Merino reaches an apex in India with Andamen

Based in northern India, Andamen was founded with the aim of standing out in the world of fashion as an Indian luxury brand that embodies sophistication and excellence.

The brand predominantly uses natural fibres but, up until last year, had not used much wool.

However, that changed with the launch in November 2023 of the brand’s new Apex collection that is made using almost entirely Merino wool. The collection comprises 30 styles of jumpers, polo shirts and other tops for men, made from 100% Australian Merino wool, with some styles incorporating 10% cashmere.

The new collection incorporates Woolmark-certified yarns spun in Italy and China. The company uses 16-gauge German knitting machines for the manufacturing of the products, which are crafted in a boutique factory in Nepal.

A Woolmark-certified 100% Australian Merino wool crew top and jumper in Andamen’s Apex collection.

Founder & CEO of Andamen, Siddharth Suri: “Our collaboration with The Woolmark Company has been the cornerstone of our pursuit of excellence, achieving the highest standards.”

The Andamen logo is Rajan, the legendary ocean swimming elephant of the Andaman Islands.

Woolmark collaboration

Andamen’s choice of Merino wool for the collection is a result of work by The Woolmark Company team in India to educate and inspire Andamen about the premium, natural benefits of the fibre.

Founder & CEO of Andamen, Siddharth Suri, says the Apex collection is, as its name suggests, Andamen’s most luxurious ever line of apparel since the brand was launched in 2016.

“Seven years and a wonderful collaboration with The Woolmark Company led us to craft something that marries Indian heritage and global luxury,” Siddharth said.

“For Apex, we collaborated with Woolmark to source the world’s very best wool from Australian farms and crafted 30 exquisite, magnificent pieces. Each of them is luxuriously soft and quietly distinguished.”

For Andaman, luxury is not about exclusivity, it is about quality: the finest ingredients made with precision and care. All the products in the Apex collection are certified for quality by The Woolmark Company.

“Our collaboration with The Woolmark Company has been the cornerstone of our pursuit of excellence, achieving the highest standards.”
- Siddharth Suri, Founder & CEO of Andamen

Marketing of the collection

To promote the Apex collection, Andamen launched a digital direct-to-consumer marketing campaign to raise awareness of Merino wool’s premium and natural attributes, amongst aspirational Indian millennials and GenZ.

The Andamen website has a hub page, linked to from the home page, dedicated to the Apex collection. Each product page of the collection, at which customers can purchase the apparel, includes information about Merino wool’s performance benefits and eco-credentials, plus the quality assurance meaning of the Woolmark logo.

Promotion of the Australian Merino wool collection was complemented by a push on social media, including a video on YouTube of Siddharth Suri telling of his inspiration behind the collection.

Siddharth has been so inspired by the fibre that the brand is already working on developing a Merino wool collection for the spring/summer 2024 season and intends to market Merino polo T-shirts in the Indian spring/summer season.

More information: www.andamen.com

This article appeared in the March 2024 edition of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine. Reproduction of the article is encouraged.