Monthly Archives: February 2013

Touareg by Urvashi Kaur

Lately, designer Urvashi Kaur launched her exclusive one-of-a-kind Spring Summer 2013 collection Touareg, in association with the Dirty Martini.

The collection standing for ‘desert retreats’ brought in a relaxed aesthetics, showcasing elements of minimalist luxury while making place for a more in depth interpretation of the nomadic theme leading to a generous use of metal in the accessories and the collection.

Paired with an interesting crushed fabric texture and rouching techniques, along with engineered placements of twisted tie dye and feminine over dyes the collection screams of eclecticism. The collection offers loose shapes delicate folds in a range of tunics & djellabas with asymmetric folds and hemlines. 

Moroccan shalwars, kaftans and long billowing draped dresses in silk chiffons, mul mul, linen and ultra-light weight jerseys complete the collection.

India Circus by Krsna Mehta

Contextualizing and portraying contemporary India through bright colors and interesting patterns artist Krsna Mehta brings to the fore ‘India Circus’ – a chic, sophisticated yet affordable range of home décor and personal accessories.

Taking inspiration from the objects as different as Mughal Royalty and roadside chai, the collection offers a diverse and distinct array of moods and tones representing India in its true essence. From luminescent lamps to fashionable totes India Circus comes with the vibrancy of colours combined with the nuanced heritage of the designs. 


Let’s Design Finalists

Cotton Council International will launch the fifth season of its “Let’s Design” TV show – a pan-India fashion design competition that trains India’s future clothing designers and educates consumers on the benefits of cotton clothing – in March 2013.

The popular TV show and India’s premier design competition ‘Let’s Design’ will feature twelve talented individuals going through a series of design challenges that test their creative and technical design skills and real world product marketing sensibilities with cotton clothing taking center stage.

The selected contestants Vimal Abinash, Sanya Mukesh Jain, Gurman Singh Chawla, Padmaraj Keshri, Harjosh Singh Gioraya, Pradipta Das, Deepjyoti Baishya, Anu Parthasarathy, Vedangi Agarwal, Dimpali Khattar, Deepen Mohan Sharma and Ruchi Ramachandran will travel to Delhi to participate in the show where a panel of industry experts will judge the designs, eliminating one or more designers in each round.

About the show Agnieszka Fijol, Cotton Council International’s program head of India, said, “On ‘Let’s Design’ future design leaders illustrate the versatility of 100 percent cotton fabric in fashion by creating distinctive apparel that conveys their unique points-of-view. This design competition is part of our ‘Cotton Education’ program, which focuses on increasing consumer demand for 100 percent cotton products in India. It is estimated that over 50 million people are employed directly or indirectly by the Indian cotton industry making its success of critical importance.”



Gucci Accessories Ad Campaign

Of late, the Italian luxury fashion house Gucci unveiled a special advertising campaign dedicated to its handbags, eyewear, fine jewelry, and timepieces.

The third installment of the advertising campaign featuring Chinese actress Li Bing Bing is conceived by Creative Director Frida Giannini, and shot by Solve Sundsbo in Los Angeles. Evoke a strong yet minimal aesthetic true to brand’s codes of luxury the campaign features both classic accessories from Gucci’s tradition as well as new styles destined to become timeless pieces. 

It includes the stainless steel interlocking timepiece – the newest addition to the Gucci Timepieces range, in addition to the 18Kt yellow gold Horsebit cocktail ring and special edition bamboo watch and jewellery collection. Moreover, the campaign also features Li Bing Bing wearing softly rounded sunglasses featuring Guccissima leather covered temples bearing the “Gucci” metal signature logo.
The campaign will debut this month across the Asia Pacific region with significant focus in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.   
 
 

F In Focus

Falguni & Shane Peacock celebrated their success at New York Fashion Week with the 3rd edition of F In Focus at F Lounge.Diner.Bar. The event focused on their contribution to the international fashion fraternity through the years as they unveiled a special AV focusing on their achievements. Speaking on their association with F in Focus, Falguni & Shane Peacock said, “We are happy to associate with F in Focus as we celebrate the success of our collection at New York Fashion Week. This year the collection we showcased is for the brave soul. She is the strong, wild and audacious woman whose sensuality and femininity refuses to be sacrificed.”

The party witnessed eminent personalities such as Sameera Reddy, Evelyn Sharma, Hazel Keech, Vikram Raizada,Parvathy Omanakuttan, Manasi Scott, Aman Verma, Sophie Choudhry, Candice Pinto, Dipti Gujral, Vikram Bawa, Salim & Suleiman Merchant, Mark& Waluscha Robinson, Terence Lewis and Manasvi Mamgai, Susheel and Falguni Jhaveri, Sunil & Kiran Detwani, Ishu & Padmini Detwani amongst many. Evelyn Sharma, Sophie Choudhry and Anusha Dandekar were seen dressed in special Falguni& Shane Peacock creations.

Hilfiger SS13 in Bangalore

Of late, the storied American brand Tommy Hilfiger launched its Spring Summer 2013 collection at its store in Bangalore,launched by Bollywood diva Bipasha Basu the collection – the Prep Passport was inspired by a whirlwind world tour.

The three of the distinct looks of the collection were unique celebrating the beauty of clean lines, riotous color, rich textures and special finishes. Traditional styles were mixed with contemporary counterparts and reinterpreted with unexpected fabrics and bold new silhouettes.
About the collection actress Bipasha Basu stated, “The nautically inspired Spring/Summer 2013 Tommy Hilfiger collections are the perfect style for the Indian summer. I love the easy elegance of the prep-infused pieces and the signature twist that Tommy Hilfiger always brings to classics.”

