For those of you who are moms, you know that pregnancy lasts beyond the 9 months. For those not yet mommies, I say ‘beyond the 9 months’ because you are not going to feel the same physically or emotionally for a long time to come.
Emotionally you can feel ecstatic and overwhelmed all within an hour…. But physically you have changed permanently. Whether it’s those engorged breasts or the still protruding (though jelly like) uterus, minus the baby! Add to that the weight you’ve picked up during the pregnancy. Getting back in shape WILL take time…anywhere between 6-9 months. Which means that you need those maternity clothes much longer than you had initially anticipated. And here is where I think there is a huge gap between demand and supply.
When I first started buying maternity wear, I was amazed at how expensive it can be. Even if you want to spend three thousand bucks on that sad looking maternity dress, you will be disappointed by the lack of options, especially if you prefer western wear.
The reason retailers (and there are just 2 serious ones in the market!) focus on Indian kurtis/tunics and salwars is clear… there is more demand for them. Remember how even Ash R Bachchan was mostly seen in Indian clothes when preggers? It’s just an Indian thing to cover up and not accentuate the belly bump. The western wear in stores comes from foreign brands the retailers have tied up with. Their lines are limited (through my 9 months of pregnancy, the western wear line changed once!) and not very easy on the pocket.
Even as I conditioned myself to wearing empire cut kurtis, one fine day I stumbled upon a treasure chest online! A reputed international maternity wear brand had a limited edition sale on an Indian online shopping website. The prices were affordable and more importantly, the clothes were designed to make a pregnant woman feel cute and happy (as opposed to clothed Humpty or Dumpty, take your pick!). The dresses were flirty, the tops doubled up as nursing wear and the denim pants came in more colours than blue! I had hit jackpot!
I went click happy of course but I kept wondering why Indian designers/manufacturers can’t make use of this excellent gap in the market through online sales. And I think it’s a great way for a young designer to develop a niche. There is no cost of a showroom, no store manager to pay and the volumes you need to produce are manageable in a limited infrastructure! All you need is someone who can manage your website and orders and if you’d rather not find that person, tie up with one of the many successful online shopping portals. But design for the ‘upwardly mobile’ pregnant woman FIRST! She is net savvy and looking for good design for which she may be willing to pay a premium.
The baby beckons now, but I’m hoping the next time the stork is calling and I need a fashion forward garment to take away those pregnancy blues, there is someone creative and enterprising out there who dares to deliver!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
LAND OF THE RISING SUN!
“Before I came here, Indian fashion to me was brightly printed scarves and beads only” says Yuki Okuma from Japan’s Flapper Corporation that has its own stores and also serves as a wholesale supplier to niche luxury boutiques in the country.
Mr.Okuma is visiting an Indian fashion week for the first time and he is surprised at the quality and design on display at WIFW SS 2012. “I see very contemporary and progressive designs. I like how traditional Indian elements are used in a modern way,” says Mr Okuma.
Mana Takai from another Japanese fashion store chain- Borny- feels the same. “The designs are very original and different,” she says.
While Flapper’s Corporation is looking at placing orders from designers like Namrata Joshipura, Ranna Gill and Savio Jon, Borny is considering working with Ranna Gill and a few accessory designers.
While Flapper’s and Borny are first time buyers at WIFW, buyers from Japan have always been present at the event.
Luxury store Sun Motoyama as well as Beams have earlier stocked designers like Tarun Tahiliani in their stores… and this year they are back to look for more Indian talent. In fact, up to ten buyers at WIFW are from Japan this season. And that is encouraging since after the devastating tsunami, the Japanese sentiment to buy is still very low.
Mr. Okuma from Flapper’s says that the past 6 months have been very challenging considering demand from their retail buyers has fallen sharply. Borny’s Ms.Takai says that sales are down 50% this year.
The low sales in Japan mean that even though buyers from the country are here, their order sizes may be much smaller than in financially healthier times. However, the silver lining is that most Japanese buyers find Indian products competitively priced to the global market and are also happy with the product quality. So as the country bounces back in spirit and bank balances, it will be an advantage for Indian designers to build on relationships with the land of the rising sun. Here’s praying for the present gloom to rise and vanish from Japan.
Mr.Okuma is visiting an Indian fashion week for the first time and he is surprised at the quality and design on display at WIFW SS 2012. “I see very contemporary and progressive designs. I like how traditional Indian elements are used in a modern way,” says Mr Okuma.
