The Indian fashion industry unveils a new business strategy that may just work. There are probably less than 0.1 per cent of our customers who can afford to shell out Rs 30,000 for an itsy-bitsy top, or Rs 80,000 for the rest of the dress,'' rattles off Narula with the practised ease of a man who has said the same thing several times before. Only, this time round, there are several willing ears.
Aspirations run very high in smaller cities .
But these are not manifest yet as the outlets to cater to these needs are not around,'' says Sangita Sinh Kathiwada, Melange, a an up-market boutique chain which has been stocking fashion labels for the last few years. For, only this product category can revive the fashion industry from the niche-trap it has created for itself. ''I am getting out of weddings once and for all. I have done too many and it becomes tedious to have 50 people of the same family nitpicking on shades. But then Levi's pret is not the same as Versace pret. There is a difference,'' he adds.