Designer Pria Kataaria Felicitated in Dubai

Indian designer Pria Kataaria Puri has won the International Designer of the Year award for her contribution to the fashion world at the annual Masala Awards held here. She thanks her husband for her achievement.

"Years ago when I had started to design, my goal was to take Indian fashion to global level... Being awarded with this international designer award means more than one could ever imagine," Pria said in a statement.

"One person who is responsible for opening up new and various markets for me, especially in the Middle East, is my husband, Sumit, without whom I couldn`t have had the exposure and experience that has inspired my most successful work yet. I hope to continue pursuing my undeniable passion for fashion and portraying high fashion as a fusion of many different cultures and ideas of the world combined," she added.

The event took place Dec 23 and other than Indian fashion industry, it was also dominated Bollywood biggies who were honoured for their contribution to the Hindi film industry.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan won the Global Achiever Award; Arjun Rampal received the entertainer of the year award; Malaika Arora walked away with the UAE`s Dancing Diva award; and Veteran actress Shabana Azmi received the lifetime achievement award.

A Tete-a-Tete With Malini Ramani

After creating stylish clothes, designer Malini Ramani, who has recently introduced footwear styles in collaboration with a leading brand, is ready to step into the interiors business. She says it is like a dream come true.

"I am busy doing a lot of new and interesting things. One of my big dreams has been to get into interiors. It is finally coming true and I am opening a big lifestyle and interior store called Dreamscape in Goa next month. I can promise you that it`s going to be very dreamy and fantasy-like," Ramani told IANS.

The designer, who first launched her clothing collection "Rockstar Meets Indian Princess" in 2000, is known for her East meets West-inspired designs.

If the interiors business is new for her, so is the collaboration with footwear brand Bata India.

She has created wedge-heeled kolhapuri-style footwear for the brand and says it was just fate that brought her this offer.

It was actually fate! I had met Mr.Thomas Bata at a party in Phuket exactly a year ago and we exchanged business cards. When I got back to Delhi, I wrote to him and he asked me to put together a presentation, which I did and the rest, as they say, is history!" she said.

As a designer, Ramani`s philosophy is simple. She only creates clothes she would love to wear herself. She likes working with vibrant colours, plunging necklines, and believes in adding dollops of glamour to her creations.

"Fashion for women needs to be feminine and flirty and with a high dose of audaciousness and aestheticism; our clothes makes it all the more powerful. So whether you`re skiing in Gstaad in Swiss Alps, sunning in St.Barts or just desirous of looking undeniably chic, a Malini Ramani piece is always the perfect fit," said the designer.

Currently, she retails from her outlet in Mumbai, Monte Carlo, Dubai, Beirut and Moscow. Her creations are a hot favorite amongst celebrities like Ekta Kapoor, Koel Purie, Sameera Reddy and Pooja Bedi.

The designer considers fashion as her passion and credits the industry for her achievements.

Indian fashion weeks gave me the recognition as a designer and I have respect for it. The platform got us our best orders and helped us in building our brands. I would say that designing, which was earlier my hobby, has transformed into my business," she explained.

She also has a piece of advice for aspirants in the fashion world. "I want to suggest to people: follow your heart and don`t try to be anybody else or you will not be able to create your own style. Also, don`t give up! It`s a long and hard journey, but full of rewards," she added.

Asked about her plans of styling for any movie project in future, she said: "I have been busy designing lots of exclusive glittery party clothes for my Goa shop, I was busy shooting an ad-film and setting up Dreamscape...so all this has kept me busy so far," Ramani said.
(IANS )

Fashion Trends: Boho and Vntage

Fashionistas made heads turn with vintage-inspired dresses and graphic prints, and models lit up the ramp in wedge heels, animal print scarves and chunky jewellery. Here’s a look at the hot trends in 2011:

Vintage Fashion: High-waist trousers, drape-style maxis, peplum silhouettes and kaftans returned to the fashion scene with a glamorous makeover. Fashion fanatics also dressed in retro-inspired flared trousers, matched with chic tops and accessorised with animal print scarves or ribbons.

If that wasn`t enough, celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Katie Holmes, Rihanna and our own `desi bala` Deepika Padukone boosted the vintage-inspired wardrobe.

