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ResourceCENTER socks The journey of Calzini Fashion started up with an association with a Swiss company manufacturing high quality socks. The association got bigger and bigger over time as quality and innovation in socks industry was always required. In a face 2 face conversation, Aayush Goenka, MD, Calzini Fashion shared his journey and vision for establishing a brand in the socks industry. Calzini has several tie ups with leading companies like HUSH PUPPIES, ARROW and is selling a variety of socks with functional, innovative and design aesthetics to not only leading retail chains but also on various e-commerce portals. Manufacturer Calzini Fashion Offering Variety with Innovation Excerpts… A&F: Please share your journey in the socks industry? Aayush: The company was founded by my father in 1996 as an exporting Company. Our objective was to use the Swiss agency to sell our product to Europe and US. “An Italian company and the manufacturers were working together and the Swiss company marketed socks all over the EU and US, and they were looking for another base in India. Hence the Italians were in collaboration with us and the Swiss also participated with us in the equity of the company. Around the year 2000, we entered the Indian market in a small way, around 2007, the original owners of both the Italians and Swiss manufacturers had retired and their children did not wanted to take over the business. Hence, the Swiss company shut down and the Italian company was sold. As of now they are shareholders in our company. 58 January 2017 APPAREL&Fashion
ResourceCENTER A&F: How much do you manufacture monthly? Aayush: Our domestic business is of a higher magnitude compared to exports. We produce about 30,000 thousand dozen socks every month and out of this 65% is for the domestic market and the rest 35% is for exports. A&F: What is the strategy of company to grow and expand? Aayush: Currently, the primary focus is to expand in the domestic market, but we aspire to grow in the export market as well. From 2015, onwards we initiated our expansion drive we have also constituted a new marketing team. We believe that we would be able to be grow, only if we are able to meet all the requirements of all domestic customers. We started off with men socks and now we do men’s, ladies, kids’. The variety that we have been able to achieve is due to the fact that we use a very diverse range of technology, fibers and fabrics. Be it any domestic manufacturer or any exporter no one has been able to match the range that we offer. A&F: Kindly describe your vision and plans for the future? Aayush: Our original focus since 2007 has basically been to own analysis trends, but in order to develop in each category, to justify each sub category within socks we need some depth. We will be working with some brands in India including Shoe brands and private brands. Soon we would be working with some of them. A&F: When you compare exports with domestic sales, does the demand in terms of capacity satisfy you? Aayush: Largest brand in India is BONJOUR having a turnover of 40 crores compared to whom we have a long way to grow. Our new brand is ‘Soxytoes’ which is all about prints and colours in socks. Our priority is online e-commerce space as traditional retail is based on old linkages and we are a relatively new company. A&F: Where do you compete and position yourself as compared to others? Aayush: There are 3 different ways to sell socks, first is to sell it as a functional product; second is to sell it as a comfort product; and third is to sell it as a fashion product, which is the latest development for the last five years. Things have changed a lot as fashion consciousness is coming in the age group of 50 and above also. We are not driven by merely what sells. For example our brand Ashwati is all about comfort, Arrow is all about formals and casual fashion and high quality, Soxytoes is all about young fashion. A&F: How has the taste of consumers changed over the years with regards to purchase of socks? Aayush: The size of the market especially demand from the middle class in India is growing at a fast pace, hence affordable socks has a big market. Color plus, Raymond, Allen Solly have a good range and Peter England, which is affordable also has a distinct range. Fashionable socks adds colour to one’s wardrobe especially as there are a range of options in socks from office wear, casual wear and be it the young or the middle aged all are looking for fashionable socks now. A&F: How is the response for such socks in India? Aayush: The response is good and awareness level is going up for the functional finishes we do in ‘Akashrrapati’ we also do the same for Arrow. In India, today every Indian is looking for additional value in the products. In the next three years we expect to see strong growth in India as it catches up with rest of the world as far as fashion in socks is concerned. The change is rapidly coming to a traditional segment. A&F: What type of technology you use? Aayush: We need a socks making machine, separate machine which can manufacture only socks. If you want to buy cutting edge technology you have to buy the Italy made machines. In printing digital printing is catching up, which prints with reactive dyes on cotton socks. We have got one machine, it is a Chinese brand Monotac. They are very effective in digital printing and now they have converted that machine to product with low input socks. A&F: How is the export business going for socks? Aayush: We are chiefly exporting classic high end products in socially and environmental compliant set up. We export a lot of perfumed socks and they are all through microbe’s capsulations product range having 20-30 washes guaranteed. Since our sales volume has picked up since the last year we expect a strong growth in the next 3 years A&F: You have talked about expansion, was the expansion meant to be in terms of capacity or your brand presence or new additions? Aayush: Obviously it is in terms of capacity. Also, there is a new brand which is Soxytoes. Our intention is to be present across other brands with our wide, value added and high quality products. APPAREL&Fashion January 2017 59
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