What are the Challenges Faced by Young, Indian Designers Right Now?

With the unabated spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Indian fashion industry is one of the many facing serious financial struggles. The pandemic hit India weeks before ‘summer season’, possibly the most lucrative seasons for designers, and forced the cancellation of Fashion Weeks and orders, as well as pushed several brands and fashion houses to halt operations and shut shops. Designers in India—and across the world—are struggling with mounting costs and no ways to make sales. But the ones who have been hit the hardest are the young, emerging, and start-up labels. To learn about the challenges they face—and the solutions they have in mind—we had an honest chat with designers Dhruv Kapoor, Karan Torani and Saaksha Bhat of Saaksha and Kinni. Excerpts from the interview are given below.

Cosmo: How has the current crisis affected your business?

Karan Torani: “A few weeks ago, I announced a halt on all our operations (a while before the official lockdown was put in place by the government). The competitive nature and fast pace of the fashion calendar doesn’t allow most of us to retain our profits, which are immediately pumped back into the business. So our resources and funds are limited. As a direct result of halting our operations, the people who have been affected are those who make our clothes. Our embroiderers, printers, tailors and finishers. While we're doing our best to support them, I'm afraid it won't be enough.”

 

 

 

 

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Respected Patrons and Friends of Torani, It pains me to write this note today. Since the launch of our label in August 2018, bolstered by all your love, we have grown both as a brand and in our operations. Because of you, we were even able to open our flagship store in Delhi’s iconic Khan Market in such a short time. But with the ongoing threat of COVID-19, we are forced to halt operations indefinitely. Our store as well as our design studio—where our tailors, printers, embroiderers, and design team work—will be closed until we are sure it is completely safe for everyone. As a young brand, we have consistently invested our profits back into the business, confident in your patronage. However, being barely a year-and-a-half old, we have not had the luxury to save for a rainy day. And right now, it’s pouring. As a result, the people who stand to lose the most right now are those who make the clothes you so love. Our embroiderers, printers, tailors, finishers, and even our chaiwala will be the worst hit by the suspension of their daily work. And we don’t want to leave any stone unturned in our efforts to continue paying their salaries. It is in their interest that we make this urgent, open appeal: Should you choose to, we’d gratefully welcome any amount that you contribute to our salary fund. We will consider this amount paid by you towards any future purchases at Torani—online or at our stores—and we will send you proper acknowledgment of it. Any amount, big or small, would help immensely. In a short span of time, you have helped us grow beyond our dreams. Today, we ask you to help in keeping that dream alive. We are nothing without the hands that make us. Contact us on team@torani.in for any further queries #TeamTorani #Appeal #covid19

A post shared by T O R A N I (@toraniofficial) on Mar 20, 2020 at 8:25am PDT

Dhruv Kapoor: Covid-19 has caused significant delays in our production cycle. Our deadlines for orders have been extended until July and delivery of merchandise for FW20-21 has been extended to Oct/Nov. This has left us with a gap in our otherwise cyclical payment and delivery system. But I am positive that things will get better, once all this settles down.”

Saaksha Bhat: “Our business, in terms of production, is temporarily closed due to the lockdown. But we are still paying our tailors and other workers their salaries. Since we can’t create garments at the moment, we are working on future designs, prints, our website and social media. However, there is no revenue coming our way, as we aren’t being able to process orders.”

Cosmo: What about India’s craftspeople, who have been badly hit by this crisis?  

KT: “The government needs to be more transparent about the donations and where and how investments are being made. While I hear about FDCI funds, we need to have a clear criteria, which explains the distribution of these funds. This will help us to do our best to assist and aid the communities that are connected with us.”

DK: “Hopefully, these testing times shall result in a boom in business once we are back on track. Perhaps different designers will employ these craftsmen for future collections, to make products imagined in accordance with their skills. At our brand, we will be featuring more handcrafted details in both menswear and womenswear for the forthcoming seasons.”

 

 

 

 

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The New Satin Patch Hand Embroidered Shirt & Midi Skirt from #Fall2021 #DhruvKapoor

A post shared by Dhruv Kapoor (@dhruvkapoor) on Mar 30, 2020 at 5:11am PDT

SB: “The most important thing that needs to be done to safeguard India’s craftspeople is to pay them for as long as possible, till the situation normalizes. It’s also important for communities to come together to help feed them, as many live below the poverty line. 

