Halfway into Ramzan, the faithful here are busy turning out shopping lists for Id-ul-Fitr. For the festival, new clothes are de rigueur , and women are out searching for the latest cuts and weaves.
Though a Tier-3 city, Kozhikode is up with even the metros in things fashion.
Visit any boutique in the city, be it in the bustling S.M. Street or the busy malls, you hear women asking for the latest wears showcased by film stars. For the Id wardrobe, the price just does not dictate purchases.
“The public is getting increasingly aware of the latest fashions and cannot be duped. They download pictures of designer wears from websites of top designers and ask us to reproduce them. Some really talented girls make their own additions to the design. Our job is easier, yet challenging,” Mohammed Tarique A., a fashion designer who runs a boutique in the city, says.
The latest fascination of young girls is the long-top Anarkali suit giving just a hint of the churidar. The Pakistani-style salwar-kameez with loose salwar is another wear in high demand. As for embellishments, laces are the in thing, Mr. Tarique says.
Hashim K.T., running a tailoring centre for the past 30 years, finds his customers increasingly demanding. “They do not want another person wearing exactly the same thing they wear. They like to experiment with fashion, experimentation being a culture of Kozhikode, be it in clothes, jewellery or food,” he says.
Mr. Tarique has been in the field for around 20 years and is still amazed by the huge amounts people invest in clothing. “We have a regular clientele from Malappuram district, who do not mind spending Rs. 4,000 extra for embellishments on a dress material worth Rs. 6,000. There is no compromise on the finish, however,” he says. Most boutique owners, however, feel an unusual dullness in the market this year. They attribute it to the general slowdown in business. Also the rain is a dampening factor. “Now we are gearing up for the Onam market. Hope that goes well,” Shamina Shashikumar, designer, says.
