Business of fashion

Business of fashion   With a discerning sense of fashion and an uncompromising creative vision, meet the industry's most respected fashion entrepreneurs who give us a panoramic view of the business of fashion in India Team    Aparna Badlani, CURATOR AND CO-OWNER, ATOSA Meet Aparna Badlani, curator and co-owner of Atosa--a multi-designer store in Mumbai. She started off as a summer trainee with a women's brand and dabbled with merchan dising and buying. She has worked with some of the biggest design ers in the Indian fashion sphere and at the same time has a unique eye and interest for Indian local craftsmanship. She gets chatty about all things fashionable and the new designers to look out. Fashion trends The festive market in our country looks promising; the Indian culture is intrinsically linked to its festivals.While the economy has not been at it's best and that could be a dampener in the magnitude of celebration, we are really hoping for a good season. Long kurtas with sharara pants or even voluminous flared skirts are now popular.The dhoti looks very promising for women when teamed with short or long jackets for an added edge. Rise of concept stores We are a growing and emerging market as far as luxury retail goes. It was only a matter of time before niche stores and boutiques entered the retail world. I'm absolutely thrilled with this new trend and stores like these then become landmarks or destinations in a city! Close watch For the festive season, I would look at Priyadarshini Rao's new collection. I enjoyed her Ode to Indigo collection; there is something in it for everyone. Anju Modi is another favourite; amongst the new lot, Gaga by Tanya Sharma, is a designer to watch out for. Season's favourite trends Patterns and sheer are big trends. This sea son is seeing longer lengths; longer skirt hemlines, floor length dresses, and even long kurtas are making a domi nant presence. Business of fashion The fashion indus try in India is still pretty much a baby. It needs to become more organised in terms of timelines and deliveries. We are a strong, emerging con sumer market and we need to grow and to have the options. Charu Sachdev, FOUNDER AND CEO, KITSCH Another pioneer in the business of fashion and luxury retail is, Charu Sachdev, founder and chief executive of the Sachdev Group. She brings in the latest from the world's top luxury fash ion and lifestyle brands for Indian fashion connoisseurs. With Kitsch, she seeks to put together beautiful, well-crafted and exquisitely designed clothes and accessories. Here, she reveals how she picks brands for Kitsch and her success story so far. Rise of curated stores Today, the global citizen desires a wellcurated shopping experience and on-trend labels and styles, in an anchoring environment that binds it all together and that's exactly what new concept locations are focusing on.Concept stores are built on quick identification of and response to fashion trends through its design, lineage or popularity, and quality. Success story Kitsch is a version of an international concept store with an Indian heart. As consumer-shopping habits are rapidly evolving and retailers are looking to innovate, brands are embracing the idea of incorporating concept stores and making fashion more fascinating. It is all about establishing an architectural landmark; facilitating a lifestyle that is yours. Festive trends People are loving colours at the moment.Cocktail dresses are a hot favourite among women, while men are experimenting with their shirts and going for more classic options in trousers and blazers. New favourites Marchesa, Saint Laurent Paris (YSL), Chloe, the limited edition line from Atsu and the select Morphe edition for Kitsch. Business of fashion India is a very interesting market and the Indian cus tomer is becom ing increasingly aware about fashion brands.The lack of infrastructure and quality human resources limit the brick and mortar business.Besides several hurdles such as real estate, interstate movement of goods, varied VAT structures, it has been exciting to recreate the same ethos of Kitsch in the virtual world through its online avatar. Tina Tahiliani, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ENSEMBLE Tina Tahiliani Parikh owns one of India's most well-known and pre mier haute couture stores, Ensemble, in Mumbai. From being a finan cial analyst to working as executive director at Ensemble since 1990, she has turned the multi-designer store into a true power house with an ideal mix of fashion and retail business at its heart. We ask her about the good and bad of the business of fashion and her role in it. India and Fashion There's been an explosion of talent and a sense of discipline that's emerged--thanks to the fashion weeks in the fashion industry.In addition, there is a new sense of revival in researching and furthering the clothing legacy that we have in our country. Today, people are appreciating fashion far more consciously and seriously than before. There are several new-age fashion stores hitting the Indian shores, along with the numerous fashion weeks, which have made the indus try much more organised with every retailer defining their niche. Frankly, the buying power has increased tremendously and so have mindsets. Taste is difficult to comment on, but you will always have your minority with exquisite taste. Ensemble, so far Ensemble is an Indian platform for fashion and design. We represent the best of Indian fashion in five categories: accessories, casual chic, resort wear, occasion wear and bridal wear. We present them in an atmosphere that is elegant, beauti ful and relaxed with efficient per sonalised service . Demand and supply I feel, we are still very much a des tination for many shoppers. We have a unique identity, which stems from being very discerning of who we carry, how we promote them, quality control, how we edit the collection, service, and the shopping experience. Advice for new designers Focus on margins and smart de sign. The key is to develop a signa ture look and remember that PR and branding is very important in today's world.