FRINGE IT ON

Fringes seem to be doing the rounds on scarfs to bags to shoes this season… shoe sculptor Payal Kothari feels, a little flow never hurt anyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOTANICAL

Botanical prints with organic hues are the vital colors this season.
The Accessory Fix: Floral prints are dramatic so stay away from accessories that are too pretty. Keep hair messy and let shoes be a little tough!
The Best Look: Team your floral pants with a smart white tee!

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE STUBBORN MULE

This season the mule, once a signature shoe for the over-60 set, has received a youthful makeover. Whether a floral adorned flat, a chunky heel or a sleek stiletto, the new mule is something you’ll want to slip into.
How to Wear Them: Pair your pointed mules with cigarette pants to give you an elongated silhouette.

 

 

 

 

 

 

STRAP THAT ANKLE

This season you’ll see the rise of the ankle strap. Update your wardrobe with this shoe as it gives you that elegant look while securely keeping the shoe on your foot. I particularly favor this look as I feel that it adds a slimming look to the ankle.

Indian men adorn exclusive jewellery to connect with their creative and aesthetic side, says the survey conducted by Platinum Guild International, to comprehend and acquire a deeper understanding of their lifestyle, mindset, and their attitude towards jewellery.

Through the ages, the most discerning of men have preferred platinum when it came to their jewellery. Young men today are not only looking at bands in platinum, but are also taking to platinum chains, and bracelets. The look of platinum and its weight appeals to men as it is understated, yet sophisticated and elegant and those who own it are considered ahead of the curve.Platinum is a very dense metal and has inherent strength that can be sculpted into unique designs and can withstand the rigors of daily wear.

Platinum jewellery in India includes designs themes from the trends forecasted, taking inspiration from the key design hook of ‘Digital fantasy’, the men’s range has captured futuristic, modern and brave new shapes, structural and engineered designs, which stand the test of time. Each piece highlights the texture and glory of platinum – matt and satin combination finishes and designs like dual finish knots or box links have been crafted keeping in mind the discerning urban man.

Introduction:

The much-awaited mad fashion race just got over by spreading the best of fashion trends. There were many that surprised us; some seem to be relatively obvious whereas few came straight from the International runways. Well, if you are keen about decking up in best of accessories inspired from the runway, this one is for you…Fashion Fad brings for fashion conscious frat, an accessory search from Delhi’s biggie fashion runway. And so here goes trendiest accessories that we spotted at WIFW.

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Accessories seem to play an indispensible role while dressing–up. More than an off-beat innovation, they hit the right place in your wardrobe, they amp the most basic outfit to something extraordinary and so what better than keeping ourselves up-to-date and adorning the best of runway inspired looks that adds an oomph factor…

Bling It – Jewellery has never been an outdated affair. You can go wild, smart and yet beautiful.  There comes no rule of not mixing Indian jewels with westerns and so on and so forth. The WIFW runway was inspired from the Tribes of Africa where we saw bold hues and lots of Afro-centric jewels. Also spotted were beaded neckpieces that made an outfit spread that eternal elegance. Bling chokers feathered detailing and metallic cuffs seem to play the perfect add-on role. So much of shine, glam and glitter came into existence at runway by Wendell Rodricks, Gaurav Gupta, Pia Pauro and many others.

Baggers Day Out – It was like a ‘Baggers’ day out at numerous shows. We saw most of them teaming up costumes with bags in different forms. Where arm candies and black and brown clutches were a huge hit by Bodice, Indian printed mini suitcase bags by Pankaj and Nidhi looked bold and bright. To add more style there’s numerous beaded wonders to print to ethnic to embellished clutches; they suit best with all your outfits.

Hats Off – It’s not the first time fashion has been through this cycle. Well, think the 1970s…and it surely remind of beautiful turbans and headgears. From straw hats to fixed turbans to round hats, you have them all. May be, some weren’t too heady but a little change do makes difference to your outfit. From sporty to wide rimmed, Crochet caps to beaded ones they all looked revolutionary. The wide–rimmed fluorescent hats by Surendri looked huge and attractive too, also the straw hats by Hemant and Nandita was a big hit.

