Tough guys get into ''Shades''

Mumbai: Shades Enterprise, a business venture set up by film stars Sunil Shetty, Sanjay Dutt, film producers Nitin Manmohan and Sohail Maklai, and entrepreneur Hamed Saberi has announced plans to set up a retail network of showrooms, kiosks and franchisee outlets in metros, mini metros and towns with a population of over 10 lakh.

According to the company, Shades hopes to provide Indian consumers with the latest in eyewear and optical products under one roof. The outlet will stock more than 150 international brands including Armani, Versace, Rayban, Ralph Lauren, Oakley, Mont Blanc, Tag Hauer, Gucci, Safilo, Yves Saint Laurent, Hugo Boss and Swarovski among others.

Shades will launch its first showroom in Hyderabad and its first kiosk in Pune in the following week, and will inaugurate its showrooms in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai in the next six months.

According to Hamed Saberi, managing director, Shades, "Research shows that there is a 30:70 ratio between the eyewear to the optical wear market. The Indian fashion market is growing at a phenomenal pace, there is increased spending capability and the market is maturing and waiting to be tapped. Hence the Shades business opportunity and offering is very attractive to the potential franchisee as well as the customer."

Suniel Shetty, chairman, Shades said, "Shades will evolve to be the ultimate destination in eyewear, the people behind the show carry rich experience; the concept is sound and the opportunity huge. It will bring to people what they are looking for — the right attitude — and an unparalleled range in the leisure, sports, prescription, contact lens and accessory categories. We are very confident that Shades will establish itself as a trusted brand for the discerning trendsetters to get what the world is wearing". He further commented, "Sanjay Dutt and I will act as brand ambassadors and will in the future bring personalities from different walks of life to endorse the brand."

The Shades showroom, with a built-up area of 1,000 sq.ft., will have a standard international look and feel while the Shades Kiosks, designed by Sunil Pillai Associates of Mumbai, are extremely stylish and will cover an area of 10x10 sq.ft. These will be placed in high footfall areas like airport lounges, shopping malls and large retail chains, and will stock over 600 fast-moving models.