Cristiaan’s salon instils in the visitor a sense of trust and safety. He keeps the likes and dislikes of his clients in mind. He makes his client to feel comfortable. A client may not specify certain things. These are highly individualistic– as individual as one’s signature. A great hairstylist is a good listener. A hairstylist also acts as a psychiatrist in whom the client reposes his faith and with whom they share their innermost secrets. There are two types of clients–those who know what they want and those who must be told what suits them best. A great hairstylist gauges the texture of the hair. While colouring the hair, the client’s skin tone must be considered. A haircut must suit the shape of the face. Lifestyle also affects the hairstyle, e.g a sport person wants low maintenance hairstyle and a socialite does not mind high maintenance one. A client must be led to a radical hairstyle gradually so that he/she gets confidence to carry it off. A hairstylist must suppress his ego. There are clients who are not ready to compromise on hair length. Then blunt fringe or layers can be tried. While cutting hair, the client must be told constantly about the process.Cristiaan does not like to go against the basic nature of hair, e.g. he does not like to straighten the curly hair. He adores simple and elegant hair cuts. Except for socialites, he avoids high maintenance hairstyles. He prefers wash-and-go hairstyles. He advises that health of the hair can be improved by regular trim and deep conditioning. He does not favour oiling which attracts grime. He does not favour food products like eggs, curd and beer which are applied on the hair. These atr meant to be eaten. It is good to take a diet of green vegetables, fruits, vitamins and consume lot of water. Henna is outdated, as advanced colours are available. He keeps his client’s preferences in mind, and does not believe in giving the same haircut to everyone.He keeps himself updated by attending workshops and reading books. He keeps using his imagination and doing experimentation.He does not blindly ape fashion hairstyles. Some of his celebrity clients are Hrithik Roshan,Arjun Rampal, the late Jiah Khan and Madonna.

Jawed Habib runs an institute for hairdressers in Andheri. He propoes to set up a chain of hairdressing salons.He is from the third generation of hairdressers. He uses his fingers and scissors. It is important to teach a good quality basic cut. He runs a skill-based institute. He believes in the franchise model. He charges 15 per cent of the total revenues on a monthly basis. They sell territories to master franchisees. They exercise control on the quality and hygiene factor of the franchise network. Their software is sourced from TCS. In the US, there is a chain called Super Cut. In Europe, every country has its brand. He says that he does not cut hair, he designs it. Hair styling is 10 per cent art, and 90 per cent science. They have now 184 outlets — both franchisee and owned. Their revenues in 2010 were Rs 22 crore. They expect to reach Rs 75 crore by 2015. They have initiated an IPO.

Once the only popular salon was  Madame Pompadour salon at the Taj Mahal Hotel. In the 1970’s, Hakim Kairanvi came on the scene. Next came, the Nalini and Yasmin salon at Bandra. Hair styling became big business with Touch of Joy, Scissors and Comb, Be Blunt. These days, chains like Toni and Guy are ready to hit the city of Mumbai. Some frontline names are Hakim Alim, Kanta Motwani, Adhuna Bhabani Akhtar, Dilshad Pastakia, Sapna Bhavnani and Nalini Naigaonwala. Some well-known hair stylists are Javed Habib, Ehsaan Khan and Savio Pereira. At a modest estimate, there are 3000 salons in the nooks and crannies of the city and suburbs, and more and more are coming up. Pantaloon, Spykar and Gold’s Gym are expected to set up salons. It is a Rs. 5000 crore industry, with an annual growth rate of 40 per cent. Globally celebrated names — Wella, Loreal and Toni and Guy — have forayed into the Indian market with their products and services. On a good day a decent salon can make Rs 3 lakh. On a bad one, it could be Rs. 80,ooo. Indian salons are not as expensive as those operating abroad. Over 700 hairdressers and stylists have come together to form an association called Hair India People.

