We are all about fashion

In May 2005, ALDO was introduced to India with the first store opening in Mumbai, Phoenix High Street. Since then it has further expanded and has its presence in all major cities across India. As an extension to the ALDO brand, ALDO Accessories stores were launched. Apparel Group India Pvt.Ltd has been the partner in India. The brand has roped in Bollywood actor Janhvi Kapoor as its ambassador. It has recently launched its Spring-Summer collection. N Bobo Meitei interacted with Abhishek Bajpai, CEO of Apparel Group India, to discuss a range of topics. Excerpts

- N Bobo Meitei

How are you positioned today in the Indian market?

Aldo as a brand, obviously, caters to both the gender segments. We are a premium international footwear brand, and it is known for high fashion, good quality comfort shoes. We try to combine all these three aspects and really position the brand on the same.

In terms of retail presence?

We are in all the major malls across India, probably every prime location.

How many stores is Apparel Group operating all over India?

Together, we have 50-plus stores at the moment, including the Aldo Accessories business. We're growing, and looking for new opportunities.

Given that the new collection is bold and colourful, can it be assumed that it has been influenced by GenZ taste?

We want to cater to every segment of society, and we are all about fashion at the end of the day. And being a Spring-Summer season, obviously, the collection has a lot more colors. Today, fashion age is very different from your real-age. So people would like to wear colors, people like to wear the latest styles, and footwear is becoming such an important part of fashion. It's only right that we have a very vibrant collection in the stores.

How much of the manufacturing is done in India? I know that you import quite a lot from China and others.