girls fashion

Girls in their teens and in college are inundated with fashion from their friends and acquaintances. One can say they are immersed in fashion and have to be very fashion conscious to not appear out of touch and to decide what to wear every day.

Here is some advice to help those girls keep up to date with the latest fashion trends.

There are different styles that come out every year. Most designers release at least two collections per year, during fall and spring, while others release four collections - one for every new season. It is really tough being sharp on all those new things considering the different styles that are introduced with all those new collections. Besides, not all styles fit all people.

Even though you would love to wear a particular outfit that looked really good on the model on the runway, it might look pretty odd and out of place when you wear it. The first key to narrowing down your focus is to zoom in on those collections and styles that fit your particular height, weight, and personality type.

If you want to be on the safe side, select one of the classic styles. They rarely go out of fashion. However, girls don't always like wearing classic clothes so, how can they always be in fashion? A simple way to make girls fashion work for you is to choose from a collection that suits you best. For example, if a particular color suits your skin tone best, you can wear a top of that color with jeans or black pants, which don't have to be from the same collection.

Accessorizing is another clever way of keeping up with the latest girls fashion without even having to wear clothes from the latest trends. Work with your body's strong and weak point, and select accessories that will enhance your best features. Nobody is perfect. You need to hide your flaws and enhance your godd features, just like those seemingly perfect models that grace the catwalks of the fashion world.

A belt, scarf, hair clips or shoes can make all the difference in looking like an out of touch cave dweller and a hip fashion-conscious urban girl.

Make sure that you know what works for you and then find the fashion news sources that cover new collections and styles that suit you specifically. That way you can always be up to date with the latest girl fashion without suffering from information overload

girls fashion

Barnes and Noble" title="Glamour magazine - Barnes and Noble">

Glamour magazine - Barnes and Noble

go hand-in-hand. But while once there were specific magazines for each age group (Teen for young teenagers; Seventeen for older teens; Glamour for college girls), the past decade has welcomed a huge increase in magazines targeted to teenage girls and women.

Which magazine is right for which type of teen? Follow this handy guide:

Seventeen

Once targeted specifically to older teenagers, in recent years, Seventeen has become a bit less sophisticated. Looking through recent issues, the articles and fashion seem more geared towards junior high than high school. Teens that are interested in high fashion shouldn’t look to Seventeen for inspiration – most of the clothes featured are from bargain stores such as Target, Forever 21 and Kohl’s. Most of the articles aren’t longer than a page and consist of the “what to say to your crush in the hallway” variety.

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Teen Vogue

Although sales of Teen Vogue (and regular Vogue) have decreased within the past year, Teen Vogue is still the premiere teenage magazine for designer fashion. The magazine features clothing from both established and up-and-coming designers, as well as features on celebrities, celebrities’ children and “real girls” (though the real girls tend to usually be connected to some high-profile New York adult). One downside is that the Teen Vogue writing staff seems quite small, so many of the articles tend to sound the same month after month. But the clothes, especially during the all-important Fall and Spring issues, are worth it.

CosmoGirl!

Following in Seventeen’s footsteps (or perhaps vice versa), CosmoGirl! has also “dumbed down” in the past few years, following the departure of original editor-in-chief Atoosa Rubenstein (who once worked for Cosmopolitan and came up with the idea for CosmoGirl!). The magazine still has Project 2024, its focus on politics and the hope that by 2024, a woman will be President. But altogether, CosmoGirl! simply isn’t as inspiring as it used to be. Purchase it for fun beauty and fashion spreads, not for deep thinking.

Glamour

Some parents may be uncomfortable with younger teens reading Glamour, but for the 16 and older set, Glamour is a perfect read. It’s an empowering women’s magazine, which not only focuses on fashion and beauty, but features in-depth articles about women’s issues both nationally and globally. Because of this, though it’s geared towards adults, not teenagers, it’s a more worthwhile read than all the “does my crush like me?” quizzes that seem to populate many teen mags these days. Unlike adult Cosmopolitan, which has sex articles that focus mainly on how to please a man, Glamour’s sex articles promote good relationships and good health – and what’s harmful about a teenager reading that?

Also on Suite101

Sexting - What Parents Need to Know

Sexting - the practice of sending sexually explicit messages via cell phone - is a growing trend among teenagers. Sexting can be dangerous... and criminal.

