India Fashion Week: The Background

Historically, India has been globally acknowledged as a country for its rich textile heritage, but fashion, as an industry, continues to be challenged with several infrastructural and industry issues. In 1998, the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) was born as a single entity representing the interests of the designer fraternity across the country.

Historically, India has been globally acknowledged as a country for its rich textile heritage, but fashion, as an industry, continues to be challenged with several infrastructural and industry issues.

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Until recently, leading Indian designers primarily focused on couture lines and wedding trousseaus. Over the last 4-5 years, as increasing number of people have joined the designer/fashion industry (designers, textile designers, models, make-up artists, hairstylists, stylists, photographers, etc). However, the target customer base has witnessed limited growth in the same period.

Hence, the need for affordable pret-a-porter clothing, priced between Rs 500-10,000. This would help expand the customer base significantly, and grow the Indian fashion industry.

Recognising this, in 1998, the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) was born as a single entity representing the business interests of the designer fraternity across the country. To address the need to grow the target customer base and the industry, FDCI launched their 'fashion week' initiative, which would serve as a single platform to facilitate buyer-seller interaction within the fashion industry.

The event is titled as 'India' Fashion Week, to represent the national scope of the fashion industry of our country unlike fashion weeks held internationally, where they are 'city' specific (such as New York Fashion Week or Milan Fashion Week).