Star Treatment at Fashion Weeks

The fashion weeks are a destination for the fashion lovers, fashion seekers, fashion cultivators and fashion starers. This is the one stop destination for all your bi-annual fashion dosage. From shows to celebrities to parties, it’s a week full of drama and excitement.   But where there are celebrities and VIP’s there has to be some spectacular arrangements to please them during this mayhem. The lounges at the fashion weeks usually solve this purpose and have become more and more spectacular over the years. Every year, innovative themes and concepts are laid to design and make these lounges comfortable.

This year at New York fashion week, it was amazing to see the interiors and the services these lounges provided.

One such example was the lounge by Diane Von Furstenberg. She launched her new home collection, this season and showcased her talent by dressing one of the star lounges. 

An amazing concept for a launch, where you give    your clients, designers, celebrities, and Mercedes  Benz owners a treatment and experience they will    never forget. It was decorated with accessories,  furniture, fabrics and rugs from her collection, she  has worked on this lounge to create a luxurious  environment and a perfect place for everyone to  come and relax in between shows. The Mercedes  Benz Star Lounge serves as one of the debut  initiatives for the DVF home brand.

Her signature style remaining true to her bold iconic  prints and vibrant colours, provided this lounge  with an eclectic environment. Guests can relax, eat,  drink and mingle in this beautiful space.

 

Talking more about DVF home as a brand, it is a full comprehensive line of cutlery, bed sheets, table linen, duvet, bake ware etc. catering to an audience that likes to experiment in terms of print, colours and shape. The USP of her line is that it is mix and match, wherein it’s not essential to have everything as a set. All prints are yet different but when put together they still work and complete the look. DVF Home Collection designs are available exclusively at Bloomingdale’s. Besides this, Diane Von Furstenberg also caters to ready-to-wear, swimwear, handbags, footwear, eyewear, luggage, accessories and DVF by H. Stern fine jewelry watches.

Shop this collection at: http://www.bloomingdales.com/campaign/social?campaign_id=204&channel_id=1&loc=leftnav

To know more about ‘Ready to wear home’

Another look out feature, of the New York fashion week this fall of 2011 has been the return of the American express skybox. 

This lounge provides access for American express card members. It is an elevated hideaway for fashion lovers to experience the shows with the luxury of sitting and relaxing in a lounge. Complete with all sorts of refreshments, drinks and other necessary pampering one can be sure to enjoy the shows without having to run from one destination to another.

The glass windows provide full-length views of the shows and in between the shows the members can mingle with a who’s who in the industry, while gaining expert tips and insights from the talks and interviews with some of fashion’s leading voices from people within the industry.

Interview With Tim Gunn & Annabel Tollman

American Express also connected with the fashion lovers everywhere, who could not be present for the shows by providing them with an access to all of this season’s best Skybox moments through an innovative and engaging multimedia experience.The American Express Skybox Report offered unique insights into what’s happening in and around the tents at Lincoln Center from the exclusive lounge high above the runway, with authentic content that offers an inside-look at some of fashion’s biggest names. Find these insiders on www.amexskyboxreport.com.

The pampering doesn’t stop here, American express gave a premiere day of fashion during the fashion week. Beginning with the salon in Bergdorf Goodman wherein members received a lavish treatment by hair and makeup experts. Beyond this, once you hit the skybox, urban zen a community started by donna karan (founded to raise awareness and create optimal healing experiences by combining both Eastern and Western practices) gave therapy sessions. These sessions included body scans, messages with essential oils and reiki to reduce stress and anxiety.

With all these facilities, this is surely a one of a kind experience. The hectic fashion weeks for industry professionals can now be relaxing affair with still being able to collect the required details and information.

To know more:

Fashion weeks are becoming more and more innovative where designers besides their collections contribute to the event by offering unique experiences. From interesting visual displays to installations to lounges, one can breathe in the air of creativity during fashion weeks.

Fashion Reporter: Label: ‘Bodice’ by Ruchika Sachdeva

Who could imagine human body and anatomy could be an inspiration for designing clothes. Who said that only mechanics could work with

machines and metal? Who said that unconventional materials are only for avant garde clothes? Well even if some one said so, this young promising designer has all the ways to prove them wrong.

