BRIEF23 brings you insights and inspiration from Kabir Karan, Director, Karan Moin – a 30-year-old fashion label that has carved a niche for itself in the men’s apparel industry. Karan Moin’s esteemed clientele includes celebrities, cricket stars, bureaucrats, entrepreneurs, and politicians (including the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee).
Karan writes on invitation and exclusively for our special series BRIEF23, which features industry stalwarts, thought leaders, industry captains, business heads, brand custodians and other C-suite heads from diverse companies across sectors, size and scale, sharing their learnings from 2022, and guidance and inspiration to help empower professionals for the upcoming FY 2023-24.
Kabir Karan, a young fashion enthusiast, took on the reins to spearhead the Celebration Wear line of offerings from Karan Moin, a Delhi-based bespoke luxury menswear label, as Director. His passion for design and style led Kabir to focus on celebration wear and add wardrobe consulting to the lineup.
His vision aligns with the company, establishing K&M as the label of choice in men’s fashion in India and overseas.
A second generation in the family business, Kabir, with his customer-first approach, has radically changed how the company reaches out and engages with its customers. A digital media propagator, he has fired up all channels, making it easier for customers across the country to reach them.
BRIEF23 by Kabir Karan – Karan Moin
2022 defined: 2022 personally and professionally, has been huge for me. It’s been a year of learning and growth with new ventures.
With three years of learning under my belt, shadowing my father in our family business of Bespoke tailoring, this year I decided to take the leap and pursue my passion – celebration wear for men, and I set up a Karan Moin studio in Gurugram. On the personal end, this was one of the most significant steps I have ever taken.
2022 for Karan Moin has been a good one- the first post-pandemic year that allowed people to return to social celebrations witnessed them returning to it with a never-before gusto and enthusiasm – which boded well for us. Bespoke tailoring and celebration wear, both businesses saw an uplift, making it an excellent year for us.
On track, ahead of, or trailing the pack?: FY22 was a year we had earmarked as a year of new beginnings, and the first step in that direction was to take our physical presence to another market. We are well on target with the opening of our studio in Gurugram. Besides, our business numbers look on target for revenue and market share. As I mentioned earlier, 2022 has been a good year for us.
Under the hood: Being in Delhi for the last 30 years as one of the renowned bespoke tailors has been our status quo. This year, we decided to venture out of our comfort zone to move into a new market, though very familiar yet new – Gurugram. The opening of A Karan Moin Studio for celebration wear is our first venture to be closer to our customers, and we are very excited about it.
Lessons learnt: 2022 was a year of very different learning from what I had been pursuing in the earlier three years, shadowing my dad and learning the ropes and skills of the trade.
This year was a year of discovery. The discovery of modalities to set up a new venture, creating and managing a team, understanding the financial implications of a new venture, and finally bringing it to life and not miss the responsibility it brings with it. It was an eye-opener, challenging and thrilling at the same time, almost like being on a high-speed roller coaster that takes your breath away.
Who/What inspired me: I find my inspiration in books – books of people who have done well in life, business books, and life coaching books are my go-to choice.
I love devouring these books because they encourage your mind to think and explore, often lending you a new perspective and sometimes giving you a solution to a problem you are grappling with.
I am an avid reader. I advise young professionals to read voraciously. In fact, they should inculcate a daily reading habit. It can benefit their career, spark creativity, help reduce stress, foster empathy, and improve communication skills.
Looking ahead: The Fashion business is poised for tremendous growth, and with growth come opportunities. $106 billion by 2026 is the industry’s projected growth, which promises to place the Indian fashion market on the world map.
Being in celebration wear ensures we stay in business as celebrations are not going anywhere, and with Indian celebrations being a family affair, we get to attire the men of the family across their celebrations. With fashion diversifying, offerings are evolving too from slow fashion to business dressing too trendy – we cater to all from our Bespoke tailoring and celebration wear offerings.
One aspect in the fashion industry that I feel has immense potential but is less talked about, and again one we have expertise in is Wardrobe consulting. To be the style icon, you need to know how to get a wardrobe together that becomes you and reflects your personality. This, I believe, is a big opportunity waiting to be milked.
And here’s how we’ll do it!: Being in an industry primed for exponential growth, we have our hands on deck to be ready to ride the wave. For starters, our focus will be on designing when it comes to celebration wear.
The next area of focus is exploring new markets to expand our physical presence. Last but not least to bring Wardrobe Consulting as a mainline offering from Karan & Moin – a line I am highly passionate about.
Advice: Have faith in yourself, your offering, and your people, back it with quality and vision – success will be yours
One big learning/realization: I ventured to try my hand at business networking. Being young and impressionable, I was at a crossroads on how to achieve the goal. – then, I chanced upon a business networking platform BNI and joined them.
Since then, it has been a learning curve – disciplining me, learning the networking ropes, to ask for advice and help. It has altered me at many levels – professionalism, confidence, discipline, and earning respect.