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bridal bounty...
Baubles of bliss Planning to tie the knot this year? KIEERAN MANRAL gives you the low down on wedding jewellery - the hottest trends, places to shop and lots more! The wedding season is round the corner and with it the rush for jewellery. But trends are changing. The craze for heavy and ostentatious layers of gold jewellery has now given way to sleeker more contemporary designs. Simultaneously, antique and traditional designs have made a huge comeback. The antique-finished look, harkening back to the maharajas of yore, is gaining popularity thanks to the craze for luxe...

	Date: September 12, 2004

Trends!..

Diamonds undoubtedly rule the roost this season. According to Devika Gidwani, Director, Diamond Information Centre, “One of the most memorable occasions for any woman is her wedding day. While bridal outfits and all other related elements are very significant, more often than not, it is the jewellery that is of prime importance. Diamonds are a bride’s best friends as the ‘white look’ is completely in this wedding season.” Adds Sameer Shah of D’damas, “The concept of gold and jadau jewellery is a little outdated. For the same cost of a gold mangalsutra, you can get a diamond one from a reputed brand these days, so most people prefer to pick up diamond jewellery.” Devika adds, “Every woman wishes that at some point of time in her life, she owns a piece of natural diamond jewellery. Wedding jewellery is something that has tremendous amount of sentimental value. Whatever you choose to wear must be classical, and what better than diamonds to do justice to those heirlooms!”
Jewellery designers too predict diamonds to be the stones to watch out for this season. “Diamonds are forever, and that’s reason enough that they are hot favourites for weddings,” says Farah Khan Ali, jewellery designer. “This year, the traditional jadau jewellery has been replaced by diamonds for all types of ornaments. According to me, one thing that is an absolute must for your wedding trousseau is a diamond choker. As for earrings, I think really long earrings are in, and hence chandelier earrings are here to stay”. Style icon Malaika Arora Khan says, “Large jhumkas, a combination of bangles and an exceptionally heavy choker, are traditionally perfect in the backdrop of the wedding mood.”

FAIR OVERVIEW

The fair had 760 exhibitors from 17 countries.
It attracted more than 15000 visitors.
This is the 23rd year for the exhibition.
It served as a platform to show off the winning entries of the Hong Kong. Watch & Clock Design Competition, both in the open and student categories.
The fair had special group pavilions from the Chinese mainland, Korea and Taiwan.

TREND FASHIONABLY ON TIME!

The fair was a success owing to a culmination of various factors. Clearly the show stealer turned out to be the fast growing, exciting and vibrant segment of fashion watches. Finding itself a huge market in the Middle East, Russia, South East Asia and U.S.A., both the exhibitors and the visitors unanimously voted fashion watches as the big trend of the moment and a segment with tremendous potential for growth. For those still in the dark, this segment includes a mid-priced range of watches that are trendy, vibrant and punctuate style beautifully.

White and bright : Freelook
Yellow Fever : NICE
Sensory and sensibility : Latitude
Sporty Chic : FUBU
Colour Crazy : RITMO MVNDO
Pleasant Surprise : Voila
shop Talk

Five days of showcasing wares, establishing new contacts and mastering networking, the Hong Kong Watch and Clock Fair turned out to be a sophisticated marketplace for manufacturers, distributors and retailers. Meet some of the more impressive brands that caught our attention.

CYRIL RATEL
Situated in the heart of Geneva, Cyril Ratel is a 30-year-old label that offers a collection of solid stainless steel. These Swiss made watches combine elegance and sophistication. A first timer at the exhibition, the brands’ biggest market is Russia alongside Hong Kong, China and Saudi Arabia amongst others.

LAURA BIAGIOTTI, CHRONOTECH, MILA SCHON AND BLUMARINE
Produced and distributed by the Global Watch Industries Srl, Laura Biagiotti is an extension of the world famous Italian fashion label and offers an eclectic range of leather and metal watches. Its largest market is the Middle East. All the watches are manufactured in Italy. Chronotech and Mila Schon are their own brands. The company is also a licensee for Gianfranco Ferre though they do not produce them.

ELITE
An offshoot of the Elite Modelling Agency, this first timers’ range is as eye-catching as it is unconventional. Priced between 29-75 Euros, the label is targeted at watch lovers between the age group of 16-30 years and finds a huge following in Taiwan amongst other countries.

GIOVINE, KRIZIA, LANCASTER
Three diverse yet interesting brands all distributed and produced by Alvea SRL, this is the 8th year for the brands at the fair. Giovine was officially launched at Basel World 2004. It is a new name in luxury watches targeted at people who want something exclusive which is why only 1000 pieces are created per model. Krizia of course, is an offshoot of the world famous fashion label. Lancaster offering its collections with natural diamonds shows both the vitality and dynamism of a young brand that shortly has become one of the main medium-high range manufacturers of Italian Fashion.

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