Dressed mostly in the hot neon colours of the season by Anaita Shroff Adjania, Deepika is showing off sunglasses to be worn at a stylish afternoon soiree, for a day of shopping and an early evening party. But she also sheds her glam image for a geeky stay-at-home look with plain ol’ glasses (aka spectacle frames) with a book by her side.

The campaign has been shot by fashion photgrapher Prasad Naik in a variety of settings and looks. BTW, Deepika is the first Indian face of Vogue Eyewear and I think she’s the right choice! I can imagine her wearing the flirty shades in Cocktail and Race 2, and the geeky frames in Jawani Deewani. And maybe girls like me won’t feel too embarrassed about wearing specs anymore. 😉

What do you think of Deepika Padukone’s campaign for Vogue Eyewear?

Chic First Looks: Amitabh Bachchan goes pop in Bbuddah, Aishwarya’s new Heroine

Speaking ChicJune 17, 20112 Comments

Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap releases in a fortnight, and Amitabh Bachchan’s first look from the movie is out. Surprise, surprise! The new angry young(?) man dons a pop-coloured look in the movie. The initial posters reveal Mr Bachchan in colours made popular by Govinda—green, yellow, blue!

Styled by Leepakshi Ellawadi, Amitabh Bachchan is sporting brightly-tinted sunglasses, and some very unexpected combinations of garments. Though we have reserved our verdict on this look till we see the movie, we’re happy to say that Mr Bachchan is willing to experiment with hatke looks despite his umm…. seniority.

What do you think of Big B’s fashion choice in Bbuddah hoga terra baap?

Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan in and as Heroine

Meanwhile, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan appeared in a purportedly leaked poster of Heroine, revealing… not much. All you see are her grey eyes and brownish hair parted in the middle.

Rumour has it that the picture in the poster (designed like a film rag cover) is an old picture of the actor. But you never know.

Meanwhile, another picture is circulating with red-lipped Aishwarya-Rai Bachchan’s bangs gracefully sweeping across her forehead—not sure where that image came from, but we think it’s popped up just to confuse us!

What do you think of the two distinct looks of Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan in Heroine (assuming they’re for real)?

In 2011, Advertising, Beauty, Bollywood Fashion, Celebs, hair, News, trends

Bollywood beauty ads: Bipasha Basu (Wella Kolestint) and Dia Mirza (The Body Shop)

Speaking ChicJune 8, 2011Leave a comment

The Bollywood bandwagon is on the endorsement spree yet again (eg: Sonakshi Sinha for D’damas), and the beauty brands are signing them on.

This time Bipasha Basu is promoting Wella Kolestint, a DIY hair colour brand, while Dia Mirza is the face of The Body Shop’s Moisture White range of products. And both actors are looking gorgeous!

We applaud the choice of ambassadors and visual treatments of both Wella Kolestint and The Body Shop, unlike earlier bloopers (a whitewashed Kajol!). Bipasha Basu has always experimented with her looks, especially her hair (remember she went super short once?), and we’re certain her healthy flowing mane will make women all over the country want to try Wella Kolestint at home. Check out her gorgeous hair at a recent Wella Kolestint event:

(Picture from Wella Kolestint Facebook page)

Meanwhile, just-turned producer Dia Mirza has always had clear glowing skin, and folks at The Body Shop India seem to have known that. We love the pristine imagery of the advertisement and Dia’s angelic radiance. I’m sure the photoshop guy didn’t have to “enhance” her complexion too much (thank god for that!).

Our verdict: Finally some sensible brand endorsements on the Bollywood scene! Thank you to both product/ brand managers for giving us a refreshing take on beauty. 🙂

What do you think? Which Bollywood actor makes for the better fit—Bipasha Basu for Wella Kolestint or Dia Mirza for The Body Shop Moisture White range?

In 2011, Advertising, Bollywood Fashion, Celebs, Fashion, Men, News

Chic video: Imran Khan drops his jeans for Levis, oops… we mean dENiZEN

Speaking ChicJune 6, 20111 Comment

Levi Strauss Signature is now dENiZEN, and who better to announce it to the Indian youth than Bollywood’s chocolate boy Imran Khan?

In this cute advertisement, Imran drops his Levi’s Signature jeans at a public walk-in laundry for a wash, sitting in his underpants. As a coy Monica Dogra (another customer) gyrates to the music, a baffled Imran looks on. The ad ends with Imran pulling out dENiZEN jeans from the machine, and enjoying the comfort they bring.

Our verdict: Cute advertisement, intelligent casting, good choice of music and even better chemistry.

PS: dENiZEN is a recently-launched mass jeanswear brand in Asia (especially for upwardly mobile youth from 18-28), and will soon be introduced in the US as well. The dENiZEN Spring-Summer line is available at dENiZEN and multi-brand stores across India. Denim bottoms range from Rs 799 to Rs 1399. Also available: casual tops and shirts.

