At a recent star-studded event in Mumbai, Birla Cellulose of the Aditya Birla Group, unveiled their new age fabric brand, LIVA with their new stylish brand ambassador Kangana Ranaut and also announced the launch of LIVA Accredited Partner LAPF. LIVA is a new age fabric which is natural, fluid, and fashionable that infuses fluidity into the garment. The event saw the who’s who of the textile industry converge at the venue to celebrate the launch immortalized through a well-choreographed fashion show. “A defining moment for us as we take another major step forward in the continuing journey of Birla Cellulose towards achieving greater heights of excellence and growing leadership globally,” said K. K. Maheshwari, Group Business Director, Fibres and Textiles, and Managing Director, Grasim, at the launch of LIVA.
The evening saw a beautiful amalgamation of the five elements to bring out the essence of LIVA, in a fluid fashion showcase titled ‘Panchtatva’. James Ferreira, renowned for his subtle non-literal infusion of Indian elements, presented the LIVA Collection themed AIR, Puja Nayyar, known for her unique ideation towards experimentation in design, used EARTH as an element to showcase the expanse of the fabric LIVA, Narendra Kumar, well-known for his structured silhouette and sharp tailoring, displayed the fluidity of the fabric, using WATER as the inspiration and Anita Dongre, who is known for her wide range – prêt to couture, traditional to contemporary, classic to avant-garde and desi to global, took inspiration from FIRE to bring alive the fiery fluidity of LIVA. The highlight of the showcase was show stopper Kangana, walking the ramp in a LIVA creation.
Talking enthusiastically of the new fabric, Maheshwari explained that a lot of thought process had gone into creating LIVA, as a ‘Natural Fluid Fashion’. “Firstly, we needed to create a distinctive and relevant end-consumer promise. With years of experience and several intense rounds of understanding consumers, we have found one that we believe resonates strongly with their desires and beliefs. Not only does it fully satisfy them on the aspect of being a natural product, it also delights them on the distinctive aspect of the product which is its soft drape, or ‘fluidity’,” said Maheshwari.
Very confident of the potential of LIVA, the senior management shared that the business, has a great future in the long term and that Viscose Staple Fibre once reckoned as a commodity was increasingly moving to raise its share of value-added products and solutions. The second major step taken was the setting up of a strong Design Studio backed by a powerful Technical Research and Development Centre. “They are geared up to work with the value-chain to bring forth every season, new innovations that are in trend and which consumers and trade-partners will see as being really ‘in fashion’,” remarked Maheshwari.
Elaborating further, Maheshwari shared how the Birla Cellulose team has been working closely with a large number of value-chain partners, including spinners, fabricators and processors. “We have created a new partnership concept, called the LIVA Accredited Partner Forum, or LAPF, which is an integral part of this ingredient brand. While these partners work on continuously improving their quality and service to brands and retail, on our part we are working closely with them in areas of technical support, design development, supply chain and market development. We have over 250 partners now in the Forum,” informed Maheshwari. He passionately spoke about the various ways in which LIVA would strengthen the value proposition of multiple brands and retail, enhancing their fashion quotient. LIVA will be available with leading brands and retail like Van Heusen women, Allen Solly women, Global Desi, Chemistry, F-109, Pantaloons and Lifestyle. In the first season of national launch, LIVA will reach over 50 cities and 1,000 outlets with approximately 2 million garments, tagged with LIVA.
To give LIVA a thrust in consumer appeal, Kangana has been designated as brand ambassador, as she epitomizes in many ways the brand’s essence of natural fluid fashion. “When I saw the fabric I was really surprised at how flowy and fluid it was. It draped my body in just the right way, wasn’t too boxy or too tight. The fabric moved as I moved. I think it’s the kind of fabric that can go well with any clothing and occasion. Moreover, I personally feel that LIVA is going to play a very important role in the world of fashion. People always want something new; something exciting and I can see it happening with LIVA. The collections seen tonight are very much testament to the great potential the brand has for womenswear. It feels great to be here tonight with the wonderful design team from LIVA, and of course, the absolutely brilliant designers who have showcased their collections,” said Kangana after the fashion show.
The Pulp and Fibre business is an integral part of the Aditya Birla Group and over the years, it has contributed significantly to its growth and has taken a remarkable position in terms of global presence. Today, Birla Cellulose enjoys a leadership position with over 20% of the world market share. Over the last 3 years alone Group’s investments have been in excess of Rs. 4,300 crore and the capacities have scaled close to 1 million tonnes per annum. Birla Cellulose has always been customer-centric and VSF continues to move ahead of the times.
Sharing his team’s enthusiasm, Kumar Mangalam Birla, the Group’s Chairman reiterated, “As a Group, we believe the customer is the core of how we operate. You would be surprised to know that our consumer brands are over Rs. 60,000 crore, larger than that of many leading consumer brands put together. With the launch of LIVA, our endeavour is to establish the same connect with the end-consumer (who in the Viscose Fibre business is several steps removed from our operations) and while doing that take the entire value chain along with us.”
