We focus on being a socially conscious fashion brand
Being Human Clothing is a fashion brand founded in 2012, associated with the ‘Being Human - The Salman Khan Foundation’, which focuses on education and healthcare initiatives for India’s underserved population. Through innovative retail strategies and a commitment to casualwear style, the brand has expanded to over 500 retail touch-points, all while embodying values such as love, care, share, hope, and joy. Fibre2Fashion speaks to COO Vivek Sandhwar about the casualwear market, the three pillars of sustainability and much more.
How big is the market for casualwear in India? What are the key factors contributing to the growth of this market?
The retail market in India is valued at $748 billion and is expected to grow at CAGR of 9.5 per cent to $1,077 billion in 2025. In Indian retail, food & grocery is the largest segment, with ~66 per cent share, followed by apparel & accessories at a distant 7.9 per cent share. Apparel & accessories is expected to grow at nine per cent annually till 2025. The casual wear market in India has been experiencing growth due to several factors that have influenced consumer preferences and lifestyle choices. Some of the key reasons for the growth of the casual wear market in India include changing lifestyle, rising disposable income, workplace dress code evolution, rapid urbanisation, comfort and versatility. As the growth of casualwear segment is expected to be above average, one can see a lot of brands offering semi-casual and casual range.
What inspired the creation of Being Human Clothing?
Being Human is a brand with a purpose, and the purpose is to give back to the society. Being Human Clothing was created to aid the humane vision of business that supports the conscious circle straddling people, planet and animals. It supports the twin cause of education and healthcare by helping the most vulnerable/underprivileged children through supervised programmes and actions.
Being Human Clothing straddles the ‘Business Circle’ with the ‘Conscious Circle’. While many of the apparel brands were first created for business and they are now gyrating their purpose towards social consciousness, Being Human Clothing was conceptualised with the purpose of ‘Giving Back to Society’. Hence, being socially conscious is in our DNA and is expressed though every action of ours. Every garment of ours helps shape a life through ‘Education’ or helps save a life through ‘Healthcare’. It embodies the six positive human values of – Love, Care, Share, Hope, Help and Joy.
How does Being Human products differ from those offered by other fashion brands?
The consumer of today is ‘Socially Conscious’. They are aware of the impact of their purchases on society and environment. Sustainability, global warming, equality, and giving back to society are on top of their agenda. They want to support businesses that are aligned with their values and are making an effort to create a positive impact. They expect that every action of theirs contributes to the betterment of the society and the planet. This can include supporting companies that are environmentally sustainable, ethically sourcing materials, treating employees fairly, and giving back to the community. At Being Human Clothing, we provide guiltless shopping to the consumers, as they are assured that every purchase of their helps shape a life through ‘Education’ or helps save a life through ‘Healthcare’.
Can you describe the materials used in your clothing?
Our material choices are led by two-fold filter of conscious fabrics & trims, and relevance towards current fashion trends. We range from 100 per cent cotton, to different blends of yarns, in order to provide most fashionable casual wear to our target audience. We also have products made from Fairtrade cotton, which are a part of our upcoming collections. Recycled PET blended with cotton is another fabric that we have in our upcoming collection that brings in the conscious circle of our brand alive in our products. All our garments starting AW23 come with brand tags made of plant-able paper that germinates in plants. The plastic that is used in our packaging is also recycled plastic to reduce the impact on the planet.
What is the style philosophy behind Being Human Clothing?
The style philosophy of our brand is based on being trend right, bringing the latest of fabrics, colours, graphics embellishments and finishes that are in line with real-time international fashion trends.
What steps do you take to ensure that ethical and sustainable practices are followed?
‘Sustainability’ is a loosely understood word. Sustainability refers to the ability to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This concept encompasses three main pillars: economic, social, and environmental sustainability. While the focus has been on social sustainability, we have initiated our journey towards environmental sustainability. Some of the initiatives are listed below:
• Providing employment: Stores of Being Human employ specially-abled personnel on their payroll. This helps them become financially independent, improves their morale and helps with social inclusion. It also makes them feel valued and empowered. Some of the specially-abled personnel are the best performing staff in our company; their passion and commitment is infectious and they push others to become a better version of themselves.
• Provide quality healthcare to the underprivileged: We have tie-ups with some of the best hospitals in India and have sponsored some of the most complex surgeries in the world. Some of the projects undertaken are Craniofacial programme, Cleft programme, free eye camps, Little Hearts programme, Marrow Donor Registry, Cochlear implants, women’s health camps, etc.
• Provide quality education to the underprivileged: Education is one of the most important things a child can receive. It lays the foundation for their future and helps shape the person into what they will become, and we at Being Human recognise the same. Some of the initiatives taken under this programme are Career Development Centres, Educational Resource Centres etc.
• Improving diversity and inclusion (D&I): We at Being Human recognise that D&I is very important for workplace and society. To improve D&I, we have launched stores which are exclusively managed by all female staff, employing specially-abled persons, with special emphasis on inclusive days like the Retail Employee Day, the World Disability Day etc. This also manifests in a gender neutral product line (Blur) that we have in our stores each season since last year.
