Opened in 2007, by Bobby Aggarwal PortsideCafé is a store brimming with original ideas, be it leather-clad beds, bars, sofas, tables or other must-have home and office accessories. Each piece – handcrafted and hand-finished using an array of innovative staining techniques – is a statement of vibrant colour, exquisite detail and endless charm.
The 2010 collection introduce two new lines the Dak Bangla and Bali Maran. The Dak Bangla collection, is reminiscent of a mood, in itself a relic from the days before the words resort, spa, air conditioning and interior design came to stay. The collection is of furniture and knick-knacks are relics of a certain time. The highly distressed, antique tanned, hand stained aesthetic has been achieved by a meticulous process – bringing classic authenticity to each piece. Versatile leather interplays with the strength of metal, as side tables and book shelves adopt slim, streamlined shapes. Curved edges of the legs, as they intersect or by pass each other, add a hint of softness, without detracting from their sturdy metal-framed silhouettes. This old meets modern silhouette is essential also to the straight laced forms of the Filing Cabinet and Loopy Chest. Whimsically named, the Speed Breaker sofas redefine ergonomic heaven.
Balli Maran range is steeped in the regal romanticism, charm and textures of this turbulent yet creatively explosive era. This rich collection of tables, beds and chairs has soft echoes of the opulence of that era, reflected in the use of ornate leather lacework, shapes, delicate use of mirror work and colour.The collection’s leitmotif is the gold-leaf or sone-ka-varq, the touches of which can be found on each piece. This work is an artistic nod to the nimble fingered silver-beaters of Balli Maran, who would incessantly beat slivers of silver/gold wire until it became dainty, leaf-like whisps of silver fit to adorn the best of sweets — gulab jamuns, barfi, kalakand
Designer Nisha Merchant proudly introduced daughter Nishita Merchant’s first ever accessory line. Nishita’s reflection for jewellery aesthetics comes from her vision of each neck piece as though they are telling a story. 
They say determination overbears destiny, specially if that determination was tamed by Kabir Singh. Gritty being mellow and benign, this lad from Faridabad grew up as a street urchin, playing cricket in the narrow lanes of this city. He reminisces, “At one point of time, I wanted to be a cricketer – another Sachin Tendulkar. But as you grow up, preferences change and you explore the other sides of you. And, it was at that moment, I got bugged to be a model.”
built (according to Kabir, his forte and of course it is), he didn’t get a single shoot till 8 months. But determination and patience( the traits he worships) paid off and he emerged to be amongst top 10 in Mr. India World 2008. And it was the cusp where the parabola shot up and Rahul Dutta selected him for a brand called Indira.
PEEK-A-BOO
