With the ongoing trend in the Indian fashion industry created by the readymade vogue, bespoke tailoring was surely thumping its way back. But now as the high-street shopping are in toss, custom made & bespoke tailoring marks a comeback in Indian fashion.
Says fashion designer Rachel J Amirtharaj of La Fantaisie, “Bespoke designers use the best of fabrics from around the world and these fabrics and the tailoring came at a premium price which makes the category an extension of luxury line. And with the growth of luxury segment in India, bespoke clothing is getting more and more organized. Moreover, as the mall hopping and shopping and demand for ready to wear clothes are in toss these days because of worldwide pandemic, people are actually looking for custom made, well fitted outfits, which they can order easily without going out frequently.”
As Rachel J Amirtharaj adds further, “Today with the middle class becoming more affluent, bespoke services are seeing higher demand. More and more people are becoming aware of bespoke clothing and getting impressed by the outcome of it. Bespoke clothing makes an individual look sharp and comfortable in their own skin at the same time. As time is ticking, we can see a wide number of audiences opting for it. The bespoke clothing, with its exquisite detail and luxurious fabrics, was once reserved for only wealthy style connoisseurs, but custom tailoring is becoming a growing trend among professional entrepreneurs, as prices fall and awareness grows.” There has been a boom in the number of bespoke houses in India as more and more gentlemen become aware about the perks of bespoke garments. Weddings too have contributed to this segment as most of the grooms prefer bespoke suits that have perfect fit and desired fabric quality as well as design. Says Rachel, “Bespoke clothing has evolved over the years to become more experience oriented rather than just being product specific. The main driver for this has being the explosion of the wedding market in India over the past decade and bespoke has made a huge come back. While fit still remains the biggest reason why people prefer bespoke, design has been getting a lot of relevance.”
The In-Thing
Change is constant and same is true in case of trends in bespoke segment as well. With constant up-gradation from the fashion house of the world like Milan, Paris, New York, etc., accompanied with growing urge for experimentation, bespoke segment has witnessed changing trends time and again.
Rachel J Amirtharaj asserts, “In the world of tailored dressing for men & women we can see a transition happening with people opting for powder blues, camel, taupe and teal to stand out from the crowd. Moving forward, bespoke clothing segment is to become a rage soon with more and more people especially brides opting for cleaner, custom- made apparel for their special occasions rather than readymade garments. There is a high potential for exponential development of bespoke services in upper mid market ‘affordable luxury category’. It’s just matter of time, concludes Rachel J Amirtharaj of the designer label La Fantaisie.