July 2017 - Page 3 of 10

Happily, Ever After

Anamika Khanna installation for FDCI India Couture Week 2017, is an amalgamation of the various rituals of the Indian wedding, and the clothes relevant to them. As we delve into the historical references, we notice the bride is new age, educated, modern and with a mind of her own.

“THE WELCOME LUNCH”

The customary welcome of the guests in a wedding is usually the first function and is almost a “warming up” to the celebrations. The collection is ethereal and romantic, yet eclectic and experiments with border shapes. The colours remain pastel, ranging from Ivory to Washed blues, Jades and beautiful Pinks. The embellishment ranges from thread work to various techniques of zardozi.

THE MEHNDI
The “mehndi” in any India wedding is where we bring out colour, craft and tradition in full glory. Enough room to experiment, the silhouettes range from the traditional “Lehenga”, the “Sharara”, right upto the quintessential “Draped Sari”. The colours, the use of bolder, emergence of Mustard, deep Indian Purples, Corals and Reds. The embellishments used are essentially the “gota”, “old kinaris”, “dori work” and burnished gold and silver work. There may be colour, cut and embellishment in plenty, but there is an elegance of heritage and crafts.

THE COCKTAIL
Traditionally the sangeet and now a full-blown cocktail party, she brings out the madness in total form. Fringing fuchsia and emerald organzas; burning out the zardozi to black, beating silver metal, experimenting with tassels and beadwork. Essentially a courageous space, where the bride and her friends look at the west for inspiration. We mix both worlds! The idea is to let your hair down.

THE WEDDING
Serious Zardozis, the finest hand works, the traditional Benarsis, the classic Indian “Lehenga”. Pinks, Ivorys, Purples, Reds, and a hint of Orange. The beautiful “veil” and the traditional “choli” to the “bandhgala” blouse, this story respects where we belong, the culture we embody, and ensembles, that are meant to be preserved for life.

Continuing its exquisite journey of its much sought after calendar, we bring you the teaser video as we go behind the scenes in London where the Pirelli Calendar 2018 was shot by Tim Walker.

For coming year’s Calendar, Tim Walker, through a series of surreal, dream like images, revisits a story first told in 1865: “Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland” by the English mathematician and writer the Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll.

Inspired by this fantastic narrative, Tim Walker’s images are tableaux vivant full of allusions, improbable situations and illusory proverbs. He, like many great artists inspired by the story, has created his own version, one that features 17 black protagonists from the worlds of fashion, music, cinema and the underground of rap.

Casting:
• Adut Akech, Sudanese-Australian model: THE QUEEN OF DIAMONDS
• Adwoa Aboah , Ghanaian-British fashion model and feminist activist: TWEEDLEDEE
• Alpha Dia, Senegalese-German model: 5 OF HEARTS PLAYING CARD GARDNER
• Djimon Hounsou, Beninese-American actor and model: THE KING OF HEARTS
• Duckie Thot, South Sudanese-Australian model: ALICE
• King Owusu, British model: TWEEDLEDUM, 2 OF HEARTS PLAYING CARD GARDNER
• Lil Yachty, American rapper and singer: THE QUEEN’S GUARD
• Lupita Nyong’o, Mexican-Kenyan actress: THE DORMOUSE
• Naomi Campbell, British supermodel and actress: THE ROYAL BEHEADER
• RuPaul, American actor, drag queen, television personality, and singer/songwriter: THE QUEEN OF HEART
• Sasha Lane, American actress: THE MAD MARCH HARE
• Sean “Diddy” Combs, American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, record producer and entrepreneur: THE ROYAL BEHEADER
• Slick Woods, American Model: THE MAD HATTER
• Thando Hopa, South African Model and Lawyer: THE PRINCESS OF HEARTS
• Wilson Oryema, British model: 7 OF HEARTS PLAYING CARD GARDNER
• Whoopi Goldberg, American actress, comedian, author and television host, Activist: THE ROYAL DUCHESS
• Zoe Bedeaux, British fashion stylist, designer and singer: THE CATERPILLAR

Credit: Jaha Dukureh – Gambian women’s right activist

Marriott International presented their collaboration with India’s leading designer duo – Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla for their brand “Shaadi by Marriott to curate an extraordinary wedding experience with the stunning Sonam Kapoor as showstopper adding to the glitz and glamour!

The event witnessed the presence of the country’s who’s, who came together to join the celebrations and make the evening an unforgettable one. CEO of the brand Saudamini Mattu along Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla and Neeraj Govil and Khushnooma Kapadia of Marriott Int, played hosts to friends and clients including Jaya Bachchan, Shweta Nanda, Nitasha Nanda, Ridhima Kapoor, Pinky Reddy, Amrita Singh and Sara Ali Khan, Pernia Qureshi, Mandira Bedi, MandiraKapur, Shalini Passi, Sonia Pasi, Jayati Puri, Shobhana Bhartia, Amrita Bakshi, Shahnaz Husain, Sandeep Gupta, Rani Kapur, Swarnim Garg, Manju Garg, Vartika Garg, Kiran Chopra amongst many others.

