| Mumbai and New Delhi might not have a high street yet, but if the fashion rage is anything to go by, Chandigarh may take the lead there "" and sooner than anyone might have expected. |
| Fashion roadshows have been par for the course in Punjab, but designers now seem keen on more permanent roots because of a rapidly developing consumerism that's all too evident in the lavish spends in Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Jallandhar. |
| Already, you can buy Ritu Kumar, Rohit Bal and Raghavendra Rathore in city boutiques, and the buzz is that Manish Malhotra, Pallavi Jaikishan and Deepika Gehani could soon be in store shelves too. |
| In town for a fashion show, both Rocky S and Wendell Rodricks have shown interest to include Chandigarh on their expansion list. But the biggest expression of designer solidarity is being led by fashion house Satya Pual. |
| "We consider the region a ripe market and in six months we shall have an independent store in Ludhiana," said Nalini Gupta, CEO, Genesis Colors, the holding company for designer labels such as Satya Paul and Deepika Gehani. Jallandhar and Amritsar are other "fashion zones" where the company is looking to expand their footprint. |
| In the first week of March, Genesis Colors hopes to launch its multi-brand designer outlets. "By the year-end, pan-India, we are targeting eight multi-brand outlets," said Gupta. |
| "The Punjabis have a craving for the good things of life," confirms Lalit Kumar, CEO and director, Ebony Retail Holding Limited, whose Studio Ivory in Chandigarh stocks over 16 designers. "Our effort has been to bring an affordable collection of designers." |
| In the male domain, Chandigarh may soon have an Italian menswear shop, Stanza, negotiations for which are underway. Coming up is a Mont Blanc outlet at the Taj Hotel. |
| The region is likely to witness a major revolution in fashion technology with acclaimed foreign designers expected to open shop in the upcoming Fashion Technology Park in Mohali. |
| According to Jagjit Singh Kocchar, CEO, the management has decided to initiate negotiations with designers from Canada and France, and may open an office in UK. |
| Studies have shown that the per capita spends on fashion goods is highest in Punjab. The Punjabi diaspora in UK and Canada generates a huge demand for fashion outfits from India. |
| The market is estimated to be growing at 20-25 per cent per annum. It's evident why designers want a slice of the lucrative Punjab market. It'll mean more choice in the city, and make those trips to New Delhi to pick up a designer outfit redundant. |
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