In fashion industry, the turning point came about when the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) was established in 1986. It was set up under aegis of the ministry of textiles. The objective was to channelize the indigenous creativity into garment industry. It has to train students in design, management and technology so as to prepare the Indian designers to assume leadership in the global scenario. The school was the brainchild of Pupul Jaykar, India’s cultural czarina. The school tied up with New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). The institute brought about a change in the social attitude towards fashion which was considered a frivolous activity. The NFIT made it a serious business. The retail boom has expanded the range of opportunities offered to the young designers. NIFT’s alumni include Ritu Beri, Manish Arora, Ashish Soni and Rajesh Pratap Singh. It receives 20,000 plus applications for 2000 seats every year. There is an undergraduate course, 4-year B.Tech. There is project work in the last semester.It is headquartered in Delhi and has centres spread across India — Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Gandhinagar and Rae Bareli. New centres coming up are at Kanpur, Bhopal, Shillong and Patna.They intend to set up centres abroad.Though a government school, it has academic autonomy as far as curriculum and day-to-day running is concerned. NIFT helped set up Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) in 1998. NIFT also has faculty development and exposure programmes. It has to develop fashion literature and documents.

Venus Williams, the tennis player, emotionally moves us both by her game and attitude. Sports persons have carved a niche in the fashion world — be they cricketers, basketball players, football players, tennis players, car racers or swimmers. The game being played is watched. At the same time, how you look while playing is also being watched. Sports persons are the new brand ambassadors. Today’s sports persons make a fashion statement. Serena Williams is the darling of the masses. Maradona, Ronaldo, David Beckham are idolised. Michael Schumacher is loved by one and all. Cricket today is played on the ground as well as on TV screens. Kerry Packer, on Australian magnate altered the game of cricket. IPL is a clever mixture of sports and commerce. Maybe, the sports takes a backseat.

Neeru Kumar in Delhi is a well-known textile designer. Ritu Beri has won international acclaim.There are specialised courses in fashion design, e.g. NIFT and Wigan and Leigh. Fashion as a career is in great demand. Ritu Kumar, Tarun Tahilani, Rohit Bal, Sunit Varma and J J Vallya are in great demand. Rina Dhaka and Rajesh Pratap are very well-known. Fashion design is a cash-rich profession. Many designers come from rich families, and have export background. Many designers are celebrities in their own right. Weddings of other celebrities and rich people contribute a great deal to the business of the designers. Indian business has yet to put in money into fashion just like the conglomerates are doing in other parts of the world. Indian ethnic wear is gaining ground in the last few years. India has the potential to develop into a big fashion market.

A fashion show requires elaborate preparations. There is some scripting. There are electricians and choreographers. Fashion models walk up and down listening to music on their iPods. New comers are nervous, and smoke away their anxiety. There are make up men and back-stage boys running around making the models ready for the opening sequence. The socialites occupy the front seats. The dazzle of spot lights sweep the ramp. There are beats that make the feet tap. The show is to commence. The whole familiar thing is reenacted. This is the quintessential fashion show. The clothes, models, designers, MCs and audience might change. But the glamour remains constant.

Fashion world is divided into many segments. The top segment is coutre which is exclusive and expensive. There is a  fit between the garments and the occasion or the individual. This is a special bridal collection, or collection for an event. The second segment is designer wear. This segment is also expensive. But it is not exclusive. Bridge and young bridge are two more segments which consist of style  conscious big names which are recognised but affordable. The last segment is called missy  consisting of garments which which are adaptations of contemporary styles and lines.These are suitable for fashion crazy but price conscious people.

Though France is known for fashion, the Italians and Americans command larger share in the world market.

Fashion world is vicious but rewarding. The designer has to cross the obstacle of the inherent resistance to change. This is not in the form of mind block. It is more cultural and cosmetic. Fashion designers face an uphill task. They persevere, and change the way the world dresses. Designers are talented people. Training is arduous and expensive. They should have patience, and networking. The salesmanship qualities are a prized asset for them. Pure talent does not establish a designer. Many talented people do not make it in the fashion world. Some designers stray into fashion photography, fashion criticism, fashion journalism, custom designing and choreography.

The commitment, involvement and hard work are necessary for the successful designers.

A fashion requires lot of preparation and planning. There should be right models and venue. The lights, music, set design and sound system are managed. Then there is back stage planning — make up, hair dressing, accessory planning, voice over selecting etc. There are legal and PR issues. The clothes have to be designed and fabricated. There is a fitting session with the models. Each ensemble should be carried perfectly by the model. Fashion photographers are integral part of the process. Their photographs are used by fashion houses. The photograph must capture the mood of the clothes.