In the inspirational streets of Hauz Khas village that houses several designer boutiques, this young designer has her warm little studio. The beautiful garden and the historic architecture that one can see from the studios’ window, is indeed breathtaking.

The freshness and calmness on one side, along with the buzzing boutiques on the other, is just the perfect setting that one needs to come up with innovative and creative ideas.

The place is well equipped; the table where we sit has heaps of books and sketchpads with lots of interesting stationary. Stationed on the other side is the dress form that catches attention, it has some intense experimentation taking place. This is the latest spring summer collection that is trying to derive its direction.

 Ruchika is quite secretive about this collection, where she does  not disclose the use of a secret unconventional material that  she plans to experiment with.

But what all we know is that her  upcoming collection, just like her earlier one (where she used  metal extensively) is also going to be slightly unusual but yet  quite wearable. Striking this phenomenal balance, where the  clothes are unique and innovative without screaming and  catching over the top attention is her aim.

She says, her colour pallete would include earthy and mysterious colours along with tailoring being a strong feature. Structure and Androgyny are two elements that she calls as her signature style.

                                                                                   (Image courtesy wearabout.wordpress)

‘The way I dress, is the way I design’ she says, and you will always see her dressed in interesting detailed pants with impeccable shirts and a distinctive neck piece. Just to break it and add the androgynous element, her constructive jackets add that unusual quirkiness.

She desires to make formal clothing more casual, and to change the mindset of people who think formal attire can be boring. The gap in the market and the lack of designers that experiment with structure motivated her to take up the challenge. ‘New materials and New things inspire me’ she says therefore she enjoys playing with material and texture to add three dimensionality to her creations for example the use of buckles to create the spine on the back of a jacket, which she had showcased in her last collection.

Sitting in this studio, looking at all the beautiful books made me wonder what drives her and what would be her inspiration. She looks up laughs and answers; “London had made all the difference in my life”.

The designer studied in London College of fashion, where besides the college learning, she got exposed to the various sub cultures, art, museums and street style that is prevalent in the city. She says ‘it opened my world. No one is born creative, the more you see, the more you learn’ and this journey through the years made her see the seriousness in the fashion of London.

She remarks  ‘ London has given me enough inspiration to last a few years, and once I run out of it, I shall go and travel more’.

    

Coming down to how her journey in the world of fashion began. She is one of the few confident young professionals, who started her own label ‘Bodice’ so early in her life.

Just as she was graduating, she realized the urge to start her own label; she was driven by a different school of thought, which advocates “learn from your own mistakes and not from others”. On further probing she laughed and admitted ‘ I know, it’s not the smartest idea, but I nevertheless wanted to take this risk’. The Gen- Ex came to her at the right time, and gave her designing career a jump-start.

 

She is young and restless, and has taken up    designing for several other buyers and  designers as freelance. She hopes to expand  her team soon, and wants to open a new  studio where she will display her collection.  Currently, the designer sells online  via“fashion and you” and through some  stores in Delhi and Mumbai.

She has already been featured in several  magazines like Elle and Harper’s Bazaar as  well as several blogs. She is very modest and  humble when she says,‘ I just want to  provide people with good clothes’ and  hopes to come up with a diffusion line and  expand into menswear so that I can cater to  all audiences with a variety at hand.”

(Elle Magazine- One to watch)

(Priyanka Chopra wears Jacket from Ruchika’s collection- Harper’s Bazaar, March Issue)

She wishes to give the youth of today a message, a message that says experiment. She says, don’t go by the trend: be individual. Clothes are a powerful statement that reflect one’s personality, She substantiates this with an example—the street style on London that uses fashion as a tool to revolt in regard to sub-cultures such as punk and mod.

She truly believes in breaking the rules and the power of making a statement.

The interview ended with a rapid fire round, where she gave us a preview to some of her favorites for example—she chooses style over trends, London fashion week over new York, dreams versus reality and money and fame in equal parts. Her favorite quote being: Life is too short to blend in by YSL.

Some of her all time favorites include Junya Watanabe, Martin margiela, Rei Kawakubo, Aitor Throup, Alber Elbaz, Alexander McQueen…. The Doors, Moby, Radiohead, Eddie Vedder, Beatles & Sinatra.

                                                                   THE  LOOKBOOK

She concludes by saying, ‘it gives me a high, when you can be a

motivating factor and inspire others’.

