Well fashionscandal.com takes the pride in breaking the news that Parsons is opening an associate school in Mumbai. It was in mid November 2012 when fashionscandal broke the news:
PARSONS To Open A Campus In MUMBAI
November 16 2012
Followed it with another breaking news:
PARSONS Is Finally Here, In MUMBAI
February 07 2013
I was getting lot of queries from youngsters inclined in finding more about the Parsons Mumbai. Well folks all the info you need is finally addressed here by PARSONS Mumbai:
ISDI Parsons Mumbai
Submitted on 2013/05/16 at 5:44 PM
Dear interested students,
ISDI – Indian School Of Design & Innovation Parsons Mumbai is in collaboration with Parsons The New School for Design , New York. Our Undergraduate Diploma Program starts in July 2013 and Post Graduation Certificate Program starts in Sept 2013. Admissions are Open for Both and Entrance Exam Dates are 18th, 21st and 28th May. Kindly visit our website http://www.isdi.in to register online for the test or call us on +91 88********
Thank you ISDI Admissions Team
But let me narrate a very interesting episode that has got a lot to do with ISDI PARSONS Mumbai. The affiliation with Parsons New York was orchestrated by a Parson alma-mater – Radha Kapoor who is the owner of ISDI PARSONS Mumbai. Radha Kapoor is one of the three daughters of Rana Kapoor, the man at the helm of affairs at YES BANK.
Incidentally fashionscandal.com also did a piece on Radha Kapoor’s sibling…Rana Kapoor’s youngest daughter but since the piece was ‘not so charitable‘, Mr. Kapoor got very upset. Now typical of Indian richie-riches, he wanted to wipe me and fashionscandal.com out. He filed police complaints and yes cops are so prompt at acting on the behest of the Capitalist biggies that I was literally hounded. I stuck to my gun claiming that what I wrote was factually correct and did not take the article off. More harassment followed but then those are the risks I am willing to take for my readers. But eventually I succumbed when a very-very-very senior journalist, who is and has been an editor with couple of prestigious publications made a friendly request on behalf of Mr. Rana Kapoor to take the post off.
So I am pretty happy to be of some use to Rana Kapoor’s eldest daughter – Radha because they have come to fashionscandal.com to spread the news that ISDI PARSONS Mumbai is starting Undergraduate Diploma Program in July 2013 and Post Graduate Certificate Program in September 2013. Isn’t it a proud moment for fashionscandal.com???
What Goes Around, Comes Around!
Cannes 2013 is on and this year the festival will see the largest contingent from Bollywood as Cannes is celebrating 100 years of Indian Cinema. Bollywood stars who have already landed at the French Riviera are Amitabh Bachchan as the 12-Day Cannes Film Festival opened with the screening of The Great Gatsby, Vidya Balan who is part of the illustrious jury, the lovely Frieda Pinto and Sonam Kapoor who is there as one of the Brand Ambassadress for L’Oreal.
Cannes Film Festival is keenly watched by fashionistas to dwell over the style quotient of divas from the celluloid. Vidya 
Balan made three appearances, all in traditional Indian wear by Sabyasachi Mukherjee – one in a maroon lehenga (I particularly loved the simple Choli bereft of any gaudy embellishment), another in a lovely ivory saree paired with a brown blouse with gold embroidery on the shoulders and a final one in a peach coloured lehenga-styled in Mughal regality for the Gatsby screening. The final look was a little OTT for me.
Big B made a couple of appearances. The sporty/safari jacket that Bachchan donned was out of place. Rest of the Gatsby team were dressed up in greys and blacks. Bachchan’s striped blue Safari jacket and white pants and shoes did not compliment his natural style. And gawd that belt at the waist was a disaster. At The Great Gatsby screening Amitabh Bachchan was again the odd one out in his shimmering BLINGY jacket. Could have gone for a Bandhgala with sober embellishment if he wanted BLING.
Sonam Kapoor please apna Nath utaar do. (No pun intended! Nath Utaarna also means losing virginity, which I am sure Sonam’s done with.) Our stylish diva too opted for an off-white saree (Anamika I think) with a lattice work full-sleeve jacket for Gatsby screening but that huge nose ring was definitely an eye sore. Another appearance in a scalloped Anamika Khanna jacket with lattice work paired over high-waist pants was chic. She was also spotted with Frieda Pinto in a black and grey ensemble was nice too but I have my reservations over wether those gold danglers went with the look.
Oh yes Mallika Sherawat too was there at The Great Gatsby screening in an yellowish-orange sleeveless gown. Thank god there wasn’t any slits or sheerness or cleavage revealing elements in her ensemble.
There couldn’t be anything more offensive in fashion than the return of the ‘Platform Sandals’. Ladies are they really in vogue??? If my knowledge of fashion history is right I think it was the 70s – the era of bell-bottoms and floral prints – when the really weird platform shoes were the in-thing. Apparently they’ve been back for a while but seriously I can’t deal with it anymore.
The whole point of wearing high heels is to make your legs look long and slender, and platforms do no such thing. In fact they make your legs look weird and stumpy. Platforms definitely must be more comfy than stilettos or pumps but ladies they really look super Ugg.
Now look at these sexy pumps hand-painted by British artist Boyarde Messenger. He takes his cues from classic fine art paintings. These Arty Shoes are perfect for girls who know their Van Gogh’s from their Piet Mondrian’s and like to take art appreciation on their stride.
The unique arty heels are a Charlotte Olympia design called ‘Dolly’. Olympia enlisted the talents of Boyarde Messenger to create these special edition for Neiman Marcus and Art Basel Miami. The shoes feature extracts from paintings by Jackson Pollock, Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian and pop art legend Roy Lichtenstein.
Katrina Kaif’s first image in a bikini from Dhoom 3 is here.
She’s got a super toned bod here!
Latest Bollywood entrant and star-daughter, Shraddha Kapoor recently had a fashion faux-pas moment. At a function, Shraddha wore a black sequined short dress and flesh-toned knickers. Couldn’t really understand the colour choice for the underwear. Wouldn’t black been the apt colour??? Anyway wearing contrast colour panty was a hidden fashion blunder on Shraddha Kapoor’s part but flashing them while sitting definitely was a blatant fashion faux-pas. I fail to understand why can’t they sit ‘propah’ while wearing a short dress.
My dearest Preity Zinta has been busy with IPL and is judiciously present at all the King’s XI Punjab’s matches. She relegiously dons custom-made Kings XI logoed tops and salwar-kameezs. But at one of the recent matches I discovered that PZ has let her belly grow. Must be relieved after PVR agreed to distribute her Ishq In Paris, Preity must be indulging in Punjab’s butter-chicken and dal-makhani. In the picture here PZ’s belly-bulge is very prominent. Poor girl wasn’t aware of the camera on her or else she would had taken a deep breath and sucked in her tummy.
Before media go all crazy about the red-carpet spotting on the grand steps of the Met for the Met Gala at New York tonight, let’s remember the reason it’s all happening: to benefit the Costume Institute’s “Punk: Chaos to Couture” exhibit, opening to the public on May 9 and goes on until August 14.
Judging by these just-released pictures, the exhibit looks like it’s going to be just as exciting as tonight’s big party. The exhibit looks at punk’s influence on haute couture and ready-to-wear and examines how designers have borrowed the movement’s iconic symbols like safety pins, studs, leather, and rips. The exhibit shows more than 100 designs, from original 1970s punk garments to recent fashion pieces.
Designers featured in the exhibit include Burberry’s Christopher Bailey, John Galliano, former Balenciaga designer Nicholas Ghesquiere, Karl Lagerfeld, Christopher Kane, Miuccia Prada, Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci, Gianni Versace, Yohji Yamamoto, Helmut Lang, Hedi Slimane, and Vivienne Westwood. The exhibit’s galleries are dedicated to the different “heroes” who define the genre. Sid Vicious, for example, is represented in the D.I.Y. gallery, while Malcolm McClaren and Vivienne Westwood are the focus of another area.
One eye-grabbing gallery includes a re-creation of the legendary CBGB club’s infamous restroom. 
Foremost for the uninitiated I should explain the term – ‘Jugaad’ or ‘Jugaadoo’. ‘Jugaad’ is basically manipulation and the person who indulges in ‘Jugaad’ – the ‘Jugaadoo’ in that sense is the manipulator. Delhi is the infamous capital of Jugaad. Everybody is a fixer and they can ‘Jugaad’ you a free VIP seat at IPL Matches, admission in top-notch schools and colleges, and so-on-and-so-forth. This is one of the reasons not many ticketed music shows happen in Delhi as 80% tickets are given out on Jugaad quota and the promoters hardly make any money.
Last week while traveling back from Mumbai to Delhi, I found one such top-notch Jugadoo. It is a well-know gentleman - VC Burman, the Chairman of Dabur Group. I was amazed to see a ‘Sarkari’ Identity Card hung from his neck and sneaked close to see what it was. To my utter surprise, the ID Card was that of ‘Bureau of Civil Aviation Security’. I wondered what VC Burman got to do with Civil Aviation since his company is into food products, Ayurvedic products, insurance (Aviva) and investments. Dabur Group has not even remotely got anything to do with civil avaiation and I am not aware of any expertise that VC Burman posess on security matters.
So why was VC Burman a Member of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security? To enjoy the privilege of sailing through security checks??? I don’t understand why men of such repute need to do ‘Jugaad’ for such trivial benefits. VC Burman is also the Honorary Consul General of Nicaragua, yet another ‘jugadoo’ position that Delhi big-shots clamour for.
Today the much-awaited Shootout At Wadala releases. Sanjay Gupta, the director and Ekta Kapoor, the producer has ensured everything to make this movie a Box Office grosser. Besides a bevy of stars including John Abraham playing the lead, there is Anil Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, Manoj Bajpayee, Ronit Roy and Tushaar Kapoor, the makers have roped in a star – Priyanka Chopra. a pornstar – Sunny Leone and a sidey – Sophie Choudry too to add to the titillation factor to woo the crowd.
Priyanka Chopra dances to Babli Badmaash dressed in a leather cutout pantsuit and some heavy duty eye makeup. She is probably the most conservatively dressed item girl in the movie while Sunny Leone and Sophie Choudry go all out to titillate. Leone is seen in a low-cut blouse revealing much of her cleavage and the mound and a lehenga to up the sexy quotient in the Laila number.
Sophie Choudry sizzles in a tassled outfit and a bronze look in the song Aala Re Aala and shows the maximum flesh and flashes her knicker among the three item girls in Shootout At Wadala.
Did you know Louis Vuitton made wheelchairs? Well I didn’t.
I was rather shocked to see the images of pop-star Lady Gaga on a LV wheelchair in Chicago the past week. Gaga has been confined to a wheelchair since February this year, when she suffered a labral tear in her hip that caused her to abandon the remaining U.S. dates of her Born This Way Ball tour.
By the way Lady Gaga earlier spun around in a custom 24-carat-gold Mordekai wheelchair designed by Ken Borochov.
Woh…I am amazed by things celebrities do to stand-out and how the luxury brands are there to cater to all their needs. I am sure next time a Bollywood star breaks a leg or a hip, he/she will not be caught dead in a regular wheelchair or crutches!
As per highly placed sources, Anil Agarwal of Vedanta has picked up majority stake in a cash-strapped media house. The billionaire NRI hasn’t been deterred by the Supreme Court’s decision on leaving the onus on the natives and tribals on handling their land to industry, which affected Agarwal’s ambitious Odisha project.
Anil Agarwal has been on an investing spree in India and must have realised that owning controlling stakes in a media conglomerate would be a smart investment to mobilise public opinion. As per sources, the cash-strapped media house was bleeding and was on the look out for a buyer. The conglomerate had earlier divested considerable stake to another industrial house.
So if the news of Anil Agarwal of Vedanta buying into this mega Media House is true, it would be interesting to see how Agarwal and the other big stake holder work in tandem in running the business.
Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz spoke unabashedly about pubic hair – the 70s style bush on the Graham Norton Show. She was referring to a friend’s penchant for keeping a 70s style bush down there and gave a vivid description of how the bush swayed like seaweed when the friend dipped herself in the bathtub.
Gossip mill is speculating that Cameron is talking about Gwyneth Paltrow who said in an interview on Ellen TV that she likes it 70s style down there. She and Ellen were talking about the sheer dress at the premiere of Iron Man 3. As you know, she didn’t wear underwear. Which apparently required an emergency razor situation because, as she explained, “I work a 70s vibe, if you know what I mean”. So basically, in order to get into the dress, she needed to groom the GOOP. Here’s the video link:
http://www.ellentv.com/2013/04/26/gwyneth-paltrow-on-her-sheer-dress/
Here is the verbatim of Cameron Diaz talking about pubes on the Graham Norton Show:
Talking about a girlfriend…
Who is married…
“Who is obsessed with having a 70s bush”. And she loves it when it waves around in the bathtub like “seaweed”.
Apparently this friend of Cameron’s refuses to trim it so one day, all their friends grabbed her from the tub and took a pair of scissors and a comb and took care of it for her.
The video link of Cameron on Graham Norton Show is here. The section on ’70s style bush’ start at 20:30:
The ‘Desperate B-Town Gals‘ have made stripping-down a ploy to stay relevant in Bollywood. You all had seen Ameesha Patel in those garters to announce the launch of her production house’s first film. She looked hideous rather than sexy.
You must have also seen Sherlyn Chopra doing the skin-show thingy for her MTV Splitsville show. But with Sherlyn showing skin is normal; seeing her clothed would be abnormal though. Here is the link to a video promo of her’s: http://www.youtube.com/embed/NjWge47VYRA?rel=0
We also have Mallika Sherawat undressing to stay in news. Recently she posted her picture in black lacy lingerie on Twitter!
And now we have the hideous Veena Malik doing a bikini shoot!!!
Designer Ritu Kumar. the first ever Indian apparel designer was conferred the PADMA AWARD by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee last night in a glittering function at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Actor Rajesh Khanna was given the PADMA BHUSAN Award posthumously, which was received by Dimple Kapadia while the proud daughters Twinkle and Rinkie Khanna applauded sitting amongst the crowd. Actor Nana Patekar too was there to receive the PADMA SHRI Award from the President.
The Prime Minister of India – Manmohan Singh, his wife Gursharan Kaur and Congress President Sonia Gandhi graced the occasion too. Sonia Gandhi was seen in an animated conversation with Lt. Governor Tejinder Khanna. There’s no doubt they must be talking about the henous rape of the 5 Year old girl ‘Laadli’ and how to deal with this monster called ‘Rape’.
Wonder why the female hostesses on ‘Extraa Innings’ are changed every year while the male ones are there season after season. Yet another case of ‘gender inequality’ or as a politician, rather our Coal Minister said some time back – “women ‘purani ho jaati hai’ with passage of time”??? I also wonder why ‘Extraa Innings’ sign-on women with funny accents??? Rochelle Rao and Karishma Kotak have firangi accents.
Rochelle Rao has beaten Karishma Kotak hollow in fan-following and it seems the commentators, cricketers and the team staff, they have all got the hots for her. But this Chennai hottie has got her head on her shoulder and focussed on bigger things in life like the Miss International pageant and Bollywood. But a cuckoo told me that Rochelle and Virat Kohli have a great chemistry going. Karishma Kotak whose claim-to-fame is Bigg Boss is a loud-mouth. She went about town bragging that she is in Sohail Khan’s next movie opposite Salman Khan, which was vehemently denied by Sohail and then led the tabloids guessing that she is having a thing with her Bigg Boss co-contestant Vishal. No cricketer is taking the chance of getting close to madam Kotak as they fear that she will leak it to the press. They are happy with the Cheer-Leaders!
After Match parties are going on though Rajeev Shukla shouts from the roof-top that parties are not a part of IPL. Vijay Mallya and his Signature after match parties are on every night. Yes the party starts with a fashion show, which is nothing but an excuse to show legs. Why Rina Dhaka had to be part of such shows? Why Rina why??? Models make mega bucks so it’s justified but designers don’t get a penny.
By the way folks can you tell me this photograph of Rahul Gandhi and Gauri Khan is from which IPL?
Fashionscandal.com had earlier posted about Vijay Mallya’s son – Siddharth Mallya’s desire to enter movies. Sid did an acting course in Los Angeles and as per sources might even make his debut in B-Grade Hollywood movie producer – Ashok Amritraj’s production. But I was taken aback to see Sid Mallya with King of Porn Movies, Jeremy Ron. Don’t tell me Sid that you are considering a career in Adult Movies.
What’s happening guys??? Sometime back we posted about Katrina Kaif and her sister hobnobbing with yet another Porn Star turned Porn Movie Producer – Terry Stephens. You can read that post here: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-1fQ
Post the horrific Nirbhaya rape and murder incident in December 2012, Delhi’s nightlife was severely clamped down. All nightclubs, bars and lounges are suppose to shutdown by 1am. In fact cops and beat police literally walk into these places and ensure the place is empty. At times the cops directly order customers to leave. It is totally unfair. I don’t subscribe to this policy adopted by Delhi Police post Nirbhaya Rape Incident. The number of policemen they waste in ensuring that nightspots are shut should ideally patrol the streets where probably the real threat is. But who can argue with the cops and their archaic mindset. The business of clubs, bars and lounges have been badly affected.
But then we have few who are great at dodging the law. Few clubs have created a ‘Private Room’ for their high-spenders. The club shuts at the stipulated 12:45 am but the special guests and high spenders are discreetly moved into the ‘Private Room’ where the party continues till dawn. The ‘Private Room’ has a separate DJ, good sound-proofing, separate bar and even a washroom. So when cops come snooping, they will find no action at the club.
The nightclub at The Lalit – Kitty Su was the first one to carry on the clandestine after-party at the ‘Private Room’ and has found LAP resorting to similar tactic. No-doubt shutting nightspots at 12:45 am is a dumb idea but dumbber is the fact that the police aren’t aware of these after-parties at ‘Private Rooms’ hidden within the clubs. Or is it that the cops turn a blind-eye for reasons well known???
PS: The images in this post are only for ‘representation purpose’!
Thanks to highheelconfidential we discovered the blatant plagiarism by Mumbai based designer Surily Goel. Even a blind man can say that the honeycomb neckline dress that Surily Goel showcased as her Fall/Winter 2013 collection at WIFW was a shameless imitation of Gucci’s spring/summer 2013 style. The images bare it all.
In fact Surily has a penchant for copying Gucci. I discovered yet another copying act from Gucci’s 2009 collection.
With her ‘power dressing’ suits, pussybow blouses, pearls and solid handbags, the late former Prime Minister – Margaret Thatcher’s signature style was inimitable. In fact Britain’s Iron Lady was the first British Prime Minister to have given impetus to British Fashion. In an interview, Thatcher said, “It was time the government ought to show their tremendous appreciation for everything the fashion industry does. It employs 300,000, it does 1 billion exports and I have felt for quite a long time that we don’t give them enough government moral support for the tremendous work they’re doing.”
Thatcher was often outfitted by British heritage label Aquascutum. In fact her personal stylist - Margaret King was an executive for Aquascutum. Margaret King, created many original outfits for the Prime Minister. An avid fan of the pussycat bow, Thatcher had countless blouses, both printed and plain, with long ties. “I often wear bows; they are rather softening, they are rather pretty” she was quoted as saying.
The Iron Lady was quiet a bag-hag. She once described her handbag as the only safe place in Downing Street, and it became a symbol of her style of government. Thatcher’s beloved black Asprey handbag fetched £25,000 when it was auctioned at Christie’s recently.