Mana Takai from another Japanese fashion store chain- Borny- feels the same. “The designs are very original and different,” she says.
While Flapper’s Corporation is looking at placing orders from designers like Namrata Joshipura, Ranna Gill and Savio Jon, Borny is considering working with Ranna Gill and a few accessory designers.
While Flapper’s and Borny are first time buyers at WIFW, buyers from Japan have always been present at the event.
Luxury store Sun Motoyama as well as Beams have earlier stocked designers like Tarun Tahiliani in their stores… and this year they are back to look for more Indian talent. In fact, up to ten buyers at WIFW are from Japan this season. And that is encouraging since after the devastating tsunami, the Japanese sentiment to buy is still very low.
Mr. Okuma from Flapper’s says that the past 6 months have been very challenging considering demand from their retail buyers has fallen sharply. Borny’s Ms.Takai says that sales are down 50% this year.
The low sales in Japan mean that even though buyers from the country are here, their order sizes may be much smaller than in financially healthier times. However, the silver lining is that most Japanese buyers find Indian products competitively priced to the global market and are also happy with the product quality. So as the country bounces back in spirit and bank balances, it will be an advantage for Indian designers to build on relationships with the land of the rising sun. Here’s praying for the present gloom to rise and vanish from Japan.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
WHY AUNTIE JI IS A DESIGNER'S BEST FRIEND!
You know how most designers talk about getting the balance right in a look? Like if the dress is too loud, keep the make-up subtle or if the kameez is full of embellishment, let the churidaar be less outspoken? Balance then is key to a good outfit and certainly in achieving the right look.
When you walk into a designer store though, you’d find the balance tilted. Leaving out a handful (less than that even!), most Indian designers tilt their store inventories and displays towards good old Indian fare. So while on the ramp you find them experimenting with pure or adapted western silhouettes, the story when it comes to production and demand from Indian buyers remains skewed towards the desi fare.
And here’s why.
‘Auntie you look stunning!’ I’ve heard that more than a few times inside designer stores. While young India is increasingly shopping for design, a huge chunk of demand for designer clothes comes from 40 plus ladies. These are women who are getting kids married, have a hectic social life and whose spouses are top notch executives or good old businessmen. There is a certain social competition in these circles to wear the right designer tag and money is not a big problem. There is the unwillingness to wear anything but Indian and the brief is to make an older/bigger body look small and graceful. Masters at Indian silhouettes and karigari, our designers are more than capable of supplying to this demand and making their money so then why bother too much with western wear.
In fact, a top boutique owner recently told me that western wear is only the tadka, eventually you need your dal as the base. At least in this chain, I was informed that the Indian wear to western wear sales ratio stood at 70:30. My hunch is it wouldn’t be much different in other designer boutiques.
And why not? Because, like in any business, bhaiya sabse bada rupiah! And the rupiah is with auntie ji.
When you walk into a designer store though, you’d find the balance tilted. Leaving out a handful (less than that even!), most Indian designers tilt their store inventories and displays towards good old Indian fare. So while on the ramp you find them experimenting with pure or adapted western silhouettes, the story when it comes to production and demand from Indian buyers remains skewed towards the desi fare.
And here’s why.
‘Auntie you look stunning!’ I’ve heard that more than a few times inside designer stores. While young India is increasingly shopping for design, a huge chunk of demand for designer clothes comes from 40 plus ladies. These are women who are getting kids married, have a hectic social life and whose spouses are top notch executives or good old businessmen. There is a certain social competition in these circles to wear the right designer tag and money is not a big problem. There is the unwillingness to wear anything but Indian and the brief is to make an older/bigger body look small and graceful. Masters at Indian silhouettes and karigari, our designers are more than capable of supplying to this demand and making their money so then why bother too much with western wear.
In fact, a top boutique owner recently told me that western wear is only the tadka, eventually you need your dal as the base. At least in this chain, I was informed that the Indian wear to western wear sales ratio stood at 70:30. My hunch is it wouldn’t be much different in other designer boutiques.
And why not? Because, like in any business, bhaiya sabse bada rupiah! And the rupiah is with auntie ji.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
THE DHANDA IS NOT MANDA!
Another season of WIFW ended a week ago. And while I could talk about some great design and emerging trends, the focus of this piece remains the business generated at this trade event.
Now before I start, here are two disclaimers. First, the designer fraternity is not forthcoming about numbers. They don’t have to be, they are all private businesses. Second, the percentages mentioned are approximate only, since these were shared on the last day of WIFW and even though they have a fair idea, lots of math needs to be done before designers arrive at exact figures.
