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When clients prefer copycats…
Instead, they want less expensive replicas of top-notch designer garments. This peculiarity has made it very difficult for passionate designers to establish their brand or carve a niche for themselves in the industry.
Hyderabad: The fashion industry in the city has certainly grown by leaps and bounds over the years, with multiple eponymous boutiques setting trends. Still, budding fashion designers who have been aspiring to make a splash at national and international levels with outfits that reflect originality, creativity and innovations are struggling to sell their collections mainly because their hard-nosed clients in Hyderabad are not ready to experiment with newer designs.
Instead, they want less expensive replicas of top-notch designer garments. This peculiarity has made it very difficult for passionate designers to establish their brand or carve a niche for themselves in the industry. “Since I started my boutique, I have always dealt with clients who want Rs 1 lakh or Rs 2 lakh designer outfits for less than Rs 20,000, which is not profitable for any designer.
Hyderabad clients are very specific and stringent when it comes to designs. They are not ready to experiment with anything new. Sadly, 80 per cent of my clients come to me with a picture of an actress/model wearing a Mumbai designer’s outfit. I do not prefer to take up such orders because if I do I can never create a clientele for my own designs,” says Spandana Reddy, 29-year-old fashion designer.
She points out that most of the clients are unaware of the market value of high-end designer outfits; yet, they expect an exact replica of the dress at cheaper rates. M Shilpa, a 26-year-old shopaholic, said, “I personally like Sabyasachi’s (Mumbai designer) work, but I cannot afford his outfits because of their exorbitant prices and hence I try to purchase replicas. I like to try new designs, but I do not favour new designers as I’m not certain about the outcomes of the outfits.”
Designers aver that some of their clients do not know the difference between ‘tailors’ and ‘fashion designers’. Hence, they expect a designer to do a tailor’s job. “The very concept of designer boutiques is to purchase an exclusive outfit, especially made for you, according to one’s body type and look. But citizens are busy copying the look of a famous actress. I put my heart and soul to create an outfit, but the clients still have some trust issues with new designers,” said Hema Choudhary, 27-year-old owner of Gaba (a designer boutique). She claims to travel to cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Gujarat to handpick raw materials.
By Tera Sneha Reddy
