My Fashion Bay I A Fashion and Lifestyle Blog

Pondicherry Travel Diary

2017-03-26T21:14:00.000+05:30

So I got another tick on my travel list. Sitting in Delhi it was such a distant dream to take a break from time to take out time to visit the beautiful French quarters in India. I am so glad I did it and I'm for sure going back again.

Staying in Delhi if you are tired of all the filth and dirt around you and your eyes are carving for "swachh bharat" and lungs for clean air, there is good news.I 'm not kidding. You just have to catch a flight to Chennai ,take a bus or a private cab and embark on a three and a half hours journey via road to this place called Pondicherry..ok Puducherry. Voila! you are there. Its that simple.
Chennai Airport -Loved this art piece-vibrant & yet so simple

Enroute to Pondicherry from Chennai. Volvo stopped hear for a break

I swear by the moons,stars and all the God damn solar galaxies out there , I have never ever had such scrumptious vadas & coconut chutney. This was Vasantha Bhawan ,mid-way from Chennai to Pondicherry

Now if you want to a peaceful beach experience away from the commercially made up couple worthy beaches of Goa, this is the place to be. Yes, I like this place better than Goa, somehow the Goan beaches remind me of Pahar Ganj. The place is like Pahar Ganj by the beach..hmm.

Ok , let's to back to Pondicherry. The beaches here-Gandhi, Serenity, Auroville and Paradise are all quiet and pristine. Gandhi beach tends to get crowded as it is the most accessible one. But it is still not the kinds where you have to fight the crowds to find your place of serenity.
Auroville Beach

The one place you want to head straight to or stay-in if you get lucky is Auroville. Its a township based on the belief of universal citizenship and thus, you will see a lot, in fact mostly foreigners here. You can visit Auroville as part of your day trip but I think one needs to stay there to completely understand it. On the way to Auroville is this amazzzing place called Frites Corner,near Tanto (which is more popular). The fries, grilled sandwiches and mango lassi( yes lassi) were all outstanding. The place is a relaxed one much like entire Auroville and it is quite popular among the locals ( I am referring to the foreigners who are locals..he..he..getting confused)

Back in Pondicherry, you will be in awe of the French Quarters. Lavish bungalows, cafes, designer stores and the cleanliness all together make up for a very relaxing and great travel experience. The French have a bias for sunflower yellow, most of the walls are done in the colour that make them pop!

Food in Pondicherry to my surprise was excellent. There are so many, literally so many cafes that make phenomenal food. You can actually spend a day cafe hopping:)

Went to Kaffee express for breakfast, was crowded at 9 am had a good cup of rose cappuccino

Cafe Des Arts, is probably the most famous of all and the oldest I presume. We stopped over for lunch here, I'll be honest I was disappointed as there was nothing that really stood out, until I had -the banana waffles with Nutella .Oh my God! seriously I think I had a bit of a moment indulging in the large, crisp and freshly baked fluffy waffle served to us. It is a must try. The place has a homely vibe to it , is welcoming and the staff is friendly. They can totally do away with the designer store (rather room) they have and put the place to better use.

It was the thirst , not the taste

Upon searching and asking Google Uncle you will find Cafe Xtasi as the go-to place for your dose of fresh salads, pizzas, pastas and shakes. However what made us visit the place was the fact that the pizzas here are wood-fired. We ordered for pasta, pizza and Dragon mushroom. Watching the pizzas being made in the wood fired pizza oven was fun though

Apart of these cafes we visited Rendezvous cafe restaurant, which had a beautiful all white ambience and live music in the evening and Surguru restaurant, which we visited on all days. If you get confused about where to go just head to Surguru, you will be sorted.

Pondicherry - Loved your simplicity. It is a must visit place. Whatelse do you want, an authentic Mediterranean experience without having to actually travel there ( and swachh bharat as a bonus)..Rush

Amazon India Fashion Week Autumn Winter 2017 -Golden Threads Of Assam by Samant Chauhan

2017-03-18T01:09:00.000+05:30

Designer Samant Chauhan turned the national rail museum in to a runway on day 2 of Amazon India Fashion Week Autumn Winter 2017 in Delhi. An unusual location, but it did work wonders for the designer. It was clear that the guests were impressed with the choice of the location.What added to the fun was everyone being served with Chai in Kulhads ( a terracotta cup), just before the show!

The models strode up the runway in beautifully designed "muga silk" gowns, dresses and capes for women and jackets and suits for men in neutral colours. The inspiration for the embroidery on the pieces came from the paddy fields and wheat stalks one usually witnesses on a train journey in India. The make-up was muted and neutral. What I liked about the collection was that it had menswear in ample, unlike other collections where somehow the designers (even men) completely forget that men too have a passion for fashion!

