Life Lessons with Grandmaster of Indian Fashion – Sunil Sethi
Sunil Sethi – President of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) speaks to Beauty Launchpad about the changing times in Indian fashion as well as his personal style and more. — By Esha Gakhar
What are your insights on key factors that drive the Indian fashion industry during COVID times?
Adapting to the circumstances is vital, and currently, the circumstances are such that we are unable to organise physical events. There is no other option but to go digital. But sometimes, when there aren’t many options to choose from, it could be a blessing. Frankly, going the digital way is a welcome move. We started doing a stockroom sale online and it became a successful digital B2C event; this gave us a few hints on the way forward. The creativity of Indian fashion designers do not stop; even though they might not be able to open their factories or assign work to their tailors, the design studios haven’t stopped developing new lines. And hence, you’ll be seeing two digital fashion weeks showcasing these new designs being developed. As far as the retail scenario goes, with the physical stores open, consumers are gradually making their way back. Designers are also going the eCommerce way; we also had a helpdesk for this during the stock sales. I feel that, if nothing else, the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have pushed the design community towards digitisation which is the need of the hour; it is preparing them for the future.
What can we look forward to in post-COVID fashion?
Nobody knows what’s going to happen in the post-COVID scenario. But the fashion industry knows two things: 1. Digital is here to stay, and 2. Physical events will never go out of fashion. We are very clear about these. So, for us, the post-COVID period will see a good marriage between these two.
What is the way forward for homegrown talent as well as the country’s traditional crafts?
Everbody can say ‘Vocal for Local’ are the buzzwords now. But Indian handloom falls under the sustainable category which has been a buzzword for many years, domestically and internationally. So, all these new buzzwords actually just give a push to our existing policies for promoting handloom. The fact is that we have been doing it for a long time; as soon as a student graduates from a design school, they are sent to handloom clusters — not Paris or Milan Fashion Week or factories in other countries. Equipped with this knowledge, these young designers use that in their own designs. So, to tell you the truth, we are always promoting handloom and we will continue to do so irrespective of the changing circumstances or flavour of the season. We are lucky to have Smriti Irani and the Ministry of Textiles giving us the opportunity to be a part of the Indian Handloom Day; we promoted handlooms from every state and region in the country. Also, to educate people about Indian handloom, we conducted several webinars even during the pandemic. So,
it is a continuous activity and it is important to us.
What are your hopes for fashion and art education in the country?
I’ll keep it separate; right now in India, there is no link between fashion and art in education. The link is made once the designers start working on something where fashion and art combine to make a presentation; we are working on that. But when it comes to pure education, fashion and art colleges are completely different. I must say, even though people have respected art for much longer than fashion, it comes as no surprise to me that fashion education has a lead over art education. If I ask you to quickly name five art colleges in Delhi-NCR, you might not be able to count enough. But if I ask you to name fashion colleges, you’ll instantly think of NIFT, JD Institute, Pearl, IIAD, International College of Fashion, GD Goenka College, KR Mangalam and so many more. This is happening because people are aspiring to get into one of these colleges and within the term ‘fashion’, they are teaching many different courses. So, fashion education is not just related to fashion alone; there are courses in textiles, communication, etc. too. It is sad to see that no one is promoting Art. I believe that there should be more art colleges.
What is your advice to aspiring designers?
I must say that the new crop of designers is at a disadvantage; when they graduate now, with the industry shut, they are not able to get even six months of training or work experience. But FDCI is keen to help these young designers for their future; we have tied up with Pearl Academy and are planning a show for the graduating students. Even if it’s after six months, we are going to make up for the lost time and give them a platform to showcase their creativity.
When it comes to jobs, I think it is going to be a slower process. But if you have talent, opportunities will never cease to exist. Education is something that once you have it, it does not go to waste. Designers can hone their skills during this break — both the young crop and the old crop — so that when the industry opens up they’ll be ready for the opportunities that come their way. It is best to not look at the glass as half-empty; I feel that everybody will have to wait for their opportunity and it will come.
Do you think the pandemic and its effects on the economy would impact the wedding market?
Not at all! A bride and groom will always look to wear the best at their wedding, a once-in-a-lifetime occasion. They’ll splurge on it and the budget is always set high for the wedding dresses. Also, the preference for designer clothing is no longer limited to the metros; even in small cities, consumers are fashion-conscious and want that ‘something special’ a designer label offers. Fashion has gone to the masses and that is why it isn’t a debate anymore — the wedding market will continue to thrive.
What makes you happy?
My team – the people I work with, both in my personal business as well as at FDCI. It makes me happy to see how well they understand that they are taking the FDCI brand higher and higher. When I see them getting more knowledgable and experienced as individuals, it makes me really happy. Anyone from my team, be it in fashion or product design or from companies I have worked with in the past – it makes me the happiest to see people develop their abilities and be independent.
Personally, what makes me happy is that I have reached a phase in life where I am able to do things that I like and want to do. I am not forced by any internal circumstances. I am extremely happy that I have reached a phase in life where I am able to do things without thinking of where this month’s EMI is coming from.
Define your personal style.
I believe in ‘less is more’; minimalism has been my mantra for the longest time. As I get older, I sometimes tend to waiver from my mantra but only to probably look trendy. Most people know that I have a style of my own; I believe in promoting Indian fashion designers. I mostly like to wear clothes from Indian fashion designers because I like to wear “Made in India” on my sleeves.
Valuable life lessons…
For me, it is that never-say-die or never-give-up attitude. The resilience; fighting the odds and coming out strong. Also, if you have talent, if you are good at something, people will recognise you sooner or later. I believe that by not giving up or by fighting the odds, I have managed my life. I feel that everybody tries to do the same thing; it’s only a matter of time before the opportunity comes your way. Once you find an opportunity, you must make the most of it — that’s what I do. Another thing that I appreciate in people is their attention to detail.
Read the full interview in Beauty Launchpad’s November Digital issue.