MUMBAI: Fashion weeks are about glitz and glamour but the premise on which they started after all, is to promote business by connecting designers with buyers. At the Lakme Fashion Week this time around, the list of international buyers seems to be limited. Sixteen fashion houses and 32 independent buyers are part of the week this time and their choice of designers is not the obvious one.

Wendy Dias, Partner, Indiva - Toronto said, "We were only carrying prominent designers but seeing the kind of talent, we have opened our business to younger emerging designers because there is a lot of talent. The pool in India is so vast it must be unsettling for older designers."

Shainin Hudda, Owner, Souldaisy - Canada said, "I love the creativity and the freshness of the emerging designer."

While younger designers are bringing in the business, it seems that the young Indian fashion industry is getting a larger pie of international buying each year.

Areej Alkharafi, Fortune Cookie Boutique - Middle East said, "The percentage is getting higher. I started with accessories. For this year, 40-50% I am getting it from India."

 "I probably spend by 50% but I started with 5%. My customers love fashion," Shainin Hudda added.

Better price points and freshness in design is what makes Indian designers appeal to foreign buyers but what's clearly holding them back from spending even more is too many fashion weeks.

"The market has widened but I do wait for the next fashion week to come to a decision," Wendy Dias said.

When money is being spent cautiously, its wise for any buyer to hold out until they've seen as much as they can. As long as they finally spend on an Indian designer's creativity, guess there's nothing to complain about.