Though Thatcher blew the British Fashion flag and had friends like Zhandra Rhodes and Margaret King from the fashion world, she had haters too. Katharine Hamnett was one of them. Hamnett made an appearance at a Downing Street party in 1984, wearing a white T-shirt emblazoned with the anti-nuclear message – ‘58 per cent don’t want perishing’.
In September 2012, a collection of seven suits worn by Baroness Thatcher in the Seventies sold for a total of £73,125 at auction – ten times the minimum estimate of £7,000.
Hotelier Vikram Chatwal, the ex husband of Delhi socialite – Priya Sachdev was arrested on 2nd April at the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport with an arsenal of drugs hidden on his person, in his crotch and in his bag. Chatwal’s association with drugs in nothing new. He was also at a drug rehab hospital in Mumbai few years back and many US Tabloids have many a times reported Chatwal and his BFF – Lindsay Lohan as coke-buddies.
Vikram Chatwal was booked on one count of trafficking (6 grams of heroin) and seven counts of possession … including cocaine, buprenorphine (an opioid), clonazepam (a sedative), alprazolam (Xanax) and lorazepam (muscle relaxants), ketamine (a horse tranquilizer) and weed.
According to the police report, Chatwal admitted to cops that he illegally purchased and possessed the drugs.
Woh…what’s happened to Deepika Padukone? Where did the washboard-ab and the toned body disappear? I mean I was aghast to see Deepika Padukone in her new voluptuous form at the IPL 6 opening ceremony. Even last night post KKR’s win over DD at IPL 6 opening match, Deepika’s thighs looked big when she walked along with Shahrukh Khan in the stadium. Has she put on bulk for Chennai Express? Down-south actresses with meat are preferred. They like their leading ladies to be buxom and bootilicious and yes they have a thing for thunderous-thighs.
Katrina Kaif looked pretty toned though but hey the pleasant surprise came from Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. In this picture taken after AB Baby and Ash landed at Vancouver for TOIFA she looks pretty slim.
The term – ‘Fashion Show’ or Fashion Week’ has been most ill-used in India. I have written enough on the subject – on how India has more ‘fashion weeks’ in India than the sum total of fashion weeks held in Fashion Capitals of New York, Paris, Milan and London. In India we had a fashion week named after an individual – Prasad Bidapa Fashion Week. You can read it here in my earlier post - The Term – ‘Fashion Week’ Has Become A Joke: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-1gb
Recently we had a designer taking a bow twice during his show and who could it be but Manish Malhotra. Then we had a ‘Indian Fashion Summit’ where fashion designers, choreographers and fashion scribes were awarded but surprisingly I had never heard of the winners in my 15-years plus career as a fashion journalist.
And now we have a gentleman who has introduced the dirty-trick of horse-trading in fashion. I though horse-trading happened only in politics. Vijay Singh who got into fashion just because his wife – Jyotsna Tiwari was never approved by the jury at FDCI shows. He started ‘Bridal Week’ in Mumbai. This year he is doing the ‘Bridal Week’ in Delhi and timed it just before the Delhi Couture Week organised by FDCI. Singh always had an axe to grind with FDCI. Anyway the designers are poached with huge sums of money courtesy two big sponsors that back the Bridal Week. Have you ever heard anywhere in the world of a designer getting paid to do a fashion show? It happens only in India! Vijay Singh has poached the popular designers and the five biggies of Indian Fashion Fraternity are offered an average of Rupees 40 Lakhs to just participate in the Bridal Week.
No doubt the Delhi government levies Entertainment Tax on Fashion Shows. When organisors like Vijay Singh pay hefty amounts to designers to show their collection, it is something like ‘performance fee’ that showbiz people charge. Hence government is right in levying Entertainment Tax because these events no way help in establishing that a fashion show is a ‘Trade Show’.
Don’t most self-proclaimed fashionistas spend hours in front of the mirror? More so the ones who hire PR to brand themselves as Divas and seek invitation to parties? Well here is one such case – Aijesh Oberoi who claims to be a fashion designer (But then who isn’t?). These days I get to see her pretty often on ‘Page Trash’, oops -’Page 3′.
Aijesh Oberoi was lately snapped at some random do where she happily posed for the paparazzi in her fashionable clothes and ignored the fact that her top was short for the low-slung pants she wore, making her belly peek out. I am sure it is not a deliberate attempt to give a sneak-peek of the belly or the latest fad. If it was, then madam Oberoi should have had done something about the ungainly stretch marks. Have a look for yourself.
Dear divas, wearing fancy labels doesn’t make you fashionable. Wearing clothes that compliment your body sure does!
BISHI- a songstress, a performer and a fashionista is taking London by the storm. “The New British Diva” The New York Times stated! She is a friend of mine who I met some years back when she periodically visited India to learn Sitar from the maestro – Ravi Shankar. Bishi aka Bishnupriya Bhattacharya is a fashionista too and have been extensively shot by lensman Nick Knight and last year Vogue -Italia released her album.
Here is the video of a Bishi’s rendition of one of Rabindranath Tagore’s song with her mother – Susmita Bhattacharya.
Bishi adds this note for fashionscandal.com readers about this song:
Hi there,
Blessings for the road ahead from my mother and I!
I’d like to wish you a wonderful new year with this beautiful song and visual treat from my mum, my team and myself 
Gram Chara is a reworking of a well known poem by Bengali poet and novelist Rabindranath Tagore, set for our voices and strings by Neil Kaczor & produced by Matthew Hardern (who also directed and produced the video). The main strings are played by The Ligetti Quartet whilst the solo viola da gamba is played by Liam Byrne.
I grew up hearing my mum (Susmita Bhattacharya) sing this as a lullaby and in performance during her career as a classical singer.
She has studied the Tagore tradition throughout her life and 2013 is an important celebration for the man regarded by many as the greatest writer in modern Indian literature. 100 years ago Rabindranath Tagore became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
He was an accomplished artist, environmentalist, rural reconstructionist, political thinker and philosopher; as an educationist he founded the International University, Visva-Bharati. His compositions were chosen by two nations as national anthems; the Republic of India’s Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh’s Amar Shonar Bangla; he even established a new dance form called Rabindra Nritya.
Tagore had strong links with Scotland after establishing a close friendship with pioneering Scottish town planner Patrick Geddes and his grandfather Dwarkanath Tagore was honoured with the Freedom of the City of Edinburgh in 1845.
The string arrangement echoes with Scottish themes that pay respect to this historic International communion of art, literature and humanity.
English Translation……
Beguiles my mind the earthly road
Beyond the village it does spread
I know not for whom my mind thrusts
With arms languishing in those dusts
Pulling at my feet the road drags me out
To an obscure end I know nothing about
In which turning in the road
Will I find the mother lode?
Where some new person I will befriend
I can’t fathom where it will end
Lots of love
Bishi x
Since Bollywood Diva – Kareena Kapoor signed on to endorse the Lakme Absolute range of colour cosmetics, she has been one of the shiniest factor for Lakme Fashion Week (LFW), held bi-annually in Mumbai. If I recall right – since Bebo signed-up with Lakme, she has been the show-stopper for two grand finale shows – Manish Malhotra’s Summer/Resort 2012 and Kallol Datta and Pankaj & Nidhi’s Winter/Festive 2012. Tonite Kareena Kapoor will be there as a show-stopper for talented designer – Namrata Joshipura’s grand finale show.
Fortunately, including this season, it has been Delhi Designers who had been doing Lakme Fashion Week’s Grand Finale shows. Kareena Kapoor as a show-stopper gives a major boost to the Delhi based designers amongst Bollywood’s fashionistas. We had seen that for Pankaj & Nidhi. But Joshipura is already popular amongst B-Town actresses and star wives. Still Bebo’s tadka is always welcome. Wadddyyyaaa Say???
Kareena Kapoor in a Manish Malhotra gown a year back was a disaster. The outfit of that kind you see at passing-out shows of students from nondescript fashion schools. The following season, Bebo wore a Kallol Datta printed shirt-dress. Very ‘Kallol’ but too low on ‘glam’ for somebody like Kareena. Pankaj & Nidhi’s tassled leather number got mired in controversy so I will skip commenting on it. But yeah tonite I Kareena Kapoor did dazzle in Namrata Joshipura’s candy-floss colour scheme. But how I wished Bebo would had worn the sexy orange flared mini skirt (the one she is wearing in the Top-Right picture) instead of the neon pink pleated palazzos that makes her look stunted. But then I have heard that Kareena is very difficult to deal and a designer may not always get her to wear what they would had preferred.
Well taking a nap in a glass box in a museum is hard to be conceived as art but when Tilda Swinton does it, it’s an ART! Tilda Swinton has currently taken up residency sleeping at MoMA. It’s part of an unannounced, surprise performance piece called “The Maybe” that will be taking place on random days all year. A MoMA source said, “Museum staff doesn’t know she’s coming until the day of, but she’s here today. She’ll be there the whole day. All that’s in the box is cushions and a water jug.”
“Tilda Swinton will be doing unannounced, random performance art pieces sleeping in a glass box in the museum,” the source added. “Today is the first performance. Each performance lasts the whole day the museum is open.” Swinton and her box are located near the ticket collectors today, but the box may be in different locations at other performances.
“The Maybe” was first performed in London in 1995 at the Serpentine Gallery; Swinton conceived the performance piece, and asked artist Cornelia Parker to collaborate on the installation. Swinton later re-performed the piece in the Museo Barracco in Rome. Here’s what the museum has to say about the piece: An integral part of The Maybe’s incarnation at MoMA in 2013 is that there is no published schedule for its appearance, no artist’s statement released, no no museum statement beyond this brief context, no public profile or image issued. Those who find it chance upon it for themselves, live and in real—shared—time: now we see it, now we don’t.
If 2012 was a great year for the Indian Movie Industry aka Bollywood, what with films setting new Box Office records by grossing over Rs.100 Crores, Rs. 200 Crores and out-of-the-box movies like Barfi, Kahani and Gangs of Wasseypur not only getting critical acclaim but turning to be a hit at the Box Office too.
But 2013 has started on a somber note for Bollywood. Sanjay Dutt was convicted by Supreme Court in the 1993 Mumbai Blast Case and was sentenced to 5-years imprisonment. Today the age-old Black-Buck case in Jodhpur that had indicted Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Neelam, Sonali Bendre and Tabu will be heard in the court and possible judgement would be pronounced. Salman Khan’s hit-and-run case is still sub-judice and he has a new case to deal with where fishermen have accused Salman Khan and his bodyguards of manhandling, threatening and causing damage to property. This small fishermen’s colony is just opposite the new bungalow that Sallu bhai has purchased.
Then we have Preity Zinta’s run-in with the Enforcement Directorate who recently probed her on the source of funds that she had invested in her IPL Team. Of course there are zillion of unverified reports of fimstars’ run-in with the law. Like recently it was reported that Saif Ali Khan manhandled a CISF man who asked him to vacate the VIP Lounge at the Lucknow Airport or Bipasha Basu being stopped at the Customs for carrying in undeclared valuables…
I think as we celebrate the 100 years of Indian Cinema, all the pending cases against our film stars should come to conclusion. It would be ideal way to celebrate 100 years of Indian Cinema.
The fate of Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, who is facing six-year jail term for possessing illegal arm, as well as 100 people, convicted in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, would be determined by Supreme Court today – 21st March 2013.
A Bench of Justices P Sathasivam and B S Chauhan will pass its verdict on appeals filed by Dutt against his conviction and sentence under the Arms Act. Out of the total 100 convicts in the blasts case, 12 were awarded death penalty while 20 others were sentenced to life term by a TADA court in Mumbai in 2007. Others were handed out varying jail terms. As per reliable sources – the film star will not be reprieved by the Supreme Court.
Dawood Ibrahim, Tiger Memon and his brother Ayub Memon, alleged to be the main conspirators of the blasts, were declared as proclaimed offenders.
A total of 257 persons were killed and 713 others injured when a series 13 coordinated explosions shattered the metropolis on March 12, 1993. Property worth Rs 28 crore was destroyed in the explosions in which RDX was used for the first time in the country. Most of the 100 convicts had filed appeals in the Supreme Court.
Manish Arora showcased his Fall-Winter 2013 Collection that he showed at the Paris Fashion Week on 28th February at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week F/W 2013 Grand Finale too. The set at the finale show was grander, the models were from India and some amazing Trance music played on Live. Sonam Kapoor was their in the audience dressed in a Manish Arora saree.
Designer Manish Arora showcased his Ready-To-Wear (RTW) Fall-Winter 2013 collection at the Paris Fashion Week on 28th February and yes, the collection was typical ‘Manish Arora’. However I felt that he cramped in too many stories or fashion elements in his 45-pieces collection.
There were multiple looks cramped in: one emphasizing psychedelic geometric digital prints, second one that hewed to the very Indian colors of pink and yellow and featured Deco black crystal embroidery, and then a sedate look in textural navy and black that Arora had decorated with various kinds of jewel-like embellishment.
In addition to that, there was a knitwear category, a first time use of knits by Manish that had navy Lurex pieces worn with piles of gold jewelry. The textural black and navy looks were probably the best part of Manish Arora’s Fall 2013 collection. The trim skirts and tops with multicolor stones were nice too.
By the way Manish Arora’s Fall-Winter 2013 RTW collection was inspired by the Burning Man festival in Nevada.
As published in Sunday Standard/ New Indian Express:
A new model from Bangalore – Archana Akil Kumar -discovered by photographer Rohit Chawla is making her debut on the ramp at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) fall-winter 2013. Her face, her body, her complexion and most importantly her attitude towards work has caught our attention instantaneously. She reminds us of Laxmi Menon who went global – was featured on the cover of American Vogue and walked the ramp at New York Fashion Week & Paris Fashion Week. Laxmi had a mentor in Prabuddha Dasgupta.
Rohit Chawla says, “She (Archana) just needs to go to Paris. The shoot I did for Tarun Tahiliani with her was amazing and this girl is how easy to work with.”
Way to go girl!
The Fall-Winter 2013 of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) kicks-off today. Pray that the designers show us real fall-winter clothes and not hide behind the overused excuse that most of India hardly has seasons or winter for that matter. If that’s the case, then opt out of fall-winter showings please.
The Day 1 of WLIFW F-W 2013 has an interesting line-up. I am looking forward to Masaba’s debut collection for Satya Paul. The epic brand has first time out-sourced a creative director, post Puneet Nanda’s exit from Satya Paul. But then Pallavi, assistant designer is an old war-horse at Satya Paul with 15 years experience and Masaba is good with prints, which is Satya Paul’s forte. Guess the brand – Satya Paul’s core philosophy would be intact.
Kanika Saluja looks like will present her gold metal studded dresses that she showed sometime back at a soiree. Anupama Dayal too sticking to her forte of interesting textile and vibrant colours in her ‘Ishq-e-Dilli’ collection. Looking forward to it. Vineet Bahl’s last fall-winter collection was great and I am looking forward to his show too. But I believe this time Vineet Bahl is showcasing Indian wear.
And of course I am anxiously looking forward to the last two shows of Day 1 – Pankaj & Nidhi and Namrata Joshipura. Love their work as the raise the bar every season, year after year. Don’t know much about Pankaj & Nidhi’s collection (I like the ‘surprise’ element of a collection.) but have a feeling that Namrata Joshipura is going ‘Monochromatic’. Can’t wait to feast the eyes on them!
Legendary film-maker – Steven Spielberg is visiting India on Anil Ambani’s invitation. Ambani and Spielberg’s relationship is now a couple of years old since his company, Reliance Entertainment invested in Spielberg’s company, Dreamworks. Ambanis have been regulars at the Oscars now. They were seen with Spielberg, Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Fields of Lincoln, which Reliance Entertainment co-produced with Dreamworks. Last night Reliance Entertainment hosted a talk show – “Steven Spielberg in conversation with Amitabh Bachchan”. Accompanying Spielberg is Dreamworks’ CEO & Co-Chairman, Stacey Snider.
Amitabh Bachchan twitted about Spielberg, “the guest in conversation .. simple, honest and with immense candor ..”. Post the conversation Big B twitted,“ …and then after its all over .. a quiet dinner amongst the four of us …”
Would love to see this conversation. Any idea when it’s going to be aired???
Kate Moss has reportedly agreed to be on the Cover as well as on the center-spread of Playboy’s January 2014 issue. It’s going to be the iconic porn magazine’s 60th anniversary issue. But then somehow it isn’t much of an excitement for many. Wondering why??? Well Kate Moss has posed in the buff several times. She has done so many topless shoots that legendary a fashion scribe once most aptly said, “She’s seen Moss’s boobs so many times, she could pick them out of an anonymous lineup.”
Playboy won’t show anything NEW that Kate Moss hasn’t shown earlier! She posed nude for Pirelli Calendar and most recently she did a nude shoot for a fashion magazine where she displayed her pubes too. Here are the links to those posts on fashionscandal.com: March 02, 2012 - Stars Stripping For Fashion Magazines: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-Rd
January 30, 2013 - Line Between Porn & Fashion Blurring: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-1hd
As per sources Kate Moss will be shot for the Playboy cover by Mert and Marcus this week in London. (Wow this guys work almost a year in advance for their issues!) W‘s Alex White is said to be styling the shoot.
First lady Michelle Obama, bowed her head in a moment of silence, as Nirbhaya, the courageous 23-year-old victim of a brutal gang rape on a moving bus in Delhi was posthumously honored with the Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award at the State Department in Washington.
At the State Department presentation ceremony on International Women’s Day, John Kerry, the Secretary of State praised the determination and courage of Nirbhaya describing her as a brave woman whose life was snuffed out in a brutal assault
“For millions of Indian women, her personal ordeal, perseverance to fight for justice, and her family’s continued bravery is helping to lift the stigma and vulnerability that drive violence against women,” said Michelle Obama in her official statement.
As United States celebrated International Women’s Day by honouring Nirbhaya by posthumously bestowing her with the ‘Woman of Courage’ Award, Delhi and Mumbai ladies celebrated the day with champagne-brunches, pampering spa treatments and make over sessions!
I have been thinking about writing on the ‘Rape’ issue and the male psyche for quiet some time now but somehow had been postponing. Just a day back a close friend who was really disturbed about reading about more rapes in the newspaper suggested I write on the issue and shared her experience too. Today being the Women’s Day, I thought I will write about Indian Men and their psyche and Rape.
Foremost we must accept that rape is not something that happens in lower strata of the society. It is there in so-called high society too. Upbringing of a boy, the way his father, uncle or brother treats women are dominant factors that shape up a man. I will write about my experiences. Yes I was part of the group in high-school that passed nasty comments on girls. I may not have uttered the remarks but I was part of them and made no attempt to dissuade the guys indulging in it. I passively participated in the so-called ‘eve-teasing’. But as I grew and matured, I definitely made it a point to snub the guy passing lewd remarks on women at work place or at night-outs.
The so-called high society men are as lecherous and lustful as that bus driver and his friends that raped and killed Nirbhaya. I have seen them and heard them at nightclubs and lounges. Once few drinks are down the lust gets ignited and all they do is eye girls whom they can possibly bed. Why do you think the city’s clubs and lounges do ‘Expat – Nite’? Just for the fact that it will attract Desi men in droves. Yes Indian men think a ‘Gori’ or a ‘Firang’ girl is easy game. But truth is that they aren’t. I have often spotted a ‘firang’ slapping a guy and creating a scene when he tries to grope her or indecently touch her. Indian girls shy away from this but they shouldn’t.
