Archives

Talk the Walk

Talk the Walk

In a fair and lovely world, Sangeeta Gharu makes a statement with undiminished courage, despite a rough childhood ...
Beauty has no skin tone

Beauty has no skin tone

Meet the lovely Kyara Coelho, 18, discovered by Wendell Rodricks, who is ready to take on the runway ...
Out of the Shadows

Out of the Shadows

Burn victim Sharan Mishra finds hope in FDCI’s inclusivity campaign for LMIFW SS'20 as she makes a courageous return to the catwalk ...
Fire and Ice

Fire and Ice

As LMIFW opens the doors for inclusivity, model Kenny Awomi, 26, hopes to use this platform to highlight overt discrimination faced by transgenders ...
Tools of Titans

Tools of Titans

Two Bollywood heart-stoppers, Kangana Ranaut and Sonam Kapoor and four legendary gurus, who crafted innovation in design through their iconic offerings, created a rainbow of hues for the LMIFW SS’20 grand finale ...
Botany of Desire

Botany of Desire

For 17-year-old first-time model Elix Chaudhary, growing up in Himachal Pradesh, nature served a metaphor of life, teaching her the virtues of continuity, dedication and discipline ...
Science of Love

Science of Love

Blue, anti-fit and powerfully feminine is their mantra, even as Gursi and Amrita of Lovebirds embark on launching a home line soon ...
No fault in our stars

No fault in our stars

Celebrities descend on the LMIFW SS’20 runway as sparkle charms its way into young designers’ repertoire    ...
Hustle and Ruffle

Hustle and Ruffle

His gowns ten years ago, found criticism, but Amit GT never gave up, even though the timing wasn’t perfect. Now he is back to give lehengas a ‘seductive’ makeover ...
Colour and light

Colour and light

Nanki Maggo creates a divine grid with hand marbling, as Limerick, her label swings between the obsessive love for vivid hues and edgy modernity ...
Zen Design

Zen Design

Central Saint Martins alumnus Akshat Bansal’s label Bloni gives women the freedom to choose shapes that are non-conformist, from over-sized to anti-fit ...
Wear no Evil

Wear no Evil

We are what we wear, with this philosophy mother-daughter duo Anjana and Ankita Bhargav launch Dhi, the ignition point of eco-chic ...
The Other Side of Silence

The Other Side of Silence

From the dusty town of Gonda, to the mean streets of Delhi, Akanksha Pathak, 23, has big dreams for her village, so an NGO is in the offing to help marginalised women along with straddling the glamorous pressures of modelling ...
Spinning Tales

Spinning Tales

Changing the warp and weft of the hand-weaving industry in Assam, Anuradha Kuli is a beacon of light for craftspeople and also a flagbearer of slow fashion as her muga, eri and cottons take centerstage ...
Designs on Prints

Designs on Prints

Dia Ajmera from the famed Amrapali jewellery family converted her love for art into a clothing line that pushes inclusivity with the philosophy one size fits all ...
Culture Trip

Culture Trip

Jenjum Gadi hopes to revive the magic of the reticent Galo tribe of Arunachal with wraps and sequins ...
A Picnic with Monet

A Picnic with Monet

IIM Ahmedabad and NIFT, Nidhi Yasha boasts of an impressive curriculum vitae, but behind the sharp mind are even sharper silhouettes and a nuanced understanding of design   ...
Fizz Control

Fizz Control

Pravav and Shyma embark on an ambitious journey creating a line for the iconic brand Pepsi giving it a Retro 80’s twist ...
Blue-Blooded

Blue-Blooded

Denim sees a nifty revival with Diksha Khanna’s chanderi twist, Huemn’s recycled ocean waste and Amita Gupta’s sassy Jodhpurs at LMIFW SS’20  ...
An Unequal Music

An Unequal Music

A victim of bullying and harsh judgments, facing rejection became a part of Tia Jamir’s life, but the 25-year-old transgender model learnt to toughen up and take life head-on ...
We should all be feminists

We should all be feminists

Two empowering women, Pratima Pandey and Rahini Ahuja, who represent the need for both practicality and reviving handlooms make the perfect opening for LMIFW SS’20 ...
Small towns, big stories

Small towns, big stories

From a village, then Gurukul to finally fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a model, Reeta Gaur hopes to emulate her Bareilly-raised idol, Priyanka Chopra ...
Sun is also a star

Sun is also a star

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” ...
Fat! So?

Fat! So?

Encouraged by FDCI’s “passion for fashion” call during model auditions, Beena Malji at 48, a plus-sized model is hoping to start a dialogue about body positivity     ...
Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek

Neha met Pranav and there was an invisible ‘cord’ that bound them to create leather accessories and easy clothing ...
Theory of Harmony

Theory of Harmony

 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, ...
Backstreet Boys

Backstreet Boys

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’ ...
Day 3 : Hair and Make up

Day 3 : Hair and Make up

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 ...
Let’s go Dutch

Let’s go 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 ...
Mind Gym

Mind Gym

 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 ...
Going the whole 6 yards

Going the whole 6 yards

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, ...
Imprinted

Imprinted

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, ...
Sound of Music

Sound of Music

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 ...
Threads of identity

Threads of identity

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 ...
Beautiful fall

Beautiful fall

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 2: Hair and Make-Up

Day 2: Hair and Make-Up

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 ...
Imaginative Realism

Imaginative Realism

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 ...
The dot that went for a walk

The dot that went for a walk

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 ...
The Man who knew infinity

The Man who knew infinity

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 ...
Fresh from the Runway

Fresh from the Runway

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 ...
Laws of Simplicity

Laws of Simplicity

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 ...
On a beam of light

On a beam of light

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, ...
The Ground Beneath Her Feet

The Ground Beneath Her Feet

“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 ...
Arabian Nights

Arabian Nights

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 ...
Harvesting Hues

Harvesting Hues

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 ...
Walk Like An Egyptian

Walk Like An Egyptian

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 ...
Gully Boy

Gully Boy

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 ...
Paths to the absolute

Paths to the absolute

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 ...
Triptych Theme

Triptych Theme

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 ...
Without Compromise

Without Compromise

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 ...
Fittings Day 2 – A glimpse

Fittings Day 2 – A glimpse

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 ...
The unDutchables

The unDutchables

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 ...
Sanctum sanctorum

Sanctum sanctorum

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 ...
There is a nice ‘ring’ to it

There is a nice ‘ring’ to it

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 ...
Norwegian Wood

Norwegian Wood

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, ...
Colour me red

Colour me red

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 ...
Hair Trends with Ambika Pillai

Hair Trends with Ambika Pillai

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 ...
A different mirror

A different mirror

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 ...
Princess of Tides

Princess of Tides

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 ...
Silent Spring

Silent Spring

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 ...