“For decades, the Sima Aunties (Indian Matchmaking on Netflix) of the world have leveraged their networks to introduce single men and women to prospective life partners. Now, imagine if we could ALL harness the power of our inner Sima Aunties and had access to a network of singles all over North America, and eventually from the diaspora around the world,” said Patel, founder and CEO of The Auntie Network and happily-married mother of two. “Just like grooming a child into an adult takes a village, finding that adult his/her plus one for life ALSO takes a village. Our platform aims to provide a safe, secure, sophisticated village for Indian singles who don’t cringe at the thought of a digitally-arranged marriage.”

Think of it as a dating app for Desi parents!

Here’s How It Works:

Step 1: Create an Account at www.theauntienetwork.com
Start by making your own “parent” account. This is how you will talk to the parents of prospective matches and share profiles with your kids.

Step 2: Search the Network
Find eligible matches by location, community, and many other search options. Save and favorite profiles or share potential matches with your children.

Step 3: Meet Other Aunties and Uncles
Get to know parents of eligible singles and determine together if your children are a good match. Involve your kids as little or as much as they want in the search process.

Step 4: Introduce Your Kids
Recommend handpicked matches for your kids. They can talk to one another and decide if this is their life partner. Help make your family complete because after all… Auntie knows best!

The Auntie Network is currently live and family members can sign up for a FREE one month trial at www.theauntienetwork.com
Membership varies from $0 to $30 a month, depending on the level of services selected.

The post Indian Matchmaking? Now There is an App for That appeared first on Bibi Magazine.

We sat down with Madan Kulkarni, the creative force behind The Matrix Club, and the club’s Director of Event Sales & Marketing Cherryl Marcey to learn more about this new venue.

What is your vision for The Matrix Club as an event venue in Chicago?
Madan: To celebrate global culture, arts, and the more noble aspects of life.

Would you explain the concept for The Matrix Club?
Madan: In support of our vision in celebrating global culture, art and the finer aspects of life, we want to provide a range of services and independent businesses that are synergistic with one another.

With a large South Asian community in this area, how does The Matrix Club plan to support them?
Madan: With our expertise and research, our team is well versed in the customs and traditions of the South Asian diaspora. Our earnest goal is to enhance their weddings, events and activities using a mixture of traditional and contemporary offerings at pricing that is competitive. 

Tell us about The Matrix Club, the wedding and event venue.
Cherryl: Having a total of 78,000 square feet with flexible space, we provide options to host a variety of diverse events. The grand ballroom accommodates up to 1,200 for a seated banquet or 2,000 for concert-style seating. Ballrooms come with built-in bars and bridal suites. We have in-house state of the art A/V capabilities featuring Bose, Danley, RCF, Chauvet, and Blizzard. We also have stages of different sizes and shapes to customize each event. Our international Chef Devinder Utpaul, an expert in South Asian cuisine, will spearhead banquets at The Matrix Club. Our events team is service-oriented and look for ways to enhance weddings while simplifying planning for our brides and grooms.

What makes The Matrix Room, the restaurant area,  special?
Cherryl: Our 225-seat full-service restaurant offers upscale yet approachable international fusion cuisine headed by Michelin Star Chef Yanni Sanchez. With beautifully, well-thought cuisine, an excellent wine list, and craft cocktails to pair, the warm and inviting space is perfect for celebrations and gatherings. We have a lounge with a built-in 30’ by 30’ stage to host live entertainment throughout the week. We hope to have a revolving set of celebrity DJs. The Matrix Room compliments our banquet events, offering guests a place where they can continue enjoying themselves after their event.

Please tell me about the Dhrishti Performing Arts Center.
Madan: It houses a well-equipped 200 seated arts theater. Also, the center will provide a forum for multiple activities and houses a yoga studio, dance studios, art gallery, and recording sound lab. It’s a center for theater, music, acting workshops, movie retrospectives, training, performance, fundraising, and corporate events. 

What types of events are people from the South Asian community hosting at The Matrix Club?
Cherryl: We are pre-booking events and have quite a few in 2022 and 2023. Most are South Asian weddings that span two or three days, with several different pre-wedding celebrations. We do have concerts in place as well.

Madan: Yes, we have celebrity performers who have been booked for concerts, including Atif Aslam in May, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in July, and Oscar-winning poet and filmmaker Gulzar (Slumdog Millionaire) in September, and other headliners will be announced on our website. We also have mainstream American, Latin, Greek, and Polish artists coming.

Please give us an idea of what you charge to hold a wedding event at The Matrix Club.
Cherryl: Every wedding is unique and fully customized. With that in mind, weddings during the week (Monday-Thursday) can start at $55 per person, while weekends (Friday-Sunday) start at $75 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

We also offer wedding packages and are lucky to partner with many preferred vendors in the South Asian community, from decorators to wedding planners who understand all the nuances for each ceremony, from pre-wedding to reception.

