Brands
The Body Shop India is set to implement strategic initiatives outlined by Youth Collective Council
Mumbai: The Body Shop, a British–born ethical beauty brand is commemorating National Youth Day, highlighting The Body Shop’s continuous dedication to empowering young individuals via the Youth Collective Council. Through this initiative the brand brings forward the voices of India’s emerging young changemakers and engages with them in building a more sustainable and inclusive future. Post a round table discussion and valuable insights from the members of the Youth Collective Council, The Body Shop India takes this opportunity to implement future-oriented key initiatives as a part of Brand Strategy 2024:
● A comprehensive approach to gender sensitivity across all the facets of The Body Shop India operations. Through key focus on this initiative, The Body Shop will establish a respectful and equitable environment in stores and at workplace for their respective diverse customers and employees from diverse orientations.
●Elevating the experience for the visually challenged community by introducing Braille in all the stores in a phased manner, ensuring enhanced in-store experience for everyone.
●Committed to utilise authentic representation of real-life heroes from diverse backgrounds in Marketing Campaigns establishing inclusivity as the benchmark for the industry.
In August last year, The Body Shop India launched the Youth Collective Council, affirming its commitment to bring the young voices to advise the top management to build a more sustainable future.
The objective of the event is to provide guidance by empowering members of the Youth Collective Council to identify challenges and opportunities. This, in turn, will enable The Body Shop India to foster an environment conducive for future growth and development.
Commenting on the event, The Body Shop Asia South VP marketing, digital & product Harmeet Singh said, “The Body Shop India’s dedication to empowering and engaging the youth and nurturing an inclusive environment is at the heart of our mission. National Youth Day stands as a testament to the power and promise inherent in our younger generation—a force we are wholeheartedly dedicated to supporting. We stand committed to enabling the youth to drive transformative change, ensuring a future where their resilience, creativity, and passion forge a brighter tomorrow.”
With respect to the measures The Body Shop is taking currently, the brand is on a quest to minimise plastic waste and achieve complete sustainability, with extensive recycling initiatives in place. Nearly all of the packaging of its products are either made from recycled plastic or are recyclable. All The Body Shop stores in India are 100 per cent sustainable and utilise fixtures made from recycled materials. Additionally, the brand has also achieved 100 per cent vegan product formulation certificate across their entire range of products including skincare, body care, haircare, make-up and fragrance by The Vegan Society.
Further, in sync with BE SEEN BE HEARD #Why25 initiative, The Body Shop shares remarkable achievements, with significant strides towards attaining goals for December 2023 and January 2024, which are 10 million+ new young voters and 1.3 million signatures, respectively.
Brands
Malaika Arora launches accessories brand Maejoy
The Bollywood star’s lifestyle brand, built with Myntra and Exceed Entertainment, promises aspirational fashion without the high price tag
MUMBAI: Malaika Arora is not the first Bollywood star to put her name on a brand, and she will not be the last. But Maejoy, the accessories label she has launched in partnership with Myntra Jabong India Private Limited (MJIPL) and talent outfit Exceed Entertainment, at least has a sharper pitch than most. The brand drops with 250-plus styles spanning handbags and lab-grown diamond jewellery, two categories that sit squarely in the sweet spot between aspiration and affordability, and lands on Myntra’s platform from day one, putting it in front of millions of shoppers without breaking a sweat.
The handbag range covers the full gamut: crossbody bags, structured shoulder bags, bucket bags, totes, workwear classics, backpacks and clutches, rendered in synthetic leather, raffia, braids, satin, rhinestone and metallic finishes. The jewellery line runs to rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets and tennis bracelets in silver, gold and rose-gold tones, set in 925 sterling silver with IGI and GCI certified lab-grown diamonds. The brand’s guiding philosophy, “The Joy of Being Me,” stakes its claim on individuality and self-expression; its three brand pillars, Authentic, Empowering, Accessible, are the usual suspects, though the lab-grown diamond bet is savvier than it sounds. Lab-grown stones now sell at a fraction of the price of mined ones, and the category is growing fast in India as younger buyers wise up to the arbitrage.
“Maejoy is a labour of love. Throughout my career, whether on screen, in business, or through my personal style, I’ve championed the idea that fashion should be empowering yet effortless. The brand aims to democratise global fashion trends while offering women something that extends the feeling of luxury every day, be it a lab-grown diamond or a perfectly crafted handbag,” said Malaika Arora, founder of Maejoy
MJIPL, the B2B wholesale arm of Myntra, is putting its design and brand-building muscle behind the venture. Suman Saha, chief experience officer and head of house of brands at MJIPL, was bullish on the tie-up.
“Maejoy brings together Malaika Arora’s distinctive style perspective with a strong proposition in the accessible yet elevated accessories space. We believe the brand’s fashion-forward designs and thoughtful positioning will connect strongly with discerning consumers.”
Suman Saha, chief experience officer, head of house of brands, MJIPL
Afsar Zaidi, chief executive of Exceed Entertainment, the talent management firm that helped broker the deal, has worked with MJIPL before and was characteristically direct about what makes Arora an unusually bankable partner.
“Building celebrity-led brands requires a delicate balance of authenticity and market viability. Malaika is a rare talent who commands equal respect as a fashion icon and a savvy businesswoman. We are proud to facilitate this partnership that brings together her creative clout and Myntra’s brand-building excellence,” said Zaidi
Celebrity fashion brands live or die on one question: does the star actually wear it, or is the cheque the only thing they signed? Arora, who has spent three decades as one of Bollywood’s most-watched style references, has at least built a plausible case. Maejoy is live now on www.myntra.com and the Myntra app. The real test, whether shoppers buy the handbag or just the hype, starts today.
