The native and the new

Delighted with the response to her store Cottons at Bandra in Bombay is Jaipur’s Behroze Singh. The split level shop spread over 1,500 sq ft on St Sebastian Road behind Leelavati Hospital stocks all things bright, beautiful and Rajasthani.

"As compared to other shops from Jaipur, we do use bold, bright colors because I believe that is the soul of Rajasthan. Living in the desert the women always go a little over the top with their colors so we try and reflect the same ideology in our clothing and it works,” says the enterprising lady who has grown the business steadily since Cottons was established as a brand in Jaipur in 1999. Besides the store in the Pink City, Cottons has an outlet in Delhi where "business is the best,” she says.

Singh relocated the shop in Bombay from Chowpatty to Bandra last December. "I am very happy with the location as the store is very visible, on a one-way, main street and there’s tons of parking,” she asserts. Singh is looking at opening a branch in town too, probably at Colaba. With a high density, affluent mix of working people and housewives in Bandra and environs, young sophisticates and the middle-aged can indulge their fashion fancies. "We have a special collection for larger women. Fitted garments are in fashion. Kurti-length outfits worn with jeans or trousers are popular, rather than traditional salwar kurtas. Stoles are more in trend than dupattas and so we have a lot of stoles,” Singh comments on changing fashion windows.

Cottons sells kurtas, kurtis, skirts, patiala salwars, capri pants, churidars, dupattas and tops as separates, so clients can make their match. "Our focus is on detailing and embellishment — sequined motifs, gudriwork, ghughroos, mirrorwork, badla, beads, khadi motifs, etc,” she asserts. One has constantly to add the new to the native: "The same paisley designs that have been around for years can be presented in 25 different colors or sizes. You have to keep reinventing yourself.” Things like small gold embroidery or tassles add fringe benefits. With clothes for all seasons and winter on the way, Cottons is looking at thicker fabrics, particularly for markets in Delhi and Jaipur.

Pricing is paramount, Singh believes. "People want stylish yet non-fussy clothes and accessories,” she declares. Adding a floor to her establishment in Jaipur, Singh has augmented the number of tailors. Outlets in malls or export orders do not find favor with her. "Executing large export consignments is very stressful. Dates and deadlines can be tiresome. I am very happy catering to the Indian market. Business is good and I’m very grateful to God. I have worked very hard, first for 10 years with Ano­khee and then on my own. I have a very good all-women team, we enjoy our work. And that’s important!” Wor­king with "just two-three printing units,” Singh says Cottons encourages the printers and dyers, who have usually been in the craft for generations, to innovate in the development of motifs and color ways. Leftover cloth is given to underprivileged women to turn into cloth bags in which customers are handed their purchases.

Behroze lives in Jaipur but travels to Bombay frequently. Her husband Mrit­yunja is a helicopter pilot, 20-year-old son Vijay is studying mass communication in Canada, teenage daughter Nandika is in standard eleven. There is no compulsion on the children to join the business, Beh­roze asserts. "They should not feel forced. And even if they wish to join, they will first have to train themselves in the line. There is no easy road to success.

Hilla P. Guzder