As part of the ongoing British celebration at the super premium retail destination Collective in association with the British High Commission organised a Croquet Match this weekend in the Capital. Celebrated British Designer Simon Carter known to be an exceptional player of croquet was a true sport and shared his finer techniques about the game during the event.

Immunologist by Education, Designer by profession and a Croquet player by passion, Simon Carter is the quintessential Brit. UK’s leading designer often referred as ‘King of Cufflink’s, became famous for his iconic and unique Cufflink styles. The brand is synonymous with men’s accessories such as cufflinks and later went on to add watches, luggage, ties, scarves and finally a full clothing line. Although the brand has grown and expanded immensely since then, each Simon Carter product still has the whimsical English stamp of individuality. 

The evening was attended by Mr. Barry Lowen, Director UK Trade & Investment, India and noted designers such as Rohit Bal, David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore, Ranna Gill, writer William Dalrymple, and socialites such as Rahul Dev, Bharat and Riddhima Kapoor were present at the event. 
 
 For its annual Holiday Collector’s series, Lacoste roped in the Brazilian duo Campana Brothers to re-imagine its iconic polo t-shirts.

The new polos unveiled during Beijing Design Week recently feature Campana Brothers’ signature ‘Sushi’ theme with swirls of colored logos embroidered on the chest. The unveiling of this new range was done in style as models wearing them took the stage and then walked through the crowd for private photo ops and up-close-and-personal looks at the vibrant designs.

Even the guests arrived at the venue to film clip that captured the crocodiles as they lined up into special swirls. The miss-en-scene either witnessed larger-than-life crocodile swirls printed on walls and a vertical garden installed to recall the Brazilian tropics that serve as a constant inspiration to the Campana Brothers.  
Kiehl’s, the iconic American skincare brand launched its third store at Palladium Mall, Mumbai, recently.

The newest flagship store bringing the slice of New York to South Mumbai will house the Kiehl’s Aromatic Blends Collection, taking customers to a wonderful journey of exotic locales from different parts of the world. Comprising of a fragrance, body lotion and cleanser the range has been developed by David Suffit.

Present on the occasion, Director of Kiehl’s India, Marco Riggio, said, “We are excited to open our 5th store in India and the 3rd in Mumbai in less than a year. It was crucial to open a store in a central location such as Palladium to serve our customers in this part of the city.”

The event saw who’s who of the town gracing the evening. It included Rahul Khanna, SidharthaMallya, Sameera Reddy, Arjun Khanna and KadambariLakhani amongst others.
 

Synonym with its name the restaurant is open to Delhites more than a year at Westin Gurgaon, Prego is for everyone to indulge in la dolce vita with a twisted fun element, more in common with high street than hotel. It’s the presence of an Italian chef David Concas culinary philosophy ‘to keep it simple’,gives a clue that the cuisine is refined, yet rooted in tradition with the finest and freshest ingredients.

Chef Davide Concas, Head Chef, PREGO, comes from Italy, the land surrounded by fine food and exemplary wines. In his first assignment to India, he has made some great combinations of customary plain dishes to exquisite Italian affaire.

You enter to a contemporary alfresco, a reminder that Italy is also homeland of cutting-edge design concepts. One entire wall is of glass and one can actually overlook the hotel’s pool and catch a fair bit of sunlight, perfect for winter afternoons. With different herbs stalked in Olive oil in one corner, an open kitchen, visual light earthen color scheme, wood logs for firewood oven and a tasteful wine cellar, the décor exhibits fundamentals of art and design, giving an international feel than Italian.

The food and the experience were all fantastic – from the complimentary garlic bread with signature sauces upon arrival, delicious mains to coffee spilling

We won’t admit to frequenting Prego merely for its extensive list of wines, but personally have become a fan. We’re also glad that, over a year of its existence, this has become a place where anyone eager to enjoy the creative menu is welcome. None of the dishes suffers from an overload of cheese; instead lemon and wine have a stronger role, and sun-dried tomatoes, cherries, capers and pungent herbs are celebrated. From Selezione di antipasti vegetariani , Prego Caesar classio, deep fried squid in tartar sauce ,warm mushroom salad goat cheese and parmesan flakes, cream of field mushroom soup were all deservedly the best.

All pasta dishes are served in two sizes, small or large, depending on whether you want a main course after that or not. By the time pasta arrived I was full nevertheless forced to offer myself a small portion though it was perfectly cooked, just the right amount of sauce but didn’t had the capacity to enjoy and gave main course a passé. There dolci desserts were a wonderful ending to a scrumptious meal. 

