MUMBAI: Indian cricketer KL Rahul has become a co-owner and face of Gully, a ‘cult streetwear brand’, in association with retail partner Zeko Online.
Initially available online, the brand intends to expand its presence to physical retail in the coming months, and its portfolio of products, Business Standard reports.
Arjavi Shah Marwaha, director, Zeko Online says: “The core of the brand is street culture, hip-hop, rap and street sports. Our target audience is the youth. Gully is an everyday wear brand, with an emphasis on comfort and quality at a reasonable cost.”
As co-owner, Rahul has been involved right from the inception of the brand and has provided his inputs regularly on the design, style and quality of the products, the business daily reports.
“Streetwear brands are extremely popular in western countries and we have seen lot of Hollywood and sport personalities promoting them. Through Gully we are entering an uncharted territory and with KL Rahul on board, we are confident that we will be able to set-up a new trend and culture,” Marwaha told BS.
The range will hit e-commerce websites in the coming weeks, starting with a range of tee-shirts, joggers and shorts for men and will expand its portfolio to include a women’s clothing line and introduce categories like jeans and sweatshirts as well. “Initially all our products will be available on one of India’s leading online market places and soon on our own website. We will be expanding to offline retail through unique Gully pop-up retail experience stores. We are also in talks with a few investors and after funding we will look at rapid expansions through other channels,” says Marwaha.
KL Rahul is managed by Bunty Sajdeh led Cornerstone Sport and Entertainment, the sports talent management agency which also manages Indian captain Virat Kohli. The agency structured and executed the deal between Rahul and Zeko.
“Our philosophy in creating and building brands is to identify the gap in the market and then find the right partners to work with. We felt Arjavi was the right person since she has 15 years of experience as a designer, manufacturer and collaborator in making successful private labels for India’s leading retail chains. Another key aspect was in-house manufacturing which gives us the flexibility and agility which is required for a new brand to succeed,” adds, Jogesh Lulla, COO, Cornerstone Sport.
