'Gen Z knows what it wants to wear. Many Indian designers don't'

livemint.com:

Elle India magazine; a stylist for films like Priyanka Chopra-Jonas-starrer Fashion, and personalities, including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Jeff Bezos; helped launch Anita Dongre’s westernwear label AND; and developed collections for brands like Westside. Kumar did all this while running his eponymous bespoke label as well as FKNS, his other brand that combines streetwear with high fashion. Now, he's launching another brand that offers women clothes with contemporary-meets-traditional touch.

Called Tamiska by Narendra Kumar, the offerings include long printed shirts, kaftans, kurtas and trousers that encourage the AM-PM dressing lifestyle—something that, he says, is in sync with the demands of today's young consumer. In an interview with Lounge, the designer talks about how millennials and Gen Zers are affecting the fashion and design landscape, how streetwear is shaping menswear, and the importance of physical retail. Edited excerpts: The pressures are very different, you had to do whatever was needed to survive while creating a thinking person’s brand with value.

Resilience is the most important story I have learnt. Amazon showed me the real world of the value customer. With my brand, I can reach a small number of people, the elite, because of the value of the goods.

But Amazon gave a chance to change the way a billion and a half people live and shop. Social media has homogenized the entire country, as consumers have access to the same images and the same brands. Five years ago, you needed an influencer to tell you how to wear your clothes; it continues to be strong in digital marketing.