Fashion houses are part of huge conglomerate. They adopt a designer. The designer visualises and designs clothes according to his concept. The models wear the clothes. The choreographer provide the display setting on the ramp and the fashion photographer captures these. There are buyers in the audience. In the next fashion show, another designer thinks of a new design. The process is continuous.

 

Fashion is not confined to clothes and walking on the ramp. It is much more than apparel. there are so many off-shoots — accessories, tattoos, body painting, carpets, candles, mattresses and cushions. The gist is that fashion is a statement. It is a way of life. It is a matter of attitudes. It is also an industry.In this industry, casuals contribute a great deal. Casuals are innovatively informal. They defy the standard, cliched dress code. What we call dressing up is passe. Even the most formal engagements are without dress constraints. Ties and jackets are no longer ubiquitous. Intricately worked upon lehenga-cholis and dexterously embroidered gowns are not always necessary. Comfort is more important than complex work. Dress is common sense, and there is scope for dressing down. Casuals, however, should not border on carelessness and sloppiness.

This style is spontaneous. It shows the confidence of generation x. It symbolises freedom to break away from the traditions. There is an element of relaxation. It is cool and still chic.The waif-look or grunge-look is common place.

In years gone by, people wore their best clothes to be well-turned out. Today is dressing understated, underplayed and subtle. This originated from many things. The straitjacket hierarchies broke down. The work culture changed. Golf, the game of kings and the king of games, became corporate past time.It spawned a look that caught on.

Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Levis, Benetton, Lee and Polo offered casuals.Nike, Reebok, Lacoste and Adidas offered sporty casuals. Woodland, Proline and Mescas followed suit in India.

Lacoste was a tennis player from France whose reward in the Davis Cup was to be alligator skin suitcase. This incentive was enough for him to win the match. American press called him a crocodile and he sported a blazer with a crocodile drawn on it. In 1933, Lacoste and Gillier set up La Chemise Lacoste, now a big global organisation, and a household name. The logo was of course a crocodile. They designed tennis shirts with half-sleeves, ribbed collar and arm bands. They were smashingly hit.

Sometimes fashion follows no logic. Couch potatoes and lethargic youth are a part of life. These give rise to a casual grunge look. The clothing is deliberately faded, patched, ripped to shreds, crushed and dotted with holes. It provides a used and lived-in look. The clothes are not to be maintained by way of ironing, folding and hanging. They are to be worn and dumped and worn again. It is your will and wish how to use them.

There are lot of loose fitting sweat shirts, track pants and suits. There is a range of t’s and slacks. The clothes are eco-friendly. There are earth colours and tones.The packing is in brown paper. Natural fabrics are chosen — jute, khadi, cottons.Metal alloys are used.

The world of casuals is evolving. New ways are found to use clothes. The search is endless. The clothes are present all over — from homes to offices, from roads to ramps. They are in villages and cities. They are patonised by the princes and paupers in the society.

There are fashion extras and accessories that go well with these casuals. Casual fads sometimes become obsessions. Some watches like Rado are futuristic as well as functional. They are used as casual accessories. Some essentials have acquired fashionable streaks,e.g. Aviator sunglasses.

Apart from clothes, the trend of being casual extended to furniture, upholstery, drapery and blankets.

Fashion houses do not limit to apparel retail.They retail life style. Swatch watches are known as trendy, cheeky, casual watches.

Hindi film industry has adopted this casual look. The average Indian youth is in his casuals. Different professions may have different dress codes. An old man is casually dressed, whereas a banker is in formals.

Perhaps being casual means not to follow fashion which itself is fashionable.

Fashion has two aspects — the look, and the people behind the look. The designer initiates the process, but the ramp model translates it into concrete form. These are the marketing brains but the endorsement by celebrities moves the masses. A creation stitched by a mundane tailor in a dingy room attracts huge prices in swanky boutiques. Fashion is written by the fashion and style icons — the rock stars, sports persons, designers, politicians, supermodels, film stars, fashion photographers and choreographers.

