India may be modernizing, and a global revolution may be gripping the country, but as people, Indians are still traditionalists at heart, preferring to don ethnic wear on occasions, festivals and weddings- Amitoj Singh Chug & Simran Chug
The growth in the Indian ethnic wear market has been subtle, yet steady. Changing lifestyles, rapid urbanisation and increasing fashion awareness have all led to an incremental growth of the ethnic wear segment over the past few years, with designers reporting a significant rise in demand for ethnic clothing for both men and women.
According to Amitoj Singh Chug, director of Amrit Sarup, M/s Atex Textile Pvt Ltd, “The evolution of the women’s ethnic wear category can be attributed to many growth drivers, the most prominent among them being the rising female population in India and the increase in the female workforce. These factors have translated into a huge opportunity for players in the industry to tap the increasing demand for women’s ethnic wear.
According to Amitoj, ethnic wear is the single biggest category in women’s wear segment with a share of large percent. The huge demand in ethnic wear is not only attributed to festivals but also to the rising trend of pairing traditional pieces with western wear – bringing the Indo-Western trend to both casual and formal wear. Women’s fashion in India has come a long way and in the recent times ethnic fashion has become one of the biggest drivers consist of local tailors to small boutique stores that cater to the ethnic wear industry and has demonstrated steady growth over the past years and is set to grow further over the next decade.”
As he adds further, “We are in the industry since 1950 dealing into unstitched dress material, casual, semi-formal suits. Our unstitched suits & dress material have massive demand in India and abroad. Young girls and women, who are more open to experimenting and like to wear western clothes, they also consider ethnic wear in their special occasion.
“Indians residing in UK, USA, Thailand, Dubai, Bangladesh & Canada love to wear Indian ethnic designs. People often come to our store to order in bulk. Breezy fabric, non -ironing dress materials with traditional prints & embroideries are making inroads in everyday fashion. These combinations make the ladies standout be it at the workplace or at social outings,” says Amitoj.
“Ethnic wear is not just limited to traditional occasions and festive seasons anymore. People are sporting these looks at the airport, for meetings and in parties,” says Simran Chug,
Co-Director, Amrit Sarup. As she adds further however with the modernisation of consumer lifestyles and changing preferences, women’s ethnic wear like the salwar kameez have transformed from their truly ethnic form to a more evolved avatar with different cuts and drapes. The salwars have transformed to pants, palazzos and skirts whereas kurtis have transformed to long floor length dresses, anarkalis and asymmetric flare kurtis. Today, fusion wear serves as a comfortable yet a stylish option for daily office wear, casual outing and even evening wear”. BNB