Chic or Eeks? Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla at Cannes

Chic or Eeks? Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla at Cannes

Dear Mommy Aishwarya,

I’m happy you haven’t bowed down to the pressure of losing your post-pregnancy weight immediately after birth.

Aishwarya Rai Bachhan Cannes 2012

So while you can’t carry off a body-hugging evening gown (or more importantly, the snobbish designers won’t have samples in your size), at least choose an outfit that’s stylish and flatters you.

The gold work on this Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla outfit is a bit too jarring for me and the genteel folk at Cannes. You could have done with a lighter blouse  for instance.

Or how about trying on a looser silhouette- there are so many flattering designer dresses for heavier and curvier women. The A-line is always flattering.

Also, how can you wear an Indian  outfit and leave your ears bare? Earrings are the one accessory that pull an Indian ensemble together.

BTW, the makeup is gorgeous! Loved the eyes.

What do you think of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s ensemble at Cannes 2012?

Chic Report: Know Your Sarees workshop at Kala Ghoda Arts Festival

Chic Report: Know Your Sarees workshop at Kala Ghoda Arts Festival

Some say the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon is by taking a nap after a satisfying meal (I agree!). But I spent yesterday afternoon much more fruitfully at a workshop at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, Mumbai—Know your Sarees (I prefer saris).

Kala Ghoda sari workshop with Bela Shanghavi

Conducted by Bela Shanghavi, it was an intense and engrossing discussion-cum-interaction on understanding saris better—how they are made, the technology used, the skills of the weaver and what to look for when buying one. Bela had brought along several saris as examples which helped me understand her points a lot better.

Starting from the basics (the warp and the weft), Bela began her explanation of saris with a brief on the various stages in the making of a typical Indian sari- yarn, pre-loom, on loom and post-loom. Then she delved into each stage, explaining what kind of saris and fabrics were made through work done during that stage. For instance, at the yarn stage, certain design elements like colours and textures can be introduced.

Kala Ghoda sari workshop with Bela Shanghavi

Some interesting things I learnt at the workshop:

  • Brocades like jamewars, Banarsis, pacholi, kanjeevaram and Balucharis are created in the “on loom” stage.
  • The weavers require a high degree of precision to make saris that have a “corner” and a border.
  • Printing, tinting, dyeing, embroidery, bandhini, hand painting happens in the post-loom stage.
  • While each region has its own type of sari-making technique, boundaries are now getting blurred.
  • A region or state’s culture and natural landscape has defined its fabrics, saris (and therefore fashion sensibilities). For instance, Rajasthan with its desert landscape is rich in coloured fabrics and garments. But in Bengal, the colours of choice are typically a simple white and red.
  • You can mix various textile technologies for a fabulously modern sari!
  • Kala Ghoda sari workshop with Bela Shanghavi
  • Even local mannerisms, etiquette and culture reflects in the textile language of the region. For instance, Gujarati fabrics have “plump” paisleys (they talk loud and to the point), while Kashmirs paisleys are delicate and complex (they communicate their point in a roundabout manner).
  • Saris and fabrics can be therapeutic! Our ancient Indian customs of wearing clothes with certain natural dyes and fabrics has a very scientific basis to it. For instance, the natural indigo dye repels bacteria and certain diseases, while vermilion boosts blood circulation.
  • The fabrics you see the royals wearing in Mughal paintings are not brocades but “ashawar”, which differs from brocade in the fall and feel.
  • Sari making is akin to the idea of the pixels on a computer screen, and Indian artisans and weavers understood this concept Indians as early as the third century!
  • With shifting boundaries you can now get a Paithani sari made in Benares (really!), and a Kanjeevaram with north Indian motifs.

Other than this, I learnt about the concept of “repeats” in a sari, the beauty and cultural significance of the Patola sari and how to identify certain types of saris such as jamewars.

Kala Ghoda sari workshop with Bela Shanghavi

Bela’s discussion was interspersed with several historical and geographical references which have shaped our sari tradition today. I’m already curious to know more about Indian fabrics, textiles and hope to explore our culture deeper.

I came back enlightened this Sunday afternoon, with some useful and interesting insights into Indian fashion! Now how many can say that about a Sunday? 🙂

Chic transformation: Story of a brocade sari

Few months ago, I wrote about Priyanka Chopra wearing a sari-inspired Louis Vuitton outfit on the Vogue India cover. In the post, I shared my sari-transformation wishlist. I’m happy I can now say I transformed a gorgeous sari into a wearable and equally gorgeous jacket. Here’s the story of the incredible brocade transformation:

In my mom’s cupboard lay an unworn green-and-purple brocade sari. Despite being at least couple decades old, the fabrics had lost none of its sheen and lustre.

Green brocade sari

The wedding season was coming up, and the invitations were flowing in. Ergo I needed a few new outfits, and this time I wanted to wear something special yet different. That’s when the idea of transforming the old sari struck me. With Mom’s nod, I was ready to give the brocade a new avatar. Mom and I teamed up to make this happen (neither of us have any design-related education or training).