Skinny jeans: Remember Madhuri Dixit or Raveena Tandon in skinny jeans and oversized tops? The style made a comeback, but of course with modifications and fresh styling.

In shades of yellow, green and purple as well as in usual blacks and whites, skinny jeans and pants made a splash this year. Designers Narendra Kumar, Shantanu and Nikhil and Asmita Marwah were instrumental in popularising the trend.

Prints: The bigger, the louder, the better! Prints became more playful and expressive than ever. From fruit prints to bold animal prints, there was a huge range, but what caught people`s fancy was digital prints, especially after it was promoted aggressively by designers Kallol Datta, Rimzim Dadu, Namrata Joshipura and Rahul Mishra through their collections on the Indian ramp.

Bright Colours: The splash of yellow, orange, cobalt blue, teal and purple livened up the fashion scene. The bold and bright colour palette kept popping up on dresses, accessories and bags.

Boho Look: The boho look or bohemian style was dominant throughout the year. If pop stars Britney Spears and Lady Gaga made style statements with it, fashion free thinkers too followed the bright colours and wild cuts merrily. Floral prints and lacy tops to fringe-trimmed bags and chunky accessories accentuated the bohemian style, originally popularised by artists in the 1960s.

Ruffles and Layers: First, ruffles and layers hit the ramp and later stretched everywhere - from big stores to flea market. Tunics, skirts over pants, layered shirts and vests became a must have for every wardrobe. What was considered the coolest look was sporting ruffled skirts with T-shirts.

Designers like Gauri and Nainika, Babita Malkani and Nandita Mahtani experimented with the style, and displayed how to get the look right.

Tassels: Sometimes a little detailing makes a garment more noticeable and this time different types of tassels were the hot choice to accentuate a design. Adorning everything - from handbags to shoes to dresses and hats - it was tassels everywhere.

Hats: The Greta Garbo look was a hit this season - the Hollywood style icon used to complete her enigmatic look with her slouch Fedora hat. And this time hats were a must - from simple, elegant to elaborate ones decorated with nets, lace and feathers set a trend.

The demand for them was boosted by the royal wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince Williams where women made style statements with hats and other headgear in various shapes and shades.

Chunky accessories: Neon bags, chunky necklaces, bangles, earrings and belts as well as retro-inspired plastic sunglasses with thick frames, worn by Vidya Balan in "The Dirty Picture", gave a new dimension to the stylish divas` boho look.

Wedge Heels: Stilettos, flat chappals were very much there, but what made a woman stand out was the wedge heels. Size notwithstanding, it grabbed maximum space on the shoe racks. International designers like Fendi, Prada and Chanel made them in vogue.

They had been in the market earlier, but this time there was a huge range of variety to choose from - wedge heels were available with embellishments, cut-out details and lacework were hot picks of the season.

Three Day Vivah Exhibition Starts in Delhi

The ninth edition of Celebrating Vivaha Exhibition starts Friday here and with this season organizers hope to target the global recognition.

The three-day Vivaha extravanganza will see more than 90 brands displaying their wedding collections.

"When we launched Celebrating Vivaha in 2003, I decided to test the wedding market in the country. I endeavoured to redefine the concept of wedding and wedding exhibition in India with Celebrating Vivaha," said Tarun Sarda, CEO of Vivaha.

"After seeing the domestic success of Vivaha, I plucked the courage to take Celebrating Vivaha international. My aim is now to reach out to more and more people and get a variety of entrepreneurs directly involved in the business of wedding," he added.

Being held at Ashok hotel, the festival will be a one-stop solution for all wedding needs - clothing, jewellery, skin care, event planners, gifts, honeymoon packages, photography, etc.

Some of the experts, set to present an outrageous mix of design elements in clothing line, are Manu and Mamta, Preeti Ghai, Tanya Khanuja, Parneet Mehra, Niharika Kamani, Amirah and Bhumika Sharma.

In the jewellery section, brands like Navrattan Jewellers, Bikaneri Jewels, Shimmer, Vikas Chain, Shilpa Purii, Ruhee Nanda, Kavaan Jewels, Jusra Jewels and Entice will display their ornaments.

The platform will also provide a chance to meet wedding planners, skin care experts and others.  

