Global fashion trends may be rocking the metro cities of India, but it is the tier-2 towns now that are seeing a fashion surge like never before as they gain access to designer brands. This growing demand for affordable designer brands in smaller cities like Vizag, Pune, Nagpur and Coimbatore has given rise to a new tribe of fashion designers who are experimenting with wearable fashion and adding that extra touch of glamour by tweaking fabrics.
This was evident at the Annual Design Awards show of JD Institute of Fashion Technology held here last Sunday where budding designers showcased their collection of Indian, fusion and western wear on the theme ‘The Difference’. Style, elegance and a reflection of latest fashion trends were brought out by the young designers, some of whom are working on starting their own labels or designing units and few others who have already made their design footprints on global fashion brands. Fashion events like these provide a much-needed platform to fledgling local fashion designers to gain a foothold in an industry which has with high barriers to entry.
The glittering event show also saw actor Elena Kazan, who was the showstopper for the evening, sashaying onto the ramp along with other models, sporting designs created by the graduating students of the institute. Budding designer Saundarya Mishra’s white sensuous, flowy evening gown was selected among the other collections as the showstopper’s look. “I was very nervous and at the same time excited when I came to know that Elena Kazan was going to wear the gown. She loved the attire and flaunted it at the evening party,” says Saundarya with a hint of pride. Her collection titled ‘Snowflakes and Grand Island Caves’ was a Red Carpet inspired clothing line made from soft net, velvet, georgette and chiffons. Right to fabric manipulation technique to embellishments were all handcrafted by the teams. Saundarya, who has been doing freelance designing for special occasions in the city and also for clients in the US, had a chance to design three garments for Vero Moda during her month-long internship with Scotts Garments earlier this year. “There is a great deal of learning that happens during this process,” she says. To keep herself tuned in to the latest from the international fashion circuits, she stays glued to Pinterest and Instagram following her favourite designers and global fashion events. The budding designer has already bagged a job as a fashion illustrator but before that, she wants to pursue her masters in the same field from the US.
However, creating their line of designer wear keeping the best of fashion trends in mind was not sans the share of challenges that the budding designers had to overcome. “Right from sourcing fabric to procuring the smallest of embellishments for detailing purposes were a big task in a smaller city like Vizag that has limited access to fashion materials,” says Somyajula Swarna, one of the designers who showcased her work at the event. Her Indo-fusion collection titled ‘Entangled’ brought out a unique technique of braiding which was used as a surface ornamentation in wool and raw silk to give the embroidery look. “The collection was an ode to the beautiful Kashmiri embroidery tradition,” says Swarna. Inspired by Anita Dongre and Sabyasachi, her collection was a fusion of Indian wear which had heavy lehenga with off-shoulder blouses, halter neck kurti and a heavily embroidered blouse teamed with plain pants. While she along with her husband already run textile factories in Vizag, Hong Kong and US, up next on her entrepreneurial journey is to start a garment production unit catering to the international markets of Europe and US.
Chandini Vuddagiri, another designer, procured the tribal prints of Mexico from Vietnam for her collection. Shades of fluorescent greens, pinks and maroons were used in abundance while the tribal Mexican prints gave a bohemian design on breezy cotton fabrics.
Other participating designers hope the event will boost their visibility and give them scope to reach out to designer labels with their ideas. “Two of our students Monika Gupta and Sahithi will soon be assisting a city based designer firm to launch their new label called Che Guevara shortly. Other brands like Shoppers Stop are already providing a platform to budding designers to showcase their works,” says Sangita Daga, the Head of Department of JD Institute of Fashion Designing.
Despite the challenges, the designers from smaller cities are making their presence felt in the fashion world. “Vizag has its limitations. Perhaps it is because of these challenges that the designers here put in extra effort to stand out. Ultimately, the design award show here will be compared with their counterparts in cities like Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. It is important that the designers feel encouraged through the event. To be able to showcase their work to an audience is a good way of boosting their morale,” Sangita adds.