The Venue

The Collection

He was an instant hit at the show

Samant Chauhan

Always in action-Sunil Sethi

There was no dearth of fashion off the runway:)

I was conquering the world ( atleast I thought so) with one earring, one shoe and one rainbow slip-on at a time! Why? Because I literally had only 10 mins to get ready!!

Dressing Up For The Wedding Season

2016-11-30T09:00:00.000+05:30

The wedding season is upon us and I am sure you would have atleast one or two to attend. Thus, comes the eternal question "what should I wear"? Now some of us like to take the beaten path of going all traditional, where the options are plenty. But for someone like me ,who is not into Indian wear the preparation time can get a little prolonged. Why? Because one we don't like wearing heavy stuffy clothes and second would want something that can be worn,well more than once. YES I like it that way! I do not like buying stuff that I can use only once or twice considering the fact that repetition is "oh-so-not allowed". But me being me, would still go ahead style it differently with major/minor additions and will happily for eternity bask in the glory of recycling:))

Keeping that in mind, I bought this pink golden maxi dress for a cousin's wedding. It was a pain to look for options other than the conventional anarkalis suits, lehengas, crop tops & long skirts and designer sarees. Plus, there was nothing available online for me to even get an idea of what could be the alternatives. Pintrest, Insta everything failed me:((

I had something light weight ready to wear in mind , that I could wear to an evening event later sometime. I found this long silk dress which was bright enough for the occasion in pink & gold and being plain gave me plenty of opportunity to play around with accessories to add the necessary sparkle and shine. I think such pieces are a good investment as you can keep them for long and as I said earlier can keep adding things to give yourself a new look everytime you wear them.

This was the "test shot"...we bloggers have to do a lot of prep but guess its all worth it at the end:)

Shades Of Grey For Winters

2016-11-08T13:11:00.000+05:30

Looking at these pictures I want to rant about Delhi smog and how I get petrified every time I step out. Never seen anything like this before. They say it's worse than what London witnesses in 1952.

Well, the winters are setting in and my favourite greys are all slowly coming out of long hibernation:)For me its grey or no winters. Seriously can't think of any other colour in winters and mind you it is not dull or boring by any standards.Rather the colour has so many shades (atleast 50 shades we all know of :)) that it can spruce up your look in an instant apt for any occassion. OK enough of my grey-mance (grey+romance just coined that word)

Shrugs are great for this time of the season as it is kind of cold but then its not cold. They are easy to pair with skirts , jeans, jeggings just about anything.

Here I have my grey shrug on with black jeggings ,white kangroo print knot top and skater shoes from Topshop. Accessorized with a black fringe sling bag and a dash of my regular day jewelry here and there from Forever 21

Ways To Ace Up Your Diwali Look This Season

2016-10-30T01:27:00.000+05:30

Happy Diwali Everyone

A perfect day when you can get experimental with your regular ethnic look! Take the festive fervor up by adding a hint of fusion to your Diwali look giving the traditional overload a bit of rest. Keeping things easy for yourself to move around-in, opt for a printed top, a skirt, a statement earring and hand cuff. The outfit will be perfect for the occasion with the required touch of Indian twist to your look.

Style Your Look With Tribal Jewelry This Diwali

2016-10-20T13:19:00.002+05:30

You don't necessarily need a new dress for every occasion. Do you? I know a lot of people including me who would kind of feel defeated if we failed to do something new with what we already have. The challenge and the anticipation of what's coming only takes the excitement higher I guess that's the fun with styling.So let's see how can we jazz-up the everyday work wear for the festive season in a clean and minimalistic way.

One sure shot way of taking the game up is with jewellery. Right? The challenge -what jewellery to wear to work in the festive season. You want to look the part but without going too blingy and noisy with the look.

I find silver jewellery does the work in an instant and yes I have a bias towards tribal designs. Nothing channelizes your inner nomad like they do, making you go both carefree and confident at the same time. Ain't that sexy! Well, coming back to styling with one or two pieces at a time and keeping rotating them given your base is set right. It does take time to build a collection and if you are a serious collector like me( that journey itself becomes fascinating as it takes you places where otherwise you won't have explored.) And, because it is at work you would like to keep it minimal and graceful.

