-street label Vero Moda.

Shraddha also stepped into fashion designing with her label Imara.

Elaborating on it, Shraddha told IANS: "Imara is a fusion word which means strong and resolute for - a powerful, independent woman. I love the process of conceptualising and designing of the brand and knowing that my fans will get to share my sense of style."

For the brands, these celebrity tie-ups have their benefits.

"We at Imara believe that if the finished product appeals to people, they will buy it regardless of the celebrity associated with it. That being said, we do feel that a celebrity association helps in boosting a brand's image, brand awareness and recognition," Anjana Reddy, managing director, Universal Sportsbiz Pvt Ltd (USPL), the company that owns Imara, told IANS.

"We can't disclose any confidential figures. However, the brand recall when you have a celebrity association on board is much higher. Also, we have noticed that all the products worn by our celebrities in our campaign images have sold out in no time, showing the celebrity pull," Reddy added.

IndianRoots.com retails a line of saris by actress-anchor Mandira Bedi.

Rahul Narvekar, CEO of the online marketplace, believes Indians' fascination with stars and celebrities is what pulls people into buying anything endorsed by them.

"The Indian fashion scene is growing at a staggering rate, and more and more celebrities and players want to try their hand to give a unique flavour of fashion to their fans. Indians are known for their fascination with celebrities.

"Very few countries in the world have the sheer number of celebs that India has, stemming from the hyperactive Bollywood and cricket domains, as well as various other lifestyle domains.

"The fascination with celebrities transcends brand loyalty to a large extent in India - meaning that when a celebrity launches her own fashion line at the peak of her career, she has a guaranteed volume of business coming her way from her existing fan base," Narvekar told IANS.

It wasn't just actors but other celebrities too lent their design skills to different brands.

There was fashionista Gauri Khan, entrepreneur and wife of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who associated with Satya Paul to mark its 30th anniversary. Her debut clothing and accessories collection for Satya Paul was called 'A Tropical Wonder' and showcased a distinctive aspect of her own personal style.

There was also cricketer Virat Kohli, who launched his menswear collection Wrogn. And even popular DJ and VJ Nikhil Chinapa designed for online fashion destination KOOVS.com.

Robert Bready, chief creative officer, KOOVS Group, told IANS: "All brands - from super luxury to entry price point - recognise the power of celebrity in all its many forms.

"The consumer takes confidence from a celebrity/influencer's association with a product. This is even more important in young markets where consumer confidence/experience is not as high as in more developed markets."