Tag: #FDCIBlog

A salute to the quiet warriors of handlooms — artisans, as they add a human touch to our otherwise assembly line wardrobes, in a soulful celebration of handloom month by Asmita Aggarwal ...

Strapline: She is a P(h)D from JNU and has written a book High heels and Rainbow Hijaab, to be published at the South Asian department of Hamburg University. This political science professor is a new face for the runway! Meet the brightest on the block---Nancy Pathak  By Asmita Aggarwal Tell us where ...

Dealing with a tragic loss to being a breadwinner Gunjan, is a force to reckon with. By Asmita Aggarwal She lost her father at 13, and had to move cities, Delhi to Jaipur, being the only child, she also had to quickly become the breadwinner, so Gunjan Hada Rajput, who is completing her graduation, ...

13 to 25, life has been a whirlwind for Mayara, a Brazilian model, who has been an avid world traveller By Asmita Aggarwal Coming from Brazil’s most prosperous financial centre Sao Paulo, for Mayara Fonseca modelling is the only things she ever knew. Since the age of 13, when she ...

From a village where girls aren’t educated to making it to the spotlight, Nisha Yadav is a story waiting to be told. By Asmita Aggarwal No one would have even heard of Shuklawas, Rajasthan, a tiny hamlet tucked away unlike its more popular magnificent havelis, but maybe one-day people might associate it ...

A former banker armed with an engineering degree and an MBA, Pavitra admits fashions charms were irresistible By Asmita Aggarwal It doesn’t matter if you have studied engineering and topped in it or also equipped yourself with an MBA degree to make sure your job prospects are high if you ...

Zenia Boga, is a model of many talents, from styling to acting, glamour makes her heart sing By Asmita Aggarwal At six feet one inch Zenia Yazad Boga, literally and almost metaphorically looks down on the rest of the world! But this is actually part of a genetic lottery that ...

For Sneha Ghosh, 27, who found meaning in life through yoga talks about why the body and mind need to be in tune By Asmita Aggarwal Her tryst with glamour came when she was selected for the Femina Ms India Eastern round, but due to strict attendance in St Xavier’s ...

Modelling is witnessing a chrysalis of sorts with small-town girls becoming coveted faces on the catwalk. One such tale is of Pragya Bais, a lawyer... By Asmita Aggarwal She grew up in a small town---Singrauli, in Madhya Pradesh, in a joint family, she had five siblings and her dad used ...

Evoking Herve Leger’s spirit in his offerings, debutant Sameer Madan hopes to revive the bodycon dress which has been abandoned, with his line “Entrapment” ...

The Tamana show was a tribute to the undying human spirit, how it preserves even in moments of despondency and dependency, yet rises like the proverbial phoenix ...

How to make a neoprene-loving generation admire and appreciate the beauty and purity of handspun is the challenge the handloom industry faces today. Making it “cool” seems to be the answer both metaphorically and literally! ...

Live piano, six style gurus, fame, awards and a whole lot of mingling made the first historic Couture Hall of Fame awards, by FDCI, a runaway success  ...

Weightless is the new language of instruction, as couture swings in the direction of opulence minus cult musings, power posing, flurry of feathers or inventive iterations, just mixing craftsmanship with a Tarun Tahiliani brand of realism   ...

Gaurav Gupta has studied the “Undercurrent” like no one else and decided not to swim against the tide. His couture is lighter, subtler and unfussy, armed with his new offering of shiny baubles and sharp tailoring to create an awakening for those who possess an undeniable mystique ...

A precious jewellery line, stores in Delhi and Mumbai, and a Peacock Foundation that will give scholarships to the poor, Shane and Falguni are ready to ace the game! ...

Shirt-like lehengas, meet handwoven chanderi displaying a shift to new vicissitudes as Reynu traverses to the other side with veils and net  with “Savannah Saga” ...

