The stage is set for sculpted men in haute gear. The capital is all set to usher in the second edition of the Van Heusen Mens India Week (VHMFW) with 17 designers showcasing their collections. Sure of improving on last year’s lukewarm response from buyers, the participating designers and the organisers are sparing no effort and hope to get good dividends from the event, which begins from August 27-29 at The Grand.
The enormous scope for fashionable womenswear in our country has already helped the fashion business boom and that too at a fast pace. However, does it hold true for menswear too? FDCI President Sunil Sethi feels that the market for menswear is still untapped. He adds, “We need to establish an organised retail market for menswear. The statistics show that menswear has more potential than clothing for women. Though, it was a slow start last year, this year we have already got confirmations from 50 domestic buyers. And with more editions in coming years, we’ll have international buyers too.”
Designer Sanchita Ajjampur believes that apparel market for men has been significantly larger than that for women, and is still undergoing change. She says, “There’s a new class of consumers with more money to spend, and a growing passion for fashion. In India’s high-growth, fast-changing retail clothing market, we see significant new growth opportunities for foreign and domestic players. We do menswear only for the Indian market. We received a positive response the previous year and hope for good deals this year. My target market isn’t specific as the core of the garments is deconstructed pieces that are classically tailored and can be worn at any age.”
Designer Anjana Bhargav hopes to do better this time as her business targets men between 18-40 years. She says, “Earlier there were only two major clothing options for men in our country, formal and wedding wear. Now, the new-age man wants semi-causal wear, since he likes to wear something fashionable when he goes out. For most men it was a problem to find good casual clothes for the day, as they can’t wear a formal shirt and trouser or an embellished sherwani.”
Designer Troy Costa says that the market for menswear in India has still not reached its optimum potential. The market share for menswear is huge, however it could prove to be a success provided the corporate and finance sector work hand-in-hand with designers.