We may complain about the mindset of our cops who still believe that a girl in short-dress is inviting rape. But what about our mindset? Isn’t it the same? You see an unaccompanied single girl or a group of girls dressed in ‘short-dresses’ and having a good-time in a club, invariably you’ll see hordes of men hovering around. Often I have overheard – “saali akele naach rahi hai; game hai”.
Married men are the worst. I don’t know why they are such Thadkis? Even if they are, why can’t they satiate it at home or if the wives are leaving them dry, they can easily take a trip to Bangkok. Undeniably the most lecherous men of Delhi’s high-society are married. Moment they get some space from their wives or say the wife is out-of-town, these men go berserk. And they think money can woo girls. I wanted to do a list of Delhi’s Top Lecherous Men around 2012 Year-End but I gave it a miss because of the horrible Nirbhaya gangrape incident and the prevalent mood then.
Changes in law, sensitising of cops can only achieve little. It’s on US MEN to effect the change. If next time you are around men passing lewd remarks on women, make it a point to stop them. If you see a guy bothering a girl in a club, be MAN enough to stop that thadki and yes make your son(s) respect women. I am not sermonising, I have been practising too. In February while walking back home from a late-night movie with a female friend, I heard a bunch of guys sitting in a car pass a disgusting remark – “Darling Aa Jaa Mere L**D Pe Baith Jaa.” I walked ahead, ensured that my friend was in safe distance and then went back to the guys in the car and took their photos with my phone, the photo of the car’s number plate and went back. While returning after dropping my friend, these guys (3 of them) roughed me up and tried to get my phone but I fought back and called the cops. They were taken in. So what if I get a blow on my face or get roughed-up? It’s a small price for teaching those guys a lesson for passing atrociously lewd remarks on a female friend.
Each of us do this little bit and things will change for sure!
Raja Bhaiya, the MLA from Kunda, UP who was till recently the Food & Civil Supplies Minister in Akhilesh Yadav’s cabinet is in news mostly for the wrong reasons. This time he is hogging the limelight for conspirating the brutal murder of Kunda DSP. Raja Bhaiya is notoriously famous; a sort of an enigma who has been winning election after election – 5 in a row as an independent candidate. For most he is a DON but for many he is a DAYAVAN.
Way back in August 2004 when I was with the Times of India/Delhi Times, I did an interview of Kunwar Raghuraj Pratap Singh a.k.a Raja Bhaiya. I asked him about his infamous pond full of alligators where he throws people who err against him, his Dabanggai when he goes horse-riding every morning, his love for guns and being the Gabbar Singh of UP, the days spent in jail and his ‘Princely’ lifestyle. In a frank, openhearted chat, Raja Bhaiya tells all – “I am just an ordinary guy”! (Mind you, this is not my opinion of Raja Bhaiya.)
- I was born in the family of Talukdars of Awadh in a small town of UP, Pratapgrah on 31stOctober 1969. From the days of royalty, till date, even in free India, people respectfully address my father as Raja Sahab, Raja Udai Pratap Singh. I was the only son of my parents but that doesn’t mean that I had the liberty of getting pampered and spoilt. My father is a strict disciplinarian. I respect him a lot but like in old families, father is that figure who is little feared too. So automatically I was more close to my mother. With my mother, I could demand things and expect to be pampered.
- Politics was never pre-planned career option for me. I was always interested in farming and enjoyed the simple life of my village, Kunda in Pratapgarh. It was on sheer demand of people of Kunda that I got into politics. Since my father use to meet the people every morning to hear their problems and settle minor disputes, every morning almost the entire village used to turn up at the house, which was again misquoted as Durbar. In one such meeting, the people insisted on me fighting for the MLA seat from Kunda and that’s how I got into politics.
- 1n 1993 state elections, I was elected MLA from Kunda. So strong was the support of people that even the nearest candidate lost by such a margin that his guarantee money got confiscated. It was an overwhelming victory and since then, my detractors have managed to create an anti-image, which unfortunately media laps up immediately. What Darbar do we hold? My father sits on a charpoy and I stand by his side. Have you seen a Darbar where a Raja sahab is sitting without his throne? It’s all loose talk.
- “Raja Bhaiya” is a name given by people out of love. I myself do not believe in Royalty in this democratic country. Every neighbourhood in India has some body by the name of Raja. Govinda even starred in a movie called ‘Raja Bhaiya’. It is a total misconception that I rule Kunda as a prince or something. I love horse riding and since childhood days, there were horses in my house. What is wrong if I go horse riding in the morning? When here people play polo on horseback, then they are cheered. When Ramaswamy’s horses win a jackpot, he is raved. But when ‘Raja Bhaiya’ rides on his horse in the morning, he is a scrupulous, dominating man behaving as a feudal lord. What does it show? It shows vengeful behaviour on part of detractors to paint a wrong picture of me.
- I am an amateur shooter and also a registered member of National Rifle Association of India. Hence, I often practice shooting with my rifle. Me, holding a rifle made a great photo opportunity for my detractors and promptly and skillfully they splashed it in various media to brand me as if I am some Gabbar Singh. It only exposes their weakness and insecurity. I just laugh it off.
- Mayawati’s regime in UP has been the state’s darkest era. The period has been worse than the Emergency period. Literally all civil rights were suspended with POTA. Since I supported Kalyan Singh’s government when Mayawati withdrew her support, I became her prime target. In her tenure I was booked under POTA for dacoity of 200 mud-bricks and dacoity of kitchen utensils. One side, they paint me as a Prince with lavish lifestyle and on the other, frame me for dacoity of bricks and utensils. You can very well understand the picture.
- My days in jail were really painful. For ten months I was kept in solitary confinement in a room with a tin roof. There was not even a fan. In summer it would be like a furnace. I knew what they wanted to achieve but I was strong to bear that torture. I found my strength and peace from reading Ram Charit Manas and Geeta during these inhuman torturous months. Eventually, the sinner fades away. When Mayawati’s government fell, I was taken out of that solitary confinement. I gainfully utilised my days in jail by reading and keeping my mind healthy. In fact, I introduced volleyball in the jail and got a quality diversion for the prisoners. Seven months later from the day Mulayam Singh took on as the CM of UP, I was released. This period has also showed me who are my real friends and who aren’t.
- Like in every old household in rural India, we too have a pond. I was surprised one day to read somewhere that the pond is full of alligators and “Kunwar sahab throws people who err against him”. Strange stories. Do you think Mayawati, who could build a corridor on Yamuna, couldn’t have sucked the water out of the pond and make a video of the menacing alligators and beam it on all the TV channels? I laugh at these stories as it only exposes one’s immaturity.
- I am a simple man. I have no great political ambition. Till date I contest as an Independent candidate because all I want is to serve my native land. I don’t nurture an ambition to cross over to national politics and contest for an MP’s seat. I am happy with the quiet life of Pratapgarh. I have a happy family – my wife, two sons and two daughters. For entertainment or relaxation, there is nothing like my morning horse-ride and sometimes I go with my family to watch a movie. After a long time, I saw a movie – Troy because my children really insisted. I am no Raja, no Prince… am just an ordinary guy whom people address as Raja Bhaiya…people who matter to me has faith on me, rest, I don’t care. One is always invited to come to my village in Kunda and attend my inter-action session with people, the so called Durbar, fish in my pond where all you’ll catch is small fishes and feel free to take a dip, no alligator is going to grab you and can even go horse-riding in the morning to enjoy the fresh air of dawn. Welcome to Kunda!
Anne Hathaway wore a pink Prada that was majorly criticised as a ‘disater’ by Hollywood’s fashion police. But then Anne had to do a last minute change an opt for the Prada number that she wore for the Oscars. She was supposed to wear a specially-made Valentino gown to the Oscars. Anne had learned the night before the Oscars that Amanda Seyfried was going to be wearing an Alexander McQueen gown that resembled her Valentino.
The inside details of Anne Hathaway’s dress-drama was revealed by US Weekly:
“US Weekly has brand-new details on what went down between Les Miserables costars Anne Hathaway and Amanda Seyfried the day before the Academy Awards — and caused a panicked Hathaway to ditch her planned Valentino gown in favor of a Prada creation for her Oscar-winning night.
An insider close to the situation tells US Weekly that Hathaway learned during an Oscar rehearsal at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 22 that Seyfried planned to wear a dress notably similar to hers to the ceremony. After Hathaway asked about her pal’s dress, Seyfried graciously shared an iPhone snap of the Alexander McQueen creation.”
It’s not ANNE’s fault nor is it Valentino’s fault that Amanda Seyfried wore a Sarah Burton/McQueen gown, which was so strikingly similar. But I just get the feeling that Anne was and is so incredible Nautanki Saali that when one part of her Oscar strategy faltered (the dress!), it felt like her whole world was crashing down. Here’s what I don’t get though – why did Anne end up picking that terrible Prada? Surely she had better back-up options than that?
Folks bear with me for blowing my own trumpet!
Yesterday The Huffington Post carried an article on Elizabeth Taylor’s style evolution in Huff Post Style section:
Elizabeth Taylor Style Evolution: From Gorgeous Child Actress To Silver Screen Legend.
Here is the link to the article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
What I am thrilled about is that Huff Post has mentioned a post I put on fashionscandal.com in June 2011 – ‘The Seven Year Itch’. Huff Post has linked fashionscandal.com post in their story. Here is the excerpt from Huff Post’s story - Her reinvention reached its pinnacle in her role as Maggie in 1958′s “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.” (Why the image of Taylor, clad in a silk nightgown and resting on her bed, isn’t as iconic as Marilyn Monroe’s “The Seven Year Itch” white dress scene is almost criminal.)
Here is the link to my post: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-xd
I am grateful to The Huffington Post for giving due credit to FS. Something that Indian media has often deprived me of…
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Sexy and sultry actress – Chitrangada Singh has finally ended her marriage with ace golfer Jyoti Randhawa. Their’s was never a smooth-sailing marital life. After making her film debut – Hazaaron Khwaise Aisi, Chitrangada was literally forced to go into a long hibernation as hubby Jyoti didn’t like her being linked with other men, especially film-maker Sudhir Mishra.
However Chitrangada Singh made her comeback into Bollywood and managed to balance home and work and shuttling between Delhi and Mumbai. Today her hands are full and is doing well in Bollywood. After Inkaar with Arjun Rampal, Chitrangada will be seen in I, Me Aur Main with John Abraham.
As per sources, Chitrangada has moved out of their Gurgaon house and the marriage is over. On second thoughts – this news comes just before the release of I, Me Aur Main??? But my sources say that this is not a publicity gimmick.
Preity Zinta’s was spotted at Milan Fashion Week. She was there for Roberto Cavalli show and the Pucci Fall/Winter 2013 show.
Here we see Preity Zinta sitting next to Janet Jackson in the front-row at the Cavalli show. Hope she isn’t thinking about a career in singing a-la Priyanka Chopra…
Preity Zinta may be missing from Bollywood but was spotted at Milan Fashion Week last night. Is she going the ‘Sonam Kapoor’ way??? Well PZ was with Manav Gangwani, designer cum luxury biz (Infinite Luxury) entrepreneur at the Roberto Cavalli show.
Dressed in a jacket cinched at the waist over a slit-skirt, Preity Zinta looked chic. In the photograph that was taken outside Cavalli show the other girl with Manav Gangwani and Preity Zinta is Simrin Choudrie in a fur coat. The trio were heading for the Pucci show next.
So will it be ‘Fashionista in Milan’ by Preity Zinta after ‘Ishq in Paris’??? By the way what happened to ‘Ishq in Paris’? Any news about it guys???
PS: The photographs here are property of fashionscandal.com. Do not use it in any manner without due permission!
Versace entered India with a franchise agreement with Sehgal Brothers. But the marriage did not last long and in November 2012 Versace terminated its contract with Sehgal Brothers. The arrangement soured because Sehgals couldn’t live-up to the terms of their agreement with Versace. In fact the finances of Sehgal brothers were so mismanaged that they defaulted in paying rent to DLF Emporio. What could have been more embarassing for a luxury brand that the store’s electricity supply is cut-off?
Since Versace terminated its contract with Sehgal Brothers, speculations were on that they will sign-up with Genesis Luxury or come in as a 100% subsidiary. But now through reliable sources we have discovered that Versace has finally inked the deal with Infinite Luxury.
Infinite Luxury owned by Sahiba Narang, Manav Gangwani and Rahul Kapoor is rapidly acquiring brands and growing to be a strong player in the luxury retail business. The group kicked off with introducing Roberto Cavalli and Cavalli Caffe into India. This was followed with tie-up with Italian knitwear giants – Missoni and and the brand known for its eclectic prints – Emilio Pucci. Add to that Versace and that makes Infinite Luxury holding licenses of five uber-luxe brands for India.
Yoga, which took birth in India some 5000 years ago has been adopted in the west with a vengeance. We saw the evolution of Bikram Yoga in the 70s in the US where Bikram make his pupils sweat it out in 105 degrees fahrenheit in skimpy briefs and G-strings. Then came Power Yoga that is essentially yoga with brawn. It’s the American interpretation of ashtanga yoga. And now we Naked Yoga where you go au naturale.
The idea of stripping while working out may be uncomfortable for many, but a a number of men in Edmonton are embracing it by signing up for naked yoga class. Chris McBain, the naked yoga instructor at Shanti yoga studios, offers a men’s-only class which is the only one offered in downtown Edmonton. He says people are going back to their natural state and embracing nudity quite comfortably. McBain believes that naked yoga is here to stay and it will grow bigger as people are very keen on the concept.
Naked Yoga for men definitely has its risks. All those complex aasanas may accidentally squeeze the ‘man-thing‘ or ouchhhh…the scrotal sack! Indulge in it at your own risk!
It’s been nearly three months since Kate Middleton’s pregnancy was announced, but the Duchess refuses to show more than a couple of pounds of baby bump. Kate and Prince William are in Mustique with the Middleton family, where they’re enjoying sun and sand before returning to London—and to their royal duties. She and Wills went all out, renting a private villa next to Kate’s family.
We have to point out that Kate’s baby bump is what the rest of humanity call a ‘food baby’, which is a tiny bump one gets after feasting during the holidays. Kate will not be one of the famous moms who gains 90lbs while pregnant—she is probably still a size 2 or 4! After her scary hospital trip, Kate is healthy and good spirits, and reportedly joked about how the pregnancy is making her butt bigger, but . . . she feels sexy!
The two – Kate and Will played on the beach in matching royal blue colored swim wear. One witness in Mustique said, “They’re inseparable! William joined Kate for an early morning swim; they were touching and kissing in the waves. When they came out of the water, he got down on his knees in front of Kate and kissed her baby bump.” It sounds like they’re really a normal couple!
Gawd…how can one be dressed so hideously??? Somebody please gift Anjalee Kapoor a full-length mirror. Here is what she wore for a luncheon do at Blliis By Ravissant, hosted by Charoo Chawla Anand and Tanisha Mohan.
Those sunglasses…they are scary. And that body-wrap maxi dress, well it’s definitely not meant for woman with tummy-rolls! I was secretly wishing that Anjalee Kapoor would change her hideous dressing sense in 2013 but hey its become worse.
Christian Wijnants from Europe is the winner of the International Woolmark Prize, it was announced at an event here during London Fashion Week. Wijnants receives $105,000, and his winning collection will be carried next fall in top retailers around the world, including Bergdorf Goodman in the U.S., Harvey Nichols in the U.K., 10 Corso Como in Italy, Joyce in China, Eickoff in Germany and David Jones in Australia.
The International Woolmark Prize was keenly followed by fashion lovers in India as designer-duo – Pankaj & Nidhi were in the illustrious list of 5 finalists. The global fashion competition recognizes creativity in merino wool. It aims to develop the next generation of fashion talent and to highlight wool’s eco credentials. The other finalists were Sophie Theallet from the U.S., Ban Xiao Xiu from China, Dion Lee from Australia, DressedUndressed from Japan, and Pankaj and Nidhi from India. We are proud of you Pankaj & Nidhi! Being in the Top-5 is no mean feat. We are also proud of Rajesh Pratap Singh being appointed the Brand Ambassador for The Woolmark in India
The 2014 prize will take place in Milan, while the following one will be in Paris. The award is supported internationally by the key fashion councils, including the Council of Fashion Designers of America, British Fashion Council, Chambre Syndicale de la Couture, Fashion Design Council of India and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid.
Prada released four sketches from Miuccia Prada’s collection of over 40 dresses for Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby. True to Luhrmann and Prada form, the dresses aren’t an obvious rehash of twenties style, but rather an idiosyncratic take on the period. Dreamt up in collaboration with Luhrmann’s wife, Oscar-winning costume designer Catherine Martin, the dresses take their cue from pieces from the Prada and Miu Miu archives: AW11’s vaguely sixties fur-collared fish scale dress makes an appearance in a new twenties guise, and SS11’s graphic, vibrant stripes have been re-imagined in sequins and plastic trimmings.
“I usually try not to literally reference periods in my work, because that’s not the way I think,” Prada stated in an interview. “But when I worked on the costumes, I realized how many pieces could become very 1920s with a little intervention and another point of view.” It will be the third time the designer has worked with Baz Luhrmann having previously collaborated on his 1996 adaptation of Romeo & Juliet , for which she designed the suit Leonardo DiCaprio’s Romeo wore during the wedding ceremony, and also for the series of short films that were featured in the Met’s ‘Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations’ exhibition.
The Great Gatsby slated for May release is anxiously awaited in India as it also stars the legend – Amitabh Bachchan. No he won’t be wearing Prada as she designed only for the women in the movie.Bachchan will play the role of Meyer Wolfsheim and looks rather cool in his upturned moustache.
Hear you can have a look at the Trailer of The Great Gatsby and yes, Amitabh Bachchan features in the 2-minute trailer unlike Anil Kapoor who was missing in the Mission Impossible trailers: http://youtu.be/h7AFnJbETLw
Happy Valentine’s Day folks!
Well this year I am pleasantly amazed by the enthusiasm with, which Mommies and Auntie jis are celebrating Valentine’s Day. V-Day celebrations took off yesterday with lunches and cocktail soiree galore and believe you me, the Mommies and Aunties have left the teeny-boppers miles behind in celebrating Valentine’s Day.
Today designer Reynu Taandon is hosting a fashion show followed with a “Valentine’s Lunch” in association with Savera Association at the Punj House. Delhi’s hot Mommies (MILFs) and Aunties are all gonna be there. But guess who’s the occasion’s ‘star-attraction’? Well she is Tanisha Mohan, the Show Stopper! I loved the way the invitation highlighted Reynu’s stylista show stopper. Check it out for yourself:
Reynu Taandon
&
Savera Association, NGO
Cordially Invites you for an exclusive showing by Designer Reynu Taandon over Valentine’s Lunch
TANISHA MOHAN WALKS AS THE SHOW STOPPER
Date: Thursday, 14th February 2013
Time: 12: 00 pm onwards
Venue: 10, PUNJ HOUSE
Prithviraj Road,
New Delhi
Confirmed Guest List
Geeta Punj, Tanisha Mohan, Ritu Ansal, Meenu Bakshi, Madhu Sood, Renu Bhatia, President of Savera, Bela Madan, Ammu Saidi, Latika Khaneja, Nishi Singh, Neena Verma, Alpana Gujral, Naina Balsaver Ahmad, Ashi Burman, Anjana Bhargav, Jyotika Jhalani to name a few
Indian Premier League (IPL) 2012 had its fair share of controversies but the biggest one was that of an Afghani-American woman-Zohal Hamid accusing Royal Challenger player Luke Pomersbach of molesting her in front of her fiance – Sahil Peerzada at the Maurya Sheraton hotel. Siddharth Mallya mocked the lady’s claim on Tweeter. Eventually Zohal dropped the case.