Being a trained artist thinking visually comes naturally to Suneet Varma. This ICW 2019 he introduces icy hues to capture hearts and craft a wonder book filled with spiritual literacy ...

 Bindu and Surya, mother-son duo combine music, engineering and physics to create a line that celebrates tradition, minus the jazz By Asmita Aggarwal You could call him the prodigal son, the one who stumbled into fashion, seeing the silent, but evocative efforts of his mother. Mother-son make the best pair, ...

Finally men strutting on nothing less than late Prince’s everlasting number Cream....a break from a sea of dresses, came some abs and toned muscles, as stripes and checks played truant with a generous dollop of Bollywood By Asmita Aggarwal It was the perfect song to play in the background----- Rolling Stones’ ...

From Pallavi Mohans ‘70s sparkle to Namrata Joshipura’s futuristic vision, day 3 of fashion week witnessed hair and make up looks that pushed the boundaries and were an experimental departure from the norm. Pankaj and Nidhi The designer duos love for art transcended their showcase which was inspired by Dutch ...

Dutch architecture has remained etched in the memory of Pankaj and Nidhi, as they revisit past classics and romance the present with new surface techniques By Asmita Aggarwal Sometimes you have to let go of the past to enable a better future and that’s just what Pankaj and Nidhi did ...

 Soul surfer Namrata Joshipura lights up the ramp with her shine and offers youthful classics that will withstand the time and tide By Asmita Aggarwal In the skyline, parks, flyovers, nightlife to the streets, each element of New York, has found an interesting representation in Namrata Joshipura’s catwalk renditions. The ...

The sari is one of the few pieces of ancient art, which withstood the turbulent Indian history and the western influences that came with it. In conversation with the industries leading designers, about this infallible traditional creation and its relevance in a modern context. By Asmita Aggarwal The simple sari, ...

Organic café, interiors, menswear, there are many plans in the floral printed life of Charu Parasher By Asmita Aggarwal For 25 years Mohini Kakkar, a buying manager, wore woven saris to work at Central Cottage Industries, with a large red bindi. Closely observing her was her young daughter Charu Parasher, ...

Amrich ideates around their signature Shibori, to create comfortable clothing inspired by African textile, circular shapes and the rock and roll era When two NID graduates, Amit Vijaya and Richard Pandav came together to launch ‘Amrich’, they set a motto for their brand. It was, ‘elegance of simplicity, beauty of ...

Using khaadi, block prints and artisanal force, Vineet Bahl creates patterns depicting the paradox of human choice By Asmita Aggarwal For a boy who grew up in Kolkata, to a father who was into steel, Vineet Bahl has come a long way. From turning an absolute “no”, when he mentioned ...

30 years and counting, bustiers and 3D embroideries, Suneet Varma has now turned his lens to photography and is paying an homage to new entrants with an exhibition By Asmita Aggarwal He worked with the inimitable Yves Saint Laurent, the only living designer, besides Rei Kawakubo, who was celebrated by ...

Day two of LMIFWAW19 was witness to some of the most experimental looks. Whether it was the colour pink breaking the myth of its dainty stereotype, or Huemn and Nitin Bal Chauhan’s monochrome looks, breaking the mould seemed to be the trend this season. Gauri and Kunal – Emerging from ...

On Einstein’s birthday, it is best to quote him: “Life is like riding a cycle, to find balance, you must keep moving”. Prashant Varma encapsulates this agony and ecstasy of what we all ‘indulge’ in everyday---- Life! By Asmita Aggarwal His brother Siddhant, supported Prashant Verma’s dream by becoming “the ...

Pooja Shroff connects the dots by reviving Batik from Java, Indonesia and preserving its originality and candour By Asmita Aggarwal There are many firsts for Pooja Shroff this year, her debut show at LMIFW’19 and her new store opening at MG Road which she calls a small, quiet retreat. Four ...

