We started shopping online… seriously
Shopping moved from malls and local markets to online stores. While flash sale sites like Fashion and You came last year, 2011 saw an explosion of online retailers selling fashion goodies. Some websites are solely online ventures, selling clothes, makeup or accessories from single (FreeCultr) or multiple brands (Myntra, B.Lab, BeStylish), while some well-known brands extended their presence with online shopping. Some websites offer fabulous steals, mindboggling variety and great clothes, so it’s a win-win for fashionistas!
Store interiors got spunky
The Quiksilver and Roxy store at Mumbai’s Phoenix Mills is a delight to visit. The brands are dedicated to the surfing culture, and their tshirts, shorts, pants and accessories like backpacks seem to have struck a chord with fans. But what I like most about the store is the surfing stamp all over. There are surf and skate boards around, wooden slats, photo frames and cut-outs of icons pasted on the wall. Just outside the Phoenix Mills (Mumbai) store, there was even a bench shaped like a surf board. Nice touch!
It was “Year of the Shoes”
There are shoes, then there are shoes. I don’t have a shoe obsession like some fashionistas do, but I do like to see shoes I haven’t seen before. This year I saw some excellent shoes by Indian accessory designers, such as Rohan Arora and Swati Modo. My personal favourite- Rohan Arora’s shoes this season had traditional nakashi craft work on the wedges, while some had cute little charms. While I don’t own any of them (yet), I’d advise any shoe-crazy woman to seriously consider some of these unique designs.
What was your favourite shopping trend in 2011?