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Asian Journal of Management Cases

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Maria B. Designs (Pvt.) Lt


Jawaid Abdul Ghani Asian Journal of Management Cases 2010 7: 89 DOI: 10.1177/097282011000700107 The online version of this article can be found at: http://ajc.sagepub.com/content/7/1/89

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ASIAN JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT CASES, 7(1), 2010: 89102 SAGE PUBLICATIONS LOS ANGELES/LONDON/NEW DELHI/SINGAPORE/WASHINGTON DC DOI: 10.1177/097282011000700107

MARIA B. DESIGNS (PVT.) LTD


Jawaid Abdul Ghani
Maria B. was a leading player in the fashion clothing industry of Pakistan. Her designs comprised womens casual, formal and bridal wear. A consumer study found that purchase of casuals was impulsive, triggered by the start of a new season. Formal wear was bought for special occasions and festivals. The purchase process involved considerable window shopping and obtaining information on the latest trends from fashion magazines. The purchase of bridal wear was by far the most intense. Every bride-to-be wanted her wedding dress to be exclusive. The designer was expected to provide personal advice regarding the selection of fabric and design. Based on the study results, the company had to identify customer segments and decide which of the three product lines to focus upon. Should bridal wear be placed in the same outlet with other lines, or should it be handled exclusively? Maria B. was concerned whether the lower quality image of casuals might negatively impact the premium image and stringent quality standards associated with bridal wear. Keywords: Market research, qualitative research, fashion clothes industry, customer segmentation, brand image

On a sultry June morning of 2003, Maria Belal sat in her Lahore ofce, evaluating options to respond to growing competition, especially from the informal sector comprising tailors and karigars.1 Added to this, were the concerns raised by a recent research study conducted by students of a local business school, sponsored by Maria B. Designs (Pvt.) Ltd. Her most urgent concern related to the diluting brand image of Maria B. The other issues of concern were:
1

Craftsmen usually operating in the informal cottage industry sector.

This case study was prepared by Professor Jawaid Abdul Ghani at Lahore University of Management Sciences, to serve as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. The author would like to thank Mehmood Ahmed, Atia Mujib and Shariq Mustafa for their assistance.

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The product line currently offered by Maria B. was confusing for the consumers; what should Maria B. do to remove this confusion? Some consumers thought that Maria B. was too expensive; should Maria B. bring about any changes in its pricing policy or should it try to maintain its premium image by modifying the perception of these consumers? Bridal wear, the agship product of Maria B., was being offered at the same outlet along with other product lines; what should the company do to avoid any spillover effect of casual and formal lines on bridal wear?

THE FASHION INDUSTRY OF PAKISTAN


The fashion clothes industry in Pakistan could trace its roots to a handful of designers in big cities who had a natural air for creativity. They designed as a hobby, primarily for their friends and relatives. A major change occurred in the 1990s when young people started considering this eld professionally. The media began to focus on this industry, and numerous makeup artists, fashion photographers and professional models emerged. Fashion shows also became a norm, both as a must-have for designers and as a source of revenue. Fashion in Pakistan reached a point where there seemed to be no rules anymore and anything seemed to be possible. Fashion designers claimed that they were opening the minds and imaginations of the consumers towards a sense of freedom. Experimentation reigned supreme and fashion got bolder and more daring with an ultra modern attitude. The fashion industry in Pakistan consisted of two distinct sectors: the formal and informal sectors. Both these sectors catered to different segments and operated in markedly different manners. Over the years, the two sectors continued to adapt to changing trends and together shaped the fashion scene in the country. The informal sector2 had been the main source for fullling the fashion apparel needs of women in Pakistan and continued to give the formal sector a tough time. This sector consisted of individual tailoring shops, which were able to provide customized outts for a minimal price. This gave consumers tremendous exibility in terms of getting an outt stitched and designed to their personal tastes. Consequently, it continued to be the preferred source for apparel among Pakistani women. The informal
2 The informal sector (also known as cottage industry) consists of rms with less than ten employees. These rms benet from reduced tax rates and government regulations.

