The Chinese are now trying to copy chikankari, they love it so much! says Komal Mirchandani from Sanskrit in Hong Kong. One of the first India-inspired clothing & accessories stores in South East Asia, Komal has been visiting Indian fashion weeks since 2002 to source for Sanskrit. She says her store in Hong Kong works well simply because Indian craftsmanship cannot be replicated. 80 % of my clientele is the local, Chinese or expat population. They love the diversity and detail of Indian embroideries and they prefer to buy a piece from us because it is so unique, unlike a Gucci dress that is available in too many numbers and sizes.
The large Indian population in South East Asia and the multi-cultural mix in its cities have led to the opening of several stores in the region that focus on designer wear from India. At the latest edition of WIFW, besides Komal youll find several buyers from the area Stylemart from Singapore and Fine n Rhine and Madhu Pallo from Hong Kong to name a few.
Most buyers from the region focus on tunics, kaftans and dresses, as they seem to be flying off store shelves. Designers good with using Indian traditional techniques to jazz up western silhouettes are a favourite with this lot of buyers.
Another key advantage of the proximity between South East Asian countries and India is that customisation of high-margin couture pieces is a possibility. For instance Komal recently had Anjalee and Arjun Kapoor design a western wedding gown with Indian embroidery for a Chinese bride! Such customised pieces are usually priced between 1.5-2 lac rupees. For many stores, in fact, it was such bridal orders that brightened up an otherwise gloomy 3 years in retail. The global meltdown did have an impact on spending as far as pret and diffusion lines were concerned but when it comes to special occasions, purse strings are always loosened easily even in times of financial strain!
Now if youre wondering how the desi population settled in Hong Kong or Singapore contribute to the sales at these Indian multi-designer stores, heres your answer. Come the festive season of Diwali and several stores fly down their designers with their bright collections for exhibitions. The Indians not only flock to these dos but also clean out the store racks! Sanskrit for instance holds up to 6 exhibitions with different designers during the Diwali season. And mostly all are great revenue churners.
What several buyers from the region do feel however is that Indian designers could better their commitment timelines! Now thats a piece of advice often doled out even by domestic buyers! I guess, as long as the business keeps coming in, the designers are not complaining . Or for that matter, even listening to any complaints!