Dress-Anokhi , Silver Jewelry-Jaipur, Jodhpur & Dubai

Officewear - Style It Right To Get It Right

2016-10-13T14:17:00.000+05:30

Workwear outfit or office wear is a big challenge for a lot of us and to top it if one only wears western, God save you Amen!
The kind of challenges I have personally faced for following my style of dressing and not conforming to the "should be this way only" norm has been utterly funny and sometimes deeply concerning. Well...that story some other day or some other post...:)

Coming back to workwear I don't really like naming anything that's not Indian as "western". I mean clothes are clothes they don't really have to be in sections of ours and theirs.You know what I mean...

Nevertheless, I carry on the way I want and I believe if you just search well enough and be patient with styling yourself appropriately for work you can have plenty of options out there that's-

A-Not an Indian Wear, B-Is Formal & C- Is Neat

Styling tip to jazz-up the look without make up

Going the fusion way is an excellent way to break the monotony of a monochromatic dress. Here I have paired my grey dress with sliver earrings and kholapuris. I am not much of a make up person so if you are like me balance it out with the right kind accessories. This should do the work to pop up the look without make up and will keep it toned down too at the same-time for work.

New York Fashion Week SS'17 - Sports Luxe To Denim Gowns

2016-09-21T19:08:00.003+05:30

The season of fashion weeks has officially has dawned upon us. And yes we are excited, very very excited! It is interesting to see how creative risks are taken by designers to up their game in the harsh cut -throat world of fashion business year after year.

There are 4 major fashion weeks to watch out for - New York, London, Paris and Milan. Most of the fashion weeks showcase both pret/ready-to-wear and couture, however its the ready -to-wear clothes and designs that catch my attention the most. What's the fun of fashion weeks if its limited to the runway and can't be part of our closets. Yeah! that's how the world of fashion has changed from being private and exclusive to going full on -PUBLIC!

Here are a my top 3 designers from the recently concluded New York fashion week SS'17. These collections hit the right note by being "ready to wear" in the real sense of it for all occasions.

Tory Burch

Collection-Peppy, Sporty and Fun

Inspiration -Vintage, the 60's

Wearability Factor- Slip in from casual to formal with ease

Cardigans, knitted cotton sweaters, kaftans, ankle length dresses and pants, lace trimmed peasant dresses, full length skirts, trouser suits in jaunty sailor motifs and prints,accessorized with sneakers and printed bags.

Alicea and Olivia by Stacey Bendet

Collection-Strong , Romantic ,Feminine

Inspiration -Roman

Wearability Factor- For days when you want to go dressy

Shorts dresses, flared striped trousers with cinched waists, full length skirts, bright crop tops, jumpers, cocktail dresses high on detailing with embroidered laces, ruffles and ribbon trim

House of Herrera

Collection- Glitzy meets street style, yet keeping it overtly feminine and graceful

Inspiration- Past meets the present. She re-worked her own collection from the past giving them a current look and modern twist. (How cool is that!)

Wearabiltiy factor- For evenings when glamour and comfort are both what you are looking for

Evening gowns, calf-length dresses, blown-out strapless gowns, crop sweaters, sheer skirts, coat dresses in denim, checks, gingams, metallics and bold stripes.

Pashma India launches the book “Demystifier le Pashmina” with their Men's Summer Collection, and hosts the “Jewel Thief” launch by Saraswati Kaul Jain

2016-05-30T14:36:00.000+05:30

Mrs.Ratan Kaul, Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Dr. Shashi Tharoor at the launch

Pashma, India’s first fashion brand to have the widest International presence, launched the menswear collection at the Emporio Mall in New Delhi together with “Jewel Thief”, a jewelry collection by Saraswati Kaul.The event was jointly hosted by Mrs Ratan Kaul which was a pleasure and privilege to be associated in her capacities as President, Kashmiriyat Preservation Foundation & VP, Indian Council for UN Relations.

Pashma is the only Indian consumer brand with a visible presence in the International Luxury market, an evolution story of entrepreneurship as of an Indian business coming of age on the global stage.The event graced by the presence of Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Dr. Shashi Tharoor.

Shilu Kumar ,Owner Pashma store & Saraswati Kaul Jain ,Designer Jewel Thief

Shilu Kumar said, “The new menswear summer collection at Pashma, is designed to offer a relaxed casual Friday dressing alternative in precious natural comfort fabrics made from silk, linen and supima cotton with a wide array of prints and colors”

Saraswati Kaul Jain added,” Make a splash without robbing the bank with 'JEWEL THIEF”

Shilu Kumar and I

All in black,my skirt and top : Forever 21

Black Jacket:Blakship By Designer Shivali Sahay

Shoes:Charles & Keith

The Pashma Global Flagship store signals the evolution of the Pashma brand from being niche brand of exquisite cashmere scarves into India’s first luxury lifestyle brand with its signature aesthetics now presented in a range of all-season ready-to-wear, jewelry, menswear and novelty gifts.

