Currently being retailed through mbos and e-commerce portals, Ripfly wants to expand its presence pan India. Shammika Gopalani, co-owner, Ripfly talks to Images Business of Fashion on the latest trends in denim and expansion and future plans of the brand.
Purity, honesty and integrity are the three ingredients on which Ripfly stands. The denim wear brand for men, Ripfly stresses on the purity of its make that lays the base of a pair of classic denim jeans. The brand propagates honesty of the fabric and washes, which ensures that the wearer is always comfortable even in the most stylish pair of jeans.
Ripfly was launched in 2013 by Unifab Creations. Kumar Arjun Gopalani started the brand as he felt that there was an opportunity where he could bring in more style and innovation in denim jeans at competitive prices. The brand’s product range comprises denim jeans, shorts, shirts and jackets. Its price ranges between Rs 1,099 and Rs 1,899.
When working on designs and new collections, the Gopalanis and their dexterous team of designers bear in mind, the body type of the Indian male and ensure the style, cut and denim wash suits their body. They use pure cotton lycra fabric as it takes the shape of the wearer and always gives a good fit.
At present, Ripfly is looking at market expansion and the company plans to make the brand reach out more and more men customers who are keen on purchasing denim jeans that are stylish, comfortable and affordable.
An excerpt from the interview with Shammika Gopalani, Co-owner, Ripfly:
Share the latest trends in denim jeans for the season, in terms of design, styles and trends?
As far as what we can see, dark indigo and grey shades in denim are very much in this season. If we talk style then structured denim and laser prints are in trend. Also denims with patches, worn out effects, hand stitched tailoring, grinding, abrasions, warp tearing, seam distresses in washing will be seen in the coming season.
What are the opportunities in denim jeans and particularly for your brand?
At the moment, we specialise in denim wear for men. This segment offers a huge opportunity considering the sheer size of the market. Also considering the fact that denim will never go out of fashion, it is more about getting the product right.
How do you plan to stand out from the crowd?
In a short span, our brand Ripfly has been successful in carving its identity in the market. Our aim is not just to introduce a brand but to form a culture. We attempt to offer the best possible product with latest style and innovations and leave it to our customers to do the talking.
What are the main strengths of your brand?
We work on four basic principles:
- Innovative styling to offer best possible fit without losing out on comfort.
- Using high-quality fabric ensures that the denims lasts through one’s daily chores and beyond.
- Aspiration building. Making sure that Ripfly appeals to the modern youth.
- ‘Make in India’. We believe in the quality of Indian manufacturing
Tell us about your retail presence.
We follow selective distribution channels to expand our retail network. Simultaneously, we are also managing a balance between online and physical presence of the brand. The brand is available on all major multi-brand outlets and online portals like Jabong, Amazon, Myntra and Paytm.
What do you think about the potential of tier II & III cities for your brand?
Definitely, tier II & III cities are fast catching up with the urban metros in terms of fashion consciousness. Media has played a critical role in creating and promoting this fashion sense across the nation. With the rise in demand for fashion denims, there is a tremendous untapped potential for Ripfly across these cities. Ripfly’s appeal is unconditional. It will appeal to every man who wants to celebrate life irrespective of caste, creed or other biases.
What are your future plans?
Through Ripfly we want to set a reverse trend, ‘local trends in global markets’. We feel that we have the resources to deliver a world-class product which will appeal to the international customers. Once we consolidate our position in the country, we would like to go global.
