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AND: A Leading Brand Celebrated For Its Uber-Chic Ladies' Wear

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Kavindra Mishra,   MD & CEOThe fashion landscape has changed dramatically in the past two decades. India has witnessed massive penetration of global brands. The modern urban Indian youth is spending more on clothing and fashion than ever before. Adding to this popularity is the increase in the standard of living and the comparable affordability offered by fast fashion brands. Known widely as the 6th biggest exporter of clothing materials, India is also one of the top fashion consumers in the world. The fashion industry contributes five percent to the GDP of the country and is rapidly growing for various reasons. With the penetration of the internet, consumer choices and buying behavior keeps evolving by leaps and bounds in urban markets. Founded in 1995, AND stemmed from the realization that the modern Indian woman did not have too many contemporary silhouettes to choose from at the time. Striving to bridge this gap ever since, AND has garnered the recognition of a brand that makes global styles for the contemporary woman, understanding the sensibilities of fashion, comfort, quality, and style effortlessly.

Painting an image of the modern Indian woman, perhaps 25-35 years of age, who knows what she wants, is no longer timid, in fact, methodical and ferocious in her approach, who enjoys working shoulder to shoulder with her colleagues, and spending quality time with herself, nurturing her growth, every brand from the House of Anita Dongre designs every single piece to meet the demands and suit the style of this woman. "AND is a fashion brand for women who are economically independent, progressive, ambitious and lives a wholesome life. The label is ever-evolving while keeping itself aligned with the needs of the urban Indian woman", says MD & CEO, Kavindra Mishra.

AND's progressive sartorial expression and bold business decisions have attracted various awards and recognition from the industry. AND was awarded IMAGES Fashion Award for Most Admired Western wear Brand of the Year 2021, IMAGES Fashion Award for Most Admired Fashion Company of the Year 2018­ House of Anita Dongre;IMAGES Most Effective Tech Implementation of the Year 2018 - In Store Technology Adoption: AND, CMAI (The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India) 2018 Award for The Best Western wear Brand in India ­ AND, and Paul & Writer Mumbai Brand Summit & Hot Brands 2018 Award to name a few.

Pioneering Sustainable Fashion in India
AND offers a huge repertoire of fashion and lifestyle products which includes dresses, tops, pants, denims, jumpsuits, shirts, co-cord sets, jewellery, shoes, belts, scarves, handbags, mists, and perfumes. The team at AND realizes that sustainability is the need of the hour, especially in the fashion industry, with more fast-fashion brands popping up every day. The House of Anita Dongre has been a forerunner in the Indian fashion industry in identifying the importance of slow and sustainable fashion and has been taking steps toward creating responsible fashion.

Kavindra Mishra, who was previously working as Managing Director at Pepe Jeans, carries a deep understanding of the online business and is using the same to drive the e-Commerce and omnichannel strategy for both the brands. Since his appointment at House of Anita Dongre in April 2019, Kavindra has repositioned the brands to align them to the changing market scenario. He complements his knowledge with insights
from his previous leadership positions and is able to bring to the House of Anita Dongre a thoroughly unique and effective style of working. Known for his collaborative work style, innovative problem solving and team-first orientation, he is also known to actively mentor those around him.

Expanding the Brand's Reach
Bringing the versatility to suit every mood of the modern urban-chic woman, the brand boasts a wide collection of styles and silhouettes ranging from formal office chic pure white clean cuts to floral sunny flowy and breezy dresses to glamorous, elegant evening wear pieces of timeless class and sheer sophistication. The brand is focused on adding vibrancy and a modern edge to even the most timeless ethnic styles through its subbrands Global Desi and Global Desi Girl.

rECOgnize, a sustainable initiative by the fashion house, ensures the products used in the collections are carefully curated using ecofriendly raw materials and responsible manufacturing processes. Identifying new emerging segments, Kavindra has launched two new subbrands Global Desi Girl and AND Girl over the last 18 months. He has been one of the primary driving forces behind launching the organization's first-ever range of AND and Global Desi fragrances, crafted by Ajmal Perfumes.

AND offers a huge repertoire of fashion and lifestyle products which includes dresses, tops, pants,denims, jumpsuits, shirts, co-cord sets, jewellery, shoes, belts, scarves, handbags, mists, and perfumes


An homage to pursuing your aspirations and making an effortlessly cool statement, AND Girl is a brand that resonates with both of these ideas. A new line for girls named AND Girl was introduced, fusing simple shapes with the refinement and ease of AND. With every new collection, AND Girl keeps things stylish, comfy, and versatile by providing everything from clothing and accessories to footwear. AND Girl has won multiple industry awards in a short span of one year. It is the first brand to reach Rs.100 crore in its first year of launch. It has also become the No.1 Girl brand in key department stores of Shoppers Stop and Lifestyle. Among the various accolades won by this brand are the IMAGES Fashion Award for Most Admired Launch of the Year 2021 AND Girl ACEF Global Customer Engagement Effective use of Market Research (Digital Marketing) 2022 ­ Gold ­AND Girl and ACEF Global Customer Engagement Effective use of Customer Feedback (Digital Marketing)2022 ­Silver ­AND Girl.

Future Plans & Journey Ahead
There are several chances for brands in Tier-II and Tier-III markets as a result of the country's rapidly changing fashion scene. The brand can reach even the most remote areas of the nation and serve the local market thanks to the reach of its online and marketplace partners. "In order to house all the brands from our fashion business AND, AND Girl, Globaldesi, Globaldesi Girl, and Its e-we are establishing large format multibrand stores in major emerging towns like Kolhapur, Mangalore, Nasik, and others. The House of Anita Dongre is a one-stop shop for all of a woman's wardrobe requirements, including both ethnic and western attire" adds Kavindra.

Further in their commitment to positioning the brand as a pioneer for sustainability they pledge to `leading the change by going gorgeously green and consciously responsible, AND is set to switch to product packaging that is made from 100 percent sustainable sources by 2022", adds Kavindra. In addition to sourcing their raw materials through sustainable methods, from sustainable resources, the fashion label also aims to have more than 65 percent of all AND clothing made from sustainable fabrics by 2025.


Talking about adopting sustainable choices for AND, Kavindra mentions, "All our tags and carry bags will be made from Forest Stewardship Council(FSC) certified paper.All our polybags, gift wrapping paper, and corrugation boxes will be made from recycled material. Additionally, our garments will be made from sustainable and responsibly-sourced raw materials, whilst ensuring that our supply chain partners make our processes of dyeing, printing, and water consumption more sustainable. We also aim to recycle, re-use and compost our textile waste. We are committed to creating great fashion at the best price in a sustainable way".