DECODING THE ‘ REAL’ cost of a designer tag
Why do haute couture pieces cost the earth? We spoke to India’s top fashion experts to understand what goes behind the making of these outfits
Renowned designer John Galliano once famously said, “The joy of dressing is an art” — and, if you know anything about art, then you would understand that it certainly ain’t cheap. In the context of fashion, a bespoke outfit or an haute couture ensemble from a premium label comes for a hefty price — but, only a few understand the true cost of the product that they pay for. In India, one can easily find a sari for as low as ` 100 in a small kiosk, but a similar garment at an atelier can cost you as high as ` 10,000,00 or even more depending on the designer tag. So what makes a sari or a kurti from a fashion house so costly? We find out what is the real value of a designer tag that a customer pays when they purchase from a famous label.
All forms of art appreciate in value when the artist becomes renowned. Couture is no exception — it is art, says Saudamini Mattu, CEO, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla Collections. She explains, “Couture is by definition the highest quality, limited edition and entirely handcrafted. As opposed to mass- produced, machine- made ready to wear. Quite simply put, it is rare and meets impossibly high standards of both design and manufacturing excellence. It isn’t desired because of its high price, but it has a high p r i c e because it is the highest level of quality.
T h e combination of higher manufacturing costs, retail space, marketing, skilled retail management, and annual raises of employees — all play a part in setting pricing. As a company, we are committed to paying our employees well. We don’t run sweatshops. That means higher prices.” Whereas, Pernia Qureshi, cofounder of Pernia’s Pop Up Shop, feels that one word to sum it all up would be craftsmanship. She says, “While most designer brands pay a sufficient amount of attention to the highest level of quality, there is greater emphasis on salability and the need to fit into a price- conscious competitive fashion market like ours. Therefore purely pricing a garment higher does not justify its value. A massmanufactured assembly- line kurti with machine- embroidery is cheaper than a hand- embroidered one that is done by a single artisan over a period of a few days. People with a higher purchasing power want to invest in craftsmanship and the novelty of the piece.” Speaking about the marked rise in prices of a designer label as it grows, Pernia mentions, “Anyone who is selling well commands a higher value in the market in this capitalist economy. A young brand will want to build a regular clientele and keeping the price points competitive initially helps them break into the market. This obviously is not a commercially sustainable practice, so with the increase in popularity and demand, the pricing is readjusted over a period of time. However, what is important here is that the brand continues to uphold the quality consistently even after growing. Also, smarter design houses understand this and often introduce lower ranges.”
Cost of a couture piece is generally much higher than prêt pieces, as the piece is made to measure for a single client both in style and size. Designer Shilpi Gupta of Surkhab opines, “It’s not the price range which makes a brand exclusive, rather it’s about the way the garments are ideated and designed. In the couture range, every piece is treated like a piece of art which makes the brand exclusive and expensive. The high manufacturing cost, raw materials, and general overheads also play an important role. As the brand grows, the cost of branding and marketing grows by multiple folds, and it adds to the cost of the brand, which ultimately makes the brand expensive.”
When a new brand enters the market, it has to prove the quality of its product, as it is not well known. As time goes by, the products of the brand get better due to industry knowledge as well as a better sense of clients and their expectations from the brand. Pallavi Mohan of the label Not So Serious says, “As couture is actually made to the individual fitting of people, the materials are more delicate and specific, which pushes its price up. The finest of everything does not necessarily have to make a brand or its products more reliable, but as it is known that the production of couture is costly.”
It wouldn’t be a false statement to suggest that a higher price range also marks the brand exclusivity and makes it aspirational for consumers. Designer Amrita KM says, “As the brand grows, it not just grows in terms of the sales but also in terms of quality, better designing, better fabrics, quality checks of the final ensemble and numerous other things. One can say that price defines the muted luxury of a product. It would be safe to say that designer bout i q u e s cat e r - i n g to a high- class ensemble and assuring quality, the cost is automatically translated to a higher range.”
Any outfit at an atelier, be it a simple tunic or a sari, is thoroughly checked for the quality of fabric, embroidery and other surface ornamentation — the construction is not based on a standard measuring chart which directly leads to a longer manufacturing time duration. Designer Prerana Nagpal elaborates, “A couture line is curated from scratch keeping the occasion and customer in mind, which means more time dedicated to each outfit and more personal attention, which increases cost but what attracts the buyer is the exclusivity that they receive in return. Personal fitting services are offered to ensure that the product meets the client’s expectations or even surpasses it. All these factors attribute to a comparatively elevated cost for a bespoke garment. The trust that the designer has built in due course of time with their client is crucial here.” The pricing of any outfit differentiates on grounds like the cost of fabrics, surface techniques, duration of construction and the hours of sweat undergone to represent the vision of the brand. Designer duo Ruchi Roongta and Rashi Agarwal of the label Ruceru add, “When a label starts the operation, there is a process which begins on the parallel to build a brand. The customer base and loyalty is built with constant effort and deliberated perfection in delivery. The industry though very welcoming is also very cutthroat with constant competition. The higher price can only be aspirational to a customer if they derive the larger than life feel and get that awe of owning a part of the couture house in their wardrobe.”