Escaro Royale symbolises the sophisticated man who expects perfection in the daily walks of life. Someone who is charismatically flamboyant with a charm that leaves other men in awe. It is for the man who proudly wears success with finesse. According to Ambud Sharma, CEO & Founder, Escaro Royale, it is the first luxury brand of its kind that adds cutting edge technology & exemplary service for rich consumer experience. In a detailed conversation with TMM, he talks about the brand philosophy and the role it plays in the new-age consumer-driven market.
Tell us about the concept of Escaro Royale.
Escaro Royale Luxury, commonly known as Escaro Royale, symbolises the ultimate sophistication & craftsmanship, which is the finest of all times. The offerings of this fashion house are exclusively curated for the Dapper Connoisseurs of high-end fashion which consists of elegantly handcrafted shoes, exquisite premium bags, perfectly augmenting belts and high street fashion accessories. Escaro Royale outlay handpainted hand-patina leather products on the lines of Berlutti from Italy/France. The concept is centred on luxury shoes & accessories for men with unparalleled customer service and user experience in DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER (D2C) business model. It also provides a handcrafted piece of luxury by traditional craftsmanship to the end customer with the help of technology and a personal touch. Talking about the idea, it all started with a curious experiment to understand how luxury brands behave in the new digital world. We used a lot of algorithms and big data to make informed business decisions – what to make, for whom to make, how to make, and when to make. The company also focuses on technology to create breakthrough product versions and to reach out to a wider audience that is in sync with luxury market dynamism.
Today’s men are very much fashion-driven. How do you see the changing market for men?
The fashion industry has traditionally been largely driven by women; it was always the women who were more inclined towards fashion trends. However, the tables have turned now as currently there is a growing buzz around men’s fashion. Men have started accepting colours and textures much more than a decade ago. But today they have started demanding products on the lines of the latest trends. Also, they have started consuming fashion-centric content to update according to the latest fashion trends. Men have started associating their identity with how they look and what they wear which has led brands to ensure customisation and personalisation in order to keep up the bar. And therefore, Indian men’s wear market has seen a tremendous evolution in recent years. Nowadays, men are more detail-oriented, not superficial, and therefore they delve into details like high-quality leather wallets in their pockets or well-crafted baroque shoes on their feet and carry man bags. Various types of accessories in various colours for men are also available in the market. In fact, many brands launch designs that are suitable for both men and women. In terms of shoes also, men are seen wearing different types of shoes with various vibrant hues. Of course, they still lack diversity as compared to women’s wear. But they have expanded immensely.
There is nearly nothing worse for men than not being attuned to fashion in today’s era. Even in villages, fashion errors are admonished, and young men do their best to wear the trendiest clothes and carry the highest quality accessories. Menswear market will continue to grow in the years to come. As unlike women, men too feel the need to attract mates and create an impression.
2019 turned out to be a year of the massive growth of the brand. Comment. 
In 2019, Escaro Royale opened its maiden ‘Experience Centre’ and invested heavily in creating D2C technologies in-house. We have also pioneered JIT model and have created very strong ERP in the backend. This allows us to create products on the fly and be very nimble in reacting to fashion trends. Our growth was 12x in 2019.
From being a software research assistant to the founder of Escaro Royale, how do you see the transition and what lead to this leap of faith?
As an accomplished software engineer in a large telecom company in the US, I was settling into the comfort zone of the nine to six parameters, but that knack of creativity led me towards this leap of faith. I have not really transitioned. Escaro Royale, at its core, is a tech company that also sells uber-fashionable products. With tech being the centre, it has allowed us to penetrate deep into the Indian market through our proprietary methods that are unique to the brand. Technology has been a great enabler, and Escaro Royale has greatly benefitted from my past software experience.
Talk about the challenges you faced in establishing Escaro Royale in the Indian market, amidst the big players.
Selling a product online of Rs. 10,000 in a country like India was the biggest challenge in itself. We initially faced lots of challenges in convincing the customers – but with the excellent customer experience and repeatable UX, we have been able to create a huge business from good word-of-mouth. The brand and our sales channels are now well respected with our clients seeking Experience Centers in their cities.
How do you create a balance between your personal space and professional commitments?
I love my work, and my family is well acquainted with it. But I have never let my work or profession to hinder my responsibilities towards my family members. As I believe, nurturing a brand is similar to bringing up a kid – it requires patience, discipline and sacrifice. My personal traits of time management, discipline and attention to detail has allowed me to maintain strong work-life balance which eventually is the reason which keeps me happy and productive. Also, it helps me in achieving success in all aspects, be its nabbing big growth or simply being there for the most important people for me.
In India, the luxury market for men is not well established yet. What role Escaro Royale is going to play in this regard?
The luxury market in India is tricky. I don’t think it is not well established. The luxury customers in India lags behind as compared to the US or Europe, but they are growing at a rapid pace. For instance, we have about 20-25% enquiries related to the product inputs in the US and Europe as compared to India.
Indian luxury customer expects more bangs for the buck – and wants to understand the product before buying it. The market is maturing very fast and Escaro Royale, being the fastest-growing D2C brand – is well poised to ride the wave. It is often difficult for luxury players to understand the idiosyncrasies of typical Indian consumers to serve this lucrative and growing market successfully. But Escaro Royale is critically analysing this complex market. We highlight symbolic value derived where we make sure to maintain parity while catering to the Indian market as Indians are extremely value-conscious buyers. Millennials are the next rulers of the luxury market. They are experimental, discerning and demanding. Therefore, we are now providing a seamless bespoke experience that is consistent across all platforms where social media is preference. We are also using unleash the power of social media to tell the brand story and engage consumers.
How do you see social media as a promotional tool for Escaro Royale’s visibility in the global market?
Social media is great for visibility and transactional relevance and has emerged as one of the more important channels in the online discovery, research and purchase processes. We at Escaro Royale also uses social media for two ends: to build the brand — which is both performance-driven and modest — and to drive awareness. Our US customers love our content, and we pay a lot of attention to our customer communication. If done right, social media can be a killer strategic advantage.
What are your future plans for the brand?
2020 is going to witness another milestone of Escaro Royale, as the company is planning to take several steps for its bright future. We are focussing on more experience centres and are planning for 12x growth in revenue in the year 2020. We are also strategising for acquiring our second design house in Milan, Italy, for which the negotiations are on.
Escaro Royale for TMM
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