January 2010 - Page 2 of 8

Not new to the city, the country cousin of Delhi’s Oriental Octopus and Chor Bizarre as well as Tamarai, the best restaurant in London. Indian Accent is a unique marriage between global ingredients and techniques with flavors and traditions of India.

Though a little on pricey side,it’s completely gorgeous with really classy and rare interiors in today’s times – two gigantic silver diya trees of life provide an Indian Accent to the otherwise contemporary décor. Marigold and frangipani flowers as omnipresent leitmotifs, the restaurant welcomes you on a unique culinary journey.

I’d gladly closed my eyes to the Manager Samrat Bannerji’s recommendation and ordered the tasting menu. However, the menu is one-of-its-kind making it to be one of the Best restaurants in Delhi, so here are the best things on it:

The food is a mixture of old favourites and unusual treats: pretty great, but the wines Metcalfe has selected were sensibly matching every dish, within the pale commencing with Gunderloch Riesling Trocken, Rheinhessen 2006. Puchkas are taken to the next level altogether, (there’s watermelon and cinnamon pani or pineapple juice). Really wonder why has nobody ever thought of these combinations before? Foie gras stuffed galawat with strawberry green chilli chutney is a mind-boggling combination. Similarly, his panko-crusted ‘bharwan mirch’ with goat cheese mousse, topped with aam papad chutney was essentially an Indian spicy starter.

My favorite combination, however, of the entire meal was a witty, veggie north-south marriage featuring a paper-thin, crispy dosai cone accompanied by masala morels and water chestnuts (singhara) while Anil’s was smoked salmon with thayar satham and tamarind glazed lamb shank served with Khasta roti fingers. Must say each dish was extremely flavorful.

Coming on to sweet some things chef has used the time tested desi styled ingredients to make western deserts like Old Monk rum-balls with Valrhona chocolate sauce (a great modern mix of nostalgic Indian and western ingredients) and the comfortingly familiar yet new combination of Kinnaur apple and shakarpara crumble with vanillabean icecream and Cointreau Ki Chuski, was a perfect ending to a truly global meal.

The restaurant’s path-breaking contemporary Indian menu, which is been designed by Chef Manish Mehrotra,and preceeded by chef Pradeep, is going for change from this March since its Executive Chef is coming back for good. The menu that we hope will excite the adventurous yet satisfy traditional palates.

Last night Mumbai saw the opening of the longest Bar in the country .

A podium guestlist which had guests queueing up to enter this nouveau restaurant, saw the finest of celebrities, tv stars and models alongside people from every corner of the world. The 120 year old teak wood flooring, white seating and moonlight reflections had the place buzzing till Four a.m.

Shatbi Basu, owner of STIR academy, hosted the bar, and provided the guests with fabulous drinks, ranging from champange, spanish wines and an amalgamation of cocktails. The presentation uniquely presented those who stayed by the bar with coloured shots, fruits and an unlimited supply for those who appreciate aloohol.

Above Linking road, this resto- lounge, served mediterranean food which varied from pizzas, to cheesy chicken and falafels served in platters to all its guests. Waiters walked around with plates of dishes including prawn tempura, rawas on a spoon, prawn martini cocktail salad, and a pizza which is becoming famous to those who frequent this place for its secret garlic oil which enhances the Pizza’s authentic Italian taste.

The proud owners, Vardhaman and Rushabh Choksi launched Escobar whilst co-hosting the party with Mohomed and Lucky Morani was a true success with over 50 celebrities, this new space saw the likes of Shamita Shetty, Vindu, Poonam Dillon, Sohail Khan, Sophia, Shibani Kashyap, Pooja Bedi, Bhagyashree, Vikas Bhalla, Aditya Pancholi, Shekar Suman, and several more including all the loved television soap stars.

The potential energy stored in the duo designers Shivan Bhatia and Narresh Kukreja takes unadulterated creative explosions in their beachwear label. The label ‘SHIVANNARRESH’ was launched in Cannes at ‘Mare di Moda’ with their hundred percent stitch free line called Insectoid. It has a unique signature style that is bold, confidant & sophisticated constructed with flawless lines, undisputed eye to detail and utter sophistication. After the launch in Cannes, the duo shifted their studios to New Delhi, India, and became the first mainstream avante garde beachwear designers doing handcrafted stitch free beachwear along with ready to wear Swimwear made all in Italian fabrics and complementing beachwear.

Their association started as early as 2004, when they were still honing their skills at the fashion college, which got the duo several company projects, from designing first ever fabric raincoats for ZAZAME launched by Duck Back in New York to designing football jerseys for 10 national Football clubs of India, to even designing neck ties for students of IIT Roorkee. Their journey then continued to Italy as they were offered scholarships to complete their masters in Fashion & Textiles & Luxury Marketing from Istituto Europeo di Design Milan and Rome respectively.

