Men’s Fashion Week
Men’s Fashion Week
New Delhi: Has India finally seen the coming of age of men’s fashion? This past weekend saw India’s first ever Men’s Fashion Week, held in New Delhi. Designers and buyers alike said an event like this was long overdue, with men’s taste for fashion changing significantly in India over the last few years.
“People talk about recession and how to beat the recession so we’ve given designers the platform to get some orders and get things going", says Sunil Sethi, president of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI).
While the men’s branded ready-to-wear segment has been growing at a rate of 15% and worth approximately Rs30,000 crore , according to FDCI, fashion designers have also seen their men’s collection grow significantly over the last 5 to 6 years, now making up a significant portion of their overall business.
JJ Valaya, for example is thinking about creating a 100% stand-alone men’s store. Half of his turnover comes from his men’s collection. When fashion designer Rocky S started making men’s fashion 8 years back, it accounted for 30% of his business. Over the last 5 years, it has grown to 40%, and he says he soon expects it to become 50% of his overall business.
Designers who’ve recently started their businesses, have also seen a similar trend. Rajvi Menon, who designs only men’s clothing, has seen men become less conventional and more experimental in their dressing since she started her business in 2005. Her business has been growing 20% year-on-year.
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