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sector generally imitated designs introduced in the formal sector and sold them at lower prices. This sector thus catered to the price-sensitive customer who was willing to sacrice brand image, design, quality and uniqueness. The formal sector consisted of boutiques and professional designers who catered to a small but growing market for designer fashion apparel. It catered to the needs of the upper and upper-middle income classes of society. The designer outlets introduced innovative designs and were able to charge huge premiums because of the strong brand names associated with their products. Customers felt proud to associate themselves with these expensive and stylish brand names. The outlets were engaged in designing, tailoring and marketing chic female apparel which were heavily embroidered with traditional embellishments. These outts were worn by women on special occasions, mostly weddings. Apart from their unique design philosophy, fashion designers also brought modern marketing techniques into the fashion industry in Pakistan. This was because the outlets that these designers operated from were running as properly organized smallto-medium-scale businesses. Techniques such as fashion shows, coverage in fashion magazines and promotional tools like sales and special discounts were often employed by them. Prominent names in the formal sector included Maria B., Nilofer Shahid of Meeras, Taufeeq, Sana & Sanaz, and Niki & Nina. All these players were mainly known for their bridal apparel lines. In the formal apparel line, Maria B. competed with Muddhouse and Hassan Shehryar, while Generation and Nees Punhal were known mainly for their casual apparel line. A typical price range of the major product lines in each sector are presented in Table 1.
Table 1 Price Ranges for Fashion Apparel (in Rs) Formal Sector Casual Formal Bridal Source: Case writers notes. 1,2002,500 5,00025,000 60,000 and above Informal Sector 5001,500 2,0008,000 30,00060,000

COMPANY BACKGROUND
Maria B. was one of the most prominent players in designing fashion apparel for women in Pakistan. According to her, (Fashion is) Art that is harnessed by creativity, which
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elevates the woman, envelops herconveys her every mood, her every whim to the rest of the world. Maria B. was responsible for creating a successful and professional fashion house in the country with dreams of making it the rst international brand name originating from Pakistan. Her global vision was: To make a company that could compete internationally with other global brands in terms of designing, production, and marketing capabilities and to make Maria B. a prestigious and synonymous brand in the world of fashion. With this global vision, Maria B. Designs was founded in 1999 in Lahore. Initially, it was a small-scale operation in rented premises. However, the company grew fast and managed to establish a full-edged vertically integrated facility in Lahore doing everything except cloth production under one roof. Three more retail outlets were opened in different cities of Pakistan within four years of its inception. Maria B.s domestic operations covered four outlets in exclusive locations, one each in Lahore and Islamabad, and two in Karachi; they provided apparel to a diverse group of people in terms of tastes and lifestyles. Maria B. did not have a retail outlet abroad, yet it had a very loyal customer base outside Pakistan as well. The company reached its international customers primarily through fashion shows held abroad. With a customer base of around 10,000, both local and international, Maria B. kept pace with changing styles and trends locally as well as internationally. In the scal year 200203, the combined revenue from its domestic and international operations came to approximately Rs 30.6 million (30 million from local operations and 0.6 million from international sales). This represented an increase of 9 per cent over the previous scal year, and a twenty-fold increase since 1999, when sales were only around Rs 1.3 million. In 2003, the casual line generated sales of roughly Rs 6 million, formal wear generated Rs 12.2 million and bridal wear had sales of Rs 12.4 million, thereby contributing 20 per cent, 40 per cent and 40 per cent, respectively, to the total revenue. Maria B. faced erce competition in its casual and bridal lines but managed to maintain its image and reputation as a visionary designer in the minds of all related, directly or indirectly, to the eld of fashion designing. The fashion house created demand for its line of clothing by advertising in the print media, spending approximately Rs 0.7 million; opening up new outlets; and arranging fashion shows locally and overseas. In order to achieve the goal of making Maria B. an international brand, the company planned to expand internationally in the years to come. Maria B.s customer base belonged to the upper strata of society. This included working women, teenagers, students, housewives and brides who were modern, informed,
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condent and stylish and could wear a modern, trendy dress with as much ease and comfort as a traditional one, depending on the occasion.

