Vikas Jaggi of Vanshik on Blending Traditional Craftsmanship with Modern Elegance in Men’s Ethnic Wear

StartupTalky presents Recap'24, a series of exclusive interviews where we connect with founders and industry leaders to reflect on their journey in 2024 and discuss their vision for the future.

Men’s ethnic wear is a growing industry, and a name that is making a significant mark of its own in this industry is Vanshik. The brand combines modern designs with traditional craftsmanship, redefining men’s festive and wedding fashion.

In this edition of Recap'24, we feature Vanshik, a brand known for its sherwanis, bandhgalas, kurtas, and bundi sets. Vikas Jaggi, Founder of Vanshik, shares the inspiration behind creating the brand, its popular collections like Lucknowis and Pashminas, and its plans for growth in the men's ethnic wear market.

StartupTalky: What inspired the creation of Vanshik, and how did you identify a gap in the men's ethnic wear market that your brand addresses?

Mr. Jaggi: Men were raising their style quotient considerably and wanted to break away from the mould of the plain, boring look. Getting married in a suit or wearing a shirt and trousers for festivals and weddings felt so unauthentic. This realization helped us identify the market gap and ultimately inspired the creation of Vanshik.

StartupTalky: What are Vanshik's key categories of ethnic wear?

Mr. Jaggi: The main categories of ethnic wear offered by Vanshik include Sherwanis, Bandhgala, Luxurious Kurtas, and Bundi Sets.

StartupTalky: Could you highlight your most popular designs or collections?

Mr. Jaggi: Lucknowis, Paschminas, and Kashmiri collections are the most popular collections of Vanshik.

StartupTalky: How do you ensure that Vanshik products blend traditional craftsmanship with modern style preferences?

Mr. Jaggi: Our silhouettes are sleek and slender, combined with fine, intricately blended craftsmanship on the garments. This approach renders the desired sharp and sophisticated look.

StartupTalky: Festive seasons are big for ethnic wear. What marketing strategies have proven effective for Vanshik during these times?

Mr. Jaggi: During festive seasons, the market looks for cheerful and easy silhouettes that are both fun and comfortable. All our campaigns are designed to promote these looks.

StartupTalky: Given the rise of online shopping, how does Vanshik create a unique and engaging customer experience on its e-commerce platform? 

Mr. Jaggi: To create a unique and engaging customer experience, we focus on several key features:

• Easy-to-navigate website
• Color options
• Customization windows
• Smooth payment gateways
• Order follow-up and updates
• After-sales follow-up

StartupTalky: What strategies have you found to be most effective in driving online sales?

Mr. Jaggi: Online promotions, as per the season's flavor—such as festivals and weddings—have proven to be highly effective in driving sales.

StartupTalky: What has been the most successful marketing strategy for Vanshik? 

Mr. Jaggi: Our most successful strategy is creating a diverse range of categories to cater to a wide demographic and effectively promoting them.

StartupTalky: As the ethnic wear market continues to grow, what is Vanshik's vision for the next 2-3 years, and how do you plan to scale in terms of product range, geographic reach, or customer base?

Mr. Jaggi: We see Vanshik solidifying its base in the coming years as a brand to reckon with in the men's ethnic wear segment. Our plan to scale includes increasing production and promoting the brand both domestically and globally.

StartupTalky: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start their own ethnic wear brand, and what key lessons have you learned in your journey?

Mr. Jaggi: Hang on to the unique quality of your brand and work on that sincerely. Don't try to do what the market is doing just to get numbers. Instead, focus on building your concept and slowly and steadily take off from there. The key lessons I've learned are that patience, persistence, and passion can help you climb any mountain.

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