Karlito Limited Edition Capsule Collection

Karlito Capsule Collection

With his fun, coloured fur crest, Karlito lands now for the first time on FENDI ready-to-wear and accessories, after making his debut on Fall/Winter 2014-2015 fashion show catwalk of the Roman Maison. Now he’s back with an exclusive limited edition, eye-catching capsule collection which is both ironic and sophisticated, fusing fur with denim and sportswear in a playful yet luxurious way.

Karlito Capsule Collection

The range of products features black and white sweatshirts, cool jeans, a shawl, sneakers, a fur hat, a shopping bag, a studded backpack, a fun I-phone covers, and lastly, Karlito and mini Karlito. Each piece features an iconic flourish of fur across both the body and crest in vibrant colours ranging from fuchsia to turquoise.

Karlito Capsule Collection

Karlito is the popular Karl Lagerfeld fur FENDI charm, creating an upbeat homage from FENDI to its Ready-to-Wear and Fur Creative Director. The ultimate representation of FENDI’s creativity, Karlito and mini Karlito charms are dressed in Karl Lagerfeld’s iconic outfit with black mink sunglasses, a black tie in leather and white shirt, with silver fox body. The crest is a fun touch in kiddasia fur, with stunning variations of fuchsia, orange, turquoise and green, for every taste.

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!

Shraman, The Ashok: Recreating classical Rajasthani Cuisine

Shraman

Ambience: Located in the heart of Delhi’s lush green stretch, Shraman stands coyly in a quaint corner at the majestic Ashok hotel. A rustic staircase with subtle notes of royalty, contoured by gentle pots of plants hanging merrily, escorted us to the restaurant. There was something very ‘vintage’ about this place. Wooden furniture embossed with intricate silver work were laid aesthetically; turquoise blue table cloths became backdrop to white cutlery and a grand art piece flaunting a gorgeous peacock , carved in meenakari work stood splendidly on one of the walls. Old-world charm juxtaposed with essences of Rajasthani culture made the whole setup beautifully intriguing.

Shraman

Food: This restaurant serves only vegetarian food, breaking the taboo of Rajasthani food mostly being related to laal maas, etc. Being a pure non-vegetarian, I was initially a little stuck up about the idea; but to my surprise, their varied options on the menu turned out to be pleasantly delightful. I started with khas aur paan ka sherbet—a divinely delicious mocktail made of beetle leaves; it was absolutely refreshing and a must-try! Usually, I don’t take more than 5 minutes to decide on ordering my food; but here, I was left spoilt for choice with so many mouthwatering names floating in front of my eyes. However, after much speculation, I ordered some starters—dahi ke sholey (cakes of fresh curd blended with crushed black pepper and chili flakes) and Shraman chappan bhog (an assortment of vegetarian kebabs). Dahi ke sholey was soft, slightly grainy in texture and downright delectable. The later one had a range of appealing kebabs made of cottage cheese, potatoes, chilies and more; my favourite was the bharwa aloo, which was stuffed potato cubes infused with cottage cheese crumbles, cooked in typical Rajasthani spices.

Shraman

For the main course, I ordered the stereotypical dal bati churma; it is literally synonymous to Rajasthani cuisine. You cannot miss to have this whilst dining at a Rajasthani eatery. This traditional nomad’s meal was brought to me moulded in warm, desi ghee. The dal was rich in flavour and the bati was soft in the center and stiff at the coating; thus, it was very well cooked. I relished upon this one. This was followed by methi malai mutter—a beautiful vegetarian dish that comprises of fenugreek leaves and peas cooked in thick, rich and creamy malai (cream). This was consumed with mutter parantha. By the end of the meal, I think, my whole pre-conceived notion on vegetarian food had majorly altered. I would recommend this place to everyone (including non-vegetarian folks)—if you want to savor upon classical, vegetarian Rajasthani food in an elegant fine dining setup then this is the place to be.

