14th April 2012
Monsieur Alber is a GENIUS and his campaign ads are GENIUS! I loved his a/w 11 ad (models dancing? Pitbull? and a cameo by the man himself? like I said GENIUS!) and I am loving his S/s 12 campaign.
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Pernia Qureshi: India’s Super Stylist launches pop up shop
14th April 2012
Super Stylist Pernia Qureshi launches e-pop-up shop. www.perniaspopupshop.com The online shop boasts a selection of the hottest Indian talent with many designers specially creating pieces for the site. (designers include Masaba Gupta, Anamika Khanna, Rita Kumar, Shehla Khan and celebrated jeweller Mahesh Bharany) Pernia is credited with transforming Sonam Kapoor’s style and the stunning styling of the film Aisha (the film might have been a dud but the styling was amazing!) so here’s the place to get a piece of her effortlessly chic style.
Pernia has also dipped her toe into design and the pieces are as expected romantic yet classic in a N.Y less is more kinda way. She models her designs above with her sister.
The prices were a surprise- dresses, blouses and trousers were more in line with Reiss pricing rather than designer prices you’d expect. Only the sari’s and anarkali’s headed north of £200.
Here’s my top three pieces from the site. Yep, I’m having a monochrome moment! They’re ohhh soooo pretty!!! From L-R Ritu Kumar, Varun Bahl, Anamika Khanna
Sana Safinaz Lawn 2012
13th April 2012
I was browsing away on the Phulkari site and came across the delicious new Sana Safinaz Lawn collection. How dreamy is this collection?
Available at pulkari now!
Every Wedding needs a ‘Kofi Annan’
13th April 2012
I thought it was time I dedicate a post to our experiences of the first few months of Wedding planning. The initial thoughts of each other’s families, the first few compromises and our hiring in of our ‘Kofi’
The Stereotyping
Both families have been guilty of stereotyping the other side. The ‘boy’s’ family presumed being Gujji, we would be tee-total veggies and that our weddings would be simple affairs. Not quite! My cousins wedding last year totalled around ten events that stretched over three weeks which included a Civil ceremony in Sorrento, a Garba weekend and a lavish Wedding reception, the liquor and lamb chops were definitely in attendance! (his was a pretty typical family Wedding for us)
We on the other hand presumed that as Hindu Punjabi’s they would be hard drinking party animals whose weddings would go on for days. Wrong again! Their family Wedding’s include two/three pre events at the family house followed by a one day event which included Civil, Hindu ceremony and reception. Their reception’s finish at 8/9pm and the family then returns to the grooms house to welcome the bride. (We do all that the next day-why waste a good dj/band?!)
Turns out it was us Gujju’s who like a good party.
The Compromises
My family were keen to host the Wedding in Goa (We love it there and visit 2/3 times a year) A five day party in the sun? Mehndi night on the beach? Sangeet on a boat? Yes please! But it was a No from the ‘boy’s’ family. : ( We have managed to somehow meet in the middle (it hasn’t been an easy compromise to reach) we will be hosting a two day event at our chosen venue. The Friday will be our Civil ceremony and Vidhi and the Saturday will be the Hindu ceremony and reception. I’ve even decided to host my Mehndi night near the venue on the Thursday night so even if I can’t get a five day party in Goa I can get a three day party here.
Kofi Annan
Our U.N mediator comes in the form of our event planner; my friend’s husband has been planning weddings for years. (and seeing as their wedding was amazing, I know our wedding is in good hands) We’ve chosen to hire event planners primarily as my mum puts it –‘ I want to enjoy my daughter’s wedding, not spend most of the time running around or cooking to then end up being a tired shell on the actual events’
The other reason is that we get a mediator at the same time, someone that can guide both sides into compromising and planning each factor. Seeing as there were, let’s put it diplomatically ‘tensions’ regarding the choice of a two day wedding the ‘boy’ and I are thinking our ‘Kofi’ will be handy over the bumpy road of wedding planning ahead!
Wedding Cake Pops
11th April 2012
How cute?!? Yep, if I’m going to be doing wedding type organising it should be working on the wedding list or sorting engagement cards instead of surfing the internet for cute wedding favours like these! (Well it is technically lunchtime!)
Pictures from www.mybestweddingcakes.blogspot.com there’s a recipe to go with the post for any adventurous bakers
Anita Dongre: Stunning S/s 12 Bridal Collection
10th April 2012
The ‘boy’ and I booked our wedding and engagement venue ten days ago and I’ve avoided any wedding-esque research since! I thought I’d gently easy myself into getting back into wedding mode by catching up with Rab’s AMAZING blog – ASIAN WEDDING IDEAS her blog is full of dreamy, yummy pics. The first post of her’s that caught my eye was the STUNNING Anita Dongre S/s 12 pics that I had to share!
