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).

The Season of Non-specifics – Shruti Sancheti

Shruti Sancheti’s collection

Tell us about en vogue summer trends…

This summer the focus is on non-season specifics, norm core, Bohemian-inspired, and retro looks. The look is minimalistic yet trendy, tribal yet au courant and 1970’s with a contemporary twist. Midis, jumpsuits, long skirts, spliced skirts, maxis, crop tops, throws and jackets in summer fabrics like linen, khadi, cotton, summer silk ,neoprene are popular. Detailing like zippers, pockets, fringes along with tribal embroidery, tie n dye, and ombre dyeing are extremely popular. Accessories like metallic sunglasses, interesting neckpieces, belts, and sneakers and brogues are trending this summer.

What fabrics, colour palette, prints and silhouettes in Indian couture will do the rounds this season?

Fabrics which allow you to breathe like linen, organic cotton, summer silkier silk and all natural fabrics will be popular to beat the sultry balmy weather. Colours from pretty pastels like blush, custard, peach, mint green, to warm hues like marsala, olive, indigo, and watermelon red all will be popular. Block print, tie n dye, screen print, and digital prints will be extremely popular too; lastly, silhouettes like wide-legged pants, spliced skirts, long flowy skirts, maxis, midis and jumpsuits will be trending high.

Shruti Sancheti’s collection

What went behind making of your latest collection?

My collection ‘Nomadistaan’ is about the global woman living out of suitcases but feels trapped in urban confines of the modern world. Her soul is nomadic but her outlook is totally global; she wants to flaunt a bit of her legacy and culture down her sleeves. The styling of the collection is contemporary but the look is Bohemian.

Tell us about a usual day in your life…

I start the day with going to the gym to undo the damages of the previous day. Then it is working till 2pm after which I have lunch and again at about 3.30 pm its work time till 6.30 pm. After that my evenings are devoted to my family and friends. However, I live out of suitcases so this stability is always a temporary phenomenon and when I travel, which is very often, routine takes a back seat.

Shruti Sancheti’s collection

What would Shruti Sancheti’s woman look like?

My woman is an old-school one trapped in this au courant world. She believes in the unsurpassed legacy of weaves, textiles and crafts and wears timeless clothes, which have understated luxury and restrained opulence. She is astute, ferociously proud of her heritage and yet expresses her femininity and elegance through her distinct yet restrained dressing.

What inspired you to make this collection?

My love for travel, love for rich crafts, love for colours and most of all love for Bohemian and tribal fashion…

The Summer Edition by Ogaan.com

Ogaan.com

Ogaan went online just about a month ago. At the brink of the changing season, the website is now live with its Summer Edition, packed with easy pieces, saris and some gorgeous, drama-infused jewellery. Here’s what to look out for in the airy summer edition.

Ogaan.com

Raw Mango’s beautiful hand-woven chanderi saris in bright juicy colours— perfect for summer weddings. Sanjay Garg of Raw Mango says of the collection online with Ogaan, “This line has Raw Mango must-haves. You can dress up these saris with a brocade blouse for a wedding or you can wear them with a simple cotton blouse.”

Ogaan.com

There’s a wide range of jewellery on Ogaan.com with a collection from Dang inspired by nature, flowers and twigs made especially for Ogaan – the champa, bail, and nargis earrings being particularly dramatic and fun. Also, spunky haath-phools from Astha Jagwani and India Modern ear cuffs and maang-tikas from Divya Chugh are trending high!

Ogaan.com

Viange Vintage has picks from Vintage Dior, YSL, Sonia Rykiel and more and Ritika Sachdeva brings chunky, modern pieces that go with everything. Ogaan.com allows for gift notes with orders and has a special measurements panel that allows you to figure out your size quickly and easily. You enter your four key measurements and save them; then you can compare them with precise measurements for each size to figure out your own size painlessly.

Ogaan.com

Selections on the website will be changing continuously, reflecting Ogaan’s favourite pieces each season, and in the coming months, Ogaan expects to add more labels from among their extensive list of celebrated and upcoming designers.

Marsala collection by Lalit Dalmia

Marsala collection by Lalit Dalmia

Lalit Dalmia, the face behind the brand of the same name is a self-taught talent from Hisar who has left the world awestruck with his powerful and unique design vision. He has shown the world how his elegant designs for women can take luxury to a whole new level. He doesn’t consider himself as a designer but a creator, who just doesn’t want to make pretty clothes; instead, through his creations he wants to make every woman feel like an urban goddess.

Marsala collection by Lalit Dalmia

His inspirations are endless and can be drawn from anything & everything. His label is synonymous with opulence, contemporary Indian and Indo-Western wear. His intention has been to create glamourous ensembles with traditional textures, embroideries, and craftsmanship juxtaposed with modern designs. He experiments around unusual fabrics and textures to create masterpieces, which takes us back to the Victorian and Mughal period.