If you’ve been following my blog (thanks!) you already know that a large number of designers are happy to report a rise in orders from domestic players. In general too, business has increased and in some cases been status-quo. No decline for anyone (at least no one shared it!) and that’s always heartening to hear.
Gaurav Gupta reports a rise of 30% in business this season. For Rajesh Pratap Singh, the growth has been 20% and for Abraham & Thakore 25%. Meanwhile designer Varun Bahl says he’s seen a 100% jump in business from last season! Ahem, Ahem!
What’s common to most designers is that their domestic buyers have placed more orders than before.
For instance, for Gaurav Gupta domestic players on an average have increased their order size by about 40%. For A & T that figure stands at 25%. And there’s a reason.
Domestic retailers themselves are in expansion mode. And as they go on inaugurating stores in even non-metros, the consumption of designer wear is growing. Hence, the number of orders.
Designer Kavita Bhartia says that although more domestic stores are placing orders, the order size remains small. The high churn in the business still comes from exports for her. Anupama Dayal also is more dependent of foreign orders for the balance sheet to smile back at her.
Another point to note is that the domestic buyer is definitely coming to the rescue of developing talent. I spoke to two Indian buyers who have 2 stores each in Delhi and Bangalore respectively.
They both explained how they prefer working with younger talent since being small players, the stores get more bargaining power and plus the younger guys are more ‘eager to please’, ‘stick to deadlines’, ‘are willing to adapt’, ‘give the buyers respect’ etc etc… It’s a win-win situation. In the early stages of the business designers don’t really have the infrastructure to deliver huge volumes which are required by foreign buyers. So smaller orders from smaller Indian buyers are just what the doctor ordered.
While the rise of the Indian buyer is one part of the story this WIFW, the other is the money power of the Middle East. There wasn’t one designer I spoke to who didn’t mention Middle East as an important/active market. So that’s where we’ve arrived as a sourcing hub and plan to be planted until China gets into Indian embroidery (which I hope is never!)!! The other significant mentions came for Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong. (More power to Asia I say!)
To wrap up, for the past 3 years India has been the shooting star of Asia. Whether it’s the world’s best luxury brands or high street players, everyone is making a bee line to cater to the Indian customer. While some have always known it, many Indian designers are now realising that India is where the focus needs to be. And it’s not just about focussing on the Indian buyer, it’s also about looking at the best that traditional India has to offer and adapt THAT for the modern Indian.
Now before I start, here are two disclaimers. First, the designer fraternity is not forthcoming about numbers. They don’t have to be, they are all private businesses. Second, the percentages mentioned are approximate only, since these were shared on the last day of WIFW and even though they have a fair idea, lots of math needs to be done before designers arrive at exact figures.
If you’ve been following my blog (thanks!) you already know that a large number of designers are happy to report a rise in orders from domestic players. In general too, business has increased and in some cases been status-quo. No decline for anyone (at least no one shared it!) and that’s always heartening to hear.
Gaurav Gupta reports a rise of 30% in business this season. For Rajesh Pratap Singh, the growth has been 20% and for Abraham & Thakore 25%. Meanwhile designer Varun Bahl says he’s seen a 100% jump in business from last season! Ahem, Ahem!
What’s common to most designers is that their domestic buyers have placed more orders than before.
For instance, for Gaurav Gupta domestic players on an average have increased their order size by about 40%. For A & T that figure stands at 25%. And there’s a reason.
Domestic retailers themselves are in expansion mode. And as they go on inaugurating stores in even non-metros, the consumption of designer wear is growing. Hence, the number of orders.
Designer Kavita Bhartia says that although more domestic stores are placing orders, the order size remains small. The high churn in the business still comes from exports for her. Anupama Dayal also is more dependent of foreign orders for the balance sheet to smile back at her.
Another point to note is that the domestic buyer is definitely coming to the rescue of developing talent. I spoke to two Indian buyers who have 2 stores each in Delhi and Bangalore respectively.
They both explained how they prefer working with younger talent since being small players, the stores get more bargaining power and plus the younger guys are more ‘eager to please’, ‘stick to deadlines’, ‘are willing to adapt’, ‘give the buyers respect’ etc etc… It’s a win-win situation. In the early stages of the business designers don’t really have the infrastructure to deliver huge volumes which are required by foreign buyers. So smaller orders from smaller Indian buyers are just what the doctor ordered.
