EXCLUSIVE: Fashion industry expanding in India, says FDCI president Sunil Sethi

New Delhi: The fashion industry in India has changed over time but how much it has changed in the last 15 years, an idea about it is given by Fashion Design Council of India's (FDCI) president Sunil Sethi. In an exclusive interview with ABP Live FDCI president said,-"There was zero platform 15 years ago. I remember, I was a buyer for many departmental stores. And in the year 2000, I had brought together seven buyers who came here with me to buy Indian product, to do an Indian promotion." "There were hardly four or five shops that we can go to. And there was nothing like fashion week, there was nothing like young designers exhibiting their stuff," said Mr Sethi during 'Runway to New Zealand' fashion event, organized jointly by Education New Zealand (ENZ) and Fashion Design Council of India in the capital recently. "India only had 10 names (of fashion designers) and it was difficult to locate them because they never had their stores that time", he recalled. Indians designers used to go abroad along with their suitcase called a trunk show and showcased their products, FDCI president recollected. "And today there was 30 designers here (in the event) who 15 years ago didn't exist", Mr. Sethi said while putting stress on changing fashion industry and added, "Many of them are doing so well and in crores, they have turnover." Now our designers have created such a name for themselves and that buyers come here now, he said. On being asked that it is being criticized that most of the clothes that are shown during catwalk on ramp can't be wear in normal life, he said, "15 years ago people used to say that, 10 years ago people used to say that. Today, nobody will ask that question. Today everything which models show (on ramp) is wearable. One or two things may be for effect but rest all is wearable." If fashion designers will not make clothes which can be wear "And if they (designers) don't make wearable cloth, where they are going to sell them? They have to show wearable clothes", he elaborated.