Reliance Brands Limited (RBL) together with Rahul Mishra (RM), will embark on a collaborative journey to create and own a new brand that would encompass Rahul Mishra’s ready to wear business through
a 60:40 Joint Venture.
Beginning with the inception of a unique brand identity with a voice of its own, combined with a strategy to launch on an international fashion week platform, the new brand will anchor on Rahul’s exceptional design expertise coupled with RBL’s retail playbook for end-to-end value creation, ushering a game changing new era in global fashion. The intent is to have a worldwide footprint with dedicated flagship stores at fashion capitals around the world.
“We have followed Rahul’s journey for years so it was never to my mind a question of whether but when,” says RBL managing director and chief executive Darshan Mehta. “Very often people get into partnerships because they want to tick a box, or to put it crudely, pick up a trophy, but we have spent a lot of time thinking about mutual respect and what we both bring to the table.”
From the perspective of the Rahul Mishra business, “it was very important to back our strengths with a company we can co-create something based on their proven expertise and philosophies,” says Mishra. “The (new) brand will be easy, modern and edgy and I am sure we will create a global universe in very a short time.”
In December, Reliance Brands had formed a similar 60:40 partnership with designer Anamika Khanna to develop Khanna’s AK-OK label. In October, Reliance Retail had acquired a controlling 52% stake in fashion house Ritu Kumar for an undisclosed amount. Prior to that Reliance had picked a 40% stake in Manish Malhotra, an Indian couture brand that is popular among Bollywood celebrities.
