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Heralding haute couture

of The Hindu Metroplus makes its debut in Madurai next weekend. Don't miss out the fun, write SOMA BASU AND T. SARAVANAN

PHOTO: G. MOORTHY

DAZZLING Attractive show

The ambience couldn't have been better on a pleasant evening out. In a picture perfect setting, as the sun dipped behind the hill and jazzy music flowed out of discreetly placed speakers, dusk acquired a different glow. On one of the highest points in the Temple City, the Pasumalai Hills where Hotel Taj Garden Retreat is situated, the ramp was set by the swimming pool side and a delighted audience waited with bated breath for the event to unfurl.

Vibrant

It was a fashion show splashing vibrancy and joyful colours. A grand catwalk wherein reputed models from Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi came centrestage attired in gorgeous shimmering silk sarees from South India's leading silk giant, RmKV. If the ladies turned out in opulent wondrous fabric in the first few rounds, male models did an equally neat job smartly attired in Ven Field formal and casual wear.

The show choreographed by Rahul Dev Shetty also saw the models dance to pulsating music with digital audio players and camcorders from Samsung in hand. The usual flair and élan of any fashion show in place, this one was still unique. It marked the launch of an exclusive lifestyle extravaganza brought together by The Hindu Metroplus. And indeed, Madurai experienced an event like this for the first time. A fashion show that marked the launch of new branded products. RmKV, one of the associate sponsors, unveiled one of its much sought after item - an exquisitely woven silk sari with more than 1,50,000 colours in it.

The group's brilliant wedding collection and some of its award winning thematic sarees including the `Hamsa Damayanthi', based on Raja Ravi Varma's painting, and `Aishwarya Pookal' of Padmanabhapuram Palace fame were also showcased under the glittering lights of the evening.

Latest, tiniest and best state-of-the-art hi-tech products from Samsung - the main sponsors of the Lifestyle show - and Ven Field's famous Classic Polo Tees and other clothesline too kept the audience in rapt attention.

Initially, of course, they took time to warm up to the event. The compere, Divya Ramprasad, had to constantly plod and cajole the audience to give a resounding round of applause or show more zest in participating in the mini contests which she ably conducted. With lots of prizes and freebies thrown in, people gradually got drawn into the show.

Launched in 2004, The Hindu Metroplus has already organized such events thrice in Chennai and once each in Hyderabad and Coimbatore. In the coming months, the show is scheduled to be held in different cities across South India including Kochi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Coimbatore.

Preceding the fashion show, which was undoubtedly the evening stealer, V. Kalidas, Vice President, Advertisement, The Hindu, briefed the media on the `unprecedented success' of such shows in the past. He said The Metroplus Lifestyle Show had emerged as one of the finest and biggest consumer exhibitions. And since Madurai is one of the biggest retail markets in South India, the objective is to provide a healthy interface between the advertisers and the readers/ consumers.

Unlike other exhibitions, the accent in Metroplus Lifestyle Show is "more on brand management than brand experience", he assured.

Dubbing the lifestyle exhibition as "different", Mr.Kalidas said with advertisers continuously scouting for innovative avenues to market their brands, there cannot be a better option than this fun-filled fair which will bring a whole new variety of premium products under one roof and have retailers and manufacturers in attendance too.

Also, the fair will see international participation with Kenya and Thailand displaying their native handicrafts. iCare Communications takes care of the event management.

So get ready for the thrill. One of the largest consumer exhibitions in this part of the State makes its debut in Madurai on July 7.

The four-day extravaganza at Tamukkam grounds will have 150 stalls where more than 120 leading companies will bring in their best.

From art and handicrafts to interior décor and stylish furniture, textiles to jewellery, electronics to IT services, and automobiles, the fair will cater to everybody's needs under a single air-conditioned umbrella.

Good opportunity

The fair is going to be a perfect opportunity for consumers to strike bargains and test the best.

Keep the next weekend free for this heady cocktail of branded products.

The fair will be on from 7th to 10th July from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The sponsors of the show are Samsung, RmKV, Classic Polo, Taj Garden Retreat, Sri Kaliswari College (catering), Vivekananda Coffee, Paramount Airways, Kesar Gift Mart and Sabols.

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