Marsala collection by Lalit Dalmia

To sum it all in a nutshell, Lalit attributes his collections as ‘clothes with international styling and Indian soul’. If you are looking for enchanting and sophisticated fusion of distinctive traditional and modern designs with the stroke of muted classy and reserved attitude, you know where to go now! The designer uses a colour palette, which makes one feel nostalgic about our intricate and ancient eras in history.

Building Urban Homes

Sarita Handa’s Mumbai Store

Sarita Handa is a name synonymous with premium home furnishings and is recognized worldwide as a leading innovator for more than 20 years now. Two years ago, she launched their first retail store in Khan Market, New Delhi followed by her second flagship store at MG Road, Gurgaon. Continuing with their focus on catering to customers who believe in quality and style, they have now widened their horizons by opening yet another store in Mumbai. With options galore, the 2,500sq.ft store is nestled in Shakti Mill Lane, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai.

Sarita Handa’s Mumbai Store

Designed by Livin’ Colors Design, the store stands big and impressive. A stand-alone property, the space excels with oodles of natural light and a hanger-like industrial ceiling and a multilevel mezzanine floor. A small courtyard filled with greens and a beautiful Banyan tree alongside is bound to evoke a feeling of tranquility and well-being. The loft-like tiered architecture along with merchandising and Sarita Handa’s product line offers an ambience that allows you to soak in a home-like feel. The store entrance is a mix of contemporary with old world antique styles. The effect has been created by popping teal on doors and windows teamed with an interesting antique stone Buddha sculpture – right at the entrance.

Sarita Handa’s Mumbai Store

Elegant, eye-catchy and exclusive, the modern and immensely livable look is outfitted in a soothing colour palette designed to showcase each piece beautifully, with products displayed in small groupings and concepts, all created to enhance the shopping experience. The store looks and speaks everything true to Sarita Handa’s essence.

Desi Roots – Progressive Indian Cuisine

Desi Roots

Décor: Desi Roots, a brand new café nestled in Saket, New Delhi is one of the very few restaurants that brought back fond memories of childhood in mind, as I walked in for lunch on a balmy Sunday afternoon. The first instinct was a happy feeling—colours like warm orange, dull beige, bright turquoise, royal violet and more popped out from different corners only to make you feel like you have stepped into a cheerful space. This restaurant has taken ‘quirky’ to a whole new level; the décor proudly flaunts pieces like—a sewing machine turned into a table, almost-vintage Bajaj scooter headlights acting as lamps and more.

Desi Roots

Also, the chosen interior had strikingly contrasting aesthetics; for instance, a royal chair with bright cherry colour was spotted accompanying a super quirky teapot printed chair. The bar area was mostly radiating pop-culture vibes; vintage posters with an amazing sense of humor was placed on walls facing the arena. My favourite poster was of an Indian lady, precisely from the sixties, sitting with a newspaper in her hand, clad in the most traditional way and waiting to sip some beer from a mug kept in front of her; now this is called ‘chilling like a villain’!

Nehari Kulcha a la Oudh with Salgam and black carrot achar

Food: The menu captures essences from regional kitchens across the country. This restaurant is on an expedition to revive those long lost desi elements through their food. I ordered quite a few number of dishes from the menu and absolutely traditional ones at that—but I was taken to surprise by the way good-old food was contemporized. Presentation gets full points here and the best part is that the character of the food remained unaltered. Today’s foodie looks for international gastronomical features in every dish that they dig into. Be it a simple Galouti Kebab or a Soda Shikanji—modern way of presenting mouth-watering food has become a major criteria. However, you are not allowed to compromise on the joy your taste buds used to experience when you ate the same dish in its most traditional avatar.

Desi Kurchan Tacos- Pulled Kathal

I started with the Kasaundi Fish Tikka with Babloo Sauce; delicious, succulent and mildly spicy, these fish cubes were an instant hit. Thereafter, I rejoiced upon some Kulle Chaat—an Old Delhi speciality made with watermelons, boiled potatoes, cucumbers, pomegranates and some secret black masala. Post this, we savoured upon some warm lamb Galawati Pate—this was my favourite starter. Super soft, almost-melting, warm kebab served in a small glass jar was definitely a first. The taste reminded me of lanes from Lucknow, where kebabs are the order of the day and the presentation was simple yet so innovative. For the main course, I started with the traditional Daal Baati Choorma with methaniya chilli salsa. This was followed by Mutton Kuttu with Malabari Poronta and Onion Pachdi—once again a delicious dish. The best part was that, this rich looking curry was not overtly oily; it had a diverse flavour thrown in by a gamut of regional spices. Finally, the last main course comprised of Ambala Cantt Mutton Curry with Tikone Parathe and Kumquat Achaar—it had the perfect desi tadka to it combined with carefully balanced spices and modern culinary practices. I loved every bit of it.

