Billed as a mixture of Vogue, Tatler, Harpers and Queen and The Spectator, the magazine's London publicists say that its target market ``is really small'', the core is ``rich international Indian women who have their home in India and here''. For this select market, the price is clearly less important than the ``launch party''.

The publicists, who say that they are also likely to be handling the sales promotion of the magazine, have not been informed about what price Verve will be available to prospective subscribers in Britain. Fiona Parkhouse handling the publicity said, ``We are really completely taken up with organising the party''.

The party, at which the magazine is introduced to this country is certain to make it to society pages,and if its publicists have cobbled together the right guest list, also society columns in Britain.

The invitation promises the film maker Muzzafar Ali, Dimple Kapadia who stars in his Zooni (although she has since declined the invitation) and Mary Mcfadden the New York based designer who has created costumes for the film. A fashion show of Mcfadden's costumes is also promised. Local celebs will include Koo Stark, former girlfriend of Prince Andrew, Shakira Caine, wife of actor Michael Caine, India Hicks, granddaughter of Lord Mountbatten and model, her sister Allegra, and another India, India Knight. Not to be forgotten are Tamara Beckwith, an ``It Girl'' (seen at partys to be seen at and written about) and possibly even Tara Palmer-Tomlinson, the ``It Girl'' with her own column (seen at partys to be seen at and who writes about them in the Sunday Times magazine).

The question is will Verve still be in London when the party is over? The magazine's main competitor is likely to beLibas which has been around for 11 years. It is owned and edited by Pakistani designer Sehyr Saigol, who will this summer show her recent collection at Sotheby's in London.

The magazine, which has a greater emphasis on fashion is published six times a year and has a separate international edition. It claims to target the ``South Asian elite'' and has a circulation of 29,000 in the UK alone.There are other fashion glossies which cater to the British Asian market, which Kiki Siddiqi, owner of Ritu's in London, dismissed as ``cheapie glossies which is what the Southall, Wembley crowd want''. Verve may just find a niche among women for whom the price of one or two glossies is not an issue.

Verve's editor is reported to have told the Daily Telegraph diarist that her magazine ``addresses the multi-cultural woman''; the publicist says ``the sophisticated woman, the world traveller... one with a home in India and here .. and Indophiles''. The market as defined by them is in itselfminuscule, and much will depend on how it is priced.