As one of India’s pioneering women’s bottomwear brands, De Moza has redefined the fashion landscape by turning what was once considered a secondary category into a core style essential. Over the last decade, De Moza has transformed everyday bottomwear into statement pieces that combine comfort, fit, and fashion relevance for women across India. With a deep understanding of consumer needs, meticulous fabric research, and a focus on design-led innovation, the brand has built trust, loyalty, and an enviable presence in the market. In this exclusive interview, Agnes Raja George, Founder of De Moza, shares the brand’s journey, philosophy, and roadmap for the future with Gurbir Singh Gulati, Editor-in-Chief, www.infashionbusiness.com. 

THE BRAND JOURNEY & VISION

De Moza completes a decade in 2026; a significant milestone for any homegrown fashion brand. Looking back, how would you define De Moza’s journey from a leggings-first brand to a fashion-led bottomwear destination?

Completing ten years is deeply meaningful for us because De Moza was built on a very clear belief that women’s bottomwear deserves the same design focus, innovation, and respect as tops and dresses.

When we started, most fashion brands were driven by topwear and seasonal statements. Bottomwear was often treated as an afterthought. We took a very different view. Women don’t shop individual garments—they shop complete looks, and every look depends on the right bottomwear.

Over the decade, De Moza has evolved from a narrow category start into a women’s bottomwear-led fashion brand. From entry-level everyday pants to western casuals, fusion silhouettes, and denim, our journey has been about elevating bottomwear from an overlooked category into a core fashion essential.

When you started De Moza, the Indian women’s bottomwear segment was largely under-served. What were the key gaps you identified then, and how has De Moza addressed them over the last ten years?

When we started De Moza, three gaps were very clear:

• - Bottomwear was treated as a secondary add-on rather than a core fashion category
• - Inconsistent fits, especially for Indian body types
• - Poor fabric performance, where comfort and shape didn’t last through the day
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We addressed these issues early by investing in fit block development, fabric engineering, and complete in-house design control.

One of the most defining outcomes of this approach has been our entry-level pants category—needle pants, kurti pants, and cigarette pants. These were designed to offer all-day comfort using fine cotton-stretch fabrics, while still delivering clean silhouettes, better structure, and functional pockets. They became the everyday solution for women who wanted ease without compromising on appearance.

Alongside this, we built strong foundation and support categories such as shapewear and layering products. These categories created continuity, repeat purchases, and brand trust—forming a solid base that allowed us to confidently scale into western casual and fusion bottomwear aligned with evolving lifestyles.

DISRUPTING WOMEN’S BOTTOMWEAR

De Moza was envisioned as a disruptive brand in women’s bottomwear. What, according to you, truly sets De Moza apart in a crowded and competitive fashion market today?

What sets De Moza apart is specialisation with intent.

Most fashion brands still treat bottomwear as secondary. At De Moza, bottomwear is the starting point of the look. We design bottoms that anchor the outfit allowing women to mix and match effortlessly with tops, kurtas, shirts, and outerwear.

Our strength lies in combining comfort engineering with fashion relevance; from structured everyday pants to palazzos, culottes, straight pants, denim casuals, and fusion silhouettes. Every product is designed for real movement, real workdays, and real lives.

The brand has successfully transformed everyday bottomwear into statement pieces. How important has design thinking and comfort-led innovation been in shaping De Moza’s identity?

Comfort has always been non-negotiable for us.

At De Moza, design begins with how a garment feels after a full day of wear, not how it looks on a hanger. This comfort-first philosophy allows us to create bottomwear that women trust and return to styles that are fashionable, functional, and dependable. That trust is what has sustained the brand for a decade.

CURRENT PRODUCT PORTFOLIO

Could you take us through De Moza’s current product portfolio and explain how it caters to different age groups, lifestyles, and usage occasions?

Today, De Moza’s portfolio is clearly structured around women’s everyday and lifestyle needs:

1.       Entry-Level & Everyday Pants (Core Volume Drivers) Needle pants, kurti pants, and cigarette pants offering stretch, structure, and functional pockets designed as everyday fashion bottoms.
2.       Western Casual & Fusion Bottomwear (Fastest-Growing Segment) Straight pants, palazzos, culottes, pleated and flared styles in rayon, viscose, linen blends, shimmer fabrics, and ponte—ideal for workwear, travel, and social dressing.
3.      Denim & Indo-Western Casuals (Emerging Focus) Denim joggers, palazzos, culottes, and cigarette pants designed with relaxed fits and comfort-led detailing.
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5. Supporting these are foundation and layering categories such as shapewear and innerwear-support styles, which strengthen repeat behaviour and omnichannel performance.

1. Comfort remains central to De Moza’s philosophy. How do fabric innovation, fit research, and in-house design processes influence product development at the brand?

We invest deeply in research, studying global trends, visiting mills to understand new-age fabrics, and testing them with our best-selling fit blocks. We gather early consumer feedback before scaling successful designs.