About The Matrix Club:

The Matrix Club is located at 808 S. Route 59, Naperville, Illinois 60540. 

For more information, visit www.matrixvenue.com 

Contact: Cherryl Marcey at Cherryl@MatrixVenue.com or (630)581-7200.

The post Opening 2022: The Matrix Club, A Wedding Venue in Chicago appeared first on Bibi Magazine.

Lyndhurst Mansion for Bridgerton Betrotheds 

Dreaming of a Bridgerton-themed wedding? Lyndhurst Mansion is the “diamond of the first water,” as Lady Whistledown might say. This stunning venue features expansive grounds, a glorious garden, collection of original decorative art, and everything elegant couples need to impress guests and celebrate the day like the Duke and Duchess of Hastings. 

Tarrytown House Estate for Downton Abbey I Dos

Inspired by the Gilded Age era, Tarrytown House Estate exudes class and refinement with a contemporary twist. The venue also doubles as lodging with 214 guestrooms and 10 Georgian-style suites for the whole party to retire in. The newlywed nobles would never dream of having their guests stay elsewhere. 

Castle Hotel & Spa for Westeros Weddings   

The Castle Hotel & Spa is a venue fit for the Queen of the North! This Neo-Classical style estate is perched majestically atop one of the highest points in Westchester County, ideal for the royal pair to lord over (at least for a day). The venue includes a grand banquet hall, 31 newly renovated guest rooms and suites, and even has a giant chess board for those interested in playing “The King’s Game.”

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The post Castle Wedding Venues in Upstate New York appeared first on Bibi Magazine.

In a year of uncertainty, couples are choosing 2021 engagement ring styles that have more personal significance while many, those who are concerned about the planet’s well being, are also opting for heirloom pieces. Other couples are choosing precious stones such as rubies, emeralds (like Jackie Kennedy’s engagement to JFK) or sapphires (Lady Diana and Kate Middleton) as the center stone. 

Chetan Nayar of Sona Jewelers in New Jersey says, “These past few months, we have seen a large demand in fancy shapes like ovals and pear shapes. Ovals in particular have been very popular. In fact, there is currently a shortage of oval diamonds.”

Chetan adds, “Of course the classic round shape is always popular especially with a cathedral setting in white gold. However, we are also seeing a lot of rose gold in halo settings.”

He says that his customer base is mostly buying between 1 and 1.5 carats with pricing being around the $10,000 mark with a good number of customers choosing around a 2.5 carat diamond around the $20,000 price tag. The average price for an engagement in the United States is around $6500. 

If you’re looking for some inspiration beyond our 2021 engagement ring styles, Jewellerybox, in the United Kingdom, has looked at some of the 50 most iconic celebrity engagements in history to reveal the most expensive engagement rings. If you are looking for some inspiration on ring styles, here is a list of the top ten most expensive celebrity engagement rings. 

The post 2021 Engagement Ring Styles + The Top Ten Most Expensive appeared first on Bibi Magazine.

Credits and Instagram Links

Planning & Coordination: Posh Kreations

Venue: Lake Chateau

Photography: Saroj Studios

Lead Stylist and Hair & Makeup: Jassi Kaur for Looks By Jassi 

Decor & Design: Aisha’s Wedding Decor

Lighting & Effects: M4U Events 

Designer Wear: Maharani Fashion

Jewelers: 22kt gold jewelry: Suhag Jewelers
Costume jewelry: Tinted Teal

The post A Rich and Royal South Asian Bridal Shoot appeared first on Bibi Magazine.

The event was headlined by international wedding designer Preston Bailey is known for his fantastical events and celebrity clientele. He spoke of the importance of celebrating your culture through your event design and presentation.

As stilt walkers and costumed performers roamed the floors at The Manhattan Manor, the Times Square venue for the Style Salon, brides and event planners met with luxury vendors and watched the international fashion shows.

The Style Salon received a letter of commendation from NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio and our goal was to grow the event even more than its successful inaugural event. Well, we all know what 2020 has been like and though we did not hold The Style Salon this year, we hope that 2021 will see its return.

Until then, please enjoy this video and visit TheStyleSalon.nyc

Video by Audrey Black of Pure Love Films

The post The Style Salon 2019 with Preston Bailey Highlight Reel appeared first on Bibi Magazine.

The post Fall into African-Inspired Bridal Colors and Textures appeared first on Bibi Magazine.

