(Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 16 November, 2000) - A brand new designer web portal, the first in the Middle East Region, was launched out of Dubai yesterday along with the region's first 'click 'n brick' style salon. The combination represents a totally new concept in e-commerce, facilitating on-line shopping backed up by offline store facilities.

www.astylestatement.com concentrates on culture and style connected with the Indian sub-continent. The site will cover the academics as well as the aesthetics of style. Exclusively created yet affordable and aesthetic Indian Prêt garments from the continent's celebrated style gurus and noted design houses will be on display at the site.

In tandem with the launch of the site comes the Aesthetics, a webstore to provide the back up services for the online segment. Aesthetics is also going to provide a venue for hosting shows for the designers- giving them the international exposure.

As Soniya R. Kirpalani, Director of Aesthetics, explains, the 'click 'n mortar' store -located in Suite 111 of the DNI building on Shaikh Zayed Highway- was created to facilitate the end user getting the best of both worlds- making the shopping experience virtually real. Between other services, Aesthetics will provide an alteration service for their online shoppers. An ambitious agenda that charts out global alliances and other webstores over the next three years has also been formalised. This would mean that very soon a client shopping on line could get back up offline services - fittings and alterations- at major cities around the world.

"Targeting a sensitive niche audience with a linear, step-by-step strategy of click 'n mouse meeting bricks n mortar www.astylestatment.com enables the web user an interesting interactive shopping experience," says Soniya. "This site evolved from a personal quest to address every aspect of style- from aesthetics to academics- and will act as a permanent platform for India's renowned designers.

This is the first portal that has such a comprehensive array of services and a vast selection of designer Prêt -a- Porter.

The website includes the following key segments which provide varied and interesting information to online buyers and browsers. These segments include:

• Chronicles of Couture - the think link will give a user an understanding of Indian stylistics from 5000 BC to 2000AD - from the construction to the deconstruction of couture.

• A Cutting edge- like the link suggests, this is a page that will keep the user informed on contemporary couture and the couturiers creative process.

• A Peek review- a visual interpretation of style showings from Indian designers world wide viewable on your own computer at the click of a mouse. This segment will host live web casts of in-house style showings and designer events too.

• A Designer Domain gives a glimpse of the designers making waves and the one's who matter. India's very own style gurus who have made the difference, their portfolios and addresses.

• Aesthetics - a virtually real experience. A click n brick style salon that displays exclusive garments of India's reputed designers and designer houses; for shopping online and offline.

• A Collection - the latest collections and critiques on contemporary couture. A virtual visual treat with imagery to keep pace with text.

• Bejewelled- presently under construction this link will highlight the history of traditional jewellery; its evolution and the shape contemporary Indian jewels have taken. This segment boasts a similar click 'n brick salon for jewels with a buy back and vendor guarantee from four of India's living legends.

• Cult Cosmetic- a segment that deals with specific needs of eastern women worldwide. Advice from reputed skin care specialists and make up artists and yoga gurus to an online store that will display some of the world's rarest brands.

The company's first strategic alliances were with highly respected designers and design houses - Shahab and Kavita Durazi, Pallavi J, Ensemble, Manish A, Kotwara, Monisha Jaising and Deepika Gehani.

To amalgamate and host the click 'n brick salon as well as securing any e-commerce transaction meant that Aesthetics needed a technically competitive and competent web hosting/payment gateway alliance. After working with three other hosting services they finally settled on Comtrust's Quick Shop package to quickly put together a comprehensive and integrated solution.

"We chose Comtrust because they were able to provide a unique offering which allowed us to set up an e-commerce presence with minimal database solutions, in least amount of time," explains Soniya. "As a medium sized enterprise we were able to take advantage of the economical, easy-to-use, effective, packaged e-retailing solution namely Quick Shop."

Added Security comes in the form of Comtrust's Digital Certificates, which will help Aesthetics to authenticate the identity of their online business and secure personal and credit card information of their customers.

QuickShop package is ideal for exciting new businesses like Aesthetics, which have an aspiration to grow quickly in the virtual world also," says Saoud Al Shamsi, Sales Manager, Comtrust, "The solution is scalable to match the growth of the business as it effortlessly accommodates any increase in the number of products and traffic to the online business."

"One of the most important aspects of the QuickShop package is the fact that the online payment service is readily integrated with the storefront in a seamless process. .As a consequence no additional interfacing is needed to go online and we were ready to accept and clear credit card payments very quickly at they same time very safely," added Soniya. "We tied up with National Bank of Dubai, a partner with Comtrust, to ensure a flexible, robust and secure online credit card processing."

National Bank of Dubai provides Internet acquiring service called National Bank paynet. The electronic commerce solution for merchants allows them to display products and services on the web and accept credit card payments online.

Merchants realising the importance and effectiveness of e-commerce to their business, need a secure, reliable and easy method to adopt an e-commerce strategy into their business model," said Abdulfattah Sharaf, Manager Business Development, National Bank of Dubai. "The payment solution by National Bank of Dubai through the Comtrust gateway is the ideal solution for small, medium and large organisations in the region."

Customers, who buy online, will have their designer garments delivered to the destination of their choice and in record time by DHL Worldwide Express. Technically geared with a sound tracking systems, the worldwide services that DHL could provide, met the meticulously laid out demands of Aesthetics.

With the e-commerce module in momentum Aesthetics balanced their technological needs with the help of a team from the Dubai Internet City called The Websmiths.

www.astylestatment.com e-visions bringing the work of Indian stylists to fore and into the living room of customers, especially those who do not have access to the exquisite work on a regular basis. The aim is to build a commitment which would ensure customer loyalty across the globe and would remind everyone of the history of Indian drape and design which dates back to 5000BC.

www.astylestatement.com was launched in Dubai yesterday. Seen at the launch, from (left to right): Christopher Collins, Territory Manager, DHL Worldwide Express, Saoud Al Shamsi, Sales Manager, Comtrust displaying the brand new designer web portal with Soniya R Kirpalani, Director of Aesthetics and Abdulfattah Sharaf, Manager Business Development, National Bank of Dubai.