Apparel April 2019 Apparel May 2019 issue | Page 42

FEATURE
Sustainability in Surplus
Chitra Balasubramaniam analyses how export surplus fabrics that would earlier be considered
as rejected pieces have made it into the mainstream domestic retail market.
Traditionally in India, apparel exporters dealt in
fabrics which the domestic market had no clue
about. Moss crêpe, crinkled cotton, machine-
made lace, stencil-cut fabrics, chiffon, georgette,
cotton crêpe, acid-washed and stone-washed
fabrics, and ribbed fabrics were some of what
exporters dealt in. The domestic market for
fabrics had its speciality of cotton, linen, silk, mix,
poplin, polyester and more. And usually, the twain
never met. In Delhi, the export surplus or rejects
made their way into the markets of Nehru Place,
Shanti Mohalla and others where they were sold
at extremely competitive prices. Such fabrics
found favour with young, promising designers,
who would make fabulous Indo-Western or
fusion outfits. Those in the know would visit the
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May 2019
wholesale cloth markets and pick up fabrics for
Indian wear or for furnishings and interiors.
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once dotted the traditional exporters’ adda are
now back in full swing in plenty of main markets.
The traditional domestic market is flush with
fabrics usually found in the export retail segment.
The reason could be that the Indian customer
is getting used to fabrics worn in the overseas
markets. They are comfortable with the texture,
quality and fall of these fabrics. Thus, the resellers
of these fabrics have mushroomed in all
markets across Delhi and other parts of India.
This has helped increase the demand for these
rejected pieces, making them more fashionable
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