Lucky

Lucky is basically all fashion and beauty (no articles) which makes it appropriate for any age. For teenagers that have a passion for fashion, Lucky is a good buy. In addition to features about how to wear certain trends and styles, Lucky focuses a lot on fashion and beauty websites, which greatly appeal to teenagers.

girls fashion

Salwar Kameez is the most popular outfit for South Asian Women specially India & Pakistan. These outfit are extremely comfortable and look very elegant on women of all ages. Here you will find the latest fashion designs in Pakistan and india from the dress designers who strive to make you look good and stand out by enhance these dresses by unique embellishment using different kinds of Embroideries, Block Print, Bead, Sequins, Zardosi, Dabka, Tilla work, Ghara work, cut work etc. Our designers use various fabrications like Georgettes, Raw Silks, Cotton & Cotton Blends, Hand loom, Khaddi, Jamawar, Satin, Lawns, Organza, Katan Silk etc.

Pakistani clothing including evening wear, casual wear, formal wear shalwar kameez, and modern apparels which are worn usually in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, all over South Asia and at South Asian families. The section also covers western pants, tops and shirts, evening gowns at unbelievable low cost. Simply click on the sub categories and you'll be able to browse through cool eastern western collection of Mystique Asia. You may keep checking this section as we often put special sale offers and discount offers so that you can buy apparels dresses online.

We are very passionate about our work and put in a lot of effort to provide you the latest designs so that you look good. Special emphisis is given to Styling & Cuts of each dress to make the person wearing them stand out

While growing up, I aspired to work in the fashion industry. I’d peek at my mom’s Elle and Vogue magazines, staring at the works of art, draped around the models or, I’d be quick to flip to the jewelry pages to gawk at the most expensively-priced items. I’d watch her soaps during the summer, imagining what it would be like to be an actress or model, thinking that they lived these amazing lives where designers dropped out of the heavens and gave them clothing that seemed made for them. I’d imagine myself one day living that glamourous lifestyle that these images seemed to portray.

By high school, at age 15, my first job was at Woodward and Lothrop. My Fashion Merchandising class had given their students an opportunity to get their first taste of what it would be like to work for a major department store. My job: folding piles of clothing during the holiday season. (To this day, I never leave a mess in a dressing room or leave a piece of clothing crumpled on top of the pile.) And, being so proud of my first real paycheck, I bought my first outfit, which cost $24 - pricey back them for a 15 year-old. It was (what I now consider hidedous) a navy and white speckled romper with two gold and pearl faux buttons at the waist, as if to clench together a belt. I also bought one of those big ivory chiffon and rhinestone hair bows to go in my ponytail. I seriously though this outfit was what everyone would envy because I felt like a model in it.

By my junior year, I was heading to New York with my fashion class – visiting the likes of Tommy Hilfiger and Zum Zum (it used to be a fashionable prom dress label before Kristy Taylor died). It was my first time in the “Big City” EVER and every single sight and sound around me put me in awe. From running around Macy’s, right after Christmas, to having dinner at the (long-gone) Super Model Cafe, to taking in the musical Tommy and even riding to the top of the Empire State Building, everything seemed “magical”, causing me to day dream (quite frequently) about living there one day.

We were also required to put on an annual fashion show that we 100% ran. I did this for two years and loved every minute of it – from the sound and lighting, to the fashions and the decor of the runway. It all excited me. In fact, those fashion merchandising classes, plus sewing and marketing, I aced because all three were a passion - the art of making someone look good.

When I got to college, my dreams were all but crushed when I realized that getting a B.S. in Marketing was not going to happen. My strong suit was not in math or in microeconomics for that matter. I’m just not analytical enough to grasp these. Therefore, I majored in Communications and minored in Telecommunications, while working for retail stores, such as Victoria’s Secret, Express, Bath and Body Works and even Gymboree. It was through these that I wasn’t sure that the fashion merchandising route would make much sense. I loathed working for a retailer and would have rather worked directly for their corporate entity - attending New York Fashion Week, being asked to go over seas to attend meetings and make big decisions on the next advertising campaign.

By my junior year of college, fashion was all but an after-thought when my dad got me an internship with a technology dot.com. It was then my career in marketing took off, but landed me in the combined worlds of government and technology for the next 11 years.

