The festival season is truly on. Parties have been planned and plans are being made to attend
them. And yes the weddings have commenced. It’s been a tough, depressing year.
The second wave, the hospitalization and the deaths that rose to the thousands
in Goa and several lakhs in the rest of the country made for very depressing
reading. Death was just a sniff away so to speak. Yes the variant is still
around but the people now just want to ease up. For many people attending
weddings and parties it is important to be dressed for the occasion. It
involves planning and yes, expenditure that will run into several thousands.
There are several individuals and outlets that cater to the
demands of brides, grooms, members of the family or just members of the general
public who would like to dress up to go for a wedding or a party. According to
various members of the fashion industry, it was better now to be in the
business than earlier. Cherylyne, who is a designer, said business was
certainly better than what it was a month earlier. She said “There has been a
twenty percent increase in business, of that there is no doubt and orders are
coming in. I am getting assignments for weddings and parties. You have to
understand weddings are smaller affairs due to the regulations in place. The
couples are willing to spend a little more but that remains on a case to case
basis. Most of them don’t have to spend much on all the other stuff so they can
spend on themselves. It’s better now than even a month ago. I am not
complaining.”
Verma Dmello another
designer said it was not like before. People she said were thinking twice
before spending money. Speaking about the people preparing for marriages she
said the crowd was much smaller and they were also spending less. With regards
to those preparing for the parties they intended to participate in, she said
they would purchase outfits but it certainly is not like it was years ago.
Everyone she said was exercising prudence.
However, Annie of
Annes Bridal wear said business was good. She said “It’s been good, people are
picking up clothes. They seem to have forgotten about the virus or its
variants. With regards to weddings we would have the entire family coming over
and buying clothes. That does not happen anymore. People are exercising caution.
Yes, they are spending money but it is less than what it was earlier. For me
business is so much better than what it was a few months earlier. This year has
not been great”.
Sofia Pereira of
Sofia Bridal studio said there was business now which was just not there
earlier. Now there was a sudden rise in orders. She said “It’s obvious some of
the regular faces are missing. They would come every year to buy something.
Perhaps they are exercising financial prudence. Bridal couples are certainly
coming over and some of them are willing to spend money but others less so”.
It
is obvious business has improved but it certainly has not gone to the peaks
witnessed years ago. Perhaps some solace can be taken in the fact that business
is improving and perhaps sometime in the new year, it will reach levels
witnessed pre covid.
