SUMMARY
The D2C fashion brand offers made-to-order trousers using premium fabrics
The Origin Story
Dhruv and Udit Toshniwal are siblings whose family has nearly 50 years of expertise in textiles, sourcing and supply chain. However, Dhruv struggled to find well-fitted pants, which forced him to visit his tailor frequently for alterations. Eventually, the duo realised that India needed a men’s apparel brand powered by custom tailoring, providing the kind of customer experience Bonobos does in the US. They set up The Pant Project amid the pandemic to offer made-to-order trousers using premium fabrics. Dhruv’s finance background makes him well-equipped to lead the business side of things, while Udit takes care of the product and marketing due to his fashion and design background.
The Differentiator
Fit and comfort are the watchwords at The Pant Project, which uses high-stretch, high-quality and sustainable fabrics (cotton, linen, wool and more) suitable for any activity. For instance, waistbands are made with flex technology, providing an additional two inches of stretch. Customers can choose style and design from an extensive catalogue and share their measurements for a perfect fit. A team of expert designers and master tailors work closely on every order, while shoppers can request free alterations for custom-made pants. Free monogramming is also available for product personalisation. The D2C fashion brand employs best garment producers from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Daman and Bengaluru and each piece undergoes more than 20 tests to meet global quality standards.
The Growth
From a menswear-only fashion brand focussing on formal clothing, The Pant Project has expanded to womenswear and makes bottom wear for all occasions and activities. It features a diverse product range, including formals and semi-formals, corduroys, chinos, jeans, joggers, cargo pants and shorts. It clocked a 112% jump in revenue in FY23, and true to the D2C model, 75% of its net revenue came from its website sales and the rest from ecommerce marketplaces. It also entered offline retail by opening two outlets in Mumbai and Bengaluru in January 2024.
What’s Next
The D2C bottom wear brand will scale aggressively in marketplaces, drive sales via its website and open five or more brick-and-mortar stores to surpass INR 50 Cr in annual revenue in FY24. It will continue to push the growth momentum and double its projected revenue to INR 100 Cr by FY25.
