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The glitterati in their endeavour to look great
and feel good place their faith in the hands of a few designers and a price
tag with endless nulls. Our mailbox had a lot of enquires from women wanting
the same feel of the garment but at an affordable tag. Another dimentions to
it was the fact that this segment wanted wears that were subtle as a casual
wear yet trendy when party borne. A survey through the shopping havens
across the terrians of our country led us in search of the affordable yet
elegant salwar kameez that would do any women proud. The gaints in retail
trade like Modern Silk House in Lucknow, Sona's Favourite Shop in Bangalore,
Pralochna in Coimbatore, Sri Krishna in Chennai, Nikhar in Jaipur, Seasons
in Mumbai and Asopalav in Ahmedabad were a few destinations that compelled
us to believe that ingenious ideas have been plotted in making this dressing
a branded product. We narrowed the search and discovered a single brand that
has been visionary and a cult figure in dressing....Sentiments.
How did the Sentiments brand of Salwar Kameez's touch similar sentiments of
an invigorating mix of culture and people across the country, makes you
wonder what made it click. Was it the fashion genius creating wearable
attires or was it a marketing revolution? Probably it was both. A few
unanswered questions made us search the history of Sentiments and we
discovered. ...a woman.
"Please let me be low profile," she screams from behind her desk in her
design studio, wearing an elegant salwar kameez which we presumed was
nothing but Sentiment. The name behind the desk was Vandana Roy, the
designer and the businesswoman of Sentiments. So in this age of recession
how has she managed to make a success? "Give your client value for money and
she remains with you," replies Vandana Roy. However clinched it may sound
but then that is the reality in this recession infiltrated season. Salwar
Kameez is a necessity in today's wardrobe but at the same time within a
given budget the woman wants to feel indulgent and luxurious. "The focus is
on the intelligent woman who has more than just taste and is not looking for
cheap imitations of big designers," thinking 17s to the mature 30s and
rightfully so as we gather. So then where is the compromise...if any?
"You cannot, I repeat, cannot compromise in the quality of your garment even
if you want to cut corners in the pricing." comments Vandana. The fabrics
are exquisite and there is an exceptional attention to detail in the making
every garment even if it is mass-produced. "Even if we are mass producing,
we at Sentiments ensure that not more than two to three pieces of a single
design in one colour reaches the retail outlet in one city," beams the lady,
proud to maintain exclusively in spite of being a production house. "It is
this mass production that makes it physically and financially visible for me
to travel to jaipur just for Bandhanis, to Coimbatore for handloom cottons,
get my jute linens from Bhagalpur, Jamevars from Banaras and get Bagru
printing work done from Sanganer in Rajasthan," says Vandana, explaining the
intricacies of producing more garments than one at a time. The quantities in
question make it possible for the brand to directly deal with the craftsmen,
weavers and artisans all around India and extract quality work from them. A
tight reign on the prices by eliminating middle men is passed on directly to
the women who adore the garment for its fit and style. So how does she
design keeping in mind the different choices of a consumer in coaching to
the one in Calcutta? "The choices may be different but the bottom line is
the same, every women wants to feel beautiful." We agree with Vandana. The
inspiration for Vandana is colours.... beautiful colours.
The arduous journey of creating acceptable designs begins with fabrics and
colours. "The fabrics ought to have a character and the colours a charishma,"
the designer proclaims. Their tie up with all the leading fabric
manufacturers in India and suppliers abroad ensures that the same fabric is
not dumped in the market for a stipulated time. This gives them enough lead
time to introduce garments in the fabric that no one has touched before.
Vandana Roy did her two -year course in Dress Making and Fashion
Co-ordination from the SNDT institite in Mumbai. Besides this, the designer
has a fabulous hand for art and painting, which she uses to create soulful
dressings for Sentiments.
She laments the fact that in spite of such talented people coming out of
fashion institutes, not one of them looks towards mass production as a
medium of creating dressings. "Every one wants to be a top of the line and
media hyped designer," comments this successful manufacturer of Salwar
Kameezes. She believes that if there are more players and competition in
this industry, it would eventually be prospering the consumer and anything
less than perfect would be a passe. So are there any other players fishing
in the same grounds...of Sentiments? There are a few more players in the
branded segment but are far from being a recognizable symbol like
Sentiments. There are nearly two hundred shops all over India convincingly
retailing the Sentiments brand. "These retail outlets are personally
selected by us and we ensure that there are no more than one or two outlets
in a city." says Vandana while discussing her marketing strategy. Sentiments
do not intend to increase the number of retail outlets any further because
they do not want to oversell and wish to retain their characteristics aura
in each city, is what we gather.
Where there is an original, can the fakes be far behind in a country that
has shoab of pirates. Retail outlets that could not get the coveted
Sentiments brand indulge in blatant piracy, creating 'Just-like-Sentiments'
designs. But a consumer so used to the insignia of Sentiments at the nape of
the garment, refuses to be fettered by the fakes, but then can there be
greater accolades than having the losers ape your design to make a living.
"The fakes still cannot compete with our brand because the moment they try
to change the fabric and compromise on the quality of the garment which is a
give away,"suggests Vandana. Sentiments create 30 to 40 designs every month
and before the copiers get a whiff of it, the designs are changed in the
coming month. These not only ensure a variety, but also translate into
repeat purchases from feminine genders, especially when there is so much...
to choose from. Sentiments has been creating these sophisticated silhouettes
that meld style with the couture look to give a timeless and contemporary
look within a range of Rs.1200 to Rs.3000. Whether you float with a pretty
embroidery pattern or pack a punch with lycra, you are always ready for a
look which is all woman. Be it the traditional Bandhani print or the
abstract batik print, the fashion is becoming in nay garment that flaunts
the Sentiment label. It has been a decade of existence for this brand of
clothing which breaks away from predictability. "Good things in life need
not come for a scandalous price," a smile ensures from Vandana Roy who still
prefers to let her work speak....more than her image. Commercializing a
brand and yet satisfying all discerning clients is no mean feat. Sentiments
has managed to do just that. Women will continue to succumb to the brand.
Sentiments through Vandana Roy will continue to energize the gentry with
their collections. The future is endless. The Sentiments are endless.
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