Launched over a decade ago in 2004, when menswear fashion was just beginning to create a space for itself in India, homegrown label Stanza was established with a vision to become a premium lifestyle brand for men.
Incepted by Gautamchand Jain with a single-minded commitment to excellence in design, fabric, craftsmanship and finish on a scale that had never before been experienced in India, Stanza’s USP lies in providing the highest quality fabrics, coupled with premium craftsmanship and latest trends at a price point that screams value for money.
Spanning across generations, from the mid-age felicitousness to the mature insisting on a neater, sharper code, Stanza poses as a one-stop shop for all menswear needs.
Apparel Resources speaks to Apurva Jain, Executive Director of Stanza to understand how the brand has helped bridge the gap for menswear fashion in India by providing one-of-a-kind and state-of-the-art global designs.
“What you wear should be more than a statement! What makes a cult item? – It makes you set apart from the common. Identifying the cult before the entire world catches onto it, is crucial – it can be a great design or a particular colour for the season or it may be the right product for a particular period,” Apurva told AR, adding, “Picking up the right trend from the International markets and developing it at the right time for the domestic market, in bespoke quality of individuality, detailing and finish puts the brand right up there on top.”
PRODUCT ASSORTMENT AND PRICING
Providing an extensive product assortment that ranges from shirts, to trousers, to blazers, to suits and accessories, Stanza categorises its line as under below:
Shirts – casual, formal, fashion and luxury
Trousers – casual chinos and formal trousers
Accessories include belts, ties, pocket squares, bow ties and socks
Depending on the sectioning of the products, Stanzas’ price points start from Rs. 299 for accessories going up to Rs. 14,999 for a suit.
Price points for individual segments straddle from Rs. 1,899 to Rs. 4,699 in shirting; Rs. 2,099 to Rs. 4,999 for bottomwear; Rs. 5,999 to Rs. 14,999 for blazers and suits, whereas in accessories, the range of belts starts from Rs.1,499 going up to Rs.1,799; Rs. 999 to Rs. 1699 for ties; flat Rs. 699 for premium silk double layer bow ties; Rs. 699 to Rs. 999 for pocket squares and Rs. 299 to Rs. 349 for socks.
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
Stanza’s primary fabrics include 100 per cent Cotton, 100 per cent Linen and Linen blends, few of which are sourced from some of the best premium Italian brands in the world.
One of the standout product categories at Stanza are its shirts. The brand aims to provide immaculate fit for a sharp and conventional look in slim and regular fit shirts, along with varied options of Narrow, Slim, Ultra slim and Regular Fit styles in bottomwear. Shirts are styled with contrast trims and buttons to make them look jazzy, whilst patterns and colours of both Shirting and Suiting are inspired from the latest forecast trends from Italy.
“Quality is paramount and so, we insist on 16 to 22 stitches per inch throughout the apparel, making sure to use the finest thread count. We also ensure that the patterns on all our fabrics perfectly match on both sides of the collar, along the shoulders, across the cuffs and the side seams. All of these mean more production time and more raw material utilisation than usual. This also translates into the best menswear that money can buy in India or anywhere else in the world,” Apurva elucidated.
According to Apurva, the fashion trends to look out for in the menswear segment include comfort details and silhouettes, along with statement colours and prints.
Emphasising the same, Apurva said, “There is no denying that we are currently living in turbulent times and this would directly reflect in fashion with smart techno solutions on yarns and fabrics, transformation of prints and checks onto the structured in shirting; from the slim and tapered to baggy and high waist trousers; classic stripes coming in as a change to put back checks; elongated jackets and over shirts superseding the conventional; and pops of bright colours blending in with zingy and impactful combinations.”
MANUFACTURING AND SOURCING
Located in Apparel Export Park, Telangana, Stanza’s state-of-the-art factory was commissioned with the same vision of making not merely India’s finest apparels, but the world’s finest.
Commenting on the same, Apurva said, “Stanza’s fabrics are sourced from globally renowned mills that include some of Italy’s best names, and are then manufactured in India. The threads, buttons and linings are equally world-class, which are crafted using new generation Swiss and German machines in the Apparel Export Park near Hyderabad city.”
Today, the brand employs a team of nearly 150 with 90 per cent of product manufacturing being done in-house at the brand’s own factory, and 10 per cent – comprising mainly the accessories, being outsourced to various vendors across India.
“All our craftsman are trained in-house and they are all based locally. Whether it is in small or in large-scale, our raw materials are outsourced from prime brands to meet the exclusive standards of our craftsmanship,” Apurva highlighted, adding, “Since Stanza caters to the niche, majority of all our raw materials are sourced from renowned mills across India, including – Mumbai, Karnataka, Gujarat along with a few being imported internationally from Italy to ensure that there is no compromise in quality.”
The brand releases two collections every year – 75 per cent constitute new collection, 15 per cent includes core products which are available throughout the year at an affordable price range and 10 per cent caters to accessories.
STOCKING AND REPLENISHMENTS
Stanza currently has 8 flagship stores and exclusive retail outlets based in Hyderabad, each of which offer a comprehensive range of menswear ranging from shirts, trousers, suits and blazers to belts, socks, ties and pocket squares – basically everything a man needs and more. The brand is also available for purchase pan-India through its online channel – its official website www.stanzaworld.com.
All the merchandise is stocked at its warehouse located in Hyderabad.
In-store merchandise replenishment and transfers happen upon the orders received from stores and the brand also makes sure that specific merchandise for select outlets is voluminous.
Commenting on the same, Apurva said, “In keeping with the demand of today’s consumer and the digital age, we have also integrated a server that is connected to our online platform which enables the consumer to have a hassle-free experience and obtain products directly after being shipped from our warehouse.”
Going forward, the brand plans to develop more ranges in its casual segment and expand the number of exclusive Stanza outlets in the southern part of India – with a special emphasis on the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.