Won the Mittlemoda Beachwear Award 2006 in Bali
They received the ‘SWAROVSKI Most creative designer of the year 2007’
‘Debutant Designer of the year 2007’ at India Fashion Week
Won the World of Wearable Art Awards, Wellington, New Zealand
Picked by UNESCO for The Breast Cancer Foundation Awareness through their creations
The label SHRIVANNARRESH was launched in 2009

Currently based out of New Delhi, Shrivan Bhatia mastered the art of leather corsetry and accessories for 4 years from National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, learning the functions and craftsmanship of leather in women’s wear lingerie. While Narresh Kukreja specialized in women’s wear for 4 years in Fashion & Textiles. Subsequent to their graduation, they worked in the fashion Industry for a year before moving to Italy to complete their Masters in Milan & Rome at the Istituto Europeo di Design in ‘Fashion & Textiles’ & ‘Luxury Marketing’ respectively.

SHIVANNARRESH beachwear was also styled for the most sensational calendar of the year, Kingfisher 2010. Besides selling to private clients they also retail out of select stores and resorts.

You can get SHIVANNARRESH at:

12 Hauz Khas Village, II floor, New Delhi -110016

The chilly winters with leggings and trench coats are finally over announcing time for a little skin show. The onset of spring begins with a sporty season not only as we await the Common Wealth games this year but fashion also perspires in easy fabrics, sport jerseys, pleated tennis skirts, and folded shorts. As the spring goes in full bloom designers garnish the platter with an eclectic mix and juxtaposition of patters and prints. The utility clothing this season enthralls the throne with army inspired garments parading the ramp globally. The whiff of cool breeze that will raise the temperature, surfaces with bra revealing cocktail gowns sweeping the night luster. And finally when the city transcends from spring to hot summer the prints and pleats vanish leaving the soothing whites to play with the sun.

On your marks: the sports outlook gains importance in easy and relaxed silhouettes that facilitate movement and speed. Some designers have actually focused on the utility of sportswear whereas if you are not a sports person at you can pick one sports inspired garments. Pallavi Mohan matches her grey shorts with maroon sequined sleeves top and Namrata Joshipura creates the verve with beige silk shorts with powder yellow top in emboss motif. Rahul Reddy goes completely upside down with his quirky dresses in topsy-turvy shirt detailing. Swimming is also a sport if spot it right and thus we have all the colorful bikini from Raman Vij and swim wear in the pristine black by Sanchita.

Mix it right: The unconditional overflow of prints patterns and splash of colours peps up the spirit of life. As we pass the country garden it is the pink paisley printed thigh high dress by Preeti S Kapoor that catches our attention and in near proximity are the hand dyed mix of block printed dress by Ritu Kumar and Kavita Bhartia’s peacock printed sarong dress. And the go green tendrils creep on the designs of Ashima Leena. Parvesh & Jai have flowery print in washed colours on shirts teamed with a golden criss-cross top. The new age futuristic prints mix in the designs of Prashant Verma, Jason and Anshu and Gaurav & Ritika.

Illusion optics: The chiffons play the trick as they create semi transparent layers in abstract printed gown by Ranna Gill. Rohit Mittal has heady quotient of quirky fashion in his mythological prints juxtaposed in tie-dye effect. And Tanvi Kedia’s spray printed see through poncho over bikini screams for summer carnival. And Pankaj & Nidhi project a futuristic world in their relaxed wear with lustrous optical illusionary prints.

Power and Possession: The power shoulders talk another stride in army inspired clothing this season. Leocanet Hemant marches the brigade in studded leather jacket and soldier cap. The Narendra Kumar double breasted jacket and cropped trousers in brown colour with sheen calls for a salute. Ritu Beri’s denim printed commands the wing as a broad belt runs over it styled with innumerable neckpieces hanging down till the waistline. The final call for victory is announced by the black exaggerated lapels waist-coat and bow tie by Rajesh Pratap Singh.

Erogenous bra: Assuming the erogenous to have shifted further below the cleavage it’s about showing your sexy bra through transparency. A classic grey gown in silk by Dhruv and Pallavi has interlacing details on the bust. The ferozi bra shines from beneath in georgette kurta by Meera Muzaffar Ali and a floral printed bra shows in Sonam Dubal’s black transparent kurta. Ritu Beri too styles a pearl embellished bra over denim.

