18th November 2013
I mentioned in my last post that I had just been to Mumbai to do my wedding shopping and I promise I will post my shopping guide this week!!! but for now I’ll start the week off with some swooooonnnnnalioussss bridal images from November’s Vogue India- It had to be you…
and as always the accompanying video is just as much a visual treat as the magazine pics
Images: Vogue India
4th October 2013
Ummm yep, I really should be posting my fave men’s looks from the GQ India Awards but hey ho! Here’s my fave looks from the ladies in attendance. I am *shock horror* not including Sonam Kapoor on the list, she looked fab (I think she could work a bin bag and still look hot) but it just wasn’t one of my favourite looks. In fact I’m pleased to say that most of the looks I loved were by Indian designers.
Neha Dupia in Roberto Cavalli
Shruti Haasan in Raghavendra Rathore
Kristina Akheeva in Namrata Joshipura
Shazahn Padamsee in Sonya Vijifdar
Lisa Haydon in Kshitij Kankari
Lisa looks soooo hot in this dress which shows off her killer body. Although I have to say Kshitij might have taken inspiration from the Prabal Gurung gown Deepika Padukone wore at the Filmfare awards.
Images: All images from Miss Malini click on the link to see more images from the night.
25th September 2013
It was full on glam earlier this week at the Emmy awards and there were plenty of gowns that had more than a hint of bridal about them. Many of the gowns were working this (and next seasons) hot trend- texture. And I’ve got to say some of the textured gowns were a little too twee for me that’s why my fave was the J Mendel gown Kate Mara wore. The placement geometric lace and thigh high split gave the gown a real edge.
Kerry Washington in Marchesa
Claire Danes in Armani Prive
Taylor Schilling in Thakoon
Images 1, 2 & 3 Vogue India
Image 4 : I’m a little
6th Sept 2013
Talk about a fashion re-invention. Nishka Lulla’s design direction has done a one eighty and thank goodness for it! Her first few collections were abysmal but those sugary sweet Barbie inspired collections have gone and have been replaced by boy meets girl shapes in yum fabrics and cuts that are so ON for 2013. Actually I have to say she got my seal of approval after that beauty of a A/W 12 collection at LFW and here she is continuing with her chic day luxe vibe…
Fab layered shirtdress.
This blush and metallic collarless coat ticks all the boxes! Love it!
Images: Lakme Fashion Week Facebook
30th August 2013
All these back to back fashion weeks are making my head spin! So, I’ve decided to in the words of John Legend- ‘to take it slooowwww’ that’s why I’m here posting a trend report on PCJ Couture Fashion Week and India Bridal Fashion Week when everyone else is already in the thick of blogging about Lakme Fashion Week. Ohhh Well! And yep I’ve put together both fashion weeks in the report because no matter how many times the organisers say there’s a huge difference between both I’ll disagree.
SEXY BACK
It was all about the sexy back at both Fashion Weeks. The prettiest examples were from Manish Malhotra with demure front necklines with open or low backs which just looked sooo yum.
WHITE & GOLD
White and Gold was trending all over the catwalks and I love these bold White and Gold looks. Who says you need colour to make a statement?
L-R Rohit Bal, Shantanu & Nikhil.
Anamika Khanna and Suneet Varma’s softer White and Gold looks
JERSEY SARI
Jersey Sari’s have been around for a while but these super hot incarnations needed to be shared. Seriously how super sexy is the master of drape- Guarav Gupta’s sari? I just can’t get enough of this trend and yep I’m still pining over the Sonaakshi Raaj sari Deepika Padukone wore recently!
JACKETS/CAPES
Layering in general was a big trend at both fashion weeks. There were cute bolero shapes at Rohit Bal and JJ Valaya and longer jackets over saris, pants and gowns at JJ Valaya, Raghavendra Rathore and Meera & Muzaffar ALi. Capes were also all over the place with the most directional at Anamika Khanna and pretty sheer capes at Masaba Gupta @ Satya Paul
L-R Masaba Gupta for Satya Paul, Anamika Khanna & Raghavendra Rathore.
THE ETHNIC MASH UP
I can’t think of a better name for this trend than- The Ethnic Mash Up. We’ve already become accustomed to the humble sari getting an injection of youth with pop art prints via the likes of Masaba Gupta and Aarti Vijay Gupta and then of course the jersey sari via the likes of Guarav Gupta and Sonaakshi Raaj. This reworking of the traditional continues with some exciting mash ups.
Anamika Khanna’s beauties- Is it a sari? is it a gown? is it a suit?
Masapa Gupta @ Satya Paul and Gaurav Gupta- Is it a gown? Is a Sari?
Images: PCJ Fashion Week Facebook, India Bridal Fashion Week Facebook and Barcode 91
19th August 2013
I haven’t even finished looking through all the PCJ Couture Week pics and here I am posting look book images from Anita Dongre’s Jaipur Bride 2013! They’ve been popping up all over the blogosphere and I had to share them. As always they are just soooo pretty. I love the pops of neon and fushia and the bold Gota Patti work, I can’t wait to see the whole collection and see the accompanying short film shot at Samode Palace, Jaipur.
