Adgully Exclusive | Redefining the eyewear category: Titan Eyewear's Vandana Bhalla

The collection has been created by renowned Italian eyewear designer Paolo Seminara, founder of Vogue. This new collection is an eloquent interpretation of Italian eyewear design with exquisite craftsmanship and impeccable detailing. A collection of 12 designs handmade from exclusive cellulose acetate material produced by Mazzucchelli, the world's leading manufacturer of cellulose acetate. With the latest launch the brand seeks to break into the market with a premium collection of eyewear and at the same time seeks to redefine the category.

The collection consists of 12 different styles which include:

Alcazar: A combination of striking acetate patterns with a metal rim to provide a neo-vintage style statement for the discerning customer.

Alamao: Gives the archetypal and ultra comfortable wrap style a 21st century update. The unusual interplay of two distinctive acetate patterns makes sure that this is one frame that will not go unnoticed.

Marcos: These frames give a contemporary reboot to a characteristic vintage style from the 60s and 70s.

Adgully caught up with Vandana Bhalla, Marketing Head, Eyewear Business - Titan Industries Ltd., to find out more about the launch and the growing market for the eyewear category.

Talking about the brand's communication strategy, Bhalla, says, "Our communication strategy is on the similar lines of our brand strategy which is to redefine the eyewear category in the country. In terms of style quotient and making it as an accessory. Today people are getting exposed to international trends and they have started treating eyewear as an accessory which is a representation of their personality. So that is essentially we are looking at positioning our brand too."

"Apart from the style platform our stores offer a stylish and differentiated range of eyewear products and at the same time offer a world-class optical experience to our consumers. We offer clinical aid, eye testing and a staff which highly skilled at it, we believe in offering a high-quality in-store experience for our customers," she points out.

The latest collection is a premium offering from the eyewear brand, elaborating on it and its distribution platform, Bhalla adds, "This is the most premium collection from Titan so far. We are very proud to be associated with Paolo Seminara. This is also a limited edition collection and we are largely distributing it through the top 10 markets across the country."

Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez is the face for the latest collection. Talking about a known face like Jacqueline endorsing the brand, Bhalla says, "The collection is a very premium and high fashion collection and Jacqueline is also a very high-fashion celebrity. Hence we saw the fit between the two."

When asked about the competition in this space of branding eyewear in the country, she points out that, " I think the Indian eyewear category is treated by the masses as more of a functional category while there is a huge scope for any brand that wants to stylize it. There is enough room for a lot players to come in right now."

Titan's new Paolo Seminara collection is priced between Rs. 5,750/- to Rs. 6,995/- and is available at all Titan Eye Plus stores. "I am very hopeful that this collection works well for us because the kind of material that we have used in the collection is the best of everything. And it is being offered at a very value for money pricing. So I think the collection will be a hit," she adds.

The collection is being marketed through a magazine campaign and in-store promotional activities as it is targetting a niche audience category. | By Prabha Hegde [prabha(at)adgully.com]