Lastly, Prego is not about reinventing the wheel but a unique experience of artistically crafted Italian cuisine.

 

 Lately, B Seventy – a unique art and book show, the first of its kind in the country opened in Mumbai to celebrate the 70th birthday of Amitabh Bachchan.

On showcasing are the artworks of 70 of India’s leading artists, all paying tribute to the superstar of the century, Amitabh Bachchan. The works are also documented in a coffee table book, the brainchild of Jaya Bachchan and Piyush Pandey, the ad guru. Alongside the artist’s work, the artist’s thoughts behind the artwork have also been captured in this book which has been designed by Ogilvy and Mather and edited by Anupa Mehta.

The show came to present different artistic interpretations, inspired by one of Indian cinemas most endearing, classic icons: Amitabh Bachchan. It covers a varied gamut of genres of Indian art. These include modern and contemporary art, sculptures, photography, mixed media and even an installation. 

These works have been created by a list of artists that reads like the who’s who of Indian Art: Akbar Padamsee, Anjolie Ela Menon, Satish Gujral, Badri Narayan, Gieve Patel, Manu Parekh, Paresh Maity, Jayasri Burman, Arzan Khambatta, Farhad Hussain, Satish Gupta, Sujata Bajaj, Praneet Soi and others. 

The exhibition also featured a display or rare original posters of old films of Mr Bachchan by film historian SMM Ausaja. Part proceeds from the sale of these artworks will be donated via Plan India, a NGO for the cause of quality education for the girl child.

The show was attended by who’s who of the city including Bachchan family: Jaya & Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek & Aishwarya Bachchan, Shweta Nanda, Ajitabh & Ramola Bachchan with their daughters, Anil & Tina Ambani, Dipti Salgaoncar, Nina Kothari, Parmeshwar Godrej, Devaunshi & Anoop Mehta, Sandeep Khosla, Harsh Goenka, Roohi Jaikishan, Kajal Anand, Farah Oomberhoy, Namita Saraf and Kalpana Shah amongst others 
 
The woman who is credited to change the lifestyle writing in India, Shobha De, was recently honored with a special tribute by Veuve Clicquot Champagne at an intimate soiree at Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai.

The renowned columnist was honored for her remarkable accomplishments in the field of writing and her contributions to the cultural landscapes of India. On the occasion, Shobha De said, “I believe there is a little bit of Madame Clicquot in every woman. It is her unique spirit of audacity and gutsiness that defines this prestigious, international Award. I feel deeply honored by the Tribute.”

“It was an inspirational and memorable experience to be with women achievers from across the world, to share their triumphs and learn from them. To me, quite simply: empowered women equal an empowered world. Here’s to the spirit of female entrepreneurship and success.  By honoring me, the Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman Award honors the half- a -billion women of India," she continued.

The event saw the coming together of Mumbai’s most eminent personalities to celebrate the spirit of Veuve Clicquot. The attendees included Tina Ambani, Jaya Bachchan, Tasneem Mehta, Simi Garewal, Sushmita Sen, Anil Kapoor, Mahesh and Haseena Jethmalani, Farhad Taraporawala, Queenie Singh, Ashok and Reena Wadhwa amongst others.
The woman who is credited to change the lifestyle writing in India, Shobha De, was recently honored with a special tribute by Veuve Clicquot Champagne at an intimate soiree at Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai.

The renowned columnist was honored for her remarkable accomplishments in the field of writing and her contributions to the cultural landscapes of India. On the occasion, Shobha De said, “I believe there is a little bit of Madame Clicquot in every woman. It is her unique spirit of audacity and gutsiness that defines this prestigious, international Award. I feel deeply honored by the Tribute.”

“It was an inspirational and memorable experience to be with women achievers from across the world, to share their triumphs and learn from them. To me, quite simply: empowered women equal an empowered world. Here’s to the spirit of female entrepreneurship and success.  By honoring me, the Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman Award honors the half- a -billion women of India," she continued.

The event saw the coming together of Mumbai’s most eminent personalities to celebrate the spirit of Veuve Clicquot. The attendees included Tina Ambani, Jaya Bachchan, Tasneem Mehta, Simi Garewal, Sushmita Sen, Anil Kapoor, Mahesh and Haseena Jethmalani, Farhad Taraporawala, Queenie Singh, Ashok and Reena Wadhwa amongst others.

