Akshay Narvekar
Founder & CEO Bombay Shirt Company
We are highly focused on our customers
Bombay Shirt Company is on a transformative mission to revolutionise the apparel industry, starting with a focus on custom-made, quality clothing. Combining Mumbai’s tailoring heritage with state-of-the-art machinery, the company emphasises sustainability and ethical production to create personalised, waste-free garments. In an interview with Fibre2Fashion, Founder & CEO Akshay Narvekar discuses the business of made-to-order online clothing.
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind starting the Bombay Shirt Company?
I worked for five years at a large fashion brand in the US, but I was unsure about what I wanted to do. A couple of years ago when I moved back to India, I found that due to my unique size, I had to get all my clothes tailored. This meant going to fabric markets, selecting materials, and taking everything to the tailor. However, I became deeply engaged in the process. It was not merely about creating functional clothing that fit; I developed a genuine desire to design my own shirts and found joy in the entire procedure. When I wore these shirts, many people would ask about the brand. That is where it all began—a personal need for tailor-made clothing. At that time, no one was selling custom shirts online. I realised that starting a website did not require a significant amount of capital, especially in a made-to-order business where there is no need for inventory. Within six months of conceiving the idea, I launched the website and got it up and running.
Your company emphasises personalised and tailored shirts. How do you ensure that customers receive a truly unique and fitting product in an online retail environment?
To replicate the personalised experience of tailored shirts online, we have focused on employing the right technology to ensure customers get their preferred size, fit, and style. We have developed a unique sizing model, FitSmart, where customers answer five simple questions based on the category they are shopping in, and their unique size is created and saved on the website. Once they have made their first purchase, subsequent orders happen twice as quickly, since they do not need to re-enter sizing information. Impressively, as many as 94 per cent of customers claim they like their fit the first time.
Just like the stylists at stores, we have online stylists ready to address all your clothing needs. They are well-versed in customising clothes to match your unique style, can explain the differences between various types of fabric, and even make recommendations for specific occasions.
Sustainability is gaining importance in the fashion industry. Could you elaborate on the sustainable practices and materials that Bombay Shirt Company incorporates into its products and operations?
We are a conscious brand. All our clothes are made-to-order. That means we do not make an item until you buy it, so we do not have huge volumes of excess garments sitting in warehouses waiting to be sold, and zero wastage. We buy only limited quantities of quality fabric so that once it is gone, it is gone for good. Our packaging and raw materials are also eco-friendly. Most importantly, we have deeper value for the people and resources behind each garment.
The fashion industry is known for its fast-paced trends. How do you manage to stay relevant and adaptable to changing customer preferences while maintaining your brand’s identity?
Personally, I actively stay connected with the industry’s fast-paced trends by listening to at least two podcasts a day focused on startups, entrepreneurship, or the apparel space, and by consuming information on social media. Interestingly, my Instagram feed consists only of brands, not personal contacts; for me, scrolling through Instagram is more of a work-related activity to see what is new in the business world. Additionally, I read at least one non-fiction book a week. These three habits ensure that I stay up-to-date with what I need to know, and since these activities align with my interests, they do not feel like work.
Are there any notable collaborations that Bombay Shirt Company has been a part of, or any that you have planned for the future?
At Bombay Shirt Company, we collaborate with creative individuals and brands that inspire us to create limited edition collections of co-designed shirts. Our past partnerships have included names like Che Kurrien, Lokesh Karekar, Shweta Malhotra, Safomasi, Kalakaari Haath, and Bharat Floorings & Tiles.
In our recent collaboration with Bobo Calcutta, we were inspired by a bold and vibrant painting that Bobo created for us, which became the driving force behind a collection of six printed shirts. Each of these shirts featured prints drawn from that same painting.
Bombay Shirt Company has expanded from shirts to other clothing items. What factors do you consider when deciding to diversify your product offerings, and what challenges have you encountered during this expansion?
Bombay Shirt Company has been selling custom-made shirts for 11 years, and many of our customers began to inquire why we did not offer pants or jeans to provide a complete tailor-made look. This customer interest led us to consider diversifying our product offerings. First, we needed to assemble the right team to help us understand the new categories, fabrics, design considerations, and to ensure the correct sizing and fit. The challenges were complex, but we successfully introduced new categories in late 2020. Starting with jeans, we have now expanded to include chinos, dress pants, stretch pants, and T-shirts.
How does your company prioritise and maintain a high level of customer satisfaction?
We are highly focused on our customers and take each piece of feedback very seriously. We have a substantial customer experience team that ensures all consumer queries are addressed in real-time.
The fashion and apparel market is highly competitive. What strategies do you employ to stand out among competitors and maintain a loyal customer base?
On a broad level, I do not really focus on competition or track it, as I believe the market is large enough for hundreds of players. During the early stages, I researched other models like Raymond’s made-to-measure model, but since they were only available in-store at the time, we were the first to set up online. Having been a customer for tailor-made products, I understood the process, and I incorporated what worked (and what did not) into starting the brand.
Personalisation and customisation have gained prominence in the fashion industry, allowing consumers to create unique pieces that align with their individual preferences. How do you envision technology continuing to shape and enhance the customisation trend in the apparel market?
Indeed, personalisation is becoming a standard across various industries, including travel, cars, clothing, and homes. I viewed this trend as the future when we started, and I still believe it is the only way forward. All supply chains and technology will need to be re-engineered. From an apparel perspective, it seems ludicrous to expect that a brand can release 30 designs each season in five sizes and assume the whole world will want those designs in those sizes and that they will fit perfectly. Many brands are realising this, and I think of it as a movement towards what I believe is the ultimate way of consumerism.
Interviewer: Shilpi Panjabi
Published on: 18/08/2023
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.
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