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

Foodhall @ Palladium Welcomes Holland in Mumbai

Dutch Pancakes

Dutch food may not be as well-known as French or Chinese cuisines but it is worth experiencing the delight at least once. Foodhall, India’s premium lifestyle food superstore is kick-starting a week-long festival ‘Holland Meets Mumbai’ – enabling its patrons to experience the culinary flavours of Netherlands.

Dutch Apple Tart

Dutch cuisine has gained popularity amongst food connoisseurs across the globe owing to its simple and straightforward flavours. This food festival will take you to the orange land with some of its most enjoyable savouries such as Stroop Waffles – a waffle made from thin layers of baked dough with a caramel-like syrup filling and world famous cheeses such as Edam and Gouda. The fiesta ends on June 6, so all you food lovers in Mumbai, rush now!

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.

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!

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.

Ogaan Gets Digital

Applique Flower & Bird Jacket by Studio Petticoat. Pink Moon Jhumkis by Neelum Narang.

After completing 25 years of retail operations, this year Ogaan is excited to announce the launch of its online store, Ogaan.com. Ogaan’s highly curated collections promoting crafts, textiles and made in Indian luxury are now just a click away.

Gold & Black Sharara Dress by Kavita Bhartia. Kundan Cuff by Vasundhara Mantri.
Carbon Lace Triple Ring by Atelier Mon.Earrings by Eesha Zaveri.

The ‘New Indian Wear’ section, a selection of Ogaan’s favourite trends in Indian dressing includes crop tops & flouncy skirts from Sonal Kalra Ahuja, beautiful shararas from Kavita Bhartia, and simple, fluid hand-woven linen saris from Anavila Mishra to name a few.

Gold Hanging Ear Cuffs by Payal Pratap.

‘Urban Essentials’, a selection of work and weekend contemporary wardrobe essentials, comprises of oversized shirts from Bodice, black Spring capes from Akaaro, shirt dresses from Translate and well-cut minimal kurtas from Vivek Narang.

Dress by BODICE. Nirvana Gold Drop Earrings by The Fableist.

Other highlights of the online edition are Bits & Pieces, beautifully crafted jewellery for the day and evening – a collection of Payal Pratap’s earrings, gold & druzies from young jewellery designer Eesha Zaveri, back and front earrings from The Fableist, and Vasundhra Mantri’s delicate, traditional gold and pearls.

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 reveals Fleur collection

Fleur Collection by CaratLane.com

Floral Designs have always been in fashion for their timeless appeal and their alluring designs have often captivated hearts of women. Discovering the epitome of enchantment, CaratLane.com has revealed its luxurious assortment of floral jewellery this season.

Fleur Collection by CaratLane.com

Known as Fleur, the collection draws inspiration from a variety of buds. Through this collection, CaratLane.com offers its customers the most enchanting pieces of floral jewellery. The collection has been crafted to blend contemporary styles and modern designs to create magnificent pieces that will make you look like a true fashionista. The bold and chic patterns come in variety of shapes and sizes, from simple floral to elaborate array of pendants, earrings, rings and hand harness.

Fleur Collection by CaratLane.com

Each piece of the Fleur collection induces a treasure of ornamental image where inspirations are drawn from various flowers like Orchids, Plumeria, Pansy, Gerbera, Roses, Daffodils, Marigold and Tulips. The collection is a combination of all three gold where various colors of flowers are brought out through the yellow, white and rose gold giving them a dull finish to make them look subtle pieces of art. The collection is also studded with diamonds to give it an extremely classy look.

Rina Singh’s take on classic minimalism

EKA by Rina Singh for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Keeping in mind searing Indian summers, EKA by Rina Singh showcased an array of cotton ensembles in dull pastel hues at the Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015. The cheerful, windswept collection comprised of layered tunics, shirt dresses and shift dresses. The line of outfits showed almost no traces of prints—this was a classic example of minimal fashion.

EKA by Rina Singh for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

A light-hearted collection for women who wear their hearts on their sleeves, this collection portrayed a delicate mix of pastels and whites—a mélange of hand-woven textiles in contemporary day-wear avatar.

EKA by Rina Singh for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The clothes exuded simple tones of femininity. The easy styling, free flowing and soft textured silhouettes made the collection almost poetic. The interplay of delicate layers added to the charm of the outfits.

EKA by Rina Singh for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Rina showcased tea dresses, dresses with handkerchief hems, A-line trapeze, boxy, midi, and long shirt dresses and tunics. Jackets were made of linens with patches of floral prints washed over them and then of course, the summer coats invited a lots of applauds! Trousers sported oversized hems, wide and small legs and pegged and relaxed boyish cuts that were paired with boxy shirts, knit tops and gathered, lightweight khadi embroidered tops.

EKA by Rina Singh for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Embellishments revolved around kantha stitches on washed horizontal linen ombre stripes; also, kantha textures mixed with floral appliqués, coupled with delicate thread embroidery work marked the collection.

EKA by Rina Singh for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Subtle prints here and there added the right dose of whimsicality to the range—painterly floral, ombre-dyed hand-painted flowers, ditsy pixilated dots and prints, and manipulated floral dot prints, played peek-a-boo in layers of linens and cottons tinted in pastel palettes of sky blue, blush pink, minty green and lavender mixed with lightest of grays and whites.

 

The Alchemy of Handloom by ‘MOAVI’ : An ode to India’s heritage weaves

Maovi

Moavi draws its roots from old Indian textiles in an attempt to reinvigorate traditional weaves and give them their much-deserved limelight in today’s world of fashion.​ The brand is working towards re-introducing weaves that are on the verge of extinction—they are incorporating Muga silk, Pat silk, Eri-silk, Tusser silk, Linen, Mercerized-cotton and real Zari, creating pure magic beyond boundaries.

Maovi

To start with, Moavi has introduced clusters from, Assam, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and they plan to cover all states eventually to create designs, which will procure holistic aesthetics of our traditional and contemporary eccentricities.

Maovi

Having great passion for both fashion and sustainability, Kavita and Anmol ​Badsra, ​each with years of experience in design and consulting, lead Moavi. Moavi wants to be known as an organisation that uses design as a means to address the most important issues of our times by providing sustainability in life of our weavers​ and artisans.

Maovi

Textile industry, despite being the second largest employment generator segment in our country has not been able to provide sustainable livelihood to our highly skilled handloom weavers in almost all states. We believe, the industries of fashion, textile and design offers unique effective opportunities for designers, craftsmen and consumers alike to contribute to the alleviation of poverty by being ethical about one’s fashion choices without sacrificing style.

Maovi

About the Collection: Ekam—Ekam is literally Moavi’s first step towards envisioned future of Indian handloom sector. This collection draws inspiration from Indian mythology, ‘Ramayana’ depicting each khand/stage of the tale in every product through hand-weaving, hand-embroidery or intricate block printing techniques.

Maovi

The color palette brings forth bright Indian hues like, haldi yellow to sindoori red, deep indigo to metal tones of gold and silver, each shade narrating a different story. We have started with hand-woven saris and dupattas and are working towards expanding the collection further to constructed blouses, jackets and kurtas, wherein planned silhouettes are simple yet feminine and perfectly suitable for work-wear, as well as light occasion wear.