Brands
Apple ropes in Mili Kapoor as IPad product marketing lead
MUMBAI: In her 17 years of employment, Mili Kapoor has worked in various trades, verticals and product categories – as a jeans designer, a retail consultant, as a brand manager on oats, at a spirits company, at a global factual television channel, at a foods giant, at a global social media giant, and at a consumer electronics megacorp.
.Not only did Mili make her career choices such that she could give herself as wide an exposure as she could, she took the same path for her education as well.
She completed her high school in commerce from La Martiniere Girls High School, Kolkata. Then she went to do her fashion design course from NIFT, Delhi. Mili followed that up with an MBA in marketing and strategy from the Indian School of Business. Clearly, she wanted to educate herself to the fullest she could by getting herself certifications in Google, Meta, social marketing, content marketing, and programmatic 101.
That kind of a varied career, colourful background and her go-getting attitude are what excited the out-of-the box-thinking company called Apple to hire her as product marketing lead for the iPad in India.
That Mili is a fast learner is quite obvious. However, she has been a fast riser up the corporate ladder as well. Amongst the companies she then chose to work with include:
VF Corp (designer, Wrangler Jeans, 2007-08); Technopak Advisors (associate consultant, Sep 2008-Apr 2010). PepsiCo (sr brand manager Quaker Dairy, July 2011-Aug 2018), Pernod Ricard (sr mkg mgr, premium portfolio-north zone, Aug 2018-jul 2019); National Geographic Channel (AVP-mktg & brand strategy, July 2019-Nov 2020), Nestle (mktg lead-Purina petcare, Nov 2020-March 2022), Meta (Biz mktg mgr, March2022-Dec 2022), Nestle (mktg head, Nestle Profeesional, Dec 2022-Jul 2023), and Philips (consumer mktg leader, Jul 2023-Oct 2024).
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.
