Trent-owned fashion and lifestyle retail firm Westside aims to capture the trend of affordable 'quiet luxury' — a minimalist style that is a countermovement against the display of prestige, no big branding logos, or flashy luxury.
"Wearing well-made clothing inspired by classic designs, reworked to stay relevant for contemporary times. Crafted from beautiful fabrics—understated, crisp, and tailored to hang elegantly on the body, giving an effortlessly expensive look," Umashan Naidoo, head of customer and beauty at Westside, shared the trends of affordable quiet luxury in India with Moneycontrol.
Retailers like H&M, Zara, and Westside are responding by creating curated collections—often called 'the edit' or seasonal capsules. These allow customers to purchase complete outfits or cherry-pick individual pieces to complement their existing wardrobe.
“While we draw inspiration from luxury in terms of cut, shape, silhouette, and colour, we focus on creating accessible versions. We don’t offer high-end fabrics or expensive constructions, as our consumers seek affordability,” he said.
“We prioritise the product itself, allowing it to shine without distractions. Ultimately, when customers check prices, they often find themselves pleasantly surprised that the items fall within their budget,” he added.
This trend is particularly significant now as Gen Z enter the workforce.
But how do affordability and luxury meet? Let's say a shirt costs Rs 1,299. What is the construction of that linen? What is the weight of that linen? What is the density? What is the fineness? What buttons do you want to use? And, so on.
Westside’s Naidoo shared that the brand sources and manufactures around 95 percent of its products in India, with some exceptions. Manufacturing is done in India.
“We source some products from China, including accessories and footwear, as well as certain lingerie items from Sri Lanka and China. However, India offers a wealth of beautiful fabrics, and while we have access to quality viscosities, we also explore finer, more refined options. Our buying and design teams often draw inspiration from various aspects of manufacturing within India to enhance our offerings,” he said.
Westside prioritises fabric quality and fit while keeping the prices affordable. The brand targets essentials like white shirts, shift dresses, and elegant footwear, inspired by high-end labels but without the high price tag.
"The brand ensures that its fabrics undergo rigorous testing for durability, which is essential given the diverse washing and maintenance practices of Indian consumers," Naidoo “said. Westside aims to compete with big brands by treating every garment with care and maintaining high standards, despite the fast fashion model.
“The consumer should not have to pay more money for the ‘quite luxury look’. With pure fabrics or usable fabrics, the sweet spot is in the attention to detail, like in a quiet luxury garment, the stitches are quite close, the button holes are refined. The buttons are refined. So if you can take all of these shades and apply it to your fabrics it can elevate the garment.” Naidoo explained.
The brand fosters an environment that engages customers offering a subscription club for loyal customers. To further engage loyal customers, Westside will continue to develop its membership-based ‘WestStyleClub’, which offers exclusive access to new collections and special events. “With 80 percent of sales coming from WestStyle Club members, the initiative has proven to be a key component of Westside's customer retention strategy,” Naidoo said. In FY24 there were 109 lakh members to it.
Westside plans to open 30-40 stores annually, targeting metro and tier 2 and 3 cities. As part of store optimisation and upgrade, the brand plans to refresh store designs every 12 months to enhance the consumer experience. The new store design aims to create a more open and spacious environment, improving accessibility and comfort.
According to Trent’s FY24 annual report, the total investment in a new Westside store leased and operated by the company is in the region of Rs 8-9 crore across capex, deposits, and inventory. As of March 2024, Westside had 232 stores across 91 cities with additional online reach across India exclusively through Westside.com, Tata CliQ, and Tata Neu.
In real versus reel, we all came across those styling videos on social media on ‘how to look expensive on budget’ or ‘how to look rich and classy’ where the influencer is wearing subtle clothes, generally beige black and white without any big logos.
From skincare, clothing, fashion to perfume how Indian customers are now looking at luxury in a budget. With platforms like Nykaa luxury brands are available to Indian customers, however, brands like ‘The Ordinary’ perform as well or even better than luxury skincare products.
Clothing brands like Uniqlo are also carrying forward this trend of right pricing giving their customers an affordable quite luxury on a budget. The cost-effective labels offer a gateway into understated elegance, proving that one doesn’t need to spend a fortune to achieve a refined and timeless look.
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