Ayesha and Jacqueline Kapur launch their accessories store at DLF Mall Of India

2016-05-04T15:48:00.001+05:30

Ayesha launched its new exclusive store at Mall Of India, Noida which is also their first exclusive store. Ayesha Kapur on the occassion said “The new metallic accessories, the boho collection totally rock my current look”. Also check out the large collection of bags, laptop sleeves, jewellery, hats, hair accessories, sunglasses, and a lots more!

Keep in touch with what’s new at Ayesha on their facebook, twitter and instagram page www.facebook.com/ayeshaisfun, https://twitter.com/_ayeshaISfun, @ayeshaaccessories.Jacqueline Kapur, MD ayesha accessories said, “We are pretty excited to launch our latest store in Noida. We hope to reach out to all the fun loving fashionistas. At ayesha, fashion is fun, constantly changing and comes without the heavy price tag!”

Ayesha and Jaqueline Kapur

Summer Jewellery Trend-The Choker is back!

2016-04-20T15:07:00.000+05:30

Choker for me is so 70s, which only reminds me Zeenat Aman.The beguiling actress wore the choker trend like no other.She wore all sorts of them making them look oh-so-cool!

Fast forward it's the 90s, suddenly the long forgotten choker shows up again and it seems the baton was passed over Raveena Tandon. Remember..no..ok. Here's some history lesson for you

So now you wake up to summer 2016 and find the good old choker is back again!! It seems it takes 15 years or so for this trend to spring back into existence to claims its proper and rightful place on your accessory" must-have" list.

The choker trend is yet to catch up in this part of the world , but I'm sure the way Taylor Swift is going crazy with trend it won't take too long before it becomes the next in-thing here too.The good news is a of lot of stores are already stacked up with some pretty trippy chokers to take care of your "fashion pangs"( no..there is no such term I just came up with it), as and when it arises.

Styling

There are different types available from simple fabric to metal to stone embellished in sleek to bold structured designs. Pick one (or as many you like) according to the occasion and style it in various ways.You can play with the placement(hi/low on the neck) and can layer it with other neckpieces you have.

I think it is a boon for people who like to keep it minimal with accessories..I happen to be one of them :) So now let's dig in deeper for some style inspiration for the latest choker trend

A statement piece to lift up your casual look

A sleek golden choker worn a little higher than usual can add a lot of glamour

Fabric choker can be worn in varying thickness but go for this look only if you feel confident enough to carry it with the attitude it calls for. It should not look like a cervical neck support,right?

Style by layering it up for the grunge look

Bold ones for evening parties

Embellished ones for special occasions, which we have no dearth of in the Indian culture:)

Another weekend find- Teasta Cafe in Noida

2016-04-04T21:52:00.000+05:30

An insatiable passion for Tea. Yes that's how I term my love for Tea. I very much love the regular tea I have every morning but then the thought that "someone out there is doing something better”, sets me going to look for places offering something different.

The quest took me to Teasta, a tea shop owned and managed by Capt (retd) Mehra and his wife who started it back in 1995. It is only after eight years, that they shifted their shop from the garage of their home in Noida to Shop no.16 in Godavari complex, Sector 37 Noida.

Teasta is a small shop, which you might miss if you don't look for it carefully. A tip- once you are in the market, the one place you see a cheerfully casual crowd hooked to their cup of tea or waiting outside a shop to order-STOP, that is Teasta!

The Tea Wall (as I like to call it)

The setting is far from fancy.The shop though has a tea wall where you will find colorful miniatures of tea kettles and cups. I think that's enough of decore for a place that speaks of quality more than anything else. You will see a regular stream of people coming to the shop, it always busy here. From school to college going students to people going back home from work. The place doesn't really have seating arrangement barring a small bench inside.It does get crammed but that doesn't deter it's ever growing customers from coming back

Kashmiri Kahwa & Lichi Iced Tea

The menu is divided into three sections that offers prepared tea-hot, prepared tea & coffee-cold, sandwiches, momos,corns,brownies and cookies.The place sells loose leaf-tea of various sorts, in case you want to buy some

Loose leaf tea on sale

We ordered Kashmiri Kahwa and Litchi iced tea.I usually don't order for iced tea as I find it to be too artificial in taste.But I don't know why I ordered for one at Teasta,something in me perhaps told me this is the place where you will finally approve of ice tea and guess what? My instinct was bang on!

