Ritika Mirchandani, a fashion designer based in Mumbai, expands on the Indian fashion market.
What kind of growth have you noticed in India’s fashion industry?
It is growing a lot. In the last five years there has been a huge upscale in the kind of expectations and quality and demand for the kind of fashion that everyone is expecting in the country. I think about five years ago it was based on fashion in India but now it’s become so global that everything we do in Indian fashion is based on certain trends worldwide. International designers have been noticing a lot of sales of their garments in our country as well. Whether its premier designers, Louis Vuitton or Michael Kors, they have all started opening stores in the metropolitan cities because they have realised that the Indian market is growing in its fashion needs and consumption. It’s definitely booming.
What’s do you think is driving this surge in demand?
It is definitely driven by rising incomes. People have started travelling a lot more, so you have more access to different kinds of fashion. Social media also has a huge part to play because Indians are connecting to international fashion and international magazines. Everything has become a little more connected right across the world.
How do you market yourself as a designer and sell your designs?
We do a lot of exhibition, trunk shows, fashion weeks. There is also a lot of word-of-mouth work. If you do a fashion week, you get introduced to all the magazines, people notice you, and it becomes a community as a whole, the industry that you’re part of. I have a studio in Mumbai where I meet my clients but I supply to stores all over India, including designer store such as Aza and online stores such as Pernia’s Pop-Up Shop.
Do you sell your designs internationally?
There’s a store in London called Aashni and Co in Notting Hill to which we supply our garments. It’s an Indian-wear store, run by an Indian who is London-based and she only keeps Indian designers. There’s a huge growing Indian market and trend in London as well. There’s tonnes of Indians living in New York, London who want these kinds of trends. Accessibility has become so easy now so everyone wants what’s new, what’s upcoming, what’s trendy.
What about Dubai?
There’s a huge Indian market in Dubai and I do want to venture out there, which I will soon. We’re looking at a lot of exhibitions and trunk shows in Dubai right now and I think that’s going to happen in the coming season.
What are the biggest challenges?
I think the biggest challenge is keeping deadlines because we have a lot of people doing our work for us – our labour class for instance. They’re great people but I don’t think anyone’s able to deliver anything on time.
Do you think we’re likely to see an Indian designer becoming a major global name?
Yes, for sure. Fashion designers [in the west] such as Versace started their brands decades ago. Our country is still emerging where fashion is concerned, so I feel in 20 years some of the Indian designers can be on a par. We have a lot of Indian designers who are doing ramp shows in Paris, New York.
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