Chipotle Chicken Tikka with Avocado Raita

Finally, the dessert comprised of Cream Cheese Boondi Brownies and Jamaluddin Ki Kheer from Badal Beg Masjid, Old Delhi. What a delight it was. The first dessert came in a closed glass jar—soft chocolate brownie, warm and moist was blended with cream cheese and boondi; this is perhaps the best example of modern culinary concurrence. And the later made me feel like I had died and gone to dessert heaven. There couldn’t have been a better ending. So foodies and restaurant junkies please visit this place with your friends and family because the food is great, presentation even better and as they say it ‘celebration’ is their middle name!

When Nature becomes the Muse

Anavila Misra

Designer Anavila Misra showcased her spring summer collection, ‘A Summer Stroll’ at the Lakme Fashion Week at Mumbai recently. Humanity has traded in a real jungle for a concrete, mechanical one. Devoid of green space to claim, we have resigned ourselves to the nostalgia of winding summer strolls in the evening. The rustling trees and wafting breeze have now been replaced by relentless drilling machines & swirling smog.

Anavila Misra

It is this feeling of being bereft of verdant vegetation that inspired the idea behind ‘A Summer Stroll’ collection. Derived from a strong love for nature, this fashion line merges geometric designs with botanical motifs, irregular shapes and marks to juxtapose the urban and natural environs. It’s an expression of the balance we are seeking in our modern lives.

Anavila Misra

So embrace the bracing sensation of wearing nature in its natural and fabricated glory as you stake to reclaim the last of metropolis’ foliage cover. After all, it was Khalil Gibran who said—“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long.”

Anavila Misra

In sync with the changing landscape, the colour palette of the collection integrates elements like greenery, cement, stone, wood, and earth. Being an ardent enthusiast of organic textiles and rustic art, the elegant and very stylish Dia Mirza was the showstopper for the designer.

The Summer Bride By Anita Dongre

The Summer Bride By Anita Dongre

As we stride into a resplendent summer, Anita Dongre brings to life yet another fairy-tale through her latest collection, ‘The Summer Bride’. The collection reminisces the quintessential moment of the big day in the life of the modern Anita Dongre bride, beautifully portrayed by her muse and the enthralling ‘Jaipur Bride’ – Nayantara.

The Summer Bride By Anita Dongre

The Rajasthan-inspired collection takes us through a series of visual affairs that emblazon Nayantara’s journey of the bride she aspires to be. It takes us down the sartorial memory lane to the instant that led Nayantara to realize that she had found her frameable moment of radiant love, the portrait of her happily ever after. It wasn’t just a mere tryst of destiny, but a striking black and white portrait of her strong grandmother that stayed with Nayantara for decades. A vision she treasured through her growing up years.

The Summer Bride By Anita Dongre

Renowned for her splendid couture designs teeming with romantic details, each Anita Dongre ensemble is an ode to femininity, a celebration of dreams. Dreams in hues of summer comprising of nude, blush and dusky shades that work up to navy blues and crimson for a finale of more dainty ruffles, crystals and embroidered gowns. Their sparkle is magical, the colours melt together, and the handcrafted threads of love are superimposed in an incredible impression of lightness. The collection explores elements of its symbolic significance and design creation, as the final flourish of bridal resplendence and delicate elegance.

It’s All About Micro Bags!

 Cara Delevingne showcasing a FENDI micro bag

For Spring/Summer 2015 FENDI launches the micro bags, a modern and quirky interpretation of two iconic bags of the Maison, the Peekaboo and the Baguette, in a unique micro version. FENDI micro bags are perfect for the modern urban dweller – for the woman who just carries minimal essentials.

Fendi micro bag

Fun and compact, these bags are versatile at the same time. They can be worn either as a clutch with an evening gown or cross body during the day, as all of them feature a long strap.

FENDI micro bag

FENDI embraces irony and plays with aesthetics, proportion and colour, never sacrificing quality and savoir faire. Micro bags provide a bold fashion statement featuring high craftsmanship ability, mirroring techniques employed in the creation of regular-sized bags in the atelier.

Cara Delevingne, Karl Lagerfeld showcasing FENDI micro bag

These pieces are perfect for the edgy woman with an eye for detail, quality and creativity. The micro bags are available not just in nappa leather but also in special variations, including ‘Bag Bug’ eyes and precious materials like fur and croco. Wear them alone or pair them with their regular size icons.