A look inside the headquarters of D2C fast fashion brand Libas in Noida reflects an element of quirkiness blended with sustainable features all through. Leftover fabrics from production are repurposed into décor elements across the workspace, with a Bollywood-inspired theme which shows off names like Veeru, Basanti, and Mogambo for the respective work cabins. Taking it up a notch, there are posters of Bollywood stars from popular mainstream movies like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Sholay, and Andaaz Apna Apna, which hog the limelight.
“Innovation has been a part of our ethos for years,” says Sidhant Keshwani, Founder & CEO of Libas, who took over the retail business reins in 2014. He recalls their 2020-21 ‘lightbulb moment’, which led them to a total shift to fast fashion.
“We realised that the concept of fast fashion is becoming so big across the world, especially in Western categories. That made us understand that there is a huge gap in the market and we need to innovate to get speed into the picture for Indian wear. Our true fast fashion journey really started after Covid-19. Prior to that, we were essentially a traditional Indian wear brand,” he tells The Economic Times Digital at Libas’ Noida office.
Going global
There was a period during which Libas’ growth stagnated, remaining between Rs 150 crore and Rs 200 crore for more than three years, Keshwani notes. “We could comprehend that exponential growth as a Rs 5,000 crore or Rs 10,000 crore brand won’t come just by building great products. There has to be some USP. For us, it became creating modernised Indian wear products, which helped us also reach younger audiences. Now we are on the way to building India’s first truly Indian wear brand which goes global,” he says.
