When D’yavol X released its second “drop” of hoodies, T-shirts, croptops and denim jackets in March this year, the collection sold out in 48 hours. The brand was also tapped for the streetwear brand’s first collection in 2023, with many items, including Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan’s hoodie emblazoned with an ‘X,’ selling out within hours. a few. “This is a good sign that we are going in the right direction,” says Supreeta Dubey, the brand manager of D’yavol X, which is part of the luxury group D’yavol – the brainchild of Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, Leti Blagoeva and Bunty Singh.
Since its inception in 2022, the Netherlands-based brand, named after the Bulgarian word for devil, aggressively markets luxury lifestyle and limited edition products through clothing and accessories. D’yavol’s method is based on the success of ‘drop culture’, a well-known sales method that creates passion and appeal and is increasingly being adopted by brands around the world.
“In general, we’re not only seeing growth in streetwear, but especially in the luxury segment. Many consumers are choosing to replace old, vintage styles with modern ones, which reflect their style preferences.” “This is likely to continue to grow, and will result in the emergence of many new-age products that cross boundaries and reinvent cultural elements,” says Dubey. .
While streetwear culture has become more prevalent in the past few years with the rise of social media, direct-to-consumer and online access, brands that have launched a series of limited editions have changed the landscape. belong to this part of modern marketing. Like D’yavol X, many new brands such as Fetus, SoleSearch and Huemn, among others, specialize in a fashion trend that focuses on the customer experience.
These brands are contributing to the growth of the streetwear segment which has been phenomenal. The size of the streetwear market was valued at USD 187,583 million in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 230,877 million by 2028. With an eye-catching trend that attracts this cultural phenomenon in the market of billion dollar sales, streetwear brands are growing.
Another strategy that drives the cult group is the strong connection that the brands are building with the community, without focusing on organic growth and long-term relationships above the pursuit methods . For example, Fetus used web3 technology and dynamic storytelling to build experiences for customers on both physical and digital levels.
According to Pranjal Kaila, chief executive officer of Fetus, the creative use of streetwear is often driven by a story. “Streetwear and storytelling combined with a three-act story told through a one-of-a-kind clothing collection,” says Kaila.
Kaila sees streetwear as a modern outfit that defies high fashion conventions, further aided by celebrity endorsements and limited editions. “Social media platforms like Instagram provide a platform for brand startups to connect with audiences, build communities, and showcase their unique aesthetic. Even streetwear thrives on collaboration. between brands, artists and influencers, that promote creativity and bring joy. We feel that streetwear is not just hoodies and T-shirts. It’s a race to be modern,” says Kaila.
Instead of aggressive expansion, Fetus supports sustainable trends and slow fashion. “We want to reduce waste and environmental impacts. This allows for a limited number, maintaining flexibility while avoiding overcrowding. We have a year’s worth of ‘milestones’ (product milestones) planned and produced. These episodes will continue to tell the unique story of the digital character ‘Fetus’, introducing new designs and experiences to customers,” added Kaila.
Consumers are looking for a correlation of quality and overall quality of the brands they choose to buy. “Our effort to redefine the streetwear segment brings high quality and luxury products with unique style and elegance. We don’t make a lot of things but we make products of the highest quality , which ensures that customers don’t need to buy anything,” added Dubey of D’yavol X. 21,500, the Mickey drip tee was priced at Rs 21,000 and the X-ray hoodie at Rs 40,000.
Cultural movement
A global phenomenon, streetwear has been around since the beginnings of Los Angeles’ skate and surf culture, hip hop fashion and the street art of the ’80s. For this group, the idea is to create something bigger than clothing-movement.
Events like Soledition, the first sneaker festival and street party held in Delhi, are promoting this cultural movement. This year, the festival hosted a gathering of sneakerheads, basketball players, actors, musicians, dancers, rappers, graffiti artists, and streetwear and sneaker enthusiasts with a passion for same as theirs. Organized and founded by Siddharth Pal, the festival is inspired by b-boying and sports trends of the early 70s and late 80s, and is a platform where like-minded people exchange ideas and immersion.
