India eager to catch up with fashion trends at Cannes, Met Gala or Oscars: global fabric manufacturers

Whatever the trend at Cannes, the Met Gala, or Oscars night is the trend the next day in India.
| Photo Credit: RICHARD SHOTWELL

Whatever the trend at Cannes, the Met Gala or Oscars night, is the trend the next day in India and subsequently, the country’s luxury clothing fabric requirement is on a constant rise, observed a group of fabric manufacturers from England, Italy and France.

Global fabric manufacturers are now increasingly willing to customise their products to fit India’s diverse luxury clothing requirements, which was not the case until recently, they said on the sidelines of a round table discussion organised by one of their lead customers in India, P N RAO, a bespoke clothing design firm set up in Bengaluru by Pishe Narayan Rao exclusively for British women in India 1923 and currently specialises in suits for men and women.

Bob McAuley, President, HMS International, which represents some of the finest mills in Italy said, India with a population of 1.4 billion was an aspirational market for all fabric manufacturers around the globe but the country’s needs and requirements were very different.

“India’s luxury suiting segment is growing at a very rapid pace and hence the brands like us are ready to customise our product in accordance to the country’s requirements,’‘ he said.

Commenting on the shift taking place in India, Neil Hart, Global Sales Director, Scabal, a Belgian textile company founded in 1938 said, “India is demanding more finer and luxurious fabric and we are also working hard to meet those demands. Global and Indian consumers are becoming more demanding and more curious to know about the whole process: from the raw materials to the finished product.’‘

Indian luxury buyer was absolutely mature and discerning and looking for not just India’s best but the world’s best, commented Chandramouli Neelakantan, India Head, Roger La Viale, a New York-based fabric design house that designs for various textile mills in Italy, UK, China and India.

“The newer trend in men’s custom tailoring market is buyers asking for Tuxedos for theme-based events. For instance, whatever the trend at Cannes, the Met Gala, or Oscars night is the trend the next day in India. And, this buyer segment is motivating the entire supplier/designer/tailor ecosystem in the country to upgrade their services to world-class,’‘ Mr. Neelakantan added.

“An important development that I foresee unfolding in India in the future, is that, as more and more people become conscious about the environment, brands that are heavily invested in sustainable and ethical manufacturing processes will benefit, because consumers will increasingly align with brands that have strong sustainability commitments,’‘ opined Richard Boide, MD, Dormeuil, a French textile company founded in 1842 by 22-year-old Jules Dormeuil.

The visiting global fabric manufacturers and merchants further said they observed a marked shift in demand for luxury fabrics in India, a segment until recently dictated by wedding seasons, festive and special occasions. Also, consumers in India have started caring for the fabric produced without hurting environmental concerns, they added.