The Surrealistic Designer

Chhaya Mehrotra

There is something very strikingly beautiful about Chhaya Mehrotra’s simplicity in designs. Modern silhouettes, subtle color palette and almost-bewildered cuts make her clothes perfect for Indian women. She shares a slice of her beautiful journey with The Lifestyle Potpourri…

How do you start your day?

The first thing I do is switch off the alarm and get that extra 15 minutes of sleep! After waking up, I glance through the newspaper with a morning cuppa of green tea and spend some time with the kids before we finish breakfast and pack for the day at factory. Breakfast is the time where, me and my husband plan out the entire day.

What shaped your outlook as a designer during your formative days?

My origins are rooted in Banaras and the variety of exposure I had across all platforms in the domestic textile industry right after NIFT molded my creative realm as a designer—from hand block printing to digital printing, hand embroidery to computerized embroidery, and designing for ethnic wedding wear to designing furnishing fabrics for Heimtextil, or high-end fashion fabrics for Texworld Paris; I knew my biggest strength lies in versatility. I take my education and experiences as the alphabet…what I write with it depends on my mood and requirement!

Chhaya Mehrotra

What inspires you to create newer designs?

Inspiration could be from almost anything. It could be a faint memory of childhood or a poem that I wrote. Sometimes it’s a place or a craft, and sometimes it could be a conversation with a kid or a friend. But inspiration isn’t enough to keep you going; it’s the instant mood lift you get when you see a sketch perfectly turned out into a garment—that excites me to create newer designs more than anything else.

Tell us an anecdote that has been consequential in your journey as a designer…

We had shifted to Noida from Banaras mainly because of family business. I just started with three tailors for my label and did exhibitions often; I was doing decent business. However, one day a long-lost family friend walks into our factory for some work and instead looks at my collection and threw a barrage of questions at me—“Why don’t you participate in fashion weeks?” and etc… On that guest’s insistence we applied and got the required membership; this was 2011. Looking at how our label is positioned now, you bet this anecdote was consequential!

Chhaya Mehrotra

Who is your favourite designer and why?

How can you pick one when it’s a sea of stunning work out there!
Amongst international designers I like Stella McCartney and Ted Baker’s creations—their sense of colour palette is very intense. Amongst Indian designers, A&T and Rajesh Pratap Singh are my favorites for their perfect approach to minimalism; Ritu Kumar inspires me for her timeless appeal to every piece of clothing; whereas Sabyasachi has touched my heart with the grandeur of detailing in his work; I also admire Rahul Mishra for the magic he created with wool, and Rajdeep Ranawat for the perfection he can bring to any cloth with a riot of colours. Lastly, I am very fond of Raw Mango and Anavila because their simple work can exude a whole lot of beauty!

Five must-haves in a woman’s wardrobe…

A handloom saree, crisp white shirt, pair of blue denims, nice perfume and an all-purpose shift dress

Amrit Kaur’s Fascination with Retro

Amrit Kaur’s Collection

Speaking of retro trends of the season…

This season is all about return of the retro in modern style. Swooping bellbottoms, tightly-fit tops, and psychedelic prints—everywhere we look, the 1970s style is back in heavy rotation with touches of contemporary style. For instance, flared pants are given a modern look by teaming it up with crisp white shirts or a crop tops; also, take note of oversized sunglasses, polka-dotted hair accessories, bright floral prints and more.

Tale of fabrics, color palette, prints and silhouettes…

For this summer, I have played with cotton silk, chiffon, chanderi and blend of cotton and raw silk. The fabrics portray a palette of bright colours and prints. With vibrant pop colours such as yellow, orange, green, purple, blue and red taking the center stage, I have played very strategically with bold prints and floral prints to make my garments look more fun and lively. I used floral-roses to cast hints of feminineness, and tropical prints, wild flowers along with long leafs with subtle colors and geometric prints to recall disco elements in crop tops, blouses, sheer capes, mid-cuff skirts, pencil-cut skirts, short dress and pantsuits for woman.

Amrit Kaur’s Collection

What went behind making of your latest collection?

Love of retro and love of summer went behind conceptualizing this collection. Movies like American hustle and TV shows like the 70’s show got me really inspired.

Tell us about your fascination with the good-old 70s fashion…

70’s fashion is a statement to be bold, fun and joy. Pop colors, bold prints, high-waisted flared trousers, symmetry and hints of disco gold on jumpsuits, capes, and dresses often bring out the hippie in you. I am in love with this unpretentious and fearless style statement. Rugged hairdos, statement headgears, Bohemian scarfs, oversized hats and big sunnies always arrest my attention.

Amrit Kaur’s Collection

The muse…

The whole look and energy of 70’s era inspired me; the era reminds me of times that were hassle-free, fun, optimistic and unpretentious in terms of fashion. The pop culture, disco trends and hippies really stood out amidst two oil crisis movements, the end of the Vietnam War and suffering economy. The 70’s were a time of beauty and freedom, when femininity was pushed forward. Bold prints and vibrant colors has always been my favorite but 70’s also give us bold flashy gold look—think of big loops, jewelry and belts.