Although not directly working for any type of fashionable retail, I definitely supported the economy when I could. It went from buying the classic basics (Banana Republic, Old Navy and Express), to finding unusual peices that would work with my classic basics, to “occasional” dresses, shoes, handbags and accessories. I’ve realized, as I’ve gotten older, that there is no use in fighting it. I love fashion and as a result, I love to shop.

girls fashion

A Charlie Brown ensemble comes with requisite live furry accessory at the Beautiful Girls' Fashion Lunch at Flemington yesterday.
Photo: Joe Armao

Latest related coverage

Mini Me and Pink Pooches
Photos Photographers from The Age capture the style of Melbourne Fashion Festival 2008.

• Bright young things in granddad's duds

SOMETHING had to give. The Melbourne Fashion Festival was going swimmingly: packed houses, catwalk shows slicker than ever. Everybody happy.

Then the budgie died. And the purple poodle hit the catwalk. There was a pink poodle, too, and two fluffy cream ones — with tangerine and red ribbons — at yesterday's Beautiful Girls' Fashion Lunch, staged for 700 by Myer and the Victoria Racing Club at Flemington.

The dogs skittered out in a spectacularly cute catwalk moment, each led by a matching, hip-swinging model in purple, pink or tangerine silk.

There were gasps and applause, but a fizz of concern.

Myer fashion's national publicity director, Natalie Perrin, admitted that when she heard the dogs were going to be dyed, her first questions were: "What sort of dyes? How?"

An owner of one of the dogs, supplied through the Poodle Club of Victoria, said the dyes were vegetable based and "absolutely harmless".

So, Ms Perrin said, she relaxed: "It was just a bit of fun … it created a bit of theatre in the show."

It sure did. But earlier, reports of a budgie dying in a fashion installation by artist Joost Bakker for Sydney designer Lee Mathews' Armadale shop ruffled enough feathers to make even happy coloured poodles seem distinctly "not right".

Mathews was reportedly devastated by the death. But the unfashionable question still hung in the air: is it OK to use any living creatures to entertain? The RSPCA says no.

"It's disappointing to see that people are using animals in this manner," said RSPCA inspectorate services manager Greg Boland. "There's no offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, but it's exploitative."

At the Flemington event, however, there was more talk of frocks than morals.

Myer presented a flawless show of its top designers' collections that seemed cunningly geared to chic women "of a certain age", featuring US singing sensations Mandy Moore and Sean Kingston.

girls fashion

The elfin teenager, who has amassed an impressive following of 4million readers with her blog Style Rookie, has been busy rubbing noses with the fashion elite and gracing covers of magazines.

While her schoolmates struggle with maths and chemistry, blogger Tavi was recently whisked off to the glamorous tents of Bryant Park for front row seats at New York Fashion Week.

So taken is the fashion world by Tavi, who describes herself as 'tiny dork that sits inside all day', that newly relaunched style bible Pop magazine placed her on the cover of their latest issue.

Editor Dasha Zhukova, who is dating Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, interviewed the rising star and also hired Tavi to write a blog for the Pop website.

The petite blonde, who lives in a Chicago suburb, started blogging two years ago and with 1.5million hits a month, has generated global interest from the press and designers, including hip label Rodarte.

Sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy took on Tavi as their muse just eight months after she started writing online, using her to help present their collection.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1215048/Meet-Tavi-Gevinson-13-tiny-blogger-fashion-industry-feet.html#ixzz0qGNaQsgD

girls fashin

Today marks the 2-year anniversary of an article witten by Slate Magazine’s Emily Yoffe, on the state of girls’ fashion, and the frustrations of parents and their daughters felt while trying to find something “just right”. While style seems to change almost daily, the article seems just as relevant today:

She (child of Washington that she is) had given me a useful parameter of ‘tween fashion. While you don’t want your daughter to look like Britney Spears, she doesn’t want to look like a failed Supreme Court nominee from the Bush administration. In between those two poles, if you have patience and good arch support, you can find enough nice stuff.

Read the article here.

What are your feelings on the state of girls’ fashion today? Leave your comments below!

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girls fashion

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Hot styles to keep her warm are the latest girls fashion trend. This vintage coat by Baby Gassy Gooma has long hair faux fur for an ultra chic look. Designed to make any girl sparkle this season. This girls jacket is a real head turner.
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india girls fashion

India and its rich heritage is known all over the world. Modern India is home alike to the tribal with his anachronistic lifestyle and to the sophisticated urban jet setter.