Malini Ramani designs for Bata

Footwear company Bata India has collaborated with leading designer Malini Ramani for trendy and contemporary shoes and sandals and she is excited as her creations will now reach a wider section of the people.

This is for the first time that the designer has collaborated with a brand.

"I am super excited that the designs I have envisioned will reach a very wide audience, thanks to Bata. This is a highly creative and innovative partnership and I am sure women all over the country will love our offerings," Ramani, known for her trendy pret collection, said in a statement.

The collection, available in hues of onyx black, beige, brown, gold and black, is an amalgamation of traditional Indian Kolhapuri designs and contemporary lightweight wedge heels.

The designer says that the strapped look of the footwear will make the collection prefect for every occasion.

"The intricately embellished straps lend a stylish look to the footwear and make it perfect accompaniments for every attire be it casual day wear or dressy evening wear," she said.

The price range starts from Rs.1,999 and the collection is available at Bata stores across Delhi, Mumbai and Pune.

Go For Unisex This Winters

As winter knocks on the doors, stock up on a mix of bold colours and experimental designs that suit both genders, say experts. Coats, jackets, dresses, hats and scarves and even a mix of Indo-Western will be the major trends this season.

Designer Nida Mahmood, known for her flair for creative and dramatic creations, stresses on androgyny fashion for this winter.

"Androgyny and colour blocking is very much in trend and looks great. This season is all about teaming jackets with sharp trousers, ruffled blouses or buttoned-up shirts. Also, shoulders and high waist are the highlights of the androgyny look, and going metallic with colours is also a very cool idea," Mahmood told IANS.

She also feels the international fashion trends from the 1940s will make quite a splash in the Indian market.

"A smart trend which will hit the fashion markets are clothes inspired by the 1940s style. While long lengths are very prominent this season, full sleeves, floor length dresses and skirts teamed with buttoned-up collars tops are going to set the mood," she added.

Mahmood`s fashion tips were more for the bold girl who doesn`t mind experimenting. But if you are one of those who likes to stick to feminine silhouettes, try dresses, accessorised with belts and leather jackets.

"For those who want sophistication, metallic dresses, red carpet gowns and pencil skirts, teamed with belts and leather jackets can do wonders. To add fun, go for hats of different varieties like berets, beanies, cloches and caps," advised designer Jatin Varma.

"Hues like orange, aubergine, burgundy, purple, teal blue and indigo in fabrics like tweed, silk dupion, organza can work wonders," he said about the colours and fabrics in vogue for winter 2011.

Designer Archana Kochhar suggests the Indo-Western look.

"Colour blocking is an excessive trend which can`t go wrong regardless of either an Indo-Western outfit or a complete desi garment. As far as prints are concerned, floral, spotted and wild prints will continue to be in fashion. But I feel vintage prints will have a special significance in inspiring trends," Kochhar said.

The regulars like the coat and jacket will obviously be around.

"Top picks for the winter season will be a smart hat, gloves, high boots, an overcoat and woollen scarf. Maxi coat, double-breasted short jackets will be in vogue. Feminine blouses with bows or scarves are impressive. Not to forget leather which is also a hit this winter," said designer Kapil Arora of label Kapil and Monika.

Also, unlike common perception that embellishments are best kept for summer, Mahmood feels such add-ons lend a style quotient to winter garments.

She said, "Texture overload is a wonderful road to take this season. One should pile on thick and thin knits. Don`t hesitate to mix leather, sequins and patchwork...One can also go for boucle yarn to glam up the look. Plastic and metallic details happily join the look."

Designer Pam Mehta suggested, "Layering can make you look glamorous. And accessories like crystal belts, chunky necklaces, earrings and head pieces can be good options, and embroidered bibs can also jazz up the usually plain necklines."

If girls have so many options, why should men be left behind? Designer Sunneet Kapoor says military style coats, jackets, pleated trousers and bold pocket squares are making a huge comeback, apart from the usual Nordic motifs, stripes and check prints.

For accessorising, he said: "Men have restricted styles available but one can add variety to their wardrobe by adding accessories like a good watch, scarves and elegant brooches. Also, canvas shoes and loafers can work well for men this winter."

IANS