The success of Indian fashion is inextricably linked to Sunil Sethi, the chief of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI). In a conversation with Saimi Sattar, he reveals how the industry has changed during the pandemic and why we are more comfortable in our skins now
Anyone who has been to the Fashion Weeks couldn’t have help but noticed a dapper man who seems to be everywhere doing a zillion things per second. Directing the seating, ensuring that ruffled egos are pacified, views are not obstructed and more — all of this — without a single hair out of place or a wrinkle on his perfectly-fitted suit. There is no mistaking the fact that while the designers might take their ensembles to the stage, it is Sunil Sethi — the chief of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) since its inception in 2008 — who owns it. Not surprisingly, Sethi is a style icon in his own right. He sported a beard, long before it was fashionable, topped off with a perfectly curled-up mustachio that had turned silver just like his hair. Yes, before it became a trend during the lockdown, Sethi owns his greying hair with so much elan that it has become a part of his dynamic persona.
When I connect with him over a call, he comments — matter-of-factly — about how he’s been unable to reach his office even though it’s post-noon, as he has been busy firefighting over the phone. He says, with a laugh, “When the day ends, all of us don’t know what have we accomplished,” before getting down to the more serious business of fashion and the forthcoming Indian Couture Week, which kickstarts today. Excerpts from the interview:
How have the fashion weeks and the industry changed since everything shifted online during the pandemic?
I’m quite old school and never really shifted to the digital world. But this one-and-a-half year has taught me its benefits. We realised how fashion was missing this link. This is the second digital Couture Week. Look at the number of people we can connect with now. In this new setup, problems of front-rows don’t exist, neither is there an issue about managing crowds and putting up large structures.
The stress, now, is that the designers were initially not used to making top-level films since we were doing live shows. But technology worked for us really fast and Indian designers have adopted it. As they are in command, they decided whether they will shoot in a farmhouse or a beach or a haveli or a forest, or a palace, or inside a studio as they work in coordination with the Director of Photography. Now, they decide how they want to present their product. Earlier there were many variables.
Also, you have to see that Indian fashion designers’ capability and creativity have come out as the films are very, very crisp. Unlike live shows, films help the designers to focus on the surface textures, embroideries and silhouettes that they want to highlight or emphasise upon.
The rise of social media has changed the way fashion is consumed as there is an emphasis on looking good, whether it be reels or webinars...
We were taking longer to achieve this. There was a time when everyone said, ‘fashion is for the elite’. Every journalist asserted that ‘fashion is overpriced’. It’s taken the last 10 years for the FDCI to bring fashion to many different levels where ‘affordable fashion’ is what many of the designers are doing. They’re doing slow, sustainable fashion while also being engaged in couture.
With social media, the fact that everybody wanted to look good has been highlighted a bit more. Designer-wear is much sought after. In every nook and corner of the country, you see signboards that say ‘designer-wear’. And who is the designer? Always an Indian.
I’ve just been a part of a jury where people from different parts of the country have enlisted to become models. I couldn’t imagine people coming from Kullu, Dharamshala, Aizawl, Dehradun and more. I’ve designers from Amritsar, Puducherry and Jalandhar. This was unheard of earlier as people came from Delhi Mumbai, Kolkata. People are studying fashion, returning to their city and practising it there.
It seems, with the influx of Insta and all, there’s competition where everyone wants to outdo themselves by coming up with different reels or using accessories. At the end of the day, the beneficiary is the designer. So, it’s good that people are learning about different fashions and styles. I see this as a positive.
I worry that maybe fashion is moving too fast. My concern is that it would take the people a bit more time to realise their responsibility towards slow fashion. But sooner or later, they’ll certainly understand the importance of sustainability.
One thing that the pandemic has taught us is to reach back into our wardrobes and see that there are so many styles, accessories and ensembles that we haven’t used in the past three or four years. Since the shops were shut, during this time, a lot of the fashion came out of their existing wardrobe. We shouldn’t forget the lesson we are learning during this time. People will have to recycle, repurpose and reuse — not just as buzzwords to get attention but — to adopt these as an ideology. It’s no longer a total taboo to wear the same dress, sari or jacket a second time. More than one-and-a-half years back, if an actor or a celebrity repeated a dress, the fashion police were sure to point it out. But no one will talk about that now. If someone repeats, they make a statement. Yesterday, I read that Vidya Balan doesn’t want to be photoshopped... so people are now proud and accept who they are.
