Domestic buyers contribute more to fashion business: FDCI

NEW DELHI: Despite the hullabaloo created by the International buyers at the fashion weeks, it's the domestic buyers who contribute more to the business of the designers.

"The foreign buyers are important but most of the designers' business comes from the burgeoning domestic market," Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) executive director Sumeet Nair said.

Foreign buyers do place large orders with the designers but the continuity is lacking in them, merchandising agent Sunil Sethi said.

After the last winter edition, US, based buyer Anthropolgy placed orders with designer Rina Dhaka and Rana Gill worth Rs 50 lakh each.

"They would be selling the designer collections through 100 stores abroad. Now can a domestic buyer sell through 100 stores at a single go? That's why the foreign buyers are important," Sethi added.

So, how many foreign buyers have placed their orders with the designers this season?

"Well, foreign buyers do take time to zero in on the designers, they sometimes take months to place orders," he said.

Foreign buyers are usually more interested in the Winter collection than the Spring Summer collection. However, nearly 10-15 foreign buyers were spotted in the venue on the first three days of the fashion extravaganza.