By Divam Jain
Latin American fashion has always been a representation of “artisanal” fashion in its truest form with a focus on handwork, crochet, embellishments and craftsmanship. Lately, Latin American fashion has gone beyond its tropical vibe and embraced modernity. Their eye for design and style is translating well for global markets. The fashion industry in the region has diversified with creativity and new technology, and the world is collaborating strongly with Latin American manufacturers and brands.
Latin American brands participating in shows like Magic, Vegas have taken things to a whole other league.
I was a Senior Manager for International Sourcing for one of the leading fashion e-commerce portals in India in 2010. When I first visited Bogota for ProColombia’s macro wheel business meeting in 2014, I was traveling to South America for the first time and without any special expectations. What I experienced was phenomenal, an absolute eye-opener.
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I had been looking for fashion from around the world for the Indian e-commerce sector and until my visit, I was unaware of the potential of Colombian fashion. This was a global and regional hub for your non-typical but extremely relevant and niche categories like swimwear, underwear, shapewear and activewear.
The fabrics, technology, patterns and prints, images and styles were out of this world. Those 48 hours in Colombia completely changed my life. My first tryst with Colombian brands was with a swimwear brand called Girls. It was a super hit in India. We were all sold out within weeks. Investors were surprised. This was the beginning of something big.
Colombia, South America 3st the largest economy, houses some of the best in underwear, shapewear, activewear and swimwear. Tremendous work is being done in design and innovation.
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Let’s talk swimwear and activewear. Now these are specialized fields. Colombian brands have developed and are producing smart and innovative fabrics that are anti-bacterial, offer UV protection and are also waterproof. One also sees textured fabrics. Vertically integrated companies give you the flexibility to offer a complete package (where the company makes everything for you, on your brand). You can even develop your brand with low minimum order quantities (MOQ). Competitive labor costs help you keep production costs under control.
For the longest time, swimwear has never really taken off in India. People have either bought pure performance-based swimwear from brand name stores or bought swimwear from international countries specifically for their trips abroad. Embellished swimwear was only seen by celebrities and models.
However, today women are more open to wearing swimwear even when on holiday in India or for the sake of their Instagram profiles. Fashionable swimwear is gaining wide acceptance. Having said that, swimwear brands have not been able to keep pace with the growing demand and popularity. There is a huge void in terms of technologically advanced designs, silhouettes and fabrics. There is a dearth of good brands and styles in the swimwear segment in India. A handful of international and domestic brands are ruling this space. The market is filled with low-cost, low-quality or high-end swimwear. Indians are now ready to invest in good swimwear and very willing to flaunt it. People are no longer interested in basic functional swimwear from the typical sportswear brands that cater to the masses. It’s time to bring the fusion of technology, design and above all, fashion.
In 2017, my wife and I started Fabnest, a premium yet affordable womenswear brand based in New Delhi. I met, reviewed and researched a Latin American company that could be a lifestyle brand and compete in India. Chamela, a premium Colombian brand, ticks all these boxes and sets another standard altogether. Their design and innovation across categories such as swimwear, underwear and activewear is phenomenal, and their seasonal collection includes multiple edits that allow the customer to choose from different styles, prints and features. They are also a size inclusive brand, offering larger sizes – which is required for the Indian market. Since they are a lifestyle brand, after launching swimwear, we at Fabnest aim to launch activewear, underwear and apparel, to tap their full potential for the Indian market.
The future remains bright for Latin American fashion in India and Chamela is just the beginning.
(The author is a co-founder at FABNEST. The views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of FinancialExpress.com.)