In 2011, Advertising, Bollywood Fashion, Celebs, Fashion

Chic or eeks: Bad boy Hrithik, flower girl Sonakshi for Provogue’s Live Mad

Speaking ChicApril 27, 20111 Comment

Whatever Hrithik Roshan does, he does it in style. And in Provogue’s latest campaign Live Mad, Hrithik dons the role of a bad boy, from the skull cap and beads to a deadly tattoo and unbuttoned shirt.

Note the marked difference from an earlier Provogue campaign (Be the Change), in which Hrithik donned formal, sharper clothes to appeal to a slightly more sophisticated or the just-joined-office gang. We rather enjoy Hrithik’s versatility; he’s got the ability to carry off a variety of looks and be those personalities, even in image stills. (And yes, we acknowledge the campaign stylists too!).

Meanwhile, Sonakshi Sinha appears in the same campaign in a fresh floral off-the-shoulder blouse and Zeenat Aman-inspired sunglasses. Needless to say, the young lass is no match for Hrithik Roshan.

We like the Live Mad theme, though we do feel the campaign’s look (posters, ads, brochure) could have been crazier, whackier and edgier. After all, change of hairstyle isn’t the only way to change your look, is it?

What do you think of Provogue’s Live Mad campaign?

In 2011, Issues

7 reasons why I don’t like Women’s Day

Speaking ChicMarch 8, 20116 Comments

It’s International Women’s Day and women all over are buzzing with delight. But much as I appreciate women and what they have accomplished, I don’t like Women’s Day. Here’s why:

There will be some cursory media coverage of how women have made great strides in almost every field and how they are strong and powerful. A starlet will be quoted on how great her mom made her who she is. Yeah, right!
Women may be gifted and greeted on this—but they will continue to be suppressed and oppressed by their own families. Want to study abroad? We’re saving up for your wedding/ brother’s education. Hungry?– Your father and brother must eat first. Want to play sports? –Girls don’t do that. Oh, so-and-so had a baby girl? How sad!
And don’t even get me started on the crimes against women. Women will continue to be persecuted, raped, groped, eve-teased and violated in the worst ways possible. According to a just-released report, nearly one in four Indian men has committed sexual violence at some point in their lives. What kind of society do we live in?
Women (and men) are bombarded with marketing messages: Do a chocolate massage, get 15% off; buy 2 amazingly-atrocious shirts, get 1 free… Stuff like that. Yeah, we love shopping, and we love clothes, makeup, accessories, spa treatments. But we’re not just about spending money.
So we’re also about multi-tasking and multiple roles. As a friend on Facebook just posted: “So many roles—daughter, wife, friend, sister, aunt, grandma!” True… but even men are sons, husbands, friends, brothers, uncles and grandpas. 🙂
Let’s face it—not all women are the epitome of grace, perfection, elegance, charm and dignity. A hop into the Virar fast on a weekday evening will shatter any such myth. If women have been through all sorts of struggle, so have men. (I’m all for equality—not necessarily one better than the other).
About the issues of economic and social equality, we’re still far away from such a day. It’s just another utopian idea.

The day we don’t need to acknowledge or “celebrate” women—that will be the real International Women’s Day.

Anyways, Happy Women’s Day to all Speaking Chic readers.

In Fashion, trends

Weekend Fashion: Chic Reads

Speaking ChicJanuary 8, 20111 Comment

India’s obsession with fairness and foreigners has had an impact on fashion and lifestyle advertising. We wonder if Indian-made Killer jeans be as successful without foreign models in its ads. Open Magazine explores the white obsession in Indian fashion advertising.

Women have been dressing like men since decades. And androgynous fashion continues to be an everlasting trend. But why don’t women shop like men? Some lessons from the Wall Street Journal .

Refinery 29 predicts the top colour trends for fashion in 2011. Update your wardrobe, ladies!

And a cool video to round up the weekend: the Style Highs of 2010. Enjoy! (Also read Speaking Chic’s 2010 fashion trends highlights).

In 2010, Bollywood Fashion, Fashion

Fashion highlights: Adios, 2010!

Speaking ChicJanuary 1, 2011Leave a comment

As we bid goodbye to 2010, here’s a quick recap of the fashion scene in India and overseas. Kicking off this fashion trends!

Top Fashion Trends we liked

Graphic prints
Clutches everywhere
Lace
Mixing prints

Fashion Trends we didn’t like

Boyfriend anything (it’s not for everyone)’
Kurti and jeans
Too much 1970s!
Innerwear as outerwear (can anyone really wear this on the street?)