Harvey Nichols A/w 12 Press Day
9th April 2012
9th April 2012
A little late in posting the pics, Harvey Nick’s A/w 12 press day took place last Weds and I’d sum up the event as ‘Brilliantly British’ The rails were as the team described ‘an edit of the most enchanting and covetable labels around’ and many of those labels were indeed British. (the visuals from the press day book show the designer mix)
My favourites included the relaxed, chic pieces from Lula & Co and Isabel Marant and the yummy prints at Peter Pilotto (LOVED the beadwork over the prints) and Mary Katrantzou. Over on accessories highlights for me were the beaded collars at Dannijo and Sophie Hulme’s handbags.
Over at Menswear texture was key, how amazing are the studded Louboutin’s?
Hajj: Journey to the heart of Islam
5th April 2012
The British Museum’s exhibition on the Hajj has had mixed reviews and I was curious to see which side of opinion I’d lean to after I’d seen it. Visitors enter through a narrow corridor flanked by pictures of people on the Hajj and as you walk amongst the people in the pictures visitors listen to the Talbiyya (the prayer Muslims recite before setting off on the Hajj) A clever way to engage the audience into the experience ahead. And that’s exactly how to describe the exhibition an experience. Sights and sounds beautifully melt together as you journey along the Hajj following the different routes of the pilgrims from all parts of the world to Mecca.
Accounts of the different journeys are shared from the Gujarati Maps Indian sailors used to navigate their way, to the tickets issued by Thomas Cook (yep he was around way back in 19th Century) to the letters of Lady Evelyn Cobbold (the first British woman to perform the Hajj in 1933) At the centre of the experience is ‘Mecca’ which has a short film playing that explains the rituals and customs that pilgrims must observe and perform once they have reached Mecca.
A wonderful insight for any non- Muslims. A specially commissioned piece by Idris Khan closes the exhibition. Again sight and sounds came together. You can hear the extracts of pilgrim’s experiences of the Hajj as well as see these extracts stamped on to the canvas.
Critics argue that an exhibition sponsored by Saudi Arabia can only be biased and avoids addressing issues on human rights in the Middle East. For me, Religion was separated from other issues and rightly so, this was simply about Islam’s fifth pillar and as a non-Muslim the exhibition gave me a clear understanding of the Hajj. An exhibition that shares Islam to a wider audience is definitely a positive.
Harvey Nichols: Ohhh so yum windows
04/04/2012
I went to the Harvey Nick’s Press Day earlier (as I’ve been picking up a little freelance work for a mag yep another bit of info that needs to go into my about us!) Before I post about the press day itself, I’ve got to dedicate a post to the YUM windows. I probably lingered outside for as long as I did at the event! SO much FUN! and just a reminder of how much impact visual displays can have.
In between the pics I’ve posted the snippets from their press release.
“We wanted our Jubilee windows to have vintage 1950’s feel about them to pay tribute to the era of the Queen’s coronation, while also referencing the best in this season’s fashion”
“The inspiration for the shop fronts came directly from the trends seen on the S/s 12 catwalks – sugary pastels for the sweet shop, florals for the florist, fruit and vegetable prints for the greengrocer and fish- like sequins & lace detailing for the fishmonger”
“This window scheme has been one of the most fun to conceptualise – it’s a striking contrast to the contemporary approach we normally take with our instillations, but retains our distinctly tongue- in –cheek sense of humour!” Janet Wardley (Head of Visual Display at Harvey Nichols
Big Bra Hunt : Oxfam
02/04/2012
I just read a wonderful write-up about Oxfam’s big bra hunt in The Sunday Times Magazine. British second-hand bras are in demand in Africa as they are deemed to be the most well made (there is no local underwear manufacturing). Journalist Charlotte Eager followed the trail of her donated bright La Senza bra.
It travelled from her local Oxfam to the sorting depot in Huddersfield then onwards to Senegal.
Her bra landed at Bourguiba, the HQ of Frip Ethique (which means ‘ethical second-hand clothes’) where it was compressed into a 450 kg bale and then was sold at the wholesale market and finally made it onto local market trader Ndeye’s stall. The bra was bought by a 22 yr old factory worker for 62p.
Each step of the process provides regular employment to local Senegalese people, from the clothes sorter to the market trader and has proved a financial success with 2011 turnover at £1.5m with profits returned back into Oxfam’s purse. A simple yet effective initiative and all we have to do to help is donate our old bras. So get the charity bag out and start filling!
All images The Sunday Times Magazine and Oxfam
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