Modern meets traditional: The Fusion of Fashion with EXCLUSIA(2023)

bonyadi magazine

apparelresources.com/fashion-news/features/modern-meets-traditional-fusion-fashion-exclusia/ 

Raisa Mahjabin Khan (Namrata Khan), CEO of EXCLUSIA, in an exclusive interview with Apparel Resources, discusses about EXCLUSIA’s specialty of offering ethnic womenswear at an affordable price. Each of its creation is carefully thought out, keeping in mind the needs of passionate travellers, hangout enthusiasts and partygoers

Clothing has the power to boost one’s confidence and make them stand out in a crowd. Every individual has a unique personality and their clothing is an excellent way to showcase their distinctive style. For those who are constantly on the lookout for exclusive outfits to keep up with the latest trends, Bangladesh-based EXCLUSIA is an up-and-coming fashion brand for specific fashion needs

With a strong focus on the Gen Z consumer cohort, EXCLUSIA offers semi-western and traditional Karchupi outfits, providing a perfect blend of modern and traditional fashion that strives to fuse styling for all age groups

Each creation is carefully thought out, keeping in mind the needs of passionate travellers, hangout enthusiasts and partygoers. Whether it be a last-minute travel plan or an elegant event, this brand promises to have a solution for every need

EXCLUSIA was conceived by Raisa Mahjabin Khan (Namrata Khan) at the tender age of 17 years, while she was still pursuing her A levels. In 2014, she launched her first online page and later enrolled in Architecture studies at NSU, which she eventually dropped out of. Following this, she opened a store at JFP before relocating to Canada with her husband

What started as a small dream in 2018, has today materialised into a full-fledged business with 8 administrative members, over 20 workers and karigars in factories and seasonal photoshoot or exhibition coordinate employees

BRAND USP AND TARGET MARKET

Specialising in ethnic womenswear, Raisa’s brand offers a variety of products such as kameez, kurti / tunic, tops, pants, stoles, scarves, etc

“Our specialty is that we can provide unique designs at an affordable price range. Outfits that are sold by other designers and brands for Rs.10,000, are almost 50 per cent of the price at EXCLUSIA,” Raisa Mahjabin Khan (Namrata Khan), CEO of EXCLUSIA, told Apparel Resources (AR)  in an exclusive interview, adding, “The reason behind this is that all our operations are done in-house helping us minimise the total cost

“Another major reason is that we keep our profit margin very low as we want our clients to get good products at good prices.”

EXCLUSIA’s target group mostly comprises the younger generation – namely teenagers in the early ’40s and their products are priced between BDT 750 to BDT 7500. Pricing varies based on the fabric cost and the kind of surface work done on the garments (karchupi work or embroidery work or lace work and stitching)

The brand has a unique collection of crafted designs that are difficult to replicate as they create numerous patterns with various fabrics and have their own embroidered designs. Additionally, they draw inspiration from renowned international designer brands to create their own unique designs. The brand ensures that even if the embroidery is inspired, they transform it in a way that the entire outfit turns into something entirely new and distinctive

“As the name ‘EXCLUSIA’ suggests, we always thrive for exclusiveness, and have earned immense love from our clients for it along the way. We have never compromised on the satisfaction of our clients, and thus we have earned their support that has in turn kept us growing,” Raisa stated

MANUFACTURING AND SOURCING

The brand’s primary factory and office are located in Jagannathpur, Badda, Dhaka, where they carry out the cutting and stitching of garments in-house. The embroidery work, though, is outsourced to various vendors in different parts of the city. The brand conducts QC, packing and parcel dispatch at its office

EXCLUSIA sources its raw materials mainly from Bangladesh and sometimes it also imports them from China.

Raisa commented on the same, “We work with a variety of georgettes, silks and organza and also import unique embellishments from China. In Bangladesh, we purchase most of our raw materials from Islampur and Gausia where prices are reasonable when bought in bulk. They also provide us with unique materials which are not available in retail markets. We also import fabrics and embellishments from China to enhance our collection offering

COLLECTION PLANNING AND REPLENISHMENT

EXCLUSIA typically releases seasonal or festival-specific collections, 4 to 6 times a year. Their largest and most exclusive collection is launched during Eid and the wedding season, where the brand invests heavily in photoshoots and promotions. For the remainder of the year, the brand showcases its designs as live sessions.

The brand keeps its new product stock at its warehouse/office most of the time due to the nature of its business which is dominated by online sales. This allows for products to be available for home delivery faster than they would be at the physical store

“We restock our products until we have the necessary materials say for about 2 to 3 months. However, once a design is out of stock, we do not restock it,” Raisa explained

RETAIL, STOCKISTS AND FUTURE EXPANSION PLANS

Currently, EXCLUSIA operates in two countries – Dhaka, Bangladesh and Montreal, Canada, with stock available in both locations. However, it primarily takes pre-orders for clients in Canada and the United States

It also has two new pages in the works, namely Hijabistaa and Glamourism. Hijabistaa is focused entirely on modest fashion where the brand imports semi-ready scarves and then accentuates them by adding karchupi embroidery work over them. The brand also brings a wide yet different variety of printed, solid colour scarves in various materials to cater to an extensive consumer base and their specific needs. In addition to this, the brand is also working on abayas and shrugs for women who follow modest fashion, along with hijab accessories

Glamourism, on the other hand, focuses on imported ready-to-wear products that follow the latest global fashion trends and bring beautiful dresses such as maxi dresses, co-ords, frocks and so on to the consumer. The team is currently working on adding more product categories such as bags, shoes, accessories and decor to the mix