Side hustles are increasingly popular amongst the masses. For people like us, it is a way of earning extra income and for big-shot celebrities, it is a way to distribute their massive income, so as to save money from taxes. For many celebrities, these side hustles are mostly passion projects.
Let us check out one such passion project by one of the famous superstars of the country.
Force IX Owner
Bollywood and fashion are quite closely associated and that is why we have seen many Bollywood stars like Hrithik Roshan, Alia Bhatt, Anushka Sharma, Sonam Kapoor, etc starting their own fashion labels.
The latest to join this bandwagon is Akshay Kumar, who recently took a leap from Bollywood to start his own fashion brand FORCE IX. This brand is a joint venture between Akshay Kumar and Manish Mandana (who also worked with Salman Khan to launch Being Human).
FORCE IX has exclusively partnered with MYNTRA.
How it Started
Akshay Kumar wanted to open his clothing brand for a long time. In fact, 7 years back he even started the production of his new fashion brand, but he was not happy with the end result and decided to put an end to it.
After two failed attempts to start his fashion label, he was then approached by his co-founder Manish Mandana. Their vision for the brand was pretty much aligned, which led to the birth of FORCE IX.
What Is Force IX?
Currently, the brand produces clothes under the Athleisure category, which is quite competitive. It is estimated that India’s Athleisure market is Rs 54,000 crore and is growing 20% annually. The brand has the intention to introduce more categories in the future.
The collection reflects the personal style of our Khiladi himself. Akshay Kumar believes in wearing clothes that are stylish yet comfortable, and that is why each and every garment is designed to give you style, good fit, and comfort.
Akshay Kumar wanted to bring the cool style of Western clothes to India and that is why he is personally involved in each stage of the design process. Be it a selection of the fabric or choosing the right color, Akshay Kumar is constantly giving inputs to his young team of designers.
Their collection mainly consists of T-shirts, Hoodies, and Track Pants. The brand also draws inspiration from the aesthetics of the Indian army and translates it into cool and stylish pieces, in order to appeal Gen Z generation. They meticulously pay attention to each and every garment detail right from the logo to buttons, pockets, and stitching. Every little aspect is designed, articulated, and curated by taking the core ideology of the brand into account.
Currently, most of their pieces are unisex, but they are soon planning to launch a separate line for kids and women.
Force IX Prices
Their range starts from 999 and extends up to 10,000 rupees. The average price of their clothes is between 1299-3999 rupees, which they are planning to keep for tier 1 cities. Given their quality and style, the average price is quite reasonable.
They also plan to enter Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4 cities, and here their prices and style will vary as per the demographic location.
Inspiration Behind Force IX
Right from the brand’s name to the design, the brand draws its inspiration from the Indian defence forces. Akshay Kumar’s father had served Indian army and that is why he has huge respect for them. All their garments have three stripes in the colours of Red, Navy Blue, and Sky Blue each representing the Army, Navy, and Air Force respectively.
9 rupees from each garment sold goes to Bharat Ke Veer funds, which are donated to the families of the martyrs who have sacrificed their lives serving India. An additional 9% discount is given to all military personnel and Indian policemen as well.
FORCE IX is a homegrown brand, and everything about the brand, right from the fabrics to buttons, stitching, logo, tags, and every single element that went into the making of the garment is Made in India.
Accessorize For Future
For the time being, they have only introduced clothes, but gradually they plan to launch accessories as well; this will include caps, sunglasses, watches, belts, shoes, travel accessories, etc.
However, Akshay Kumar has plans to take things at a slow pace and is in no hurry to expand quickly or launch everything in one go.
Image Source: Outlook StartUp
Distribution Channels
Online their collection is available in MYNTRA and offline they have opened their first flagship store in Mumbai. You can find their store at Durga Chambers, Linking Rd, near Khar Danda, next to Tanishq Showroom, Signal, Santacruz West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400052.
By the end of this year, they are planning to open 9 more stores, and within a few years, they have the goal to increase their number of stores to 200.
You Can Find Them Here
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Before Signing Off
FORCE IX has successfully managed to nail the current fad of oversized clothes along with good fit, all this paired with good quality and reasonable pricing. This lucrative combination is bound to attract the Gen Z of India.
Will Akshay Kumar be able to pass on his success from Bollywood to Bussiness as well, only time could tell. But we would love to know your opinions about FORCE IX in the comments section.
