Apparel Online India Magazine January 1st Issue 2019 | Page 53

FASHION BUSINESS
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Streetwear in
India
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Denim’s 180°
turnaround
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October 1-15
S
treetwear is fashion’s favourite buzzword at the moment. From
heritage houses, fast-fashion brands to retailers and big-budget
investors, everyone wants a bite of this by-product of the sportswear
trend.
Globally, street fashion translates as youth culture in its truest form and
youth culture sells! Its global mainstream dominance has democratised
the entire fashion system.
Closer home, popular ‘street’ brands such as Noughtone, Sahil Aneja,
HUEMN or Theorem, are on average not more than 5 years old. This
means that while their work is covetable among those aware of the
trend, it will take a long time for them to be at par with the current
Indian fashion system dominated by ethnicwear designers. This
means a huge head start for retailers and brands looking to enter this
market – more so with numerous industry stalwarts incorporating street
influences within their offering to give a fresh spin to their work.
There is no better germination ground for streetwear than in India,
with 50 per cent of the population under 25 and about 65 per cent
under 35.
October 1-15
A
fter going through a period as distressed as the ripped jeans style,
the denim industry is on an upswing. According to a report by P&S
Market Research, jeans reached more than US $ 40 billion in global
sales in 2016 and the denim market as a whole is expected to exceed
US $ 87 billion by 2023.
The jeans category poses as double the size of leggings and bigger
than categories such as blouses and coats. Data suggests that retailers
are starting to refocus on their denim assortments by planning new
releases. In Q3 2018, 42 per cent more denim products were reported
as in stock as compared to their numbers at the same time last year. As
a consequence of this, not only manufacturers, but designers as well
are betting on denim revival.
Covetable streetwear brands such as Off-White and Vetements have
paved a secure way for technical washes over reworked denim and
patchwork styles, while mass-market labels such as American Eagle
Outfitters Inc. set a record for volume last Fall, particularly for the
teenaged consumer base.
There was a brief period wherein athleisure and comfort stretch
overhauled the denim industry in 2015 and 2016, but post that,
both luxury and mass markets have observed a huge uptick. Various
denim manufacturers have started experimenting with new materials,
thereby replacing cotton with nylon, polyester, aramid and other spun
thermoplastic variations to meet demand and lower the cost of mass
styles.
Gaining strength in 2017 and soaring through the early months of
2018, denim has enjoyed a good rebound – which also signals in new
trends and eager shoppers.
www.apparelresources.com | JANUARY 1-15, 2019 | Apparel Online India
53