Category Archives: LifeStyle

Soul Migrations ll

Moments in Zen, expresses Blanca’s enquiring engagement with the dynamic journey of the human spirit across physical/political boundaries into personal, cross-cultural adaptations in expressions of love, play, exuberance, simplicity, peace and quietude. Her Soul Migrations series pay tribute to the profound mimetic links between her motherland India and other world cultures.

Blanca’s fascination with Japanese aesthetics blossomed as a little girl, as she was regaled by stories told to her by family that lived there. In June 2008, she finally arrived in Kyoto – beginning her sojourn through Gifu, Tokyo and Sado Island. Of her two months in Japan she writes,”everywhere I found expression of a profound sense of exacting precision, meticulousness, compassion, dedication and fine detail in each human undertaking. And yet within this absolute expression of relentless boundaries…”

Blanca’s images mingle the animistic rawness of Shinto, the elegant simplicity and tranquillity of Zen and her own playful, poignant responses to the traditional and current in Japan.

In describing her portrayal of Japan, American journalist David Kubiak writes, “Half of her drawings present emblematic statuary that has moved beyond depiction and absorbed enough folk respect to possess a life force of its own. Her other monochrome work portrays figures from highly stylized traditions – the Noh play, the Buddhist path, youth fashion fads and the exquisite geisha world.

Her powerful multihued paintings expose the fertile tension between the prim reserve of Japan’s public life and the wild abandon of individuals’ private fantasies.  Blanca’s travels with the renowned Kodo drumming troupe yielded particularly telling insights as she watched them transmute years of sweat and quiet discipline into thundering cascades of soul-quaking sound.

Seen admiring the exhibition were Ritu Kumar with husband Shashi kumar and sons Ashwin & Amrish Kumar, designers Abhishek Gupta & Nandita Basu, Gauri & Nainika karan, Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna, Nishant Peralta, Satish & Amita Gupta, Jay Bajaj, Neera Nath, Anita Wissenbach with daughter Sita, amongst others.

Muse Against Domestic Violence

Muse hosted a very special and altered event that brought together the fashion world to support Breakthrough’s Bell Bajao campaign in Mumbai’s charming and trendy art district of Kala Ghoda. Bell Bajao calls on men and boys to take a stand against domestic violence. 
 
Three prominent male voices of the fashion fraternity, Aki Narula, Lecoanet Hemant and Narendra Kumar have designed bespoke items for Bell Bajao to lend their support to this cause. Lecoanet Hemant and Narendra Kumar showcased their collections of unisex t-shirts, while Aki Narula displayed a collection of tote bags. These exclusive pieces will be available at Muse throughout the month and will be then sold online via Breakthrough’s website. 
 
Tarini Jindal, owner of Muse, sees this event as a great opportunity to bring the fashion fraternity together, and extend her support to an organization that is close to her heart and family. Since the inception of Breakthrough, Ms. Sangita Jindal, a board member of Breakthrough, has been a supporter of its initiatives, and has worked relentlessly to raise awareness in mainstream audiences on their key causes. 
 
Tarini, Ms. Sangeeta Jindal, Mallika Dutt, Founder of Breakthrough welcomed  the who’s-who of the city’s stylish and chic folks that came to the event and lent their support to this most admirable cause over wine and finger foods. Those in attendance were Tarini’s sister, Tanvi, Devika Bhojwani, Akanksha Nanda, Sharmila Khanna, Sabina Chopra, Kadambari Lakhani, Pria Katari Puri, Vikram Raizada, Jamini Alhuwalia, Praveena & Jamal Mecklai, Naaz & Remu Javeri, Gaurav & Protima Bhatia, Natasha Poonawala, Vinod Advani, Red, Blue Yellow’s Karishma Bajaj, Asim Merchant & Paul Rodriguez, Arpana Sarup-Punjabi, Kishen Mulchandani, Sameer Sheth, Naintara, Nisha Jamval and Tara D’Souza, to name a few.

Reaching The Stars

Kimaya organized a fashion show for the cancer cured children to experience a few glamorous moments of their lifetime. The event was a fundraiser for Cancer Patients Aid Association, where Kimaya dolled up these brave kids and Bina Aziz of Tradition Art along with Art Invest organized an art auction to further raise funds for the cause.
 
The highlight of the evening was a stunning walk by children who have survived cancer, on the ramp showcasing a glamorous collection by KIMAYA designers namely Anamika Khanna, Rahul and Rohit Gandhi, Shantanu and Nikhil , Gayatri Khanna, Geisha Designs , Elisha Wadhwani , Charu Parashar , Sonu Gohil , AAN , Chirag Dattani , Ashish and Viral Parikh , Sejal Kanoi and  Yuvraaj Malhotra. “The show is a tribute to these little stars who, after going through the emotional and physical pain of cancer, have come out survivors,” says Pradeep Hirani of Kimaya.
 
