Street Styling

No sooner than you put your summer clothes back in your wardrobe and you start dressing for Fall, it’s time to think of summer again!! September heralds the return of Fashion Week, which is the culmination of many months of round-the-clock hard-work to present looks, trends and colors that are going to dominate the next season. Though the runway shows are ‘bang-on-trend’, it’s the flurry of activity outside these shows that are far more captivating. Street style’s taken center-stage and personal style is being broadcasted all-over the internet like never before, through cleverly captured candids by the likes of The Sartorialist’s Scott Schuman, Style.com’s Tommy Ton and a host of others. Photography is an art and these photographers have mastered the art of capturing the essence of true style, which is the ability to transcend above the monotonous conformity to runway trends, color wheels and fashion do’s and don’ts. As a result, the images are a visual treat, an explosion of color that you’d never thought could be worn together. Accessories which you think border on garish, but when worn by these style chameleons, makes you want to almost run out and get yourself the same thing…. that is the power of personal style!!!

Covers of Fall

As far as magazine covers go, I seldom find any to write home about, not that there aren’t some really good ones out there but after a while they all kind of blend into each other. However September’s issue of Harpers Bazaar caught my eye...not only because Sonam Kapoor looks spectacular on the cover; it is her photo shoot inside that I thought deserved a mention. With Ms. Kapoor on board, the outcome of any photo shoot is undoubtedly going to be stunning. Being the style-chameleon that she is her adeptness at channeling looks with ease and confidence is uncanny, which is why I think this is such a great shoot. With the onset of “Fall” and the ubiquitous somber shades being the norm for Fall collections, this particular piece manages to radiate warmth and a very luxurious feel.

The styling has a very old-world glamour, post-war drama and a modern-day Scarlett O’Hara vibe and is shot against rich, jade foliage. On the cover, Ms. Kapoor is in a signature Falguni and Shane Peacock creation. Inside the magazine, she has been photographed in Cue, Armani Fall 2011. I love the shot of her in the black Rahul Mishra Fall 2011 outfit against the moss covered steps. With Ms. Kapoor promoting her new movie, it's going to be interesting to watch her spate of uber-chic appearances.

Orange Love

I'm totally feeling this Vanessa Bruno orange blazer..it's cute, edgy, fun...true love!

New Thing

For someone who wants to start a dialogue with the new generation, he’s sure done it well. When Prabal Gurung decided on a preview for this Resort 2012 collection…of course he doesn’t choose the trodden path..he’s ingenious enough to think outside the box…collaborate with Rye Rye on a hallucinatory video…. And bam!! you’ve got yourself an audience! (Not that he really needed one).

The collection itself is bright pops of color offset by stark black and white themes. You can tell the influence of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama on this collection with the popping polka dots.

The music video does justice to the fact that it is about Rye Rye and the Resort collection.
It’s just a matter of time before we have a slew of these and we’ll just have to wait for the next ‘out of the box’ idea.

Which color shall I choose??

I have a thing for watches and my fixation for all things bright has gone into overdrive!!! Add a little bit of bling...and I'm hooked!!!

These ones look perfect to add that pop of color!!

Prabal Gurung for J. Crew

I love Prabal Gurung's style asthetics..he's so fricking cool and makes classy look super-cool.

So when these delish pictures of his capsule collection for J. Crew came out..I couldn't resist...it's so simple yet striking!!

Don't Wanna Go Home

I like Jason Derulo’s music, despite his high pitched ‘Jaaaason Derulooooo” at the beginning of his tracks. (Just in case you forgot that you were listening to Derulo, I guess)

Well that aside..the guy makes good music…that eventually make their way up the billboard charts.
He’s got moves…actual dance moves.
He has a thing for ‘Flashdance’….from re-mastering 'What a Feeling’ for his track’ Sky’s the Limit’ to the iconic track ‘Maniac’ with Auburn.
Keeping with the trend of sampling old school dance themes, ‘Don’t Wanna Go Home’ is a bit of the good ‘ol Banana Boat Song and a little ‘Show me Love' mixed by Steve Angello.



If the jacket at 1:17 in the video looks familiar….it’s because the Roksanda Ilincic original has already gotten the Vogue India cover in February '11 on Aishwarya Rai.
(This looks like a copy since the original has raven-like feathers)




Dressed up or dressed down….the jacket’s till got me thinking…Mirror, mirror, on the wall…who is the fairest of them all?

There's no Grey about it

A review of the fabulosity that was on display at Cannes this year brings to mind an Yves Saint Laurent quote about fashion fading and style being eternal.The ever-changing color wheel may pronounce colors of the year but the classic sophistication of black and white remains untarnished. This year’s festival saw first-timers and old timers dip into the black and white pool to add a chicness to their red carpet appearance.

I was excited about Sonam Kapoor making her debut...after having “missed” the Cannes bus last year… there was an air of mystery around her wardrobe and she did not fail to disappoint… especially with her debut on the Cannes red carpet in Jean Paul Gaultier Couture...in classic black and white, of course!




Another appearance I absolutley loved was Gwen Stefani!! Her wardrobe rocked!!!

Stay Addicted

Growing up, a favorite pastime during seemingly endless vacation time was to get the local tailor to bring to life what I had sketched on paper. From clothes to bags and belts, I’ve watched in fascination as he would quickly cut and sew these designs…it was like watching a magic show and waiting with bated breath for the next thing to come out of the magicians hat. Over the years, lesser time was spent vacationing at my family home and the tailor has long since pursued more lucrative career prospects….(though I still do remain his preferred customer)…but the love for design stayed on. So fast forward to 2007, a gnawing restlessness to do something oriented around my love for design descended on me and thus ‘Addiction’ began. ‘Addiction’ is a brand under which I design clutches and bags. Again, like my tailor from my school days, I managed to find some skilled workforce who’d bring to life my sketches. Though the language barrier and our differences in design aesthetics required a amicable work-around, it’s been a lot of fun getting these pieces together and the learnings, from these guys who actually tailor these pieces, is slowly making up for my lack of formal education in design. This year’s summer collection was on display at the ‘Soul Santhe’ which was a Goasque flea market that was held last weekend in Bangalore. For the collection I chose to stick pre-dominantly with breezy fabrics in bright and deep hues, threw in a few fun florals, made staple blacks a little more dramatic with lace and animal print and added a customary white with my favorite pyramid studs. I also thought I’d branch out into other aspects of the accessories world and sourced some great jewellery from statement necklaces to bejeweled earrings, rings and cuffs. ‘Addiction’ is on Facebook (The Facebook badge on the top right hand corner of this blog should take you to it). The pictures are courtesy a photographer friend of mine and the website is on the way…...Now a breather and then it’s time to start thinking out the next collection for later this year. All in all, the entire journey has been a lot of fun and I’ve discovered that there’s nothing more fulfilling than doing something you are passionate about!