Latest news with #Karunakaran
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Tamil script weaves a new identity in fashion
1 2 3 4 5 In Tamil Nadu, language has always been a hot topic. Now, it's haute as well. Case in point: Chennai-based designer Vivek Karunakaran's latest collection Idam (Tamil for 'place'), which debuted in Feb at the FDCI India Men's Week in Jaipur, featuring the Tamil script as individual letters and complete Thirukkural couplets. Karunakaran says the collection began as a tribute to the city, but from there, the thread of the narrative evolved into a celebration of identity, "an unapologetic expression of who we are and where we come from". He adds that the collection is being expanded to include women's wear. "It's declaration of pride." In one look, Karunakaran has a verse of the Kural block-printed on a jacket paired with Korean pants. "We've gone beyond just printing the alphabet to creating meaningful designs," says Karunakaran, whose clothes are priced between Rs 6,000 and Rs 60,000. Designers from outside Tamil Nadu too are scripting the language into their couture. In Mumbai, actor Sonam Kapoor was recently spotted in a cream saree designed by Masaba, which had the Tamil letters, 'th', 'na' and more in black and gold. "The Tamil script has a unique visual ap peal," says Karthiknathan S, a graphic designer who specialises in Tamil lettering. "With almost 216 distinct characters, there is a lot of visual diversity." He adds that when Tamil was adapted into a font, ascenders and descenders were adjusted for visual consistency. "As a result, words and sentences form patterns with varying heights and depths. Depending on the preceding or following letter, ascenders or descenders are altered, creating intriguing patterns. It pushes the possibilities of what can be done with the Tamil letter". This, perhaps, explains why Tamil-script clothes have been well received, even by those unfamiliar with the language, says Dubai-based designer Vino Supraja, who has incorporated it into her collection 'Purisai', named after the Purisai Nadaga Pairchi Palli, a therukoothu school founded by Kannapa Sambandhan Ayya, who was awarded the Padma Shri this year. She adds that the appeal is so universal that most of her clients for the collection are Emiratis and Singaporeans, not Tamilians. "After our London Fashion Week show, the script became a conversation starter. It gave us a chance to discuss Tamil language, therukoothu, and Purisai's cultural richness. The Tamil script is the visual anchor," says Supraja, who grew up in Vandavasi, 10km from Purisai, where her father served as a doctor. Supraja also wore a saree featuring the school's name in her handwriting when she received the Glob al Sustainable Trailblazer Award recently at the House of Commons. Mayank Bhutra, a designer from Rajasthan raised in Erode (which is why he has named his brand Erode), says using the Tamil script in his clothes is about celebrating the place where he grew up. "We're in the process of developing our own typeface for the clothes, blending Tamil and English in a contemporary design," says Bhutra, who adds that as a child, he saw Jamakalam weavers at work and was fascinated. When he returned to the craft as an adult, he realised that despite years of tradition and a GI tag, there were no new designs or patterns. And that, he adds, was when he decided to help script Jamakalam a "contemporary identity".
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
When Tamil scripts become a fashion trend
Case in point: Chennai-based designer Vivek Karunakaran's latest collection Idam (Tamil for 'place'), which debuted in Feb at the FDCI India Men's Week in Jaipur, featuring the Tamil script as individual letters and complete Thirukkural couplets. Karunakaran says the collection began as a tribute to the city, but from there, the thread of the narrative evolved into a celebration of identity, 'an unapologetic expression of who we are and where we come from'. He adds that the collection is being expanded to include women's wear. 'It's declaration of pride.' In one look, Karunakaran has a verse of the Kural block-printed on a jacket paired with Korean pants. 'We've gone beyond just printing the alphabet to creating meaningful designs,' says Karunakaran, whose clothes are priced between Rs 6,000 and Rs 60,000. Designers from outside Tamil Nadu too are scripting the language into their couture. In Mumbai, actor Sonam Kapoor was recently spotted in a cream saree designed by Masaba, which had the Tamil letters, 'th', 'na' and more in black and gold. 