'Hyderabad is warming up to couture'
HYDERABAD: Soft drink in hand, checking out the collection of their desired designers, not only socialites but your regular women who love the occasional splurge were seen strolling among the garments at Anahita. Boutiques like Anahita, Anonym and Angasutra make space for high-end designers who do not have their own store in the city to showcase their collections for a limited time so that Hyderabad also gets a taste of their designer fashion.
Maniza Patny (L)
While a few years ago, this wasn’t a culture many indulged in Cherazad Pestonji and Maniza Patny, the coowners of Anahita believe that a lot has changed in the last five years.
Hyderabad has moved on from the kurti and tunic outfits that we considered workwear. I am guilty of doing so myself. But the women of today, working women and otherwise are looking towards better options and are experimenting with fashion even in workplace,” shares Cherazad. In the last five years there has been an acceptance towards western wear in the city she says. “Wearing a dress for a Diwali party is acceptable now.”
Being a part of the business for eight years, the duo are bound to find a pattern in Hyderabad’s buying habits. “As we are the creative eye for Anahita, we have to first make sure that it appeals to us. And then we take into account the interest of our clientele,” she says adding, “Sometimes a collection that worked well in Mumbai might not work the same way here.” Cherazad also notes that Hyderabad has a counterpart in terms of fashion choice. She says, “I would say that Hyderabad’s sensibility is very similar to that of South Delhi. Collections that are recieved well there are likely to be appealing here too.” Cherazad also attributes this updation to the internet. “Thanks to social media, our clients are wellinformed about how fresh a collection is, how dated it is or even what colours it is available in. So if anyone walks in here for picking something out for an occasion, they know exactly what they want,” concludes Cheri.