So ladies, you have enough to experiment by now, nothing better than braving in new looks at every social do…isn’t it??

Today, platinum jewellery has entered a young bride’s trousseau as she sees it as elegant and classy, modern and a reflection of her personal style and it complements both traditional and western attire. Style Expert Colin Cowie picks his platinum jewellery must –haves for the bride for the upcoming wedding season.

“A bride should wear meaningful pieces of jewellery on her special day – jewellery that symbolizes love, family, and commitment. Platinum jewelry encompasses all of the above because it will last forever, just like the couple’s enduring love for each other. Plus, the jewellery can become heirloom items to pass down for generations,” says Colin Cowie.

Platinum jewellery is the ultimate expression of eternal love and commitment; wedding bands and engagement rings in platinum are preferred because of the emotional values that are associated with it. The wedding jewellery range includes a wide variety of designs and the metal’s natural white lustre highlights the brilliance. Moreover, platinum never fade nor tarnish; a perfect symbol of your everlasting love!

The trendy colors for the season apart from regular black and grey are electric blue, fuchsia, red, yellow, gold, beige and purple. The croco leather is a special texture for the season visible in Balenciaga black small shoulder bag, Bottega Veneta croco bag with shiny golden hardware, Chloe tan color shopper bag very chic with a classy look, Reed Krakoff black croco satchel bag for everyday wear and finally a beautiful long strap structured Philip Lim cross body bag very minimal with prominent golden zipper.

Long boots will be dominating Celine hair-on gray long boot very simple but elegant, also Pucci cow boy style long boot and off course Jimmy choo black shiny long boot with a golden buckle. Ankle length Givenchy purple pink boot is quite eye catchy also Alexander Mcqueen golden ankle length shoe; as I mentioned purple dominated pointed high heel Pierre Hardy and Roger Vivier shoes are special trend for sure. And how can one miss a special accessory which is very close to our body – yes jewelry. Green color big and small stones are a must like Etername rings and Wilfredo Rosado pendent. Golden, white pearl and transparent glass are classic and luring items which are a must, for this season you can check out for Lanvin love pendent, Hervé Van der Straeten beautiful ear rings with tiny white pearls, Repossi bracelet, rochas big glass ear rings. For something different and stand out the special pieces will be Ana Khouri and Kara Ross neck pieces.

Online shopping has made the world very united and easy for everyone to choose and shop the best in the world.

  

So this Spring/Summer your glasses must be bigger, bolder and brighter. Optical wearers; do not fret because we too are in for a treat with fashion trends influencing the eyewear industry. Many exciting trends are catching on such as bright, floral, mono and stripes. The trends that one is most looking forward to wearing are bright (think bright colours!) and stripes in this gloomy economy.

Every designers is trying to go brighter and braver with their colour palette this season because with the recession, using bright colours may be the easiest way to inject a bit of fun back into life. If you think stripes have been done before, then think again because for spring / summer 2013 stripes have been mixed in with a bit fun and colour to create different patterns. With this trend, you can go as stripy as you like with the whole arm being covered or just the inside of the arm.

 
The super on trend is aviator sunglasses with reflective lenses. Round, oversized and black make a statement with quintessential glamour; one can also go for ultra flattering cat eye sunglasses. While classic wayfarers with a pop colour and faded design can freshen up the look.

Bandana is a large colorful kerchief worn around the head, hair, neck and wrist by a person. This pretty piece of cloth in square or triangular is made of cotton and silk and vouches for style wonders. It is used as a fashion head accessory or for daily use also, as it is comfortable while being trendy. Most common prints of bandana are paisley prints, but can be found in different colors and patterns. Triangular Bandana can be worn directly on head, wrist and neck whereas square bandana needs to be folded in particular manner to get the desired effect.

Bandana has its origin in the Asian countries where women used to wear it as a head scarf to protect themselves from harsh sun. In America cowboy wore bandana to protect their face, eyes from dust and harsh sun and later it became a fashion trend in America. And, it was further popularized by Rock Bands whereas in gang subcultures they wore bandana as identifications, in a pocket or around the legs.

