We can expect a surge in the handmade saree market in the future
ForSarees is a celebration of the rich legacy of Indian craftsmanship and a commitment to promote these traditional arts to the world. The team at ForSarees curates the finest handcrafted products from across various Indian states revealing unique crafts, superior quality, and work cultures of weaving communities. Each piece is made with love, passion, and the skilled human touch of the weavers, making every product one-of-a-kind. In an interview with Fibre2Fashion, ForSarees Founder Ritu Oberoi discusses consumer preferences and the demand scenario for handwoven/handloom sarees.
How and why did you start ForSarees?
After working in the media and entertainment industry for 15 years, I took a sabbatical from my last role at ABP News and embarked on a journey to explore the country. It was during one of my visits, while interacting with weavers, that I became aware of the need for a direct connection between weavers and urban consumers. This realisation led me to conceive the idea of ForSarees.
How would you describe the current demand for sarees compared to a decade ago?
The metropolitan cities in India have an immense craving for handmade sarees. Thanks to platforms like ForSarees, there is a significant shift taking place. Previously, conventional saree stores had limited availability of reasonably priced handmade sarees.
Nevertheless, the direct-to-consumer (D2C) retail approach is bringing about a change, and we can expect a surge in the handmade saree market in the future.
What has changed and what remains?
What has changed is the approach towards incorporating innovation while preserving traditional weaves. The artisans are provided with the freedom to experiment with different weaves and crafts, thereby creating unique and novel pieces of art for the customers. However, what remains unchanged is the preference for authentic designs and patterns, as the focus still lies on promoting heritage weaves.
What are the consumer preferences when it comes to saree today?
As we primarily cater to urban women, our emphasis is on providing handwoven/handloom sarees that are tailored to the requirements of working women. Our sarees are designed for various utilities. The cotton sarees are for comfort but ajrakhs and ikkats provide a vibrant hue. Soof and kashmiri sarees are perfect for formal events.
Can you describe the demographics of your target audience?
The target audience primarily consists of women, as they are the key focus for the product offerings. The most popular category among these women is cotton sarees, which are priced starting from ₹2,500. Based on this information, we can infer that the target audience is most likely women who are interested in purchasing cotton sarees that are reasonably priced. These women may be from various age groups, but they share an interest in traditional clothing and may value affordability and accessibility. Additionally, the target audience could be located in urban or semi-urban areas, where there is a higher demand for such products.
Which are your major markets in India and abroad?
Our primary markets are located in Southern India, Maharashtra, and the US. We have identified these regions as areas where we can find the most potential customers and generate the most revenue.
Which weaves and fabrics are more popular in India and abroad?
Handwoven sarees with intricate designs and stories to tell are highly sought after by women. The trend is especially popular among buyers. Our Ekla Cholo collection was a major success, with sarees featuring printed Rabindranath Tagore lyrics. Even some celebrities were drawn to this collection and later wore our sarees. These designs have proven to be a hit both nationally and internationally. Also, we see a huge inclination for unique work like Soof embroideries and telia rumaals.
Which price points work well when it comes to sarees?
The prices of our sarees begin at ₹2,500 and go up to ₹50,000. The most popular price point for our sarees is ₹5,000, which is the highest selling price among them.
What new weaves and fabrics do you plan to add?
It is an intriguing and demanding task to strike a balance between preserving heritage weaves and providing customers with innovative and exclusive pieces of art. While we focus on authentic designs and patterns related to our heritage, there is also a need to bring fresh and unique creations to our customers. Therefore, we follow two approaches to innovate. Firstly, we experiment with a fusion of various weaves and crafts. For instance, we encourage our artisans to use different weaves such as chanderi and mulmul, along with the traditional ajrakh, to create something original and innovative.
What is next in the pipeline at ForSarees? Do you plan to expand into physical stores?
Our primary focus currently is to expand our collection by including a wider variety of handlooms and handwoven weaves. To achieve this, we are conducting extensive research. As we progress, we will gradually add these new collections to our existing offerings.
Interviewer: Shilpi Panjabi
Published on: 28/03/2023
DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.
