Ludhiana may have an international reputation as the manufacturer and exporter of quality knitwear. But that is not its sole link to the West. Scan the magazine and newspapers—the faces that endorse the products of the region are all from abroad.

The well-known brands of the region, including Monte Carlo, Priknit, Cotton County and Octave, have Caucasians models promoting them. And the explanation is pat. “We make T-shirts, jackets and apparel that are essentially western. They certainly look better on a European model,” says Mohit Ghai of Priknit.

Since there is no contradicting the argument that international brands like Bennetton and Esprit have successfully used multi-ethnic models in their campaigns, the true reason for Ludhiana’s proclivity for fair skin is grudgingly acknowledged. “Let us admit,” says Rupesh Puri, managing director of the Hues Group, “Indians have a tendency of aping the West. If anything is endorsed by a foreigner, it is likely to find more acceptance here.”

Archana Tikku, brand manager of Monte Carlo, says, “Sometimes we use foreign models to give an international look to the product. These don’t necessarily mean European models. In fact, in one of our recent ads, we used an African model.”

The Indians’ “phoren” bias is, of course, one aspect, perhaps the most important in importing the clothes horses. But there is another compelling consideration. Many industrialists feel using Indian models or Bollywood personalities would set back the ad budget by a bit.

“Foreign models are not celebrities so it is cheaper to hire them. In fact, cost is the predominant issue here. We recently shot an ad in Mumbai and there too we used foreign models,” says Sachin Sahni, Assistant Vice-President, Cotton County.

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