I had posted on 29th May 2012 about Zohal Hamid, her relationship with Sahil Peerzada and hinted at ‘all that happens at the IPL after-parties’. You can read the post here to refresh your memories - ZOHAL HAMID Digs Gold Rather Than Design Gold Jewelery: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-X2
Last year too I posted that the whole story that Zohal Hamid blurted out to Delhi Police and the Media was ‘bull-crap’. In no uncertain terms I had written that Luke Pomersbach followed Zohal and Sahil into their room (which was surprisingly booked under Deccan Challengers) to ‘Powder their Nose’. What followed after – the brawl – was something that is called ‘coke rage’. Now I can substantiate my claims with these photographs that narrate the real story!
In November 2012 fashionscandal.com broke the news of Parsons opening an Associate Campus in India in Mumbai. Here is the link of that post:
PARSONS To Open A Campus In MUMBAI: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-1bL
The Associate Campus of world’s number one Fashion School – Parsons is called the Indian School of Design & Innovation (ISDI), Parsons Mumbai. The school is a joint-venture with an Indian partner – Radha Kapoor who is also a Parsons graduate. Radha Kapoor is the the daughter of Rana Kapoor, the Chairman of Yes Bank and her first entrepreneurial venture was to get the global dry-cleaners, Pressto to India.
ISDI, Parsons Mumbai is currently on a recruitment drive for faculty and administrators.
A picture is worth a thousand words indeed!
Earlier I posted about cricketer turned politician – Mohammad Azharuddin’s new lady love, Shanon Marie.
Here are some EXCLUSIVE pictures of the love-birds romancing in Paris and London. Thought it would make a nice read that would get you into romantic mood before Valentine’s Day 
!
Cricketer turned politician Mohammad Azharuddin’s separation from Sangeeta Bijlani is years old. Sangeeta spends most of her time in Mumbai while Azhar shuffles between Delhi and Hyderabad. Badminton player Jwala Gutta may had caused the rift between Sangeeta and Azhar but she is now nowhere in the scene.
Shanon Marie, not a new face in Delhi circuit is reportedly Azharuddin’s current love interest. Reliable sources say that Azhar and Shanon are a live-in couple but both are yet to make a public appearance as one.
Anyway good going for both!
John Galliano appeared victorious in an early round of litigation against his former employer, Christian Dior. In the hearing, it was revealed that the designer made $7.7 million annually as Creative Director of Christian Dior Couture and his own label.
John Galliano, the disgraced designer who was fired from Christian Dior after anti-semetic rants in a Paris bar, is finally firing back. Yesterday (Monday), he won the first round in a case against Dior in French Labor Relations Court, according to his lawyer, Chantal Giraud-van Gaver of Coblence & Associés. The court ruled that it was fit to hear the designer’s claims against his dismissal from Dior in March 2011. The lawyer for Christian Dior Couture, argued that the case should be heard by a commercial court because of the elaborate contracts held between the house at the designer. That lawyer, Jean Néret of Jeantet Associés, argued that Galliano should be viewed as an independent contractor of the company, rather than as an employee.
Dior reportedly has 15 days to contest the ruling. If it opposes, the case will go to the court of appeals in seven to nine months.
By the way during the trial, the details of Galliano’s salary was revealed. He earned a fixed gross annual salary of 1 million euros (around $1.3 million) at Christian Dior Couture, as well as $906,400 in “variable compensation,” a wardrobe budget of 30,000 euros (about $38,850), and a grooming budget of $77,700 for personal appearances. And that was just Dior: Galliano also operated his own namesake brand, where he apparently earned a fixed gross salary of 2 million euros (roughly $2.6 million) and a separate clothing budget of 70,000 euros (or $90,650). In addition, Galliano got paid separately as a consultant for Christian Dior Couture and Parfums Christian Dior on creative matters like ad campaigns, runway shows, and Websites.
Tollywood – the film industry down south has some quaint characteristics. Specially when it comes to the leading ladies of Tollywood films, it is no hidden factor that ‘big is beautiful’. Voluptuous, busty and curvacious heroines still make it big in Tamil, Telegu and Malyalam movies.
Earlier I wrote about Tollywood and their fetish with the ‘armpits’. You can read about that here: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-Fy
Recently I had been noticing that the film-makers down south has yet another obsession, and that’s with the belly-button or the navel. Every movie has the camera closing in up on the heroine’s belly-button. And mind you it is no ordinary belly-button that holds the male gaze. The 
preferred ones are those nestled in a fleshy belly that jiggles like jelly with every heaving breath the leading lady takes. Pictorial sites on the net dedicated to South Indian cinema has section dedicated to belly-buttons, like ‘Hot Navel Show’ and ‘Sexy Navel Close-Ups’! See it yourself to believe it.
The Italian luxe label – Prada had been ignoring the emerging economies while other brands in its league moved in much earlier. Prada’s absence in India is rather conspicuous but anyway – better late than never. Sellers of luxury products are seeking to move out of developed markets that have been hit by global economic uncertainty and find new buyers in emerging economies and Prada is amongst them.
But then coming late has its bag of problems. As per sources what is majorly bothering Prada is the availability of retail space. DLF Emporio in Delhi has 100% occupancy and there is absolutely no scope of prime location on the ground floor where Prada would ideally like to be. Even Palladium has no availability of prime store space in the mall.
Though the Government of India has allowed 100% Foreign Direct Investment in single-brand retail, the luxury labels are still preferring to go with an Indian partner. No names are officially disclosed as in who all are in talks with Prada but the signals are very much hinting at Genesis Luxury and Reliance Brands. Both are in talks with Prada.
Prada has a lot of promise in India as it is a label that is well known and they brand offers a whole range of menswear, womenswear, bags and accessories. It also has a sister brand for womenswear – Miu-Miu. But let’s wait and watch if and when Prada make its Indian entry.
Well Indian Fashion Magazines are not part of this debate wether the fine line between pornography and fashion are blurring. Desi Rag-Mags are towing the safe line. But same isn’t about the international fashion magazines.
The January 2013 issue of ‘Love’ magazine that is published out of United Kingdom features Kate Moss on their cover and inside in their fashion spread. Moss goes absolutely nude for the fashion spread shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. Kate drops top and bottom for a full body visual exhibition that you will not find similarly among any of her veteran model peers. It’s bold, it’s downright completely and utterly bare.
Close-up of Kate Moss’ pubic hair is something I never expected in a fashion glossy. But I guess bars are being raised (rather lowered) every day!
Well this vital piece of information was shared with me by my reader – Shauna. This is what was shared, “How come the congress party’s new Vice-president rahul gandhi was at the Aman health club on 26th January instead of being at the parade??!! Surely that was more important then building up his muscles at 10.30 am…”
Well Shauna I couldn’t agree more with you. If Rahul Gandhi is aiming to be the next Prime Minister of India, he got to have his priorities right. Rahul’s absence from the 64th Republic Day Parade was rather conspicuous and that too when the special guest this year was the young King of Bhutan. The two could have made a good photo-op. And now that you revealed that Gandhi scion was at the Health Club at The Aman Hotel, it clearly shows what our man’s priorities are.
Frankly did not expect this from Rahul Gandhi.
It is a proud day for the Indian Fashion Fraternity as veteran designer Ritu Kumar will be the first fashion designer to be bestowed with the prestigious ‘Padma Shri’ Award by the President of India today. On the 64th Republic Day Ritu Kumar will be conferred the Padma Shri; a recognition not only for Ritu but probably for the Indian Fashion Fraternity.
On the honor bestowed on her, Ritu Kumar said, “I am deeply appreciative by the fact that the government has recognized my efforts in the field of fashion, textile and craftsmanship. India remains very few countries which has an indegeneous and a very strong fashion handwriting not dictated by Paris or New York but is evolving with the designers of the country. I am grateful for the support I have received from the crafts people of this country.”
Congratulations Ritu Kumar!!!
Fashion and Politics gel well. Since French president Francois Hollande is expected to propose a same-sex marriage bill this Friday, Karl Lagerfeld thought it to be apt to show his support for gay marriage. Karl Lagerfeld sent not one – but two — brides down the runway for the finale of his spring 2013 Chanel Haute Couture in Paris early Tuesday. The two models, in identical feathered wedding dresses and headpieces, walked hand-in-hand down the runway.
As always Chanel’s haute couture runway played stage to some of the most theatrical make up we’ve seen so far; taking two of next season’s major beauty trends – the smoky eye and messy up-style – and giving them both a very gothic twist in the tale.
The Chanel spring-summer 2013 haute 
couture collection consisted of ensembles focussing on the shoulder with lots of off-shoulder dresses, delicate black Chantilly lace layered over a cream bouclé suit, worn with thigh high skinny leather boots and peep-toes, the beaded, embroidered and sequined flowers blossoming across long column dresses and cinched with spaghetti-thin red belts, 60s inspired tube dresses and empire line gowns.
Aasaram Bapu, the self-styled Godman sermonised the nation on how the gangrape victim – Nirbhaya would had avoided it all if she would had taken diksha, recited mantras and begged in front of those six beasts who were raping. Aasaram’s sermons made our blood boil in disgust.
But now after seeing this photograph of Aasaram Bapu imparting ‘Diksha’ to a disciple in his unique style, I understand where he is coming from and what kind of sermons he is capable of uttering.
Media is abuzz with news of John Galliano’s return to fashion. Womenswear Daily (WWD) reported that Oscar de la Renta has invited the disgraced designer to “spend some time with him in his studio over the next three weeks to the run-up of to the New York Fashion Week.” It is believed that Anna Wintour had a hand in brokering this highly unorthodox “in residence” agreement. However Oscar made it clear this was in no way a succession plan. “Am I retiring? Is John going to replace me?” de la Renta posed, unsolicited. “Certainly not. I hope to be around for a long time.”
However what grabbed my eyes was the attire Galliano posed in. He has draped a cotton sari with ornate border over his boxers and paired it with a shirt and a jacket. Not clear what he has done with the palla. Seems like he has wrapped it around the sling of his satchel bag. And yes, don’t miss out on the anklet on his right foot!
I came across this absolutely hilarious video on you Youtube where Gay men are talking about vagina.
The thoughts are anywhere between weird to funny. One guy describes it as sandwich, while another compares the vagina with Tacos. Yet another draws parallel of the vagina with a old persons mouth. But all of them agree that if there was no vagina, there wouldn’t have a been a gay-boy!
Enjoy the video here: http://youtu.be/Bd3gw3caSEk
Is it the era of ‘Paid Editorials’? Well Times of India started the ‘Paid Editorial’ concept way back in 2005. The group stuck to it against heavy criticism. Even The Hindustan Times was highly critical of TOI’s Media Net move. But now the other giant publication of Delhi – The Hindustan Times – too has taken to ‘Paid Editorials’.
The city supplement of Hindustan Times – HT City has already implemented the ‘paid editorial’ concept. You will notice brands, restaurant, lounges and labels conspicuously missing from the copy. Now brands will be mentioned only if they are paid for.
Sure the PR fraternity is unhappy with the new norm at HT.
Times of India started mentioning their City Supplements as ‘Advertorial, Entertainment Promotional Feature’, which is printed just below the masthead. Wonder how HT City will bifurcate ‘paid editorial’ from ‘pure editorial’. Got to wait and watch!
It seems no awards night is complete without the requisite wardrobe malfunctions these days and 2013 Golden Globes were no exception with the likes of Nicole Kidman and Julianne Hough going through the embarrassing moments and the likes of Miranda Kerr, Jennifer Garner, Eva Longoria all coming within a hair’s breadth of disaster.
Nicole Kidman was nominated for two Golden Globes this year, as Best Supporting Actress in The Paperboy and Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film for her role in Hemingway & Gellhorn. Nicole had a humiliating moment on the red carpet on her way into the ceremony. As the 45-year-old stepped out of her limo and onto the red carpet, she must have somehow got her skirt caught in her pale blue granny panty. Initially unaware of the major fashion mishap, Kidman happily posed for the cameras until an aide noticed the problem and pulled her aside.
Julianne Hough, Dancing With The Stars (US) dancer, sibling to Derek Hough and girlfriend of mini TV mogul Ryan Seacrest, possibly showed off her moves with a little too much gusto, splitting open the front of her gown. She tweeted image of the mishap saying, ‘Ummm I think I may have danced too hard…. Eeek!’ She also wanted her fans to know she wasn’t fazed by destroying an expensive awards show frock saying later, ‘Ummm again… I love to dance regardless of how expensive a dress may be… You can’t hold me down .’
Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria came unstuck in a black Pucci dress with a daringly risqué thigh-high split. The dress reportedly got caught up and came open to expose considerably more than the actress had intended. Longoria was left using her hand to protect her modesty, but like a true pro her smile for the cameras never slipped for a single moment.
Taylor Swift, the singer, who recently split from One Direction star Harry Styles, made a solo arrival at the Golden Globe awards in a daring backless Donna Karen Atelier gown. And while the fitted plum number showed off Taylor’s slim figure, it also revealed a bit too much with the cutaway sides giving a glimpse of her stick-on bra underneath.
Jennifer Garner, actress and wife of the night’s big winner Ben Affleck, wore a stunning red Vivienne Westwood gown that developed a mind of its own. The dress began to head south as the evening progressed and the star narrowly avoided exposing her boobs for the world’s approval.
2013 Golden Globe Awards saw the trending of thigh-high slitted gowns. Miranda Kerr too wore one of the night’s fad – a red thigh-high slit gown. But hey, the slit was so high that there were moments of accidental knicker-flash.
India being probably having one of the youngest fashion industry has almost fifty plus ‘fashion weeks’ while France having the world’s oldest and the biggest fashion industry has probably just three ‘fashion weeks’ – Haute Couture, Women’s Ready-to-Wear and Menswear. Add to that couple of trade shows like the Pret-a-Porter and Tranoi.
Here in India, fashion has become a ‘Tamasha’ and from Punjab to Patna, Kolkata to Kochi, Lucknow to Ludhiana there are fashion weeks probably associated to every ‘A’ and ‘B’ cities in India. 
But I was absolutely blown-off my wits when I heard about the upcoming ‘Prasad Bidapa Fashion Week’ in Bengaluru. It’s the height – an individual driven fashion week. Okay Prasad may be a self-proclaimed style-guru, talent-hunter (What kinda talent I ain’t sure.), fashion wrier, fashion photographer and a choreographer. But isn’t having a ‘fashion week’ titled on your name a bit megalomanic?
Even the likes of Anna Wintour or Carine Rotfield or Mounir Moufarrige or Pierre Berge wouldn’t have the audacity to host a ‘fashion week’ titled on their name. And mind you, these names have made major contribution to world fashion.
God save the Desi ‘Fashion Week’ Tamasha!
Officials in Venezuela have reportedly found a floating corpse that has been linked to the missing airplane carrying fashion heir Vittorio Missoni, his companion and two other Italians, although officials later said that the body is of a long-missing fisherman in “advanced stages of decomposition.”
The Venezuelan newspaper El Universal is reporting that a body was found floating in the sea about 500 meters from the port of La Guaira on the Venezuelan mainland.
Missoni and his travel companions and their two-man crew left the island of Los Roques on January 4 and their plane disappeared from radar about 11 miles off the coast of the island.
On Sunday, a mysterious SMS message coming from the cell phone of one of the plane’s passengers gave the Missoni family new hope that their beloved company director had been kidnapped, and had not perished in an air-sea accident. If the corpse turns out to be one of the members of the Missoni party or their crew, it will put to rest the Missoni family’s kidnapping theory.
Nearly 400 search and rescue divers and pilots have been scouring the area since the Missoni plane disappeared nearly one week ago. On Wednesday, the Italian foreign ministry dispatched its own team of divers to aid in the search.
The Missoni family has not yet made a statement on the reports of the discovered body.
Missoni has been the latest fashion brand to make foray into India. The iconic label made famous for its zig-zag pattern knitwear has entered into a franchise agreement with Infinity Luxury Group of India.
All eyes were on Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2013 collection. Reasons were obvious as everyone wanted to see how the new appointee – Alexander Wang fared after the departure of the maverick Nicholas Ghesquière. Well it seems that Alexander Wang and the studio team played it safe buy revisiting the archives of the label’s creator – Cristobal Balenciaga. WWD reported, “The name invoked during a preview of the collection, designed by the studio team, was the one on the door: Cristobal Balenciaga.”
In fact the Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2013 collection had nothing from the predecessor – Ghesquière. The house public relation director noted that the highly developed technical fabrics of Ghesquière’s tenure were left behind in favor of natural materials, such as wool, shearling, leather, cotton and silk, with a lot of what he called “noble” and “poor” fabrics — chiffon and the kind of sturdy wool typical of naval peacoats — which Cristobal was known to combine in his couture collections.
The collection stuck to signature Cristobal Balenciaga’s master craftmanship, saturated floral prints and bohemia and had structured trenches, nice ‘n’ fun pants, and vintage prints. The collection’s salable merchandise had hints of the Sixties, Seventies and Nineties, with the standouts coming mostly from outerwear, such as a powder blue shearling jacket and a slimly tailored salmon coat.
This piece of news I found out at the popular Blog – Pinkvilla.com and India-Forums. Pretty shocking! Thought will share it with you folks…
The recent photo of Katrina Kaif in her young days shows Katrina with porn movie producer Terry Stephens. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1093061/
I am wondering what is she doing with him? Also her sis Isabelle had a porn movie clip leaked some time back which turned out to be a fake one. Something seems very fishy here…..Thoughts?
Christine Turner pornstar is famous Bollywood star Katrina Kaif’s sister!
Christine Turner aka Cindy aka Christine Turquotte aka Turcotte is famous Bollywood star Katrina Kaif’s sister. This is not a prank or joke…first a picture of Christine with Katrina Kaif and another sister of theirs. This is the link, check out the lady in the extreme right -http://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainme…unseen-sisters
If you have seen that lets move ahead. Christine is or was part of porn producer Terry Stephens’ website and the movie “Backdoor Raiders”. Now check this pic out of Katrina Kaif with Terry stephens clicked from her earlier days in London, before she became a huge Bollywood megastar. Link- http://www.pinkvilla.com/node/212746
Also another sister of Kaif’s had a sex tape leaked online Here is the link-
http://www.xvideos.com/video201854/i…kaif_sex_video
Armani is enjoying the fruits of India’s booming real estate business. Last year Armani bagged their first project in Mumbai, The World Towers, developed by the Lodha Group, which is currently under construction. Now Giorgio Armani SpA has signed a new collaboration with Indian real estate company Supertech for the development of a 100 unit ARMANI TOWER in Mumbai.
Spread over 4,00,000 sq ft, the Armani Tower in Supertech’s luxury project Supernova, will comprise 100 luxury residential units. The interiors and furniture will all be done by Armani. Supertech is paying Armani a one-time fee for exclusive rights. The ’exclusive rights’ deal prohibits Armani from tying up with any other north Indian developer for a similar concept.
Well less said about Mozez Singh, the better it is. I have known Reshma Shetty professionally. She is a no non-nonsense lady who wouldn’t have fueled a rumour if it didn’t happen. On the other hand Mozez Singh, a one-time producer of a dud movie and a social butterfly has a track record of misbehaving at parties.
