Fashion Week Blog

By Sumeet Nair

Aware of the many questions, issues and speculations being raised of late, I was hoping to bring to light the Delhi Fashion Week stance for your understanding.

Subjectively speaking, and I quote, “Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity, not a threat”. With the Indian fashion industry in its prime, blossoming in all of the seven seas – innovation and change is inevitable and perpetual.

When each Week identifies with its respective ideologies and forte, why force a unison when the two can thrive individually. In any industry, competition is perceived as a mandatory ingredient in inducing success; however it has been belittled in the case of our fashion industry.  Competition is the whetstone of talent; it motivates, it inspires, it simply ensures one’s best efforts. Thus having two fashion weeks does in fact generate more opportunities, more options for budding designers and dual platforms for our country’s talent. The competition serves as grounds for both events to be better prepared, more creative, more specialized, setting even higher standards for one another. With the fierce cause of having to prove themselves, having two fashion weeks only opens more doors, breeding greater growth, opportunity and innovation. Even the customer is more powerful because he/she has options to choose from. So why not embrace the two bodies and their respective niche rather than focusing on the supposed politics behind it all.

Today Delhi Fashion Week continues to stand firmly with its convictions of promoting the most creative talent and creating a luxury platform that will strengthen the case for making India and Delhi authentic fashion destinations. Quoting the respectable Minister Mr. Shankar Singh Vaghela while he was addressing the press at the Fashion Design Promotion Council’s launch, ‘…there should be multiple fashion events in different cities in India’ – this is the way forward. We will work towards translating this vision into a reality.

Conclusively, I agree with our peers, too much time has already been spent contemplating the question of one fashion week or two - the spotlight needs to urgently be brought back onto the nation’s talent and the young creative minds, rather than the speculative bickering.

Excerpts from a blog written by Sumeet Nair for Vogue India.

You played a critical role in the formation of the FDCI in 1998. How has the Indian fashion industry evolved since then?

A decade ago, the Indian Fashion industry comprised of a few designers who were catering to a very select clientele.  There was a small market for designer wear and like wise there was almost no awareness about Fashion as an “industry”.  In 1998, designers for the first time were persuaded to organize themselves under the umbrella of the Fashion Design Council of India, a not for profit organization that was to address the needs of the industry.  In 1999, Zubin Sarkari and I wrote the first plan of a fashion week and then contacted IMG to execute the plan for FDCI in 2000.  Over a period of time this changed the face of Indian Fashion and opened up a whole new pret market in India.

The last 10 years have seen the Indian design industry taking shape and emerging as an industry to watch out for in times to come.  However, over a period of time the needs of the industry have also changed.  The time is ripe for designers to take their big leap in terms of business collaborations and other such mutually beneficial business initiatives.  This is necessary if they want to keep up with the growing competition and market forces.  The role of an industry body should also change and evolve and that is why a group of designers have recently announced the formation of the Fashion Foundation of India, a body that will not restrict itself to doing events but will look at other initiatives that will take the industry to the next level.

What are the changes you would like to implement today?  What should designers focus on?

The basic requirements for any industry are the product, the demand for that product, and finally the ability to take the product to its target group.  The Indian Fashion industry has the creativity and talent but lacks professionals who can run businesses for designers and focus on these core issues.  There is also a certain level of hesitancy amongst the designers to separate the business aspects from the creative aspects and get business professionals to run their businesses with greater efficiency and expertise.  The Fashion Foundation of India will help facilitate such business partnerships however, it is up to the individual designer to envision for themselves how they would like to forge ahead.  Any organization or industry body can only play the role of a catalyst and it is for the designers to take the initiative and move forward.

Secondly, today I see greater relevance of private-public partnerships to move our industry forward.  Government support is important for an industry to flourish and we are keen to explore such options.

Where does the Indian Fashion industry stand on the global fashion map?

India today is home to extremely diverse talent and creativity that can match and exceed global standards.  Also, India has craftsmanship that needs to be celebrated and nurtured.  We need to give designers training, backend support, and an appropriate platform that can match up to their level of creativity and accentuate their inherent design capabilities.  The missions of the Fashion Foundation of India and Delhi Fashion Week are attempts in that direction.

I strongly feel that in order to create awareness about Indian fashion we need to create a calendar week that has many fashion related activities going on simultaneously enriching the week.  This week must become important on the world fashion calendar if we want to position India as one of the important “Fashion Destinations” on the world fashion map.

What made you collaborate with Indian designers to form the Fashion Foundation of India?  Going ahead, what are your plans for young and veteran designers?

There was a need for an industry body to consolidate and strengthen the industry.  The Fashion Foundation of India is an inclusive, dynamic body with focus on capacity building and support for the business initiatives of all its members.  It will help diversify the present set of talent we have and grow and consolidate the industry.  This was an initiative by several designers to move the industry in the right direction in a non political manner.

The Fashion Foundation of India has been formed with a special focus to help the creative and talented designer, whether young or old.  The Foundation will work closely with designers to understand their needs and bottlenecks and endeavor to provide customized solutions.  As a part of its initiatives, the Fashion Foundation of India will work towards furthering the business interests of each designer by giving assistance such as soft loans / grants based on proposals made by each design house (we have recently released a grant to two of our young designers - Varun Sardana and Gaurav Gupta - covering their participation costs for the Tranoi fair in Paris).  The Foundation will also help in developing infrastructure to enhance the business capabilities of designers.  It will actively research the industry through its Research and Analysis Cell, and commission studies to bring forth various aspects of the fashion industry.  It will set up a legal cell to assist design houses in matters including IPR, licensing, contracts, and arbitration etc.

How would the FFI highlight the crafts of India?

I’m glad you asked this question as this will be one of the thrust areas for the Fashion Foundation of India.  We will undertake design and developmental activities for the industry, improve sourcing and manufacturing, upgrade technical skills, work on development and sustenance of craft based skills, developing infrastructure, providing grants and soft loans.  We believe in the incredible craft and craftmanship we have in India and need to celebrate and nurture it.  These are the core beliefs of the Fashion Foundation of India.

By Sumeet Nair

I visited Paris for a quick trip before Delhi Fashion Week Spring Summer 2009. It was important to touch base with our partners and other industry leaders there.

Delhi Fashion Week has tied up with MC2 (showroom shown below), one of the finest showrooms in Paris to work on and consult with creative Indian fashion designers. The Fashion Foundation of India will work closely with MC2 to enable Indian designers to streamline their processes as well as collections, and take Indian fashion to the next level

MC2 Showroom in Paris - Work in full swing

MC2 partners Benoit Jutel and Magali Charruyer along with Catherine Gouin discussing their plans for Delhi Fashion Week and collaboration with the Fashion Foundation of India (below).

Brainstorming Session on Indian Fashion - Benoit, Magali and Catherine at MC2

(Below) Another view of their showroom in Paris. Their preparations for Paris Fashion Week are in full swing with collections coming in everyday. I really appreciate the time they spent explaining to me how a showroom works, the merchandising process, and sales books, order forms etc required to be done by designers. A special thanks to Catherine and Imad.

MC2 Showroom in Paris