Lichi Iced Tea

Next came the chicken salami tandoori sandwich.It was a treat my all means,fresh and light,every bite was a marvel without unnecessary greasiness.If you arrive here hungry trust me you can count on this one

Chicken Salami Tandoori Sandwich

Tuck into fresh sandwiches and get your favourite tea anytime of the day here. Once had it will only make you come back for more.The bill we paid was Rs.140 ONLY!

Earlier the place used to get closed in the afternoon but now it remains open all through the day from 10.30 am to 9.30 pm.On a snug food budget Teasta with it's unmatched quality no wonder is such an enduringly popular spot!

Where- Shop No 16, Godavari complex, sector-37,Noida

Recommended for - quick bites with friends or solo (who cares)

Must Try- Kahwa , Mojito , Lichi Iced Tea , brownies with ice cream and Chicken Salami Tandoori sandwich

Coffee House- the reason I love coffee and homemade cakes

2016-03-28T23:13:00.004+05:30

I am always happy here! Why? Because there is no place like this one in the city to hang out with your friends over a cup of coffee (that actually tastes good) or if you are looking for a relaxing retreat amidst the nonstop bustle of the city.

Nestled in the quaint lanes of Majnu Ka Tilla in north Delhi this little known place called Coffee House will take you by surprise. The ambience is pretty basic like your neighbourhood cafe but the place can get as comfortable as your home. The bright yellow walls well cheer you up and the seating will immediately put you at ease. The menu is not very elaborate. It offers regular tea, coffee, shakes, coolers ,cakes and breakfast options( 8 am -11 am). If you fancy Tibetan tea ( the one with butter ) or bread , yes the place will readily fulfill your desire.

Their marble cake is a marvel.The best I have had so far!

Rise and Shine

The cakes are fresh, tender and light. They have the right amount of sweetness to perfectly compliment a cup of steaming hot chocolate or your favorite coffee

The place is fuss free with free wi-fi!

Apple Pie with a perfectly baked and sturdy crust.The filling was just right, which means it was not too sweet or runny

The staff at Coffee House is quick,informed and friendly. We ordered three masala chais ,a caffe mocha, marble cake and an apple pie.Together it costed us just Rs.345. The place is unbelievably reasonable on your pocket.

Where- Coffee House, 39, Basement Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi
Recommended- For any occasion, retreat, date, work or just lazing around
Must try- Marble cake, Mud cake and Chocolate walnut brownie

Time for some Holi Color Show

2016-03-23T18:30:00.004+05:30

Officially its spring time and thus it is HOLI again! A joyful festival that puts you a cheerful mood with the color war that it ensues. As part of my pre holi nail care regimen I applied this bright lime green nail paint which in my holi spirit compelled me to look for more colorful things around. I tried a green nail polish for the first time and I can safely say I am happy with the results.

Lime Green nailpolish: Maybelline Color Show

6 Summer Styling Lessons from Alia Bhatt

2016-03-22T00:23:00.004+05:30

Alia Bhatt is on a role and there is no stopping her. After the much talked about magazine cover shoot her latest movie Kapoor and sons has turned out to be a surprise hit.The movie is simply adorable and you just can't help but fall in love with it. Sadly Alia doesn't really have a strong role in it but she still manages to leaves her impact.

Talking about her styling in the movie, Anaita Shroff has done a good job of giving her the girl-next-door look with casual boho tops paired with shorts, ripped jeans with camisoles and separates, long jackets and dresses, while keeping the makeup soft and natural.

One thing that caught my attention is the headband worn in hippie style. A good of piece accessory, which when worn right is an easy way to jazz up your look without having to go overboard with jewellery.

However, I think it is time for Anaita Shroff to give us something new and fresh. We have seen her giving similar look to Deepika and Katrina too in movies like Love Aaj Kal , Cocktail, Bang Bang and Finding Fanny.

Style wise Alia Bhatt seems to have done better off-screen this time .There are some serious summer styling lessons to be learnt here.

Get your culottes out of the closet. They are soon going to be in trend again!

Master the monochromatic look with glossy slip ones and sequined headbands

Keep it fun & flirty with a dramatic top and high waist tea length skirt

Refresh your forgotten cotton dress by pairing it with an open shirt, reflectors and sneakers

Comfortably stylish -Saved the best for last

Paring jeans with a long top or Kurta is one look that I have always disapproved but for the first time I found someone getting it right ! Absolutely love this asymmetrical hemline spaghetti tunic paired with skinny jeans and flats for a casual summer look . The blue nail paint is just in place to punch up the style.