Afterwards, the launch party at Taj Westend in the city saw the celebrities and glitterati including Purab Kohli, DJ Aqueel, Deepika Govind, Indrani Das Gupta, Sonalika Sahay, Inder Bajwa, Rachel Byros, Sapna Kumar and Anuj Chaudhary amongst others.

The Sparkle Ball

The UK and India’s leading social glitterati, dignitaries, charity ambassadors and veteran stars of Indian cinema, Waheeda Rehman, Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi, gathered at Vinopolis recently in London to celebrate The Sparkle Ball – a glittering night of haute couture fashion to raise vital funds for The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK, the world’s largest NGO-run school meal programme, which feeds and educates some of India’s poorest, underprivileged childen. Other attendees included LN Mittal and family, the Chairman of The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK Harin Thaker,and the advisory board members, Yogesh Mehta, Prashant Jhawar, Nirmal Banthia, to name some.

Highlight of the event was the exclusive unveiling of celebrated Indian designer Anamika Khanna’s new Luxury 2013 collection. The Kolkata based fashionista, mesmerised the distinguished guests with her ravishing designs, which included traditional garments infused with modern touches to create a hybrid of striking pieces.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK raised a staggering amount of funds via a special charity auction, which comprised of a range of bespoke items and memorable experiences such as front row seats and after-party tickets to this year’s party of the year, the Victoria Secrets Fashion Show, luxury breaks such as a two-night stay at the luxurious 51 Buckingham Gate in London, an Anamika Khanna couture outfit, and a dazzling pair of diamond and jade cufflinks donated by one of India’s most esteemed fine jewellery designers, Bina Goenka. The centre piece of the auction was the ‘Adopt a School’ appeal, where for £2,500 donors could sponsor school lunches in a single school for an entire year.

Speaking about The Sparkle Ball event in aid of The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK, the UK President Dipika Khaitan said: “We are thrilled at the success of this evening and were delighted by the VIP and celebrity turn out who pledged their support. It was a fantastic event in aid of such a very worthy cause and a good night was had by all. 

Bespoke Banaras at Ekaya

Celebrating the timeless legacy of Benares Handlooms and master craftsmanship of the region, Palak Shah of Ekaya and Rachna Kohli-Sandhu of The Woman’s Quotient co-hosted an exclusive textiles exhibit and showcase over a traditional high tea at the flagship Ekaya Store at Defence Colony in New Delhi, of late.

The preview of the finest Ekaya creations was set against the backdrop reminiscent of the old world bazaars. The miss-en-scene had hallways decorated with curtains of colourful Gendas and paved with life size earthen Matkas, along with custom designed lounge with vibrant Rangolis and rustic Takhat seating areas offset by striking wall murals. A special artisanal corner with master craftsmen was also set up for bespoke sessions and special service by Ekaya on restoration and revival of their heirloom Benarasi Sari.

The event saw the glitterati of the city showing their love and support for fine Indian textiles by wearing the signature Ekaya creations paired with jewellery by Radhika Jha. These women were styled by Sujata Assomull Sippy, advocate of Indian craftsmanship and fashion. 

The attendees included Anjana Kuthiala, Nishi Singh, Ramola Bachchan, Liza Varma, Poonam Bhagat, Sonia Jetleey, Neelam Pratap Rudy, Megha Khanna, Palak Shah, Rachna Kohli-Sandhu, Aasmeen Munjal, Leena Badani, Niki Oberoi, Shahana Mookerjee and Mania Bhasin amongst others.
 

Glam Pria Kataria Showcasing

The Kaftan queen of India, Pria Kataria Puri, of late, stood at the vanguard to create glamour through her showcasing for McDowell Signature Premier Indian Derby 2013 in Mumbai.

The glitzy fashion show featuring the names like Poonam Pandey and Bruna Abdullah walking the runway, along with the host of celebrated Indian models, witnessed some awe-inspiring outfits from the repertoire of designer Pria Kataria Puri.

With lissome catwalk candies dressed in ultra-glamorous short metallic dresses to flowy abstract print numbers, the McDowell Signature Premier Indian Derby 2013 fashion show turned out to be a scrumptious visual feast with ample sexiness and drama.  

Abu & Sandeep

The celebration of culture and couture India Fantastique by designer duo Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla was launched at a high-profile event at The Imperial in New Delhi recently.

A lush insight into the fashion, interiors and art the event Sotheby’s Presents India Fantastique came to mirror the book by creating a multi-layered tableau at the venue. The event somehow also marked the completion of 27 years of Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla in the industry this year. 

A set of two coffee table books – on one fashion and fashion detail and the other on interior design – written by art critic and curator Gayatri Sinha and shot by acclaimed photographers, Ram Shergill and Deidi Von Schaewen has already been launched in Mumbai, London and Paris.

The evening punctuated by the designer duo’s signature style and attention to detail was attended by glitterati, socialites, art aficionados and collectors from India and UK. The attendees included Shweta Nanda, Designer Rohit Bal, Designer Rohit Gandhi, Photographer Ram Shergill, Nitasha Nanda, Madhu Sood, Shivani Burman, Vidhur Khanna, Kiran Nadar, Ayesha Thapar, Bose Krishnamachari, Kalyani Chawla to name a few.