In light of its rich tradition and culture, now India has made a mark in the field of designer clothing. Highlights of different Indian states can be visualized in its piece of arts, artifacts and the clothes. Different textures as well as different embroideries like zardosi, chicken, resham work, sequence work, Gujrari work are used to enhance the beauty of the clothes and hence give it a new ethnic look. Now, India has become one of the leading names in fashion.

Indian clothes and fashion come with a difference in its work having a great combination of zardosi, resham, stone, katha, gurjari, cutdaana and many more.

We all know saris speak for itself and its a kind of attire which suits on everybody and anybody. A thin as well as a fat women anyone can carry this beautifully and can be a part of Indian fashion. Sarees come in a wide range with different work on it like embroidered sari, aari work sari, chikan-kaari from Lucknow will definitely steal your heart .

Image by Travel Aficionado via Flickr

They come in variety of works like sitara work, shibori from Rajasthan, traditional kundan work, sequins work, resham embroidery, mirror work from Gujrat, gota patti kaam, zardosi work, Neemzari work, booti work, kasab embroidery, hand embroidery, Kashmiri work,dori embroidery and many many more varities.

Salwaar kameez is a very common clothing of Indian women. Its basically a Punjabi attire but now it has more wide scope as it comes in lots of colours and combination which gives you wide range to select from. Best Salwar kameez from India with lots of colours and different embroideries on it like kundan work, sequins work, resham embroidery, mirror work from Gujrat, gota patti kaam, zardosi work, Neemzari work, booti work, kasab embroidery, hand embroidery, Kashmiri work, dori embroidery and many many more varieties are available these
days.

Traditional saris have a lot of variation in embroideries as well as the weaves so the Indian stuff gives you variety in context to fabric also and the different beautiful weaves including Handloom saris will surely be one of your choice.

girls fashion

Early spring is the best time to show off a layered look and makes the transition from winter dressing to spring dressing a breeze. Girls look adorable in shrugs, scarves, camis, and other great layering pieces. Kids love using layering to express their personalities. Try not to get too matchy-matchy with her layers; kids are combining patterns and solids that don't match, but rather go together in style and feel. Learn what items are the layering must-haves of the season and how best to wear them.
ShrugsEarly spring is the best time to show off a layered look and makes the transition from winter dressing to spring dressing a breeze. Girls look adorable in shrugs, scarves, camis, and other great layering pieces. Kids love using layering to express their personalities. Try not to get too matchy-matchy with her layers; kids are combining patterns and solids that don't match, but rather go together in style and feel. Learn what items are the layering must-haves of the season and how best to wear them.
ShrugsSugar Kids Mary Jane CatI love Sugar Kids shoes, especially their retro canvas prints. These light-weight, casual Mary Janes are great for spring and summer. She will get tons of wear out of these Mary Janes that go well with anything from jeans to skirts.Sugar Kids Mary Jane CatI love Sugar Kids shoes, especially their retro canvas prints. These light-weight, casual Mary Janes are great for spring and summer. She will get tons of wear out of these Mary Janes that go well with anything from jeans to skirts.