Amazon India Fashion Week Autumn Winter 2016 Designer Samant Chauhan presented Rajputana

2016-03-18T15:08:00.001+05:30

Over the years Amazon India Fashion week has seen many changes and has evolved progressively. From experimenting with new venues to going digital a lot has transformed. This time around the mega fashion event is on at Jawahar Lal Nehru stadium , New Delhi.

Day 2 of Amazon India Fashion Week AW'16 saw Designer Samant Chauhan showcasing his collection called "Rajputana" with a theme around The Silk Route. Samant is known for conceptual designs that are structured well in simple wearable silhouettes.

The collection had an Oriental influence as the designer was inspired by exotic landscapes and fearless attitude of people from the region Tibet, China, Mongolia and Nepal. The ensemble had dresses, tunics, jackets, gowns, kaftans in earthy hues made using Bhagalpur weaving techniques in Zari & Dori work.

Pre -Event Party

This time around men got more experimental with styling!

What I Wore

Black floor length skirt by Blckshp

White crop top-Vero Moda

Tribal silver bracelet -Forever21

ICUNR International Women's Day Awards 2016

2016-03-10T22:30:00.002+05:30

The 10th edition of Indian Council for UN Relations"International Women's Day Awards" in New Delhi on 7th March 2016 was a celebration of womanhood in all its myriad facets. The Guests of the Honour for the evening were Padma Vibhushan Dr Sonal Mansingh, Padma Shree Anjolie Ela Menon and Smt. Neelam Pratap Rudy

Leher Sethi , Papa CJ, Sonal Kalra, Padma Vibhushan Dr Sonal Mansingh, Padma Shree Anjolie Ela Menon , Neha Kirpal and Mrs.Ratan Kaul

The event hosted by Mrs Ratan Kaul and Ms Leher Sethi. On this occasion Mrs Ratan Kaul commented, "This celebration recognizes and praises the indomitable spirit and courage shown by women across fields who have excelled and achieved their aim by fighting all the odds. Our platform is enthused to recognize achievers by making an effort to keep that spirit up by rewarding them."

Asha Devi, Mother of Nirbhaya led the Pledge to empower 1 Disadvantaged girl, which was taken by all present at the event.

Mrs. Asha Devi

The event celebrated Women’s Day by awarding women achievers from different genres of life who have set an example for women across the globe by gaining expertise in their respective fields, while at the same time providing a solid platform for people willing to join a similar profession.

List of Awardees

· Avshreya & Atisha Pratap Rudy for excellence in Sports

· Annie Kanwar for excellence in Wellness

· Bharati Chaturvedi for excellence in Environmental Activism

· Jai Madaan for excellence in Vaastu Shaastra

· Neha Kirpal for excellence in Art

· Parull Mahaajan for excellence in Interior Design

· Preeti Ghai for excellence in Fashion

· Rashmi Anand for excellence in Authoring

· Renu Sharma for excellence in Social worker

· Richa Lakhera for excellence in Entertainment

· Shilpa Jain for excellence in Social Entrepreneurship

· Sonal Jindal for excellence in Entrepreneurship

Mrs Ratan Kaul and Leher Sethi

Beauty expert Shahnaz Hussian

Acharya Anita and Mrs. Neelam Pratap Rudy

Nelofar Currimbhoy

Anjanna Kuthiala

The award presentation was preceded by a Panel discussion on ‘Being a woman in the sphere of Art & Culture in India’ with Padma Vibhushan Dr. Sonal Mansingh, Padma Shree Anjolie Ela Menon, Sonal Kalra & Neha Kirpal and was moderated by Papa CJ. Smt. The event was also followed by felicitation of Life coach Acharya Anita & the past awardees that walked the ramp in designer Preeti Ghai’s Creations.

Bloggers and Brands get candid at India Fashion Interface Delhi presented by myfashionbay.com

2016-03-03T20:34:00.000+05:30

First edition of India Fashion Interface organised by myfashionbay.com saw more than 80 fashion & lifestyle bloggers coming together to participate in a blogger's conference meant exclusively for them in Delhi, last month. India Fashion Interface was conceptualized to bring the fashion fraternity closer to the bloggers, to get an unbiased view of how brands perceive bloggers and subsequently bridge the gap between various stakeholders-fashion designers. brands, educational institutes and bloggers.

The bloggers gathered to hear what various prominent members from the fashion domain had to say about the growing trend of fashion blogging in India , the challenges and where it is headed to?

India Fashion Interface was a huge success with not just the number of bloggers who participated but also with the engagement it brought. The focus of the panel discussion at the event was how bloggers are contributing to the growth of fashion industry in India and what are the ways to bring brands and bloggers together in a way that both work with each other in a mutually beneficial way.

