Over the years, Numero Uno has transformed into a lifestyle brand, covering a wide range of apparel and accessories, an important part of which is the winterwear category – a natural extension for a denim brand…
Numero Uno was conceived in 1987 with the aim of offering high-quality, stylish, and durable denim wear for the Indian market.
“Our mission is to create fashion that blends comfort, versatility, and sustainability, catering to a diverse audience. Our vision is to lead the industry in offering innovative, classic and fashion-forward clothing that balances style with functionality while maintaining our commitment to ethical practices and long-lasting quality and staying true to our core,” says Jaiwant Singh Dhingra, Director of Marketing & Business Development.
The brand’s target audience includes youth, working professionals and a loyal older generation, all of whom value versatile fashion that transitions effortlessly from day to night, while prioritising sustainability and durability even as they look stylish.
Over the years, it has metamorphosed into a complete lifestyle brand, covering a wide range of apparel and accessories, an important part of which is winterwear – a natural extension since denim and corduroy are excellent choices for winter bottom and top wear due to their heavier fabrics, providing warmth, functionality and durability.
Balancing Functionality with Style
By leveraging the right mix of advanced materials, fabric technologies, and purposeful design, Numero Uno ensures that its products are both functional and stylish, catering to the varied lifestyle needs of its customers.
“This balance is at the core of every collection we develop – key to delivering products that appeal to both the practical and aesthetic needs of our diverse customer base,” explains Dhingra.
Its approach focuses on using advanced fabrics, thoughtful design, and innovative technology to ensure warmth, durability, protection, and style come together seamlessly.
“We prioritise fabrics that offer performance without compromising the look and feel. For outwear, we use fabrics like nylon and polyester blends treated for water resistance and breathability. These fabrics provide excellent protection against rain, and even the cold while maintaining a sleek, modern appearance. As denim is central to what we offer, we use durable cotton twills and stretch denim as well for better movement,” says Dhingra.
“For warmth, we incorporate wool blends and fleece linings into our jackets, making them lightweight and soft yet effective in insulation. These materials provide excellent heat retention while giving you a polished look. Recognising the demand for sustainable fashion, we incorporate eco-friendly fabrics like organic cotton and recycled polyester. These are not only durable and soft but also support our mission towards environmental responsibility,” Dhingra further states.
The brand invests in high quality organic cotton blends that are breathable but also have inherent durability, ensuring long-lasting wear. For example, its range of Royal Feather denims is a bestseller during Autumn Winter due to its feather feel touch on the outside as well as inside, which feels like a warm blanket.
Integrating Technology to Enhance Durability
To elevate functionality and meet modern demands, Numero Uno also works to integrate technology into its fabric treatments and construction processes.
“A key focus in jackets and outerwear is achieving a balance between waterproofing and breathability. We apply durable water replant finishes and seam sealing techniques to ensure the garment can withstand rain while it remains breathable. Our mountain series jackets are water repellant, dust repellant, and wind proof and can be worn in extreme weather conditions – 0 degree Celsius and below. We ensure the wearer stays comfortable in all-weather conditions,” says Dhingra.
He explains that his brand also pays close attention to design as a way of marrying functionality and style. A lot of Numero Uno’s pieces are designed to transition from day to night, allowing them to be worn in various settings. This versatility ensures that customers can rely on the same clothing for professional, casual as well as formal settings.
Numero Uno also works to enhance durability by reinforced stitching and double seamed construction, especially in high stress areas like elbows, knees, and shoulders. This ensures that even the most stylish pieces can handle everyday wear and tear. Their jackets, for example, are designed with slightly roomy cuts to allow layering during colder months, while maintaining a sleek look if worn alone.
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Integrating New Technologies in Collections
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Product Innovation
Numero Uno also creates modular and versatile clothing that integrates convertible outerwear and multiuse pieces for consumers seeking versatility in their wardrobe.
“Our convertible outerwear features detachable hoods, allowing easy transitions for changing weather and even settings. We also focus on layering systems, offering pieces designed to work together for maximum flexibility. With multi-functional design elements like reversible fabrics and hidden pockets, our products serve multiple uses, from casual to formal. Finally, we always design with a classic, timeless aesthetic, ensuring that these versatile garments stay in fashion and functional across seasons,” says Dhingra.
