MyDesignation Raises Rs 40 Crore Series A to Scale Regional D2C Fashion Brand Through Offline Expansion
Kerala-based husband-wife duo builds culturally inspired streetwear with curated drop model targeting 8 new stores by 2027
MyDesignation, a Kerala-headquartered direct-to-consumer fashion and lifestyle brand, has raised Rs 40 crore (approximately $4.8 million) in a Series A funding round led by RPSG Capital Ventures, with strong participation from existing investor Veltis Capital, who doubled their equity stake. Other existing investors—Multiply Ventures and Dominor Investments—also participated.
Founded in 2020 by husband-wife duo Swaroop Krishnan and Gopika B Raj, MyDesignation has built its presence through a digital-first model and community-led brand positioning, blending culturally inspired storytelling with contemporary streetwear aesthetics. The brand claims to have served over one million customers nationwide and operates five exclusive brand outlets in Bengaluru, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kozhikode.
For D2C operators, MyDesignation demonstrates how regional brands can scale nationally by combining cultural authenticity with operational discipline and strategic offline expansion.
Curated Drop Model vs Fast Fashion Hundreds
Unlike many fashion brands that launch hundreds of new styles each week, MyDesignation follows a curated drop model, releasing a limited number of designs with strong attention to craft and detail. This disciplined approach allows the brand to maintain creative integrity while building meaningful connection with its community. The brand claims nearly 90% of its designs are unique and non-repetitive.
Gopika B Raj, Chief Creative Officer, emphasized: for every product or design we launch, originality is non-negotiable. Our work cannot resemble or replicate what already exists in the market. We invest significant time in research and creative development to ensure that every piece we release is distinctive, culturally rooted, and expressive in its own right.
This approach creates differentiation through scarcity and quality rather than volume and velocity. The return rate below 5% and 4.8-star Google rating based on over 7,100 reviews validate the strategy.
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Offline Expansion: 8 New Stores by 2027
The fresh capital will be deployed toward expanding offline retail footprint through company-owned stores, strengthening senior leadership, and launching new product categories. MyDesignation targets eight new stores by end of 2027 in cities including Chennai, Hyderabad, and further scaling in Bengaluru.
This mirrors a broader trend: D2C fashion brands that built initial traction online are now taking the offline route to enable the next phase of growth. Snitch raised $40 million Series B last year to double down on physical presence. Bonkers Corner generates 35% of total revenue from 22 offline stores versus 5% from marketplaces. Brands cite tighter control over margins, pricing, and overall customer experience as key drivers.
Swaroop Krishnan, Co-Founder, noted: this Series A fundraise marks an important milestone in our journey. The capital will enable us to scale our offline presence through own outlets, invest in senior talent, and expand into new categories while building a disciplined and sustainable growth trajectory.
Independence From Marketplaces Creates Pricing Power for MyDesignation
MyDesignation has maintained independence from third-party marketplaces, selling primarily through its own website and exclusive brand outlets. This strategy allows full control over customer relationships, pricing, branding, and distribution—advantages that marketplace-dependent brands surrender.
Customer centricity remains central to growth strategy, reinforced by strong digital following of over 6.2 lakh Instagram followers. The brand combines digital community engagement with physical retail experiences, creating an omnichannel strategy that captures customers across touchpoints.
Sambit Dash, Partner at RPSG Capital Ventures, highlighted the investment thesis: MyDesignation stands out for its sharp design sensibility and authentic storytelling, which have helped it build a deeply engaged and loyal consumer community. The founders bring a rare mix of creativity, passion, and disciplined execution.
What can we learn from MyDesignation
First, cultural authenticity creates differentiation. Generic streetwear faces commoditization. MyDesignation’s culturally rooted designs—drawing from traditional art forms, mythology, regional heritage—provide storytelling depth that mass-market brands cannot replicate.
Second, curated drop models build community over volume. Fast fashion trains customers to expect constant newness at low prices. Curated drops train customers to anticipate quality over quantity, creating higher perceived value and stronger brand loyalty.
Third, marketplace independence preserves pricing power. D2C brands relying on Amazon, Flipkart, or Myntra face pricing pressure, discovery costs, and customer data limitations. Owned channels provide margin control and first-party data.
Fourth, offline expansion complements digital-first origins. The physical stores serve multiple functions: brand experience centers, customer acquisition channels, and margin-accretive revenue streams. For fashion, tactile experience matters—offline stores let customers touch fabrics, try fits, experience brand storytelling in physical space. For D2C fashion operators, the strategic playbook: build differentiation through cultural authenticity and design discipline, adopt curated drops instead of fast-fashion volume, maintain marketplace independence to control pricing and data, and plan offline expansion to capture customers who prefer physical shopping while preserving digital-first efficiency.