The influential people in society create and set fashion trends. Giorgio Armani signature works wonders. Shane Warne endorses Nike. People tend to make a statement by what they wear. It is a fashion statement. It is a way of life. It is a life style. Fashion either keeps pace or moves ahead of the pack. Fashion lends credence to the world of celebrities. Sylvester Stallone runs a chain of restaurants. Michael Jackson was an inspiration for many. Di Caprio and Madonna are a class by themselves. Elton John has created a special look for himself. Spice Girls spawned a fresh look. What Man Mohan Singh wore was important to millions.People in public life have to take extra efforts to preserve and protect their appearance. Kennedy and Jacqueline were a glamorous couple. Lady Diana was a very special fashion icon.She remains alive both in life and death. Jawaharlal Nehru’s legacy is acknowledged in India. The Nehru cap and jacket were identified with freedom. Rajiv Gandhi represented the aspirations of the middle class. These people’s life style influences us. Some fashion icons live in ivory towers. Their life style is luxurious, but it cannot be emulated. The celebrities in the film world have more influence on society in India. Some are positive influences, and some negative. Cinema costumes and style have a wide following. These are the trend-setters. Cinema and fashion go hand in hand. Animation movies spawn fashion. Music channels on TV and popular soap operas also influence fashion. The VJs also are fashion icons. Fashion surrounds us, and has entered our sub-conscious.

Fashion cannot be considered in isolation. It keeps pace with the evolution of society. The contemporary fashion owes a lot to  ‘couture’ which is a French word for dressmaking. Fashion was just an indulgence to begin with. It grew into a fad. Later that transformed into a trend. Today, ultimately it is a multi-billion dollar industry. In the early 1920s , women began competing with men for clothing. Coco Chanel broke the stereotypical feminine conventions. The idea was to look good, different and daring. Way back in 1850, Levi Strauss, a German was inspired by tent material used by workers to introduce a heavy cotton cloth called Denim to make tough trousers to be used by miners. The colour was a special blue indigo. In 1873, he added patented copper rivets to strengthen the trousers further which sagged because of the weight of the heavy mining tools, and gold metal. This is the story of the birth of the blue jeans. The story has spilled over the 20th and 21st century. It has become the hallmark of casual dressing. The 1950s and the 1960s  witnessed party spirit with rock-n-roll music. The Beatles were the fashion ambassadors. The hippie look appeared on the scene Elvis Prisley was worshipped. Satin jeans of Mick Jagger were popular. Music makers symbolised revival of life which was sedated in previous decades. In the 1960s, we saw jackets, jive and jewellery. Leatherwear and Harley Davidson were becoming common. The floral prints of shirts were sighted. There were suede boots, sandals and soft slippers. The trousers were tight fitting. They flared at the hem. The forehead carried bandanas.The clothes and music together screamed freedom and open-door policy. In the 1970s, drugs and disco dominated the scene. The role model was John Travolta dressed in flared trousers, boots and flamboyant shirt with a jacket. Women were dressed in ultra-liberated clothes. In India Zeenat smoked away all the seriousness in Hare Rama Hare Krishna. The clothes had broad collars and matching ties. There were high heels and platform soles. The trousers were unisex. There were brief skirts or skirts of exotic material, fabric and colours. The jeans broke away from tradition. In the 1980s, there was an over dose of clothes and accessories. It was a time of gymming and work outs. The fashion industry came of age. Armani, YSL, Calvin Klein, Pierre Cardin, Ralph Lauren  were big names in fashion. Italy, France and the US were driven by fashion. Issey Miyake entered the hallowed fashion portals by default. India imitated the West. Sportswear came into vogue, e.g. Reebok, Nike and Adidas. Casual wear followed suit. Sneakers and trainers were favoured as footwear with jeans in casual wear. The clothes wear supposed to fit to a T, as people wanted to flaunt their sculpted anatomies. In the 1990s, creativity was allowed full play. There were unisex clothes and loud accessories. The nail polish colours and lipstick colours were bizzare. There was accessorisation for male folk too, e.g. ear rings. These no longer indicated sexual preferences, but made just a fashion statement.There was liberal use of trinkets, beads, pearls and others to adorn never thought of parts of human body. The accessories were branded for the first time. The 1990s synthesized all that was happening in the past. People chose the best from the past. The millennium is the new beginning. It has blend of natural cotton and synthetic latex. There are jeans and lehenga choli. There are kurtis of various colours and design. Women wear short fluorescent coloured tops. The garments are tight fitting. The colours of the body are emphasised.