Brand Research : Anokhi

1.1 History
Anokhi the name itself means ‘outstanding’ in english. Anokhi is a unique brand of clothes and
home accessories. The philosophy of the brand is a symbiosis of ancient traditions and socially
conscious business. The Anokhi story began over 40 years ago in Jaipur, when the brand was
created by Faith Singh and J.P. John Singh. Pritam Singh, their son, is the Managing Director
of Rajasthan Pvt. Ltd., the company that owns the Anokhi brand. The focus was primarily on
reviving Rajasthan's traditional techniques of hand block-printing that had lost local relevance,
while simultaneously creating products for Western audiences out of the local craft tradition.

Anokhi is special in that the collections are designed using the technique of block printing, a
method which involves transferring ornaments to fabric by means of carved wood blocks. The
preparation of a single teak block for work is a matter of several hours. When that's done, fabric
is stretched on a special table and the printing may begin. The length of the process depends
on the number of colours involved: one block may be used to transfer only one colour.
Only natural plant-derived dyes and organic cotton are used for the printed fabric, lovingly
adorned with motifs of nature and traditional Rajasthani ornaments. The design of the clothes
is an incarnation of the brand's history - a unique symbiosis of Indian and western cultures,
thereby adding a special flavour to the Anokhi production.

Everything you will find there, from home textiles to adults' and children's clothing, is
handmade; therefore each piece is in a way unique. Each of the Anokhi items of clothing comes
with a label explaining the history of its making and the best way of caring for it. And, instead
of building yet another modern factory, Anokhi chooses to avail of small workshops in tiny
Jaipur villages, the way it has been for centuries. This way the natural environment of the
culture and local traditions are preserved and the welfare of the more than 200 Anokhi workers
is taken care of (they are guaranteed free medical care, transport and education for their
children). When the design is ready, samples are sent to local craftsmen and women who dye
and print the fabric; the final process of cutting and sewing takes place in a small production
unit not far from Jaipur.

1.2 Evolution
During the initial years of Anokhi, Rajputs of Rajasthan were not supposed to work for their
living, this was around the year 1970. Block printing was done by the traditional printers,
working completely for traditional markets. During those times, stores for ready to wear attires
did not exist.

Anokhi put resources into the fabric which drove the specialist put his constrained assets in
applying his abilities and build up a business. In 1971, Anokhi purchased conventional prints,
made garments from them and took them to Liberty's of London-one of the prestigious stores
in those days. Its first items were finely sewn cotton skirts, fitted coats and a dramatic night
coat in printed cotton - recreating a conventional nearby Angarkha – which were highlighted
on a few pages of a 1971 issue of Vogue magazine.

However, by the late 1970s, the large number of copies of its products affected the success of
the brand and therefore, the demand for its clothing, also declined. The brand kept on working
on its products and went into hand printed, soft furnishings. The brand ‘Anokhi’ was again able
to establish it’s place in the markets of UK and France. In the 1980s, Anokhi supplied to stores
all over the world.

In late 1990s, the demand for exports of the brand started falling but again, Anokhi not only
created it’s own worldwide brand but also entered Indian market by opening stores in cities
like Jaipur, Delhi and Mumbai. Today, Anokhi is available in 19 cities in India.

In 2005, as an initiative of creating awareness about hand printing and for people to gain more
understanding of the craftsmenship and traditional prints, The Anokhi Museum of Hand
Printing was founded by the director, Rachel Bracken Singh and her husband Pritam Singh.

7 P’s

1 Products:

Anokhi’s product range consists of:

 Men’s wear
 Women’s wear
 Kids wear
 Accessories
 Home decor
 Stationery

2 Price
 The price ranges from Rs.150-8000 in order to provide something for all its customers

3 Place
 Available in 19 cities in India
 Delhi’s Nizamuddin Store is a discount store

4 Promotion
 Doesn’t use mobile marketing
 Only active on social media
5 Physical evidence

 Unspoilt goods except, jewelry and discounted items within 14 days with original cash
memo.
 Excahnges have to be within the state of purchase
6 People

 Their main employees are the craftsmen.

 They have total of 800 employees.
7 Process

The process of Anokhi consists of contemporary fabrics ranging from unique designs which
are done by craftsmen. Printing and dye work is outsourced while stitching is done by the
women of the villages since Anokhi promotes women employment.

To conclude Anokhis philosophy we can derive that Anokhi's roots lie in Jaipur, a city whose
founders were enlightened patrons of the arts and crafts. Skilled craftsmen were invited to
settle here and were ensured a secure livelihood. In the Jaipur tradition, Anokhi tries to
maintain an open and honest relationship with its craftspersons. It helps them to work in
conditions of their own choosing and commits itself to providing them with sustained work.
The hand block is carved out of wood and is the simplest of printing devices. Dyeing with
vegetable colours is the oldest of colouring techniques. As pioneers of hand block printing for
the export market, Anokhi has built on these for the last thirty years. It constantly seeks to
create an environment in which traditional textiles have their place and value and to build a
symbiotic relationship between the market and the design product - between skill and
tradition.
Anokhi's designs blend contemporary sensibilities with traditions of excellence. Its designers
seek the bold and the striking, the graphic and the colourful, using modern printing
techniques to keep pace with a demanding and fast moving world market, keeping the spirit
of resurgence always alive.

For many years, Anokhi has also been developing products in specialised areas such as
appliqué, embroidery, patchwork and bead work, which now constitute a significant part of
its product range. Together with garments - Indian and Western in design - home textiles,
sarongs and accessories, Anokhi offers a diverse and colourful selection of products.
In an attempt to maintain the highest standards of quality necessitated by its customer profile
world wide, all the fabric procurement, finishing, checking, and packaging is done at
Anokhi’s office at a farm on the outskirts of Jaipur. Anokhi has a state of the art work unit,
with more than 200 sewing machines, dry cleaning plants, and checking and packaging units.
The company deals with more than ten different printing units and two dyeing units which
have largely hereditary practitioners of their respective craft.
Anokhi has over eight hundred employees.