The founder is no stranger to fashion as it was her mother who owned the Raaz store in Artesia, CA in the 1990’s and Aisha thoughtfully named her collection Kynah, which means female leader. It was here that a young Aisha found her passion for fashion. Beyond bridal, Kynah also offers saris, resortwear and some really eye-catching dresses. Kynah also offers a line of fun face masks and accessories. ShopKynah.com

How did your experience at your mother’s store Raaz influence your career path? From a young age, I fell in love with the glitz and glamour of my mom’s store Raaz. She always had the store fully stocked with stunning bridal lehngas, saris, and more, and I loved watching how all the women would pick the colors and customize their looks. As I got older, I realized that fashion was much more than glamour, it was a deep form of artistic expression which made me fall in love with fashion and the industry even more as I learned to utilize it for myself. 

What is your educational background? I have had no formal training in fashion. I attended Boston University and studied business. I had 8 internships, but all of them were in technology, never in fashion. When I decided that I wanted to start really considering a career in fashion, I took a fashion entrepreneurship night course at the New School in New York. I worked briefly at a fashion technology company, but was still on the business side of things, never on the creative side. 

Who are you inspired by? I’m very inspired by Aurora James, founder of Brother Vellies. She has seamlessly created a high-end brand with the purpose and mission of preserving traditional African design practices, something that I hope to do with Indian artisanship. 

Tell us about your sustainability practices? Something that is important to me is creating pieces that will last a lifetime and be passed on through generations versus a one–time use. We create 90% of our items on a made-to-order basis, which can be customized to the customer’s liking to reduce waste and ensure they are used and kept longer. As sustainability becomes increasingly important in India, we hope to push our partners toward more sustainable materials and dyes as well. 

What fabrics and fabric work are a centerpiece in your collections? In our Spring Summer 2019 collection, we launched the gold chiffon foil Sabrina Kaftan which instantly became our best-seller and set us apart from other companies. Since then, we’ve introduced the kaftan in many different styles, colors, and cuts which have continued to be the centerpiece of Kynah.

Who have you dressed? Who would be your dream client? For the Grammys this year we dressed Yasmine and Jahan of Krewella, who I have been a huge fan of for many years. My dream client would be Frieda Pinto, hands down. I absolutely love her style. 

The post New South Asian Bridal Fashion Label Kynah Launches appeared first on Bibi Magazine.

A new documentary by self-proclaimed “Cardinophiles,” husband duo David Ebersole and Todd Hughes entitled the “House of Cardin,” set to release on demand September 15th to coincide with this season’s New York Fashion week, follows the story of the man who escaped fascist Italy as a young boy and wound up as one of the world’s foremost fashion designers. Through clips of his past interviews, to conversations with notables like Naomi Campbell, Jean Paul Gaultier, Dionne Warwick, Philippe Starck, to name a few, and from his own current oration (he is a very young 98), “House of Cardin” showcases the designer’s talents as a curious savant, businessman, jovial entertainer and a tireless futurist. 

Pierre Cardin was born in 1922 in Italy, and later became a naturalised French citizen, as his family fled facist Italy when he was two years old. From a young age, Mr Cardin knew he wanted to be a couturier, and in 1945, after the war, he moved to Paris and found work at the House of Paquin. He soon left and worked briefly with Elsa Schiaparelli until joining Christian Dior where he became head of the brand’s “tailleure atelier” in 1947.

Mr Cardin founded his own house in 1950 that begin with couture and was one of the first high-fashion houses to launch a ready-to-wear collection for the Printemps department store, a move that caused him to be expelled from the Chambre Syndicale, to which he was later reinstated.

“House of Cardin” documents the seemingly meteoric rise of the designer and catalogs his many innovations that have changed the fashion industry forever. He was the first major designer to license his name to a line of various products and display his name prominently on his fashion collections, something commonplace today, but back then, an unheard of practice.

I had the rare opportunity, as a budding fashion reporter, to attend a press conference with Mr Cardin in the early nineties when he visited Pakistan to tour its cotton manufacturing facilities. It was my first press conference ever and, I remember agonizing over which outfit I would wear to meet this legend. On the day of the conference, in a newly purchased black knit skirt suit with a silk YSL blouse, I sat there mesmerized as Mr Cardin spoke briefly of his career and the reason for his current visit. I listened intently while recounting in my mind all of the ground-breaking achievements this man had accrued: his astro-forward fashion, the iconic cologne bottle, the collarless, signature Beatles jackets, the use of minority models particularly his muse Hiroko Matsumoto, and his designed furniture that stills holds its innovation today. I knew it was the opportunity of a lifetime, so I nervously raised my hand and with a racing heart and quaking voice, which the designer and other reporters quickly noted as they all turned to look at me, I asked my question, “Would Mr Cardin be designing a new line of Pakistani-inspired clothing based on his visit?” After all, this was the man that designed the uniforms for Pakistan International Airlines from 1966-1971, a uniform documented by the many photographs of my mother as an early flight attendant. He also introduced Western fashion to communist China in the 1970’s, so I didn’t think my question was that novice (it was). With kind eyes and patience, the legendary designer empathetically answered my question which, to this day, I attribute as the initial confidence I needed to pursue my career as a journalist. 