girls fashion

The story of The Bombay Store reads like the history of India. When a store has as its visionaries, the pioneers of the independence movement, then its heritage is a glorious one. Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Munmohandas Ramji conceived the Bombay Swadeshi Cooperative Stores Co Ltd, which was inaugurated by India’s grand old man Dr Dadabhoy Naoroji on December 17, 1906. The other first directors of the store were Sir Ruttonji Jamshedji Tata, Sir Dwarkadas Dharamsey, Gordhandas Khatau and Balwant Ramchandra Natu. The store opened in the present Times of India building and was called Bombay Swadeshi with branches in Pune, Rajkot, and Cochin.In 1928, it moved to a place near the Victoria Terminus station and in 1938, it finally moved to its present location on Sir Phirozeshah Mehta Road. The store displayed the beautiful crafts and products of India. Spread over 10,000 sq ft over two floors, the Dalal family took over the store in 1991 and changed the name in 1995 to The Bombay Store, giving it a facelift into a contemporary lifestyle store with the tagline ‘India in a Store’.“Since all the other stores were offering everything contemporary and lifestyle, we wanted to take India to the world, be it tourists buying from us and taking things to their country, or at some point of time, open a store in the west to endorse all things Indian there. So now, the Bombay Store is Discovering new India with merchandise which is more contemporary,” informs managing director, Asim Dalal. Walking through the Bombay Store is like going into a treasure cave. There are 60 types of teas to sample, jewellery, gift items, household linen, clothes, crockery, cutlery, and many interesting crafts of India. The store offers six different categories, which are more fusion than traditional. There is a continuous change catering to younger customers. “Earlier our target was the 30 plus. Now, it is 21 plus, which is a larger audience,” adds Dalal.Besides the flagship store at PM Road, there are stores in the Phoenix Mall, and Inorbit Mall in Malad and Vashi. There are shop-in-shops at the Mumbai international airport at Lotus House and at the 1C Mumbai domestic airport. “We are looking out for more locations in Bandra and Juhu,” informs Dalal. Pune’s store is a 5000 sq ft at MG Road and there are two more in Inorbit Mall and Market City. Goa has one, Bangalore has two and Hyderabad has two at the domestic and international airports and maybe new ones will open in Banjara and Jubilee Hills.With foreign retailers entering India, Dalal is still confident of The Bombay Store brand. “We are in a niche market and don’t see foreign or international brands setting up a store like ours. Their concentration is on food and grocery stores like Carrefour and Wal-Mart or fashion like Marks and Spencer so home décor is different. They will bring an international flavour if they do come; while we will be Indian catering to a different audience. Places like Good Earth have a lot of imported products and furniture which is not what we want to get into. We do a lot of handicrafts and gifts. We would not compare ourselves to other Indian stores.”When the Dalals took over, the turnover was Rs 50 lakhs in 1991 and now it has grown to Rs 28 crores in 2010. Franchising has not been considered but could be at a later date. The recession did not affect Bombay Store. “Since October 2009 our growth has been very good. After 26/11 we had a little slow growth but now it is 18 per cent per annum and going forward we expect a higher turnover. We are doing a lot of marketing, merchandising and promotions in-house during festivals. On January 26 we gave a 26 per cent discount on all products and saw a 60 per cent increase in sales on that one day. During December we had international promotions like a Thai fest with dancers, products in collaboration with the Thai department of promotion to give a flavour of their artisans and their culture.”The best seasons for the store are from September to February with Christmas being bigger than Diwali since it is more family oriented with the tourist inflow also at its peak.The ad budget is 3-4 per cent of the turnover with spending on print and marketing. TV has not been considered though teleshopping is on the cards. In April 2010, the store went online for sales in India and later worldwide. BenzerBenzer started in 1982, was a one storey 4000 sq ft air-conditioned store selling expensive products like garments, jewellery, accessories, toys and furniture. Experts in the business predicted it would not last. In 1989 another floor was added for menswear, and furniture was replaced by saris and jewellery and the ground floor with ready-to-wear women’s and children’s garments. Ankur Savla, the second generation is in charge now. The launch of the 1800 sq ft Boulevard Benzer, now called Benzer, in December 2003 at Santa Cruz sells womenswear and used to stock creations of Bollywood designer, Rocky S. While the flagship Benzer store at Breach Candy (also popularly known as India’s Rodeo Drive where labels could soar or sink) is now a larger 8500 sq ft store.As much as 90 per cent of Benzer’s turnover comes from the Breach Candy store which has gents, women’s and kids wear, luggage, handbags, makeup, jewellery and perfumes. The other household categories have been dropped. “We were the first retailers to develop and open a mall – Centre One at Vashi, so we obviously believe that malls are here to stay but the characteristic of a mall, if it is dedicated to traditional retailers will affect our business. Benzer Menswear in Centre One is a project for us where we behave as a tenant,” declares Savla thoughtfully. Another big store which is 15,000 sq ft has opened in Ahmedabad and it has the same product profile as the one on Breach Candy.The growth of the stores has been 25 per cent. “We have control over our exclusive suppliers who send us samples which are checked by our team of six graduate designers who make the necessary changes if needed,” says Savla.A decade ago, Benzer started the menswear label Panache. ”But we converted it into Via Veneto since Panache was a little difficult for a lot of people to pronounce at that point of time in 1996,” admits Savla. Now the store plans to revive Panache with Via Veneto as well as the Benzer label for menswear but will give different identities to them.Benzer was the first retailer to sell online in 2001. It was a complete website in terms of giving an extended range of product offering to customers who could not come to India. It sold everything that NRIs wanted. More than adding to the turnover the site did a lot of communication for Benzer and is one of the most preferred sites worldwide. Catalogues are printed since 1991 but for in-store use only, since online sales have increased.Benzer’s ad campaigns by photographer Rafique Eliyas have been stunners since 1985 to-date using top Indian models as well as international ones. 20 per cent of the turnover is earmarked for advertising. “Many speciality stores if they evolve will do better than largeformat stores. If the product offering is good it does not matter whether it is Indian or international. Indian customers have never had the choice. Today they are choosy as they are getting much more than before and they are smart to know brands, pricing and quality. They are also experimental – they will try a foreign brand but will come back to their roots,” observes Savla. The story of The Bombay Store reads like the history of India. When a store has as its visionaries, the pioneers of the independence movement, then its heritage is a glorious one. Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Munmohandas Ramji conceived the Bombay Swadeshi Cooperative Stores Co Ltd, which was inaugurated by India’s grand old man Dr Dadabhoy Naoroji on December 17, 1906. The other first directors of the store were Sir Ruttonji Jamshedji Tata, Sir Dwarkadas Dharamsey, Gordhandas Khatau and Balwant Ramchandra Natu. The store opened in the present Times of India building and was called Bombay Swadeshi with branches in Pune, Rajkot, and Cochin.In 1928, it moved to a place near the Victoria Terminus station and in 1938, it finally moved to its present location on Sir Phirozeshah Mehta Road. The store displayed the beautiful crafts and products of India. Spread over 10,000 sq ft over two floors, the Dalal family took over the store in 1991 and changed the name in 1995 to The Bombay Store, giving it a facelift into a contemporary lifestyle store with the tagline ‘India in a Store’.“Since all the other stores were offering everything contemporary and lifestyle, we wanted to take India to the world, be it tourists buying from us and taking things to their country, or at some point of time, open a store in the west to endorse all things Indian there. So now, the Bombay Store is Discovering new India with merchandise which is more contemporary,” informs managing director, Asim Dalal. Walking through the Bombay Store is like going into a treasure cave. There are 60 types of teas to sample, jewellery, gift items, household linen, clothes, crockery, cutlery, and many interesting crafts of India. The store offers six different categories, which are more fusion than traditional. There is a continuous change catering to younger customers. “Earlier our target was the 30 plus. Now, it is 21 plus, which is a larger audience,” adds Dalal.Besides the flagship store at PM Road, there are stores in the Phoenix Mall, and Inorbit Mall in Malad and Vashi. There are shop-in-shops at the Mumbai international airport at Lotus House and at the 1C Mumbai domestic airport. “We are looking out for more locations in Bandra and Juhu,” informs Dalal. Pune’s store is a 5000 sq ft at MG Road and there are two more in Inorbit Mall and Market City. Goa has one, Bangalore has two and Hyderabad has two at the domestic and international airports and maybe new ones will open in Banjara and Jubilee Hills.With foreign retailers entering India, Dalal is still confident of The Bombay Store brand. “We are in a niche market and don’t see foreign or international brands setting up a store like ours. Their concentration is on food and grocery stores like Carrefour and Wal-Mart or fashion like Marks and Spencer so home décor is different. They will bring an international flavour if they do come; while we will be Indian catering to a different audience. Places like Good Earth have a lot of imported products and furniture which is not what we want to get into. We do a lot of handicrafts and gifts. We would not compare ourselves to other Indian stores.”When the Dalals took over, the turnover was Rs 50 lakhs in 1991 and now it has grown to Rs 28 crores in 2010. Franchising has not been considered but could be at a later date. The recession did not affect Bombay Store. “Since October 2009 our growth has been very good. After 26/11 we had a little slow growth but now it is 18 per cent per annum and going forward we expect a higher turnover. We are doing a lot of marketing, merchandising and promotions in-house during festivals. On January 26 we gave a 26 per cent discount on all products and saw a 60 per cent increase in sales on that one day. During December we had international promotions like a Thai fest with dancers, products in collaboration with the Thai department of promotion to give a flavour of their artisans and their culture.”The best seasons for the store are from September to February with Christmas being bigger than Diwali since it is more family oriented with the tourist inflow also at its peak.The ad budget is 3-4 per cent of the turnover with spending on print and marketing. TV has not been considered though teleshopping is on the cards. In April 2010, the store went online for sales in India and later worldwide. BenzerBenzer started in 1982, was a one storey 4000 sq ft air-conditioned store selling expensive products like garments, jewellery, accessories, toys and furniture. Experts in the business predicted it would not last. In 1989 another floor was added for menswear, and furniture was replaced by saris and jewellery and the ground floor with ready-to-wear women’s and children’s garments. Ankur Savla, the second generation is in charge now. The launch of the 1800 sq ft Boulevard Benzer, now called Benzer, in December 2003 at Santa Cruz sells womenswear and used to stock creations of Bollywood designer, Rocky S. While the flagship Benzer store at Breach Candy (also popularly known as India’s Rodeo Drive where labels could soar or sink) is now a larger 8500 sq ft store.As much as 90 per cent of Benzer’s turnover comes from the Breach Candy store which has gents, women’s and kids wear, luggage, handbags, makeup, jewellery and perfumes. The other household categories have been dropped. “We were the first retailers to develop and open a mall – Centre One at Vashi, so we obviously believe that malls are here to stay but the characteristic of a mall, if it is dedicated to traditional retailers will affect our business. Benzer Menswear in Centre One is a project for us where we behave as a tenant,” declares Savla thoughtfully. Another big store which is 15,000 sq ft has opened in Ahmedabad and it has the same product profile as the one on Breach Candy.The growth of the stores has been 25 per cent. “We have control over our exclusive suppliers who send us samples which are checked by our team of six graduate designers who make the necessary changes if needed,” says Savla.A decade ago, Benzer started the menswear label Panache. ”But we converted it into Via Veneto since Panache was a little difficult for a lot of people to pronounce at that point of time in 1996,” admits Savla. Now the store plans to revive Panache with Via Veneto as well as the Benzer label for menswear but will give different identities to them.Benzer was the first retailer to sell online in 2001. It was a complete website in terms of giving an extended range of product offering to customers who could not come to India. It sold everything that NRIs wanted. More than adding to the turnover the site did a lot of communication for Benzer and is one of the most preferred sites worldwide. Catalogues are printed since 1991 but for in-store use only, since online sales have increased.Benzer’s ad campaigns by photographer Rafique Eliyas have been stunners since 1985 to-date using top Indian models as well as international ones. 20 per cent of the turnover is earmarked for advertising. “Many speciality stores if they evolve will do better than largeformat stores. If the product offering is good it does not matter whether it is Indian or international. Indian customers have never had the choice. Today they are choosy as they are getting much more than before and they are smart to know brands, pricing and quality. They are also experimental – they will try a foreign brand but will come back to their roots,” observes Savla.