Leading Luminaries from the field of corporate ,sports,  fashion , media and films namely Celina Jaitley, Chunkey Pandey,  Dipali Goenka , Jagjit Singh , Madhur Bhandarkar , Mahima Choudhary  , Neetu Chandra , US Counsul General , Paul Folmsbee , Piyush Pandey , S Shridhar, Shekhar Suman, Shobha De, Talat Aziz, Alka Suman , Adhyayan Suman , Preeti Jhangiani, Sonal Chauhan, Sonu Gohil, Zarine Khan and Zayed Khan with wife Malika Khan graced the occasion.But these stars were not alone, each of them walked down the ramp with children who have battled and overcome cancer. 
 
With Manasi Scott compering the evening, Pooja Bedi taking charge of the auction and guests including Zeba and Rajesh Kohli, Chunky Pandey, Arzan and Khushnuma Khambatta, Brinda Miller and Nana and Munira Chudasama in attendance, this was a dazzling evening indeed! Our verdict — mission successful

A Piece of Niladri Art

A cold January evening melts with the unveiling of Rave Niladri Art Calendar 2010 ‘Arangham’. Bringing forth the second edition of this alluring premiere collectable art the calendar reveals exquisite paintings of celebrated and maverick artist Niladri Paul. Pandit Birju Maharaj, Shovana Narayan and Rakesh Bhatnagar of Rave India uncovered the veil over this exquisite memoir of art.
 
The vibrant and unique artworks capture the essence and rhythm of our rich cultural heritage of performing arts. Niladri Paul draws his veins of inspiration from ancient Indian culture and his paintings are an enduring fascination with the all encompassing melody of music and the rhythm of dance. His unique rendering of vibrant, pulsating images, enchanting pigments, luminescent forms and bold brushstrokes make all his paintings rise above mere craftsmanship to a positive rhythmic force with a deeply meditative aura.
 
Unconstrained palette of Niladri Paul has found him patrons in all five continents of the world.  And in a career span of 20 years, he has managed to create and establish an individualistic signature style.
 
The occasion of launch brought together an array of art connoisseurs from various spheres like Meera Muzaffar Ali, Rahul and Gunjan, Alka Raghuvanshi, Sanjay Sethi and Poonam Sethi and Punam Kalra in a melodious evening set on note with Rajesh Prasanna on flute and Parvez Hussain on tabla.
 
This limited edition Art Calendar is the brainchild of Mr. Rakesh Bhatnagar and is produced by his company Rave India.

Mercedez Benz

Mercedes-Benz builds the world’s most desirable coupés – a claim which the Stuttgart-based car maker is underlined at the 2010 Auto Expo with its coupe FASCINATION. Not to forget the attributes which provide high level of practical usability, appealing the heart with fast, thrilling lines.
 
At the largest stand alone luxury pavilion, Mercedes-Benz unleashed “Pure Fascination”: a theme that highlights its participation and points the way to the company’s strategy in the near future for Indian market. “Our cars embody passion, perfection and cutting edge technology- values that are reflected through the mesmerizing array of products,” said Dr. Wilfried Aulbur, Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India.
 
Each of the cars is category leaders. While the S 500L is the most premium ‘made-in-India’ limosine, the GL350CDI is the largest and most premium off-roader in Indian market. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, the highlight of the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt/Main, was presented in a stunning gold paint finish.
 
Not content with just indulging the senses, an exclusive lifestyle show by India’s most celebrated fashion designer Rajesh Pratap Singh with Bipasha basu as a show stopper was a perfect interplay with the aesthetics and dynamic looks of the brand.
 
MBIL put together yet another captivating moment by bringing in famous Montreal Ice Ballet artistes, who performed for the very first time in India. The Montreal Ice Ballet artiste is multitalented in theatrical figure skating and has been performing with some of the world’s greatest figure skating stars.
 
A dazzling display of global heartthrob was well attended by the aristocrats’ of Delhi.

The Handloom Affair

INDIA has richest histories of textile production, spanning around 5,000 years and Indian hand -woven fabrics are renowned for their sheer weaves and elaborate patterns. The Government of India has taken a number of initiatives for the development and promotion of the handloom sector, one of it being the organizing of ‘Handloom Week’ (an initiative by Ministry of Textiles & NEIFT) in December every year beginning this year.
 
