Now Reading: India legacy brands launch Gen Z sub-brands to stay relevant
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India legacy brands launch Gen Z sub-brands to stay relevant
Bengaluru: India's legacy apparel brands are launching youth-focused sub-brands and standalone formats to win over Gen Z shoppers. Peter England introduced VYBE, BIBA launched BIBA NXT, and Libas started Gerua in recent months. These sub-brands rely on the parent company's existing manufacturing and distribution infrastructure while targeting younger consumers who prefer looser fits, oversized silhouettes and social-media-driven discovery.
Other companies have chosen standalone formats. Trent operates Westside and Zudio as separate entities, while Reliance Retail launched Yousta as a distinct fashion format. Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail created OWND! as an independent youth-focused value-fashion business. ABFRL has also built TMRW, a platform for digital-first brands including Bewakoof and The Indian Garage Co.
Libas reported that sales from Gerua have risen 85% since its launch in April 2025, with repeat purchases at 45% and new customers contributing 22% of the collection. BIBA NXT found that 60% of its shoppers are new to the parent brand. ABFRL is still finetuning OWND! and has not yet reached format-level profitability.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Legacy apparel brands in India face a structural challenge: Gen Z shoppers, who number roughly 38 crore, have different price sensitivity, discovery habits and body-fit expectations than the core customers who sustained labels for decades. Creating a sub-brand within an existing company lets firms test new price points and styles without writing off investment in factories and supply chains built over 20-30 years. Going standalone, as ABFRL did with OWND!, allows a clean organisational culture and product architecture but delays profitability because every backend function must be built anew. The real test will come in the next two years, when high-street rents and digital marketing costs will determine whether sub-brands can achieve the margins the parent businesses are used to. A key signal: how many repeat purchases the new labels gain within their first 12 months.
Source: livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