The pristine: The white purifies it all and deceives the sun best. The silhouettes in this range flow free with the air and form a trapeze on the body form. Wendell Rodricks inspired by the sea and its serenity muses a silk trapeze knee length gown. And the all white structured trapeze shift dress by Ankita Anjana adds to the oomph. Rohit Bal flatters the curves wrapped in yards of white fabric with a little sparkle of red on the shoulders. Ritesh Kumar translates the summer into a faded peach chiffon asymmetrical dress sans any embellishment.

The Bangalore Fashion Week starting today strikes another cord in the Indian fashion scene with its second edition of the event. The rising fashion quotient in the country has certainly raised the demand for more fashion worthy consumers as well as designers and the already existing platforms for showcasing has become little stringent for the growing industry.

Bangalore fashion week is designed conceived and executed by Dream Merchants. An Event Management Company of Bangalore, which has pioneered in organizing the local beauty Pageant, Miss Bangalore, since 1994, and over the years has become the main fashion event of Bangalore.

Feroz Khan, Creative Director, Dream Merchants and board member BFW, who has been instrumental and directional in nurturing the fashion event at Bangalore, spoke exclusively with fashionfad.in, amidst all the excitement and tension. He says, “We aim towards making Bangalore fashion week a national event. At present we are only two seasons old and we want to strengthen our grounds in Bangalore, then progress towards building a strong host and launch vehicle for all the new upsurging design talents in the country.” Feroz is very clear about the objective of making BFW as trade event and not to be diluted as the glamour outburst only. He already has an exhaustive list of 280 buyers at his event which would help him project India’s take on fashion globally. “We are also showcasing Milan based brand Claudio Antonio spearheaded by designer Shipra Chawla, as a response to the international presence of Indian fashion.” The BFW has also opened gates for the new and promising models as it launches twelve new faces this season spotted after rigorous rounds of audition. On his take at the growing numbers of fashion week in the country Feroz says, “In the west every state has a fashion event of their own. Today India has the level of awareness and money to purchase fashion products and growing fashion events are just an answer to the demand. For the International buyers, they will also gradually discover their niche, whichever fashion week suits them the best.’

The First Edition of Blenders Pride Bangalore Fashion Week took place in July 2009, where designers Like Rocky S, Manoviraj Khosla, Sanchita Ajjampur, Samant Chauhan, Jatin Kochhar, etc. flew down to Bangalore and graced the city with their creations. The fashion week also sizzled with ramp queens like Candice Pinto, Tinu Varghese, Bruna Abdullah, Alisha & Anjali Rawt, Syed Zulfi, Shawar Ali, Acquin Pais, etc. And a host of Gen Next Designers like Neelam Ashley, Soma Nath, and Bhakti Reddy.

The second edition of Bangalore Fashion week clicks on the 28^th of January with Amita Sharma & Vipin Batra opening the show and closes on the 31^st of Jan with Shantanu and Nikhil as the grand finale designers. The four day fashion fiesta at Bangalore has invited a lot of new and established designer to celebrate and imbibe the cosmopolitan taste of the city. The Bangalore fashion week has on board some of the prominent buyers, fashion editors, eminent designers, and members from Dream Merchants, including the very gorgeous Achla Sachdev who is also the choreographer for the event along with Rahul dev Shetty.

Couturiers PARVESH AND JAI, known for their breath-taking creations that are inspired by vast research of history and culture, added another jewel to their crown of achievements with their dress being selected for the Special Barbie Display from December mid 2009 to February 2011, as a part of the on-going Barbie Birthday Celebrations, at the Indiana Children’s Museum in Indianapolis.

PARVESH AND JAI along with three other Indian designers, Vikram Phadnis, Nishka Lulla, and Ruchi Mehta were selected to design for the Indian look at this international Barbie event, that showcased the best of couturiers from all over the world.

Ask them their inspiration while designing for Barbie, they sa

y,“ we could not think of anyone else other than RADHA for an icon as innocent as Barbie".

Keeping in mind the gorgeous, pure and innocent form of Radha, they designed a mesmerizing garment in shocking pink velvet, dressed with gota detailing. True to traditional India style, the garment had an anarkali cut with gold piping highlights. Sleeves, made in shell tucked translucent net with the neck decked up in crystals that run both in the front and on the back as well; appeared as if Barbie is wearing an extraordinary Indian ‘haar’. The ensemble was imaginative, deeply researched and strikingly detailed that sums up the Indian princess look in form, style and essence.

A true tribute to the Indian style fit for Barbie’s Museum, must say.

Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini has collaborated with award-winning musical artist Mark Ronson, for the launch of Gucci icon-Temporary, a flash sneaker store.