While the rise of the Indian buyer is one part of the story this WIFW, the other is the money power of the Middle East. There wasn’t one designer I spoke to who didn’t mention Middle East as an important/active market. So that’s where we’ve arrived as a sourcing hub and plan to be planted until China gets into Indian embroidery (which I hope is never!)!! The other significant mentions came for Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong. (More power to Asia I say!)
To wrap up, for the past 3 years India has been the shooting star of Asia. Whether it’s the world’s best luxury brands or high street players, everyone is making a bee line to cater to the Indian customer. While some have always known it, many Indian designers are now realising that India is where the focus needs to be. And it’s not just about focussing on the Indian buyer, it’s also about looking at the best that traditional India has to offer and adapt THAT for the modern Indian.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
MIDDLE EAST OR THE WEST? FORGET IT, INDIA IS ALMOST THE BEST!
It’s been a pretty hectic day 4 at WIFW for me. Have spoken to so many designers with many different points. My initial thought was to find out how business has been for those designers who don’t typically cater to the Middle Eastern market because that’s where a majority of buyers are from this season. I say ‘typically cater to’ because a Middle Eastern buyer, it is assumed, is looking for elaborate hand embroideries, loud colours, statement making embellishments.
But here’s where we could be making a wrong assumption. You wouldn’t think that Kallol Datta’s deconstructed silhouettes and clock prints would generate interest from a Middle Eastern shopper. But Kallol himself has been pleasantly surprised by the enquiries from the region.
Paras Bairoliya from Geisha designs too has booked orders from stores in Kuwait and Dubai. Their collection this time is about understated elegance and sexy subtleness.
So clearly the Middle Eastern buyer is looking for more than what we typically assume from them.
Now the next question, where are the buyers from Europe and the US? We’ve just been talking about the Middle Easterners haven’t we?
Kevin Nigli from Abraham & Thakore explains. “The buying season for autumn-winter is January-February, at best March. April is a little late and the buyers’ budgets have already been exhausted,” says Kevin.
So is not having enough European and American buyers a big miss? Not quite as I understand from the designers I’ve been speaking with.
Paras and Kevin both elaborated on how the lingering jitters of the global recession have meant fewer buyers from Europe and the US in the past 2 years. Even if buyers from the region come here, their budgets are considerably smaller OR they are stocking their Middle Eastern stores because that’s where the money and the willingness to spend it both exist!
The other reason that one doesn’t miss the aggressive interest from the US and
Europe is because the Indian market itself has grown tremendously in the past 3-4 years. So designers who were earlier looking at bulk exports are now reassessing priorities to cater to the domestic market, sometimes at much better revenue margins.
Kevin says that “We don’t need to look at the West anymore. Actual buying in India is very strong now. The process of buying has also become more professional with appointments being taken in advance etc. Buying patterns have now completely changed.”
70% of A & T’s revenues come in from the domestic market. The figure stands at 60% for both Gaurav Gupta and Geisha Designs and 90% for Shantanu & Nikhil.
Many other designers I spoke with said that even though the larger revenue chunk still comes from international buyers, the balance is tilting towards the domestic market with every passing WIFW.
As the fashion economy itself grows in the country, the designer pie will automatically grow. So for the moment as designers shift eyes from the Middle East to the west, very soon they will be saying the Indian buyer is certainly the best!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
WE LOVE BEING IN THE MIDDLE!
So as the official ‘observer of the business of fashion’ here at WIFW, yours truly has spent a lot of time in the exhibition area. That’s where the soul of this event lies because at the end of the day, the ramp may provide the glamour but the trade, the paisa vasooli happens in the exhibition booths.
And if I have one observation from my several jogs around the booths, it’s that a majority of buyers this season are from the Middle East.
I chatted with one of the ‘small’ buyers from Kuwait. ‘Small’ because she owns only one store. By the second day of the WIFW she has already placed a 50 piece order from a popular designer and she said, probably orders for about 300 pieces will be placed by the end of the week. Yes the number is not huge but what makes this order significant is that this buyer has picked pieces high on embellishments and has picked them at good prices… margins would be great for the designer.
But it’s not just solo store owners. I hear that at least two buyers from the Middle East shopping at WIFW own upwards of 50 stores across the region. So the designers who crack these buyers will be celebrating Christmas before its time!