'The Tamil script has a unique visual appeal,' says Karthiknathan S, a graphic designer who specialises in Tamil lettering. 'With almost 216 distinct characters, there is a lot of visual diversity.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bolsas nos olhos? (Tente isso hoje à noite) Revista Saúde & Beleza Saiba Mais Undo He adds that when Tamil was adapted into a font, ascenders and descenders were adjusted for visual consistency. 'As a result, words and sentences form patterns with varying heights and depths. Depending on the preceding or following letter, ascenders or descenders are altered, creating intriguing patterns. It pushes the possibilities of what can be done with the Tamil letter.' This, perhaps, explains why Tamil-script clothes have been well received, even by those unfamiliar with the language, says Dubai-based designer Vino Supraja, who has incorporated it into her collection 'Purisai', named after the Purisai Nadaga Pairchi Palli, a therukoothu school founded by Kannapa Sambandhan Ayya, who was awarded the Padma Shri this year. She adds that the appeal is so universal that most of her clients for the collection are Emiratis and Singaporeans, not Tamilians. 'After our London Fashion Week show, the script became a conversation starter. It gave us a chance to discuss Tamil language, therukoothu, and Purisai's cultural richness. The Tamil script is the visual anchor,' says Supraja, who grew up in Vandavasi, 10km from Purisai, where her father served as a doctor. Supraja also wore a saree featuring the school's name in her handwriting when she received the Global Sustainable Trailblazer Award recently at the House of Commons. Mayank Bhutra, a designer from Rajasthan raised in Erode (which is why he has named his brand Erode), says using the Tamil script in his clothes is about celebrating the place where he grew up. 'We're in the process of developing our own typeface for the clothes, blending Tamil and English in a contemporary design,' says Bhutra, who adds that as a child, he saw Jamakalam weavers at work and was fascinated. When he returned to the craft as an adult, he realised that despite years of tradition and a GI tag, there were no new designs or patterns. And that, he adds, was when he decided to help script Jamakalam a 'contemporary identity.'
Pink Villa
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Soodhu Kavvum 2 OTT: When and where to watch crime comedy sequel online
Soodhu Kavvum 2, starring Shiva in the lead role, had hit the big screens on December 13, 2024. Now, the movie is available for streaming on OTT, and here are the details. When and where to watch Soodhu Kavvum 2 Soodhu Kavvum 2 is currently available for streaming on the OTT platform Aha Video. The official note of the same was made by their social handle, which read, 'Sodhappuna othukkanum.. - GURU. Watch #SoodhuKavvum2 streaming now on Aha Tamil.' Official trailer and plot of Soodhu Kavvum 2 Soodhu Kavvum 2 is a crime comedy film that features the tale of Guru, a kidnapper. After being jailed, the man seeks to take revenge on Arumai Pragasam, a corrupt Finance Minister who was responsible for a tragedy in his life, setting up the rest of the movie. With Shiva in the lead, the film had actors like Harisha, Radha Ravi, Karunakaran, MS Bhaskar, Vagai Chandrasekhar, Karate Karthi, Raghu Adithya, Yog Japee, Aruldoss, and more in key roles. Cast and crew of Soodhu Kavvum 2 Soodhu Kavvum 2 is directed by SJ Arjun, who co-wrote the screenplay with T Yogaraja. The film's musical tracks are handled by Edwin Louis Viswanath, with Hari S R crafting the background scores. With Karthik K Thillai handling the cinematography of the movie, it has Ignatious Aswin editing it. The film was a box office failure, receiving negative reviews. The film is a sequel to Vijay Sethupathi and Ashok Selvan starrer Soodhu Kavvum, which released back in 2013. The first installment was directed by Nalan Kumarasamy with a supporting cast of actors like Sanchita Shetty, Karunakaran, Bobby Simha, Ramesh Thilak, Yog Japee, Aruldoss, and more in key roles. The movie featured the tale of a gang that kidnaps a politician's son, which sparks a chain reaction of unfortunate events. The film was a sleeper hit during its release and received great reviews.
