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It goes without saying that the festive season not only morphs the country to its brightest and most jubilant avatar but also heralds an unsurpassed shopping fervour. Navratras, Pujas, Karva Chauth, Diwali, Christmas, New Year and the simultaneously ensuing wedding season — it’s indeed an apogee of retail sales. To be in tandem with these special times, Images BoF decided to come up with something special. Before you are the fruit of our eff ort–the Wedding Wear and Fashion Accessories Special issue.
The rising lifestyle aspiration and the new “Look Good, Feel Good” belief of the millennial Indians have impelled the accessories market in India in the last few years, and now it is among the most promising sectors in fashion retail. Fashion accessories, the youngest star of the modern fashion retail trade, gained momentum only in the last decade and have made their existence highly visible in the last few years. Today, enjoying a healthy growth, the category is expected to grow from its present USD 2.4 billion size to become a USD 3.9 billion by 2017-18. Although, the category has been traditionally dominated by the unorganised sector with a staggering 88 percent hold, a proliferating number of brand, both established brands venturing out into the accessories market and new brands dedicated to accessories, are manifesting the upsurge of organised retail in this space. We look at some of the promising players and talk to the veterans of this space to highlight the market, the opportunities and the prevailing trends.
Another interesting section of the magazine is the glittery wedding wear part that perfectly captures how these extravagant aff airs have now evolving into a lucrative segment for the fashion industry; both fashion retailers and designers alike. We also talk to ace designers like Manish Malhotra, Ritu Kumar, Archana Kochhar, Raghavendra Rathore, and Nivedita Saboo, who not only outline the conceptual/design excellence, skill and craftsmanship that goes into wedding couture but also about their operating styles and policies.
Apart from this, we present a report on the 23rd edition of the iconic global fashion ingredients fair Milano Unica. We next present the winners from the fashion industry at the twin award ceremonies at The India Retail Forum 2016—The Images Retail Awards and The Images Retail Technology Awards. Also in the issue, WGSN lists its choice of must-haves in the fashion accessories segment for the sumptuous season, where maximalism takes center stage.
This and lots more. Making this magazine was very indeed engaging. Hope you enjoy going through the issues.