Fashion has been called one of the most polluting industries. Has the pandemic given an impetus to move towards sustainable fashion?
I am doing a national competition with Blenders Pride called Showcase. Its tagline is ‘My Planet, My Pride’ and all the 10 young designers who have been selected have been given six dresses each. Contributed by 60 FDCI designers, these are ones which were unsold, out of fashion, not moving or had a slight defect or sample pieces. So, these young designers have to create a collection combining maybe a Rajesh Pratap minimalist with JJ Valaya embroidery with a cotton print from Paromita Banerjee done with vegetable dyes, a Dhruv Kapoor denim and silk by Samant Chauhan. The winner will be decided based on how these are utilised to create an ensemble and that’s it is called, ‘My Planet, My Pride’.
When big corporates are going ahead and doing stuff like this, then you know the whole world will follow suit. The FDCI is powering this.
Sabyasachi has tied up with H&M recently. Are more designers moving towards affordable fashion?
Yes, I do. I feel affordable fashion is very important because that stigma of it being just for the elite has been removed. But affordable could also mean buying directly from the weaver or the maker of an accessory. With so many designers working with weavers, the latter’s sensibilities, too, have evolved. Affordable saris, in colours and motifs that you want to wear, are now available. These are traditional but have been contemporarised.
You were a proponent of ‘Made in India’ much before the phrase gained currency. You took brands abroad and marketed them under their own names. How did you have the foresight to do so?
There was no foresight. I learnt from the West. All the buyers and international designers that visited me, 30 years ago around 1989-90, were not looking for the same products that I was. The furniture that we were discarding from our houses was what they wanted. They valued vegetable dyes and block printing while we were moving fast towards screen printing. It was the western eye which helped me appreciate our Indian-ness. The fact that I was successful in selling to the western store meant that it was the ‘Made in India’ tag which gave me my identity.
When they opened Armani Casa, sometime in the 90s, for the first time, I was invited as many of my products were selling there. I dressed in a black Indian bandhgala, which everyone wears everywhere nowadays, because I wanted to stand in my Indian identity. The fact that we were able to get Indian products into Armani Casa was a feather in our caps.
My entire business was dependent on my Indian identity. So I always did that, whether it was rugs, textiles, handicrafts or fashion. I did take pride in the ‘Made in India’ brand much before anyone did. Also, when you are exporting, unless you know what is the speciality of India, how can you sell it? I realised that everyone looks at our craftsmen and artisans in awe. That kind of talent is probably not there in other countries. There was a distinct advantage of being Indian.
Would you say that we are more confident in our skins, about who we are as compared to 30 years back?
Very, very, very much. Everybody knows that it’s important to be comfortable in any brand that you choose to wear. It is no longer important that it is bought from the best shop in town. People have that particular look of Fabindia or Anokhi which has been recreated by other smaller brands online. And people are comfortable sporting that style. They are secure in their Indian identity... but their style, as well. Comfort has replaced fast-moving trends.
People have stopped talking about the ‘little black dress’. Earlier, everywhere you went, you found women wearing different versions of it. Now, they wear their style and no one bothers. People are allowing others to be who they are.
Yo can see, I’ve sported a beard for a long time. But several people are doing that now. Many people, mostly men, have also stopped dying their hair. You see a lot of silver-streaked men now. Being alive is more important than being in trend.
You were one of the first people who dared to go grey?
That is also because I am supported by my age. But, yes, I did it much earlier.
What can we look forward to in this Couture Week?
Digital has made it possible to move from 10-12 shows to 19 of them. The best thing about digital is that designers are so excited about their own signature collections. Two of them travelled with crews to other parts of the country to film. Many went to five-star hotels to shoot while others have found havelis which haven’t been used for the purpose earlier. People are trying to bring in an era of luxury. I am impressed with the effort everyone is making only because of the choice of location.
During the pandemic, there was also enough time to come out with a fantastic collection and products. Moreover, retail is opening up. I am sure what is shown will be lapped up. For the next six months to a year, they will easily sell from what they are going to show.
Accessories will also play an important part in Couture Week. It will be a treat for people to watch. Moreover, if you miss out on a show, you can always go back.
The added advantage is that you don’t have to be turning up in your Sunday best where paparazzi are eyeing what you wear. You can attend it in the comfort of your home and your dress. And you won’t even miss a show as you can easily catch all the action on social media channels later.