With the ever-growing trend of the fashion industry in the nation, local fashion brands have finally begun to flourish. However with increased sales and exponentially increasing customers comes the cut-throat competition that could propel these very fashion brands to mainstream success or prove detrimental to the survival of it.
In these precarious fashion markets, one brand always stood out to me, pioneering Nepal's modern fashion sphere in street and comfort wear. "Brocade" today through its unique blend of colors and distinct fashion mantra has caught the eyes of many in the Nepali Fashion community. Hence, we reached out to the minds behind Brocade's recent meteoric rise, "My journey was an easy one as my family was always very supportive of my profession. I knew I wanted to become a fashion designer and used to design clothes for my friends. But never in my mind did I think I would get so much love for the designs from others.” says Alisha Gauchan, the mother of the Brocade project.
Reminiscing about her past, Gauchan says that her mother was her biggest supporter hence the reason why her first venture is in the memory of her mother.
An avid tailor from a very young age, Gauchan created clothes for her friends and family while grafting for her Bachelor's Degree at Namuna college. “When I was graduating, I made clothes only for my loved ones and they were the ones who pushed me to actually start selling my products. So that is when I started posting online and was quite taken aback by the reactions I got from people.”
While we talked about her ventures, there was one thing that was going on in my head, “What is the difference between Okasaan and Brocade?”
“Okasan is premium and the whole point of it was to focus on the high-end fashion. But not all can afford it or would want to buy because of the price range. So, we came up with the idea of Brocade where we not only focus on street fashion but also on comfort. This has a more reasonable price and anyone can wear it,” explains Gauchan.
When it comes to designing in Nepal it is very important to understand the market as well. The Nepali fashion industry is flourishing with number of local brands opening up, but not all can afford the so-called ‘premium’ brands. And with the international brands having the same price range, people who can afford often think that they would rather be wearing the brand everyone knows of than the one that is just making its mark in the market.
Deekay Shrestha, the marketing head of the company says, “The beauty of Brocade is that it is good fashion at an affordable price tag but that does not mean we differ the quality of our products. The customers love us and support us for the price range, quality, and the style.”
Speaking of why local brands cost as much as the international ones, Gauchan says, “Despite the fact that we make the products here, the materials that we use are from outside of Nepal. We want to promote local products and materials, but the quality of the fabrics we are searching for can not be found here. For Okasan we want our customers to get the premium feel and we do not want to slack on the quality of any of the products.”
“And also the price increases because of the time and manpower it takes,” she adds.
With changing times and new trends popping up almost every day, does it hinder the vision of the designer and the path you want your ventures to head towards?
“Fashion does change according to time, but both of our brands, ‘Okasan’ and ‘Brocade’ never follow a certain pattern or designs. We keep trying different things, and with inspiration coming from all sorts of places, I do not think my vision will ever hinder. Fashion is what I have loved over the years and I do not want to stop what I am already doing. As for the market, our customers have shown so much love and I believe it will not stop if we do not stop experimenting with our designs,” says Gauchan.
For future endeavors, Brocade is opening new stores in four different places: Pulchowk, Marajgunj, Pokhara, and Chitwan.
Despite The growing popularity, Gaucha says Brocade and Okasan now have bigger responsibilities. Not only are they a local brand with a lot of followers but they have somehow become a trendsetter with their different designs and styles.
“I will always count my blessings as the brands are doing so good, but this is not where it ends. Like people say it is never enough, I want Okasan and Brocade to go international and the plan has already been set,” adds the designer.
From reimagining the beauty of Nepal onto a fashion palette to promoting local up-and-coming designers, Brocade and Okasan are checking all the boxes as the modern fashion company. With the momentum the brands have gained in recent times, we are sure to see them flourish in both nationals and international markets alike.
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