Welcome to 'trunk-ated' fashion!

The Indian fashion scene may seem thanda at the moment, but designers are making moolah by catering to a lucrative clientele overseas. The trunk shows have begun...

The Indian fashion scene may seem thanda at the moment, but designers are making moolah by catering to a lucrative clientele overseas. The season of trunk shows has begun and designers are literally taking a trunk full of their creations to buyers overseas.

Designer Reynu Taandon has just finished trunk shows in Dubai, US and Hong Kong. Rahul Jain, who did a trunk show in Paris in May, says, “Trunk shows, especially in these months, give us an opportunity to release a lot of stock. Moreover, all of this results in instant cash.” Jain will soon be off to the US for another trunk show.

Some designers also participate in trunk shows for better relationships with offshore clients. Says designer Leena Singh of Ashima-Leena, “Trunk shows bridge the gap between different strata of clients and designers. For instance, I have a lot of clients in the Middle East who pick up stuff from me in bulk.” Leena will be off to the US in September to meet her clients and then to the Middle East, where a market for kaftans and kurtis awaits her during the Ramadan season.

Those not part of the routine, like designer Abhijeet Khanna, say that the business model is not easy. He says, "One can only have profitable trunk shows if one has the right network of contacts.” Seconds Jain, “If you do not have the right network, who will purchase from you?”