Bollywood

Bollywood fashion took the high fashion leap this year with Aisha, starring Sonam Kapoor and Abhay Deol. Sonam wore Chanel, Vivienne Westwood and Christian Lacroix, while toting her Lady Dior, and Abhay Deol made a dapper style statement in Kunal Rawal’s custom-made suits.

Even as the world sought retro inspiration, very few people (and movies) captured the essence of the 1970s without going OTT. One of the few Bollywood hits Once upon a time in Mumbaai got the decade just perfect, right down to Ajay Devgn;s moustache and white-clothes obsession. And we’ve already mentioned how hot Randeep Hooda looked in Ray-Bans.

At the risk of starting another debate, we have to say that we liked Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s clothes in Guzaarish though they seemed completely out of character.

Shopping

Every self-confessed shopaholic/ fashionista in India (or at least in Mumbai and Delhi) flocked to Zara when it opened two stores in July. A worthy competitor to Mango (another Spanish fashion brand), Zara quickly became a must-visit shopping destination for visitors to the two cities. My relatives from Amritsar wanted to visit Zara, so did my (not-so-fashionable) boss (sincere apologies in advance!). We were excited enough to take some spy shots there (see this initial Zara review of the Mumbai store).

In the latter half of the year, Delhiites got lucky when a huge Forever 21 store opened at Ambience mall (Vasant Kunj). I briefly visited the much-hyped store in Delhi recently, and I must say I was impressed with the sheer size of the collection, and most of the clothes weren’t too bad either.

And then there was Diesel and plenty others joining the fashion party. Looking forward to more high street brands coming to India in 2011. Fingers crossed!

Advertising

Internationally, well-known celebs bagged a number of ad campaigns: from Madonna for Dolce & Gabbana to Julianne Moore (wearing almost nothing) for Bvlgari. Even as the latter ad was banned in Venice, Madonna’s portrayal of a housewife told an enchanting story. Lovely!

On the Indian advertising front, the Levi’s Curve ID TV ad disappointed. A LOT. The Curve ID concept is great (you choose jeans by your body shape rather than size), but the most of the ad shots were focussed on the girls’ umm… behinds. Seemed almost voyeuristic. Great track, though.

Meanwhile, Longines’ Dolce Vita advertisement starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is becoming increasingly popular.

What were the fashion highs (or lows) for you in 2010?

In Advertising, Bollywood Fashion, Fashion

Aishwarya escapes press in Longines TV ad

Speaking ChicDecember 13, 2010Leave a comment

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is known to be a very private person, and she played this role just right in the recent Longines DolceVita television ad, also starring British actor Kate Winslet and Taiwanese actor Chi Ling Lin.

Shot in Rome, it’s a truly international ad, with brand ambassadors of three very different backgrounds (and markets) brought together to endorse the DolceVita line of Longines watches.

This line of watches is inspired by the Italian life and the Italians’ refined sense of style. (Dolce Vita literally means ‘the sweet life’), which could explain the choice of location for this TV ad.

In the advertisement, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Kate Winslet are wearing black dresses in classic silhouettes, while Chi Ling Lin has worn a beige dress. The three women try to escape the paparazzi separately to later meet in the town for a girls’ day out.

Interesting point to note: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has the most screen time in this 35-second TV spot (or maybe the ad had different scripts for different audiences, though that’s quite unlikely). Which means they’ve got big plans for India. Hmm… (Though Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been Longines ambassador for a while now, this kind of TV spot, with international stars, is among the first for Aishwarya since she joined Longines.)

Here’s the advertisement. Tell us what you think of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and the other ladies. Does it do justice to Academy Award winner Kate Winslet’s star status? And does Aishwarya Rai Bachchan embody the Longines woman?

In Beauty

Lakme Day Perfect Lip Color: long-lasting lipstick

Speaking ChicDecember 10, 2010Leave a comment

A lipstick that lasts 10 hours? Maybe it’s not just a dream anymore. Lakme has introduced Day Perfect Lip Color that claims to stay for up to 10 hours. It’s a gel-based creme lip colour with a shine and creamy texture.

Lakme’s Day Perfect Lip Colours are from the Lakme Nine to Five range, among the more popular products in Lakme’s product portfolio. I remember Indrani Dasgupta’s TV ad a couple of years ago: the coffee didn’t fade her lip colour, neither did the pencil in her mouth, nor the various things she did throughout the day.

Lakme Day Perfect Lip Colors are available in 12 shades.

Our favourites:

Apricot Nectar, Black Currant Sorbet and Twilight Flame:

We haven’t yet got our hands on this lipstick, but if you have, let us know how long the Day Perfect Lip Colors stay on your lips. 🙂

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Chic Ads: Deepika Padukone makes boring specs & stylish shades look sexy for Vogue Eyewear