Although my tale is indeed tiny compared to the behemoths featured in “House of Cardin,” the documentary is a worthwhile and entertaining watch for anyone who loves design and the man who knows how to wield its influence.

HOUSE OF CARDIN

A Documentary by P. David Ebersole & Todd Hughes

Release on Demand Link

“House of Cardin” made its World Premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Queer Lion Award.  It went on to winning the Lifetime Achievement, Best Fashion Feature Film, and Best Director of a Feature Fashion Film Awards at the Cinemoi Cinefashion Film Awards, and was also nominated for the Gold Q-Hugo Award at the Chicago International Film Festival.

Directed by | P. David Ebersole & Todd Hughes

Featuring | Pierre Cardin, Naomi Campbell, Sharon Stone, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Dionne Warwick, Philippe Starck and many other notables in the fashion industry

Produced by | P. David Ebersole, Todd Hughes, Cori Coppola

Runtime | 98 Minutes

The post Pierre Cardin is a Fashion Visionary and the Subject of a New Documentary appeared first on Bibi Magazine.

The two first met in 2007, while Devika was doing a summer course, through a common friend whom Nick was dating. At this time, she simply knew him as the “handsome surfer who’d drive me and my friends to the beach.”

Two year later, when Devika was moving into her university’s dorm, fate stepped in as it was Nick who, as president of the junior class, was assigned to help her move in. Although the pair didn’t hang out much during college, he was dating someone else and even tried to set Devika up with his friend, the two remained friends. At a college reunion three years after their graduation, this time the two actually connected. Devika says, “We drank, chatted, danced, and even had a little kiss on the dance floor! Apparently he had a crush on me, but never knew I felt the same.”

Unfortunately, at the time, due to living in different states, Pennsylvania and New York, five years passed before the two met again. This time Nick messaged Devika, saying that he was in New York and would she “want to catch up? Platonically, of course.” 

Devika adds, “I was annoyed that he said platonically, but went anyway. We picked up right where we left off–we spoke until sunrise and kissed again. He told me he only said ‘platonically’ because he was afraid I was dating already!”

This time, the two became a couple and a year later when Devika thought she was going to a family dinner, she arrived at a room full of flowers and candles as Nick kneeled down and proposed. After a private omakase dinner prepared by the head chef of their favorite restaurant, the couple was joined by friends and family for a huge surprise party! “The best part was how well we got on with each other’s families,” said Devika. “My parents were in awe of his love for Indian culture and tolerance for green chillies!”

It was Swati Bhises, the bride’s mother, who planned the wedding calling on her experience as a film producer to design a one-of-a-kind wedding that included frequent “set changes” at the venue. After three days at the Leela Palace, 80 of the couple’s family and friends flew to Goa where they ended their celebrations at the Bhise family home overlooking the sea in Doan Paula, Goa. Guests were treated to eco-friendly Esma tote bags  full of snacks, hangover kits and emergency supplies and an Esma shawl.

At the wedding, the bride wore a Tarun Tahiliani sari which was personally draped on her by the designer. She later changed into an Oscar de la Renta gown. For her Sangeet, she wore Anita Dongre and for the Haldi ceremony, Devika wore Vidhi Singhania. Legendary Bollywood makeup artist, Mickey Contractor, did all of the bride’s makeup.

The groom wore various Indian outfits from designers Himmat Singh, Anita Dongre, Rajesh Pratap Singh and Raghavendra Rathore.

Resources:

Wedding Planning: Swati Bhise, Judy Caleb and Cayenne Pepper Productions team 

Design and Décor: Dhun Cordo of Full Moon Creative Services

Photography: Cory Goldberg

Videographer: Sunil Balhara

Sangeet Choreography: Devika Bhise

Music at the Welcome Party: Jonqui played a fantastic set on his drums alongside DJ Clement Desouza

Music arrangement for Sangeet: Aditya Bhise

Music arrangement for Mehndi: “Rock and Raga” band

Music performance: The band OneEmpire, led by Zarir Warden for the Western wedding reception

Caterer for Sangeet and Vedic Events: FoodLinks

Invitation cards: Designed by Swati Bhise and Created by Kermin of Camma Cards

The post Actress Devika Bhise Marries Nicholas Gilson in a Lavish Affair at Leela Palace in Udaipur appeared first on Bibi Magazine.