A new limited edition Gucci Ronson sneaker will travel the world and introduced at each international destination, in addition to an exclusive edition of 18 sneaker styles in the collection. The collection includes 16 men’s styles and 2 women’s styles, incorporating classic Gucci design signatures, such as the GG logo or a stylized version of the iconic Gucci red and green web detail. Each design includes silver or gold metal dog tags as well as an embroidered ‘Limited Edition’ label inscribed inside the shoe. Customers’ initials can be embossed onto a customized leather tag on the shoe laces, if desired.

Conceived as true collector’s items, each GUCCI ICON-TEMPORARY sneaker and limited edition Gucci Ronson sneaker comes with unique packaging designed specifically for each city on the international tour. "From the moment I first sat down with Mark we connected. He has a great eye for design and an amazing knowledge of sneaker history. He is an artist whose influence is cross-cultural and cross-generational,” says Frida Gianni.

Each client will receive a custom 12-inch vinyl record with exclusive limited edition tracks, selected by Mark Ronson, as a gift with the Gucci Ronson sneaker’ says Mark Ronson. "I spent many years as an avid sneaker collector, so I wanted to make sure these Gucci shoes were truly special, both from an aesthetic point of view and a collectable one” he further commented.

This shimmering beauty needs no introduction. Winner of the 2006 Miss India Universe she has ruled the ramp for more than seven years.

A Buddhist by religion, she believes in chanting and karma. She is an easy going person, non fussy and will give honest answers to all the questions you ask her. We caught up with her on her way to the airport from where she was about to take off to Los Angeles for a well deserved break after two busy months.

Talking to her one seems to fall in love with life, listening to her passion about all things big and small. Down to earth and extremely humble she is a complete delight. However all the hopeful guys looking out for this lovely lady, please reign in your hearts coz she is seeing someone these days!!

Family and Academics…

I come from New Delhi. My parents are still in Delhi. I have an elder brother who is a Colonel in the Indian Army and another in the US. All my schooling is from Delhi itself. I did my bachelor degree from Pearl Academy in fashion design.

Parent’s reaction to your choice of modeling as a career…

My parents are one of the strongest pillars in my life. They were very supportive of me from the beginning. They never asked me questions about why I’m doing this or how I’m doing this. They always inspired me to leave no stone unturned and achieve all my dreams. They were my support system through all of it and they still are.

First modeling assignment…

My first assignment was with Ritu Kumar for her campaign shoot. I was working with Elite that time.

Greatest achievement till date…

I have come to realize that my greatest achievement is when I see parents come up to me take advice and tell me that they want their daughters to emulate what I have done in my career. They want their daughters to follow what I did and not succumb to pressure. They want me to talk to them and guide them towards a better future with dignity and pride.

Idea of an ideal date

Well I would like all the old time romance intact. Having butterflies in my stomach, my date picking me up to take me to a nice movie or dinner.

I would love it if my guy would sing to me. A good looking guy, who sings would make my day anytime.

When not modeling what are you most likely to be found doing…

I’m a great fan of reading. All the old time classics like Gone with the wind, Jane Austin and other old school works are my favorites.

I love to paint and another inseparable love of mine is for knitting. I love to knit in my free time. I have so many hobbies I can promise you I can never get bored.

Five essentials for a model to climb the ladder of success…

· Passion for your work

· Confidence

· Openness to criticism

· Looks and an appropriate build to fit the field

· Discipline to look after oneself

Views on Indian vs. Western models…

I’ll say that Indian fashion has just appeared on the world map. Personally I think that Indian models are one of the best looking in the world. Usually Indian girls mature late and at the age of twenty something they come on the ramp and that’s the time they look good. Western models come of age early. Fourteen fifteen year old girls look like they are in their twenties. Western models start very young as compared to Indian models.

The most touching moment of your life…

I’ll say that the most touching moment of my life was when I won the Miss India crown and I saw my parents in the crowd with tears in their eyes rejoicing my victory as they watched me.

Quick snippets :

FAVORITE FOOD: Sushi

FAVORITE DESIGNER: Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna, Tarun Tahiliani, Alexander McQueen and Prada.

FAVORITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION: South of France, essentially Antibes and Cannes.

FAVOURITE MUSIC: Well it depends from time to time. Love vintage English music that is my all time favorite.

YOUR GREATEST FEAR: My greatest fear is losing a loved one. I think I don’t have the strength to deal with something like that.

YOUR ADVICE FOR THE UPCOMING MODELS: Go out and do what you choose. Always believe in yourself. You are one and only and there is no one else like you. Prove yourself to yourself first.

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Monthly Archives: January 2010

Indian Accent

Escobar

Shivan & Narresh

Spring/Summer 2010

Pop! Goes the Weasel!

India Dresses for Indianapolis

Gucci Icon-Temporary

Neha Kapur

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