10 Retail Brands by Actors: A Shift from Acting to Entrepreneurship.

We Indians love and adore Bollywood celebrities for their brilliant acting. If not that, we sure are guilty of indulging in the controversies about them.

We are well aware of celebrities' endorsements, but few celebs chose a different pathway and instead of endorsing in a brand, they created their brand. These actors turned entrepreneurs introduced the consumers to brands that turned out to be successful and praiseworthy. From Kay Beauty to DreamSS, here's a list of brands created by Bollywood celebrities.

• Kay beauty: In October 2019, Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif partnered with Nykaa to launch her beauty brand Kay beauty. The vision behind the brand was to curate high-performance, long-lasting, ultra-glam makeup products that are not harsh on your skin. The brand offers cost-effective lip, eye, and brow products. It caters to different skin tones and ages. The beauty products offered are all vegan and cruelty-free. The brand positions itself as a 'makeup that Kares', as the products, are not only long-lasting but also nourishing for your skin. To mark the launch of the brand an 'Its kay to be you' campaign was concerted. The Kay beauty products are readily available online on Nykaa.
• HRX: The brand was founded by Hritik Roshan in the year 2013. It is India’s first homegrown fitness brand which retails apparel, accessories, fitness trackers, workout regime, and also healthy meal plans. The brand aims to help people achieve their fitness goals and healthy lifestyle. In 2013, Myntra bought a major stake in the brand's clothing line. The brand has partnered with Cult fitness centers to offer specialized HRX workout plans. In September 2017, the HRX brand joined hands with Xiaomi to manufacture a fitness band. It is a profitable brand that is currently eyeing the expansion of its portfolio.
• All about you: It is a chic yet affordable clothing brand that was launched by none other than Deepika Padukone in collaboration with Myntra in the year 2015. The target audiences of “All about You” are women from the 18-35 years age group and it resonates with modern Indian women. The brand was launched extensively with a fashion show for which the actresses collaborated with a French design agency, Carlin. In 2020, Myntra acquired a 100% stake in the brand for an undisclosed amount.
• House of Pataudi: In partnership with Myntra, the Nawab of the Pataudi family, Saif Ali Khan launched his ethnic clothing brand. House of Pataudi showcases the old heritage through its clothing line. The brand aims to appeal to the young generation who look for Indian clothes online with its designs and affordable prices.
• Ed-a-Mamma: Famous Bollywood actresses Alia Bhatt launched her environment-conscious clothing line for children from the age group of 2-14 years. It is a home-grown brand mounting 'vocal for local'. Presently, the brand comes in 3 collections- Friends of the ocean, Veggie squad, and Candyland. Each of these collections has its signature prints. Keeping the environment in mind, the clothes are made of natural fibers with plastic-free buttons and trims. It also uses leftover fabric to make hair ties and little potlis. This way the brand contributed very little to the textile pollution and also encourages children to make better choices for the environment. Soon after launching the brand label on firstcry.com, within 6 weeks nearly 70% of its collection was sold out.
• Being human: Under the Being human foundation, Bollywood actor Salman Khan launched his brand having the same name. It was a tie-up with Cottonworld, cotton-linen clothing major. The brand produces T-shirts that are sold in offline stores and the Bookmyshow website. To expand the business, the brand also launched a limited-edition collection of watches. In the year 2011, Being Human partnered with Mandhana Retail Ventures Limited(MRVL) to design, manufacture, retail, market, and distribute globally all 'Being Human' retail merchandise. At present, the brand has a presence in 15 countries and has as many as 600 points of sale. The Being human brand was also able to sustain the business in West Asia and France and has reportedly earned Rs. 20.2 crore profit in 2016.
• Skult: Shahid Kapoor in association with Aditya Birla Retail launched Skult, an athleisure fashion brand in the year 2016. The word Skult is a combination of ’Shahid+ Cult'. It is built on the principle of fashion meets functionality and design meets innovation. The brand aims to target the millennials who believe in 'fashion is comfort'. The collection has been designed by Aditya Birla Online Fashion. The clothes are made up of lightweight fabrics like cotton viscose, slub jersey, grindles, melanges, snow heather, terry, lycra denim, cotton satin, and popcorn knit.
• Rheason: The Kapoor sister duo, actor Sonam Kapoor and film producer Rhea Kapoor together own a fashion label named “Rheason”, a high street fashion brand. It was officially launched in partnership with Shoppers Stop in May 2017. The brand doesn't have a specific target audience and is meant for every Indian girl. The designed collection include-Nostalgic 90s, Mogra, Denim, Emoji, and Mithai which can be described as quirky and affordable.
• NUSH: In 2017, actor and producer Anushka Sharma launched her brand NUSH in collaboration with Sauditi Industries. It is a clothing line that retails a combination of easy-breezy cuts, vibrant colors, happy prints, and low-maintenance casuals. On 12th October 2017, the debut collection of NUSH hit Shoppers Stop outlets comprising over 160 pieces. It is a cruelty-free brand whose bracket of target audience starts from 16 up till the age of 35. Today, the NUSH brand can be spotted on Myntra and multi-brand outlets across India.
• DreamSS: Apart from launching the Yoga app, recipe book, and fitness DVDs multitalented actress Shilpa Shetty also introduced her brand in 2020. Dream SS promises to deliver comfortable yet fashionable womenswear. Indian designers Charu and Sandeep Arora of Saisha also joined this venture, to design a timeless and trans-seasonal, and comfortable collection. The brand makes use of breathable fabrics from ethical vendors and the clothes are made for all body types.

Today, we can see that many of the above-mentioned retail brands owned by actors have become a staple for many. These celebrities started by creating a brand image for themselves and later used it for their new ventures. Being an actor turned entrepreneur doesn't promise success but it sure does give their brands an edge over others.