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