Inaugurating a week long affair Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran said, “Handloom is the second largest sector which represents the continuity of age old Indian heritage of hand-weaving and 425 clusters have been adopted by Ministry of Textiles for holistic development and welfare of handloom weavers and allied workers”.During the ensuing Handloom Week, to encourage weavers to sell directly to consumers, various theme-based expos, fairs, crafts melas and exhibitions are organized to promote the marketing of handloom products, added the Minister.
 
To encourage the weavers fashion show, ‘Symphony in Weaves- The Handloom Ensemble’ showcased exclusive handloom products and  exhibited the skills of Southern Fresco, Vibrant West, Northern Mosaic, Mystic East & Exotic north-east. The Fashion Designers from NEIFT and the textile designers of the clusters together created , various traditional & diversified products of innovative & contemporary designs in the Handloom Sector which is well accepted both in the domestic and international markets.
 
Opening of this remarkable tradition of vibrant, hand-woven and handcrafted textiles witnessed some eminent people from the industry viz, Ms. Rita Menon, Mohd. Azharuddin, Shabana Azmi, Ritu Kumar,Sunil Sethi,J J Vallaya, Nitin Bal Chauhan, Samant Chauhan,Vikram Rai Medhi, Madhu Jain, Dhruv & Pallavi, Joy Mitra, Charu Parasher and many more.

Women and Wine

Women toast a celebration as Kanchan Kapoor launched the W Factor Club, a wine appreciation and celebration club exclusively for women at Le Meridian, Delhi. W factor is the realization of Kanchan’s vision to create an exclusive zone where women could be themselves, unwind, indulge and learn something new.
 
The launch accompanied a sizzling fashion show with fourteen top designers’ dressing up women who are as apt as their muse. Opera Wines uncorked their newest offering, a sparkling rose with Faces; Canada setting up station at the event for all the ladies to get a colourful and classy makeover and spa brand Tathastu spreading their natural world.
 
Proposing to host over twelve events in a year, the club goes beyond wines to blend in every element of style as it invites a cross section of women to be part of the board including Anuradha Prasad, Deepali Goenka, Zeenat Aman, Naina Balsaver, Promila Bahri, Nishi Singh and Shalu Saraf who already comprise the advisory committee. Kanchan Kapoor, President, the W Factor Club says, “I firmly believe that the contemporary woman is not just an accomplished professional but also a perfect home maker. She entertains in style and is keen to learn and imbibe new trends and movements. My club plans to give her the edge laced with an element of entertainment.”
 
The club’s calendar includes an exhaustive list with innovative programs that include an all girl’s karaoke session at Harry’s Karaoke Bar, know your diamonds session at the Zoya store, New Delhi, a vineyard visit and proposed trips to exotic locales, besides off course an all women’s Vintage Car Rally. The club also plans to support Angel Foundation, an NGO that works on gender issues.

The Chivas Oomph!

December 18th – 20th, ITC Maurya Sheraton, New Delhi –
Fashion with grooves, what else would you call a chivalrous upsurging extravaganza of music, art, sculpture and of course fashion. A global property, the Chivas Studio was launched earlier in New York, London, Madrid and Sydney, thus travelling the globe it presented its India edition, four city event, from Bangalore, New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, with celebrated artists across creative forms such as Prabuddha Dasgupta for photography, K.S Radhakrishnan for sculpture, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan featuring Gino Banks and the Maske trio from Australia for music.
 
This much awaited conjuncture of the weekend with a new edge and groove to fashion, catalyzed a unique platform and brought together connoisseur from their respective fields. The inaugural affair was kindled in the lawn of ITC Maurya with opening of an exhibition by K.S Radhakrishnan, of his master pieces in figurative sculpture with bronze casting, and an enthralling photographic frameworks by Prabuddha Dasgupta, a self taught photographer who grew up in the cultural chaos of post- colonial India. K.S Radhakrishnan on his latest union with fashion said, “It is an experiment to bring our art closer to a different flavor of audience. Prabuddha and I have been lending our artistic expressions to a very similar kind of people so this was an interesting opportunity to explore fresh vision.”
 
As the evening drooled the starry night had geared up for definitive perfection of fashion shows. In the meanwhile the confluence had already toasted a drink or two at the Chivas bar designed in an evening garden. The show area a projection of ultimate luxury and design welcomed in to an elliptical ramp and a little extra spread of the walkway for the models. The arched walkway created a chequered mesh pattern out of different sizes of rod that allowed a translucent vision of a feminine flare walking behind the purdah before she enthralled the ramp. The designer quotient for the first day was lighted with the creations of Ashish N Soni and Gauri and Nainika.   Styled in serious and corporate focus Ashish N Soni drew the right lines in commitment to what is modern in terms of fabric, textures, embellishments, shapes and finishes. The first day seasoned to a futuristic closure with intense glamour in exuberant hues and sharp dramatic shapes sans any embellishment by Gauri and Nainika. The collection transcended underskirts, corseted bodices using luxurious wools and duchesse satins prowling tons of femininity.
 
