Hindustan Times
Buyers of holidays
The purpose of business has always been in fashion ever since the concept of trade shows originated in India more than a decade ago.
With the first fashion week kicking off in India that time, all of us hoped that the seriousness that one hoped to achieve in our fashion industry will eventually set in as the years (that time fashion weeks in India were a yearly affair) and later seasons pass by.
With each fashion weeks, initially it became evident that business as a whole was not achievable as our fashion designers chose to show what they pleased regardless of the theme, whether it was autumn/winter or spring/summer attached to them. During summer one also saw winter collections on the runway and vice versa. And designers always claimed that they did what they thought was good for their business. And all of us know, what they made for the runway always hit the racks once these shows are over.
But then what was the point in showing at fashion weeks in the first place? Buyers came looking for garments for that season, didn’t find and went back.
Having said that, we also know that all the sales that our fashion designers generate come mostly from domestic buyers.
Mostly, both in Delhi and in Mumbai, when internationals buyers are flown in and put up in five star hotels (things like this happen not in too many fashion weeks elsewhere), they not only do not buy (or buy hardly anything mentionable) from our designers but never even sit through the week for which they are flown in here in the first place. First couple of days they are seen on their seats and then they take off on their holidays.
It’s about time that fashion weeks here put a stop to this practice. Initially it was fine to familiarise them with our fashion weeks. But then, now it has become a habit. And this habit is not quite good for the business of fashion… but, perhaps, for these guys’ holiday plans!
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