In the past year, pret’s ready-to-go memo has consistently favoured the burgeoning influencer culture and has been key to fashion’s democratisation. The visuals on our Instagram feeds clearly have an impact on our fashion spending and shoppers have started buying clothes for real life and their digital presence.
“The kind of content we see now on social media definitely influences fashion buying. It has steered people towards experimenting and to think about what looks good on social media. With people following celebrities online, they make a note of how they style their clothes or how they mix and match. So when people shop, they know exactly what they’re looking for and what they see online has an impact on what they spend on,” designer Ambika Lal shares.
Lal operates mostly from Kolkata, but also has a set-up in Mumbai. And the designer just introduced a winter-festive line. Over the years, Lal has introduced comfortable, body-loving updates to familiar cocktail cuts to make the dressy code more adaptable. Bollywood too seems to be warming up to the idea of Lal’s wearable, utility-forward luxury pret.
“A lot of actors and celebrities are paying for the pieces they want to keep for personal use, instead of just sourcing them from stylists for shoots, which is so great. We also have a relationship with stylists now and we share our lookbooks with them once they’re done. I think most A-listers want to stand out with their personal fashion. Even their stylists are committed to coming up with something that has never been done before,” Lal shares.
‘Waiting for Tonight’, Lal’s winter line, makes a case for the second roaring ’20s, now that sequins, tulle, frills and feathers are making a comeback in the after-dark memo. “The line has a lot of sequins, metallics, ostrich feathers etc, which can be quite dramatic. It’s a 32-piece collection with dresses, gowns and co-ords. For the last couple of years, I’ve stuck to releasing one line every year, usually post October when there’s a demand for celebratory fashion or occasion wear,” the designer says.
Kolkata shoppers are back to splurging on after-five dresses and the designer shares that travel-friendly numbers are flying off the shelves this season. “Buyers from the city are now splurging for milestone occasions like birthdays, anniversaries and they’re also looking to shop for overseas travel. They’ll often pick up two to three outfits in one go if they’re buying for celebrations abroad. I meet my Kolkata buyers often and communicate with them. They’re open to suggestions,” the designer shares.
A lavender number with ruffled detailing Courtesy: Ambika Lal
The last runway season saw labels like Miu Miu and Paco Rabanne fine-tuning luxury fashion to make it more party-worthy, while homegrown names especially Kolkata-based brands like Anamika Khanna or Satya Paul adopted a more Instagram-friendly approach.
A couple of metallic numbers by Ambika Courtesy: Ambika Lal
“Most of our clients end up sharing their images with us when they wear something and people are definitely thinking about the digital aspect — how something will look online. Buyers are also making a trend of their own by combining two styles or adding their own personal touches to a trend. Subtle bling, sequins and flashy elements are definitely coming back — trends that were big in the ’90s. Something that’s elegant and yet catches your eye,” Lal shares.