What is fashion to you? If you ask this question in a crowd, you are bound to get numerous answers. But there will be one common aspect in all the answers - looking good! Looking good meant differently in different times and in different cultures. This is the reason, fashion in different eras and different regions differed from each other.
Fashion industry in India has developed immensely in the last decade. Today, it is estimated to be of many billion dollars. India has attained acclamation in the international fashion arena. Just like the traditional big names - Italy, France, and UK, India has been recognized as the emerging fashion hot-spot!
Levi Strauss, Pepe Jeans London, Lee, and other international brands entered India a long time back. But major international luxury brands like Gucci, Chanel, Tommy Hilfiger, and others saw huge potential in Indian markets merely a decade back. They found Indian markets attractive and invested profoundly in it.
Shailesh Chaturvedi, CEO, Tommy Hilfiger India says, "We are seeing that with newfound prosperity, Indian consumers are rapidly upgrading their consumption pattern. Tommy Hilfiger has benefited with this upgradation where consumers used to buying Indian apparel brands have rapidly upgraded to Tommy Hilfiger." (Source: Desicreative.com)
Media is the main reason for such increasing acceptance of fashion and brands among the masses. New trends are constantly being introduced by the stars of the silver screen and small screen. Fans tend to imitate their role models in every way. Copying their fashion and style statement is no exception!
Bell bottoms attained immense popularity in the seventies and early eighties. Bollywood stars of those times like Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Vinod Khanna, and even the female stars like Nitu Singh and Zeenat Aman preferred to wear bell-bottomed trousers and jeans as their attire.
In the late nineties and early twenties, ethnic wear was considered outdated and old-fashioned. But soap operas wiped out this mentality from Indian minds as the drama queens were clad in traditional wear most of the time. Fashionable ethnic garments became the buzzword in cities and towns of India, thereafter.
This is the reason fashion houses and companies hire celebrities and noted actors and actresses to promote their product.
Many fashion shows took place in India in the last decade. The number of fashion shows is increasing day by day. Indian designers like Ritu Beri and Tarun Tahiliani got international acclamation. Generally, high profile fashion designers have film stars as 'show stoppers' in their fashion shows.
Fashion magazines like Femina have played a considerable role in making the masses familiar with different brands and fashion trends. Fashion portals and TV channels present the daily news and happenings of the fashion world before the people. They adopt it after viewing it and analyzing it.
Nainika Karan, Fashion Designer, 'Gauri & Nainika' team remarks, "You cannot survive without marketing. Marketing and advertising is required to take any brand forward. I would not say that the fashion industry would not have grown to the level it has now without the help of the media, but media has a large role to play behind the success of any brand. A brand reaches a wide audience through the media."
Fashion and media are interconnected. Media has played a significant role in boosting the fashion industry in India. It has helped in creating awareness about a particular brand, designer, or fashion show in the minds of people. The fashion industry will continue to grow. It is expected to be worth Rs. 750 cr by this year.
References:
1) Grailresearch.com
2) Desicreative.com
3) Indiatimes.com
4) Indiamod.com
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