Couture gets haute

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The Delhi Couture Week finally came to an end on a happy note. There was high fashion, glamour, confusion, a dash of Bollywood, gossip and almost everything which qualifies it to be an event worth writing and discussing. The only thing missing were the foreign buyers. But then it was a couture fest which focused on the designers’ permanent clients.
In India, couture majorly revolves around weddings and festivals. Fashion happens to be the fastest growing industry with multi-designer stores selling couture like hot cakes. People with fat wallets and a nose for fashion are the regulars at these stores. So when there are no international buyers, why do we need a couture week?
Umesh Jivnani, creative director for fuel and aza explains, “The sole purpose of these presentations is to show what are the upcoming trends for trousseau and festive wear. The idea is also to connect with individual clients through an opulent demonstration.”
It is believed that 85 to 90 per cent of the business comes from couture. It is their bread and butter as one just can’t sell pret and survive. So it makes sense for designers to give a good display of their future lines. “Pret has no money. And we hardly sell pure pret. What we get is diffusion. Our pret can never be compared with what Mango, Zara and such stores offer. So one has to depend on couture and market it well,” says designer Samant Chauhan.
A spokesperson of a big designer on the condition of anonymity says, “Since we have invited only our regular clients, it is basically a brand building exercise which will give us business and word-of-mouth publicity. We will recover the money spent in putting together our collection and we are certain about making a profit as well.”
FDCI president Sunil Sethi reiterates this and says there were lots of individual buyers for the week. “Unlike Wills, they don’t sell immediately, but the clients will surely buy what they have seen on the ramp. Also by participating in an event like this, the designers get more visibility and it only adds to their client base,” he says adding that the clients directly deal with the designer, so only the designers can tell about the sales and figures.
Kavita Bhartia of Ogaan says that she is already working with Anamika Khanna, so she will continue to do so. “I think, for the pace to pick up it will take time. DCW is an effort to open the market to get more buyers. In fact, I have seen a lot of my friends who’s kids are getting married, attending shows as they are hoping to pick up something interesting,” she says with a smile.