The next day of conjuncture created ripples with mixologist Max Warner flying in from UK to oversee the cocktail menu and Chivas Regal ‘signature serves’ on offer. Redefining luxury was jewellery designer Seema Mehta, who created a Special Edition bottle for the Chivas 25, with 35 carat round brilliant diamonds, cut emeralds and a woven gold mesh embellished with signature florals. Fashion exorbitant for the second day of the event was none other than the Goan designer Wendell Rodricks and the order of no-nonsense decree was from the kingdom of JJ Valaya. Wendell’s design marvel sourced inspiration from birds on wing with graceful swoops, plunging dives and fluttering movements for a line of aspirational garments. Layered with feathered strokes and breezy fabrics it was an all white line. The kingdom of Valaya delivered a collection, antidote to the gloom and doom of 2009 and served unabashed glamour, elegance, volume and oodles of optimism.
 
The sunlit Sunday brunch was a host to creations of Malini Ramani and Surily Goel at the roof top view of ITC Maurya. Malini chose to create costumes inspired from gypsies of faraway lands of Marrakesh, Peru, Mexico and Rajasthan. The collection brimmed with embroideries and rich gold stone embellishment on silks, jerseys and velvets. Reflection of style was Surily’s collection as it embraced metallic accents with a palette ranging from pastels, navy blues and blacks in geometric silhouettes and drapes with colour blocking. The most intense and passionate experience of the three day extravaganza was the evening performance by Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan saluting the true strings of culture. Sarod met drums and classical pop when they came together to jam exclusively for an enthralled audience who got carried away in the musical symphony. An unmatched celebration of fashion and design commenced on the grand finale as Anamika Khanna’s textured layers and Rohit Bal with his majestic interpretation of India’s glorious past sashayed down the ramp. The taste which began with cutting edge neat lines of Ashish N Soni was drawn to a tasteful pallet with Wendell and consumed to a delightful finish with Rohit Bal.

Discover The Diamond In You

A sparkling ceremony to celebrate the success of Prof. Arindam Chaudhari’s book ‘Discover the Diamond in You’ saw the who’s who of Bollywood and corporate sector descent at the J W Mariott, Mumbai. Leading Lady Priyanka Chopra unveiled the book while Prof. Chaudhari himself presented the book to guest of honor Rishi Kapoor and Siddharth Basu.
 
Discover the Diamond in you is Prof. Chaudhari’s third book after the worldwide success of Count your Chicken before they hatch and Great Indian Dream. This 59minute guide to success is amongst the exceptional few books to be globally released in 14 different languages simultaneously. The book not only embodies the mantra of success but also has extraordinary contributions from Shah Rukh Khan and admiration from Amitabh Bachchan complementing the sanctity of the book.
 
“The book attempts to share with my readers the powerful principles of success that I’ve grown to passionately believe in. It’s an attempt to induce the belief in my readers that they are all gems, infact diamonds, which are just waiting to be discovered,” said Prof. Chaudhari while speaking about the book.
 
Also present on the occasion were Ramesh Sippy, Ranvir Shorey, kabir Bedi, Pooja Bedi, Gul Panag, Shekhar Suman, Ila Arun and many more. The corporate head honchos who were present included Sandip Basu, Vinod Juneja, Akhil Chaturvedi, Rohit Bhandari, and others.

The Shopping Fiesta

The special breed of men who can cook gathered at the Taj Lands End, Mumbai to drown themselves in the pleasures of the appetite. With Mumbai being the last of the series, Men Can Cook has already taken place in 9 cities across the country. The icing on the cake was provided by Milind Soman, Subhash Awchat, Narendra Kumar, Parvez Damania, Prahlad Kakkar and Aryan Vaid competing for a year’s supply of their beer Carlsberg. So now we get it, why men are working so hard to cook, because the prize is nothing short of a year’s beer supply.
 
The event has already seen the likes of Rohit Bal, Amrit Inder Singh, Dr.Krishna Reddy, Vijay Kirloskar, Varun Bahl and Rohit Gandhi cooking up delectable dishes. Treading on virgin territory the event also merges a unique concoction of beer with food, a rather quirky twist to other more common choices such as wine or rum. This party manifested to be a heady combination of the finest elements, premium cuisines that can satiate the most selective palates.
 
Karen Anand, gourmet specialist with her book ‘Simple Cooking for Smart Men’, shared special tips and tricks with the participants.