FTLOFAOTXPushpak Vimaan

I love inspiring stories. Any designer that presents me with an opportunity to portray the fruit of their handwork and sweat in a manner that inspires their prospective markets are the kind that I like working with. Pushpak Vimaan began with a vision to create outfits for the fun and the young at heart. I understand that philosophy and I'll tell you why. Not everyone wants to buy expressly elaborate Indian clothing. Not everyone enjoys deeply rooted Indian colour palettes. A designer that experiments with colours and textures in terms of bringing together thread work with floral borders and a spray of sequins can be classified as one that could reach out to a market that is itching to wear that 'something new'. As someone who loves wearing experimental clothing, I am one of those people who sometimes wants to experiments with colours and textures as far as her Indian wear choices go too. A lehenga with what my punjabi mother would call 'light' work and brilliantly girly is all I need to play a quintessential bridesmaid. Check them out for their take on fun, Indian clothing and alternate choices to ornate jewel toned lehengas!
This collaboration worked as a creation of a series of photos inspired by the colour palette and mood of this particular lehenga from Pushpak Vimaan in collaboration with the brilliant Raju of Raju Raman Photography. We also worked with stark black and whites to lend an antiquated vibe to the series. 

Photography by: Raju Raman Photography
Make up by: Paavani Singh Hair and Make up

There is nothing I like better than giving you an authentic sneak peek into the work that takes place at the creative ware house we call the designer's studio. This outfit as envisioned by Pushpak Vimaan.

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Picking the perfect Engagement Ring: Truly Bridal

Being a bridesmaid for Truly Bridal by Kalyan Jewellers feels exciting. This stems mostly from the fact that till date, I have been a bridesmaid to so many of my friends and siblings that I have almost mastered the art of getting everything right before the big day. No wonder then, that talking about the art of picking the perfect engagement ring for both the sexes came almost naturally to me. Sigh. Exciting times. Before I give out anymore spoilers, get right to watching the video and don't forget to subscribe to their channel and share this post with all the bride to bes you know.

Styling by: Who Wore What When
Make up and Hair by: Shruti Sharma Makeup
Wearing: Mint Blush

Head to the original video here on Truly Bridal by Kalyan Jewellers

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FTLOFAOTxCameron Kham Part Un

You know what I truly love? A designer who remains true to his aesthetic throughout his innumerable years of designing. There is experimentation, there is is fine tuning but there is this line of consistency that runs common amongst all their collections. A Diane Von Furstenburg garment will probably experiment with cuts but a wrap dress and the love for prints in solid colours will continue to be the forerunners of  Diane's design thought process. Closer home, Sanjay Garg may work with the age old technique of the mashru weave one season and yet another weave for another season but his love for handloom and the underlying message of giving back to the karigars (in terms of employment) is heard loud and clear. When Miuccia Prada revives the conventional to pepper over the contemporary, Prada and Miu Miu continue to have her distinct flavour to themselves even though she gives us ample to fawn over every season.
When the opportunity of a collaboration with Cameron Kham came my way, I took it on myself to do my due diligence. Cameron's USP is bringing the two worlds together; his French habitat and his Indian origin. These pieces that I picked from the Spring Summer, 16 collection are basically a riot of colours. From the luxe element that is the Indian brocade to the fine French riviera feels of the georgette shirts, the garments are an amalgamation of a great sense of originality and a signature style that makes Cameron's pieces stand out in a crowd. I decided to take the party to the French Riviera with a lot of wild pink glitter in my hair, big hair, glitter on the lips and gold shoes. Of course, there's no party without some champagne and balloons. 
Trend alert: If you're into experimental fashion as I am, then maybe looking like a mess straight from an arts and crafts class with 'accidental' glitter in your hair is not such a bad idea.
Find more of Cameron Kham on Facebook and twitter.

