Gardens, from rose to rock

Chandigarh is watching fashion stores sprout like there's no tomorrow, though the shopper could well take her own sweet time.

That Chandigarh has caught the attention of India's designers is obvious. Ritu Kumar, Raghavendra Rathore and Rohit Bal are just some of the names that retail in Le Corbusier's greenscaped paradise, with Satya Paul and Rocky S on their way. What's recent is the breathless pace at which fashion outlets have begun to sprout.

It's a retail phenomenon on the whole, with brands such as Koutons turning suddenly ambitious. "Our plans for the greater Punjab are big," says H S Sidhu, executive vice-president, Koutons Retail India, who plans at least new 50 sale points in the northern region.

But the phenomenon that Chandigarh residents are watching most closely is the coming of designers seen in full blossom on such channels as FTV.

The newest outlet is Samsaara, part of Genesis Colours' network. This outlet brings Manish Malhotra, Rohit Bal, Pallavi Jaikishen, J J Vallaya, Deepika Gehani, Krishna Mehta, Satya Paul and Raghavendra Rathore all under one roof.

"That only Delhi and Mumbai are fashionable is history," says Sanjay Kapoor, managing director, Genesis Colours. Chandigarh is the new story of fashion consciousness, to his mind.

Samsaara's idea, he adds, is to offer an international shopping experience, but with apparel that is fashionable in the contemporary Indian context (Patiala suits being a good sign of Punjab's ability to set off trends). "Chandigarh is well-heeled, and likes to keep abreast of trends," says Kapoor.

The rest of the region won't be ignored either. In September, Satya Pal (which also retails Deepika Gehani) is slated to hit Amritsar and Ludhiana. Samsaara plans outlets in these cities too, as also Jallandhar.

"Punjabis crave the good things of life," explains Lalit Kumar, CEO and director, Ebony Retail Holding, which runs Studio Ivory in Chandigarh that stocks over 16 designers.

Several studies indicate that Punjab boasts the highest per capita spend on fashion goods in the country (the exposure to diaspora cultures may be a factor here), with the figure rising fast.

Mohali, on the city's outskirts, meanwhile is preparing to throw open doors to the region's very own Fashion Technology Park. According to Jagjit Singh Kocchar, CEO, the park is in talks with designers from Canada and France.

But isn't all this a little premature? Not at all, says Kapoor. Chandigarh and Punjab are ready for fashionwear. "'Expensive' is a mindset. Here, people look at value for money and then go ahead and buy what they like," he says. "And would we be expanding if we did not expect sales?" he smiles.

It's just that the Chandigarh fashion shopper won't be hurried. She'll take her own sweet time warming up to the idea of apparel as communication. What lies between the rose and rock gardens, as the local quip goes, is leisure valley.