Hyderabad, March, 2004: Diwan Saheb, a New Delhi based, five decade old Internationally reputed chain of exclusive men’s clothing brand has recently opened it’s South India’s First Outlet in Prasad I-Max. Bollywood stars Mr. Sanjay Kapoor, Mr. Javed Akhtar and others descended to grace the inaugural function.

To mark the occasion and to showcase its top of the line collection Diwan Saheb paraded models sporting some of its best collections which include a Sherwani worth Rs 1, 78,000/-, which according to Mr. Sudhir Diwan, Managing Director of Diwansons (India) Pvt. Ltd is probably one of the costliest Sherwani’s ever made in India. Giving details of the same, he said ‘this is one of the most expensive sherwani, intricately designed on all over front, back, sleeves and band. It is hand embroidered all over with Zardosi work. Resham and Dabka material is also used in making this. The Sherwani is embellished with Swarovski crystalls. It has a different double coloured stole with 2.75 metres long made in tissue material. It has 51 handmade buttons with hand embroidery and embellished with Crystals. The mojari is also fully hand embroidered with Zardosi work and has Swarovski Crystals on it. It also has a kurta and salwar with handmade buttons. Embroidered handmade buttons are placed on the front placket. Handmade Safa(turban) is made in tissue fabric to enhance the look of the garment It weighs approximately 10kgs. Ten artisans worked nearly three months to make one Sherwani.

It has sold three such Sherwanis so far. Mr. Sonu Nigam, Bollywood singer and actor bought one for his marriage and two other bought by some NRIs. This expensive Sherwani is showcased at the inauguration for the first time in South India. Among other collection being showcased at the inaugural function includes another Sherwani costing Rs 1.28 lakhs and some of the exclusive and expensive ties in the range of Rs 1200/- to Rs 2000/-. . The showroom is located at No.17 in the ground floor of Prasad I-Max.

Diwan Saheb comes to city as part of their expansion plans in South India. Followed by this outlet at Hyderabad, it soon plans to inaugurate one more outlet at Bangalore. It expans to city through its franchisee AHF Designers Studio. With 9 mega showrooms in India and major presence in London, the renowned name for single-roof-male-wedding-fashion-store. Located centrally in the city at I-Max, the one thousand sq feet outlet will showcase best of both the world’s; the ethnic and western. Hyderabad which is regarded as city of minars and modern buildings, biryani and sherwani, augurs good prospects for the brand.

Speaking to media at the inaugural function Mr. Sudhir Diwan, Diwansons (India) Pvt. Ltd said beginning its journey from a small retail outlet in 1957, it has evolved new concepts in men haute-couture, the latest being the Indian Ethnic Collection of Jamavars, Jodhpuris, Sherwanis, Kurta Pyjamas, Angarakha, Bandgalas etc as well as Western formals featuring designer Suits, Waist-coats and other formal wear like Tuxedos, Cocktail suits, Business Suits, trousers and shirts etc.

With the new store at Hyderabad, the most happening city, the men of this city who have been opening up to the latest details in fashionable dressing have access to the very best that men can have. This new store is another milestone in the Diwan Saheb’s expansion plan seeking to spread its network across India, at the same time consolidating its strong presence in northern India.

Diwan Saheb, today is not just one of the leading menswear names in India, it is a commitment which Surindhar & Sudhir Diwan carry towards taking men’s fashions to a new height. It is also passion to season modernity with a streak of rich ethnic past, something which has made it an integrated part of the fashion conscious Indian male’s wardrobe; something which has made the global male add a new dimension to that ever important word in his vocabulary-style.

As a brand, Diwan Saheb has set itself on a path of perpetual growth, with its single-roof-male-fashion solutions. With 3 mega showrooms in Delhi, a major presence at ‘Khubsurat Collection’ in London and each in Kanpur, Ludhiana, Agra, Amritsar, Lucknow and Jaipur. Its website on the Internet for label orders, and a growing global market share, Diwan Saheb has come a long way from being an Indian favorite towards achieving global recognition.

Diwan Saheb showrooms today, boast of an ensemble complete with stylized western and designer suits, shirts and trousers for formal and casual occasions. Diwan Saheb also offers exquisite collection of Sherwanis, Bandhgalas and Kurta-pyjama, Dhoti-Kurta with delicate and intricate hand embroidery in the golden and silver threads, specially designed for the groom - to be as well as Swarovski crystals, semi precious stones and tiger stones and embedded Sherwanis. Diwan Saheb’s team of extremely talented designers coupled with the sheer craftsmanship of chosen artisans from all over India has contributed to its immense popularity and wide acceptance.

Apart from its traditional and ethnic wear collections, Diwan Saheb also offers to the glitterati, the best of International fashion with all brands of global repute. As Sudhir Diwan puts it, ‘Though the media has broadened the male fashion scene, our endeavour is to take the present generation towards the richness to tradition and culture to balance successfully, the age old hand embroidery of India and at the same time dress our clients to perfection, for their dinner and cocktail". It has so much wide range which starts from Rs 800/- and goes to Rs 1, 78,000/- for the top of line collection.

The enviable position that Diwan Saheb enjoys, is due to lot of factors like path-breaking advertising, like the recent ad campaign, which was shot in Moscow and customized tailoring which has been taken to a new height. Impeccable technology qualified professionals and more than 300 traditional weavers and artisans contributed the immense popularity and acceptance of this menswear label. Their outfits have also gained a loyal following in the foreign market as well, which has seen an upswing in exports. As of today, Diwan Saheb’s creations are available at ‘Khubsurat’ in London. With exports inquiries pouring in, today exquisite outfits can be checked out on the net also. Currently, online selling nets around 2.5 per cent (approximately Rs 50 lakhs) of the company’s total turnover of approximately Rs 17-20 crore crore. Diwan Saheb also does theme designing for the family members for the weddings. It has designed 35 sherwanis for Mr. Lalit Suri of Inter Continental Hotel owner, 43 Sherwanis for the marriages of Mr. J.K. Jain, Punajabi TV Channel owner for his daughters marriage.

Diwan Saheb draws celebrity customers regularly to its various stores across the country. These include Farooq Abdullah, Omer Abdullah, Vinod Khanna, Sajjan Kumar, Shahnawaz Hussain, Jaswanth Singh, Vijaypath Singhania(Raymonds Chairman), Sonu Nigam, Farooq Sheikh and others. They have designed Sherwanis for Miss World Yukta Mukhi, Miss World Priyanka Chopra and Ms. Lara Datta.

As for the philosophy behind the success story of Diwan Saheb - "We understand the specific yet diversified need of the contemporary male and all our creations are manifestations of the spirit of the west adorned with the rich ethnicity of India", explains Mr. Surindhar Diwan.

Quite so, as Diwan Saheb continues to step forward in style in it’s continuing success story in male fashion. For the fashion conscious male, it is a story that runs parallel to the evolution of his style. As the say - ‘Once a man’s best friend, always a men’s best friend’.

So why wait, drop in at store at Shop No. 17, Ground Floor at Prasad I-Max