FASHION BUSINESS
RETAILER- DESIGNER COLLABORATIONS ARE AN UPCOMING AND TRENDING CONCEPT IN THE WORLD OF LUXURY FASHION RETAIL , WHEREIN RETAILERS OFFER CUSTOMIZED COLLECTIONS .
a general discontentment with the trend-aloof quality prevalent across most of the collections .
Retailer-designer collaborations are an upcoming and trending concept in the world of luxury fashion retail . As most retailers revel in loyal customer relations built overtime , a new market has emerged wherein retailers customize collections specific to their client base .
Such collections are exclusive only to the retailer and are made in partnership with designers and brands keeping in mind the kind of styles and details that perform well for the concerned retailer .
A major aspect of this success is collaboration and customized limited edition products . Exclusivity is vital and thus , buyers constantly work out alterations like adding sleeves , colour changes , dropping hemlines and so on . Young designers can keep this in mind and design their specification sheets accordingly with pre-disposed workaround options that address different markets . Translating design concepts to commercially viable retail options and being aware of the global trends is important to win buyers .
Mazin Jawich , Founder of U . G . O , Kuwait , explained saying , “ The rise of experiential retail has got us embracing in-store promotional events such as fashion shows and trunk shows every two
Designers like Ridhi Mehra and Amrich emerge as buyer favorites at Lakme Fashion Week S / R ' 18 months . We invite designers to promote their collections , and to interact with our clientele to create custom-made pieces .”
AÏSHTI , a Lebanon-based multibrand luxury retailer that houses the likes of Gucci , Marc Jacobs , Saint Laurent , Valentino , and Armani among 35 + other mono brands that cater to the fashion segments in the Muslim world , now enjoys its presence across Lebanon , Bahrain , Abu Dhabi , Jordan and Dubai . Wissam Shamy , the Facility Coordinator at AÏSHTI says : “ Fashion that you see in Italy is also seen in Lebanon … The modern day woman is open to change and has the confidence to carry off sensual styles that compliment her … This understanding of different customers is crucial for success .”
Because there are disparities within the region itself with places like Lebanon opting for more revealing styles , whereas places such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are still in the process of leaving conservative clothing behind , not one formula works for the whole region .
In Lebanon , for instance , the market finds it difficult to carry off typical and traditional Indian clothing with the inclination tilting towards more Indo-western and European styles . The buyers from this region were impressed with the material quality but had a lot of alterations to suggest in terms of cuts , fits going tighter
BASICS in Jeddah offers a contemporaneous take on luxury fashion
and lengths going shorter . The colour palette working for this market is one comprising of sky blues , navys , greys , blacks , whites and reds .
Saudi Arabia-based retailers such as ‘ I Love Hishma ’, found the colours , fabrics and silhouettes offered by Indian designers at Lakmé Fashion Week to be in accordance with their brand ideology . Since these areas are dominated by modest fashion clothing , the buyers opted for handdyed silks and khadi to be introduced as new trends in their market .
A couple of new buyers at LFW mentioned that there was a lack of consistency / parameters in how different designers were charging for their assortments . The merchandising methods seemed casually placed and they found some pieces to be over-priced and at times , equivalent to what they pay global luxury players . This , they feel , is unjustified given the experience and goodwill the latter holds in the industry .
Indian designers offering handcrafted pieces that are rich in embroidery or embellishments have high price tags attached to their garments which doesn ’ t ring well for the Middle Eastern consumer who prioritize comfort and functionality over opulence .
Mazin Jawich of United Global Original advised : “ Smaller and lesser known designers need to keep their
36 Apparel Online India | MARCH 1-15 , 2018 | www . apparelresources . com