Be: launches its Autumn/Winter collection for 2004

Mumbai, September 3rd 2004: Be: the pret a porter store from the house of Raymond today launched its Autumn Winter season collection for 2004. India’s crème de la crème designers with pret on their minds and style in their spirit showcased stunning themes that ranged from the classic to the quirky, from traditional to retro. This Autumn Winter, Be: presents new collections, designers and categories, setting trends and inspiring its designers to stretch imaginations and ingenuity creating a myriad of themed fashion statements never seen before.

Says Aniruddha Deshmukh, Vice President, Be: "This season marks the birth of not one, but two brand new categories at called Be:High End Prêt which will offer our consumers the ultimate in high-end prêt fashion from the designers and Be:It ! - a tribute to those who seek style and attitude in what they wear with trendy offerings for both evenings out and days in .We are now also introducing plus sizes and special plus collections at Be:. With the introduction of these categories, we are expanding our customer base by making sure that Be: is truly prêt for everyone!"

Playing the role of the pioneer of pret in India since its birth 3 years ago, Be: has been the leader in setting fashion trends. With their Autumn Winter collection this year, Be: lives up to its reputation as a trend setter by showcasing five brilliant themes by their portfolio of India's best designers.

Priyadarshini Rao now designs prêt women's wear exclusively for Be:, where she moves from casual linens to lustrous silks with her signature 'city gypsy' style . Consistently retaining femininity with bias skirts, ghagra skirts, washed slim fit shirts, tunics, blousons tops and silk dresses her silhouettes offer the ideal combination of both style and comfort.

And for the first time, Priyadarshini also makes her foray into ethnicwear for men exclusively for Be: , with colorful bias shirts and lounge pants elegantly meeting the growing needs of the fashion conscious male.

Inspired by vintage themes of the nineteenth century, revisited through elements like Victorian ruffles, satin bows, corsets, feathers, and boudoir-like looks, Manish Arora in his trademark funky style and eye catching colors has fashioned body hugging silhouettes with fitting corsets while Wendell Rodricks' collection includes Victorian pleated collars, corsage stoles, circular cutouts, and textures in accordion pleats for Be:.

Creating nostalgia by taking us back to the carefree days of youth in her own inimitable style at Be: is Puja Nayyar with preppy denims, crisp shirts, dungarees and printed tees.

Glamour filled nights of diamonds and divas are reflected in the collections of Gauri & Nainika for Be: while we can expect creations for the alluring woman from Shantanu & Nikhil for Be:, with fabrics that cling, and compliment as they invite images of fairytale romances…

For the first time this Autumn Winter season, Be: also has some designers entering new categories with the introduction of men’s wear by Shantanu & Nikhil, men’s ethnic wear by Priyadarshini Rao.

Another first for Be: this Autumn Winter is the introduction of prêt interpretations, either straight off the ramp or through inspired variations of the Indian Fashion Week collections of designers like Gauri & Nainika Karan, Wendell Rodricks, Priyadarshini Rao, Rohit Bal, Shantanu & Nikhil, Aki Narula, Vidhi Singhania, Ashish & Smita Soni, and Krishna Mehta ensuring that its promise to make designer wear accessible and affordable is kept.

Expanding its fashionable offerings this season, select Be: designer accessories will be available including Rajesh Pratap footwear and richly designed Priyadarshini Rao bags. Offering her trademark bright colors and innovative design styles will also be Anshu Arora Sen , now including bags in her Be: collection – and don’t forget to watch out for her ultra-stylish reversible collection this Autumn Winter!

Adds, Director of Be:, Paulomi Dhawan, “In Be:'s Autumn Winter Collection , we have numerous new additions in terms of exclusive collections, categories and designers. Creating a wonderful story with the creative talents at Be: are our trends for Autumn Winter, 2004, that dip into the collections of each designer to bring forth the looks, the styling and the attitude that is the final word in designer prêt. Be: the pioneers of Pret in India and now the largest retail pret chain in India, will continue to set trends and inspire fashion, making Indian style accessible to all."

Adding to its gallery of some of the most creative and talented designers in the country, this Autumn Winter season Be: brings in Abhishek Gupta, a new name hot off the ramps of Fashion Week to showcase his collection of men’s western wear.

With designers like Wendell Rodericks, introducing plus sizes at Be: using fluid, loose and asymmetrical silhouettes, Shantanu & Nikhil's foray into menswear, global brand Maggpie's exclusive jewelry collection, and the Be:In-house move into formal wear, Autumn Winter at Be: is a season not to be missed!