Reliance Retail buys major stake in Abraham & Thakore
- Business Fashion Featured
Schenelle Dsouza- 5 minutes read
Schenelle Dsouza
Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited announced an investment in popular designer brand Abraham & Thakore owned by David Abraham, Rakesh Thakore and Kevin Nigli last week.
“Abraham & Thakore is excited to partner with RRVL, the company responsible for redefining India’s luxury landscape. Through this partnership we will be extending the presence of the brand and bring together both fashion and lifestyle collections which will include home furnishings and lounge wear,” said David Abraham.
Abraham & Thakore was launched in 1992 by David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore. The duo was soon joined by Kevin Nigli who famously became the “&” in Abraham & Thakore (A&T). Unlocking the potential power of Indian handlooms, A&T’s designs were an interpretation of Indian textiles. They began with loungewear and home collections that were first sold at The Conran Shop in London and later in global stores of repute such as Liberty, Browns, Harrods, and Selfridges. The brand was predominantly sold in international stores before coming to India with their first fashion show presentation at the 2010 India Fashion Week in Delhi.
Abraham & Thakore is strongly rooted in the philosophy of understanding the cultural construct of fashion. Not only is an Abraham & Thakore Ikat sari a part of the permanent collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum, but in 2015 the brand’s creations were chosen for Fabric of India, V&A’s first major exhibition that explored the rich, multi-faceted and dynamic world of Indian handmade fabrics. Each collection continues the exploration of developing a quiet and modern design voice while simultaneously drawing on the rich traditional vocabulary of Indian design and craft. Its strong cultural language gives it a unique resonance in different mindsets and markets.
Isha Ambani, Director, Reliance Retail Ventures Limited, said about A&T, “Abraham & Thakore’s interesting use of material and fresh take on traditional textile techniques have crafted a highly distinctive design signature for the brand. With Indian luxury customers undergoing a generational consumption shift, there is heightened appreciation of Abraham & Thakore’s timeless design, and we are excited to partner with the brand to bring its unique expression of Indian craftsmanship to consumers globally.”
The purpose behind this investment is Abraham & Thakore’s global appeal in the fashion and lifestyle category.
In an interview with Lounge, David said: “In particular, we are looking at bringing back lifestyle, which is our home collection, which we will integrate with the fashion collection and do a proper lifestyle offering, which we used to do earlier, and roll it out hopefully at retail and digitally.”
One of the reasons for the focus on home furnishings is the pandemic. “Pandemic has changed the way people look at their houses. The way people are beginning to live their lives… it’s reflecting a change in society. More and more you or people setting up independent homes. In nuclear families, the interiors become all the more important.”
