Ashley D. Su 
Leading intimate apparel brand Zivame recently announced the launch of its one-of-a-kind new show, “Unhooked”, which features the unique and inspiring stories of eight beautiful women with their differentiated body types, embarking on a journey of transformation. inside-out, driven by the power expressed through tight-fitting intimate apparel.
The show features 6-8 minute episodes, featuring a wide range of women from different age groups, with unique body types, at different stages of life, sharing their insecurities, life experiences, their struggles with everyday intimate wear and tear. The show is hosted by fashion and lifestyle influencer Sejal Kumar and Sara Jane Dias, VJ, actress and presenter.
Each individual is taken on an emotional journey by the host, a journey of rediscovery and self-discovery, all while having fun, with the opportunity for participants to rediscover the beauty that lies within through these reflective experiences.
In conversation with Adgully, Khatija Lokhandwala, Marketing Manager, Zivame, said, “‘Unhooked’ is about solidifying and sensing the promise that if you wear the right intimate attire, you will feel confident and beautiful.” Excerpts:
What is the concept behind “Unhooked”?
The brand’s philosophy has always been to tell consumers to love themselves inside and out. The brand’s slogan itself is “Love yourself upside down”. That’s exactly what we hope to inspire our consumers to do with this show. This show aims to solidify and feel the promise that if you wear the right intimate attire, you will feel confident and beautiful. And the right intimate attire, designed for the Indian body profile, can go a long way in improving your body confidence. Thus, the show aims to bring this concept to light. It features eight women who have different body types, and they all have a very inspiring story to share. They are on this journey with us to understand the power of well-fitting intimate apparel and how it can truly transform them. Each episode is about 6-8 minutes long, featuring a woman from a different age group, different body type, different life stage, and they all share their insecurities, their challenges, their intimate apparel experiences. It is hosted by Sarah Jane Dias and Sejal Kumar. And both hosts speak to these contestants, taking them through this journey of self-discovery. We also have an expert section in the episode, where we have our own design manager, Lakshmi, who understands the challenges these women face and helps them find the right intimate apparel for their particular needs. So this is a transformation that can happen by wearing the right intimate attire and the fact that when someone looks at it, sees it, they are encouraged wanting to talk about the challenges and issues they are facing and then trying to find the right solution, coming to Zivame.
How has Zivame’s journey been since its inception?
In India, Zivame has played a very important catalytic role in the growth of the perception of intimate apparel as a category. I think we have constantly identified changing consumer trends. In this way, our business model remained relevant in this category. I think initially when Zivame was launched as a platform, at that time the focus of launching our platform had been whimsical, where we identified that consumers didn’t have an experience of shopping in this category, and, therefore, Zivame is a platform that enables intimacy, enables ease of shopping in a category considered sensitive by many women.
Later, we also realized that the problem was not only with the persistence of categories, but that there was also a big gap in the availability of the products themselves, especially products designed for the Indian body profile, and that’s when the company and the brand is completely transformed. A private label was launched which kept the needs of Indian consumers in mind, and designed products specifically designed for the Indian body profile and which truly offered perfect fit, comfort, offering variety in terms of sizes , in terms of style, color, etc. Essentially since its journey, Zivame is a brand that only designs great products, provides the right fit, the right comfort, the quality, but along with that we also provide consumers with a very safe and comfortable shopping experience through to our various channels.
What were the challenges you faced during the pandemic, what changes did you observe in consumer behavior?
The pandemic has been an opportunity for many companies to really shift the need in a big way. First, we observed that consumers were redefining the way they actually buy. The buying channel has completely changed. A large percentage of consumers who may not have been comfortable with online shopping have actually switched to online shopping. Some of the barriers we had in mind have been removed during the pandemic and many people have adapted to the digital way of shopping. This has obviously benefited brands like us, which are digital first, directly serving consumers.
Along with this, new consumer trends have emerged over the past couple of years. Initially, when the pandemic arrived, it brought about a huge change in the lifestyle of consumers. I think part of that lifestyle shift continues today, working from home still continues in a hybrid model. During the pandemic, with people confined to their homes, comfort became the most important benefit consumers were looking for when shopping for intimate apparel. This has led to a high demand for lingerie products and styles, offering very high comfort. Demand has also increased for sleepwear.
When things started to open up, the desire to look good, feel good and start buying new things gave some of our fashion products a big boost. We saw consumers scrambling to feel good about themselves and so they tried new colors, new styles of intimate apparel. The pandemic has also forced people to become more health conscious and people have started exercising more. Thus, there has been a big leap in sportswear.
How does Zivame leverage the digital platform for its promotion? What new marketing activities has Zivame adopted to promote its brand?
Zivame is a very specialized vertical, where we are a one-stop destination for all intimate apparel needs for women. Therefore, as a different native brand, we use our digital platform and technology to provide an unparalleled shopping experience for our consumers. We have tools like Fitcoat, which helps women find their right size and fit in just 60 seconds. On the app, we have features like one-step checkout, one-click repeat, multiple payment delivery options, which ensure our customers’ shopping convenience. Our goal is to be the one-stop destination, and we use technology and digital in a very big way to help us achieve that mission.
What is Zivame’s USP?
Zivame stands for inclusiveness. We have a range of products that have been designed with the Indian body profile in mind. We have the right product for every body type. We celebrate every woman and provide products that are right for her. Zivame is a safe space, where women can shop comfortably for all their needs, without fear of being judged. It is a space where she has the privacy to shop for her needs. Zivame is a friend consumers can turn to.