In the past Mozez Singh did something similar at Shahrukh Khan’s party and was thrown out from there. And just last month in Delhi at Niamat and Sanjit 
Bakshi’s anniversary party, Mozez reportedly misbehaved with dozen of guests. Since it was his sister and brother-in-law’s (Niamat and Sanjit) party he wasn’t thrown out but Mozez definitely was the night’s irritant that bothered many guests.
So I have no doubt in believing that Mozez was behaving like an ‘ass’ at 
Anu and Sunny Dewan’s Christmas bash. I am sure he will be taken off the party guest lists soon and Mumbai definitely won’t miss a thing by his absence. Mozez’s behaviour is not fueled by alcohol but because of some other ‘shit’ and that’s when his frustration pours out.
Though most of Delhi, rather the whole country stayed away from celebrating the dawn of the year 2013 due to the widespread gloomy feel post the brutal gang-rape case, porn star turned Bollywood actor Sunny Leone drew full house at The Lalit in New Delhi. There are no shortage of ‘thadkis’ and over 2000 plus people thronged to see Sunny Leone dance.
Anyway Leone’s debut stage performance at The Lalit Hotel in New Delhi didn’t come cheap for the organizers. Apparently she was paid an whopping sum of Rupees One Crore.
Sunny performed on a medley of songs like ‘Yeh jism hai toh kya’, ‘Abhi abhi’, ‘Disco deewane’ and even grooved on a Jennifer Lopez number. She made her second entry on stage on item numbers like ‘Anarkali disco chali’, ‘Ooh la la’ and ‘Chikni chameli’.
Wearing the latest couture outfit or wrapping yourself up in latest fashion labels head to toe doesn’t make you fashionable. Yet our so-called fashionistas do just that so very often. Preparing this list of ‘fashion victims’ was difficult as had numerous suggestions. In fact I have totally avoided the new breed of crappy Page-3 types that find space in out newspaper tabloids as they don’t even qualify to be called ‘fashion-victims’. So Sapna, Dimple, Pushpanjali, Salloli, Vandy, Meenakshi, Ramola, Sangeeta, Kanchan, Preeti, Mamta and the types, you are spared. Will probably create a section – ‘fashion assault’ sometime soon.
A fashionable lady for me is somebody who knows her assets and 
flaws and dresses accordingly. The fashion victims I listed here are simply ignoring that basic factor about dressing up. Look at Nita Ambani. She looks graceful in a sari or an Anaarkali but what on earth made her wear these apron-type dresses? Nita you can go-back 20-years on Cover shoot courtesy airbrushing but not when it comes to dressing. Same goes for Sunanda Tharoor. She looks pretty in a sari but hey please make sure your blouse doesn’t have a wet patch around the under-arms. The dhoti-salwar is ugg! And Gauri Khan…that bronze look and cleavage show is getting a wee bit too much. Satin is an unforgiving fabric that reveals every bump and roll so if you wearing one, you better keep your posture taut.
Sonam Kapoor is the darling of the desi rag-mags. She’s been on the cover of almost all. But I feel at times Sonam go-overboard to flaunt the esoteric labels she has in her closet and look like a ‘pelican’. Remember her boobs almost spilled out of the Gaultier gown? Her broad shoulders aren’t flattering too in bare-shoulder numbers. Tanisha Mohan too has a wardrobe that any woman would envy and yet at times she wears clothes that can’t help but being labeled as ‘fashion victim’. Priya Sachdev in a sleeveless number is a disaster. I had written about it earlier here. Those unsightly folds around the armpit are better kept covered. Don’t you think so?
And what do I say about Queenie Singh? She has gone so much under the knife that she looks like a shriveled up raisin. Wearing short dresses doesn’t make her look fab. In fact those bony knee-caps stand out as an eyesore. Plunging necklines are fine but what about the saggy boobs?
The coveted Birkin has become the Black Label Scotch in India. Just like India sells and consume more Black-Label than it’s produced in Scotland, the number of Bag-Hags flaunting their Birkin are more than the bags sold by Hermes. You wondering how can that happen? Well darling it’s the ‘fakes’ that are floating around and fake fashionistas are shamelessly flaunting the fakes.
Too many people who are not all that fashionable have it. And they carry it everywhere. I have seen women carry their big Birkins to dinner parties. So not chic! Globally people are blaming Kim Kardashian for demoting the status-symbol associated with the Birkin. Here I got to blame the fake Birkin carriers for it.
So who are these ladies who shamelessly flaunt a fake Birkin? I received hundreds of name and I am sure I will get loads of flak from whom I name. Doesn’t matter as you can’t keep everyone happy!
Topping the list is Shabnam Singhal. Then we have the sisters – Payal Kapoor and Priya Jain, the inevitable Anjalee Kapoor, Neena Verma, Ammu Saidi, Pria Kataria Puri and sorry to say, Vidya Balan.
You scroll through facebook and you’ll see status updates – ‘GOAAAA…’. Yes every Tom, Dick and Harry and Anita, Sunita and Vinita have already landed in Goa from Mumbai, Delhi and other cities to bring in 2013 with endless partying.
This year too MDMA is the drug of choice for the revellers and demand is so high that its being sold at anywhere between Rs. 6000-7000 per gram. For the uninitiated a little info on MDMA: MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine), popularly known as ”molly” comes in powder or crystalline form, usually implying a higher level of purity. MDMA induces euphoria, a sense of intimacy with others, and diminished anxiety. And ladies beware as at times people spike your drink with this colourless and odourless crystals and try to take advantage of euphoria and the sense of intimacy the drug induces.
A top cop who was in Delhi and now posted in Goa said that Desis are the biggest consumers of these expensive drugs – MDMA and Cocaine (though this time the white ‘shit’ is poor second to MDMA). If you are in Goa you will not miss the revellers euphoric on MDMA. Their smiley faces and bonhomie will give them away.
Well whatever shit you do; be safe!
Anjalee and Arjun Kapoor today have established a fashion business empire. They may have flagship stores in Delhi, Mumbai and Dubai but they never earned the respect of the design fraternity. The Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) has rejected their membership application. Why??? Well Anjalee and Arjun Kapoor’s reputation of copying designs of other established designers can never be erased.
Siblings Ankita and Avantika Chowdhury who design under the label – Saaj seem to be emulating the business model of Anjalee and Arjun Kapoor. The siblings have been retailing from their store at Shahpur Jat near replicas of Tarun Tahiliani, Sabyasachi Mukherjee and few more designers’ at one-fourth the price. It is so damn unethical and must be condemned by people who respect and love fashion.
Unfortunately unlike Anjalee and Arjun Kapoor, Saaj is a member of FDCI and have also been showcasing at the India Fashion Weeks. I sincerely hope the Board takes note of this and take necessary action. Ban the copy-cats!
Indian Bangla Film Academy (an NGO, which works to promote films and culture across the border), in association with the Egyptian Tourism Department is planning a fashion gala at the Tahrir Square in Cairo to mark the anniversary of Egyptian Uprising on April 8, 2013. The proposal has go the nod from the Egyptian government, which will be part of the celebrations to mark the coming of age of the country, following the 2011 revolution that ousted President Hosni Mubarak.
The Desi Designers who had been shortlisted by the NGO Indian Bangla Film Academy are undoubtedly the designers from Bengal and of course the filmy ones. The selected ones are Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Agnimitra Paul, Wendell Rodricks, Manish Malhotra and Rocky S.
Top designers from Egypt will also take part in the event, and their models will also sport clothes created by the Indian designers. The other unique factor about this fashion show is the 2.5 Kilometer long ramp. The organisers are aiming to create the world’s longest ramp and representatives of the Guinness Book of World Records would be present to verify the record.
Maison Martin Margiela can now, in good faith, call their couture lines haute couture. Two labels – Maison Martin Margiela and Alexis Mabille have been awarded the official haute couture appellation by French fashion’s governing body, the Chambre Syndicale.
Despite having shown collections alongside the likes of Christian Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier during couture fashion week, Mabille and Margiela were not invited to officially join the club until now. Previously, Mabille had been a guest member and Margiela, a correspondent member of the couture calendar. But we guess the Chambre Syndicale liked what it saw the past few seasons.
Mabille and Margiela will show their newly-dubbed haute couture collections January 21, and January 23, respectively, joining the 12 other houses allowed to use the haute couture appellation.
The six monsters who beastly gang-raped a 23-year-old girl in a bus on Sunday night were arrested but the police let them hide their ‘ugly’ faces behind cloth rags. They should have been dragged in full public view and let all see what pervert monsters look like under guise of men.
Finally I chanced upon this photograph of the four out the six rapists where they couldn’t hide behind a mask. Unfortunately in this photograph that was taken when this rapists were presented in the court, we don’t see the main accused – Ram Singh. Anyway see the monsters and remember their faces so that in case they manage to escape the law, you can break them. I would!
It is that time of the year when fashionscandal.com comes out with its annual lists of:
* Top Gold-Diggers of 2012
* Top Sugar Daddies of 2012
* Bag-Hags Who Flaunt Fake Birkins
* Top Fashion Victims of 2012
* Top Thadki (Lecherous) Men of 2012
Would be happy to get your valued suggestions as always.
Meanwhile enjoy some funny pictures:
* This is where the story started of Kate getting pregnant!
* Royal Gropper!
* Bliss!
* Cover-Up!
* Checking it Out!
Even when Kingfisher Airline staff goes hungry without dues being paid and KFA’s aircrafts are confiscated for non-payment of airport dues, Vijay Mallya has no qualms in bringing in the New Year in his inimitable style by hosting a gala bash at his villa in Candolim, Goa.
This is the verbatim of the SMS sent out by Vijay Mallya a couple of days back:
“Please join us to celebrate the
New Year on
December 31st at
Kingfisher Villa, Candolim,
Goa from 10pm onwards.
For security purpose
please respond via sms to
+919820165188 by typing
GOA with your names.
Cheers Vijay Mallya.”
I think all the Kingfisher Airline staff whose dues are still unpaid should ‘respond via sms to +919820165188 by typing GOA with their names’ and be at his New Year’s bash.
I never saw so many leopards prowling in Delhi as I saw them last night. Well the ladies let their ‘animal instinct’ loose at the red-carpet affair hosted for designer Roberto Cavalli. Leopard Print gowns were omnipresent though few opted for Cavalli’s Zebra Prints too.
Shalini and Sanjay Passi’s bash on Friday night for Cavalli had many whimpers claiming it to be ‘not happening’. The after-party on Saturday night at the Blue Bar was too crowded and B-Town faces put -up their snooty behaviour like anything.
Anyway enjoy the Desi Kudis in Cavalli fashion!
The ‘King of Zebra Prints’ – Roberto Cavalli has arrived in Delhi with his entourage that consists of his girlfriend, daughter Cristiana and the top management of Cavalli. He was received by the his partners in India – the Infinite Luxury Group’s Sahiba Narang and Manav Gangwani in style. A custom-styled limousine drove Cavalli to the Taj Palace Hotel where he checked-in to the hotel’s prestigious ‘Lotus Suite.’
Did you know that Roberto Cavalli suffered two decades of obscurity before being rediscovered in 1990? He started with a bang in 70s, disappeared and then came back with a vengeance after two decades. Roberto Cavalli has a busy itinerary. He attends the press today at the store at DLF Emporio and then inaugurates the Cavalli Cafe, which is overseen by his daughter – Cristiana and then attends the exclusive bash hosted in his honour by Shalini and Sanjay Passi at their most-talked-about house at Golf Links.
If you wondering why Passis had the privilege of hosting Cavalli, the answer is that Shalini Passi is probably one of the most loyal Cavalli fan and earns the reputation of being the fattest Cavalli customer here. Haven’t we seen the lady in those zebra prints umpteen times? Besides the Passi residence is probably the most opulent houses in India where almost Rupees 300 Crores were spent on the interiors. I never had the privilege to have a look but whoever been there say, ‘It’s like a museum dude!’.
The bash is very-very exclusive and interestingly the 100-odd guests who are invited are suppose to dress in ethnic Indian wear.
And hey, don’t try to gate-crash. It’s so damn ‘LS’!
It’s just a week from today when the calendar will read 12/ 12/ 12 or 12 December 2012 and way the couples are gunning for this date to get wedded, I think one shouldn’t step out of the house as roads would be choc-a-bloc with Baraats. The craze of getting married on 12. 12. 12 is not just a India-thing but brides- and grooms-to-be, worldwide, have their eyes turned to this auspices “triple-digit” date to tie the knot. It’s the only time this phenomenon will occur in this century!
And who are laughing to the bank? Well banquet-hall owners, caterers, decorators, wedding-planners, florists and of course, the designers who are charging premium (I don’t know wether the premium is 12-times) to make the wedding happen on 12/12/12. Las Vegas, Hawaii, Hong Kong and other places in the world our offering special attractions to couples tying the knot on 12 December 2012. ” There is nowhere more romantic to savour 12.12.12 than the Astor Suite, which is room number 1212 at The Peninsula Shanghai”, advertised the hotel.
But then there is yet another date that is threatening the world and that date is 21.12.12. The great astrologer and predictor Nostradamus predicted that the Earth will end on December 21, 2012, and that major catastrophes such as Earthquakes will occur. With all the speculations around about the end of this world which starts on 12th december 2012 and ends on 21st december 2012, lets analyse according to vedic astrology, what will be planetary positions during that period and what will be their effects.
Western astrologers argue that the world is running in the Age of Aquarius and on Dec. 21, 2012, the day of the annual winter solstice, the Sun will rise roughly over the center of the Milky Way galaxy (as per Mayan Calendar) which may lead to the end of the world. The Hindus believe that we are in the period of Kaliyug. The end of Kaliyug would mean the end of the world and the restart of the process of creation.
So wether the world ends on 21.12.12 or Kalyug ends and Satyug starts, let us have our kick before the whole shit-house blows into flame!
On 15th of November 2012 fashionscandal.com posted about Nicolas Ghesquière’s exit from Balenciaga after 15-years being with the label. We also predicted Alexander Wang to takeover the coveted post at Balenciaga. Here you can read the earlier post: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-1bC
Yesterday PPR, the luxury conglomerate that owns the brand Balenciaga and its CEO, Isabelle Guichot officially confirmed the appointment of Alexander Wang as the Creative Director of Balenciaga with immediate effect. Guichot added that Wang would “embrace and enrich the unique heritage of the fashion house.”
François-Henri Pinault, chairman and chief executive officer of PPR, described Balenciaga as an “extraordinary fashion house” with “inexhaustible potential” and a “priceless heritage” and added,
“Alexander Wang will use his creativity and his own research to reinterpret and immortalize the distinctive, modern and extremely innovative style imposed by Cristóbal Balenciaga.”
“I am deeply honored to embark on this new role for a brand and house that I have such great admiration and respect for,” said Wang, who will also continue at the creative helm of his independently owned fashion house, established in 2005. The 28-year-old is expected to immediately begin work on Balenciaga’s fall-winter 2013 women’s collection.
Holiday Season is a great time in the US for all kind of retailers, especially the fashion retailers. So encashing upon the opportune season, designer of Indian origin – Rachel Roy and spiritual guru of Indian origin – Deepak Chopra have collaborated on a line of Eastern-inspired, handcrafted jewelry and T-shirts that meld Rachel’s fashion expertise with Chopra’s background as a world-renowned spiritual leader.
When fashion designer Rachel Roy curated Deepak Chopra’s Law of Attraction Button, their friendship blossomed. The collection infuses western science and eastern philosophy through hand-crafted jewelry featuring precious metals such as yellow, rose and white gold with stones in the form of pendants, body chains and rings. Fine jewelry pieces from the Deepak Chopra Collection don’t come cheap and range from $325 – $495 at retail. The collection also includes three limited edition graphic tees featuring empowering slogans and artwork. But yes 100 percent of sales will be donated to the Chopra Foundation.
Both, Deepak Chopra and Rachel Roy had great things to say about each other. Chopra said, “I’m honored to collaborate with Rachel Roy for a worthy cause. Rachel is the embodiment of inner and outer beauty. When you feel that beauty in her artistic expression you know it as truth.” Rachel reciprocated by saying, “We are transformed by what we read. Deepak Chopra, one of the leading thinkers of the world, in many ways has changed my life with his words It is important for me to share his words and pass on this good energy to my girls …”
I don’t know if Kitsch, the multi-brand store owned by Sachdev sisters that recently started retailing ‘Rachel Roy’ label will bring this special collection to their stores in India.
Couple of weeks ago in New York, Victoria’s Secret presented the new 2012 collection of 65 spectacular lingerie sets. The Victoria’s Secret show, due to be watched on television on December the 4th by billions across the world, is not just a fashion show, it’s a full-blown pageant in every sense of the word.
To become one of Victoria’s Secret Angels is probably the dream of every model and joining the group this year, aside from veterans Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, Constance Jablonki, Miranda Kerr and Candice Swanepoel were Cara Delevinge (the muse of Christopher Bailey in Burberry), Hilary Rhoda and Jourdan Dunn.
As is customary, the angels are not the only protagonists, and singers also have their turn in the spotlight. Those who rocked the pompous show this year were Rihanna, Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber.
It is not a secret now that Karisma Kapoor and Sunjay Kapur are getting divorced and the matter is in the court. In fact fashionscandal.com was the first to break this news way back on the 3rd of August 2012 when the post highlighted Sunjay Kapur’s new lady-love – Priya Sachdev. Here is the link to that post: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-13y
What actually led to the separation and the eventual divorce of Karisma and Sunjay Kapur? If very-very reliable sources are to be believed they were silly little domestic issues. Karisma would throw tantrums if she found her babies’ toys strewn around the house or see the tri-cycle of the kid in the lawn. These were primarily the main reasons between husband-wife tiffs. Come-on Karisma a household with kids will have toys strewn around or a tri-cycle left on the front lawn. What’s the big deal??? Any household with kids usually have toys all around. In fact it shows that the house is happy with happy toddlers full of energy. This obsession about things in order in a household with two infants is a bit too much.
Then the Bollywood bug bit Karisma Kapoor and she moved base to Mumbai. A marriage is difficult when husband – wife are leaving under separate roofs in different cities. Nothing much was achieved by Karisma in the so-called ‘second innings’ in Bollywood. All she managed was a C-grade movie that disappeared silently and some random advertisements deals selling rice. I wonder what’s the the future of Madhuri Dixit Nene’s return to Bollywood. Poor Dr. Nene left his medical practice to shift to Mumbai and be a house-husband. This Bollywood kida is dangerous. Once bitten, you can’t stay away from it!
Did I forget to mention Saasuma’s role in the whole Karisma-Sunjay splitsville saga? Oh well, being the dominant mother she is, Babita was a constant irritant in Sunjay and Karisma’s life. It is better to end the marriage that’s so bitter. Hope Sunjay Kapur and Priya Chatwal (who are virtually living in) will have a lasting marriage if they wish to tie the knot.
Pirelli Calendar is undoubtedly the world’s most coveted calendar. Last night the 2013 edition of the Pirelli Calendar was unveiled in Brazil, the country where the year’s commissioned photographer – Steve McCurry shot most of the frames. The 2013 Pirelli Calendar is a major departure from the earlier calendars as their isn’t a single nude shot.
Steve McCurry is a photojournalist best known for his striking “Afghan Girl” portrait that appeared on the cover of the TIME Magazine stated, “I want to portray women who are sexy without being naked. You can photograph nudes anywhere but these models are clothed, and each of them has her own charity. They are purposeful and idealistic people. So I wanted to photograph them in a special place, and Rio was perfect for this.”