The panel comprised of our Guest of Honour ,Ms. Bubbles Sabarwal (well-known theater personality), Mrs. Ratan Kaul ,Chief Advisor IFI, Ms.Meha Jayswal , Area Head- Fashion, Media and Communication,Pearl Academy, Sunil Rai , VP Vcloud and Ms. Komal K , established beauty & fashion blogger.

Meha Jayaswal from Pearl Academy said – “Bloggers are increasingly becoming an important source of information on fashion and we would love to wait for the day when blogs will formally become part of the bibliography”

Meha Jayaswal, Pearl Academy

She further explained how blogging is being taken seriously and is an integral part of fashion communication course at Pearl Academy. Students are encouraged to start their own blogs in the very first year and are expected to market it to understand the nuisances of blogging business. She was happy about the fact that today a lot of Pearl alumni are not just among top fashion designers but are known bloggers too.

According to Sunil Rai, the luxury segment is increasing looking at bloggers to act as influencers however brands are still looking at parameters that will help them decide, which bloggers to work with who can echo their voice to share the brand value.
Komal, who has her blog by the name the delhi fashion blogger, shared her experiences on how she started as a blogger and what it took fr her to reach to a level where today she can decide on which brands to work with. According to her, every blogger will have his/her journey and one needs to take it slow initially however, once you get the hang of it is important to keep yourself updated and be smart about the choices you make on your way up.

Komal K , The Delhi Fashion Blogger

On being asked how to decide on how much should remuneration should a blogger demand for an assignment , Komal had a very practical approach and advise to give. She shared ,it purely depends on knowing your worth is in terms of the work you have done till date and being aware of the cost you will incur. She added it is fine to ask for Rs,5000 if you think that suits you need at the moment. Work your way upward with good quality of work, the effort you put-in will eventually speak for you and shall be compensated accordingly.

We asked the brand representatives on panel, how do they decide on which bloggers to work with if the parameters are not defined? The answer was unanimous-traffic. That led to a debate on what is more important traffic or content , the answer still remained -traffic! Well that doesn't mean brands are negating content quality however, what matters in the end is the reach a blogger is providing to the associated brand.

Adding to the importance of quality of content, Bubbles Sabharwal, said –“The work some of bloggers do is noteworthy and to make it more impactful it is imperative for one to think out of the box”.

Ms.Bubbles Sabarwal, Guest of Honour , India Fashion Interface

She added that one should be ready to work hard and cited an example of none other Shahrukh Khan, whom she knows from his days at an acting school in Delhi,"when required as a student he even pulled trolleys". Such is the commitment level required for one to succeed.

Mrs Ratan Kaul, Chief Advisor , India Fashion Interface

The panel discussion was followed by Q&A round. We saw an overwhelming response, where bloggers were not just inquisitive but had some hard hitting questions to ask on various aspects of business of blogging, marketing, brand associations and social media strategies for bloggers.

Post the Q&A round myfashionbay.com contest winners were announced and awarded. The pre-event contest required bloggers to share their experience on "how blogging had changed their life". Out of numerous entries we got top three entries were awarded.

Thus we concluded the first edition of India Fashion Interface in Delhi. The idea was to bring fashion industry closer to the bloggers and vice -versa. A lot of bloggers issues were discussed and concerns voiced with the brands which normally are brushed aside. Bloggers too need to up their game by managing their work more professionally and investing in learning the ropes of brand marketing not forgetting the fact that blogger's have a following because they write or present an unbiased view,which is difficult for the readers to get with the mainstream media.

Networking session post the panel discussion

A big thank you to all the participants and speakers from myfashionbay team

Pop Bazaar and India Fashion Interface- 6&7th Feb 2016 One Golden Mile ,Delhi

2016-02-02T00:12:00.002+05:30

We are bringing the best of high street fashion to you Delhi with Pop Bazaar an initiative by www.myfashionbay.com in association with Roposo and Pearl academy. Delhi has a lot of exhibitions however most of them are skewed towards bridal wear. The high street fashion conscious are left with very little options and in the recent times both men and women in Delhi have embraced high street casual fashion like never before. Designers now offer casual wear styles that are innovate & elegant and not just youthful.

Bringing such selected designers under one roof we present POP BAZAAR for you Delhi. 20 designers & brands together are participating in this fashion extravaganza over a period of two days on the 6&7th Feb.2016 at One Golden Mile, Opp.Hyatt Regency in Delhi. We have Araga with wooden frame sunglasses, Reboot by Anuj Bhutani who has a minimalistic take on men's casualwear and his womenwear is high on comfort and easy on style ,Crimson from Saksham and Pratishruti offers funky jewellery in interesting designs of watermelon and pop corns, clutches with glittery sunglasses and so forth.