That’s Personal, India’s leading sexual wellness destination, lay it all bare in its third research report, on the buying behaviour of sexual wellness products in India which we believe is super interesting as the results are AAA (amazing, astonishing and amusing).

It covers the top cities, highest selling products and which cities have more female buyers than men. They have also gone down to the level of how the Gujarati’s are the biggest buyers of adult games while the Assam leads the BDSM products purchases.

What if we tell you that Gujarat gets three times kinkier during Navaratri? Or that Bhopal buys the most flavoured condoms in India. Or that Panjim knows more oils than just coconut’s. Or that Uttar Pradesh, unlike the state, wants to get bigger.

The reports tip Western India as the most sexually liberated geography, accounting for 31% sales. North India isn’t far behind at 29%, having reported the greatest sales growth during the 52 months of research period. Only fair that the North, as it should have been, now points up.

Mumbai leads the charts when it comes to city sales but Delhi is not far behind. It ranks second overall but given how extroverted the city is, Delhi, when clubbed with adjoining NCR, takes the top spot.

February sees the most innovative orgasms of the year, with the monthly sales being almost 2.3 times the monthly average. Yes, it can be credited to the Valentine’s Day hormones, but the sales see a premature ejaculation in just the month after, in March, when the lowest sales of the year are recorded. Blame the examinations, can we?

The report also highlights a stark difference in the shopping trends of men and women. 62% of the customers are male, and lubricants seem to be a hit buy among them. The rest, females, spend more on intimate massagers, because hey, nobody truly understands what they want.

Surfing habits have been found to be dependent on gender, too. Males tend to have more page views, playing to their ‘quintessentially confused soul’ identity, while females like their basket size big, perhaps quietly hinting at their other preferences in life too.

Baroda, Pune and Thiruvananthapuram are the three cities that boast of more female buyers than male. Come to the age groups and the 45+ section has the largest percentage of women. While people aged 25-34 are the most loyal customers – constituted by maximum repeat users who account for the highest transactions – the younger generation between 18 and 24 take the pie, opting for self-pickup of their orders and accounting for the highest social media engagement. Now you know why #AfterSexSelfies are such a rage nowadays.

Did you know?
• Women from Punjab buy the highest amount of women sexcitement products like arousal oils
• Uttar Pradesh buys the most number of penis enlargement products
• Assam sees the highest sales of BDSM toys
• Male thongs, the most popular men’s innerwear on the site, sell the most in Telangana
• The average value order rises from Rs. 2,690 to Rs. 3,200 during the wedding season (Everyone needs a hand)
• Condoms contribute a small 5% share in the overall sales

Ethicus is a Farm to Fashion initiative by the husband & wife duo of Mani Chinnaswamy & Vijayalakshmi Nachiar. It also has the distinction of being India’s first Organic & Sustainable fashion brand.

Established in 2009, it was launched with the aim to revive the rich local hand weaving traditions of the area through Product Development & Design Intervention.

At the Ethicus Studio, each product is a handcrafted masterpiece, beautifully designed with intricate textures using a wide range of eco-friendly colours and Ecologic Organic yarns along with the best of Artisans to create world class textiles for today.

Today, Ethicus weavers have gained a social status where they are no longer considered aspaid labourers but ‘’ARTISANS”.Through a unique “Weaver Engagement Agreement”, the weaver is encouraged to raise a bill for his service given to the company. With this bill, he/her is entitled to be provided with all materials required to comfortably weave a finished hand-woven product.

Lifting their standards of living and giving them more moral and financial support this step shows them a brighter side of their craftsmanship.

As part of its CSR activity, Ethicus offers free education to children of their weavers and support staff, ensuring quality education & a better life for their future.

Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla’s bridal couture collection for this season has an utterly novel take on the Indian bride. The meticulously crafted collection seamlessly blended the beauty of the traditional with the contemporary. The five part fashion sequence presented each wedding ritual from the engagement to the haldi, and finally the shaadi, was brought alive through their designs.

Showstopper Sonam Kapoor’s stunning ‘Burano’ bridal lehenga, is inspired by the spectacular majesty of Venice. Featuring impossibly intricate embroidery, encrusted with Crystals from Swarovski, Sonam and the masterpiece ensemble made for a magical finale to Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla’s most spectacular collection to date.

True to ‘Shaadi by Marriott’ and Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla’s synergistic ethos, this Bridal Lehenga embodied their shared spirit of exquisitely crafted luxury and devotion to detail.

Set against magnificent décor inspired by old-world charm, the entire wedding theme was showcased in the richness & timeless colours of white, cream and gold. The wedding venue was power-packed with music and drama as models walked the ramp alongside contemporary dance performers.

The fashion showcase also witnessed the glittering debut of the Saboo for Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla Fine Jewellery Collection. Designed and curated by the designer duo and crafted by the renowned jeweller, Saboo.

Gucci has unveiled the lookbook for its Men’s Cruise Collection 2018, shot by photographer Elaine Constantine. Inspired by Athens, Greece, Alessandro Michelle models sport Grecian-style gold headbands in the ancient ruins.

The lookbook features ultra-formal styles, pattern suits, blazers, loafers to laid back with sneakers, shorts and tracksuits.