No fashion forecasts, designers in dilemma

A fall in the number of export orders, having to go in for sparser embellishments, compromising on fabrics by going in for cheaper ones and dealing with lay-offs ��� the fashion fraternity has had to tackle with quite a few woes because of recession.
And as the time to start working on their next collection (spring���summer) approaches, designers from the desert state are having to deal with a new dilemma ��� what new styles to incorporate in their creations ��� as no strong fashion trends are coming from the West.
Rues designer Aruna Singh, ���As there are no clear fashion forecasts internationally, it���s tough to figure out what colours and trends of the season are. And if you go wrong with your collection, you would end up not selling at all, leading to all the hard work, money and time going down the drain. Yes, the stakes are high here.���
Designer Rahul Jain explains that trend forecasts come from Europe and the US, where extensive surveys are conducted by big designer brands to zero in on new trends that would rule the forthcoming season. ���But now because there is a financial crunch, brands are cutting costs by doing away with surveys, hence there are no fashion forecasts this time, only colours have been forecasted. So now these brands are just asking their designers to ���reinvent their designs���,��� adds Rahul.
He figures that textile and colour forecast bimonthly books that these brands come out with, will not have many Rajasthani designers buying them this time round, as these come at an exorbitant price of Rs 15,500 and Rs 35,000 respectively. ���In order to cut costs, designers wouldn���t go in for drastic changes but be cautious as far as their next collections go,��� he reasons.
However, all���s not gloomy. The extensive domestic market in the country would work in favour of the style gurus. Says designer Pallavi Jaipur, ���True designers would have no trends to follow from the international market this time. But our ever-expanding domestic market would do the balancing act as international trends almost don���t matter here.���
Designer Puja Arya feels that it would bring out true talent and give a chance to designers to follow their heart and make the most of their creativity. ���Designers would now have the freedom to follow their own creative instincts, instead of restricting themselves to what has been forecast. It would give them the independence to explore new paths.���
Puja adds, ���Those who understand the trade won���t need any forecasts to augment sales. They would give their clients just what they would buy. Moreover, the influence of forecasts is limited, as those who cater to the domestic market, constantly reinvent their collections and would know how to work around the situation.���
'Stakes are high, one can���t go wrong���
���If you go wrong with your collection, you would end up not selling at all, leading to all the hard work, money and time going down the drain. Yes, the stakes are high.��� ��� Aruna Singh
���They���ll have freedom to let creativity flow���
���Designers would now have the freedom to follow their own creative instincts, instead of restricting themselves to the forecasts. They would explore new paths.��� ��� Puja Arya
���Trend forecasts have dried up���
���Trend predictions come from Europe and the US, where extensive surveys are conducted by big designer brands to find out new trends, but that���s not
happening now ��� ��� Rahul Jain