PRODUCT LINE
In all, there were ve product lines offered by Maria B. These werecasual, semiformal, formal, semi-bridal and bridal. Semi-formals and semi-bridal wear were merely a variation of the formals and bridal wear, respectively. Hence, for the purpose of simplicity only three basic product lines are discussed. The production process for casuals started with an analysis of market trends (see Exhibit 1). The designing was followed by fabric purchase. A reliable and trustworthy supplier base provided Maria B. with the required type of fabric on a timely basis, making the availability of nished apparel in the market possible. Maria B. had her own dyeing facility to experiment with different colours and to ensure the quality of dyeing in terms of colour fastness. She strove to develop something that would be liked by everyone, and she did this with her basic cuts, crazy screen prints and accurate stitching. The companys distribution network replenished stock every two to three days, making it available at all outlets in Pakistan throughout the year. Maria B. outlets were designed to be appealing enough to attract customers with their stylish dcor and layout. Finally, Maria B. decided to use print advertising and fashion shows. The production process for formals and bridal wear was the same as that for casuals, except that the designs were more customized and the screen printing and embroidery stages were performed at the adda. The adda was an in-house unit with highly skilled craftsmen. Maria B.s formals were famous for their handwork and her bridal wear were known for their designs, handwork and nishing. Casuals were generally kept in stock, while formals and bridal wear were custom made (made-to-order).

RESEARCH STUDY
The initial phase of the research study conducted for Maria B. consisted of about a dozen in-depth interviews and four focus groups. The objective of the study was to generate insights and hypotheses regarding apparel purchase for each product category. A key decision was whether separate focus groups should discuss each of the three product lines, or whether all three lines should be discussed in the same focus group. The former option was selected since it would give individual attention to
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each product line. As a result, two of the focus groups were on bridal wear, and there was one each on casual and formal wear. The participants in these focus groups were typically about ve women. Another issue was that of the target market. Would it be appropriate to have relatively older women discussing casuals and teenagers discussing bridal wear, or would it be advisable to reverse the order? It was believed that the demographics for the respondents of the three product lines were different, and the participant prole for each focus group was selected after considerable debate. Proles of selected participants in the in-depth interviews and focus groups are provided in Exhibit 2. The casual line of clothing was discussed primarily with teenagers and women in their early twenties (1824 years). These consisted mainly of students from institutions such as the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), National College of Arts (NCA) and Kinnaird College. The household income of these women ranged from Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 per month. While casuals were worn by everyone, younger women were chosen as the research study participants because they were often more fashion conscious, and more aware of the fact that designers were increasingly offering casuals as part of their product lines. The participants identied were those who seemed to be more fashion conscious and believed in wearing trendy clothes. For formals, the participants included a wide range in terms of age (20 years and above), and consisted of working women, newlyweds and mothers. They resided in exclusive areas of Lahore such as Defence, Model Town and Gulberg. Their monthly household income was Rs 70,000 and above. They were generally women who had an eye for intricate embroidery and an appreciation for unconventional couture. They believed in spending on designer clothes, bags, jewellery, shoes and sunglasses, and closely followed the latest fashion trends. For bridal wear, recently married women formed the ideal group because of their personal knowledge about the various issues involved in the selection and purchase of bridal wear. However, it was clear that, younger women, even if unmarried, had at some time in their lives gone through the experience of a bridal selection or purchase because of the marriage of a sister or other relative. Participants thus included a cross-section of newly married women, brides-to-be and their mothers. Some focus groups were conducted at LUMS, the participants mainly being BSc students. One focus group was conducted at Kinnaird College and another was made up entirely of NCA students. This focus group took place at a residence in Defence. Two group members conducted their focus groups at their homes after inviting various women to attend the discussion.

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FINDINGS
Selected comments made by participants during the various focus groups are presented in Exhibits 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. An analysis based on the ndings of the in-depth interviews and focus groups is given below.

Casual Wear
Casual wear, which also included casual fashion apparel, was found to be an impulse purchase. The factor which triggered purchase of casual apparel was the start of a new season when clothes for the new season were purchased usually in bulk (that is, more than two dresses at one time). The depletion factor was also strong whereby new casual apparel was bought because the old collection had worn out or had become outdated. It was also found that the birth of a new fashion trend or style prompted purchase of casual fashion apparel. Information gathering in the case of casual apparel was minimal and consumers made a relatively independent decision which was free from any external inuence. It was also revealed that the selection of a store for the purchase of casual fashion apparel was inuenced by three factors: rst, the fashion update offered by a store; second, the price discounts offered; and nally, the designs offered.