Numero Uno also plays around with texture combinations and new designs. This year’s collection, for example, features several denim jackets lined with sherpa for added warmth, fleece lined jacket for a cosy yet durable feel. There are also wool blend and different knit sweaters and shirts which provide comfort and insulation. “By mixing materials we create versatile, layered pieces that are both aesthetically pleasing but also functional for the weather,” Dhingra says.
Aside from product and design innovation, inclusivity is a growing priority for the brand, and it is expanding its size range to cater to all body types.
“We understand that fashion should be accessible and flattering for everyone, regardless of their shape or size. To achieve this, we are actively working on expanding our size offering across various categories, including denims, casual wear and outwear. This includes both larger and smaller sizes to cater to a broader spectrum of body types,” he states, adding, “Our commitment to inclusivity is grounded in customer feedback. We regularly engage with our customers to understand their preferences and challenges when it comes to fit. Based on this input, we continuously refine our size ranges, cuts and fabric choices to meet their needs.”
- Numero Uno is increasing the availability of larger size options to cater to individuals who need generous cuts.
- These sizes are designed to ensure comfort while maintaining the fashionable and streamlined look customers expect from the brand.
- In addition to offering more inclusive sizing, the brand is also introducing petite sizes – its denim range now includes even smaller sizes like 30 waist size.
Pricing it Right
Even as it gets the products right, Numero Uno works hard to navigate the seasonal nature of demand and varying consumer price sensitivity through different ways:
Market Research & Consumer Insights: The brand conducts thorough market research to understand consumer preferences, seasonal trends, and price elasticity. This helps in identifying optimal price points for different product categories, ensuring they remain competitive while meeting customer expectations.
Tiered Pricing Strategy: This includes a range of products at different price points, allowing the brand to cater to different segments of its consumer base, from the budget conscious shopper to those looking for premium options.
Value for Money: Numero Uno’s pricing reflects the quality and functionality of its winterwear products. The brand emphasises the value its customers receive – such as durability, premium quality and style, which justifies its pricing strategy and encourages consumer loyalty.
Seasonal Promotions & Discounts: To address the seasonal nature of winterwear, Numer Uno plans strategic promotions and discounts at the start and end of winter. The brand also plans its festive promotions to help stimulate demand during peak shopping time.
“We continuously gather feedback from customers and our partners, large format stores etc. regarding pricing and perceived value, which helps us refine our pricing strategy. By taking this comprehensive approach, we aim to effectively manage pricing for our winterwear products by being price-conscious, while remaining profitable,” says Dhingra.
Alongside pricing, Numero Uno is also very conscious of its store location strategy, assessing a potential location’s feasibility from all angles – reachability, easy accessibility and connectivity, especially in colder areas where extreme weather conditions can limit access.
Even as the brand promotes its new Autumn Winter’24 collection, Winterlude, across all platforms – social media, own website, in-stores, LFS and e-marketplaces like Myntra, Ajio etc – they simultaneously work to adopt real-time inventory tracking systems that allows them to quickly adjust their stock based on weather patterns and demand forecasts.
“This agility helps us minimise overstocking during unreasonable warm weather and allows us to respond in demand spikes when colder temperatures arrive. Also, the products we develop are versatile and can transition across seasons, like a Shacket can be worn during Autumn but can also be layered for a slightly colder month like early November. Lastly, we analyze sales trends and weather patterns to anticipate shifts in consumer demand. This insight helps plan production cycles more effectively, reducing the impact of shorter product life cycles,” says Dhingra.
He adds that this winter Numero Uno is spotlighting its sustainable range through digital and offline campaigns that highlight the use of organic materials and sustainable processes.
Expansion Plans
Numero Uno recently restructured its e-commerce operations and is targeting substantial growth in its online sales, with a projected 20% increase in the next 2-5 years. This strategic initiative is focused on enhancing digital capabilities and optimising the online customer experience, is aimed at positioning the brand for long-term success and an evolving retail landscape.
“At present, approx. 5% of our total sales are derived from marketplace platforms,” says Dhingra.
In the offline space, after solidifying its position in North India, the brand is now expanding fast in the Eastern part of India. Regions like Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam and WB hold immense potential as do mid-sized and smaller cities like Jehanabad, Bokaro, Siliguri and Asansol to name a few.
Apart from this, the brand is fast expanding in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala. They recently launched an EBO at Hyderabad. Its strategy there is to create a strong presence in premium MBOs, LFS and Shop-in-Shops along with opening EBOs and gain customer loyalty and confidence.
