October 2005
Leading models walk down the ramp for Shahid's
new collection
Pune: Fashion
designer Aamir Shahid recently presented his collection for
the season at the unveiling of the Sun City project in Pune.
The collection, which is for both men and women, has been
launched keeping in mind the festival season, and also the
wedding season. "Well now it's a festive season and there
are so many weddings in our country. On this occasion everyone
wants to wear Indian dresses. This is the season when families
shop. I exhibited briquette and silk clothes for men and wedding
sarees and evening sarees for women," said Shahid. Choreographer
Shekhar Sable made super models Tejaswini Kohlapure, Dipanita
Sharma, Rakesh Bapat, Vidisha Pawate and Aditi Govitrikar
walk down the ramp. "It is an unusual theme and ace designers
like Anita Dongre and Shahid Aamir definitely complimented
the Brahma Sun City launch," said Shekhar. Model-turned-actress
Aditi Govitrikar stole the show when she walked down the ramp.
"Shekhar is very simple, and it's fun working with him. I
met Shahid for the first time, but I had heard his name and
had seen his clothes. It was great to walk down the ramp in
the clothes designed by him," said Aditi.
-Oct 31, 2005
Bollywood stars sizzle on ramp with shining
diamonds
New Delhi:
Glitter was all Delhi could see this week when a string
of Bollyowood stars descended here for a fashion show exhibiting
diamonds by Signet. While the first collection was unveiled
on the ramp by Bipasha Basu, followed by Katrina Kaif, stunning
actress Shilpa Shetty presented the last collection. "I think
earrings really compliment an outfit. You don't really have
to wear anything even on the neck if the earnings are long
and fantastic. I love diamonds and the collection was beautiful.
I really loved it," said Shilpa. The evening showcased a range
of jewellery - big and bold necklaces, cocktail rings, danglers,
bangles - which was complimented by fashion designer Tarun
Tahiliani's outfits. "It was a beautiful collection. Every
piece of jewellery is different from the other whether it
is a ring or bracelet. It is delicate and beautiful," said
Bipasha. Audience gawked at the models sashaying down decked
in the superb jewellery with all sorts of stones, diamonds
and pearls of different colours sparkled on necks, wrists,
fingers and ears as the models posed for cameras. The show,
organised by the Belgium-based Vijaydimon group, was choreographed
by Aparna Behl and Tanya Lefebvre of Preferred Professionals.
Bollywood personalities like Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Sridevi,
Subhash Ghai, Mahesh Bhatt, Vinod Khanna, Boney Kapoor and
many others were also present at the do. The Signet showroom
is the first foray into organised retail in India by the Vijay
Dimon group which has a global turnover of over 400 million
dollars.
-Oct 29, 2005
Chanel makes formal entry in India
New Delhi:
Hundred and five years after French fashion icon Gabriel
"Coco" Chanel evolved from obscurity to the world platform,
defining modern fashion's sensibilities of power dressing,
the House of Chanel launched it's first exclusive store in
India. The Chanel store in Imperial Hotel in New Delhi has
the brand's latest range of cosmetics and accessories, besides
the pret line showcased at the recently held Paris Fashion
Week. The luxury label will make a formal entry with a glittering
fashion show to be held on Saturday and attended by leading
film stars. Coco Chanel's team, comprising celebrity fashion
designer Karl Lagerfield have put up exquisite jewellery,
dresses, and the ever-famous Chanel No.5 for the high-end
"affluent" Indian customers at an artistic tableau. "We are
actually one of the very first foreign brand from France to
launch ready to wear fashion -- not only accessories, but
also dresses from Chanel in every two months. So the whole
creation aspects from the House of Chanel sells out, compared
to other brands launched in India," said Bertrand Xavier,
Chanel's India General Manager Bertrand said the growing demand
for designer products in India was a reason the label was
being launched in India. "We've been actually coming to India
for the last 4-5 years regularly, in order to experience the
country, and understand it better. And then we decided to
come to India officially...the way we want to do things here
is exactly the way we are doing in London, or Paris or Tokyo
or all over the world. In India, people have new aspirations
in terms of consuming and we thought the right time has come,"
he added. Bertrand also said that they expect a record selling
of the Chanel No. 5 in India, which remains entrenched with
the longest stretch of popularity in history since being launched
in the 1920s. The design has joined the permanent collection
at the New York Museum of Modern Art. No. 5 became a status
symbol in the 1950s when Marilyn Monroe said that all she
wore to bed were its few drops. The opening of the showroom
is one among many "designer" brands coming to India, attracting
the growing consumerism in Asia's third largest economy. A
recent survey by a leading advertising agency has revealed
that Indians are brand conscious and willing to spend more
for quality. Approximately 56.5 per cent of the affluent Indians,
surveyed, said, they preferred well-known brands, in comparison
to 46.9 per cent in Singapore and 47.5 per cent in Thailand.