Photography by: Tarun Chawla Photography
Location Courtesy: Four Points by Sheraton New Delhi

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FTLOFAOTx Label Ritu Kumar

The oft-abused word 'bohemian' really gets my goat. It is probably the fact that in this day and age most people with a half baked sense of what bohemian really means have ironically attached a cliche image to bohemian style. I decided to dig into the etymological roots of the word bohemian so as to lend a certain sense of clarity to this widely used adjective in the world of fashion. 'Bohemian' simply means  a socially unconventional lifestyle. A non-confirmist outlook. An eccentric throw on things. A hippie (dating back to the 19th century). A literary or artistic person who chooses to move to the subculture of impoverished living and free love, primarily. While the birth of this class of people might have been in the continent of Europe (Bohemia to be precise), this movement with a  strong French undertone took over the world in no time. So where does one look for authentic, unadulterated bohemian style inspiration? In a century close to our own, the biggest proponents of this particular type of personal style would have to be Kate Moss and Sienna Miller. Of course, feel free to go through the works of Van Gogh to study how he immortalized the ironic (and iconic) bohemian stereotype. For bibliophiles like myself, a few works by Jack Kerouack would not hurt since he is irrefutably understood as the 'pioneer of the beat generation'.
After having laid a strong literary foundation to what is I assume now, a fair understanding of bohemian fashion, safe to say that Label Ritu Kumar plays on its alternate, bohemian side this Autumn Winter with its collection. What I particularly enjoyed with putting together this thoroughly bohemian look would have to be the fact that each separate could be paired with the other seamlessly, despite having a barrage of prints and patchwork. The waistcoat that I teamed up with this asymmetric hemmed dress complements its shades and hues without overpowering it with its cute mustard flower motifs.

Wearing:
Dress, waistcoat and bag: Label Ritu Kumar
Accessories (Nath and the cuffs): Suhani Pittie available at NIMAI in Shahpur Jat, Delhi
Boots: Forever 21

Photography by: Saumya Gupta and Shiva Kant Vyas for The Open Art Project

This video sums up everything that this collection draws from; Indian feminine embroidery and masculine geometric prints:

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FTLOFAOTxThat's Thefft

Act 1: We find the protagonist living in the comforts of her city abode. There is nothing that, that life does not fulfil. Materially and socially both, she finds herself in the situation many would kill to be in. It's the bane of the Generation Y cosmopolitan existence. She lives in the times where a sex video will circulate faster than a call for people to urgently donate blood. Who would not, in times like these have an existential crisis or two? But there is always that bottle of Belvedere to numb the pain before the 'fight or flight' response of the body inclines itself towards flight. Some days, just some days she wished she could get away from it all and find a way to explore the flip side of her existence. 

Act 2: She clearly doesn't belong here. The rickshaw wala bhaiya passes her by in his ornate little ride not stopping to stare. The alienation comes from within. She walks a mile and observes the people of the sleepy town wide awake at an hour where most city folk are likely to be sound asleep in their satin sheets and down feather comforters. The shops smell of fresh ink on parchment as the freshly printed newspapers are unpacked and set up on the stands, ready to be sold. An old man stands at the corner, playing with his dog while observing the men at work. The more she explores, the more the feeling of alienation is driven away. She doesn’t belong there yet she finds comfort in little signs of life and humanity. The handiwork of her beautiful salmon coloured dress perfectly complement the colours and tassels of the ornate rickshaw. Little kids being rushed to school smelling of soap and sandalwood exhibit an enthusiasm to learn and explore, unmatched by most adults. The fresh stash of beetle leaves being washed and set out for business. The signs of art, beauty and debauchery continue to haunt her as she stands in a corner and lights one up, watching the town wake up and smell the coffee. We aren't much different, she realised. Life and death across the border remains suspiciously similar to her neck of the woods. The pink lip stood for her pop culture consumption from the city life. The orange lower lip epitomised her new found old rustic fixation that she was taking back. We aren't much different, she mused. Just that we all choose to live double lives.

The handmade lovelies like this dress from That's Thefft always bring out the best in me. Be it in setting the mood of the shoot or my short stories. Thank you for inspiring this one. Find their delicate pieces of apparel with the most stunning handiwork on Facebook and instagram also. 