This versatile little piece of fabric is equally popular amongst boys and girls. Bandana is a classic headgear used to don a funky look. Bandanas can cover the head and so can be practically worn on any hair style – short, bangs, long, loose and curly. This season search your wardrobe for scarves in prints that you have stopped wearing – soft floral, animal prints, polka dots , look for gingham checks and stripes – anything is a great idea to be tied on foreheads and use as bandanas. Bandanas spell casualness and while it really is a casual look and mostly worn at casual events, the new looks of all covered bandanas and turbans encourage the wearers to let go of their inhibitions and get bolder and wear these looks to formal events as well .

Salvatore Ferragamo, Spring Summer 2011 shows models wearing bandanas in light and sheer fabrics completely covering the head makes the look formal. Emilio Pucci women either appeared in printed head bands. Further, trend gets the celebrity endorsement as Amy Winehouse appeared in a yellow head scarf, and Lady Gaga’s forehead covering bandanna is at its usual bizarre best.

That women love their jewellery is a universal fact. And for anyone with a passion for jewels and the animal kingdom, collecting art jewellery with animal motifs can be a fascinating journey of discovery. From the colourful peacocks to the slithering snakes; cutesy rabbits to mystifying owls, jewellery today is definitely witnessing a unique makeover… one that connects the wearer with ‘nature’ and at the same time making them look oh so glamourous. Say hello to a new kind of jungle – the jungle of bling, which is the hottest new trend revival in the world of jewellery.

Now India is definitely not new to this trend. We have all seen our grannys sporting those exquisite pieces be it necklaces, earrings, rings or bangles designed in the shape of a peacock, one bird that’s been awfully popular in India since centuries. And now Indian and international brands are exploiting this very trend and presenting jewels that are high on the glamour factor and quirky in style. Some of the “most wanted” animals to sport this season are owl, lions, tigers, dragonfly, zebra, panther, frogs, rabbits, snakes, et al.

And there is a plethora of options if you have decided to gauge this trend and make it your style statement this season. From luxe designer brands like Cartier, Chopard, Chanel, Bracialeto, et al for the ones who have no qualms spending big bucks to look stylish to high-street brands like Promod, Aldo, Forever 21, Miss Jo, Accessorize, etc, for the ones who are fond of affordable chic fashion, everywhere you go you will find these cutesy blingy creatures catching your eye.

But how did it all start? We know the ‘India’ part of it, let’s now analyze how did this bling revolution began in other parts of the world.

VINTAGE & ANTIQUE ANIMAL JEWELLERY
Both symbolism and sentimentality were major elements in Victorian jewellery. In the late 1800’s, Darwin’s controversial theories on evolution, as well as new exciting botanical discoveries of the day piqued interest in the natural world. Personal adornment reflected these new interests with jewellery created in forms of insects and animals. Nd wallah, animal jewellery arrived!

CONTEMPORARY ANIMAL JEWELLERY
From an early Cartier diamond-studded gold panther reflecting this famous jeweller’s passion for form, abstraction, geometry, and the animal kingdom (the first Cartier panther ‘arrived’ in 1914 and a vibrant and exquisite parade of owls, eagles, pigs, giraffes, herons, and snakes followed) to Celtic jewellery heaped in symbolism rife with boars (masculine power), bulls (virility, sovereignty, and wealth), and dogs (archetypal symbols of shape-shifters) to an Edwardian Deco era turkey fairly coming alive with delicious purple and lavender color and pizzazz to the contemporary animal inspired wearable art by Laurie Stetzler — every mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, marine animal, insect and arachnid one can possibly imagine has been represented in artfully crafted jewellery in every culture and society.

PERSONALITY ANALYSES THROUGH ANIMAL JEWELLERY IN EARLIER TIMES
The late 1800s and early 1900s was also a time when jewellery helped in reading the wearer like books — the design expressing the wearer’s feelings and hopes. For example, butterflies symbolised the soul, dogs symbolised fidelity, and salamanders and lizards symbolised passionate love!