-Oct 28, 2005
Designer watches, the new fad
New Delhi:
Designer watches are becoming the style- statement of
fashion-conscious Indians. Variety has now become the spice
of life as far as new designs and shapes of watches are concerned.
That is why some jewelers have made swift changes in style
and design by providing discerning customers with a variety
of diamond watches. Diamond watches have become ultimate style-setter
for Indians in many occasions. Some foreign imported items
have also made an entry into the Indian market. Most of the
manufacturers have countered square, oval or round watches
that fit into every lifestyle from easy going while some beautiful
golden markings in the round dial makes time watching a pleasing
one too. In Delhi, where the magnificent watch extravaganza
is being exhibited in an event called 'Timeless Jewels 2005',
customers are clear about what draws them to the otherwise
'mere crystals of carbon'. "A watch by itself is basically
an instrument to tell time. But now the role of the watches
is changing. Embellished with diamond these watches connote
self identity and adumbrates on the desires of the owner.
Today an Indian buyer is buying more diamonds. It is a sort
of upgrading themselves from steel to gold and similarly from
gold to diamond. It is what I would say a natural progression,"
says John D'Souza, Brand Manager, Cartier. This augers well
with an economy in boom and India being the biggest cutting
centre in the world. The Indian diamond cutting industry employs
close to a million people.
The cheaper labour
costs and competitive pricing coupled with the fine craftsmanship
that has the diamonds cut here stand all the tests of carat,
color. Clarity and cut makes India the most preferred place
for the world to have its diamonds cut in. Ideal as a wedding
gift, diamond watches seem to be taking over even the long
cherished, gold. The wedding season is in full wing in India
and the escalating gold prices are dampening the interests
of even the hard-core gold lovers. Domestic demand for diamond
studded watches in India went up to Rs 3,50 crore (7.7 million
dollars) in 2004 from Rs 2,60 crore (5.76 million dollars)
the previous year. "For tapping time we have personal computers.
Watches thus need innovativeness to survive. What better if
not embellishments and that too with diamonds as adornments?
Those who can afford it will certainly buy the watches," says
Bhuwan Sharma, a buyer. India's economy, Asia's third largest,
is expected to grow seven percent in the fiscal year to next
March, marginally faster than 6.9 percent growth last year.
Indian exports of cut and polished diamonds touched an average
of 11.18 billion dollars in 2004-05, representing an increase
of over 26.6 per cent over 2003-04. The other major attractions
for the diamond connoisseur at the Show are Mikoya Pearls
and Dhamani Swiss Diamond watches at Dhamani Jewels, tailor
made diamond jewellery sets at Shattaf Jewellers, fine diamonds
and jewellery at Rosy Blue, and fine diamonds, gifts, and
watches at Von Loewe E.K. among others. Indians' share of
the 26 billion dollar-a-year diamond revenues has grown from
25 per cent to roughly 65 per cent in just the last 20 years.
India's gems and jewellery exports shot up from a meager 25
million dollar in 1966-67 to a staggering 15 billion dollar
in the 2004-05 fiscal ended March 31. The industry contributes
about 18 percent to the country's total exports. De Beers,
which runs most of the diamond mines in South Africa , Namibia
and Botswana , is one of the key suppliers of rough stones
to India. Growth in the diamond industry has been remarkable.
Between January and December 2004, cut and polished diamonds
witnessed exports of 10340.45 million dollars indicating a
growth of 28.42 percent as compared to 8051.90 million dollars
during the same period in the previous year.
-Oct 21, 2005
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