For a calendar that’s become famous for its steamy nudes and titillating full-frontals, McCurry’s work is definitely a departure. The calendar features a pregnant Adriana Lima, Isabeli Fontana, Hanaa Ben Abdesslem, Liya Kibede, Karlie Kloss, Kyleigh Kuhn, and Brazilian actress Sonia Braga and singer Marisa Monte. There are also Brazilian street scenes depicting everyday life.
I haven’t really understood why the luxury labels take to ‘art’ to earn goodwill. Last year Louis Vuitton brought in the famous artist of Indian origin – Anish Kapoor to Mumbai and Delhi. Anish’s art is eclectic but is still enjoyed by people who don’t really understand art in its esoteric terms. This week Italian luxury menswear company Ermenegildo Zegna unveiled its latest project - ZegnArt at Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai. Supervised by Anna Zegna, the project aims at encouraging and supporting contemporary artists.
ZegnArt Public’s institutional partner in Mumbai is the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, the city’s oldest museum, whose collection documents the applied arts and everyday life of nineteenth century Mumbai. Under the guidance of the director, Mrs. Tasneem Mehta, the museum has opened its doors to contemporary art, with an ambitious and far-sighted program of Indian artist. The institution has been selected on the basis of a common vision of art as a method of advancement and awareness of a community. In the coming months, together with director Tasneem Mehta, ZegnArt Public will engage with the context of Indian art scene and commission the first art work.
In March this year Ermenegildo Zegna unveiled its latest project, ZegnArt, in Trivero, the town where the company was founded. ZegnArt has been conceived as an independent project but complementary to the Zegna Foundation. ZegnArt focuses on three sections: Public, Special Projects and Art in Global Stores. Public combines the commission of a public work in collaboration with an international institution and a scholarship is offered to a young local artist to study in Italy.
Special Projects section includes ventures in collaboration with cultural institutions. The first such project, curated by Maria Luisa Frisa, is a commissioned installation by Lucy and Jorge Orta, entitled ”Fabulae Romanae”, in partnership and conceived for the Maxxi Museum in Rome, Italy, designed by Zaha Hadid and in conjunction with the Centre for Suistanable Fashion of The London College of Fashion.
The third section of the ZegnArt project will feature international artists, which display their works in Zegna’s leading flagship stores across the globe.
To be in an industry for 25 years in itself is an achievement but for Suneet Varma it hasn’t just been existing in the fashion industry for 25-years, but existing in it in the top-league that makes it more praiseworthy. Over his innings of 25 years in the fashion industry, Suneet has branched out to apply his creative discipline elsewhere too. He is probably the first and the last designer to host a show on television – Style Guru way back in 1997. It was a gripping show where Suneet brought into our bedrooms iconic personalities from the fashion world. Besides Suneet tied up with Judith Leiber, Swarovski, BMW, Finlandia to mention a few to apply his creative ingenuity to these global brands. Lately he has got his hands full with designing the look of a boutique hotel and also indulging in luxury retail with Armani Junior. Suneet Varma is a multifaceted persona in its true sense.
The 25 years in fashion couldn’t have been celebrated more aptly than a fashion show and Suneet did just that. He showcased his fall-winter 2012 couture collection at the Leela Palace hotel and to celebrate this grand milestone, Delhi’s who’s-who turned up. The show presented a collection that was a perfect harmony of Western elements on traditional ethnic wear.
The night didn’t seem to end as it rocked-on with an after-party with Delhi’s beautiful people letting their hair down. 
The Leela Palace Hotel at Chanakyapuri in the heart of Delhi started with a bang with room-tariffs hitting the roof. Two high-end restaurants – Le Cirque and Megu added to the hotel’s reputation but you cannot fool a discerning customer for long. So what is it about Leela Palace that is misleading? It is the the address!
The Leela Palace states its address as Chankyapuri, Diplomatic Enclave, New Delhi. It should say Netaji Nagar instead of Diplomatic Enclave and I have verified this information with the post and telegraph department. A squatter settlement just metres away housing more than 2000 people adjacent to The Leela Palace was demolished. Residents of the Netaji Nagar slum were furious at being thrown out of their homes and now The Leela Palace Hotel even shies away from using the very name – Netaji Nagar in its address. The words – ‘Diplomatic Enclave’ conjures an image of Delhi’s lush green environs that Maurya Sheraton and Taj Palace enjoys. What is the view from the rooms at The Leela Palace? Well all you get to see are the government quarters of Netaji Nagar and underwears and petticoats that are spread-out to dry from those quarters. The discerning customer who is willing to pay the mega-bucks can be fooled once but not twice and this has hit The Leela Palace at New Delhi very badly.
The other news that is making the rounds of the hospitality industry is that the Nairs are selling-off The Leela Palace Hotel at New Delhi. The groups sudden expansion has led to liquidity crunch and had often been bailed out by their influential industrialist friends. Buzz is strong that Peninsula Hotels Group of Hong Kong are the prospective buyer as the group is looking to spread its footprint in India.
Louis Vuitton has a new CEO. Jordi Constans has, as of Monday, taken the reigns from the label’s CEO of 22 years, Yves Carcelle. Back in September of 2011, Louis Vuitton announced that Yves Carcelle would be stepping down at the end of 2012 and that Constans had been brought on to succeed him after a year spent familiarizing himself with the brand.
The international growth Louis Vuitton has seen under Carcelle is undeniable, meaning Constans will have some big shoes to fill. Carcelle was also very fond of India so we got to see if LV in India gets that same importance under Constans. A Spanish native, Constans was executive Vice President of French food giant Danone’s fresh dairy products division. And it’s probably a good thing he’s spent a year with the luxury goods brand before officially taking the reigns since his background is in yogurt.
Yves Carcelle will become vice chairman of the forthcoming Fondation Louis Vuitton (Foundation Louis Vuitton), a Frank Gehry-designed art museum set to open in Paris next year. He’ll also continue to sit on the executive committee and undertake “strategic missions” alongside Bernard Arnault, according to WWD.
The 10th Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Summit at Cambodia seems to have germinated a new concept in World Diplomacy – that of ‘fancy-dress’ gala dinners. I would say that it was rather sporting on the part of the world leaders to agree to wear colourful local designer made garments but Cambodia could have had at least given this leaders the luxury of bespoke tailoring.
The dinner hosted at Cambodia’s Diamond Island Convention Center had ill-fitted shirts for almost everybody. The big and wide collars were funny and poor Barack Obama’s shirt-sleeves were a few inches too-small. Well our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh didn’t seem comfy at all in the orange shirt with a logo/emblem embroidered on the left breast. Agreed Cambodia took the opportunity to promote it’s heritage textile but the effect would had been better if they hired a qualified tailor if not a designer to make those shirts as per their sizes.
Balinese fashion parade on the 19th night was comparatively sober. ASEAN leaders donned colourful Indonesian shirts and attire. U.S. President Barack Obama wore a dark green shirt with motifs in black and red running down the front placket and our PM wore a tonal rust coloured one. The tailoring was much better than the Cambodian affair and of-course the fabric was less glitzy.
Should India put global leaders in traditional Indian wear whenever next a global summit is hosted here? I am sure our designers will do a great job!
I don’t know what to say about Bal Keshav Thackeray. On his death the way electronic media devoted all the air-time on the ‘Tiger of Maharashtra’, made me read about the ‘Sarkar of Mumbai’ and undeniably the interview of Balasaheb by Pritish Nandy done in 1985 for The Illustrated Weekly was most insightful.
I saw Twitter abuzz with people desperately looking for the copy of The Illustrated Weekly and I thought I would post it here for interested readers:
http://pritishnandy.com/downloads/Bal_Thackeray_Illustrated_Weekly.pdf
PARSONS, New York is undoubtedly the most prestigious design school in the world. If I recall right, Raghavendra Rathore is a Parsons graduate amongst Desi Designers. Parsons has produced gems like Marc Jacobs and the team behind the label Proenza Schouler.
Fall 2013 will see the re-opening of the Paris campus of Parsons located on the Rue Saint-Roch, which will eventually accommodate 300 to 500 students. The school will offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees in a variety of art, fashion, design and business disciplines, with classes in English.
Next on Parsons agenda of ‘going global’ is an associate campus in Mumbai, followed by one in Shanghai and another in Brazil. Joel Towers, the Executive Dean of Parsons stated, “Mumbai is likely next and the plan may move very quickly.” Towers also reiterated, “Each Parsons hub will function differently based on local regulation, and, more importantly, on local tradition. We’re just not interested in franchising Parsons as if it was a McDonald’s, which some other universities do. We are very interested in working in-country and building this thread of globalization and localization into an educational environment.”
As per my reliable resources, Radha Kapoor, the daughter of Rana Kapoor of Yes Bank is involved in some capacity with Parsons opening an associate campus in Mumbai in 2014. Radha is a Parsons alumni and is the lady behind introduction of Pressto Dry Cleaners in India.
After spending 15-years at Balenciaga, Nicolas Ghesquiere’s abrupt decision to leave the eponymous fashion label that he had resurrected has raised a flurry of questions in the fashion circuit. Ghesquiere who joined Balenciaga in 1997 when he was just 23 years old brought back the architectural designs that Balenciaga was always known for. Not only that, he also focused on the accessories department and made success out of them. Like those ubiquitous harness platform booties, and, of course, the last decade’s #1 It bag: The Balenciaga motorcycle bag flew off the racks.
So what made Nicolas Ghesquiere quit Balenciaga so abruptly (His last day at Balenciaga is 30th November.)? If Cathy Horyn of New York Times is to be believed, Nicolas was increasingly getting frustrated with Balenciaga and its holding company PPR. Horyn writes that as per her sources, “Nicolas’ frustrations go back at least a year and involve matters like financing and a more commercial tone to some of Balenciaga’s lines” and that “his concerns were being insufficiently addressed by the PPR chairman, François-Henri Pinault.”
Well it seems PPR’s loss is LVMH’s win. Buzz is strong that LVMH is in talks with Nicolas Ghesquiere to fund his own line. Well if that happens it is definitely a good piece of news for stylistas because there are no dearth of Nicolas Ghesquiere fans.
And who would replace Nicolas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga? Well my vote is for Alexander Wang!
Sherlyn Chopra the first ever Desi Playmate to have been featured in Playboy has bagged the lead role in Kamasutra.
Chopra is essaying the role of Vatsayana earlier played by the ageless diva – Rekha so there are bound to be comparisons raised. But yeah however much Sherlyn strips, she can’t beat the oomph of Rekha. Rekha oozed oomph minus stripping with her ada and subtle sensuality.
Anyway here are some pictures of Sherlyn Chopra in Kamasutra!
Lady GaGa makes news with her music and her clothes. But in Rio she made news minus the clothes or the music!
GaGa while enjoying coconut water early morning at her hotel room balcony was rather overjoyed to see tons of her fans below. In that joy she dropped her towel that covered her boobs. But she had the coconut to save some modesty and just give a ‘peek-a-boo(b) frame to the paparazzi. Well topless ain’t no big-deal Lady GaGa. What’s big is that you donated a million dollars for victims of Sandy that stormed into New York and New Jersey. Kudos to that!
This is Tugger, a 8-week-old Labrador puppy playing with his favorite toy, the doorstop. He is so damn adorable. Have a look at this video: http://youtu.be/dEmq6Denjqo
Now you know how to keep your doggy busy!
Not many would know that former tennis star, Vijay Amritraj is married to a former Miss Sri Lanka – Shyamala. Last weekend Arjun Aloysius (whose Aunt is Shyamala Amritraj) tied the knot with Anjalie Mahendran, daughter of Arjuna Mahendran, Investment strategist at Credit Suisse and socialite mother Nadine Mahendran in Colombo. The groom – Arjun carries the infamous tag of being a ‘Colombo Playboy’ and is an investor. The Amritrajs were all there – Vijay, Shyamala, Prakash and Vickram.
It seems the days of South Indian demureness are gone and that Sri Lanka is playing hard to catch up with the extravagance of big boys of India. The wedding was partly tacky, partly elegant with the food being the best part of it all. The decor was…well nothing great though flowers worth 3 Million Sri Lankan Rupees were imported. The Sri Lankan groom looked utterly confused in a flashy Rohit Bal sherwani. The Bride wore a $10,000 Vera Wang dress for the Christian wedding to honour the groom’s heritage. Aunties were rife with whispers on how the wedding was a bit confused, planned by Delhi’s very own Vandana Mohan. The Groom – Arjun and his friends donned typical ‘Punjabi ishtyle’ outfits while the bride – Anjalie wore a traditional South Indian sari. It was a strange sight! The worst was the religious wedding ceremony in the morning. Instead of chants and hymns Katy Perry and Adele songs blared and champagne was served instead of Prasadam.
The big-fat Sri Lankan wedding had its fair share of tamashaas too. The whole wedding was eclipsed by talks on how the bride’s mother, Nadine Mahendran’s twin sister was not invited and the groom – Arjun getting into a fight in the wee hours after one of the wedding functions and in the process fractured his own arm. Vijay Amritraj was seen making the rounds and speaking about his new CNN-IBN show where he focuses only on A-list international celebrities.
Is there any aspect of life that is not devoured by ‘Social Media’? Guess not! Now we have Digital Media Jeans.
The Replay Social Denim Keeps People Connected Via Clothing. The Replay Social Denim is made for those who have to stay connected every step they take. The Jeans 2.0 for today’s social media obsessed society, it boasts a vinyl pocket that is equipped with a small bluetooth device. This device connects to the wearer’s smartphone by way of an app to easily and immediately share updates with their social networks.
A simple click of the Replay Social Denim and the wearer can let people know their location and mood. It has a feature labelled the ‘happiness level.’ This allows people to choose between eight different moods ranging from positive to negative. Available in blue and black fabric, the Replay Social Denim comes in different fits including regular-slim or skinny fit for men and skinny or baby boot cut for women.
The Union Health Minister and Congress Party veteran, Ghulam Nabi Azad’s son – Saddam Nabi Azad is all set to tie the nuptial knot with Savitri Singh, the grand daughter of DLF head-honcho, K. P. Singh. Saddam and Savitri met and fell in love when they were abroad studying. Though the families not keen initially, got the couple engaged.
Saddam Nabi Azad and Savitri Singh got engaged on the September 11, 2012 in a very low-key affair. Why??? Well by then the DLF-Robert Vadra nexus had hit the roof and either families didn’t want more trouble coming their way. Savitri Singh, daughter of Rajiv Singh currently handles the nightclub Anidra at The Aman Hotel. Not much is known about what Saddam Nabi Azad does.
Sources say that post marriage Savitri and Saddam will move into the posh Lutyen’s Delhi bungalow that Savitri’s dad, Rajiv Singh bought from Samir Thapar at an astronomical sum of Rupees 300 Crores. Read more about it here: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-xs
By the way, Ghulam Nabi Azad served as the Urban Development Minister between May 2004 to October 2005. I am sure with that experience, the Samdhis will hit-it-off very well!
When designer Manish Arora showcased an essentially Indian Collection at the Paris Fashion Week in September this year, it gave a broad hint that Arora is looking at surging his business by focussing on his Indian wear line – ‘Indian by Manish Arora’. This line was initiated in 2009 and consists of Bridal and Luxury Ethnic wear. Maple Capital Advisors stitched the Joint Venture between BIBA and Manish Arora though Siddharth Bindra, MD of BIBA and Deepak Bhagwani, partner of Manish Arora had been discussing the deal for quiet some time now. Bindra and Deepak go way back as both are from Mayo College, Ajmer. BIBA has picked up a majority stake of 51.49% in ‘Indian by Manish Arora’.
The JV company will focus on expanding the retail footprint and the first store is expected at The DLF Emporio in coming three months and a total of four stores in all the metros in coming six-months. The JV plans to open 20 stores in next two years and target a revenue of Rupees 30 crores in that period.
The Joint Venture is a win-win for both, Manish Arora and BIBA as Arora wanted a pan-Indian exposure for his ethnic wear and BIBA is definitely the largest retailer of women’s ethnic wear with 100 outlets across the country and Bindra was looking at introducing Bridal and Luxury Ethnic Wear in his product line.
The JV will retail premium and fashionable ethnic clothing range with prices ranging from Rs 2500-7500 for T-Shirts and Tunics, Salwar-Kameezs ranging from Rs 9500 to Rs 25000 , Sarees ranging from Rs 25000 – 50000 and lehengas starting from Rs 50000 to Rs 200000. Now let us wait and watch how the marriage transpires.
The Airtel Indian Formula One Grand Prix 2012 kicked off on Friday with a practice session by the teams. Team Redbull’s Sebastian Vettel is the hot favourite as he took Pole-Position on Friday and Saturday. But it is the F-1 after parties that are the talk-about-town.
Saturday night the turn-out at the after-party at LAP had more Bollywood-walas in attendance. There was Sonali Bendre who looked gorgeous, bootilacious Neha Dhupia, the rarely spotted Marathi beauty, Gayatri Joshi, Dino Morea (he too has taken to the fuzzy look), Zayed Khan and the not-so-bloated Vikram Chatwal with some Arushi Virani. Cricketers like Yuvraj, Virat Kohli and Ashish Nehra too had a ball.
Friday night all roads led to LAP where the F-1 after party went on till wee-hours. Arjun Rampal, the owner of LAP did ensure Bollywood glitter at this party and we saw Hrithik and Suzanne Roshan, Arjun Kapoor, Abhishek ‘Gattu’ Kapoor, Chunky and Bhavna Pandey, Sikander Kher and Anil Thadani. Delhi schmoozers were their too – Ayesha Thapar, designers Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna, Manav Gangwani and many more. Mehr Rampal looked a bit off. Wonder why???
Previous night, Johnnie Walker that has been partnering with Mercedes hosted a ‘Jet Black’ party at B-Bar where Mandira Bedi, Mukul Dev, VJ Ramona, designers Arjun Khanna and Raghavendra Rathore added glam to the night.
Indian Formula 1 Racing Circuit has become more of a ‘Party Circuit’. King of Good Times agreed to pay his employees 3-months pending salary by Diwali just to avoid the embarrassment he would had faced during the grand-prix. Chalo F-1 se kuch toh bhala hua! There are more people interested in finding out about after-parties than races during the 3-Day Airtel India F-1 that takes off today. Of course the traffic snarl experienced en-route to Budh Circuit last year has deterred many too.
Coming back to F-1 Party Circuit – Mumbaiaas have landed in the Capital in hordes; mostly the B-grade Bollywood walas and their ‘groupies’. I can understand clubs and pubs hosting theme-parties based on Indian F 1 but was rather surprised to know an individual hosting a party as a strategic self-promotion activity.
Last night Mozez Singh hosted a bash at his house and was making sure all the B-towns who had started pouring in to Delhi is at his party. Officially Indian Formula 1 parties are licensed to Arjun Rampal’s LAP and Amber Lounge at Claridges. Anyway overheard – “Pratap Gaekwad is here and so are Dino and his gang. Dude it will be nice if they are here.” Friend replied – “Pratap Gaekwad his having dinner with Jyotir(aditya) Scindia. I am trying. Would you like me to call Chunky Pandey?” This strategy somehow strangely reminded me of designer Anand Jon – yes the same one who is in jail in the US for multiple charges of rape. Jon’s strategy was simple – ensure that paparazzi snaps him with Paris Hilton, Laura Bush, Lilo and the likes. This he used as his only claim to fame and that got him places but eventually landed him in jail.