Anita Dongre will be showcasing this collection on Friday at Lakme Fashion Week
21st August- Just adding the awesome short film that’s just gone live via Vogue India!!!
16th August 2013
I’m so excited to share the pics from this months Cosmo India! I was approached by the lovely Dessidre @ Cosmo India to take part in an upcoming Sneaker trend story and here it is! I still can’t believe me and my oh sooo awkward posing made it into the mag! : )
Images: Cosmopolitan India
12th August 2013
Sabyasachi opened PCJ Delhi Couture Week with a beauty of a collection titled ‘Opium Dream’ and in turn silenced any murmurs of criticisms that lingered from his dressing Vidya Balan at Cannes. I loved it all. The muted colour palette and toile de jouy fabrics were beautifully enhanced with tilla and zardozi work, hand embroidery and applique. And as always Sabyasachi’s work was all about an understated luxury with an old world charm. It was interesting to see Sabyasachi work with sequin embellishment, he used it more as another texture to add depth and interest to tone on tone pieces. Beautiful I say just Beautiful!
9th August 2013
The Chennai Express promos are in full swing and as always its the wardrobe choices I’m interested in! Deepika has been looking soooo hot and here are my fave five promo looks of hers so far…
Deepika Padukone in a Sonaakshi Raaj silk sari with pretty lace placement and embroidery.
Deepika in Pankaj & Nidhi
Deepika in a simple and elegant outfit by Anamika Khanna
Deepika in Arpita Mehta
I LOVE Manish Malhotra’s PCJ Delhi Couture Fashion Week collection and Deepika and Shah Rukh Khan were the showstoppers at the event. Deepika looked Ahhh-mazing in this stunner of a lengha!
Images: Facebook, Vogue India, Miss Malini, Arpita Mehta Facebook, High Heel Confidential
30th July 2013
Get ready for two weeks of all things WEDDING on The Asian Fashion Journal! I will be covering India Bridal Fashion Week in three parts and will be introducing a new regular on the blog tomorrow- Wedding Wednesday!
Day 1: JJ VALAYA & SHANTANU & NIKHIL
JJ VALAYA
JJ Valaya kicked off the week. His signature rich and opulent Mughal Maharanis & Maharajas were this season given an Iberian twist. Beautiful rose embroideries reminiscent of traditional flamenco scarves, a palette of blacks, whites, reds and blues as well as bolero-esque and off the shoulder shapes all hinted at his Spanish inspiration.
Whites & Golds @ JJ Valaya IBFW
Iberian-esque Boleros and embroideries
Sheer Paneling and Off the Shoulder detailing at JJ Valaya IBFW
HOT TREND ALERT: Manish Malhotra’s last collection featured sheer paneling between borders on lenghas and anarkalis and JJ Valaya showed a few examples here too. If two of the biggest names in Indian fashion are championing sheer paneling you know its def a HOT, HOT, HOT Trend.
JJ Valaya styled some of the saris with sari purses on a sari belt. I really don’t like this- it reminds me of a bum bag (or fanny pack) !
Showstoppers Kabir Bedi & Kangana Ranaut
SHANTANU & NIKHIL
Shantanu & Nikhil collection was a little hit and miss for me. The menswear as usual was Ah-mazing but the womenswear was not as strong or cohesive. I loved the white and gold gowns that opened the show but the jacket silhouette that followed and was repeated through the collection was sooo unflattering and the simple grey and ochre outfits were just to simple for bridal wear.
Shantanu & Nikhil Whites & Golds IBFW 2013
Like I said I did love the white & gold gowns but I did think they were pretty similar to Marchesa’s gowns. Especially the middle one which looked similar to this gown that Naomi Watts wore last year. What do you think?
Styles I didn’t like from Shantanu & Nikhil’s IBFW 2013 collection
Menswear at Shantanu & Nikhil IBFW 2013
Day 2: Kotwara by Meera & Muzaffar Ali & Jyostna Tiwari
MEERA & MUZAFFAR ALI
Meera & Muzaffar Ali’s collection is my fav so far. I love the delicate colour palette and the beautiful examples of chikankari work and delicate embellishment. It’s one of those collections that would have been great to see up close. I wasn’t too keen on the long jackets over saris that JJ Valaya showed but here they work well in sheer embellished fabrics that enhance the sari or lengha instead of just covering it.
White on White at Kotwara by Meera & Muzaffar Ali
Sheer layering in Pastel and Ivory
Jyostna Tiwari
For the most part Jyostna Tiwari’s colour combinations were a little too loud and bling tastic for me but there were a couple of beautiful cocktail saris that I had to include! I think the blue sari would make a fab statement at a wedding reception.
Gorgeous Cocktail Saris @ Jyostna Tiwari 2013
Images: Vogue India
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India Bridal Fashion Week Part 2 & 3 are coming soon! so check back.
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