“Sneakers have become more than just a choice of footwear. They reflect personality and creativity, and have become a canvas for self-expression. Soledition is an effort to collaborate with street and sneaker enthusiasts, where they show their shared love for rising culture and sneaker culture,” says Pal.
Many Indian streetwear brands are now running the hype culture with great designs. Delhi-based Almost Gods designs streetwear that reflects mythology, identity and cultural expression. Similarly, Huemn, a fashion line sold in India, the Middle East, China, Japan, Europe and the US, last year partnered with Absolut Vodka to embrace the development, inclusion, and celebration of different reports. The brand’s USP is based on provocative concepts and collaborations—the vintage Pepsi X Huemn printed shirt with sublimated text featuring Pepsi bottles represents a classic and uplifts the mood. a Huemn equally excessive. Or a collection with many types of “blood” T-shirts, with patterns similar to blood stains.
VegNonVeg, a multi-brand sneaker and streetwear store that launched in 2016, aims to grow pop culture. Biskit is another brand that makes single edition pieces or up to 21 editions of each type. Each piece is a ‘special edition’ label and the materials used are carefully considered in terms of working with organic, recycled, recycled and die-cast fabrics.
SoleSearch, a brand inspired by hip-hop culture, not only offers high-end streetwear and sneakers but also celebrates the love and creativity of culture enthusiasts by focusing on the most sought-after products. Collaborations and storytelling for brands like the Nike Air Jordan 1 Low Reverse Black Toe and Taxi and the Nike Dunk Low Panda are top sellers on the platform of the Indian streetwear label, founded by Param Minhas, Prabal Baghla and Rannvijay Singha.
The collection includes apparel such as hoodies, T-shirts, jackets and hats from popular streetwear brands, a collection of limited editions, including sculptures and art prints that resonate with street culture. “We curate and offer limited editions, collaborations and great styles of shoes from major brands like Nike, Adidas, Jordan Brand and more. These sneakers are known for their unique designs , high-quality materials and cultural significance, which makes it highly desirable among collectors and enthusiasts,” says Baghla, co-founder of the brand.
In addition to SoleSearch, UK men’s fashion brand BoohooMAN has partnered with Myntra to launch over 600 streetwear brands—plain T-shirts, hoodies, track pants, and joggers for the first generation of fashion-conscious men.
Free Society, a multi-brand store specializing in streetwear and sneakers designed around the world, opened its first store in Mumbai in 2021. It now has a multi-level store of experienced in sneakers and streetwear in Delhi. It has brand loyalty that includes celebrities like Diljit Dosanjh and Shilpa Shetty, besides stylists and sneaker lovers.
Brands focus on events and engagement to create excitement around the collection. According to Aravind Narayanan, CMO, Fetus, the brand always explores what it is, the underdog who wants something out of the ordinary.
“We consider ourselves more of an entertainment company than a streetwear brand, we create stories and experiences that go beyond shopping. Active online forums such as Discord and intimate gatherings such as ‘Attacks’ bring a sense of community. Image books, media collaborations, and product announcements, which we call ‘chapters’, reveal the story of our brand, offering a deeper level of engagement than traditional marketing strategies. ,” says Narayanan. The recent Fetus ‘Invasion’ event in Delhi was an audio-visual collaboration with Free Society and Pursue Hard Seltzer along with experimental artists such as Dolorblind, Psynodent, D80, and Tokas and Rounak Maiti.
Another platform for developing partnerships between labels and artists, creating limited clothing lines, exclusive product drops, and one-of-a-kind events such as live performances at streetwear retailers is Madverse. It combines streetwear and music to inspire artists and spark a movement of self-expression.
“We see a lot of possibilities, bridging the gap between music and streetwear. Music acts as the soundtrack to a shared experience. Madverse wishes to enhance both forms of creativity, enabling musicians to be cultural imagery, and giving fans a deeper and more authentic connection to the music they love by combining streetwear with music. are all strongly rooted in the cause of music. Our partnerships with brands like Solesearch and Superkicks are a testament to our culture,” says Rohan Nesho Jain, founder of Madverse.
#streetwear #meets #storytelling #Lifestyle #News