Indian fashion designers eye the global market

NEW DELHI —  French actress Sophie Marceau has worn their dresses in a Bond movie, Judi Dench to the Oscars, and Nicole Kidman wanted to wear their creations for the premiere of “Moulin Rouge.”

After making ripples in Hollywood, India’s fledgling fashion designers now hope to make a splash in the world’s top retail stores.

Until now, India’s fashion designers have mostly sold to the country’s rich and famous -- Bollywood film stars, socialites and industrialists, with the occasional celebrity client abroad.

But for the first time they are hoping to enter the global market, having just hosted a fashion extravaganza in New Delhi modeled on those in Paris and Milan. More than 50 top Indian designers showcased their talents in front of about 400 buyers, including Saks Fifth Avenue from New York, Browns from London and Maria Luisa from France.

Indian designers are hoping to lure buyers through innovative Indo-Western combinations, adding deft touches such as traditional embroidery, crystal work, beads and sequins to Western cuts and styles.

They are also mixing and matching silks and handspun cotton or khadi, with shimmering Swarovski crystals and chiffons to create the East-meets-West fusion look.

Fashion experts and industry insiders say it is only a matter of time before one of the top 50 makes that elusive breakthrough and becomes an international style icon.

“The bubble is about to burst, and one or two of the designers will really make it,” said Raghavendra Rathore, the designer from the royal family of Jodhpur.