lifestyle fashionEvery LEMAX product that one buys today stands for fashion, innovation, style and affordability.

Every LEMAX product that one buys today stands for fashion, innovation, style and affordability. The brand created and marketed by Winstar, based in Bangalore, has witnessed a phenomenal growth in a short span of time due to the concentrated effort in both innovative product development and strategic positioning. They have created a balance of perfect pricing, comfort and fit. Doing away with the typical, the beaten (to death) routes, the brand has always stayed clear of the “me too” and cliques and struck a different note in product merchandise, marketing and brand positioning.
BRAND PROMOTERSThe key promoters of the brand LEMAX are Brijesh and Jinesh Shah. The company, Winstar Fashions Pvt. Ltd. was started in 1975
BRAND IDEOLOGYWith no compromise on quality, the brand believes that the product has to offer its users a value that goes beyond the MRP. Their products reflect a deep ingrained philosophy of providing our customers along with every garment, the tag of attitude, individuality and style. The core strength of Lemax has always been to possess a good understanding of the fashion scene and translate it at a phenomenal affordability.
USPThe products created under the label are exclusively styled with a special eye on design.Every LEMAX product that one buys today stands for fashion, innovation, style and affordability. The brand created and marketed by Winstar, based in Bangalore, has witnessed a phenomenal growth in a short span of time due to the concentrated effort in both innovative product development and strategic positioning. They have created a balance of perfect pricing, comfort and fit. Doing away with the typical, the beaten (to death) routes, the brand has always stayed clear of the “me too” and cliques and struck a different note in product merchandise, marketing and brand positioning.
BRAND PROMOTERSThe key promoters of the brand LEMAX are Brijesh and Jinesh Shah. The company, Winstar Fashions Pvt. Ltd. was started in 1975
BRAND IDEOLOGYWith no compromise on quality, the brand believes that the product has to offer its users a value that goes beyond the MRP. Their products reflect a deep ingrained philosophy of providing our customers along with every garment, the tag of attitude, individuality and style. The core strength of Lemax has always been to possess a good understanding of the fashion scene and translate it at a phenomenal affordability.
USPThe products created under the label are exclusively styled with a special eye on design.