Future plans?

Right now I am working on my new collection for autumn/winter 2015-16 in which I am taking further my retro theme in winter style making more of coats, jackets and sheer dresses. Rest all is a surprise (she smiles).

How to Write a Fairy Tale by Anju Modi

Anju Modi

When you tread in reality everyday of your life; when the world is dull and filled with routine; when your spirit needs reviving and your soul is sick and screaming –let’s escape together to a world where anything is possible, let’s escape together and enter our Fairytale.

Anju Modi

As we unravel our imagination, the Cosmo goes wild, the woods turn dark, the wolves get greedy, and the moon is blue and as snow consumes everything, a woman in red stands tall. Her head held high against the elements, she is everything that is good.  She is love, she is hope, and she is beauty: the beauty of creation that makes every moment in our lives meaningful.

Anju Modi

It is from this meaning that Anju Modi presented her Autumn/Winter 2015 collection this year. Every fabric draped, every line sketched, and every muse revered is an ode to this fairytale that takes us away from the mundane and breathes life back in our souls.

Anita Dongre’s Contemporary Man!

Anita Dongre Man – The Summer of Linen 2015

Men, it’s time to push your sartorial boundaries as Anita Dongre is all set to bring in an evolved fusion of fashionable elements and classic couture, with her Summer 2015 Man collection. This summer is a summer like no other. Anita Dongre spotlights linen like never before in a summer festival that will make discerning men shed their collars and carry cool prints as they make hot fashion statements.

Anita Dongre Man – The Summer of Linen 2015

Delivering a sharp impact this season is the effortlessly versatile collarless shirt. Men now don’t need to carry their success on their sleeve anymore. This concept shirt crafted from the finest linen 60 Li refuses to knot up men who are too raw to be blue collar workers and too good to be white collar. It smoothly transforms and confidently empowers men of today to be natural leaders without mirroring their western counterparts.

Anita Dongre Man – The Summer of Linen 2015

Continuing the spree of inimitable wear are linen shirts and trousers in vintage postcard prints. Men never had it so good because menswear in India has been traditionally safe and monotonous. Anita Dongre, with her distinctive styles dictates fashion notes, freeing men from being slave to restricted old fashioned looks. Perfectly crafted jackets in dusty colours and weathered tones of orange, red, light copper, storm blue and saffron are a breeze. Be it a brunch, a stroll on the deck or an afternoon at the derby, linen flows in pure comfort in a canvas of colours and textures this summer; carrying the signature stamp of Anita Dongre’s sartorial style.

Anita Dongre Man – The Summer of Linen 2015

Ride the cool wave this season as you breathe a new life into both your formal and off-duty looks with the Anita Dongre ‘Summer of Linen’ collection!

Kavita Bhartia in retrospection @ 25

Kavita Bhartia’s Autumn/Winter 2015

Since the launch of her label in 1989, Kavita Bhartia retrospect’s 25 years of her journey in the Indian Fashion industry and her multi-designer store Ogaan, through her Autumn/Winter 2015 collection essentially inspired by the 18^th century Tapestries from the Victoria and Albert Museum. Encompassing her chic and minimalistic silhouettes, she retains her signature style for the globetrotting woman.

Kavita Bhartia’s Autumn/Winter 2015

The mood board comprises of tapestries and damasks from the Victoria and Albert Museum, and 18^th century inspired European floral patterns. Her silhouettes are sculpted—full circle voluminous pleated skirts with worked-on jackets, textured yarn crop tops, and draped skirts and dresses.

Kavita Bhartia’s Autumn/Winter 2015

The fabrics flaunt exclusively fashionable weaves propagating a novelty of untwisted threads of silk into sheer styles, exclusive prints bestowing an explicit look. And the textiles are all about sheer looks in silk, organza and tulle, with hints of printed scuba fabric, and silk crepe.

Kavita Bhartia’s Autumn/Winter 2015

The detailing bit celebrates indigenous Indian hand techniques blended in a contemporised styling in resham dori, florals, tapestry prints and paisleys using shaded tones. Lastly, the colour palette comprises of rouge pink, deep navy, ivory, pale blues and blacks, accented with mustard, pale green and electric blue.

The Magic of Shibori

109°F Fusion Beats- Shibori Collection

With temperature soaring high, a simple yet classy outfit that keeps the heat at bay, is something that we are always on a hunt for! 109°F, the women retail apparel brand’s Shibori Collection from their Spring/Summer’15 line, is a perfect pick for this season.

109°F Fusion Beats- Shibori Collection

Fusion Beats’, Shibori Collection from their SS’15 line celebrates free spirited, bohemian women of today. It is not just fashion, but an expression of who you are. The collection also takes inspiration from the traditional Japanese Shibori blended with rhythmical baroque that presents a fresh take on this SS’15 Line. Rather than treating the fabric as a two-dimensional surface, it is given a three-dimensional form by folding, crumpling, stitching, plaiting, or plucking and twisting. The collection includes flowing sleeveless dresses with abstract prints, fun jumpsuits and kitsch tops. Bright indigos highlighted with hints of yellow form the colour palette which is perfect to bask on sunny beaches.

