Apparel July 2019 Apparel July 2019 issue | Seite 107

FEATURE
countries like India and China is rapidly growing
too. Understanding the prospects of linen and
its future demands, Raymond Group, who has
created over 30 lakh hours of employability for
khadi artisans, at 30 per cent higher wages in
more than 75 clusters across 16 states during
FY 2018–19, opened up their greenfield linen
manufacturing plant in Amravati two years ago.
The market shares similar sentiments about
linen, and local wholesalers of saris and fabrics
have also seen an upsurge in demand for linen
over the past few months. Ram Mohan Bera,
a local wholesaler from West Bengal, says,
“Shops and retail outlets from around India place
orders for linen round the year. This is no more a
seasonal fabric today. Stocks move very fast and
weavers are paid an extra commission to weave
linen saris in a plethora of colours.” He went on to
mention that these days, price is hardly a problem
for customers, and in order to wear a fabric as
comfortable as linen, they are ready to pay
a premium.
DESIGNER CONNECT
Designers, too, are upping their portfolios with
this versatile fabric. From menswear designers
Surbhi Pansari and Sunil Mehra to womenswear
designer Kaveri Lalchand, linen has never
missed to find a way in to their collection. They
explore regal designs, comfortable makes, and
amazing colour variations in linen. Through their
collections, they have shown us how flexibly linen
LOCAL WHOLESALERS OF
SARIS AND FABRICS HAVE
ALSO SEEN AN UPSURGE
IN DEMAND FOR LINEN
OVER THE PAST
FEW MONTHS.
can be moulded in to evening-wear just like how
it can be used to give shape to an everyday shirt
or dress. Vikas Rajesh Bansal, owner of The
Loom Saree, expresses, “Ever since Diwali last
year, I have seen a roaring demand for linen saris,
which is unlike anything that I have seen in the
past year and a half. At present, I end up selling
100 linen saris a week.” What is remarkable is
that he mostly sells through his Instagram page.
So just within minutes of uploading an image, he
gets a buyer—this attests to the craze of linen
at present.
There was a time when people used to avoid
wearing linen owing to its easily wrinkle-able
nature. However, today, the breathability and
comfort factor of linen—and the fact that it can be
worn with ease for a prolonged period of time—
trump its high-maintenance stature. Moreover,
APPAREL
I
July 2019
I
91