The storied Italian label Tod’s known for its shoes and other leather goods unveiled its new Spring Summer 2013 Signature collection recently in the exclusive settings of the Embassy of Italy in Paris.
The geometry of Tod’s Signature collection, where the iconic Gommino is imprinted through technical innovations and precise craftsmanship on the highest quality leather, was celebrated in the cutting edge video “Electric Signature”, directed by Dutch filmmaker Bart Hess.

During the evening, the new Spring Summer 2013 collection came alive through ‘living picture’ in a metropolitan environment of design and luxury and through a live shooting.
The event saw Diego Della Velle, the owner of Tod’s, along with actress Scarlett Johansson welcoming guests which included Erin Wasson, Elettra Wiedemann, Jessica Stam, Jefferson Hack, Martha Ward, Noor Fares, Hedvig Opshaug, Carolina Gonzalez-Bunster, Courtin-Clarin sisters, Marie Ange Casta, Giovanna Battaglia, Peici Wu and Linda Li amongst others.

Gone are the days when fashion was only meant for women , men today have too become very fashion conscious and are willing to experiment with the upcoming trends. As the maximum percentage of men which especially includes youngsters are going for the contemporary look , designers like Amit Arora are coming out with more clothes that blur conventional dress sense. Being inspired from our rich heritage, the designer introduced iconic Jodhpuris in variables of colors and vibrant shades using velvet with the cutting edge combined with the precision of tailoring. 

Dhoti pants inspired by the Rajasthani tribe with its rich traditional embroidery including antique gold also made the cut in the men’s wear collection. Amit Arora explored the crafts , patterns and material sourced across Europe and interpreted them in grey tones in contemporary style accessorized with fetish materials like leather buttons and velour . 

Delhi’s gliteratti including Mr. Sunil Sethi , Vandy Mehra , Ramola Bacchan , Sylvie , Himanshu Bhasin , Seema Puri, Nikhita Tandon , Joy Mitra , Taniya  Khanuja , Pooja Gogia were in high spirits at the unveiling of  the designer’s Fall Winter 2012 collection which took place at the mini cooper showroom , New Delhi. 
 
GQ India honoured outstanding achievers of the year at the 4thMen of the Year Awards ,held at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai, the event themed ‘All that Jazz’ had a retro vibe that made everyone step back in time to the jazz age. The event saw celebrities dressed in Vintage Hollywood glamour as they cheered the winners from diverse genres like business, film, sports, literature, fashion and art. 

The ceremony was hosted by the eloquent Rahul Bose, who was at his charming best. In line with the theme, the audience was treated to an outstanding show by London-based Chicago, The Musical, who performed on popular routines.

The evening was marked by the presence of all the winners including Anil Kapoor (Lifetime Achievement), Ajay Devgn (Cinematic Icon), Rahul Dravid (GQ Legend), Deepika Padukone (GQ Woman), Shahid Kapoor (The Ultimate GQ Man), Anurag Kashyap (Director), Shekhar Kapur (Inspiration), Sushil Kumar (Sportsman), Nawazuddin Siddiqui (Breakthrough Talent), Rohit Bal (Designer), John Abraham (Most Stylish Man) Vikas Khanna (Chef) and Vidya Balan (Excellence) among others.

Apart from the winners, the evening saw Amitabh Bachchan, Kajol, Nargis Fakhri, Konkana Sen, Dia Mirza, Jacqueline Fernandez, Rahul Khanna, Siddharth Mallya, Jiah Khan, Kalki Koechlin, Esha Gupta, Sarah Jane Dias, Kabir Bedi, Mukul Deora, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Mandira Bedi, Kamal Sidhu, Dino Morea, AD Singh, Laila Lamba, Shobhaa De, Shazahn Padamsee, Sameer Dattani, Poorna Jagannathan, Bikram Saluja, Schauna Chauhan, Sagarika Ghatge, Shibani Dandekar, Nina Manuel, Raghavendra Rathore, Prakash Jha, Anil and Sabina Chopra and Narendra Kumar to name a few.
 
 The quintessential British men’s luxury clothing and accessory brand Hackett London has collaborated with Madura Fashion and lifestyle to foray into the Indian market as a part of its strategy of rapid expansion. Being true to its roots , the brand was launched in a remarkably British style with bollywood actor Abhay Deol  unveiling the brand’s first ever flagship store at  DLF Emporio mall.  

The stellar evening was hosted by Rima Mehra and Vidushi Mehra presenting the best of Hackett on display through live installations by models followed by a celebration of the crème de la of the Delhi glitterati which included Suneet Verma , Shantanu & Nikhil , Nida Mahmood , Sunil Sethi , Rohit Gandhi , Jas Arora to name a few.