This process is critical because the Indian consumer is highly diverse, and fit preferences vary significantly across regions. By managing the entire process in-house, with strong quality control across the supply chain, we ensure consistency, comfort, and long-term performance.

GROWTH STRATEGY & 2026 ROADMAP

As De Moza steps into its next growth phase, what are the key strategic priorities for 2026 in terms of brand building, product innovation, and market expansion?

2026 is both a milestone and a reset. Our priorities are clear:

• - Strengthen De Moza’s positioning as India’s bottomwear fashion expert
• - Accelerate growth in western casual and fusion bottomwear
• - Expand denim and coordinated looks
• - Scale throughput with existing networks
• - Build new partnerships with innovative business models
• - Strengthen our EBO network with a sharper, dynamic product portfolio
• - Improve store productivity and operational efficiency
• - Build stronger omnichannel visibility

The focus is not rapid expansion, but relevant, sustainable scale.

The brand is entering denim with jeans, jeggings, skirts, and fusion-led ethnic styles. What prompted this expansion, and how do these new categories strengthen De Moza’s positioning as a complete bottomwear destination?

We track external trends and internal product performance very closely. Today’s consumer is well-informed, fashion-aware, and expects brands to evolve.

To lead in fashion bottomwear, we need to be present across relevant categories. Denim is a natural extension of our expertise and strengthens De Moza’s positioning as a complete bottomwear destination.

RETAIL PRESENCE & DISTRIBUTION

How is De Moza currently positioned across EBOs, MBOs, and large-format stores, and how important is offline retail in the brand’s growth strategy?

Offline remains our strongest channel. Over the last decade, we’ve built deep penetration through large-format stores and MBO networks. Today, over 90% of our revenue comes from offline retail, and this will continue to be a key growth driver.

What are your retail and distribution expansion plans for 2026, and which states and cities are emerging as key focus markets?

Large-format stores remain our primary channel, with over 500 points of sale. We currently operate around 15 EBOs and expect to double this next year, focusing on deeper penetration in existing South and North Indian markets.

Partnerships and collaborations with retail partners will be a major focus area.

E-COMMERCE, QUICK COMMERCE & OMNICHANNEL

E-commerce has become a critical growth driver for fashion brands. How has De Moza performed online so far, and what are your plans to scale the brand further in the digital space?

We’ve been consciously scaling online with strong marketplace penetration. Over the coming year, we plan to expand into new international markets as part of our digital growth strategy.

With quick commerce gaining momentum, is De Moza exploring this channel? How do you view quick commerce for categories like everyday bottomwear and essentials?

Yes, quick commerce is on our roadmap. We’re currently curating a focused product line suited for this channel and expect to go live in the coming year.

EXPLORING NEW RETAIL FRONTIERS

Airport retail is fast emerging as a premium and high-visibility channel. Is De Moza considering airport retail, and how does it fit into your larger omnichannel roadmap?

As of now our focus is in scaling the existing markets once we reach a significant mass will explore to this market. For bottom wear we still see less scope in this market.

INNOVATION, DESIGN & CONSUMER RELEVANCE

Fashion is evolving rapidly with changing consumer lifestyles. How does De Moza ensure its designs, fabrics, and fits stay relevant while maintaining consistency in quality and comfort?

Our approach combines global trend research, fabric innovation, early consumer feedback, and strong in-house quality processes. Indian consumer behaviour is highly nuanced, and our ability to adapt fits and fabrics region-wise while maintaining brand consistency is a key strength.

THE ROAD AHEAD As De Moza looks beyond 2026, how do you envision the brand evolving over the next few years in terms of scale, positioning, and consumer connect?

Our focus is to further strengthen De Moza’s position as a fashion bottomwear expert, while gradually building it into a comprehensive women’s lifestyle brand across relevant product categories.

Finally, is there anything we haven’t asked that you would like to share with our readers about De Moza’s journey or what lies ahead?

What I’d like readers to know is that De Moza’s journey has never been about chasing trends; it has been about building depth, trust, and relevance in a category that was long ignored.

As we step into the next decade, our commitment remains the same: to design bottomwear that fits real women, real lives, and real aspirations. The next phase of De Moza will be defined by sharper design, stronger partnerships, and thoughtful growth - staying true to who we are, while evolving with the consumer.

CONCLUSION

As De Moza celebrates a decade of redefining women’s bottomwear, the brand stands as a beacon of thoughtful design, comfort-led innovation, and unwavering commitment to real women’s lifestyles. From elevating everyday pants into fashion statements to expanding into denim and fusion wear, De Moza has consistently challenged conventions while staying true to its core philosophy. With a clear vision for 2026 and beyond, the brand is poised to strengthen its position as India’s definitive bottomwear fashion expert, building deeper consumer trust, expanding thoughtfully across channels, and shaping the future of women’s fashion one perfectly crafted garment at a time.