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When Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas performed at the recently-held FIFA World Cup opening ceremony, she sported an outfit by none other than Indian designer duo Falguni and Shane Peacock. But this was no isolated triumph for Indian fashion designers, who have broken all geographical boundaries where this business is concerned. Such examples abound in the world of high fashion—both prêt and couture—Indian designers are the toast of the world’s fashionistas. And if you want a share of this pie, now is the time to jump into the bandwagon.

According to an earlier report by ASSOCHAM, the domestic fashion business is expected to become a Rs.750 crore industry by 2012; this would be a jump from its Rs.270 crore level in 2007. According to Falguni, the opportunities are huge today: “If one is doing good work, then the business opportunities internationally are huge. Although to make a mark internationally, you must have a clear vision about how your clothes are going to look, be consistent with your work and be able to adapt to the international market.”

Nikasha Tawadey: “It’s common knowledge that stores abroad work on volumes.”

Adds designer Nikasha Tawadey: “There is a definite awareness abroad around Indian designers and our sensibilities. Over the years, many international biggies have also shown their ‘Indian’-inspired collections on major runways. Prominent Indian designers have been showing abroad on a regular basis. Manish [Arora] is an example to mention here. So, yes, markets abroad are lucrative because they bring in foreign currency to your business and also for the volume. Its common knowledge that stores abroad work on volumes and hence the order size is much bigger compared to my domestic market.”

Dev and Nil: “The Middle East market has been growing steadily.”

Dev and Nil, the young designer duo whose clothes are available in London and Canberra besides a number of Indian cities, say, “The opportunity of taking your label abroad was always there but the means were not defined earlier. Thanks to India’s fashion weeks, many international buyers have been exposed to Indian designs and designers. They have created a platform where designers are able to market their product directly to these buyers. Though in the last two years the business has trickled down a bit due to the world economic crisis but yet again with the new-found stability, the buyers are starting to place orders in sizeable numbers.”

Vikram Phadnis, whose label has a strong presence in South Africa, U.S.A. and Dubai, feels that in some cases a country chooses you, rather than you choosing the country. “South African visitors to Mumbai would regularly pick up clothes from my label. Then when I got the opportunity to showcase my collection there through individual fashion shows, exhibitions etc, I took up the opportunity. That market is now very lucrative,” explains Vikram.

He adds that it is important to have a local base and local support, especially when you start out. “I was approached by local South Africans to start my label there. But for a young fashion entrepreneur too, it is important to have local management. You even need local sales personnel who can act as the bridge between your clothes and the local buyers. I do customized clothing, so it is important for me and my team to understand local sensibilities, which can be done better with help from the locals,” says Vikram.

Retail shows the way
The best procedure for an Indian fashion designer to take her label abroad is to retail out of well-known stores. “Designers must participate in fashion weeks abroad which helps them get recognition and showcase their work on a bigger platform. Apart from this, hiring a good PR agency helps in brand building. Organizing press days internationally is also a great way to reach out to international press and stylists,” explain Falguni.

Agrees Nikasha: “Besides fashion weeks, we also get opportunities to showcase abroad either via trade shows like Coterie in New York, or Pret-a-Porter in Paris and that becomes a platform to interact with a wider base of agents and buyers.” Dev and Nil also feel that one of the easiest ways is to participate in various fashion weeks, either in India or abroad. “But, most importantly, you have to be there for a few seasons before the buyers start to place orders. Also, the other major point which Indian designers miss out on is to be in tandem with the international forecasts for the various seasons which the buyers follow very strictly,” feels Nil.

The best markets of the world
If you are a young designer looking to break into the world fashion market, you should also select your locales with care. Local sensibilities and traditions play a crucial role in dictating the fashion tastes and preferences of a people, so it is important to do a background check and find out which countries would accept your designs quickly.

Falguni and Shane Peacock: “You must be able to adapt to the international market.”

Take the example of the Peacocks’ fashion line, which is available all over the world, in Riyadh, Kuwait, Damam, Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Hong Kong, Spain, London, Miami, L.A. and New York. But the designers feel that the Middle East is a lot easier market to break into. “It is not as price-sensitive as the U.S. and U.K. and due to the affluency, price points are not an issue,” says Falguni.

Middle East calling
Dev and Nil, whose label Dev r Nil is available in Australia, Indonesia, UAE, Kuwait and the U.K. add, “The Western markets have slowed down buying from too many foreign designers. They are rather looking for safer bets of local or rather well-recognized brands. But the Middle East market has been growing steadily. Though the Dubai world is in turmoil, the Middle East markets have been constantly sourcing from almost all the well-known dynamic Indian brands.”

Nikasha too agrees that the Middle East market is easier to break into since there is an existing awareness about Indian designers there. “But I must add that the U.K. and U.S. are also decent markets for me,” explains Nikasha, whose label is available in the Middle East, Germany, Belgium and Spain.

Model route
It is also important to choose the business model with care before starting out on foreign shores. Most of the top Indian designers operate on the retail model, as this is a secure and reliable way of gaining maximum mileage. Explains Falguni: “We mostly operate in the retail module although we are at the moment exploring franchise opportunities in the Middle East and U.K.”

Nikasha too feels the retail model works best. However, what works for Dev and Nil is the direct buying system with multi-designer boutiques.

Money matters
Most of the top Indian designers agree that there is no fixed budget to plan while taking your label abroad. Says Falguni, “The budget would depend on your brand and label and how you want to position it.” Vikram too adds that the amount of money required when starting out abroad is sure to make a huge dent in your savings. “That is why it helps if you have local entrepreneurs support your label.”

All these designers, who have put their global footprints in the world of fashion entrepreneurship, agree that the time is now ripe for more and more Indian fashion designers to take their labels abroad.

As designer Kiran Uttam Ghosh, whose label is available in eight countries across the world, sums up: “If you have confidence in your creativity and have the basic business sense to understand world markets and the specific needs of a global clientele, the world is definitely your oyster.”

Vikram Phadnis: The ace designer is the perfect example of a global success.

Star Burst: Vikram Phadnis
He has been the inspiration for many young fashion entrepreneurs. Vikram Phadnis’s fashion journey started more than 16 years ago when he started designing clothes without any formal training. He started as a choreographer, but today his perfectly choreographed shows are the rage the world over.

From participating in small shows to fashion weeks in various parts of the world, holding his own individual shows and taking part in fashion exhibitions, Vikram has been there, done that. Designing clothes for Bollywood films has been his special forte for many years, though Vikram is today veering away from this. “Now that I am making my own film, I need to wean away from designing clothes for Hindi films. I got branded and classified as a niche Bollywood designer for quite some time, but that’s not what my label is all about,” says the designer who has dressed up Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra, Bipasha Basu, Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan, to name just a few.

Vikram’s label is available in a number of stores in U.S.A., Dubai and two stores in South Africa, one in Johannesburg and one in one of the largest shopping malls of Durban. He attributes his global success to a keen understanding of local sensibilities and says, “Be global by being true to local traits. Know your clients and what they like. My bridal, prêt and couture collections have specific appeal and I keep myself abreast of what is going on in every part of the world where my label has a presence.”

©Entrepreneur August 2010

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Dev and Nil, Falguni and Shane Peacock, fashion, fashion designer, global, international, Nikasha Tawadey, Vikram Phadnis