Thanks to the festival season ahead, fashion designers were flooded with orders from domestic and international market at the India fashion week. By Divya Kaushik
It was the fourth day of the fashion week and apart from the regular hustle bustle of models running around in unfinished makeup and designers rushing backstage with a few men carrying the neatly ironed garments, silence gripped the stall area. A peek from the glass walls of the make-shift stalls revealed a designer chatting seriously with a few people. Garments were laid around and the assistants were rapidly making notes. There was hardly any vacant stall. It was therefore easy to come to the conclusion.
No matter what the ramp lineup of the fashion week looked like, WIFW Spring/Summer 2014 was strictly about business. It seems our fashion weeks are finally emerging as the platform for serious business. The designers can’t agree more. “It has been the best year in terms of business. There were buyers since day one and thanks to the festive season ahead that even the designers who are not showcasing on ramp at the fashion weeks are flooded with orders both from the domestic and international market,” points out designer Samant Chauhan, who has not only got some new buyers this season but his orders have doubled up. “It is because of the cuts and subtle embroidery. Not everyone wants to go for glittering garments,” he comments.
A good mix
On one hand there were masters like Tarun Tahiliani, Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna and Wendell Rodricks and on the other there were Rahul Mishra, Gaurav Jai Gupta, Gautam Gupta, Masaba and Vaishali S. Surprisingly all the designer spaces were full with buyers. “This was an ideal situation. The new designers and others who managed an entire collection for the show, showcased on the ramp. The emerging ones got a good platform and the designers who are already well-known and have fixed buyers had their stalls. So in terms of business the fashion week was planned perfectly. And this is how it should be, our fashion weeks should come across as serious ones to the international buyers and that is happening now,” says Rahul Mishra. The fact that there was very less drama happening at the venue of the fashion week indicates that the fashion exhibition is taking a different turn attracting more buyers from all over the globe.
Business at home
Those days are passé when business at fashion weeks meant fixed buyers from the Middle East and a few from the European countries. Business in domestic market was limited to wedding wear till a few years ago. But the change is very much visible now. With more understanding of fashion even tier two and tier three cities have a demand of designer wear. Keeping this in mind there are multi-designers stores who are placing bulk orders. “I have a row of shows lined up in India in the coming days. People are open to trying different silhouettes, are more fashion conscious now and have good disposable income. Fashion is something that makes them feel good, so in the domestic market we have never really faced a tough time. Festive season ahead is also adding to the business. Most of my festive line is sold,” says Mishra. Designer Charu Parashar adds, “In cities like Ahmedabad and lucknow my clothes are in huge demand. I have expanded my clientele. Since we are an Indian brand we want to strengthen our brand position in our home country first.” Designer Krishna Mehra, who is known for the use of Indian crafts in her designs, is also famous on the home turf.
Destination India
If you would have spoken to buyers at the fashion week a couple of years ago they would have said that they come to Indian for their flowy, kaftan-kind silhouettes and their embroidery. But young designers like Gaurav Jai Gupta, who target European markets, are a hit in the Western world. “My collection is different and it keeps in mind the European sensibilities. I have buyers from london, Hong Kong and Kuwait. I was at the fashion week after three seasons and the business has increased manifold for me. I think the awareness on the good work that Indian designers are doing globally is getting us more business,” he comments. Hiba Al Ateeqi from Kuwait has been coming here for last eight years. She has experienced the revolution Indian designs have gone through. “When I first came to India I had low expectations. I thought it will be only about colours and bling, but I was astonished to see the work. I think why Indian designers are in demand globally is because they combine Indian elements with European cut. Each designer is unique like Gauri and Nainika do classic shapes, Atsu and Samant some wonderful embroidery,” she says.