Formal Wear
Formal wear, which also included formal fashion apparel, was normally bought for special occasions (dinner parties) and festivals (Eid, weddings, etc.). This implied that the purchase of formal apparel was a serious shopping exercise and not an impulse purchase like that of casual apparel. The research suggested that for formal fashion apparel, women usually referred to fashion magazines to get an update on the latest trends. The explanation for this behaviour was that since women bought formal apparel for special occasions, they were always ready to go the extra mile in nding out the latest trends in fashion so that they had an up-to-date appearance. It was also found that women generally window-shopped a lot at various boutiques before buying formal apparel and were also willing to spend money if they believed that the clothes were truly worth the money. As a result, the information gathering in the case of formal apparel was intensive and consumers made the nal decision after conducting a thorough pre-purchase research. It was also discovered that the selection

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of a store for the purpose of purchasing formal fashion apparel was inuenced by three factorsrst, the designs offered; second, the fashion update offered by a store; and nally, the quality of fabric.

Bridal Wear
In the case of a bridal dress, consumers tried to gather the maximum possible information about the product and the place from where to buy it. This was because they believed that the purchase of a bridal dress was a one-time expense. This information gathering entailed market research (visiting both the informal and the formal sectors) and consulting friends and relatives who had gone through a similar experience. It was also found that the price elasticity of the bridal apparel purchased from fashion designers was relatively low, since the consumers always looked for quality and design in a bridal jora (dress) and thus, price did not play a major role in determining their choice of the designer apparel. The research also revealed the my own syndrome amidst bridal customers, as every bride-to-be wanted her wedding dress to be exclusive, a unique design that was created for her and her alone. It was, therefore, the search for this magnicent outt that made the prospective bride seek the help of a designer who, as a professional, was more knowledgeable about the intricate details concerning the bridal dress, for example, what colour would suit the bride-to-be and what material would look most appropriate on her. It was because of this belief in the designers expertise that the bride wanted the designer to give her advice regarding the selection of material, fabric and design. Furthermore, since the bride-to-be would be paying a substantial amount of money for the dress, she considered it her right to be given personal attention.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Armed with these ndings, Maria B. sat in her ofce wondering whether further research was required. She was thinking about how she could utilize the information effectively to develop a coherent marketing plan. She was particularly concerned about her agship product, bridal wear. Even though Maria B. had a separate oor especially designated for the bridal collection, the personal attention and customization required by consumers was lacking. Offering all product lines under one roof also had its drawbacks. The image of one product could spill over to other products, for example the quality image of casual wear, a cheaper product that could afford less stringent quality standards, might be associated with the quality image of the bridal wear which were
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offered under the same roof and with the same brand name. Identication of the target segment and ways of improving the perception of Maria B. bridal wear were immediate challenges confronting the designer.
Exhibit 1 Production Process for Casual Wear

Source: Company records.

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Exhibit 2 Proles of Selected Interview Participants Person 1: (income: Rs 16,000 per month, age: about 40 years, children: 4) Person 1 resides in Model Town and purchases three casual suits and one formal for each season.3 She typically spends Rs 350600 on casuals and Rs 7002,000 on formals. She likes to go to boutiques but buys only suits priced under Rs 1,000. Purchases most suits from the informal sector. Person 2: (income: Rs 50,000 per month, age: 40 plus, mother of bride-to-be, children: 5) Person 2 resides in Askari Complex. She purchases about fteen suits per season but dresses for weddings are extra which she buys depending upon her relation with the bride/groom and her budget. Typically spends Rs 300700 on casuals, Rs 5002,000 on formals and less than Rs 5,000 on dresses for weddings. She likes to visit boutiques and designers in order to get an idea of what is in and what is out, but generally purchases from the informal sector. As the mother of a bride-to-be she would like to buy the bridal dress from a designer but spend no more than Rs 35,000 on it. Person 3: (income: Rs 90,000 per month, age: 30 plus, children: 2) Person 3 is a working woman living in Defence. She buys 1015 suits per season. For casuals the price range is Rs 900 plus and for formals it is Rs 2,0007,000. For weddings, depending upon her relation with the bride/groom, she buys two suits with an average price of Rs 20,000. On the wedding of a relative, she consults a designer for at least one suit. For her normal casual wear she prefers to buy Maria B. casuals, worth Rs 1,500. But she also gets her suits stitched from tailors (informal sector). As she is very busy, she prefers ready-made dresses. Person 4: (income: Rs 100,000 plus per month, age: 30 plus, newly married, working woman) Person 4 lives in Defence. She purchases fteen suits per season including formals; 80 per cent of these are casuals and 20 per cent formals. Her price range for casuals is Rs 2501,100. For formals, it is Rs 1,0002,000 and for weddings it is Rs 1,5002,000. She prefers the informal sector. Her bridal dress cost Rs 30,000. Source: Company records. Exhibit 3 Focus Group FindingsCasual Wear 1. When you talk about casuals, Generation immediately comes to your mind, which offers casuals in the true sense of the word. Maria B. should also consider casuals on the same lines (age < 30 years4). 2. Casuals should have a wide variety with a lot of choice, because you think of it as being more researched, more top of the line (teenager).
3 4

Seasons refer to the two main seasons each year, summer and winter. Numbers in parentheses provide data on respondent demographics, particularly age.

