AgenciesThe Economic Times Women’s Forum 2019 took forward the mission that it launched last year — to collaboratively and urgently build a sustainable culture of empowering India’s half a billion women — through a scintillating day of conversations and debates about encouraging greater participation and reducing gender inequality in every sphere of life, work, and play.
Why hasn’t India been able to create a Tommy Hilfiger or Gucci, though we have the resources in terms of materials and talent? This was the question put to the ‘Style Divas’ panelists at the ET Women’s Forum. The answer: we are well on our way to getting there and you will see an Indian brand in the global fashion space in the next 10 years.
The ‘divas’ on the panel already have a global footprint and know what they’re talking about. Namrata Joshipura, who started her label in New York, said: “People think you’ve arrived if you’ve done a show in Paris or Milan, but that’s not necessarily true. Sustaining a brand is a challenge. I still supply to the stores I started with in New York, though I’m no longer based there.”
Joshipura has gradually built up scale and currently has 250 people directly working on the Narmrata Joshipura and Namjosh accessories brands. Another fashion diva on the panel who has achieved scale (she directly employs 3,000 people) is Anita Dongre, who said, “You have to succeed in the Indian market before going West. We have a big domestic market—why not fulfill demand here before going to other markets? Do we really need to be in Milan to feel successful?”
The third diva on the panel was Ruchika Sachdeva, founder of Bodice.com and recently the winner of the Woolmark Award for 2018. When moderator Ruchika Mehta, editor of Hello magazine, asked her how the prestigious international award has boosted her label, Sachdeva replied: “It has given me exposure to the top people in the global fashion industry, which is great, but a designer is only as good as her last collection. You just have to keep making clothes that are both stylish and comfortable, which women will want to wear.”
Sachdeva pointed out that India has quite a tradition of making sustainable clothing, which is in demand in the West: “We make handwoven fabrics using natural dyes, no chemicals, no electricity. But customers still think of it as ethnic wear that can’t be worn outside of India.”
Dongre has four brands in her portfolio, including Global Desi, for ethnic wear, and Grassroots, for organic clothing. “I’ve always had this desire to take Indian grassroot designs to the West,” she said. “India has much to offer in terms of sustainable clothing, sustainable lifestyles. But it’s not easy selling to the West.”
This panel was moderated by Ruchika Mehta, editor, Hello.
Why hasn’t India been able to create a Tommy Hilfiger or Gucci, though we have the resources in terms of materials and talent? This was the question put to the ‘Style Divas’ panelists at the ET Women’s Forum. The answer: we are well on our way to getting there and you will see an Indian brand in the global fashion space in the next 10 years.
The ‘divas’ on the panel already have a global footprint and know what they’re talking about. Namrata Joshipura, who started her label in New York, said: “People think you’ve arrived if you’ve done a show in Paris or Milan, but that’s not necessarily true. Sustaining a brand is a challenge. I still supply to the stores I started with in New York, though I’m no longer based there.”
Joshipura has gradually built up scale and currently has 250 people directly working on the Narmrata Joshipura and Namjosh accessories brands. Another fashion diva on the panel who has achieved scale (she directly employs 3,000 people) is Anita Dongre, who said, “You have to succeed in the Indian market before going West. We have a big domestic market—why not fulfill demand here before going to other markets? Do we really need to be in Milan to feel successful?”
The third diva on the panel was Ruchika Sachdeva, founder of Bodice.com and recently the winner of the Woolmark Award for 2018. When moderator Ruchika Mehta, editor of Hello magazine, asked her how the prestigious international award has boosted her label, Sachdeva replied: “It has given me exposure to the top people in the global fashion industry, which is great, but a designer is only as good as her last collection. You just have to keep making clothes that are both stylish and comfortable, which women will want to wear.”
Sachdeva pointed out that India has quite a tradition of making sustainable clothing, which is in demand in the West: “We make handwoven fabrics using natural dyes, no chemicals, no electricity. But customers still think of it as ethnic wear that can’t be worn outside of India.”
Dongre has four brands in her portfolio, including Global Desi, for ethnic wear, and Grassroots, for organic clothing. “I’ve always had this desire to take Indian grassroot designs to the West,” she said. “India has much to offer in terms of sustainable clothing, sustainable lifestyles. But it’s not easy selling to the West.”
This panel was moderated by Ruchika Mehta, editor, Hello.
( Originally published on Feb 11, 2019 )
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