Edgy, funky, colourful and multifunctional---Manoviraj Khosla, dresses a man of many seasons By Asmita Aggarwal His father who worked in Tata Tea, was a simple man, but Manoviraj Khosla, growing up was greatly influenced by his mother, a woman of fine taste. From Hermes, Balmain to Kenzo, she wore everything ...

From a mysterious smoky eye and graceful braids at Vaishali’s showcase, to Rahul Mishra’s eclectic burst of colour and glittering tear ducts, each look at LMIFWAW19 was paired with stand out hair and make up looks, that added to the magic of the show. LivaEco Show – Four leading designers ...

Rahul Mishra talks about his three obsessions - Maheshwari, monochromes and tailoring  By Asmita Aggarwal A regular at Paris Fashion Week, completing ten seasons and five years this year, Rahul Mishra is not one of those who will rest on his laurels, rather he looks at what’s next? For any ...

Candid, irreverent, funny and unadulterated fun, brilliance is not defined by concepts, but by absorbing what we see around us, everyday from memories to upheavals, and translating it into intelligent design, just what Suket Dhir does! By Asmita Aggarwal Once going home in 2008, for a ‘Jatera’ at his village, ...

“When you know what you're against you have taken the first step to discovering what you're for,” Salman Rushdie had wisely commented. Similar was the case of Vaishali Shadangule, who left home in act of rebellion against societal pressures that dictated she live an ordinary life. Today, she is anything but ...

Diksha Khanna uses sharp contrasts and bold choices to bring to life ‘Hadith- A Desert Storm,’ her Autumn Winter 2019 collection, inspired by the bustling bazaars and quiet deserts of the East Amongst the greatest of Diksha Khanna’s creations, the coveted denim sari holds a special standing. The bright blue ...

Preparing to dye her fabrics in natural colours minus any chemicals, Shalini James displays her botanical prowess, while Sahil Kochhar pays homage to appliqué, sewing many moods of grandeur By Asmita Aggarwal The beauty about speaking to Shalini James, a Chennai-based style aficionado is her commitment to the craft and ...

Light yet strong, the Liva fabric gets heady renditions on Day one of the LMIFW’19, with Samant Chauhan going the Pharaoh way, and Rina Dhaka invoking the spirit of Rajasthan By Asmita Aggarwal Sustainability is the keyword in fashion today as designers strive to work towards a greener planet and ...

Inspired by hip-hop and its honesty of lyrics, from the heartland of Punjab Paras Chawla brings Naka, a label that combines two opposing ideologies --- suiting materials for street wear By Asmita Aggarwal Small towns are producing some rare talent whether it is Tiso Ghari’s Badal Kumar from Buxar, or ...

Abstract musings meet innovative falls and constructed cuts in Disha’s label, Done and Dusted By Asmita Aggarwal Being a businessman’s daughter Disha Sharma grew up in a joint family where she always had a mixed reaction to every move anyone took. She got used to sharing joys, sorrows, astonishment, adulation ...

A farmer’s son, Badal Kumar undertakes a heroic trek from Buxar to the arch lights of the wilderness called Delhi and creates a line that must be lauded one stitch at a time. By Asmita Aggarwal He would walk seven kilometres everyday to reach his open air school where he ...

Juhi Melwani is certainly not Doh Tak Keh like her mom thought her clothes would be, rather they look at fashion with some sarcasm by combining androgyny with distaste for popularity By Asmita Aggarwal Her mother would often admonish her for the “weird” outfit choices, and say, “Your clothes look ...

All hands are on deck at Eros Hotel on day two of fittings, as LMIFW is just around the corner. Whether it is Samant Chauhan’s vision of the future in white, or Diksha Khanna’s homage to the Middle East, eclectic concepts emerge in full force. A glimpse into what to expect from leading designers at Lotus Makeup India ...

From the land of canals, Anne Frank, tulips, comes Hannah, who would like to see the world, with a catwalk saga By Asmita Aggarwal Away from the city life, Hannah came from quieter spaces, The Netherlands, and was thrown into the madness of Delhi. At 15, she was spotted and ...