‘Gyptaage’: A Design Collection

‘GYPTAAGE’ is collection very special to me. it was my first ever collection fully conceptualized, illustrated and designed independently.Hope you guys enjoy it, as much as i cherish it.

‘GYPTAAGE’ is a mesh of the gypsy fashions of the 1970s and the antique vintage fashions that can be seen from the period of 1920s through to the 80s.This collection illustrates a feeling that every woman has faced at some point in her life. The feeling of power that comes through the sheer confidence and arrogance of being attired fabulously.

Women’s frustration and the anger of being treated like mere puppets infused with their desire to crawl out of the alive but not so alive world. Men could depict their power through words and conquests, and since women could only express themselves through their attire which was their identity, so did their frustation.The vintage, in this collection, demonstrates the class and the luxury, the status quo that needs to be maintained.This can be seen with the use of quality assured and the luxurious taste in fabrics and trims like silk, feathers, lace, crochet, hats, tux style jackets, high collars inspired from the vintage times.

While some aspects of their conformity to society and their positions is captured by the vintage, the other elements, i.e. the gypsy style demonstrates the women that choose to rebel. It captures the attitude of traveling,wandering and a thirst of wanting to find one’s own destiny and hence proving to be of some worth. This feeling is expressed by adding the sort of grungy look with rope like belts, tassel and beads hangings, rough earthy fabrics and techniques like interlacing making the feeling of being captured prominent. The colour palette is in earthy tones and blacks intuned with the overall feeling of luxury and being rooted and raw.

Moodboard

Illustration one:The Grunge Mistress

The eclectic throwing together of hippie ish skirt, ruffled details and fringes.

Period Inspiration Reference

Illustration Two: The Rustic Traveller 

The sheer gutsiness of personal conviction makes the style inspiring. The play of textures run the ensemble from sheer to seriously outrageous the key feature being the chunky intersperse of deep colours with the crochet surfaces adding a dash of luxury.

Period Inspiration Reference 

Illustration Three: The Eclectic Beauty

The opportunity to revisit the rich & romantic story reinvented with a hint of grungy element. It evokes some romantic feminity with surface ruffles and burnt red crochet detailing having a dignity of a movie costume but at the same time slowly moving away from the vintage austerity and dismantling itself to unleash the rebellious, bold and fun side.

Period Inspiration Reference

Illustration Four: The Gallant Doll

Dressing involves an enticing melting pot of influences, from lush fabrics favored by the princely, to the silhouettes of the eclectic hippies all leavened with a dash of Kiera Knightly’s political and yet demure doll figure of the duchess. One needs a fashionista divas ransom to pull off the attire.

Period Inspiration Reference

Gyptaage is a freeing style statement. It is the way in which women rebel while acknowledging the rules of the society. It’s an attitude of knowing and acknowledging the rules and then consciously choosing to break them.

Inspiration images: fashion era

content, illustration, design and moodboard: Parneet

Wills Lifestyle: Autumn/Winter 2011: Runway Report

Fashion week is the time of the year when the entire industry comes to a common ground to appreciate and support each other’s hard work and also their love for fashion. With a total of 70 plus designers showcasing their talent and skills with an attention to design being of utmost significance put up brilliantness for fall/winter 2011. The air is a mixture of some hectically running around nervous people along with the others decked up in all glam socializing and expanding their existing wardrobes with newer and current pieces. The exhausting days usually end with rejoice where everyone forgets the long period of struggle and celebrates success.

I have happened to be a part of this event on the day three and trust me; some shows were just a treat to the eyes. Bringing to you, my experience and the runway reports of the shows that I personally viewed and were my favorites.

Show: ANAND BHUSHAN

Texture was the anthem of the collection. Clean cut, stiff silhouettes with clusters full of surface embroideries were the crux of the collection. These architectural pieces had a colour palette ranging from black and greys to neon and colourful surfaces. It was a perfect blend for colour and texture using zips, sequins etc. The detailing and surface seemed twirly worm inspired inter- twined with one another. One of my personal favorites was the jumpsuit and the dress set in manly woolen fabric and the structured moss dress. The collection also included some flowing dress in bright colours again with the same texturing. The ‘death by bacteria’ collection stood true to its name deadly.

