Amongst much glitz and glamour, captains of the Indian fashion and retail industry celebrated outstanding achievements in the Business of Fashion at the scintillating finale of The LYCRA® Images Fashion Forum 2007 at the Renaissance, Powai.
IMAGES has been hosting the prestigious LYCRA® IMAGES FASHION AWARDS (IFA) for the last seven years and the endeavour has always been to reward achievements of fashion and lifestyle brands, retailers and professionals who have done exceptionally well in the year just gone by on all deliverables- constantly reinventing themselves to keep pace with the with the dynamics of the fashion industry, to remain forerunners in shaping the future of fashion in India. In order to ensure the credibility of the Awards, IMAGES has always endeavoured to involve the best of professionals and organisations as its esteemed Jury, knowledge partners and process auditors.
For the past several years Images has been conducting the consumer poll in association with some of the world’s top market research agencies, the last year being our association with AC Nielsen. This year it was decided to do the job in a rather unconventional manner, and an innovative one too: Through publications, radio, online and wide ranging connections with the country’s leading Management and Fashion & Retail Institutes, over 150 polling booths in leading malls and non fashion stores across the country, a mega poll was conducted… And the response was simply fantastic!!
This LIFA 2007 Study received more than 1.1 million responses from 177 cities in India and four cities abroad – Vancouver, Dubai, Karachi and Bangkok.
This makes it probably one of the world’s largest consumer survey dedicated to the fashion & lifestyle sector in India. LIFA partner to process the niminations was Technopak Advisors and Officia tabulator was Ernst & Young. Of the total responses 67,251 were found relevant for the categories considered for the LIFA 2007.
Terence Lewis and his troupe performed along with Bigg Boss TV star Anupama Varma to the tune of Bollywood’s hits while MTV VJ, Cyrus Sahukar, as Semi Girebaal, had the audience in splits in his hilarious inimitable style.
A high-powered list of Indian celebrities were invited to present the awards including Pooja Bhatt, Irrfan Khan, Kitu Gidwani, quiz ace Derek O’Brien. Among the international invitees were Jeffrey Doltis, MD, The Savile Row Company, Carol Williams, Former President, May Company International, Meg Lustman, Group Strategy and Development Director, Mosaic Fashions, Catherine Dixon, Senior Analyst, GDR Creative Intelligence, Bill D’Arienzo, CEO, WDA BrandMarketing Solutions, Jon Penrice, EVP, Apparel Global Marketing Invista.
The LYCRA Images Fashion Awards were meticulously judged by an esteemed jury comprising Dr. Darlie O’Koshy, ED, National Institute of Design, Aloke Shanker, MD, Synovate India and N. V. Sivakumar from PWC.
Other Winners announced at LIFA 2007 were:
Most Admired Brand of the Year – Trousers Blackberrys
Most Admired Brand of the Year – Smart Casuals Benetton
Most Admired Brand of the Year – Jeanswear Levi’s
Most Admired Brand of the Year – Formal Wear Louis Philippe
Most Admired Brand of the Year – Sportswear/Active Sportswear Reebok
Most Admired Brand of the Year – Club Wear Provogue
Most Admired Brand of the Year – Kids’ Wear Gini & Jony
Most Admired Brand of the Year – Footwear Bata
Most Admired Brand of the Year – Timewear Titan
Most Admired Brand of the Year – Jewellery Tanishq
Most Admired Brand of the Year – Home Fashion Bombay Dyeing
Most Admired Private Label of the Year John Miller
Most Admired Brand Launch of the Year Sisley
Most Dynamic Brand of the Year Koutons
Most Admired Fashion Campaign of the Year John Player
“LIFA recognises the true worth of brands and retailers among consumers as they are based on the verdict of thousands of brand conscious consumers who have voted for their most favoured brands,” Amitabh Taneja, Chief Convenor of LIFA said.
IFF Spokesperson, Meher Castelino said, “IFF’07 culminated with a grand Finale – The LYCRA IMAGES FASHION AWARDS 2007 – which honoured the best of the Indian fashion industry. From the time of its inception, IFF has grown in scale and stature to attract experts from global and Indian companies to gather on a single platform.”
Over 2,000 leading global and Indian names from the world of fashion branding, retailing, merchandising and the entire gamut of fashion retail support organizations are attending IFF ’07 at The Renaissance at Powai in Mumbai, he said the industry was witnessing a revolutionary change in the Indian consumer, an amazing retail explosion and intense competition in the fashion industry.
Conceptualised seven years ago as a platform to prepare the fashion and retail industry to meet the needs of the emerging Global Indian seeking a global shopping experience at home, IFF ’07 has added interest this year with the current focus in India on organised retail and the current retail boom, the explosion of malls and entry of global fashion houses and retailers. IFF ’07 has brought together leading brands in clothing, footwear, watches, jewellery, beauty, home fashion & lifestyle that make up a huge Rs. 3,00,000 crore market.
For the first time in the history of branded fashion industry in India, under the aegis Fashion Alliance, IFF hosted the Future Fashion House ‘THE INDIA BRAND SHOW’ – showcasing fashion and style trends of 2007 by some of the most powerful brands – live on the ramp. Highlight of the IBS was the Triumph show live.
