Whether it’s infrastructure, food, the ruling political parties or fashion, a debate that never finds a closure is Delhi vs Mumbai. And when it comes to the business of fashion, Delhi-based fashion designers are making a beeline to snap up the prime footfall spots in the city, eager to target its spontaneous, well-heeled buyers.
Earlier this month, fashion entrepreneur, designer and stylist Pernia Qureshi opened a massive glitzy store (her first store is located in Juhu) in Kala Ghoda, an area that is slowly losing its epithet of being the art district of Mumbai. Nicobar, a contemporary Indian label that comes from the house of Delhi-based Good Earth is a short walk away, so is the designer Gaurav Gupta’s edgy store which opened here four years ago. What’s interesting is that though Nicobar’s team is based in the Capital, they chose to open their first store in Mumbai two years ago.
Sophisticated tastes
Later this month, designer Varun Bahl will throw open his Kala Ghoda store and Samant Chauhan will launch his flagship store in Roosevelt House, Colaba. Next week, Jaipur-based menswear designer Rohit Kamra too will open next door to Chauhan. “I stayed at The Taj in 2011, and while walking around the hotel, I decided that if I open a store in Mumbai it should be here. Though market research points at Kala Ghoda to be a better market, we also wanted to target tourists and not your typical buyers — Colaba provided all of it. When it comes to garments that cost above ₹50,000, yes Delhi is a bigger market. But that’s also because people from neighboring cities such as Chandigarh, Jaipur and Agra come to shop there, so do frequent flyers. But my pieces are not full of embroidery and loud, so Mumbai has always been a good market for us, Mumbai clients know their fashion and the labels, they will travel and go to different locations to buy from their preferred labels,” says Chauhan.
For Gautam Sinha, the founder and creative director of luxury leather label Nappa Dori, whose store is located close to Good Earth and Raw Mango, opening a large retail outlet store in Mumbai was a bold decision rather than a strategic one. Sinha picked Colaba over Kala Ghoda as they were looking for a space that was quintessentially Mumbai and perfect for the niche products that they offer. Sinha feels that unlike the West, India hardly has any good locations/cities for luxury labels, and that makes opening a store in Mumbai more important. “It was our biggest store at that time. Mumbai buyers are more spontaneous and not season-driven unlike Delhi, and that constant business according to me is better business. Plus, even though we don’t do PR and sourcing to the stars, Bollywood’s presence in the city does affect sales. In fact our location was picked because it’s in a quiet lane that gives buyers a sense of privacy. While Sinha is delighted with his location, he is decidedly unhappy about the laidback attitude towards infrastructure in Mumbai.
“I was baffled how the road near our store was dug up for six months and it affected our sales, the first three months of monsoon were difficult too. Had this been Delhi, the road would have been made pretty soon because there are so many ministers around and it’s the capital,” shares Sinha who is currently scouting locations for a second Nappa Dori outlet in Bandra.
Location is everything
For Good Earth, which is one of the oldest labels to hold fort in Colaba, they wanted to establish a modern Indian voice with their label Nicobar, an identity distinct from its mother label. They also want their stores to serve as experiential centres to complement their online shopping experience. Though the average spend per order is higher for the brand in Delhi compared to Mumbai, they want to create a democratic design identity that extends beyond the commercial realm, and are hence targeting a contemporary audience that looks beyond conventional retail formats. They felt that the Kala Ghoda location was perfect to achieve this goal. “Both the cities tend to be early adopters of fashion, so strategically it makes sense for designers to expand from Delhi to Mumbai. Also, Mumbai being the seat of the entertainment industry, it facilitates its seamless marriage with the mainstream Indian fashion industry,” says the brand’s representative.
Something that all designers agree on, regardless of their design philosophies is that Mumbai shoppers are conscious shoppers who like to visit stores to see what they like before purchasing. But the focus on Bollywood is strong, another big reason that draws Delhi brands to come to Mumbai. “People in Mumbai love to follow celebrity style and new trends. In Mumbai, customers normally look for lighter, subtle styles and love prints, Delhi likes to experiment with colour and bold styles. Both cities love the festive and wedding season and that is when we notice the major shopping happens. Delhi fashionistas tend to gear towards the more classic and traditional designs, on the other hand, Mumbai is more experimental. Yes, shoppers are intrigued to buy what celebrities are seen wearing and since the store gives them a first-hand access, they’re happy to buy them right away,” shares Abhishek Agarwal, CEO, Pernia’s Pop-Up Shop, adding that Mumbai is the fashion capital of the country.
Whether it’s the pull of Bollywood, or a platform that gives design houses an opportunity to try out an alternative, non-traditional aesthetic, the combined force will continue the influx of Delhi designers in the city.