 

Cosmo: Post Covid, do you think consumers need to focus more on buying local?

KT: “The current times call for us to relearn the lessons of Mahatma Gandhi's Swadeshi movement. Promoting homegrown brands and products once the lockdown is lifted, is essential. This would rotate much-needed money within our own economy, and help designer brands, like mine, sustain. A ‘buy local’ approach may also generate more employment opportunities within our teams.”

DK: “I believe the current situation is a temporary glitch, but it is an important reminder. It’s our duty as citizens to support homegrown industries in times of need. We, at Dhruv Kapoor, purchase a larger percentage of raw materials domestically and shall increase the same to a significant extent. From the consumer’s perspective, I feel it’s a matter of personal taste. As our audience is being exposed to the international fashion spectrum, their knowledge about a good quality product is fairly high. It’s our job, as brands, to supply products that match global standards.” 

SB: “Buying local is extremely important in order to support small businesses and the community as a whole. It’s crucial to understand that so many businesses need our support now more than ever. In order to protect and save them, we must choose to buy locally.” 

Cosmo: How can we promote green consumerism?

KT: “By avoiding any kind of excess usage of resources!”

DK: “A better way to push green consumerism is to promote smarter buying and encourage repetition of clothes. As designers, we need to design garments that are versatile. Clothes that can be paired up or paired down and be worn multiple times.”

SB: “Green consumerism has to be the way forward in our industry. More influencers and celebrities need to come forward to promote the concept. For instance, sparking conversations around slow fashion and recycling, by wearing the same outfit repeatedly.”

 

 

 

 

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@shraddhakapoor spotted during promotions wearing the Ikat floral print cowl neck slip dress, styled by @tanghavri @namdeepak ♥. . . . #shraddhakapoor #celeb #actress #bollywoodstyle #summerstyle #summerdress #print #bold #colour #ootd

A post shared by S A A K S H A & K I N N I (@saakshakinni) on Mar 13, 2020 at 11:57pm PDT

 
Cosmo: Has Coronavirus made you question the relevance of fashions weeks? Does the format need a rethink?

KT: “Fashion weeks are irrelevant in a digital world. And post the Covid-19 outbreak, this is even more pronounced. What we need is a strong digital platform with a huge reach. Imagine, if FDCI collaborates with Instagram and the next summer fashion week becomes FDCI X INSTAGRAM?! Not only would it make the entire project more popular, but also save a lot of resources.”

DK: “I am not entirely sure. The system may be an exhausting one, but we all look forward to it. And we can’t deny the buzz around fashion weeks. Honestly, four collections a year are essential to keep our consumers interested. That hunger for ‘New’ does not seem to fade, despite the current situation. Additionally, monthly publications popularize new trends and demand a change in wardrobe. If we want things to change, we will have to start from ground zero. It’s only when the media approaches collections and seasons differently, will designers produce and showcase accordingly.”

SB: “It would be unfair to say fashion weeks are redundant; there is a certain magic about seeing clothes on the runway. And it’s not the same experience, seeing a photo of a garment or have it hanging on a hanger. Runways allow a story to be told--the designer’s vision, the music that inspired them and the entire atmosphere reeks of excitement.” 

Cosmo: Is there a silver lining to all this?  Will this situation make us focus more on local production? 

KT: “In the future, I believe the buyer may want to buy fewer things, but they'd want something that holds meaning and value. Look at it this way: if you're going to shop just once a month, you'd want it to be something special. And that means designers will have to be on their toes to create garments that truly stand out. I believe the future will see groundbreaking ideas, more meaningful narratives and bigger trends.”

DK: “Fashion houses source materials from China because of competitive prices and speedy productions. Hopefully, if Indian production systems match those standards, there will be a natural shift. From personal experience I can tell you that most of the suppliers in India aren’t keen on working on smaller orders. That, or they refuse to consider new technologies and are accustomed to age-old traditional formats which are no longer relevant. The current situation might serve as a catalyst, pushing vendors to explore new technology and production formats.”

SB: “It is my hope that when we emerge on the other side of Covid-19, we will take stock of what’s important. Health, relationships and supporting one another. I hope we do buy and source locally, and support our own communities and workers. I hope celebrities will wear more Indian labels, than international ones.”