“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.