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3. In my mind I just think of Maria B. as a really expensive formal wear designer. For casuals, I dont even consider her rather I go straight to Generation (age 3035 years). 4. I think in casuals, volume and variety are more important than quality (age < 25 years). 5. Its young working women who want exclusive casual attire which is simple, comfortable and in-line with latest trends. Maria B. should target them (age < 30 years). 6. I normally buy casuals at the start of a season; Maria B. should provide new variety at this time (age < 30 years). 7. I normally start buying casual wear at the beginning of a season, for example, in summer every year, I have to have new prints and then also, your previous years clothes get worn out and so you need to replace them (age < 30 years). 8. Casuals are bought in bulk and when I buy my summer or winter casual clothes, I am normally willing to compromise on quality and focus more on prices, as I know that I will be replacing these clothes next year (age above 25 years, working woman). 9. When it comes to casuals, I concentrate more on the volume and thus price matters for I know that what I am wearing this year will not be in fashion next year (age 2025 years). 10. I usually go to places like Auriga and Liberty to buy the material for casual clothes. Generation also offers huge volumes at low prices and so a trip to Generation at the start of every season is a must (working woman; students above 18 years). 11. I usually purchase the material for casual wear because that way I can play around with the design and colours, on my own (age above 30 years). 12. My casuals have to be according to the latest in fashion for I cannot afford to be considered out of style amidst my friends (age < 25 years). 13. Friends are a big inuence on my style of clothing. I look around to see what is in vogue and then tailor my clothes accordingly (age < 25 years). Source: Company records. Exhibit 4 Focus Group FindingsFormal Wear 1. Maria B. needs to expand variety for formals and they should be occasion specic such as Eid, birthday parties, etc. (age > 30 years). 2. Maria B. has an exclusive and expensive formal wear image. The designer should provide high quality, top-of-the-line designs according to her customers tastes (age > 30 years). 3. Maria B.s strength is in formal designs. She should be capable of providing her customers dresses for all formal occasions (age 3035 years). 4. I buy a formal jora when there is an occasion coming up, for example, a wedding or a formal dinner (married woman, above 25 years). 5. I buy formals normally for specic occasions and since these occasions are not so frequent during the year, I concentrate more on the quality of the fabric and am willing to spend more on a formal jora (age > 30 years). 6. The quality of the fabric matters the most in a formal jora; price is a secondary concern (age > 25 years).

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7. I also am very particular about the formal jora being according to the latest fashion. It simply has to be! (age > 25 years). 8. Fashion and quality are two very important components of a formal jora. Price is denitely not a concern since this is a rare expense because formals are not purchased so frequently (age > 25 years). 9. I do copy the latest designs offered by the designers because that way I can wear the latest in fashion (age < 25 years). 10. Designers are my main source of inspiration for formal wear but I also dont mind buying from them once or twice (age < 25 years). Source: Company records. Exhibit 5 Focus Group FindingsBridal Wear 1. Maria B. should have a proper consultation session with the customer before deciding a bridal design for her (age > 30 years). 2. Young women coming from a higher stratum of society go to designers, and they always look for modern fashionable apparel. Once they are satised, they become loyal customers and also consult the designer for bridal wear (age < 25 years). 3. Maria B.s bridal wear lacks variety in designs (age < 30 years). 4. I think Maria B. should position herself as a designer for bridal wear and she should excel in her designs and fashion as well as quality of fabric (age 2025 years). 5. There is no question about not going to a designer for bridal wear. It is the IN thing to do nowadays (1830 age group, especially brides-to-be). 6. Quality, quality, quality! I cannot emphasize quality enough for a bridal jora. Quality of fabric and quality of work are the two most important things in this jora. Forget about price as this is a one-time expense (age above 30 years). 7. Yes I would not mind copying the designs for a bridal jora, because why should I pay the premium price when I can get the same jora made much cheaper from Anarkali (informal sector), etc. (mother of a bride-to-be). 8. The prices charged by the designers are outrageous. I could get the same made at such a low price (mother of a bride-to-be). 9. It is just not the jora that mattersit is the entire experience, the attention of the designer, her personal interest in what colors would suit me, what cloth would look good on methat cannot be found at some cheap place like Anarkali (age > 25 years, bride-to-be). 10. I am willing to pay a premium price for a bridal jora for I want people to admire my unique color combination and exclusive design on the day of my weddingbesides to be wearing designer bridal wear is the IN thing nowadaysI would love to say that I am wearing Nilofer Shahid or Maria B (age > 25 years, bride-to-be). Source: Company records.

