Fashion has been in existence and eminence for over 5000 years. And yet, it changes perhaps everyday. To study the dynamics and influences of these changes I have restricted my domain to the trends over the last decade. The elements instrumental for this momentum are my focus here on. 

Subject to many influences and inputs and yet typically aligned to functional requirements the dynamics of the “looking good” industry… is bidding to be one of the spearheads for the splurging economy and power in India.  

Transformation of fashion trends as a function of social status is an area of much interest and consequence. The distribution of demand for fashion clothing accessories etc across different levels of society aids the allocation of resources and positions of fashion in the market accordingly.

Eco Boom taps Pret a Couture:

The current spurt of economic growth in India has keenly affected the same. The rise of the awareness and purchasing power of the middle-class has resulted due to the boom in the service industry. This can be co-related to the current revolution in retail. Consumers today have money to spend and to spend it wisely. The chasm between designer and high street is fast disappearing. Thus expectations for quality have risen. Demand is now for fashion that returns value for money and yet is novel. This need is being fulfilled by the rapid expansion in organized retail segment.

Thus a strong pulse to acknowledge is Couture meets Prêt drive fuelled by the increasing demand for designer fashion at reasonable costs. Retailers are now experimenting with Prêt a couture.

Global village to international brands:

The “global” scenario in the economic perspective has altered fashion. International fashion brands like MANGO, GUESS etc entering the Indian market and selling at premium prices comparable to those in the west. Hence this is giving a competitive push to the local brands to improvise on product, pricing, packaging etc. This Global exchange is one of the many driving forces that accentuate the growth of brand awareness in India.

Fair trade beyond FMCG sector:

I would like to also highlight the surge in fair-trade spilling into the textile and hence fashion industry. The importance of ethical practices in the industry is stretching from sourcing to pricing. India as a supplier, manufacturer, and converter to innumerous international fashion brands finds it inevitable to acquire FLO certification. The restricted international trade in this industry till before 2005 was unorganized and practices went unnoticed. Now as it grows beyond bounds, it is taking on a organized and most cases even a corporate structure which prioritises not only quality but also just and ethical trade practices.

Eco/Fashion Equation:

In the functional context, we can highlight the role and relevance of ecological and regulation inputs. Many Eco conscious countries have introduced legal regulations and prohibitions to safeguard larger interests of the globe. These regulations are directly/indirectly forcing the manufacturing houses, export houses, textile mills etc to adopt and adapt to the new policies. This awareness has spilt steadily into the creative initiatives even in Indian retail industry. Out of ecological necessity & desire for novelty, creative leaders are exploring future possibilities of more natural fibers like bamboo, soy, corn, milk, paper, pineapple etc. to complement if not replace currently used natural fibers in the coming years, on the fashion scene. A novel research project is looking at ways to recycle plastic bottles for use in the fashion industry in a bid to halt the landfill crisis. In retail, Bamboo, a label of garments made of bamboo fibre showcased in Pantaloons this season.

Why the drop in Formal work wear?

There is a marked need for comfortable clothing during long work hours, casual clothing at work from Thursdays onwards and clothing for people who work out of their residences. These dynamics of the work setup have led to a change in the overall demand for office wear and in the definition of office wear all together.

The development of the IT industry marks a change in the definition of work structure & culture. There is little face-to-face interaction, which lessens the need to dress formally at all times. The culture of informal dressing at the workplace has taken off from this change in this functionality of office wear. Also work hours are almost always long (12 hrs plus) which calls for comfort in clothing at work. This has marked an increase in the use of natural skin friendly fibres instead of synthetics for work wear.

Plurality v/s Diversification in Fashion:

Plurality in dressing to conform to different activities and environments is rapidly emerging. Fashion is working now more as a function of creating multi-functional clothing. This multi-functionality of people and their wardrobe stems mainly from the increasing Urbanization and evolving work standards and patterns. 

As opposed to this, the occasion and hence the objective for dressing is another parameter to measure change in the fashion industry. However this speaks more of the patterns of a fashion consumer. The need for a multi sectional wardrobe with clothing made to fit the varied social, work and other activities that exist at present is evident. In the same breath we can include the increasing gym culture. Specialized Gym wear/Sportswear have taken their racks in fashion stores. Sportswear brands like Nike, Reebok are diversifying in a big way into highly specialized engineered sportswear or rather gym wear.

Food trends and changing anatomy of fashion:

Fast food culture, overeating, eating at odd hours has led to a change in the physical attributes of people in general. Fashion has also managed to target the so called obese /overweight strata where the demand is remarkable. Thus, plus Size Fashion he nce has gained importance. The market for such brands is growing by the day. All, Revolution, Lakshita are some pioneers in this segment who realized well in time, the scope of such products. New Lab creations take on imagination:

Technology is a major factor in giving sudden twists to fashion trends. For example, Nano Technology has taken "functional clothing" to a whole new level. Research talks about fashion clothing developed using fabrics treated with nano particles to prevent colds and flu and never needs washing. Another nano-fabric destroys harmful gases and protects the wearer from smog and air pollution. 

The demands for fabrics have increased sharply. Conventional textiles are not able to meet the production cost. With better customization of characteristics into the fabric and appropriateness to certain end uses being advantages, non-wovens have emerged rapidly as the fabrics of the future. 

Psyche in fashion:

But fashion was never only functional. For time immemorial it was a mode for Self Expression. Fashion Trends and distinct dress styles vary across cultures, in terms of the fabrics, processes, styling as well their basic color palettes. In the Indian context, the Indian culture has been subject to influences from earliest history - Roman, Greek, Jewish, Christian, Arab, mughal, French & British.

Today, the culture of India is unique and uniquely modifying. The western influences on top of 3000 years of culture have given birth to this uniqueness. The need for adventure gets a face in fashion with body art like tattoos of Indian gods and goddesses, body piercing and nail art. Also clothing with prints of manuscripts, shlokas and deities are in plenty.

As the Indian youth evolves in this fast progressing environment, there is a constant desire for change. Youth tend to grow out of a trend faster than the pace of change in the supply side of the industry.

In an attempt to protect self image, fashion as a distinction point for age is losing importance. Emphasis is more on the agelessness in fashion. A pair of Jeans is something that is owned and worn by a teenager as well as by a 50 year old.

Rising above the self we as an element of the larger society are urged by an equally powerful urge to conform to the trend. This band-wagonization in fashion gets further impetus from society’s role models, celebrities. Bollywood, the Indian film industry is a major source.

Group Ideologies at times employ fashion as a medium of communication. We can cite illustrations like body shop which promotes women’s rights or an even cultish example would be Fubu – African American sportswear brand. These ideations have already sewn the seeds of such cultish Brands coming up in India as well.

All the above factors are of little or no relevance/consequence if studied in a micro perspective. Fashion is reflective of the sum-total of all these factors. At the same time, fashion itself causes some of these factors to modify. Everything is therefore malleable.

The actual change is effected by those creators and innovators, who are receptive to these inputs. These “fashion professionals” take up the process of developing trends based on their understanding of and sensitivity towards the world. They blend their unique creative skill with these trends. Sometimes, Styling in Fashion merely follows a principle of conversion. Sometimes, Jean Levi comes along and effects revolution. Many times, fashion moves in cyclical phases. All the above hence indicates the scope and vulnerability of this industry in relation to other industries in India. It ofcourse evokes immense anxiety as well as excitement to see such and explosion in the magnitude and competition in this industry over the past 5 years and the immediate few years to come. Would one see India’s future with respect to fashion as a market or a supplier is worth more than a thought...