Website Under Construction

A few weeks ago,I began my search for those adorable boy’s shirts for my son from Nee & Oink,a new Kolkata label whose trunk show in Mumbai last year was a big hit. They then began to stock at Chamomile at the Palladium,and Atosa,in Bandra. None of the stores seem to have them anymore. You can Like the lovely children’s wear label on Facebook,but it doesn’t have a website. If an industry insider has to struggle to buy designer clothes outside of a brick-and-mortar store,imagine the rest of the fashion-hungry country. Despite several new sites offering high-street wares,fashion designers are taking too long to catch up with digital shops.

I did a quick survey of Indian designers’ sites. Almost everyone has one,but most are under construction (including Sabyasachi’s and Namrata Joshipura’s). Very few have an “online shop”,and most in this lot (including Rajesh Pratap Singh and JJ Valaya) are “coming soon”. Aneeth Arora’s website is just a photographic flyer,it has no links at all. Two labels who do have a functioning online shop are Manish Arora and Shivan-Narresh — two truly new-wave brand ideas,high-end pop and luxury swimwear respectively.

Indian luxury makers aren’t alone in their dread for the digitised. Prada’s website is only five years old. Other labels such as Louis Vuitton,Gucci,Chanel and Christian Dior are only just realising the strengths of the internet. Social media networks are the best marketing tools today,but the future of fashion retail is in internet technology too. For one,there is nothing standing between the design and the audience. Most people the world over shop online and smart phones have made this even easier. In times when you get even your groceries off the net,the irony isn’t missed.

Traditionalists have argued there’s merit in making the trip to an ambient physical store or in waiting until the collection finds its way on to the racks. Reports have shown their numbers are quickly waning. Limited editions are for a very limited few. Besides,the rise of online fashion shops (like the popular Perniaspopupshop.com) are showing the way. The truth is most Indian designers can’t cope with large numbers,their businesses aren’t geared for long-term growth. But you can either fight a natural evolution or you can embrace it and make it work to your advantage.

namratanow@gmail.com

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