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

Sari gets makeover, new look lures Hollywood

That magical drape called sari is spotted not just in the Indian woman`s wardrobe, it has international connoisseurs too. From Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen to heiress Paris Hilton, they have all sported it, though like a dress.

One of the most talked about socialites, Hilton is known for sporting high-end Western wear. But she turned desi when she draped a sari for the cover shoot of an Indian fashion magazine and said that she adored the six-yard wonder by designer Malini Ramani.

Not only that. For her first formal appearance during her three-day visit to Mumbai, the 30-year-old wore a coral pink Grecian sari-inspired gown.

Bundchen too wore sari for a magazine cover.

Nicole Scherzinger, Carmit Bachar, Melody Thornton, Jessica Sutta, Ashley Roberts and Kimberly Wyatt from the American pop girl group Pussycat Dolls flaunted heavily embellished black sequin saris during the New York fashion week in 2008.

One wonders how these international stars manage to carry off a sari, originally a nine-yard cloth that takes some skill to pleat and drape!

Very simple. Stylists have found an easy way out for them by putting pleats in place and setting pallus -- one just has to slip into it.

Designer Anand Kabra, known for making a beautiful sari-inspired collection, was perhaps the first one to introduce Concept Saris on ramp.

"The Concept Sari is easy to wear, especially if you have never worn a sari before. It is ready to wear with just one wrap around and the pallu over your shoulder. I have used it in both Indian and contemporary ways," said Kabra.

"Fabrics like tulle, chiffon, silk and muslin are very much in vogue and can do wonders in bright hues like neon, crimson and purple," he added.

These days Concept Sari is being popularised by Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor -- she is seen sporting one in the ‘Chammak Challo’ song in her forthcoming sci-fi mega budget ‘RA.One’.

Another form is a well-fitted sari with pre-stitched pleats and pallu and designers Gaurav Gupta and Raakesh Agarvwal presented them at Delhi Couture Week this year.

"A Gaurav Gupta sari compliments the modern woman who is open to transformation and embraces the flow from one style of hers into another," said Gupta.

Young designer Nida Mehmood feels the sari "accentuates a woman`s hour-glass figure and that`s why most Hollywood celebrities try wearing it."

"Also, what can be the best way to add a touch of class and sensuality in a country like India where every girl wants to wear a sari at some point in her life?" Mehmood told reporters.

For years, the sari was worn in a traditional way but designer Bhanu Rajopadhye Athaiya, India`s first Oscar winner, was perhaps the first to experiment with the nine yards, doing away with pleats and giving it a skirt-like look - as sported by Mumtaz.

Mahmood, along with designers like Tarun Tahiliani, too gave a makeover to sari and made models sashay in it on the ramp at fashion shows. A sari, according to them, can be worn over a pair of jeans or jazzed up with a sexy slim belt for a trendy look.

"I used belts emphasising the waist, adding more sexiness, style and youthfulness to the entire personality. I think young girls really liked these innovative styles. This idea of wearing saris over jeans is the interpretation of wearing a sari in a trendy manner. This is a trend that youngsters can follow for any casual party," Mahmood said.

Designers like Anamika Khanna, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Wendell Rodricks and Meera and Muzaffar Ali have done their interpretations of the sari.

Khanna invented sari pyjamas where she used crushed muslin fabric combining the sari drape with casual pyjamas replacing petticoats. Next comes Mukherjee who created the "chhotu" or cropped sari that is worn just above the ankle.

Anupama Dayal says, "Today saris are given more prominence than blouses and people take that extra pain to make the look perfect. Colour blocking, long pallus or very short pallus, and handloom fabrics are making a great comeback."

International designers also take inspiration from the sari -- in the 1950s, Italian designer Valentino designed a sari dress for Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of John F. Kennedy.

About five decades later in 2008, French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier showed a line of sari dresses in his spring summer collection.

Women wearing skirts at workplace ‘more successful’

Women who wear skirts in the workplace are more likely to make a good impression and get a promotion, according to a new study.

