Meet the celeb-favoured leisurewear brand that combines comfort with statement-worthy style
Launched during the pandemic, Delhi-based The Boozy Button is a leisurewear brand that has quickly become popular with Bollywood biggies and Instagram influencers. Here’s their story.
The definition of dressing up has changed in 2021, where comfort with a side of style reign supreme. Hence, it’s no surprise that brands that adapted to these new sartorial expectations have flourished in the past year.
Handcrafted leisurewear brand has hit the right spot by designing clothes people want to wear. This Delhi-based pandemic baby was launched by Apoorv Jain and Ananya Jain in July 2020, and has grown immensely since then.
Numerous celebrities, including Alia Bhatt, Aditi Rao Hydari, Dia Mirza, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Malaika Arora Khan, Soha Ali Khan, and Tanya Maniktala among a host of others, have been spotted in The Boozy Button designs in their homes, on movie sets, and out and about.
“Our clothes are very relaxed, easy-breezy, and vibrant; they appeal to a lot of people. Our silhouettes are western, so we ensure that our prints are Indo-Western, to mix it up. The clothes are made keeping in mind the girl who loves having the best of both worlds," says Ananya, Designer and Creative Head, in a chat with YS Weekender.
"She is outspoken yet not rebellious. She has no agenda and doesn’t go out of her way to look different, which is exactly what makes her stand apart.”
The idea and the muse
The unique idea of this brand and its quirky name stems from a drunken darzi (tailor) who in his inebriated state, ends up playing with designs assigned to him. As often happens, the results of this mish-mash are quite striking. The Boozy Button’s striking prints and unconventional silhouettes highlight this “crossover hangover”.
“We wanted to make clothes for the girl next door who binges on couture along with kebabs. The girl who puts her foot down, making a statement with the chan-chan of her payal (anklet). The girl who loves flaunting her zari dupatta flying high in the air. The girl who is never sorry for wearing a saree. She drives her sedan but stops to buy gajra to adorn her hair. She whistles raucously in her red Bobbi Brown lipstick!” says Ananya, detailing her muse.
The brand began with traditional trousseau wear that included embellished ensembles and accessories including juttis and jewellery. However, its launch just after the first lockdown was instrumental in changing the brand vision to create luxury loungewear that could be worn for a variety of occasions and in different ways.
Their kaftans quickly became popular, and though targeted at older women initially, the comfort and wearability of these outfits appealed to younger girls as well, who wanted to wear them for parties, brunches, and the like. Stylish and confident women in the age group of 30-50 have been their most steadfast customers.
Numerous celebrities, including Soha Ali Khan, Masoom Minawala, Raveena Tandon, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Dia Mirza, have been spotted showing off their The Boozy Button designs.
What they offer
The Boozy Button offers a wide range of products. Their Cruise Collection consists of breezy dresses and mis-matched co-ord sets, beginning from Rs 2,500. The kaftans, arguably their most popular offerings, begin at Rs 1,700 and go up to Rs 6,400. Their leisure wear sets are premium products beginning from Rs 4,500.
Trousseau wear is at a higher price point, starting from Rs 5,000 for an embroidered crop top and going up to Rs 30,000 for a pre-stitched lehenga saree set. They also offer men’s shirts in quirky prints beginning from Rs 2,400, and resort wear robes and dresses from Rs 1,500. Apart from clothes, they also have items of jewellery beginning from Rs 1,250 and juttis that start at Rs 5,000.
New collections are launched seasonally. In the beginning of the year, they offer resort wear, in the middle they launch cruise wear, and towards the end they usually release a premium leisure wear line. There are no distinctive festive collections but each of their garment prints are lively and vibrant, encouraging people to wear them creatively for festive occasions.
“People like to dress up our kaftans with jhumkas because they are comfortable and beautiful at the same time, so they can easily wear them for different kinds of functions,” Ananya explains.
Currently the team is working on their latest collection which will be launched in early 2022, consisting of “lounge-y lehengas” that are not very heavy and easy to slip into. Apart from these, a line of scarves is also in the works.
Ananya Jain, Co-founder and Creative Head of The Boozy Button, says the fact that their designs are relaxed, vibrant, and easy-breezy has contributed to the brand's popularity.
The growth story
With an initial investment of Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore worth of stock, the team went far beyond breaking even in just a year. The founders claim to have witnessed three-four times growth since then. An impressively long list of celebrity endorsements is further proof of their business prowess.
Ananya explains, “I believe our products were launched at the right time. People were expressing a need which led to a high demand for this product. During the lockdowns and even afterwards, when people were staying primarily at home, everyone wanted to live in kaftans and leisure wear."
"I also feel that this trend will continue for many years to come. Our sales grew drastically, and so did the website visits. Perhaps our reasonable pricing also helped. We were aware that people’s purchasing power was down, so we kept our prices affordable. And the response has been amazing, not just in India but also in various countries around the world.”
Their first on-ground exhibition, held after the second lockdown, took place in Hyderabad and received a good response. This pushed them to experiment with foreign exhibitions too, beginning with Dubai, and they are next planning to visit Singapore, London, and other countries soon.
Exhibitions play a major role in spreading the word – but word of mouth, Instagram, as well as their quirky and relatable photoshoots also help to attract a steady clientele.
Alia Bhatt is known to wear their clothes for meetings in her home office, and Kajol is contemplating buying their kaftans as festive gifts for her friends and family.
The comfort and wearability offered by The Boozy Button's kaftans has put them on the shopping list of many young women, including actors like Alia Bhatt.
When asked how they have managed to become a celeb-favoured brand in such a short span of time, Ananya candidly shares, “I honestly don’t know the reason myself! Of course, I love my product -it’s my baby, and I love the fact that celebrities also feel the same way. Many have told us that they love the fabrics and prints; they appreciate the quality plus the products are so fresh.”
Currently retailing exclusively online, the team has no fixed plans for physical outlets as of now.
However, they have recently started supplying to multi-designer stores like Pernia’s Pop-Up Shop, Ogaan, Evoluzione, and Nykaa.
Edited by Teja Lele