Shraman

My lunch concluded with lip-smacking desserts. I had to myself a plate filled with shahi tukda and a bowl of phirni. The bread slices in the shahi tukda were crunchy and well-toasted and the rabri was fresh, thick and super creamy. The smell of elaichi (cardamom) and occasional fragments of broken pistachios brought forth an ecstatic feeling. The phirni on the other hand was nothing extraordinary. Overall, I had a great experience lunching here.

Chef’s recommendation: With its many cultural influences, this place offers a varied selection of cuisines to satisfy your palate. Signature dishes like Saundhi Paneer Tikka, Shraman 56 Bhog, Paneer Lazeez, Dal Shraman, Gatta Curry, Jodh Puri Mirchi Paneer, Vegetable Lohla Puri, Sabzi Balluchi and Shraman Punch will leave you craving for more.

Find them at: The Ashok, 50 B, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

Call them at: 011 24672384, 011 24123593

Costume jewellery takes a refreshing turn

Tulsi Zaveri

Mumbai-based jewellery designer, Tulsi Zaveri brings forth a perfect mélange of traditional jewellery with undertones of quirk and modernity through her label, Ira. Her collection ranges from jewellery for everyday use to bridal adornments in refreshing designs.

Turquoise Kundan earrings by Ira

The colour palette she uses is speckled—from acid bright shades of tangerine and turquoise, to warm colours like powder blue and beiges, I love all her products. Her strength is kundan jewellery and she imparts modern twist to each of her pieces. The best part about her is that—she can customise the designs according to your whims and fancies. Excited? Well, I am.

Laxmi neck piece by Ira

Ira has jewellery for women from all paths of life; be it a college student or a housewife, a working corporate or a bride-to-be—you will find your piece here for sure. From necklaces in lilac shades to chandbalis in hues of reds and greens, payals in beaded textures to haathphools in jewel tones of emerald and sapphire—options are galore.

Neck piece by Ira

Love pearls? The above neck piece has many long strands of pearls that create a light-weight yet heavy look. The fresh colours of the natural stones and the meenakari beads give the necklace a new, hot feel! The neutral colours are perfect for any of your saris, lehenga cholis or anarkalis!

Purple natural stone necklace

Place your order at sales@irabytulsizaveri.com and find the products on Zaveri’s Facebook page- Ira by Tulsi Zaveri. You could also check out her products on her Instagram page- Irabytulsizaveri.

Creating magic with basic ingredients—Urvashi Kaur

Urvashi Kaur for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Urvashi Kaur’s Spring/Summer 2015 collection ‘Ziran’ digs deep into ethnic communities, wanderlust and incongruent cultural interests and journeys. Inspired by the nomadic folk of Xining, China, the collection focused on reusing classy fabrics like, malkha, khamir, linen with frayed edges, chanderi and matka, with the insertion of denims this season.

Urvashi Kaur for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

The base colour palette remained indigo with occasional outbursts of ecru, black, orange, yellow, pink and turquoise. Subtle accents like, tassels, pom-poms, tapes and ribbons added to the eccentricity of the line of clothes. Also, for the forthcoming Spring/Summer season, Kaur introduced bags, shoes and accessories.

Urvashi Kaur for Wills India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

Calculated placements of shibori and block prints ruled the dais. While the tie-and-dye technique spilled over from her previous collections, the silhouettes this time were easy and baggy in nature; slightly asymmetrical with a mix of kimono sleeves, culottes and palazzos.

Amrapali’s gorgeous ‘Festive Fervour’ collection

Silver multi-stone beaded necklace by Amrapali

Celebrate the festival of lights this season with Amrapali’s ‘Festive Fervor’ collection capturing the true essence of Indian tradition and heritage.

Silver multi-stone crescent earrings by Amrapali

Amrapali offers a range of exquisitely handcrafted silver and gold-plated chandbali’s and statement neck pieces to complement your festive ensembles.

