Fashianza one-to-one with Spyby's Executive Director

Hear about Kids’ Fashion from the Horse’s Mouth

Here we have Sanjay Sachdeva, a seasoned professional and the executive director of Spyby - a startup kidswear brand - to share some words of wisdom with Fashionza. With 36 years of experience in the fashion industry, he has gained in-depth knowledge about how brands function and scale - from season to season.

Although Spyby is a new entrant in the world of kids' fashion, Mr. Sanjay is already confident that with the experience and learnings he has acquired all these years, he will make Spyby reach the heights of success soon. There is so much to learn from his inspiring journey in the fashion world. Read the interview to learn more about his day-to-day schedule, challenges the brand comes across, their coping strategies, his take on the competition, and a lot more.

"We have just started. But we have a long way to go. And we are very much there."

What does a typical day look like as Spyby's executive director?

Honestly! It does not look much different from anybody else's day at the office. Everybody at Spyby does their jobs to the best of their capabilities. So do I. I have more roles and responsibilities to take care of at the same time, though. For us, number crunching is critical. So, we work as a team, wherein every entity is connected. We closely watch our processes, understand a given situation, and act accordingly about what needs to be done. Here, reports and meetings play a significant role in keeping us on the same page. See! I am a sales guy in the product segment of the company. We believe if your product is good, everything else falls in place. We got connected with Fashionza because we found a good partner in you owing to your professionalism and proficient team. So, I think we will make great products together. Spyby is my dream project, and I will go the extra mile to make this dream come true. That's how I sum it up.

Spyby started as a D2C brand. And now, you are venturing across both online and offline channels. What challenges do you face as a D2C brand?

See, there are numerous national and international brands our retailers can procure at any point in time. Right? So, the retail space has become a little challenging. Having said that, if you have the right products, you are good to go. You have the confidence to get there. Sales go up and down, but service remains the same. Isn't it? Besides creating a space in the retail world, timelines, and deliverables are also important. Therefore, we should be able to stand up to our commitment. It is definitely a challenge. But we can overcome it.

You guys are very ambitious. Putting the brand together and covering multiple geographies and channels - offline and online - can be a little tedious. How do you face the challenges coming your way on the supply and sourcing front?

Launching a brand in India, a country with vivid and wide demography, different festivals, and diverse preferences, is pretty challenging. But yes, we can easily overcome it. Over the years, we have noticed that the best purchases happen during festivals and occasions like weddings, whether men's, women's, or kid's wear. Although we are a casual brand, we will try to add an ethnic product line to our collection. Another challenge is the fabric that goes into making our garments, as it is a kidswear brand. We are careful with the types of material we use and the choice of colors. I have been associated with a couple of kidswear brands earlier. So, I know this space, thus making it easy to handle challenges. "It's 36 years in the industry and I am still learning. I am not an expert."

I would love to share with my team whatever I have learned so far to keep them motivated and happy while making revenues. It is a simple business with many challenges that we can overcome.

How do you see technology helping in predicting demand?

No matter which technology comes in, we need a human brain to control it. The conceptualization also comes from human minds. No technology can ever predict fashion trends. The information has to go from a human mind. In this context, we need to achieve a balance between the human mind and technology. "If the why is clear, the how is easy." I believe this way.

How do you face and manage competition at Spyby?

No one is a bigger competition to us than we. If we do not deliver orders on time, if we do not make quality products, and if our processes are not falling in line, we could create a problem. Isn't it? So, we could be our own competitor. We know what our other competitors are doing. We do not try to fall in the same line. If we do so, we are cannibalizing the retail space. With the same set of products in place, many retailers may not welcome us to showcase our products. So, we always strive to be different.

What is your take on the popularity of fast fashion? How do you think it will shape the kids' category?

As far as fast fashion is concerned, many brands and labels have adopted it. However, we are trying to keep it basic (not simple). In simple words, we are coming up with sustainable and premium products in terms of fabrics, colors, and quality. Spyby focuses on the premium quotient of the products and not fast fashion.

How do you think the current trends will share the kids' category in fashion?

Other than fast fashion, the basics remain the same. We have kept 60% of our merchandise and collections basic and core. If the basic range is taken care of, it will automatically give you 60% of your sales. The remaining 40%, you can change as and when needed according to the market trend. The kids' category is a huge one and rapidly changing too. If we can cover the likes and dislikes of the kids, a lot of things will fall into place. When it comes to scaling the business, we have plans to make more minimalistic and core products.

To sum it up!

With such dedication and devotion, it shows already how well Spyby is going to scale in the days to come. Are there any fashion aspirants here? Hopefully, this interview blog will bring them incredible knowledge about various aspects of the fashion industry - from sourcing to reaching retail stores.

Key Takeaways

1. Be open to facing challenges and overcoming them.

2. You never stop learning.