‘Denim - Democracy in Fashion,’ a conference organized by Diagonal Consulting India recently in Ahmedabad recently saw an in-depth presentation of the global denim market and trends by J Berrye Worsham, President & CEO, Cotton Inc. At the conference, denim stalwarts were in agreement that the market has never been as good as the present time. Fashion weeks across the world are highlighting denim as an important trend. In India, denim industry is on a growth trajectory, with many of the major players increasing capacities. Demand for denim apparel is growing the fastest among all apparel segments in the country, with denim fabric makers finding it difficult to keep pace with the demand.

Speaking on the occasion, P R Roy, Chairman, Diagonal Consulting in India said India has witnessed unbridled growth in denim production in the last couple of years. Today, India produces 1.2 billion meters of fabric, this could soon touch 1.5 billion meters. Sharing his experience, S N Modani, Managing Director, Sangam, said his company will reach a production capacity of 60 million metres by the end of 2016, with a strong focus on exports. In a discussion Worsham and Aamir Akhtar, CEO, Lifestyle Fabrics- Denim, Arvind Mills talked about the challenges that the industry faces in terms of consumer preferences: athleisure over denims, sizing and fit concerns in an aging US population, concerns over stretch recovery, the increasing use of manmade fibres in denim, and more. Worsham said the India’s domestic market could well amend any recessionary trend for producers, however, Akhtar, said while the market is growing fast, as it matures, growth will slow down. Moreover, the market is not totally insulated with factors like cotton, forex volatility etc at place. These do not keep a denim manufacturer in the comfort zone for long. The preference away from denim is visible, though to a lesser extent, in the Indian market. Eventually, manufacturers will need to look at innovations and varieties to attract consumers.