Designers eye new buy-lanes

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James Ferreira

Fashion hubs like Milan, Paris and New York have always been dream destinations for Indian designers. However, countries ‘not so high on fashion’ are now entering designers’ busy calendars. Charu Parashar is already off to Lahore for Lahore Bridal Couture Week 2012.

And she is not alone. Recently many Indian fashion designers have made their presence felt at fashion weeks in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Fashion designer Manoviraj Khosla says that there is a growing market in countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan that Indian designers should try to make a mark in. “Since people in these countries are becoming conscious about fashion and opening up to buying designer wear, it makes sense to show our collection there. In 2011 when I went to show my collection at Colombo Fashion Week I wasn’t really looking at the business aspect of it, but this year I can see things working out,” says Khosla.
James Ferreira adds that it’s also cheaper to have a show in nearby countries. “It is very expensive to take all the collection to New York and have a show there. While Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are rather cheaper to have a show at, they are also bigger garment exporters than India,” says Ferreira.
He adds that the world is waking up to Indian fashion, “Something as basic as kurta pajama is gaining popularity overseas. And since the cultural difference between us and these countries is not as huge as with Milan or Paris, it get easier to find clients there.”
Charu Parashar insists that Indian designers are already selling in neighbourhood countries, “For instance, One By Ensemble, a store in Karachi, has Indian designers selling in Pakistan. Though designers from Pakistan do keep coming to India, there hasn’t been much movement from our side. Therefore, when I got the chance, I grabbed it.” She adds that a show in Lahore is not just about showing collection to people in that country but also a way to business destinations likes Dubai. “One show there can open avenues in other places also,” she adds.
Designer Joy Mitra, who retails in stores in Los Angeles and Dubai, is participating in Fiji Fashion Week 2012. “One also gets to know about the fashion scenes in these countries and draw inspiration from there. Most of these countries might not be very high in business yet, but a designer is like an artist who would like to show his creation at new places,” says Mitra.