The Hindu Business Line : Fashion, by design

It's not difficult to convince people of the need for design, but that it's a science and a process, says Karunesh Vohra, CEO and Principal Designer at Munch Design, a design management company that caters to the apparel business and related industries. It's only recently that businesses have begun to acknowledge design as a "business enabler" - there are miles to go before that translates into action and companies begin investing more in design, be it time, energy or money, he adds.

Munch, so named because it means `platform' in Hindi, is a part of the Prateek Apparels group. It aims to be a forum to illustrate the benefits professional and scientific design can yield. It provides a suite of services that start with trend forecasting and go on to packaging design. This means that it can advise a client brand from start to finish on the colours and the kind and amount of material it needs to make a garment of a given price point, and even design the hanger and packaging in the best way so that it is displayed to advantage and doesn't crease when stacked on the shelf. So how difficult is it to do business as a design solutions company? "Design is never a one-person affair, that's where most people go wrong," says Vohra. Most people don't realise that commercial design is a science and a result of talent, culture, research and process. Hence when the Munch philosophy/methodology of design is shared with prospective clients a lot of them are taken aback at what it entails to deliver a range. At this point only evolved early adapters choose to put in the effort or time that is required.

Says Vohra, "People who want the business to work should be willing to invest in people. Also, the client and designer should think alike."

Whom can a design firm like Munch help? It can help garment exporters and brands coming into India. Today, exporting garments is no longer all about margins. "Exporters have to carve a niche, which can be service or design, it doesn't have to be price," says Vohra. "Countries like China, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, they can beat India in terms of price. In China, for instance, the work ethic is different, the craftsmen in the factories don't lift their heads from their work till they've finished their quota for the day, here you might find them relaxing over a beedi, but the Indian advantage is craft, service orientation, language, intellect - all this is a huge design advantage," says Vohra.

Moreover, nowadays buyers also expect vendors to give them idea support. Munch can convince these buyers about exporters. It can also work for brands coming into India. Many of them come in through large organisations but have to understand local sensibilities and quirks, and this is where Munch can help.

Munch is also open to working with firms that have their own designers. "It's very viable," says Vohra, adding that they could work on different lines. Also, if a firm's designers are all housed in one city, say, Delhi, Munch can offer its expertise on the preferences and requirements for the rest of the markets.

How does a firm such as Munch differ from a designer in house? "We are able to offer clients a structure that is led by a lead designer who works with specialist cells in the area of textile design, technical prototyping, information and resources. We have developed tools for trend- and design-related market research, which allows us to aid and abet commercial success," says Vohra.

However, there are issues of confidentiality, so the firm does not work on competing brands. Even if one person moves on, there will be another to step in.

In his line of work, Vohra comes across a lot of people who equate design with creativity. That's true, but not the whole story. "I believe design is also the `deliverable' aspect," he says. One needs a certain amount of time to create good design and ensure it picks up, there's no point in having us do one line of clothing if the ultimate aim is to build a brand, we need to work on it for at least one-and-a-half years to prove it's going somewhere, says Vohra. "Success in design is ever-evolving and it may take up to three seasons for the optimisation of the association, hence long-term relationships are beneficial to both associates," says Vohra.

While 70 per cent of Munch's business comes from India, the real market is Europe. Having now made a name for itself, the firm is training its sights on this market. It's also expanding its involvement in accessories' design. One of its clients in this segment is TVS, for which Munch designed the logo for Scooty Pep and the graphics for helmets.

Where does design stand as a career? "It's now an accepted career. Indian design talent needs to be positioned to the world with pride, that will create huge design opportunities," says Vohra, who graduated from NIFT in 1992. His experience spans 14 years' work with clothing companies such as Weekender, Madura Garments and Proline, apart from being advisor to NIFT and other design- and fashion-related institutes. "We're very good, but don't believe in ourselves," he says.

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