Brand Studio Lifestyle, the Bengaluru-based fashion powerhouse known for its success in India’s thriving D2C landscape, has made its international debut by opening three flagship stores in the UAE. This marks a significant step for the company as it transforms from a digital-first disruptor into a global retail player. Alongside this Middle East expansion, the company also plans to strengthen its presence in India with the launch of 38 new stores by the end of the fiscal year.
Founded on a strong D2C model, Brand Studio Lifestyle manages popular brands such as Highlander, Tokyo Talkies, Vishudh, Locomotive, and Ketch. Its growth strategy has long relied on a digital-first, consumer-centric approach—a hallmark of India’s modern D2C wave. With its latest move, the company is exporting this D2C-led model to international markets, starting with the GCC region.
In partnership with Dubai-based Raphael Lifestyle, the brand has opened three new stores—one in Dubai’s BurJuman Mall (5,000 sq ft) and two in Sharjah (Mega Mall: 5,000 sq ft; Sahara Centre: 9,000 sq ft). These outlets mark the first leg of an international rollout, with seven more stores planned across the GCC. According to CEO and Co-founder Shyam S. Prasad, the launch is a natural extension of their successful D2C strategy in India, aiming to build a strong omnichannel footprint in the Middle East.
Back home, the company currently operates 37 stores, split between 4 company-owned (COCO) and 33 franchise-operated (COFO) formats. With the addition of 38 more stores across key markets like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Punjab, and Haryana, the brand aims to nearly double its physical retail presence to 75 outlets. In parallel, the company is also setting up 600 shop-in-shop formats across large multi-brand and format stores to further enhance accessibility and reach.
Brand Studio Lifestyle’s growth remains deeply rooted in its D2C DNA. E-commerce contributes around 60% of its revenue, physical retail 25%, and direct-to-consumer channels another 8%, with the rest coming from third-party sales. Last year, the company recorded a GMV of ₹1,200 crore and is targeting ₹1,300 crore this fiscal. To fuel this scale, the company has allocated ₹25 crore for marketing and store expansion.
The brand’s entry into Dubai signals a broader trend among Indian D2C companies: moving beyond digital and domestic success into international markets while maintaining a tight grip on customer experience, brand storytelling, and agile distribution. It represents the growing confidence of Indian D2C brands to take their homegrown success models global.
With its expansion into the GCC and aggressive rollout in India, Brand Studio Lifestyle is not just growing—it’s redefining what the next phase of D2C growth looks like for Indian fashion. The brand stands as a compelling example of how a digitally native, consumer-first approach can scale across both borders and channels, marking a new chapter in India’s evolving D2C narrative.
