The contemporary fashion of 21^st century has two connotations; one is conceptual clothing and the other is commercial clothing. “Conceptual designs often change the thinking pattern or a perception as the designer has all the freedom to experiment with the fabric, expressing through this medium their opinion towards the political or social concern”, sums up Mari, technical head at KowTow. Adding to that she says, “Regardless of how the fashion critics review the commercial application, over the relevance, interest and overall fashion validity of garments, commercial clothing is responsible for generating revenue for the brand/label.”

The proponent for conceptual clothing is, Hussein Chalayan, a British designer who believes in fusing fashion and technology by creating stories. The latest collection from him was about ‘going back in time’, which he conceptualized by creating a story through water soluble clothing. Hussein’s collection of crisp white shirt dissolves in water bringing the gown beneath decorated with thick black stitching and white appliqué petals embellished with Swarovski crystals, to life.

Similarly, Indian designer Gaurav Gupta loves experimenting and exaggeration in a sophisticated manner. His recent collection titled the ‘Scape Song’, is an amalgamation of the elements of water bodies and sand. Gaurav lent structure to these free forms from nature with the help of ruffles and drapes. To add shine to the structure he experimented with a crystal mesh fabric created out of Swarovski crystals.

Calvin Klein, the fashion label of the century is one of the first commercial designers to give a new definition to clothing through minimalistic designs, and neutral color tones embodying simple silhouettes. The designer brand focusses more on catering to a wider market by making small changes from collection to collection.

Indian designer Anita Dongre with her label AND has already made a mark in the Indian fashion industry with her easy to wear yet aesthetically appealing collections. The simplicity of the ensemble is production friendly and fits well in the society. Tweaks in regular silhouettes make her garments fall under the designer wear category rather than just street fashion.

But what is required in the market is the balance between the newness of the concept and the wearability of the garment which makes it street-ready fashion. Translating concepts in simpler shapes that are easy to wear is one of the tested ways, along with creating a balance between functionality and aesthetics.

Designers like Prada, Jeremy Scott, Gucci, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Shantanu Nikhil, have been successful in putting both of these applications of clothing into practice, catering to a global market- and yet keeping their philosophies alive.

“It is about developing an international reputation for original ideas,” opined Mari. An ideal collection can be balanced out with 20 per cent conceptual fashion and the rest for the commercial market. This ideology lets the designer express their views and makes sure they can sustain in the market creating a demand for their work.

||Combination of the USP of the brand with the consumers and market need, both of which together, emulate fashion.||