109°F Fusion Beats- Shibori Collection

A 109° F woman has multiple facets; she is sharp yet carefree, powerful yet fun and likes to experiment with the exquisite and special characteristic of soft or blurry-edged pattern imprinted in the Shibori Collection. The effect is quite different from the sharp-edged resist obtained with stencil, paste, and wax. With Shibori, the dye works in concert with the materials, not in an effort to overcome their limitations but to allow them to attain full expression; and an element of the unexpected is always present. The rich sensuous colours of blue and white and the pliability of the material respond well to the movement and flow of the body. Keeping in mind funky, ferocious and cosmopolitan women of today, this brand has adapted the Shibori technique in crisp shorts, casual pants and free-flowing tops. The collection is priced between INR 1200-1800 and is available across 109°F outlets and online shopping partners.

Dorothy Perkins presents Spring/Summer 2015

Dorothy Perkins

UK’s most famous high street brand Dorothy Perkins announces the launch of its Spring/Summer 2015 collection, available exclusively on India’s leading fashion destination, Jabong.com. The spring summer collection of Dorothy Perkins embraces the key trends for the coming season with a return to the seventies and Sports Luxe.

Dorothy Perkins

The collection will be available on Jabong.com for its discerning customers from March. Jabong.com believes in bringing the latest and best trends forward for the customers. The latest summer collection from Dorothy Perkins is inspired by the 1970’s.

Dorothy Perkins

The dresses are longer, the skirts are A-lined and the trousers are cropped. Materials are a mixture of textures with knits and crochet, leather and suede – the chocolate brown suede shorts and jacket are key drifts. These rich textures are combined with denim – one of the star fabrics for spring summer.

Dorothy Perkins

Colours are a combination of muted pastel shades with pops of coral and indigo. Soft ruffle detailing and feminine prints, which take inspiration from the orient, create a seventies romantic bohemian look. Oversized peasant blouses are teamed with button front denim skirts and bell bottom jeans, matched with high platforms and felt hats creating a classic seventies silhouette.

Dorothy Perkins

For SS15 culottes are in pink leather and trousers are loose and wide – creating a new elegant shape. A fresh and modern feel updates this season’s Sports Luxe trend. Clean, simple lines create the look for the utility nineties inspired collection. Minimal boxy, cropped jackets in a variety of fabrics and textures – from neoprene to sheer and mesh – mixed with the cigarette trouser creates a sleek look.

Dorothy Perkins

Asymmetric tops and tunics add to the new season silhouette. Colour for this collection is exciting with poster paint shades of blue and green. Colour blocking leads the way – whilst the all-over whites we’ve seen in past seasons have returned. Florals are big and bold and are on full looks – on dresses and across short suits.

CaratLane.com unveils ‘The Enchanted’ Collection

Enchanted Collection by CaratLane.com

Known for making extravagant and stylish jewellery, CaratLane.com presents its amazingly artistic ‘The Enchanted’ collection. The woman of today covertly desires to wear something which nobody else possesses – giving her an individual identity and making her feel unique.

Enchanted Collection by CaratLane.com

Keeping this thought in mind, CaratLane.com has hand crafted this collection with jewellery designs inspired by ‘The Enchanted’ forest. The Collection is made to reflect a magical and enchanted forest. The use of carved leaves with cut stones gives the assortment a look of the mystic and rustic nature, giving it a very unique and artistic touch.

Enchanted Collection by CaratLane.com

The assortment comprises of jewellery made of precious gemstones. Rubies, blue sapphires and yellow sapphires, accentuate the colours of the forest. The collection is further studded with diamonds, which gives the pieces an extremely classy look. This extraordinary collection by CaratLane.com fits any occasion and the unique designs make these ornate pieces an exquisite work of art to be treasured for generations.

Qutweet with Fendi

QUTWEET collection by FENDI

FENDI presents a very special limited edition capsule collection from a totally different perspective: the QUTWEET collection! A fun touch is in the name that recalls tweeting of the birds in a very cute way.

QUTWEET collection by FENDI

Strong rainbow-like colours as red, orange, yellow and blue characterize this collection. Its lightness and colours represent a pure and fantastic evasion from the cold foggy winter. A collection full of great personality and character features fun geometric patterns and prints that are represented in shapes that recall the Japanese origami, creating a unique modern optical effect.

QUTWEET collection by FENDI

It features iconic bags, like Peekaboo, Mini Peekaboo, Baguette and also Petite2Jours and Demi Jours. To complete the collection, wallets in various models, key holders, foulards jewelry, shoes and ready to wear pieces with the same theme has been introduced. The Bag Bugs family enlarges and welcomes the little and cute newcomers.

Top Five Christmas Picks Of The Season

Black jumpsuit with ivory Parsi jacket by Pallavi Puri

Ambrosia necklace by Outhouse

Red vase clutch by Lovetobag

Pranthi Reddy’s design

Pale pink floral embroidered jacket by Varun Bahl