Founded in 2017, Kica is a sportswear brand that stands for both performance and style. The brand’s target audience includes Indian girls and women aged 17 and above who lead an active lifestyle. It aims to empower them with high-performance activewear that blends functionality with fashion.
Preeti Gupta, Chief Business Officer, Nykaa Fashion, under whose ambit Kica falls, says, “We craft women-centric innovative products that help them stay active – whether they’re conquering a workout, or are simply on the move. Our products are built for comfort, functionality, and are extremely stylish.”
Product Innovation
Kica’s community of brand ambassadors plays a major role in creating innovative products by engaging with women from a range of fitness fields like running, dancing, calisthenics, yoga, etc., to understand issues faced by them. The final product is therefore highly activity-focused.
Fabrics are carefully selected for high functionality – from airy soft ribbed cotton to stretchy mesh and sweat-wicking durable material. Its proprietary Second SKN fabric is a blend of polyester and spandex, creating a material that is stretchy yet compressive, lightweight yet durable, sweat-wicking yet airy. Running shorts are designed in its signature Max Dry fabric.
Most products have two versions – a performance fabric version for functionality and soft cotton version for comfort. Products range from XXS to XXXL and with inclusivity in mind, Kica launched a Teens Collection for girls adapting to growing bodies.
Emerging Categories
Kica’s #1 category is the sports bra, and it dominates marketplaces in the same. Flare pants, shorts, leggings, tops, and tanks – all designed to provide the most flattering fits and ultimate support – are all well-performing categories. “Our booty shorts, launched last year, are a bestselling category,” says Preeti.
“Kica recognizes that there’s still a lot to achieve in the activewear category. Our mission is to o ǹ er women distinctive and standout pieces that are truly unique,” Preeti says.
In the next two years, Kica plans to expand our offerings with activity-focused apparel designed to meet the diverse needs of growing communities. We will enhance the technical aspects of our garments by incorporating cutting-edge technology, and premium fabric solutions.
Strategies
Kica delivers high-performance products with style and quality that lasts. “We recognise that our consumers have diverse preferences, and so we follow a tiered pricing approach. Our essentials start at Rs. 600, offering quality activewear at accessible price points. For our more regular fitness enthusiasts, we have products starting at Rs. 1,299, featuring cutting-edge design and premium materials,” Preeti explains.
With regards to an Omnichannel strategy, Preeti says, “Currently, our products are listed on our D2C website (www. kicaactive.com), Nykaa Fashion, and Myntra, but we have plans to expand both online and offline next year.”
Challenges
“Sportswear is a highly competitive space online crowded with multiple international and domestic brands. The biggest challenge remains creating noise and standing out in a clustered market. We mitigate this by constantly innovating our products based on deep consumer insights. Our marketing efforts are directed towards education and creating a relatable community of real women motivated to improve their lifestyles,” says Preeti.
The brand – which discovered that a lot of people don’t know what they need from their activewear – has incorporated simple educational tools into its online shopping experience by using UI/UX design innovations so people can find exactly what they are looking for. It also maintains sizing standards online by working on customer feedback.
Finally, it addresses sustainability challenges in product, packaging and manufacturing through upcycling. “By using the same fabric for multiple SKUs, we’re able to fully utilise our resources and reduce waste. Packaging is made of reusable, recyclable plastic and can be repurposed by customers,” Preeti explains.
Expansion Plans Currently, Kica is an online-only brand but plans to go offline by FY25. “We see a lot of potential in India with a growing youth that’s embracing a fit and active lifestyle and hope to ride this rapid boom through constant innovation,” Preeti concludes.