Silver chalcedony carved pearl bangle by Amrapali

If you are fond of coloured jewellery, work the multi-stoned crescent earrings in bejeweled silver/gold-plated turquoise, pearl, crystal, blue and pink glass earrings into your outfit. Graceful in soft pink, the pink stud earrings and necklace will add a hint of shimmer to your outfit.

Silver crystal and ghungroo earrings by Amrapali

For a simpler, subdued option, choose the crystal and pearl ghungroo earrings oxidised in silver complemented with rubies and emeralds. Similar in line, are the handmade pearl-beaded earrings, which are oxidised in silver with orange glass and go perfectly well with your traditional wear.

Silver pearl crystal earrings by Amrapali

For those who favour classic, flaunt the multi-stone beaded necklace carved with crystal to add some much needed elegance and charm.

Jewellery at ‘The Big Door’–For the love of Festivities

Jewellery at The Big Door

Reminiscing Indian Heritage is a store located at the heart of Bombay, dedicated to rich Indian heritage, collectibles, pure silver furniture and heritage jewellery. Enter ‘The Big Door’, a 7500 sq ft concept store marked by a spectacular and imposing 25 feet high antique-inspired green door, to provide one-of-a-kind experience to its patrons with every square foot donned with limited edition hand-selected pieces that insinuate colonial India.

Jewellery at The Big Door

The Big Door showcases Mughal, Nizam and Rajput inspired jewellery ranging from precious and semi-precious jewellery, set in gold, silver and gold-plated silver, to Victorian, polkis and jadau pieces—each of these mesmerizing creations are unique and design oriented.

Jewellery at The Big Door

These delicately crafted masterpieces exhibit fine workmanship, tradition and exclusiveness. The jewellery at The Big Door constitutes heirloom pieces that can be passed onto generations to come.

Jewellery at The Big Door

The collection of gold jewellery comprises of neck pieces, cuffs, earrings, rings, bangles (kadas), forehead jewellery pieces (maang tika) and Bandhgala buttons for men. These jewels are made with precious stones such as rubies, uncut diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, south sea pearls with a combination of enamel on the pieces.

Jewellery at The Big Door

The silver jewellery collection comprises of tribal statement pieces with intricately carved out details. The stunning ornaments are encrusted with semi-precious stones like Amethyst, Rose quartz, Cornelian, pearl, Green onyx, Turquoise and Garnet.

Jewellery Designers Kaabia and Sasha Grewal for Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014

Jewellery Designers Kaabia and Sasha Grewal

Kaabia and Sasha Grewal of ‘Outhouse’ dazzled the Audience with their opulent jewellery collection at Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014. Known for their unconventional jewellery designs, Kaabia and Sasha presented their stunning collection called ‘The Column’. Lustrous gold was entwined into magical pieces that were influenced by the regal look of Greece and Rome. Playing imaginatively with gold, the designer duo proved that the precious metal was versatile enough to be draped like liquid silk or moulded firmly.

Outhouse by Kaabia and Sasha Grewal

The pair was inspired by Proto-geometric art and linear meanders to present a more basic but bold collection. Adding to the beauty of the jewellery semi-precious stones like amber, turquoise, pearls, garnets and lapis lazuli were used. The duo gave the maang tikka a new age feel but with a Mohawk-like design that rose in curves on the heads of the models, while the earrings flared up to reach the hair, turning into large lacy covers.

Outhouse by Kaabia and Sasha Grewal

Chokers cascaded down the necks of the models with a line of interlinked pendants or were clasped around the necks with multiple layers. Belt-cum-shoulder or body harnesses, ornate cropped gloves, windmill inspired ear cuffs, leather/tassel shoulder dusters, cross-body leather/gold belt, and spikes erupted from neckpieces. Towering looped maang tikka, haath phool, facial décor garter-cum- harness and finger cuffs turned ordinary jewellery categories into conversation stoppers.