Many high-end designer boutiques judge customers by their outfits, and then decide how to treat them — with respect or disdain.
Many high-end designer boutiques judge customers by their outfits, and then decide how to treat them — with respect or disdain.
A intimidating thing for many — especially if you are casually dressed and not dripping solitaires and flaunting the latest designer bag — is walking into a high-end designer boutique and browsing through the clothes. As you walk in, before escorting you, the snooty sales assistant first needs to make up his/her mind about whether you can afford the stuff at the store! And if you don’t fit the bill, you are treated with indifference and borderline disdain. (It’s a different story that they can’t afford to buy any of their stuff either!)
Recently, a mother and daughter who walked into designer Manish Malhotra’s Mumbai store alleged that they were first met by a cold stare from the designer. The store assistants too reportedly gave them the dismissive cold shoulder.
Another example of the needless snooty attitude was at the recent Vogue Wedding Show in Delhi. It was a ‘by invite-only’ event where celebrities like Anita Dongre, Sabyasachi and many A-list designers showcased their bridal collection. When a lady (name withheld) contacted the event organisers for a pass, she was asked a series of questions, starting off with ‘is there a wedding coming up in your family ’, ‘If yes, what is your budget ’, ‘Have you roped in any designer as yet ’. And it didn’t end here, they even asked what car she owns and which clubs she was a member of. To these questions, the lady bragged, and they promptly said she will be sent the invite. However, when we contacted Vogue, they explained that even though the first few questions were asked to everyone who wanted an invitation, the latter questions were never asked by their staff.
Fashion is for all irrespective of an individual’s caste, creed, colour or economic status, feels celebrity designer Rocky Star whose clientele include the creme de la creme of Bollywood. “We live in a country that is known for its unity in diversity. It is quite disappointing that such instances happen even today. Setting a criteria in fashion is against its own ethics.To a few we are an inspiration and to the rest we are an ode to fashion. It is very irrational to get infuriated at customers who can’t afford our apparels because they can be our future potential buyers as we inspire them to set goals and dream big. My sales team is briefed to give all customers equal attention irrespective of their interest in buying or not.”
Kamini Saraf, who retails Manish Malhotra’s clothes at her store, Angsutra, said, “I find Manish’s staff very cordial and helpful. It must have been an isolated incident.”
But many socialites do say that if you plan to check out the high-end stores, dress well — wear jewellery, sport a latest bag and look chic — or else they will give you the cold shoulder until you open your bag and shell out lakhs of rupees to pay for the outfit. In that case, their attitude changes immediately.
