India news and archive

At the Intersection of Art, Fashion and Craft

Each month Sass Brown, an expert in ethical fashion, sustainability and craftsmanship, shares a fashion brand that approaches business differently and innovatively or operates outside of the main fashion systems and capitals. Sass is the former Dean of Art and Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology and the founding Dean at Dubai Institute...

Podcast

Swati Kalsi, High Art Fashion

Swati Kalsi, based in India, is known as much for her fashion designs as her museum art installations. Due to the high level of craftsmanship and artistry, Sass Brown points out that much of what Swati does doesn’t come cheap, adding “she’s known first and foremost for these exquisite, museum quality collectors items. They are indeed intended to...

Retail

Mango speeds up expansion in India, opens ten new stores

Even though it has been barely two months since non-essential shops and malls opened again in India, some brands and retailers bank on the world’s fifth largest economy to boost sales. Case in point is Spanish fashion brand Mango: The brand is planning to accelerate its expansion in India with franchise partner Myntra and wants to open ten new...

Retail

Malls reopen in India, with riders

As of 5th August, malls across India are allowed to open again as part of the country’s “unlockdown” efforts. While mall and shopping centre doors have opened and the first weekend saw a good turnout across the board and despite heavy rain warnings in some parts of the country, mall operators and retailers need to make sure to stick to mandatory...

Featured

Business

Fatal fire at major Indian denim supplier highlights lack of industry safety standards

Different day, same story: A fire breaks out in a garment factory, exits are shut and workers die because they cannot get out. This time, Nandan Denim was affected, in Ahmedabad, the largest city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The fire broke out last Saturday evening, killing seven workers as the sole exit was reachable only via a...

Retail

Birkenstock enters Indian market

German footwear brand Birkenstock is increasing its reach as part of its international expansion strategy and has started selling its famous sandals in India. To this effect, the brand opened its first mono-brand store at Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airports in Delhi on 27th January 2020 and started its official online shop at...

Business|ANALYSIS

Homegrown, craft-oriented, greener: Meet India's new fashion industry

Nueva York - The Indian fashion industry has gone through tremendous change in 2019. FashionUnited looks into where it has landed by the end of the year. Meet the new India’s fashion: Homegrown, craft-oriented, greener, digital-first. The Indian fashion industry is one of the largest in the world as it provides clothing for more than 1.2 billion...

Featured

Business

India: fatal factory fire shows that workplaces are still unsafe

A deadly fire at an Anaj Mandi area factory in north Delhi killed 43 people in the early morning hours on Sunday; 16 to 20 people were injured. The story sounds only too familiar: The building in a residential area of Delhi was illegally operated as a factory that made various products, including garments. About 70 factory workers - mainly...

Featured

Retail

Country report: e-commerce is booming in India but challenges persist

Not many international brands and retailers could afford to ignore India, the world’s most populous country with 1.37 billion people, second only to China, and catching up fast. Given that 41 percent of that enormous population is using the internet, that is a whopping 562 million people or potential customers. The e-commerce market is vast yet...

Business

Amazon opens global campus in India

Amazon has announced that its biggest global campus has opened in India in Hyderabad. This will help better position Amazon to compete with its top rival Walmart. Jeff Bezos has committed 5.5 billion dollars to growth in India. The new Hyderabad campus is the first building Amazon has owned outside of the United States, with office space...

Featured

Fashion

#UnitedByHalf: Benetton launches gender equality campaign in India

London - Gender equality may not be a right most fashion brands strive for, but women empowerment and equality is definitely a priority for Italian fashion label United Colors of Benetton. On International Women's Day, taking place on March 8, the retailer is set to launch its latest campaign which is aimed at promoting gender equality in one of...

Featured

Fashion

Gap and H&M fail to uphold human rights in supplier factories

London - Although the plight and needs of the millions of garment workers serving in the fashion industry’s supply chain remain well documented, it seems as if concrete changes concerning labor and human rights have yet to occur. In spite of fast fashion retailers Gap and H&M social and sustainable commitments concerning workers rights, wages,...