Buyers welcome pret prevalence

Buyers have welcomed the shift from diffusion and couture collections to the more basic at Lakme India Fashion Week. "The designers seem to be looking at the volume market", said Sumit Chandana of Shoppers Stop.

With designers like Wendell Rodricks leading the 'prêt brigade' at the Lakme India Fashion Week, 2005, buyers have welcomed the shift from high-end diffusion and couture collections to the more basic.

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"This time around there has been a shift towards the basic in the collections showcased. The designers seem to be looking at the volume market which augurs well from a business perspective," Sumit Chandana, Ladies Ethnic Wear category manager, Shoppers Stop, said.

"We have been into serious buying from India fashion weeks for the last four years and the prêt trend at this year's fashion week is really heartening," he said.

Paulomi Dhawan of Raymond Ltd, the promoters of 'Be' brand, said prêt is going to play an important role in the future of designer clothing in India.

"Internationally, designer prêt accounts for about 10 per cent of the apparel industry, whereas in India it has grown to 0.7 per cent from just about 0.4 percent nearly two years back," she said, adding "in another two to three years we see the designer prêt market growing to about 1.5 per cent."