Step 1: What do we do with the brocade sari?

During a visit to designer Ritu Kumar’s store at Phoenix Mills, we saw a couple of long jackets that were absolutely lovely and were perfect to wear during a sangeet, but they were heavy on my pocket. The jacket I tried on was fab, and inspired us to make a knee-length jacket from the fabric.

Step 2: Embellishment

We wanted an elegant look, hence we decided not to add any sequins or crystals to the jacket. But we wanted to give it a contemporary touch and a sophisticated finish, so we went hunting for sari borders (and trouser fabric). The border we selected was sheer and embellished, and its colours complimented the brocade wonderfully. We chose a spun silk purple fabric for my trousers.

brocade sari border

Step 3: Tailoring

My expert tailor sketched for me his vision of the jacket, explaining the silhouette, fit and how he would use the border. I left the rest in his expert hands. 🙂

Step 4: Ta-da!

Transformed!

Final outfit: Long brocade jacket with embellished border and contrasting straight-fit ankle-length trousers.

brocade jacket brocade jacket with border and trousers

I wore this outfit at a sangeet I attended recently, and I felt like a true fashionista. 😉

Have you done something fun with an old sari?

Wedding picks: Top sari and lehenga trends

As promised, Speaking Chic brings you a special wedding wear series. Our series is not just for Indian brides, but for all our readers who are attending weddings of their friends, family and relatives over the next couple of months.

We kickstart our wedding 2010-2011 series with our top sari, lehenga and churidar-kurtas trends for Indian weddings.

Jewel Tones

Indian weddings are delightfully colourful. Wear jewel tones to make a striking appearance at the wedding, but make sure it’s not ostentatious or loud. (Shyamal & Bhumika lehenga below.)

Shyamal & Bhumika Shodhan lehenga in jewel tones

Printed

Who says printed saris should be restricted to day wear? Embellished printed saris look rich, festive and traditional, and can be worn to a wedding with the right jewellery. Take a look at the Satya Paul creation below:

Satya Paul blue sari at Lakme Fashion Week

Shruti Hassan is wearing a blue silk sari with embellishments on the border and blouse (bodice and cuffs).

More hot trends to wear (for sari, lehengas and other Indian wedding wear) coming soon. Stay tuned!

Celebs: The Sari’s State

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Indian women love the sari, and we love it even more when a famous international celebrity dons the traditional drape at a fancy party. But the shocking appearance of Liz Hurley in a sari sans blouse (aka choli) didn’t go down too well with quite a few women (such as my mom and your mom and most other moms).

But our homegrown Bollywood beauties came to the rescue, and showed us how graceful and non-bosom baring the sari can be. Kajol, Sridevi, Rekha and even Urmila Matondkar rocked the sari at the recent Filmfare awards ceremony. But the lady who can carry off the sari the best is Vidya Balan. Dressed in her favourite Sabyasachi (we would like to see her experiment with designers), the young lady seemed to be saying: “So what if I’ve lost oodles of weight? I like the sari and I’m gonna wear it, gowns be damned.”

 

filmfare-awards-2010 balan

While we like the sari, what doesn’t seem to go too well are the oversized rosary-type beads that Ms Balan might have taken from a sadhu at the Pushkar mela. And why tie back your lovely hair? Maybe she was just having a bad hair day, who knows?

Image courtesy: Santabanta.com

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Transformed: Vintage to Ultramodern!

I still remember the moment I first spotted it. It was late evening and I was in my PJs, rummaging through mom’s cupboard. The beige fabric had perhaps lost some its shimmer, but a good dry clean could restore some of its erstwhile glory. I dug deep for more information on this six-yard fabric, a sari I didn’t remember seeing earlier. The sari was her wedding gift from an American family friend, Mom explained. Unfortunately, she had no idea who the designer was.

Vintage sari

My surprised reaction was, “I didn’t know you had such a lovely sari!” The netted fabric had flowers woven into it, giving it the appearance of lace. Best of all—it was vintage!

Vintage definition It was to be my first family appearance in a sari (a cousin’s wedding reception) and I wanted it to be memorable (for them and for me). Now that I had discovered the perfect sari, I had to face a formidable challenge. Being a vintage garment, my look had to preserve the essence of the sari, but I didn’t want to look an auntie either. I concluded that I needed to drape the sari the traditional way, wear classic jewellery, while creating a look that stated modern, elegant and “quarter-life-crisis-has-just-struck-me” simultaneously.

Blouse hunt

It’s only in the past few seasons that the sari blouse suddenly rose to prominence on and off the ramp. The plain, self-colour blouse was boring; variety in colours, fabrics and embroidery were à la mode. Blouse-hunting turned out to be harrowing process, going from store to store, looking for the right match, comparing materials. The brocades were in the wrong colour, the velvets were too plain. We emerged from a trifle disappointed from all the stores we visited.