Here’s the reason why a majority of international buyers are from the M.E (Middle East!) this season. Store owners in the region are stocking up for Ramadan festivities which start August first this year. I don’t need to tell you how important this season is for business in Islamic nations. If store owners want to sell well during this season, festive collections need to be in store by July and which means orders need to be placed immediately in India.
But why India?
Designer Jatin Verma has bagged 6 separate orders from the region and the volumes are massive. By July his clothes will be in stores across Riyadh, Jeddah, Bahrain, Doha and more cities in M.E. It’s easy to see why. Walk into his booth and you know the collection on the racks has been consciously designed for that market. Long capes, gowns, the traditional jalabias in bright colours and look-at-me embellishments would invite anyone from M.E inside.
Jatin says that customers from M.E like a lot of things that we Indians do. So whether it’s our vibrant colours or the embroideries, “it’s easy to adapt” to their requirements that are largely about more conservative silhouettes. But no, it’s not always about the long capes… it’s also about the super sexy evening gowns that are worn inside of the jalabias. (Jatin showed me one, and boy was it sexy or what!)
Designer Kavita Bhartia, who is known for modernising Indian craftsmanship, agrees that the sensibilities are similar. “They have a similar mind set, their lifestyles are similar, they love hand embroideries,” says Kavita.
Well it’s not difficult to see the similarities. But does that mean that if you as a designer are not about embroideries and embellishments, you’re not doing much business at WIFW this season? Well that’s what I’ll find out next. This piece was just about being happy in the Middle…. East!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
NOT JUST AN ACCESSORY TO THE FASHION BUSINESS!
“I’m going to wear that dress with those shoes and that clutch.” That’s how I think of dressing up. Like a zillion other fashion savvy women in the world! Accessories are integral to fashion. And we are willing to spend as much, if not more, on them. Point is there is money (pots of it!) to be made from the fun things we label as accessories.
18 accessory designers are part of WIFW this year. And they really are adding that delicious cherry on the mouth- watering business opportunity that this trade event presents.
Pinky Saraf started her label PVS Bags & Accessories 4 years ago and after tasting the fashion week last season, she is back to impress in this edition. I asked her why? “There has been so much exposure to international buyers. Even though I had international presence earlier, now my label is present in 8-10 countries. Imagine the confidence you feel when you see your bag at Madison Avenue!” says Pinky.
While the European and US markets are still recovering from the lingering impact of the 2008 slowdown, a lot of business is coming in from the Middle East. In fact, “about 50% of the business is generated by the Middle East buyer,” adds Pinky.
The rising orders and the added platform of this trade event have meant that year-on-year Pinky’s business has seen a growth of 75%. The base may have been small to begin with but then this kind of growth is what a developing business requires.
While PVS Bags & Accessories is largely focussing on international buyers, fashion week first timer Puja Duggal is looking at breaking into the domestic footwear market. “We have 25 years of export background and now we are looking at establishing presence on the domestic circuit,” says Ratul Duggal, the business brain behind this creative start up.
But hey if you’re making buckets by selling to some of the best brands in Europe, why do you care about selling in India, I ask. Ratul gave me three very good reasons. The first, retail in familiar territory is important to expand your business. The second, markets abroad have been terribly jittery is the past 2 years. And the third is the 90 day payment gap between international buyers and desi exporters. “When margins are thin anyway, 90 days is a long time to rotate the capital you invest in producing the goods,” explains Ratul.
Additionally, many international brands have developed local buying houses in the country and it’s a smart idea to target them, especially when your production infrastructure is in place. So Ratul is hoping that he can lure desi buyers by offering a high on quality product that is competitively priced.
Now clearly the two design labels above have come in with a clear business strategy. Two other first timer accessory designers at the fashion week are hoping to get exposure and generate business in equal parts.
Adi-kriti is a Kolkata based label that produces 22 carat gold jewellery inspired by tribal lifestyles. “We want to showcase our product to the designer fraternity,” says the director of the label- Rupak Saha. This he feels will help in generating future partnerships and national retail tie ups.
Rashmi Dogra from Mumbai focuses on artistic handbags that are unique since each one is hand painted! Rashmi is at the event for some ‘great visibility’ and she hopes to make her two year old label popular with domestic buyers to begin with.
Clearly, all accessory designers are here for one reason or another… and together they hope the outcome is the inflow of some (or a lot of) moolah! And yes… there is one wish that’s common to all…and that’s to be part of the runway action, the next time they add-on the ‘fun stuff’ to WIFW.
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