Fashion hunt

RETAIL: After demolition drives, fashion designers in Delhi are on a hunt to find safer addresses to display their collections.

When the Delhi government's demolition drive hit the fashionista address of 1 MG Road, a majority of fashion designers had little choice but to simply watch while their pret and couture collections got buried under the rubble.

Now, after almost a month, fashion designers, says Rakesh Thakore of Abraham & Thakore, "who suffered tremendous amounts of emotional and financial losses" are desperately looking for a newer and, more importantly, "safer address". Areas like Hauz Khas and Shahpurjat may be upmarket, but are firmly under the MCD scanner and unauthorised constructions there are at risk of demolition. Even Defence Colony, where fashion designer Shantanu of the Shantanu-Nikhil label has his outlet, might be what he calls "under the button".

With so many fashion zones under pressure from zoning laws, some fashion designers are moving to an unassuming part of the capital: Lodhi Colony market.

Housing well-known restaurants like Ploof and Chilli Season, the area is now a favourite of designer labels like Manish Arora's Fish Fry, Rajesh Pratap Singh and Abraham & Thakore to name just a few. Coming soon will be Anshu Arora Sen and Shantanu & Nikhil besides, as Thakore confirms, "a young designer from Bangalore".

Though Shantanu is tightlipped about his store in Lodhi market, he confirms, "We are still in the final stages but have already taken space in Lado Sarai's Crescent besides Square One, the upcoming mall in Saket."

There is a desperate need for designers to move on especially after the MG mall debacle. "It was fast becoming a fashion hub what with NRIs coming specifically to buy clothes," says Thakore.

"It was," he says, "our first retail experience and we are upset it had to see such an ugly end. People were paying Rs 60-80 thousand as rent on a monthly basis and in one swift stroke everything came down."

Shantanu adds, "We even lost out on golden opportunities to strike viable deals with international fashion houses."

Thakore now houses his designer label in a 433-sq-ft space that belongs to JNPN Enterprises that will be shared with Sen, Jaipur's Gem Palace besides one more boutique and a small cafe.

"We want to make this a designer hub," says Thakore, adding, "It's a government area and hopefully we'll be safer. There is ample parking space and we feel we'll attract the right crowds."

Shantanu cautions, "It (Lodhi Colony market) may come under the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) area, but it might have its own loopholes."

He says, "The guidelines make it clear that the first floor is for residential purpose and commercial property is available on ground floor only."

According to him, the best way forward is by taking the mall route. "Tourists eventually hit the malls for shopping. I doubt if markets housed in residential colonies are attractive," he points out.

While Shantanu is expanding through the mall route, designers like Rohit Gandhi of H2O and Cue have invested likewise in the Crescent and taken 1,000 sq ft space for their labels at this arcade within air-kissing distance of Qutab Minar. "We needed to find a space that was safe," justifies Shantanu, "and this hopefully should fit the bill."

For fashion's sake, we just hope the industry has done its Rule of Law homework.