Show: GAURAV AND RITIKA

They are absolutely my favorites; they stand true to my blog ‘the London look’. It was quirky, edgy, and eclectic all the things one need to have to make this collection stand out. One of the most exciting element of the collection where the unique shoes, they were easy and very effective. The colour palette was the usual winter drab but the duo added a dash of red to make their details more visible. The silhouettes were a well-designed combination between structured and slouchy. The wide legged pants and drop crotches blended smartly with well-constructed and 3D tops made the collection very distinctive. The cuts in the back designed soo aesthetically fitted perfectly and added the much needed sexiness to the collection. My favorite piece was hard to select, but it was surely the dungarees. I think this has been the duo’s signature piece this year; they had an exciting summer version as well. Another piece that has been stuck to my mind are the drop crotch button pants. The drape was simply marvelous. This kitschy collection indeed had an artistic and creative approach.

Show: ATSU SEKHOSE

The Dior’s 40’s silhouette made a comeback this fall winter 2011 with Atsu’s collection. The collection was dark but with a whole bag of luxury. The rich fabrics and the heavy antique tone on tone sequins gave the collection the under stated glamour. The colour palette included the dark mysterious colours with hints of rich orchids, forest greens, brick reds and deep blues to bring out the delicate contrast. The silhouettes included peplum jackets, hourglass shaped body hugging dresses, pencil skirts and long trails. The fabric selection was true to the luxury the designer wanted to portray ranging from satins to velvets to lace. The detailing was feminine but well tailored, like the obi belts used to cinch the waist, artificial stand alone collars or just the royal draped sleeves in sheer fabrics. One of my favorites was one of the last pieces, the structured jacket with the long trail skirt. The collection was simply sophisticated, wearable but with the right amount of glam.!

Show: ALPANA & NEERAJ

Unconventional pieces or wearable pieces of art that is how I would describe the collection. It felt like runways of paris where all the drama and art was being displayed. The collection had a wooden finish with well balanced and well crafted structural detailing. The construction was meticulous and seemed like beautiful sculptures walking down the runway. The gears used had bold detailing like buckles, straps, collars and not to forget the intricate interlacing seen in a few pieces. The colour palette displayed had various shades of wood combined with some free flowing fabrics to offset and break the armour type appearance of the clothes. My favorite from this collection was the beautiful dress with the front slit in a shade of violet, it imbibed the inspiration but with the sensual drape. The collection made a true runway statement.

While at the Fashion week, i also observed the Delhi street style becoming more and more exciting: Lets have a look.

DELHI STREET STYLE: WILLS LIFESTYLE INDIA FASHION WEEK

Credits:

Text : By Parneet

Images courtesy Wills Lifestyle fashion page on facebook

The Dance of Thought: A photoshoot

Desires, dreams and thoughts: we all are a part of a mysterious journey, where our unsatisfied wish list meets no bounds. It’s indeed pleasurable to be in a world where there are no hardships of life, a world that is unreal and joyful, that is uncomplicated and aspiring: at several points in our lives, we want to experience this feeling.  So guys, get ready to view this journey with me through my eyes with the photoshoot and imagine all the beautiful moments of your life.

Moodboard

The pure indulgence into a whimsical world, where the world is a better place, where she sings and dances to the joy of life. Her pure white sensual dress flows in the air as she moves and her flowerchild appearance gives her the demure honest spirit ..

she releases peace and love…

I have a dream…a song to sing…I Have a dream a song to sing.….I believe in angels of a fairytale…..i cross the stream..i have a dream…………

The Abba song playing in her head and she sings the lyrics again and again and again….

It is the story of a girl lost in her thoughts, sometimes happy, ecstatic and sometimes frozen and numb. The movement and expression are out there, she does not hold back from exploring her inner self, her aspirations and her fantasies.

She is youthful and courageous; she opens her eyes to the beauty of life, her mind to the magic of thought and her heart to the possibilities of love and happiness.

The simplicity and the innocence of her character wishes to share this hopeful attitude and spread the message of endurance and optimism.

She wants you to know that miracles do happen but only if you believe in them and yourself. It’s the nostalgia behind the adoration of all the beautiful moments of her imagination.

CREDITS:

Photography: Avin Chhabra,  Concept & styling: Parneet Kaur,  Model: Rupani Sharma

Makeup & hair: Nikita

The London Look

Fashion in London is far from being too commercial and comfortable. The streets are runways for viewing unusual and avant garde  in everyday life. The most eclectic of combinations and the most eccentric personal style are the keys for London fashion life.

