Kishore Amati
Fashion designers from the ‘A-list’, for long, have shied
away from having their stores in Goa. With the exception of Wendell Rodricks
and Malini Ramani, who
have their standalone stores in Panjim and Calangute, respectively, and other
brands such as SavioJon, Tilla, Aish, Naushad Ali, Fara and Lisa Jackal, to name a few, that
function through multi brand boutiques, like Sacha’s Shop for instance, Goa is yet to be exposed to the
designs and collections that scorch the ramp at fashion shows across the country and
abroad. The reasons for this, according to industry stakeholders, are many.
Ace designer Wendell Rodricks, who has sustained his store
since 1996, feels that one of the reasons for fewer designer stores in Goa
could be the perception that the tourist season calendar still influences
buying trends. Wendell says, “Most designers feel that Goa is a seasonal
market, which is not true. Goans love fashion. While many cannot afford the big
brand labels, there is sufficient business. It all depends on how designers
market themselves.”
Pallav Ojha, the man behind India Beach Fashion Week (IBFW), is also an integral part of
the team that recently opened COMO designer collective in Campal. The store
features designer labels of over 50 designers from across India and has a
healthy mix of designs from veteran and budding designers, at various price
points and with multiple sizes to offer. According to the makers of COMO, the
focus is to cater to Goans as they feel that the biggest sell in Goa will be
party, evening, lounge and cocktail wear. Pallav shares a similar opinion as
that of Wendell. He says, “Most designers think that Goa being a tourist
destination, it is only the tourists who have the inclination or the buying capacity
for designer clothes. Goa is as cool or as stylish as any other urban city. The
locals or those settled in Goa are experimenting with their style and have the
required spending capacity.”
Why is it then that designers like Shivan and Narresh, and Falguni and Shane Peacock, who had a store at Marbela Beach Resort in
Morjim, weren’t
inspired to continue their business in Goa? Or Asmita Marwah, best known for
her boho-chic designs, chose to shut her shop located on the Candolim-Calangute
belt? Pallav cites another reason: “The Goan market needs very personalised attention. You need to
get connected to the locals, talk to them and befriend them, failing which, one will always be an
outsider. You cannot be cold
to the locals and expect your business to do well.”
Another point worth pondering over is that, except for a
handful of designers such as SavioJon Fernandes and Riddhi and Siddhi Mapxencar, to name a few, not
many designers from Goa have been able to make a lasting impression at the national level. The Mapxencar
sisters took the Mumbai route to study fashion designing at NIFT over a decade
ago and now manage their label, ‘MapxencaRS’ out of their studio in Mumbai.
When asked about why Goa hasn’t been able to churn out enough noteworthy
fashion designers, Siddhi says, “Goa lacks a credible fashion institute, which
is what made us move to Mumbai. One has to move out of Goa to a cosmopolitan
city like Mumbai where the film and fashion industry also inspires a better
clientele. Mumbai caters to a wide range of people where you get to meet people
from all walks of life and all parts of the world, which is essential for your
creativity to thrive.”
According to industry stakeholders, most Goans by nature are
‘comfortable’ in Goa and find it difficult to move out of their comfort zone.
That, added with the traditional mindset of most parents, where design and art are yet to gain credibility as serious
career options, makes
matters more difficult. The required talent and creativity is there but the
mentorship needed to make it explode, is missing.
But the situation is changing slowly and things look better.
Successful fashion events such as IBFW, and opening of stores such as COMO, are doing enough to provide the desired exposure
to all things fashion, that the locals can use. The key then, perhaps, is to wait a little longer for
the local talent to shimmer.