At the last store on the list, I pulled out a swathe of orange, sequins-laden georgette. I held it up against the sari, took it out in the sun, and voila! The rows of the little gold embellishments did not just spice up the sari, but also made it super stylish, with a dash of colour and bling.

Vintage is forever, so are diamonds

It was the ultimate fashion conundrum— what do you pair with a vintage outfit? How do you give it your personal signature while paying tribute to the original creator who laboured over it decades ago?

For starters, the accessories had to be timeless. And there’s nothing more timeless than diamonds. I opted for a dangling pair that ensured I looked my age, and teamed it with a simple ring and matching gold-and-diamond cuff.

Plum it up

It was an image of Dita von Teese on a beauty portal that inspired my makeup. Her bright red lips were too hot to handle for me, but I stole her idea of drawing attention to my lips. I followed the natural-looking layer of foundation with muted lilac eyeshadow and pink blush from MAC, but jazzed up the lips much as I could with an intense purple Lancôme lipstick that would stay through the event.

I already had a great haircut, so I just blow dried it the right way—a sideswept fringe across the forehead that had people asking for my stylist’s number!

Hey there, gorgeous!

The compliments that evening ranged from “So who did your makeup?” to “You’re looking sexy!” to “That’s a lovely sari! Which designer?”

But that all didn’t matter. The best compliment came from the original owner of the sari, my mom, who said, “The sari is perfect for you. It’s yours now!”

Wearing an invaluable vintage garment albeit with a contemporary touch is a sartorial experience I’d advise all young women to try. Why? Because it made me feel good, it made me appreciate the real artisans, and because it was one of my biggest style moments. I left the reception as radiant as the bride.

This post is the official entry to Star World Betty of Elle Contest- http://www.starworld.in. Being an ardent fashion follower and blogger (feel free to explore the Speaking Chic blog and the Twitter feed) as well as a word lover, getting a chance to work at Elle would fuel my passion for fashion, style and writing. Elle India’s approach of balancing high-end fashion and spot-on trends with engrossing features and cutting-edge photo shoots is the perfect launchpad for a career in fashion writing and blogging. I hope to make this kind of writing be taken seriously in India, and developing an online Indian fashion destination. With the great insights into the fashion and publishing industry that I get from the internship, I would improve my fashion knowledge and eye for fashion, style, aesthetics and trends. I’d learn about the fashion business, how to identify trends and ideate, the ropes of styling, magazine design and photography, and even what it takes to produce a 200+ page magazine month after month with great content. At the end of the two months, I would be in a better position to combine my journalism and content development background with fashion to develop a distinctive writing style that would make me a better fashion blogger and writer (I aspire to be India’s answer to Cathy Horyn and Suzy Menkes :-)). Above all, the internship will be the experience of a lifetime, and I will emerge enriched in every way possible.

2009’s biggest fashion lessons

Bling it on!

Naeem Khan_Michelle Obama (1)As they say in the west, “Keep it simple, stupid!” They like to keep the bling factor very low. But back home, we just loooove to pile it on. Luckily for us, 2009 brought with it a licence to bling. From the ubiquitous shimmery lamé to fully-sequinned mini dresses, and  Naeem Khan’s gown for Michelle Obama, it was all about bling. And who could miss the handful of gold chains women threw around their neck. Thrilling times for Indian women. I couldn’t be happier!

2010 prediction:

Keep shining, all through the year! (And anyways, bling is never out of fashion in India). 

Why match, when you can clash?

The bolder fashionistas dared to experiment with mismatched colours, textures and prints. Before we knew it, everyone was doing it. You could wear a green shirt and offset it with a pink bag. Or a carefully mismatched sari blouse. In a nutshell, No one matched their clothes and accessories. I made the most of my bright red H&M bag, carrying it with anything and everything. I loved this trend because I could finally wear garments that were a few shades apart. So my sky blue shirt with bold silver buttons and my favourite pair of blue jeans didn’t look funny at all!

2010 prediction:

This one’s for keeps, at least for all of 2010. Make the most of it!

Belts are not just to hold up your trousers

Belt-Lanvin Spring 2009Turns out that belts are not so boring after all. From the runways to the streets, women wore belts to accentuate their figures, define their waistline and to make a statement. On the runways, Lanvin  used belts extensively in his Spring 2009 RTW collection, while closer home, Tarun Tahiliani used our own Indian belt – the cummerbund – extensively in his S/S 2010 LFW collection.

2010 prediction:

Keep the belts on, ladies, at least for the first half of 2010.

Saris are not just for our moms

I have always avoided saris like the plague—they were difficult to wear, uncomfy to dance in, and were meant for Kareena Kapoor in Green Sarimom and aunties. Circa late-2009: I insisted on wearing a sari for a family wedding, sorry, no lehengas for me. I even wore a kanjeevaram for the pre-Diwali office lunch. Maybe Manish Malhotra’s lovely saris for Kareena Kapoor at red carpet events did the trick. Us girls realised how a sari can actually make you look gorgeous, not an aunty at all.

2010 prediction:

Let’s go sari-hunting!