Store Monsoon

Product range. Dresses, skirts, tops, swimsuits, sleeveless dresses, jackets, shoes, sandals, and clutch bags with most of them decorated with beads, fringes, prints and ethnic pattern designs. Monsoon would fit the bill for those looking for jeans, monochrome knitwear, and essential tops, but it's the pieces that are oriental, hippie, and bohemian in style that make the brand stand out. Moonson's wedding outfits are also worthy of praise. Though they don't stand the comparison against those by Vera Wang, they still are a decent choice for the price.

Originality. Monsoon is perhaps the only mass market retailer to focus on boho fashion.

Chic. Moonson are not up to trends as ethnic style fashion is a stagnating but secure niche market.

Pricing. Essential dresses, on the average, cost £100, tops are £70, skirts are £90, wedding dresses are within the £500-700 range.

Corporate history highlights. Peter Simon launched the first Monsoon store in London in 1973. The first Accessorize store, the brand also operated by Monsoon Accessorize Ltd, was launched 11 years later. When conceiving Monsoon Peter, once a market-stall all things oriental specialist, was inspired by the cultures as diverse as those of Gozo island (Malta), India, and Far East. Back then ethnic pattern dresses were in vogue, which was to be expected in the years when hippie movement achieved its momentum. In 2014 the company owned over 1400 Monsoon and Accessorize in 74 countries worldwide.

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