Oh you must be wondering who is this Mozez Singh. Well he is from the fractured Ranbaxy family and is the brother of Tunnu Singh and Niamat. He used to be a Delhi-ite but moved to Mumbai few years back where he is a producer cum publicist cum socialite cum image guru cum what not. But he is most infamous for picking up a brawl with Shahrukh Khan at Maheep’s birthday bash from where he was thrown out.
So Mozez had a bash at his house (to bring in Indian F-1???) and had PR people spin out some red-carpet photo-op. Mumbai B-Towners (C-Graders), random blondes and random pit-crew members, loads of beautiful boyz, and aged socialites flocked in. Tried hard to get Priyanka Chopra who was in town to promote her music album but failed. Lewis Hamilton is coming…coming…coming but never came.
Siddharth Mallya – born with a ‘Platinum’ spoon – might make his ambitious Hollywood acting debut in an Ashok Amritraj production. Now that Siddharth Mallya taking acting lessons in Los Angeles is not a secret anymore and the fact that he is brushing up his act in front of the camera on the small screen as a host and judge of the fourth season of “Hunt for the Kingfisher Calendar Girl”, the news does not come as a surprise to me.
Will daddy Vijay Mallya finance the sonny’s Hollywood desires? If the buzz in L.A is to be believed it is Papa Mallya who will finance the Ashok Amritraj production. (Who would cast a tiny guy in a Hollywood venture in his right senses???) Vijay Mallya always did indulge on Siddharth. The now grounded Kingfisher Airlines was his 18th birthday gift from a doting dad!
Siddharth Mallya was oblivious of the agony of his unpaid employees at KFA. On Friday (19th October), when the Kingfisher Airlines’ licence got suspended, he tweeted: “Guys check out the 1st promo for The Hunt For The Kingfisher Calendar Girl 2013 featuring your truly.” And a day earlier, he tweeted his position: “Nothing beats the post 5oclock pub rush in London….best atmosphere ever!! Love being bk here….sometimes wonder why I ever left….” Yeah London is great when the things back home are ROUGH!
Siddharth, in an interview, said outrageously that he is friends with many A-listers in Bollywood but has no intentions of joining the industry as he dislikes the way it functions. That’s not all! He also adds that to get into the Hindi film industry will be cakewalk for him and so, he doesn’t want to go after that. Anything that is easy bores him and so he doesn’t want to mould his acting career here. He wants to make an identity of his own and not rely on his surname Mallya forever.
Now will the prodigal son sink daddy’s money in movie venture too? Only time will tell!
Who would had known that Yash Chopra literally wrote his epitaph when he named his last movie as a director and producer – Jab Tak Hai Jaan. I am not a big film-buff but I liked Yash Chopra’s movies. In fact I loved those movies more that bombed at the Box Office like Silsila, Mashaal, Lamhe…
I never thought Dengue could have dealt a fatal blow to somebody like Yash Chopra’s life. Anyway let us celebrate this “King of Romance’s” successful life with some vintage memories captured in camera. Rest In Peace Yash Chopra!
The Poonam Pandey syndrome of stripping for anything is fast spreading. The last to join that silly bandwagon was Reema Sharma who claims to have done three movies down South. Newz88 approached Reema Sharma to pose in the nude to empower their protest against Auto rickshaw fare hike in Maharashtra and Reema agreed.
Reema said, “Newz 22 approached me and asked me to be a part of the protest against a lot of tampered fare meters in Mumbai.” She said that when she was asked to pose nude in front of the camera for the cause she didn’t feel bad about it. Wow what a big-hearted lady she is. I am not sure if she was remunerated by Newz88 for posing nude.
There have been others who stripped for benevolent causes. Nisha Yadav – claimed to be coming in a movie – stripped for fighting corruption and to prevent clogged drains in monsoon.
Rozlyn Khan too followed the footsteps of Poonam Pandey and she did a nude photo shoot to support Dhoni as she said the even if Dhoni lost the final of IPL, she still supports him. She also did a nude photo shoot to spread awareness about the breast cancer.
Kavita Radheshyam did a nude photo shoot to spread awareness in regards to save the tiger.
The Spring-Summer 2013 edition of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) ended last Wednesday and we witnessed some fabulous shows. I wished Rohit Gandhi & Rahul Khanna did a solo show because the ten outfits we saw in the Indo-Dutch fashion collaboration were far-out but left us unsatiated.
Here is the link of my story that was published in Sunday Standard:
http://newindianexpress.com/
Preity Zinta is on a promotion spree for her latest film that is also produced by her – Ishq in Paris. She was in the Capital to promote her movie as well as promote some jewelery.
Anyway that’s not what I am talking about. Preity Zinta wore a pair of red denims and the crotch was bit too tight creating a Camel-toe effect. It’s a major fashion faux-pas PZ. Hope next time you wear something little roomy!
The Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) Spring-Summer 2013 ended this Wednesday and FDCI hosted a finale bash at the refurbished LAP.
But then what is bash without a brawl??? First we had designer Nida Mahmood who had a major fracas with the FDCI team as they were obstinate in not letting in her multiple friends and colleagues. The ‘high-spirited’ Nida fretted and fumed at this. Though all her guests were eventually accomodated we found Nida Mahmood still sulking.
At the fag end of the bash we saw another ugly brawl between Bikram Oberoi and Manish Talwar. Guess what this brawl was all about? Well the duo fought over a girl!
High time you guys grow up man!!!
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Robert Vadra & The Innocence Of Journalists
CARMA and Indian Fashion has a karmic connection. A centuries old royal stable opposite the Qutub Minar was converted by Lekha Poddar as India’s first fashion boutique – CARMA. Lekha’s daughter-in-law Malvika Modi Poddar better known as Dimple Poddar was the proud owner of India’s first high-fashion boutique and running the operations was Gurleen Kaur, a name that virtually became synonymous to Carma.
It was a sort of Mecca for Indian designers. If you were selling from CARMA, you simply had arrived. Carma like all things saw lot of evolution. Once a domain of big-daddies of Indian fashion, Carma started taking in bright young talent. Since the boutique enjoyed a premium position Carma has innumerous tales of inter-designer politics, bitchy dramas and loads of conspiracy theories. Evolution continued and couple of years back CARMA did a tie-up with Sabyasachi Mukherjee and from a multi-designer boutique it became Sabya’s flagship store. The other CARMA at Malcha Marg (though nowhere close to the ‘elite’ factor the Qutub Carma enjoyed) stocked multi-designers.
Past few months things were not smooth between Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Gurleen and Dimple Poddar. As per sources the bone of contention was the commission paid to Gurleen by Sabyasachi. Since Gurleen was more involved in running the Malcha Marg Carma, the percentage commission payable to Gurleen on Sabysachi’s sales were reduced.
Now Gurleen has officially put in her papers and insiders say that it came as a shock to Dimple. The spicy bit is Gurleen in collaboration with Manish Malhotra is opening his first flagship store just a couple of yards away from Sabysachi at Carma on the One Style Mile across the Qutub Minar. The coming days will witness some tug-of-war for Carma loyal clientele. We will wait and watch how things unfurl!
The year’s wedding season is knocking around the corner with some big-ticket weddings – like the Bebo-Saif – in queue. But before we talk about bonds being solemnised under holy matrimony, there are news of holy marriages gone sour.
Ramona Narang Rodella is back to Ramona Narang after her split with her third husband – Bruno Rodella. This was Ramona’s third marriage that went kaput. Her first husband Jaydeep Garware committed suicide. Post that Ramona moved her base to Delhi and romanced Mohit Burman but tied the knot rather surprisingly with Yanchee Vadera. This too didn’t last long. Bruno and Ramona got married in 2008 and they settled back in Mumbai. The couple were blessed with twins. Now the marriage is over and the divorce procedures are underway. last heard, Bruno Rodella has moved back to his home country – Italy. Will there be a fourth one??? Your guess is as good as mine.
Capital’s self-proclaimed diva cum stylist cum socialite cum fashion retailer cum designer Pernia Qureshi married Arjun Prasada. It was a gala affair and Pernia’s wedding dress – a Galliano- costed almost a Crore of Rupees. The couple did not even complete a year of marital bliss when news of their split came. Reasons are multiple but the hot headed Arjun Prasada who created a ruckus when he got in to a verbal abuse with Robert Vadra at the launch of the nightclub – Hype was rubbing too many guys on the wrong side, including Amar Sareen, a former boyfriend of Pernia’s. Anyways Pernia and Arjun are separated and divorce proceedings are on. Last known, Arjun Prasada is cooling his heels in Dubai.
Tomorrow fashionscandal will break in another splitsville affair. But hey this one is not about marriage but about business but believe you me the news is rather shocking.
More and more business tycoons are going for ‘Trophy Girlfriends’ and splurging insane amounts on them. It is sort of becoming a trend with Desi Tycoons!
The most infamous tycoon and his trophy gal involves none other than Mallika Sherawat. She lives in Los Angeles for the better part of the year. Mallika Sherawat has a penthouse apartment at one of the swankiest locations in Beverly Hills The Palazzo. Mallika’s two-story penthouse has a city view, arched windows, city views, controlled elevator access (only she can use it to get to her penthouse), large private terraces and a personal swimming pool (5500 sq feet in area) with two levels a drawing, dining and kitchen below with two bedrooms above. And Roman soaking tubs. It even has an original Picasso painting. Now does Mallika earn enough to sustain such a lifestyle? The answer is a ‘NO’. The penthouse rent is paid by a NRI Tycoon based out of London and he is the richest NRI. Not only a penthouse, Mallika’s tycoon lover pays for her publicist, stylist and shopping and also allows the Haryanvi Sex Bomb the luxury of his private jet. In return Mallika has to make herself available to her billionaire lover at his beck and call, which fortunately is not very often as the tycoon needs to be very discreet.
The other business tycoon who has been smitten by the beauty of Hyderabadi lawyer cum model cum beauty queen – Vasuka Sunkavalli is from the Capital City. He had a live-in relationship for a long time with one of Delhi’s old socialite, which unceremoniously ended last year. Then this tycoon – who is in Infrastructure business had a short stint with an Afghani beauty but that too ended soon when the tycoon met Vasuki during Indian Grand Prix last year. If you still haven’t placed the man – well all I can say is that he is more known by his nick name, which is rather ‘Mousey’!
Yet another billionaire NRI is based out of London too. This man has a penchant for trophy gals half his age. In fact all the three tycoons have trophy gals who are half their ages! The London based NRI who is in mining and more is seeing Kanika Chandok and their alleged relation has costed Ms. Kanika her marriage. I had posted about her earlier. You can read it here: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-134
At the Paris Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2013 we saw designers churning out some real quirky accessories.
From the cool girl coats to the wait list-worthy bags, Phoebe Philo makes the clothes we crave every season. But the mink shoes at Celine were shocking. Well, isn’t that odd? Mink in spring!
And now we have Chanel Hula Bags!
Theatricality is a Gaultier specialty. And it wouldn’t have been an ’80s pop-themed Paris fashion week show without the lights and props and dancing troupe to go with it. The Jean Paul Gaultier Spring/Summer 2013 show was an homage to all the greats from the 80s (and some 70s, too)–like Madonna, Boy George, and Michael Jackson. There were even KISS impersonators sitting front row!
Grace Jones: Part android, part human, Grace Jones was a muse to many in the 80s. Her penchant for strong shoulders and sharp features are unmistakable.
Madonna: “Borderline,” Desperately Seeking Susan, fishnets stockings used as hair ties–not to mention, Madonna was the originator of the arm party. She was so damn cool in the 80s.
Madonna circa “Blonde Ambition: Jean Paul Gaultier, of course, introduced the cone bra to the world on Madonna’s bosoms during her Blonde Ambition tour. And that high ponytail? Cheerleaders around the world still wear that.
More Madonna: Jessica Stam looks eerily, creepily exactly like Madonna here (center). Is it the eyebrows? Something.
Annie Lennox: Doing androgyny like no one else.
Michael Jackson: There’s plenty of Michael Jackson inspiration to go around. Love the little shrunken jackets. Philip Treacy too did a MJ inspired show at his comeback at London Fashion Week.
Boy George: Karlie Kloss is Boy George here. I don’t think she should have any problems with a Halloween costume this year.
David Bowie: Bowie as Ziggy Stardust has obviously influenced fashion and magazine covers forever. This super literal translation may never make it into production but it’s very fun to look at.
Sade: From the eyebrows to the sleek hair and signature hoops, Joan Smalls and company are total “Smooth Operators”.
Hina Rabbani Khar’s torrid affair with Bilawal Bhutto has rocked Pakistan for sure though both Rabbani and Bilawal denied the reports. The reported love affair came to light when Bilawal and Khar were caught in compromising position at Zardari’s official residence. Here are some pictures of the ‘so-called’ Bilawal and Rabbani’s ‘compromising position’. Bilawal Bhutto is clearly visible in the pictures where he is passionately smooching a woman. But is the woman Hina Rabbani Khar? I have my doubts as the girl in the picture is heavier than Hina. Waaaddddyyyaaaa Say???
However sources say that Hina (35) and Bilawal (24) will get settled in Switzerland and Hina will leave her two daughters with her husband after divorce.
Manish Arora went brazenly ‘Indian’ with his Spring/Summer 2013 collection on the opening day of Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2013. The collection had mostly Indian silhouettes – like the churidaar-kurtas, Kutch jackets and sherwani style jackets - tweeked to appeal to the western audience. Manish predominantly used season’s favourite pastels and metallics, the kaleidoscopic prints in which tigers crouched; there were sheer leggings in churidaar style and foil leopard prints and heavily beaded dresses.
As always Manish Arora used loads of jewelry in gold and some chunky pieces in neon.
Typically 3-D embroidery that has become signature ‘Manish Arora’ and some very traditional motifs embellished the garments that can be best described as ‘Exotic Indian’.
Aishwarya Rai and Erin Heatherton lend their voices at the United Nations 2012 Every Woman Every Child Dinner held at The Museum of Modern Art on Tuesday (September 25) in New York City. The 38-year-old Bollywood actress and Erin, 23, were joined by Smash actress Debra Messing and Shaquille O’Neal at the charity event. Aishwarya was recently named the UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador and her role will be mainly to advocate the Global Plan, aiming to eliminate new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keep their mothers alive.
US Media wondered what was all the hullabaloo about Aishwarya’s weight – “Indian critics and bloggers went f—king crazy criticizing Aish for not losing her postpartum baby weight soon enough. There were some in India who felt that Aishwarya was ‘letting her people down’ by not getting back to her old figure soon enough. Rai appeared at the Cannes Film Festival one week later, and she still looked magnificent”, wrote a popular website.
Yet another online magazine commented – “As you can see in these photos, Rai is still gorgeous, and she still a voluptuous woman. That’s all I really have to say – she looks great. I wouldn’t mind if she changed up her style a bit, but maybe she feels like she has to wear more traditional Indian clothing when she’s overseas, like she’s a representative of Indian style.”
Yes the scarlet ‘Lehenga-Gown’ by Sabyasachi Mukherjee did make Aishwarya Rai look a bit matrontly. She is consciously opting for such silhouettes to conceal the bumps and flabs. A reader rightly pointed out – “She (Aish) isn’t that fat, but unfortunately her neck is. Those rings of fat are what make her look awful. And she was previously beautiful because her eyes were too big for her face…now not so much.”
French magazine - Closer and Italian magazine - Chi are out with much hyped topless images of Kate Middleton, The Duchess of Cambridge and future Queen of England while she was holidaying with Prince William.
The Royal legal hawks did not manage to deter the two publications as they finally hit the stands. Here are the images snapped from Chi and Closer for your eyes only. My personal favourite is the one where Prince William oils Kate’s crack!
Hush-hush murmurs grew into a catty cacophony when it was established that it is indeed Tanisha Mohan aka Tashu who is the uncrowned Brand Ambassadress for the coveted couture house – Anjalee and Arjun Kapoor. The fashionistas were clawing and pawing for this coveted status while Tashu silently flew down to Mumbai to be at Anjalee and Arjun Kapoor’s show at the ongoing India Bridal Week as their Brand Ambassadress.
Some may argue that Bipasha is the Ambassadress for Anjalee & Arjun Kapoor but I choose to disagree. She is only the rented diva! Bips loyalty lies with Gauri and Nainika and her buddy – Rocky S.
Coming back to Anjalee and Arjun Kapoor’s dazzling show – well it was inspired by Subz Milonee (Mixed Vegetable) and was exquisitely crafted after selectively drawing inspirations from Manish Malhotra, JJ Valaya and Manav Gangwani.
Bipasha was the Tadka on Subz Milonee dished out by Anjalee and Arjun Kapoor!
Pardon me Anjalee…change your stylist. Didn’t do justice with your golden gown. Could had been bit more roomy at the bust.
Last week I was out of Delhi and hence missed out on the crazy Buddha Bar fever. Since the chateratti was going ga-ga over Buddha…oops ‘b-bar’…the brand new addition to the Capital’s night out, I made it a point to check it out.
I thought Thursday would be an easy night but then I was wrong and b-bar was buzzing. I must say that this place has a totally international feel to it. We may have had an international bar/lounge/club in Delhi before like the F bar or Indochine but they didn’t create that ‘international’ feel. What I like about b-bar was the smooth operation right from the point of the valet from where you take the elevators to the restaurant lobby. The mammoth space done in classic, rich style envelopes you the moment you walk in and by the time you settle around the island bar, the tall central dome gives a healthy feeling of space. I have had enough of jostling amidst crowd to grab a drink. At b-bar nothing seemed ostentatious or over-the-top but there is subtle feel of luxury and class.
Music was nice – signature Buddha Bar stuff, the sound system was great as I didn’t need to shout my throat hoarse to make a conversation and food was great. There is a dining area and then there is a lounging area. If you want privacy you can go for the PDRs.
Thank God there is no ‘cover charge’ but yes you need to make a prior reservation to enjoy the ‘b-bar’ experience. And yes, I was happy to see the mature crowd than the usual teeny boppers and the must say the style quotient was high. I think it will if not already, become the place to be spotted at!
On the 28th of August 2012 Vijay Singh held a press conference in Delhi to announce the India Bridal Week in Delhi. Singh in fact announced the dates too – 2nd August to the 6th of August 2013, which is just a week before the annual Delhi Couture Week hosted by Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI). If that wasn’t enough, Vijay Singh read out the names of participating designers and even got Tarun Tahiliani on to the podium to announce him as the ‘Grand Finale’ designer of his maiden venture in Delhi. You can read all about it in my earlier post here: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-16l
The Board of FDCI was not happy with Vijay Singh hosting a Bridal/Couture Week strategically just a week before the Delhi Couture Week. The Board also expressed its angst against FDCI Members taking part in Vijay Singh’s event. The talks were so serious that the Board decided if a FDCI Member designer takes part in Vijay Singh’s show in Delhi, his/her membership may be cancelled.
Seeing the strict posturing by FDCI the designers who were tom-tommed by Vijay Singh at his press conference did a U-turn. I have come to know that all the designers who were supposedly showing at the India Bridal Week in August 2013 have now given in writing to the board that they will not showcase in any event that is similar to the one hosted by FDCI and is held in the Capital around the same dates. In simple words – Tarun Tahiliani & JJ Valaya – the trump-cards in Vijay Singh’s Delhi agenda will not participate in it.
This news may not have reached Vijay Singh as the written undertaking was kept confidential by the FDCI Board.
Guess it is time to get the news out!