• Material choices of our products: As mentioned earlier, we use yarn ranging from 100 per cent cotton to different blends, in order to provide latest fashion to our target audience. We have products made from Fairtrade cotton, fabric made from recycled PET that brings in the conscious circle of our brand alive in our products. All our garments starting current season come with brand tags made of plant-able paper that germinates in plants. The plastic that is used in our packaging is also recycled plastic to reduce the impact on planet.
Can you tell us about the design process for Being Human Clothing?
The design process at Being human is a crucial and multi-step procedure that involves creativity, market research, technical expertise, and collaboration. The steps involved are:
• Conduct market research to understand current fashion trends, consumer preferences, and target demographics. Gather inspiration from various sources, such as fashion shows, art, culture, nature, and social media.
• Concept development: Based on research and inspiration, develop a clear concept or theme for the apparel collection. This concept will guide the design direction and overall aesthetic.
• Design and conceptualisation: Designers create initial sketches and illustrations of the apparel pieces that align with the chosen concept. These sketches help visualise the designs and explore various options before moving forward.
• Fabric and material selection: Identify suitable fabrics and materials that complement the design and align with the desired quality and functionality of the apparel.
• CAD design and pattern making: CAD designers create detailed specifications and patterns for each garment, ensuring proper fit, sizing, and construction. The pattern is the blueprint for the garment and is used during the production process.
• Sample making: Create samples of the designs to test the fit, fabric, and overall design aesthetics. It is also used for taking channel partners’ feedback and orders.
What are some of the most popular products in the Being Human Clothing line?
We are a brand focused on socially conscious fashion forward Millennials and GenNext. While Being Human has always been known for its fashion forward T-shirts with bold prints and design, off late some new categories have started resonating with our customers; these are:
a. Denim: Our denim ranges from basic design to high fashion designs inspired by the brand values and ambassador. We have introduced new fits, which have been well accepted by the consumers.
b. Cargo: We create one of the most comfortable cargo pants combining style with functionality. Breathable fabrics ensure ease of movement, making it a versatile wardrobe essential that prioritises comfort without sacrificing on style.
c. Shirts: We create shirts, where fashion meets comfort. Our shirt range varies from knitted shirts (which can be worn to office) to high fashion evening wear. Customers have taken liking to the fabric and design of our shirts.
d. Athleisure: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed consumer behaviour and given a boost to our athleisure range. Trendy designs, comfortable fit and utility has helped us create a niche for ourselves.
e. Gender-neutral Blur line: We have introduced a gender-neutral line called Blur, which can be worn by everyone. In today’s world of socially conscious consumer, this line has been a raging success.
What changes have you seen in consumer trends post the pandemic?
The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on consumer behaviour, including apparel shopping trends. Some of the key apparel consumer trends that emerged or gained prominence during and after the pandemic are:
a. Casualisation of wardrobes: The pandemic led to a shift towards more casual and comfortable clothing as people spent more time at home.
b. Rise of athleisure: With a greater emphasis on health and wellness during the pandemic, there was increased demand for athleisure.
c. Sustainability and ethical fashion: Conscious consumerism gained momentum post-pandemic, with more people opting for sustainable, eco-friendly, and ethically produced apparel. Consumers are becoming more mindful of the environmental and social impact of their clothing choices.
d. E-commerce and online shopping: The pandemic accelerated the growth of e-commerce and online shopping for apparel. Many consumers became accustomed to shopping online, and this trend is likely to persist due to convenience and safety reasons.
e. Comfortable work-from-home attire: As remote work became the norm for many, demand for comfortable work-from-home attire, such as loungewear and hybrid clothing suitable for virtual meetings, increased significantly.
How do you strive to improve society through fashion?
As mentioned earlier, at Being Human Clothing, we focus on being a conscious fashion brand. Going forward, we aspire to lead the brand from being socially conscious to being the torch bearer of sustainability. We want to amalgamate the ‘Business Circle’ with ‘Conscious Circle’ and in process create a sustainable business model which address the ‘Triple Bottom Line’ of sustainability, where economic, social, and environmental considerations are all taken into account for creating a better world.
What is the vision for Being Human Clothing’s future expansion?
We are building a brand for the world. While there is a large expansion that we have planned in India, we are also on our global expansion journey. We have stores in Nepal, Bangladesh and are adding Dubai and Canada to our operating markets soon. In the context of Indian expansion, BHARAT is going to play a key role in growth. As reported by many media outlets, the rural India is growing at 2X times that of urban India. As per reports by BCG, the elite and affluent class of consumers are spread across all tiers and would be major growth drivers. We hope that our brand cuts across all tiers and resonates with the customers. Hence, we need tier specific strategies to serve these markets.
• For metro and tier I, we plan to service them via our EBO and LFS stores.
• For tier II and III, we are taking the distribution route. Based on our data of emerging markets, we are opening stores in relevant towns.
• E-commerce and omni-channel is being expanded and leveraged to take the brand shopping experience to consumer’s home and their devices 24X7 across the length and breadth of our country.