Serendipity got her to fashion, sustainable became her mantra, antiques her lexicon, Divya Sheth lets the past and future collide in her ensembles By Asmita Aggarwal With a family known to be loyal devotees constructing temples from Gujarat to Bihar, Divya Sheth never thought fashion would be her soul calling ...

Sushma Shah handcrafts jewellery from waste and manages to lure even the most unconventional buyer to try her experimental pieces! By Asmita Aggarwal Sometimes we aspire to do the exact opposite of what we see around us, maybe it is because we already know what it entails, the perils and ...

Priyanka Baid is shining the light on wood as an alternative to metal, as she handcrafts whimsical clutches armed with eclectic energy By Asmita Aggarwal Three daughters and a businessman father, who wanted an heir to run the family business in Kolkata made it hard for Priyanka Baid to choose, ...

Ambika Pillai has earned and held onto the reputation of being one of the country’s best make-up artists for almost three decades. Her understanding of beauty goes beyond current fads and instead, explores the context of the beauty world and its evolution. Crowned “Best Make Up Artist” by Vogue, and awardee of ...

Today, it’s all about embracing individuality. Be it Fenty Beauty’s revolutionary range of foundations or Gisou’s unexpectedly  real campaign, the industry has changed its direction from overdoing it and moved towards keeping it natural. “This season is about looking natural, with lots of texture – a balance between looking tousled but gorgeous,” says leading ...

Fighting colourism world over, black models have emerged victorious a bit like this Brazilian beauty Marcella Jackie, a first timer at LMIFW’19 By Asmita Aggarwal Even till today on the runways they exist in single digits and beauty companies only now have woken up and looked at launching products that ...

There is more to Brazil than soccer, carnivals, Gisele Bundchen, stunning coastlines and ‘Christ the Redeemer’.... meet Radylla, who gave up her white nursing coat for designer tunics and turned into an India lover and intrepid traveller By Asmita Aggarwal She has graced the covers of Swimsuit Illustrated, and is a ...

Practising Ahimsa, or non-violence Eri silk became the leitmotif for a Telugu from Hyderabad, Jyoti Reddy, who travelled to the North-East and revived the lost art of “caring” By Asmita Aggarwal The chances of meeting a Reddy in Assam are more than bleak, but Jyoti not only climbed the hills, literally ...

 It was like a moonlit sonata, bright, with the colour of love red dominating Aneeth Arora’s mindscape, as she let winter be warm, cozy, sweet and mindful. By Asmita Aggarwal ...

Fashion straddles both ideologies-form fitted and anti fit as marathon runner Namrata Joshipura brings back the body con, glowing gown and Siddhartha Tytler adds sequins to a man’s boring, black trouser. By Asmita Aggarwal ...

Fully loaded with muti-pocketed cargo pants, logos, checks and unapologetically oversized coats, men have embraced colour as graphics and stripes keep them hooked. By Asmita Aggarwal ...

The eyes, they say are the windows to the soul; maybe that’s why eyewear is now more than just an accessory, it can make a powerful statement as Indie Eye indulges us with a ride to the kingdom of cool! By Asmita Aggarwal ...

Almost 30 years in the business of dressing women, Sonam’s subtle strength is a testament to good design, as he mixes the old with the new----brocades with eri silk to create a palette that reverberates with spirituality and displays his commitment to slow fashion. By Asmita Aggarwal ...

In a world that thrives on being connected — Shikha Grover and Vinita Adhikari of Ilk — a brand moving towards becoming sustainable — are urging people to disconnect, one khadi garment at a time By Asmita Aggarwal ...

Celebrity stylist and designer Eshaa Amiin, believes that versatility and wearability is the key to a successful label and that women now don’t need body con dresses, but comfort and functionality  By Asmita Aggarwal ...