The person replacing Anjana Sharma (who was fired recently) at IMG Reliance comes in from Wills Lifestyle – the Apparel business division of ITC. He was with Wills Lifestyle since its inception and was part of the core team from Wills Lifestyle at the bi-annual Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW).
Seem IMG Reliance wants expertise from FDCI organised India Fashion Week to set the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) in order. Well time only will tell how the new guy fares!
Anjana Sharma joined IMG Reliance as Director Fashion in January 2011 and was at the helm of affairs of Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) that is co-organised by IMG Reliance and Lakme. But Anjana’s stint was cut-short after been with IMG Reliance only for 19 Months.
IMG Reliance has asked Anjana Sharma to put in her papers and the person replacing her is from Delhi and is from the fashion industry. The disastrous Winter/Festive 2012 Edition of Lakme Fashion Week was probably the nail in the coffin for Anjana Sharma. Lacklustre list of participating designers, total vaccum of business at the fashion week and virtual boycott of LFW by the luminous Board ere signs loud enough hinting at the deteriorating levels of Lakme Fashion Week. The stormy session post the LFW where the Board was volatile and upset at way things were going on at Lakme Fashion Week was widely reported in the Press.
Delhi is undoubtedly the Fashion Capital of India and hope the Delhi person replacing Anjana Sharma as Director Fashion at IMG Reliance will resurrect the Lakme Fashion Week. Meanwhile don’t know if Anjana Sharma will try her luck with AMR Group’s dubious Indian Fashion Company (IFC), which tom-tommed about floating a Young Designers’ Forum (YDF) that Sharma strongly advocated for.
The moment I saw this picture of actor cum activist Shabana Azmi giving a standing ovation to Olympic Medal winning gritty boxer Mary Kom as she sashayed down the ramp, the words GULABI GANG sprung up in my mind. Two powerful ladies in PINK (GULABI) fits the bill to the ‘T’. Waaaddyaa say???
The image is from Shabana Azmi’s NGO, Mijwan Welfare Society, hosted a fashion show, Mijwan Sonnets in Fabric 2012. The show highlighted craftsmanship of Mijwan’s female population through Manish Malhotra’s designs.
And yes it seemed like all of Bollywood was on the ramp, especially the two directors from the now-famous Rs. 100 Crores Club – Rohit Shetty and Prabhudeva. Oh yes…how can I forget B-Town’s darling Karan Johar. He too walked the ramp in a red thingy, which looked like a ‘Bandmaster’s’ uniform. How could you don that K Jo???
Hope you guys won’t mind if I blow my own trumpet for a change. Some might find it pompous but let me take this liberty for once. After fashionscandal.com posted the story on “Should Designers Comprise The Jury That Selects Designers?’” (You can read it here: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-16e) a fierce debate took off that led many designers to voice their opinion against the process. Subsequently HT City too did a piece on the same topic and resultant FDCI and the Board did a rethinking.
As per my sources the FDCI and its Board is revisiting the selection process from the start and hopefully in couple of days the final list will be out.
I know that I (‘An Industry Outsider.’) pissed off a lot of Board members but then my argument wasn’t if X,Y, Z designers qualify to be on the Jury. My basic tenet was a that a Jury shouldn’t comprise of designers that selects designers. This rule applies to every other field – be it journalism, art or shall I say the Selection Committee for Allocation of Coal Blocks.
I really have to wonder if all of the speculation about Prince Harry’s “gigantic” scandal-to-come is just coming from my list of possible scandals. Not only did Radar report that Harry might have been in the room while cocaine was going around in his Las Vegas suite, now Radar claims that an actual coke dealer was probably partying in the suite too. And hookers were there too. Dude knows how to party, I’ll say that for him.
“Hookers and a known cocaine dealer were in Prince Harry’s Las Vegas hotel room during his now infamous naked romp, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting. This new bombshell brings the Royal family scandal to a new level amid Radar’s report that the Prince’s wild night was caught on tape and piggyback’s the eyewitness account of party-goers doing drugs in Harry’s Wynn Hotel & Casino suite.
“A really good friend of mine is a cocaine dealer and texted me from the hotel room while the party was happening and said, ‘Guess where I am?!?’” a source exclusively told RadarOnline.com. “Turns out he was in the Wynn suite with Harry, his pals and all those girls. Some people were snorting cocaine… Some were already rolling on shrooms (hallucinogenic mushrooms) when they arrived at the party, and some were just high on weed. And that’s exactly why no one there has come forward on the record…they don’t want to be implicated for any illegal activities.”
RadarOnline.com has confirmed that at least one of the women partying in Harry’s suite has been known to prostitute and accept money and gifts for sexual favors.
“My friend won’t give up any of the details about what happened in that hotel suite, including whether or not Harry was doing coke, but he was definitely there,” the source concluded.
Vegas seems to encourage that kind of thing as part of their “big-spender packages” – a prince (like Harry) would get a nice suite, a private club cabana, and of course the hotel would send over some “complimentary girls” for his enjoyment.
Designer Ranna Gill who is showing at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2013 after a hiatus of couple of season has grabbed the Sponsored slot – the Fiama Di Wills Show. Ritu Kumar is the Wills Lifestyle Grand Finale designer. As per FDCI, both the selections have been made by Wills Lifestyle independently. Ranna had done Fiama show earlier too but it was a two-designer show with Rina Dhaka.
So do we expect something new from Ranna Gill at the forthcoming WIFW S/S 2013? I mean something different from the use of jersey that dominates her collection???
The 31st August 2012 Edition of HT CITY carried the story – “It’s Unfair” on Jury for selection of Designers for WIFW S/S 2013. Obviously you read it here first – Should Designers Comprise The Jury That Selects Designers? Here is the link: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-16e
There seems to be no end to fashion politics and no dearth of designers falling prey to people attempting at fracturing the fashion fraternity. Remember Vijay Singh – the man who had formed FDPC and had ambitious plans to disintegrate FDCI – is still at his games. Not satisfied with the lack-lustre Sahara India Bridal Week that he has been hosting for the past three years, Vijay Singh yesterday held a press conference to announce a year in advance about his Couture Week in Delhi in the year 2013.
Remember yet another Real Estate Group – AMR – that recently formed Indian Fashion Council, which later was renamed as Indian Fashion Company and boasted about forming a platform to promote Young Designers has now dumped ‘young designers‘ and joined hands with Vijay Singh to sponsor the Couture Week. I always doubted AMR’s intention and wrote about it in my various posts. Now that they are sponsoring an alternative couture week, AMR’s lie is exposed. You can read my earlier posts here:
Another “Fashion Council” Raises Its Ugly Head: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-10L
Overnight the ‘Council’ Turns In To A ‘Company’: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-118
Unabashed Pimping of Fashion Continues: http://wp.me/p1C8a1-11d
At the Press Conference held yesterday jointly by Vijay Singh and AMR, the dates were announced – 2nd August 2013 to 6th August 2013. The intent is clear to hold it before the FDCI organised Delhi Couture Week. The ace up the sleeves of the new couture week is Tarun Tahiliani and it has been announced that Tarun Tahiliani will be the Grand Finale couturier. Other designers present at the conference were Ashima-Leena, Shantanu – Nikhil and JJ Valaya (who later re-iterated that he will be part of the FDCI’s Delhi Couture Week). Rocky S and Vikram Phadnis are also supposedly part of this alternative Couture Week.
I yet again ask – do we need two Couture Weeks back to back in Delhi? Should designers who are members of FDCI ( a body constituted by them and for them) participate in an alternate couture/fashion week? Is it the lure of money that is making designers opt for an alternative organiser? What does the alternate Couture Week bring extra to the table that FDCI’s Couture Week doesn’t?
Things are not going right in Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) just before the Spring/Summer 2013 Edition of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) scheduled from 6th October 2012 to 10th October 2012. For the first time ever there are seven designers – a mix of top, medium and small designers – that comprises the jury, which is vetting the participation of designers in the Spring/Summer 2013 WIFW. It can’t be more unfair than this – designers playing jury in selection of designers.
Nowhere in the world the designers sit as jury in the selection of fellow designers. It is unethical at the very core of it. No designer should in their right mind pass judgement on the creations of a fellow designer. Such a jury cannot avoid criticism of nepotism, bias and irregularities however transparent they may be. I got to know that few senior designers refused to be on the jury and so very rightly so. FDCI should step in and get a fresh Jury that doesn’t have designers short-listing fellow designers.
Through sources I have discovered some disastrous decisions that had been made by the Jury. Some good designers have been rejected shockingly. Some young talents had been trashed too. And last but not the least nepotism has come into play in allocation of premium single-designer-show slots. I agree that designers on the jury may not be doing so deliberately but being a designer, he/she has a fashion sensibility he/she subscribes to and may unknowingly be intolerant to a diverse fashion sensibility.
I feel that designers should take it on themselves not to be the part of the Jury so as to make the process absolutely transparent and ethical. Is it asking for too much?
Yet another blow to Galliano. John Galliano, decorated as a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor at the Élysée Palace in 2010, has been stripped of the merit award. On Jun 23, 2010, John Galliano was awarded one of France’s highest honors: he was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. And just over two years later, he’s been stripped of his award.
Following Galliano’s conviction last year for making racist and anti-Semitic slurs, President Francois Hollande, who serves as the grand master of the Order, revoked the decoration. Giorgio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, Nicole Farhi and Sonia Rykiel are all recipients of the prestigious award and Anna Wintour was the most recent fashion marquis to receive the Legion of Honor.
What makes the stripping of Legion of Honor award a big news is that it’s a rare occurrence. In fact the infamous Panamanian dictator – Manuel Noreiga still hold on to his Legion of Honor.
Better late than never! Loads of fashionscandal readers wanted to see the naked Prince Harry here so am posting it now.
Prince Harry put the crown jewels on display in Vegas last weekend, getting BARE ASS NAKED during a game of strip billiards with a room full of friends in his VIP suite. Well I knew of strip poker but strip billiards is something new to me. It all went down Friday night (17th August) during a raging party in a high rollers hotel suite.
Harry and his large entourage went to the hotel bar where they picked up some hot babes and invited them to a party at his VIP Suite. The bash at Prince Harry’s suite was nothing short of a wild orgy. The game of Strip Pool virtually turned into a nude party with the Prince too abiding with the rules of the game.
In one photo, a fully nude Harry cups his genitals while a seemingly topless woman stands behind him. In another photo, a naked Harry is bear-hugging a woman who appears to be completely naked as well.
The Private Equity (PE) arm of Paris-based LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton – L Capital with Ravi Thakran at the helm of affairs gave a lot of hope to the Indian Fashion Fraternity to see ‘corporatisation’ of Indian Fashion Industry. Ravi Thakran being an Indian led the Desi fash-frat to unjustifiably believe that L Capital with a corpus fund of $ 650 Million would really see some huge investment in Indian Designer Labels. But as I mentioned – it was an‘unjustifiable’ expectation.
L Capital heavily invested in Genesis Luxury and took 25.5% stake in the company. Here I must say that Sanjay Kapoor of Genesis Luxury who is a former banker must have used his financial expertise to secure that huge chunk of investment from L Capital. Other brand where L Capital picked up stakes was Fabindia – L Capital holds 8% stake.
Finally L Capital turned its focus to the niche segment of Indian designer-wear. The reports of L Capital investing in Rohit Bal and Sabyasachi Mukherjee and in multi-designer retail chain – Evoluzione still stands unconfirmed. The talks are in final stages is what we still hear. This news sparked off various unconfirmed reports that Sabyasachi’s brand has been valued much higher than that of Rohit Bal’s and why Evoluzione and why not Ensemble. Ravi Thakran and Rohit Bal are old friends and when Thakran was heading Omega Watches, he sponsored a grand show of Bal’s at the American Ambassador’s (The Lundquists!) residence where Shahrukh Khan was the show-stopper. Murmurs of L Capital investing in Rohit Bal because Thakran and Bal are buddies had been floating but I personally discount it as gossip as PE firm of L Capital’s stature don’t do business on the basis of friendship. Gossip on why Evoluzione and why not Ensemble has many conspiracy theories.
But it’s high time L Capital comes out with a status report on what’s happening with the investments in Rohit Bal, Sabysachi Mukherjee and Evoluzione. Also how significant is the news that L Capital is planning to replicate the LVMH model in India? This is what I am reading - “Along with consolidating their separate labels under a single corporate structure, each of them will get a chance to scale up and reach domestic as well as global markets. L Capital plans to invest close to Rs 200 crores in the venture, which is being planned as a company that will own significant minority stakes in the design houses of these well-known designers and will forge a joint venture with Evoluzione for back-end distribution business. Gradually, more known designers will be brought on board to expand the business horizons.” Well if this happens I feel it is something the Indian designers always needed and it will definitely be an impetus to the desi designers. If LVMH-type structure comes up in India, it would definitely assist in consolidating and projecting Indian fashion to the world, besides helping brands with marketing, retailing and identifying suitable real estate to increase scale, pare costs, improve operating efficiency and boost profits.
By the way – L Capital recently invested Rs 108 crores in PVR Cinemas! So is Bollywood next on L Capital’s Agenda???
Every year post the annual Delhi Couture Week, I draw out the top couturiers amongst those who showcased. This year too after much deliberations and revisiting the high-resolution images of the creations showcased by the couturiers at the just concluded PCJ Delhi Couture Week 2012, I have drawn out ‘My’ Top 3 Couturiers. The list is in ‘alphabetical order’.
Anamika Khanna’s collection was an absolute treat to the eyes. Her ensembles were not typical Indian Wedding Wear (Wedding Wear dominates our Couture Week) but a nice blend of traditional and modern styles. I loved the intricate texturisation, innovative silhouettes, great assortment of fabrics, amazing colour story and of course perfect tailoring. Scalloped lacy jackets over lehengas and dhotis, the high-collars, the sari-gowns or the magnificent floor-duster coats – all gave a modern touch to traditional Indian ensembles. Sheer Salmon pink dupattas or layerings over ivory coloured ensembles livened up the look dramatically.
Manav Gangwani impressed me with his gowns – be it the monochromatic ones or the more dramatic red ones. I loved the OTT detailing, which I look forward in a Couture show, liked the shapes and above all the fit that is so integral to a couture piece. A couture ensemble has to fit on the model immaculately! The sheer fishnet gown with embroidery concealing the vitals did shock some of my fellow scribes but in a couture show that is more than permissible. The Indian styles were ‘Blingy’ but then that is something Gangwani’s clients love.
Varun Bahl was the first to establish that the ‘colour’ of the season’s gonna be Indigo. The sheer net bodices were absolutely sensual and the placement of embroidery was imaginatively innovative. One look at Varun’s collection and you would understand how vital ‘placement’ of embroidery is. Gradient shading – lighter shades blending in to darker ones – was beautifully used on saris and the contrast coloured embroidery on them beautified them further. I heard the saris are already taken. The use of the colour black gave an uber-chic look to Bahl’s beautiful collection. Classy is the word to aptly define it!
Prabal Gurung launched his new label – Prabal Gurung x ICB at Barneys, New York on Wednesday night and had his muses and fashionistas rock the party. Gurung tied up with ‘Onward Kashiyama’ last year to launch ICB. Japanese brand ICB, which stands for International Concept Brand, is owned by established Japanese manufacturing company Onward Kashiyama, which also owns Jil Sander, J Press and others. They also have distribution and licensing agreements with Donna Karan, Calvin Klein and other big names.
In February this year, Prabal Gurung showcased his debut ICB Collection at the New York Fashion Week and said, “I would say an inspiring combination of beauty, intelligence and a little sense of humor is what an ICB girl is all about. She has innate good taste and this is a stepping stone to what I have to offer in my main collection.”
Prabal Gurung x ICB’s tailored, sculptural skirts, dresses and sweaters were unmistakably Gurung, as were the prints and pops of colour like chartreuse and interesting details like dip-dying and laser cutting. However, the clothes were far more casual than the ultra-luxurious eveningwear that dominates his main collections. Gurung claims ICB to be ‘affordable’ but I don’t know how many would find prices ranging from $250 to $650 ‘affordable’.
The party had Prabal Gurung’s many muses but most prominently Hannah Bronfman, socialite and official ICB girl, who did triple duty as muse, hostess, and dj at the event and NYC’s girls about town like Cory Kennedy, Hanne Gaby Odiele, Elettra Weidemann, and Mia Moretti decked out in the new line. Vogue’s Chioma Nadi, CR (Carine Rotfield) Book‘s Shiona Turni and Barneys Creative Director, Simon Doonan too were there.
Every Fashion Week we find a new gatecrasher. The just concluded PCJ Delhi Couture Week 2012 too had one.
So who bagged the trophy for the ‘Most Shameless Gatecrasher’? Well it’s a guy from Bangalore. What’s his occupation? Nothing presently but last known occupation was at a Bank from where he was sacked. Oh yes his name is Jesh Wilson.
Wilson managed to get in to the shows courtesy some friends he made. But on the final day the gatecrasher became a shameless fraudster by claiming to be Fashion Television (FTV) journalist. He discreetly hid his Media Accreditation badge under his jacket. What do guys like him get by indulging in fraud just to see a fashion show???
Height of shamelessness was when Jesh Wilson gatecrashed into Varun Bahl’s birthday bash. Next morning he puts up pictures on Facebook from the party. So all this creepy act is just to flaunt on your Facebook that you are at the ‘IT’ Shows or ‘IT’ parties dear Jesh Wilson??? Get a life dude!
Rest In Peace Prabuddha Dasgupta. The ace photographer passed away last evening after enthralling us with his beautiful photographs, be it on fashion or Ladakh. Dasgupta died of a massive heart-attack while he was traveling in a cab. He was only 51. God bless his soul. Both the designers – Manav Gangwani and Sabysachi Mukherjee requested all for a minute of silence for the legendary Prabuddha before their shows.
Manav Gangwani had a mishap while he was preparing for the Couture Week. His assistant disappeared with all the designs. Gangwani reworked on an entirely new collection and there were flashes of brilliance. A 
monochromatic collection had sequence in red and as expected, was high on ‘Bling’. For the first time during the week I saw some dramatic elements that I feel is an integral part of a couture show. (Of course there was Manish Arora who had loads of drama in his show.) My personal favourites were the black and white sheer gown with a bejewelled black structure crossing over the shoulders and a short one-shoulder dress with nice lacy applique work. I liked the finish and the fit – a must for any couture ensemble. Manav Gangwani had the Queen of Bhutan – the beautiful Jetsun Pema gracing the front-row in a chic one-shoulder black Gangwani dress. Oh yes Bollywood was there in form of Raveena Tandon, Sophie Choudhry and jewelery designer Farah Khan.
Sabyasachi Mukherjee had one of the most elaborate set – with a vintage feel complete with the ramp depicting a wooden floor. And much to my liking I saw a great deal of ‘newness’ in his collection. But then he stuck to the ‘no makeup’ look and glasses for his models. There were the usual ornate lehengas, long-sleeved blouses and pretty sarees but what impressed me were those long voluminous skirts totally devoid of embellishment in solid colour like green or in colour-blocking technique. Sabya even went for coarse fabric and thick cotton to craft out these maxi skirts that can be doubled as lehengas. Sridevi and her director for their forthcoming movie – English Winglish, Gauri Shinde were Sabyasachi’s showstoppers.
A personal opinion – some Indian designers do not take criticism sportingly. I feel they should and that way they can raise the bar higher. I have often been asked:
- “Do you have any problem with XYZ designer?’
- I ask, “Why do you think so?” <