Professor Karen Pine, who co-led the research at the University of Hertfordshire, said that the results contradicted previous studies that suggested women should dress more like men to succeed in business.

  

Scientists showed 300 people pictures of women dressed in navy blue skirt suits and pant suits. The clothing was identical in everyway except for the bottoms.

Within three seconds, the majority perceived that the women wearing skirts were more confident, successful and powerful than their trouser clad sisters.

The results concluded that the option women have to wear such attire creates a competitive advantage within the workplace.

“People are judged on their overall head-to-toe appearance and the fundamental role that a dress plays in creating a positive first impression cannot be underestimated,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Professor Pine as telling the Daily Mail.

“Women still have to maintain an identity that balances professionalism with attractiveness. The skirt suit may achieve that balance without appearing provocative,” he added

Simply Outrageous!

Kansas City, Missouri-born, fashion designer Jeremy Scott, known for dressing Britney Spears and Rihanna, has a penchant for the outrageous. How else would one explain Wednesday's Spring 2012 collection that he debuted at New York City's Milk Studios in front of the likes of Michael Stipe, Ellie Goulding, Peaches Geldolf, Sky Ferreira, Patricia Field and Waris Ahluwalia? 

Set against the revving motorcycle engine background of Mötley Crüe's "Girls, Girls, Girls," Scott showcased a rocker-meets-western collection complete with cow prints, printed chain mail, bleached denim, bra tops and most importantly, barely-there chaps paired with thongs. All in all, it was a clever exercise in fun.

New York Fashion Week Begins Today

Designers showing collections at New York Fashion Week, which starts on Thursday, will likely feature bright colors including neon pinks, greens and yellows and polished yet casual styles, say top US department store buyers.

"Dressing up is the new cool, dressing down is old school," said Neiman Marcus Fashion Director Ken Downing.

Almost 100 designers are due to show collections for spring/summer 2012 to retail buyers, media and celebrities during New York Fashion Week, with dozens more showing at other venues around the city to coincide with the semi-annual event.

Amid fears that the United States could slip back into recession, department stores want to see fashion for the warmer months that will excite and entice consumers to spend when the collections hit the shops early next year.

"Designers are thinking about what does the customer not have and what ultimately will do well at retail, and customers respond to color," Downing said of what he expected to see at New York Fashion Week.

"I'm loving that contrast of neon, fluorescent color on top of bold, bright color," Downing said. "I hope that we do see more of it ... this accent of neon has a real newness."

While the US economic recovery is wavering and consumer confidence wallows at a two-year low, people are still buying clothes. High-end department stores have earned the largest gains in sales and US retail sales posted the biggest increase in four months in July.

Buyers from Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom are also expecting to see a sportswear influence on the New York runways. But Gregg Andrews, a Nordstrom fashion director, said that sportswear doesn't mean sweat pants and T-shirts.

"It really just means separates. It means separates that can be mixed and matched together," Andrews said. "Women no longer have separate wardrobes. ... They want pieces that do multiple things in their lives."

"We definitely think the whole idea of minimalism is going to continue with very clean streamlined pieces," he said.

Saks Senior Fashion Director Colleen Sherin said she was calling the sportswear trend "urban sport."

"It's this idea of clothes that fit a woman's more casual lifestyle, more active lifestyle, but that are still appropriate in an urban environment for city wear," she said.

When it comes to lengths, Sherin said there does not appear to be one "right length" and she said collections could have everything from mini to maxi lengths.

Runway looks will be "clean, sleek and modern," said Fashion expert Jill Martin, author of "I Have Nothing to Wear!"

"Designers are concentrating on the details of their lines to show the importance of cut as well as color and print," she said. "You'll see subtle hues, neutrals, earthy tones, and monochromatic looks with accents of vibrant colors."

Fashion Week in New York is followed by events in London, Paris and Milan.

( Courtesy: Reuters)