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Exhibit 6 Focus Group ndingsMaria B. Image 1. Maria B. is a premium brand. I think Maria should only sustain this image through offering high quality products as well as opening her outlets in posh areas of the city (age > 30 years). 2. It has an expensive look to it too (age 2530 years). 3. It should be reasonably priced (age > 30 years). 4. She is so typical (age 1820 years). 5. Some people I know are just bored of Maria B. They say there is no variety in her bridal designs but they still buy it because they are curious about her premium image (age above 30 years). 6. It is too confusing to make sense of the way her lines are named. I know what a formal is but what does she mean by semi-formal and similarly, semi-bridal is too confusing as well (both young and old women). 7. Maria B. cannot win the price war of casuals. Even if she decreases her prices, she cant compete; rather she will spoil her upmarket image (age 25 years). 8. Maria B.s outts have been around for a long time; you can trust the designer (age > 30 years). 9. I think women are mostly compulsive buyers; shopping is their favorite pastime. But at the same time, they want variety and uniqueness (age < 30 years). 10. Maria B. has a trendy ofce wear collection (middle-aged working woman). Source: Company records. Exhibit 7 Focus Group FindingsStore Layout 1. Arranging the display of clothing, putting the clothes in neat piles as casuals, formals and bridal wear also helps the customer to make a quick decision. Maria B. should improve the display of her outts (age < 25 years). 2. Clothes should be hung in a way that makes it convenient for customers to look and select the designs of their choice easily instead of launching a search effort (age > 30 years). 3. Once I went to Maria B.s boutique, I saw a lot of dresses hanging around. The display was not good and thats why I have not tried it (age > 30 years). 4. The display is a chaos. You have to look, search and search. Too time consuming (age > 30 years). 5. With a good display, you really get a good summary of the boutique up front. I like that because it tells me exactly what I should get from here. I know what I am looking for and I can quickly decide (age 3035 years). 6. Maria B.s Defence outlet is attractive with respect to both physical outlet and ambience. However, her display of apparel is not good (age 2535 years). Source: Company records.

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Exhibit 8 Focus Group FindingsSuggestions 1. I think Maria B. should advertise more, emphasize the quality and variety of new designs and new cuts (age < 30 years). 2. In my opinion, she should maintain a premium price image. There is a need to keep coming up with innovative designs which should be trendy as well as graceful, and this can be the core competence of Maria B. (age 3035 years). 3. Tell women that Maria B. makes exclusive outts. Then they will gure out themselves what they need (age > 30 years). 4. Maria B. should enhance her image by using superior quality fabric and material for embroidery (age > 30 years). 5. I think Maria B. should provide casual clothes like Khaddi (teenager). 6. Maria B. should concentrate on the quality and design of her clothes. She should provide customers value for money (age above 30 years). 7. Maria B. should improve her designs and should be updated with the latest fashion trends (age < 25 years). 8. I dont see Maria B.s formal wear targeting only glamorous women. I see it for every housewife and working woman (age 3035 years, working woman). 9. In line with her fashion shows featuring only formals and bridal wear, she should also have fashion events for casuals (age < 25 years). 10. Marias apparel are not occasion specic (age 3035 years). 11. To my knowledge, normally modern young women consult designers because they always want to be in. Maria B. should target them (age < 25 years). 12. I think Maria B. should consider only the upper niche of the society (age above 30 years). 13. Avant Garde! This is my image for an educated, modern woman. And I consider it while buying my apparel (age above 30 years). 14. I think Maria B.s apparel should be fashionable Modern Cuts unlike the typical shalwar qameez (age < 25 years). Source: Company records.

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