Linen makes a comeback in the home segment with chic designs in bed sheets and curtains

Weekly updates on the rage this season - glamour and travel, accessories to sport this season

Leading the trendsetting movement, swimsuit calendars, diamonds and cotton fabrics make a statement for all those vying to be a part of the fashion buzz. The greenery of Kerala beckons travelers to stay in the houseboats in the Venice of the East.

- Chillibreeze Business Research Team

Fashion, glamour & sports

Until 25th December 2007, at RWITC, Mahalaxmi, Mehul Choksi’s Gitanjali Group will give India its first ‘Luxury Style Fest’. This is an exclusive event celebrating high life in the most exuberant manner.

This unique opportunity brings elite brands and top-notch fashion designers under the open winter skies and provides them a luxury and lifestyle platform to pamper existing clientele and woo potential ones. The participating designers include Neeta Lulla, Vikram Phadnis, JJ Valaya, Arjun Khanna, Manish Arora, Wendell Rodricks, Anamika Khanna, Varun Bahl, Krishna Mehta and Nandita Mahtani, among others.
December 22, 2007
Source: Times of India

Swimsuit calendars sizzle brand status

Some swimsuit calendars have even acquired a brand status to die for. Top of the line calendars world over include Pirelli, Sports Illustrated and our very own Kingfisher swimsuit edition have attained a flaunt status that goes beyond the realms of simple date checking.

FTV has just launched its own calendar and the Mauritius Tourism Board has also come up with a ‘Miss India’ calendar. And for a social cause it is none other than Bollywood poster boy Shahrukh Khan who decided to pose for a calendar on breast cancer awareness. With calendars pushing up the temperature, it seems glamour is the flavor of the new season.
December 22, 2007
Source: Economic Times

‘Diamond Festival’ main feature of Wedding Asia 07

Another year, another fabulous show………. Excelsior, in its high spirits again up with an opulent and ostentatious wedding festival for Punjabis, exhibited its mega-event Wedding Asia-07 at Majestic Park Plaza from 14th to 16th December, 2007.

Princess inside every bride becomes visible with the rare, eternal diamonds. “Diamond Festival” was the main feature of “Wedding Asia 07” as it unveiled the colored gems, stones studded chic and classy jewelry including diamond Bracelets, drop-dead gorgeous rings, shiny chandelier earrings, solitaries, sparkling necklace, jadau, kundan kanganas.
December 20, 2007
Source: Fibre2Fashion.com

Clothes & Sweets are most popular gifting items

Nielsen India conducted a survey on its Your Voice online research panel and found that clothes and sweets are the most popular gifting items among Indians.

Almost eight in 10 Indians (77%) selected Clothes, Sweets (including chocolates- 69 %) and Books (49%) as their preferred gifting items. Yet, differences emerge across different age groups in terms of gifting items, budgets and shopping channels. Whereas Sweets, Clothes and Books are universally popular; they tend to be more popular with the 45 and above age group, while the younger crowd (15-24 years) prefers to give away technology gadgets such as mobile phones and MP3 players.
December 20, 2007
Source: Televisionpoint.com

Cotton couture

For loyalists of the fabric, when it comes to comfy, wearable clothes, the buck stops at cotton. Crisp and cool in summer, it’s often stashed away during winters. Also when it comes to formal evening wear, the fabric gets thumbs down for being too dowdy. This myth needs to be broken.

The Cotton Council International (CCI) organized a fashion showcase at Hotel Parkview on Tuesday afternoon. The ‘Cool with Cotton’ event brought in well-known designers Anjana Bhargav and Paras of Geisha Designs to showcase cotton as a fashionable fabric which can be perfect for winter too.
December 19, 2007
Source: Expressindia.com

The Venice of the East

The houseboats of Kerala have become one of the most exciting tourism products in India. These huge barges, traditionally used to cargo goods, are called Kettuvalloms and measure up to 80 feet in length. The endless panorama of greenery intertwined by sapphire backwaters, and a delightful rustic life makes Alappuzha a favorite holiday destination. The intricate network of canals that snake their way through the vast expanse of paddy fields, give Alappuzha the sobriquet of Venice of the East. By virtue of its proximity to the sea, the town has always enjoyed a unique place in the maritime history of Kerala. Alappuzha is an important backwater tourist centre, attracting several thousand foreign tourists each year. The district is famous for its boat races, houseboat holidays, beaches, marine products and coir industry.
December18, 2007
Source: Expresstravelworld.com

Ebony partners with Gautier of France for Home Adornment

Ebony, one of the pioneers of lifestyle retailing in India has joined hands with Gautier of France, one of the best known furniture brands in the world to set up Home adornment stores in India.

The concept of the Ebony Gautier stores revolves around delivering the complete range of contemporary Home Adornment solutions to the Indian consumer all under one roof.

The stores are elegantly laid out and deliver an internationally benchmarked retail shopping experience to its customers which they find comfortable, unobtrusive and uniquely appealing.
December 18, 2007
Source: Fibre2Fashion.com