Label it Cool

The more I look around,the more I see people making way for designer labels in their closets. Not too long ago,most of us thought they were only for socialites (not actresses,they were ordained as the worst dressed people in this country). The moneyed were discreet,limiting their indulgences to megawatt solitaires and Mercedes S Class cars.

Everything changed with the handbag. Fashion houses marketed their It-bags of the season with such gusto,it became the biggest profit-maker the industry has ever seen. (But now a designer handbag is so ubiquitous,it’s being disregarded by the fashion folk for being too commonplace.)

Designer labels are beginning to be viewed in a new light. International fashion houses opening stores in our big cities mean easy access,despite a higher price. A healthy economy and all the exposure it brings with it cannot be subdued either. But more importantly,we are beginning to understand the idea of luxury,of indulgence. And not apologise for it. We are beginning to spend our savings on a new wallet and we’re loving it. Fashion designers do promise better quality,but it honestly is hard to beat the industry manufacturing of a good-quality,high-street label like Benetton or Esprit. Then there is the artisanal aspect: hand-made and locally produced trumps over anything else. Just like we will all prefer a hand-cooked meal made with the freshest ingredients over packaged and processed food. But this also makes designer clothes delicate to handle and costly to dry-clean.

Expensive price tags are the biggest deterrent. But the last two years have seen such wonderful recession-induced sales,it isn’t hard to find fabulous bargains anymore. We almost don’t miss the outlets like the Bicester Village outside London or Valdichiana outside Florence. In fact,never before have the margins between high-street brands and designer labels been as slim as they are in India right now.

So why buy designer? Because of the philosophy behind it. A dress or a shoe made by a designer comes from smorgasbord of ideas and emotions that can often be traced in the here and now of our society.

Each label stands for something: Gucci is for rock-star appeal,Tod’s for understatement,Christian Dior for the absolute Frenchness of avant garde and elegant fashion,Yves Saint Laurent for revolutionary styles,Dolce and Gabbana and Roberto Cavalli for outrageous sexiness,Moschino for cuteness and Prada for being above and beyond trends. But all labels do the same thing: they add personality to the garment,they boost our confidence and they serve us something special,something with a clever twist.

And for that,it is worth paying for the label.

(namratanow@gmail.com)

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