Affluent shoppers ditch the pricey designer wear for affordable chic

Mint

10 hours ago

New Delhi: India's young and affluent shoppers are increasingly opting for multiple, more affordable outfits for special occasions rather than a single, expensive designer piece of clothing that mostly sits in the wardrobe. The trend has spawned new brands while compelling established designers to expand their collections.
'We're seeing strong demand for lighter silhouettes like embroidered kaftans, especially from women in their 40s," said designer Jayanti Reddy, who operates two stores in Delhi and one each in Mumbai and Hyderabad.
The prêt or ready-to-wear segment contributed nearly 50% to overall sales for Reddy in the past few years. She now plans to double down. The future second stores will be focused mainly on occasion wear rather than bridal, she said.
At her DLF Emporio store in Delhi, the focus is entirely on non-bridal pieces under ₹1.5 lakh, aimed at shoppers building their trousseau or looking for elegant festive wear, Reddy said.
'With a range of lighter pieces, we're seeing a lot of walk-in customers, including international shoppers, buying off the rack. That's very different from the bridal segment, where clients usually visit by appointment."
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India's wedding and bridal clothing market is huge, with scores of small and big designers feeding into the demand. But most designers and brands have very high price points, which many Indians still can't afford, said Harminder Sahni, co-founder, managing director and partner at Wazir Advisors. The under ₹50,000 category has a lot of potential, he said.
Anniversaries, birthdays and more
Consumers, too, want to dress differently for more social occasions such as anniversaries, milestone birthdays or even smaller wedding events.
'We're seeing a very clear shift in India toward lighter, more versatile occasionwear—and it's being driven by a younger, more style-conscious consumer who wants their clothes to do more than just show up for one event," said Ashray Gujral, founder, Dash and Dot, which operates an outlet in Delhi, aside from an online store.
The retailer is seeing demand for draped dresses, coordinated or co-ord sets, embroidered jackets, and statement separates that feel festive without being overwhelming. Social media and destination celebrations have also influenced this change, according to Gujral.
The retailer offers outfits priced between ₹8,000 and ₹15,000, but buyers are willing to spend up to ₹30,000, especially for occasion wear, said Gujral. 'Today's customer is looking for pieces they can re-wear, restyle, and even travel with. Heavy formalwear has its place, but there's growing fatigue around one-time, ornate purchases."
Most retailers said the demand is being led by consumers aged 25 to 40.
"For larger multi-brand Indian occasion players operating in this segment, about 20% of the entire business by volume is being driven by this segment, and ethnic wear and occasion wear is a strong category because of the growing middle class," said Sahni of Wazir Advisors. 'India is at an aspirational buying behaviour stage, and it will remain this way for some time to come, making room for many such brands and designers."
The founder of a large Indian multi-brand retailer told Mint that about 20% of the entire sales come from sub- ₹35,000 designer wear products. About 34% its entire sales volumes come from this category, and about 60% the company's business is contributed by products below ₹50,000 from designers like Anushree Reddy, Seema Gujaral and Amit Aggarwal, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
However, there is not much demand for the ₹10,000 and below category, so the retailer is phasing out those products and collections.
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A new crop of designers
Homegrown ethnic wear brand Libas, backed by ICICI Ventures, recently launched an occasion wear line, adding to its more casual collection.
'Consumers are getting smarter with their choice: spending ₹10 lakh on a one-time outfit which they may not repeat? They are now wondering if they can spend that money on something else," said Sidhant Keshwani, the brand's founder. 'The younger audience is driving this shift."
While global fast-fashion retailers offer occasion wear outfits, more shoppers are looking for 'westernized Indian silhouettes", said Pushpa Bector, senior executive director and business head of DLF Retail Ventures.
'A lot of millennials and Gen Z buyers are looking at pret collections of slightly younger designers. Designers, too, are changing over some parts of their collections from what used to be big, multi-occasion-wear to easy-to-wear cocktail lines which are multi-use and occasion," Bector said. 'Evening wear is being bought quite a lot, and that's why designers are getting into diffuse or experimental collections and pret collections to capture the younger audience's market."
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Aza, a multi-brand retailer of high-end designer wear, has expanded its offerings beyond bridal to include lightweight kurta sets, co-ord sets, statement jackets, embroidered kaftans, and festive loungewear–all designed for celebrations that don't require full-scale bridal dressing. It has also onboarded emerging and contemporary Indian designers who specialize in elevated everyday and semi-formal wear, making fashion more inclusive across budgets and occasions.
"The shift towards more accessible Indian wear is being driven by evolving consumer needs, where occasion dressing is no longer limited to big bridal events. With a rise in celebrations like anniversaries, bridal showers, festive office gatherings, and intimate parties, shoppers are seeking ethnic styles that are elegant yet wearable," said Devangi Nishar Parekh, managing director of Aza Fashions.
'Consumers today also value repeat wearability and are more conscious about investing in pieces that offer versatility across multiple occasions," said Parekh. 'Adding to this is the growing influence of contemporary Indian designers who are reinterpreting tradition through a more minimal, functional lens–favouring breathable fabrics, modern cuts, and subtler embellishments."