Forbes
13-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Beyond Blanket Markdowns: Smart Pricing For Returned Fashion Items
Arun Rasika Karunakaran is a retail product management leader @TCS specializing in AI-led transformation, merchandising & store operations. getty A 2023 study by Coresight Research estimated that the average return rate for clothing ordered online was 24.4%—that's approximately $38 billion in returns, with $25 billion in processing costs for apparel retailers. What makes fashion returns particularly complex is the variable lifecycle of products. From "fad" items that remain relevant for mere weeks to "classics" that sell steadily for years, fashion retailers struggle to properly price returned merchandise based on its remaining market value. The traditional method of applying blanket markdown percentages to returned items leaves billions on the table. The one-size-fits-all strategy fails to account for product-specific value retention. A returned black dress in classic styling, for example, might retain 85% of its value, while a returned neon statement piece from last season might be worth just 15% of its original price. This disparity highlights the need for more sophisticated pricing models that account for a product's position in its lifecycle. A data-driven approach could offer retailers a sophisticated solution to this problem. By analyzing the complex interplay between product attributes, lifecycle patterns and logistics costs, retailers could optimize pricing for returned fashion items. The innovation lies in how to break down products into "attribute components"—fundamental characteristics that influence consumer preferences, rather than looking at individual items in isolation. For example, instead of analyzing a polka dot black blouse individually, the focus should be on recognizing patterns in how consumers value the "polka dot pattern" combined with "black color" and "blouse style" across the entire product catalog. Leveraging Attributes-Based Intelligence With the item attributes, retailers could come up with an attribute relationship repository for each item group or category (such as women's tops or men's suits). This repository potentially captures the association between various product attributes and consumer purchasing patterns. By applying machine learning methods, retailers could identify the lifecycle length of different attribute combinations and estimate how much value a returned product retains based on: • The current stage in its lifecycle • The specific attribute components that make up the product • Logistics costs associated with processing the return • Current inventory levels • Promotional history ROI Of Intelligent Return Pricing Research found that less than half of returned goods are resold at full price. Fashion retailers could implement an attribute-based pricing approach to significantly improve the recovery value from returned merchandise. As reported in a CNBC article, Tobin Moore, the CEO of Optoro , said, 'A lot of retailers can add 5% to their bottom line by better optimizing the management and resale of their returns.' The attribute-driven approach is particularly valuable for multibrand retailers and department stores managing diverse product assortments with varying lifecycle patterns. For these businesses, even a modest 5% improvement in return recovery can translate to millions in recaptured revenue annually. This could prove most effective during seasonal transitions and holiday return waves when retailers traditionally struggle with processing high volumes of returns while maintaining price integrity. By dynamically adjusting prices based on product attributes rather than calendar dates, retailers can maximize recovery value during these critical periods. Strategic Application Beyond Pricing The benefits extend beyond optimizing the price point for returned items. The attribute relationship mapping creates valuable applications throughout the retail ecosystem: • Merchandise Planning: Retailers can analyze which attribute combinations have longer lifecycles to make more informed buying decisions. This enables merchandise planners to balance trend-driven pieces with more durable attribute combinations that retain value longer. • Assortment Strategy: By understanding the relationship between attribute combinations and return rates, retailers can refine their assortment strategy to minimize returns while maximizing sales potential. • Supplier Negotiations: Data on attribute performance can inform supplier negotiations by identifying which manufacturing partners consistently produce items with attributes that retain value longer after returns. • Product Development: For retailers with private label programs, the system provides invaluable feedback on which design elements and attribute combinations to incorporate into future collections for optimal lifecycle value. The Future Of Returns Management As e-commerce continues to grow, with global online fashion sales projected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2025, according to Statista, efficient returns management becomes increasingly critical to profitability. Data-driven return analysis reveals crucial customer behavior patterns while creating opportunities for inventory optimization. Retailers leveraging this intelligence can transform return challenges into strategic advantages that boost profitability. By pricing returned items optimally, retailers can ensure items re-enter the marketplace quickly rather than ending up in landfills—a crucial sustainability consideration when the fashion industry contributes roughly 92 million tons of textile waste each year. Adopting Attribute-Based Return Pricing For retailers looking to adopt an attribute-based approach, I suggest starting with: • Comprehensive data collection from all touchpoints • Integration at the individual transaction level • Attribute mapping across the product catalog • Machine learning model development to recognize patterns • Continuous analysis of lifecycle patterns for different attribute combinations While the above steps require sophisticated data infrastructure, the return on investment can be substantial. For a mid-sized fashion retailer processing $10 million in returns annually, even a 10% improvement in recovery value represents $1 million in recaptured revenue. In an industry with notoriously thin margins, effectively managing returns is no longer optional—it's essential. The future of fashion retail belongs to those who can turn the challenge of returns into an opportunity for data-driven optimization. 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