Who doesn?t dream of wearing a designer label? Designer clothes are fast catching the fancy of people and thanks to the great economic boom, most people can afford it.

The steel city has caught the fashion flu with its designer syndrome and as a result quite a number of boutiques have mushroomed here. Boutique designer wear gives you the luxury of getting your dress designed according to your choice and is easy on the pocket too. Check out the designer boutiques in the steel city.

In step with fashion

?Shubham Boutique?, owned by designer Nilu Kauntia, has been catering to fashionable women since 1994. One can get her favourite designs displayed on sarees and bedspreads by placing orders 15 days in advance. The designer gets materials from various places including Calcutta, Varanasi and Bangalore. Light cotton sarees, organza, chiffon and also a range of heavy silk can be found here. The boutique has a collection of sarees and bedspreads all designed by Kauntia herself. Her collection can be yours at a very affordable price which starts from Rs 500 and goes up to Rs 3,500.

Address: Shubham Boutique

67, Sangam Vihar, Jamshedpur

Contact No - 2302433

?Seeta?s Boutique? in Jugsalai, started in 1998, is a popular outlet. Owned by Seeta Kedia, the boutique houses a collection of sarees, salwar kameez sets and lehengas. The boutique has an exclusive collection of antique work including Kashmiri and embroidered stuff. Seeta gets her crepe, georgette and chiffon from Bangalore. For cotton and other fancy stuff, she depends on Varanasi. For salwar suits, she prefers Bhagalpur. This boutique has something for men too. Kurta-pyjama sets can be bought by ordering a month in advance. The prices start from Rs 2,000 and go up to Rs 10,000.

Address: Seeta?s Boutique

Jugsalai, Jamshedpur

Contact No. 2293023

Traditional touch

?Parampara?, the six-month-old boutique in Bistupur, has a collection of traditional dresses. The boutique, owned by Anju Shroff, has a wide stock of sarees from different states. Dresses from Kota, Vanarasi, south India and Bengal find a place on the shelf. Salwar suit pieces, three-piece lehengas and western outfits are available here. The sarees are priced between Rs 500 and Rs 20,000 while the suits are comfortably priced between Rs 500 and Rs 25,000.

Address: ?Parampara?

Bistupur, Jamshedpur

Contact No. 5531132.

?Srijan?, owned by Kavita Chopra, has a wonderful collection of salwar suits and accessories. The dress designer gets materials from Jaipur, Mumbai and Calcutta. She prefers making dresses according to the season and feels that there is no substitute for cotton clothes. Her accessories include a collection of bangles, earrings, pendants and designer watches. She also has an exquisite range of silver jewellery. Salwar suits come at an affordable price starting from Rs 700 and going up to the Rs 4,000.

Address: ?Srijan?

7, Ivy lane, Ashiana Gardens,

Sonari, Jamshedpur.

Contact No. 3092682.

First hand

Importance of dressing right

Nilu Kauntia has been designing people for the past 10 years and understands the exact requirement of people.

?It is more of a fashion statement to wear designer dresses today and people are paying a lot of importance to how they look and dress, the overall presentation,? the designer says.

?Demands have changed over the years and though some want replicas of designer outfits that they see on television, a majority of people still prefer comfort over fashion,? says Nilu.