The fashion can be raw and edgy like hippie, punk and grunge or be very artistic and innovative like layering.

Weather its boasting fashion trends in high street windows of top shop, New look, oasis, Debenhams, Miss Selfridges or the growing funky street wear styles, designers and eager fashionistas have taken over the city’s creative outlet.

Harvey Nicholas & Oasis (Spring 2011)

Miss Selfridges, Christmas 2010 display

Topshop Christmas Display 2010

London has some very admired and accepted designers like Burberry, Vivienne Westwood, paul smith, stella McCartney, Mathew Williamson, Mary Quant, Preen,Aquascutum etc. while others that are unconventional and still up-and-coming like Louise Goldine, Jonnathan Saunders, Gareth pugh, Aminaka Wilmont,Julien Macdonald, Danielle Scutt and many more.

Burberry Spring 2011 & Burberry Fall/winter 2011

Vivienne Westwood Spring/summer 2011 & Vivienne Westwood Fall/Winter 2011

Paul Smith Spring/summer 2011 collections

Stella McCartney,Spring/summer 2011 & Preen Spring/summer 2011

Mathew Williamson, Spring/summer 2011 & Aquascutum fall/winter 2011

Gareth Pugh spring/summer 2011 collections

Jonnathan Saunders Fall/Winter 2011 collections

Danielle Scutt Spring/summer 2010  &  Julien MacDonald spring/summer 2011

Aminaka Wilmont Collection

Besides designers for clothes, one comes across serious designers for the most minutest of things like props for shoots, accessories,blogs,retail windows etc. like Fred Butler, Alison Tod , Sussie Lau, peony Lim.

Fred Butler’s Accessories and props

Fred Butler’s headgear for lady Gaga: Telephone

Alison Tod’s Hats

Mad Haters Tea Party By Alison Tod: Edible hat

Style Bloggers: Susanna Lau & Peony Lim

The throw it on kind of an attitude well describes the quirkiness and weirdness of London streets. It’s a destination where the kitsch blends with the sophisticated british sense in just the right proportions.

On the streets of London it’s all about expression, by using the trends and style as a tool one depicts their inner self. Be it a simple Tee shirt, London is going to wear it in the most experimental way and style it to look a lot less simple. Break the rules to make an exciting concoction with stand-alone fashion pieces and trends for the London look. Wear a statement piece like a hat, necklace, distinctive shoes, unique hair Do’s,stark colours or use a lot of layering and draping to make your outfit stand out.The weather also promotes the uniqueness in fashion, it’s as unpredictable as the fashion. The concept of layering therefore works very well and London fashionistas have learnt to work with it like a charm.Mixing various prints or just random textures and fabrics like stripes, denim and fur can also get you close to witnessing the London drama.

London’s Statement Hair

Quirky Shoes on london streets

The unique Handbags

Watch the accessories on london streets

Headgears and Hats

The london Eye’s

The drama of colour on the streets

Drapes all the way

The weather’s call: Layering

London can also be classic

Stripes and checks: who said they are simple..

Mixing prints: learn it from Londoner’s

The play of Textures

The popular street style of London, also provokes street and flea shopping. Shopping at these places like Carnaby street, Portobello road, Spitalfields market can truly get you some exclusive and interesting items. And if you are the pricy kinds and high street brands or if luxury brands are your thing: choose Oxford street and Bond street or simply the Westfield shopping centre. For shopping in true london style visit Harrods, Selfridges, Debenhams or House of Fraiser. London had some excellent high street brands like Topshop, oasis, Harvey Nicholas, Jane Norman, All saints, River island, Dorothy Perkins and many more. Shopping in London can give you the simple classic style or fun and unconventional London style.

Shopping at flea markets in london

High Street Shopping in London:

Topshop & New Look

River Island

Dorothy Perkins & All Saints

If London fashion intimidates you and you are afraid of experimenting on how to put the look together, start by following the London fashion icon Kate moss and other fashion celebrities like the ones below.

Kate Moss: The fashion Icon

Lily Donaldson

Alexa Chung

London the fashion capital is very individualistic in terms of style and as strange one might think it seems, it definitely turns a lot of heads around for admiration.