Photography and editing by the hugely talented Pretika Menon aka Jvack Toto

Wearing:

Dress: That's Thefft

Boots: Saint G Shoes

Bag: Marc Jacob

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The name of the wind

A lot of my inspiration to write comes from the books I read and the movies I watch. Fashion isn't much different to me. A form of literary art is something I find a lot of comfort in giving a pictorial sense to, via my fashion aesthetics. When I read 'The name of the wind' by Patrick Rothfuss, a large part of my brain mulled over 'Kvothe' and his antics for days on end. I could not wait to see what he would do next and immediately hopped over to the next book. The concept that Patrick attaches to the naming of the wind in order to enslave the wind to do as you please is so beautifully described that I more intensely than I imagined hung on to each of Master Elodin's classes waiting for him with bated breath to decode the science and magic of 'naming'. The allure of Jvothe's love for Denna and the unparalleled chase that he undertakes to find his love had my emotions maxed out at moments. If being a Potter head comes as second nature to you then the University that teaches magic and sympathy (with a few teaspoons of voodoo dolls) might just be your next dream destination. And if you haven't read the book, never mind. The edgy fantasy fiction feel of this cape top, the large neon bindi and the hair enslaved by the wind *and defying gravity* will hopefully still manage to transport you to the city of Imre and remind you of the skills of artificery and alchemy.

Wearing:
Cape top: Qbik (Delhi)
Skirt: Stalk Buy Love
Shoes: Rungg Shoes
Cuboids: Miss Flurrty
Rings: Forever 21 and Loviza (Singapore)

Photography by Pretika Menon aka Jvack Toto

Ever wished you could take a poll on which fit of jeans worked better for you and wanted a large set of virtual friends to reach out to? Wanted the most obscure piece of clothing (just because!) and didn't know where to begin quizzing people? Or just wanted to brainstorm over a really love(hate) piece of clothing that was making the rounds and you couldn't make up your mind about how you felt? Wear is the discussion is that much and more. I can't think of the number of times I've wanted to just quickly google away some sartorial queries but google couldn't read my mind so I gave up that pursuit. But maybe this absolutely exclusive secret online portal could do that job. I'm glad to be a blogger enlisted with them and I can't wait to see many more of you right here on Facebook. There onwards, you could gain access to the invite only group. Check them out and show them some love. 

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FTLOFAOTxWills Lifestyle

Wills Lifestyle has made up its mind to power through this Autumn Winter. First there was the first ever digital fashion show as we saw the mannequins go on a break in a one-of-its-kind holographic display at their Select City Walk store. The season's latest pieces were seen on the models as they walked down a virtual ramp as a part of the exclusive visual merchandising done by the store.

Then, it is the collection itself. Having associated Wills Lifestyle as a brand, to primarily formal clothing appropriate for the highest corporate set up, I was in for a wonderful surprise as I explored the collection this season. From festive bright pops of colours to ditzy prints, turns out Wills Lifestyle is going all guns blazing into Autumn Winter, 2015. I love the fact that it is tapping into some of the biggest trends this season and the colour palette is rich and mature as much as it is fun and playful.

To make things easier for your shopping season, I decided to give you a lowdown on five key pieces to pick from the Autumn-Winter, 15 collection at Wills Lifestyle. The five pieces have been styled over five looks which require little or no styling. I have kept the hair and make up fun, easy and simple, at the same time there is a little bit of experiment in each look. Pair the separates with the basics already in your closet and you have five complete looks to flaunt this season.

Whoever said fashion is not for the easygoing and lazy, definitely did not have the chance to see this post. 

Look 1: This quilted tee shirt in navy blue with a leather panel across the front from Autumn-Winter,15. It's easy to style, fun to wear and fabrics are very winter friendly.

Look 2: Denim shirt. Barely a need to re-emphasize how effortless a style denim on denim is. Break the monotony of blue on blue with a pair of coloured or neutral heels.

Look 3: This double layered tunic in red and white is cool because of two reasons. One, it's attached layering and two, it's a great play on contrasts of the fabric.

Look 4: For every English weather loving girl at heart, those cozy cardigans are a must have. This one scores brownie points for the polka dot knit.

Look 5: Lose the cardigan from over this textured coral number with power shoulders and bead work which make it such a great choice for cozy dinners (with or without the polka dotted cardigan)

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