If you are one of those looking for such high street designer casual wear and accessories that compliments your specific styling needs without having to compromising on comfort then head to Pop Bazaar. Lots of style, fashion , music and fun awaits you.

Over 50 fashion and lifestyle bloggers will be present at the event for India's first ever lifestyle bloggers meet at India Fashion Interface on 6th Feb. alongside Pop Bazaar.

Suket Dhir Wins the International Woolmark Menswear Prize!

2016-01-16T22:16:00.002+05:30

A happy moment for the country and the fashion fraternity. Delhi-based desginer Suket Dhir has won the Woolmark Menswear Prize in Florence. Beating finalists from US, UK, Netherland, South Korea and Australia Suket's Ikat designs in woven wool stood out form the rest.

His is the kind of collection which is subtle and grows on you gradually. Hand dyed techniques and obmre patterns seemed to have its influence on the international audience at the event and is certainly something which will firmly put Suket Dhir on the global fashion scene.

I met Suket at the regional round this year in Dubai. After winning the show he shared,the only thing he will be focused on now will be the finals in Florence. Must say the all the hard work paid off and how!

Top 6 Fashion Trends of 2015

2015-12-31T17:21:00.000+05:30

Last year of the day, yet again...and here I have my list of best of 2015 fashion trends. This is one post I do every year religiously and the excitement is always palpable. Well..let's get started.

A VERY BEARD YEAR

A year where I think men invaded this woman arena and how. There were so many new trends but the one that swayed guys across globe was the good old fashioned "beard" . We saw everyone from actors, models, commoners sporting this look and it only got better with loads of options- stubble, long , short boxed, full , hipster, medium and many more with handlebar mustache being the favorite

SPORTS LUXE

Gosh! It was everywhere from celebrities to fashion weeks. A trend that started in 2013 got momentum this year where wearing sportsear was accepted as casual dressing at social gatherings. Not possessing your share of this trend was indeed a CRIME.

FRINGES

My favorite trend of the year and what a comback it was. Shoes, bags, jackets, skirts , tops everything was fringed. Carrying this trend was sure enough to make you the "it" girl.

LEHENGA WITH CROP TOP

That's why I am so proud to be an Indian. No one customizes things better than us. Who would have thought that a crop top can be paired with the traditional lehenga, thanks to Manish Malhotra who made this trend a rage at the weddings this year. What would we do with MM? Mira Rajput is slowly and steadly becoming a fashion icon. She wore this piece from Manish's collection and boom! it became THE trend with traditional wear this year. Good going girl.

MAXI TOPs

I think more than anyone it is the bloggers who single handily carried this trend world over. Fashion week was all about double -slit maxi tops paired with shorts , skinny jeans or leggings

FENDI MONSTER BALLS
Never seen as accessory becoming such a rage. Karl Langerfield's limited edition sold in no time last year , but it was in 2015 the trend was embraced by fashionistas and it became a must-have for your hand bags and so was the mini-peekaboo bag

Happy 2016

Stay Classy, Follow Your Instinct

Pop Bazaar - Luxury Designers & Brands

2015-12-28T15:16:00.002+05:30

India Fashion Interface will celebrate the luxury fashion and lifestyle industry with Popbazaar the exhibition which will showcase some of India's finest fashion designers, upcoming talent in interior and jewellery designing arena. The event will focus on "Make in India" patronizing Indian weaves like Benarsi & Khadi and will promote new age Kashmiri designs.

With Delhi's elite and media attending the event at One Golden Mile where premium and luxury brands will come together to take the fashion and lifestyle business to the forefront , it is a must-attend society event for those who appreciate fine art and designs.

For details & queries write to : indiafashioninterface@gmail.com

India Fashion Interface 2016

2015-12-21T11:16:00.000+05:30

So the ship has sailed!

You have been blogging long enough now to attend the most coveted fashion shows & store launches in the town, hobnobbing with the who's -who of the high society and working with well-known brands. You spend hours researching on the web if not days, ideating, hunting for good locations for your photo-shoots, spend money on (or at times beg-borrow-steal) expensive make up products to look your best, and if you are the very serious kinds you hire a professional photographer or invest in the latest technology to give the best to your business partners and audience.

Wait, did I say business partners? Well, yes atleast that is what us bloggers would like to believe, isn't it? But then is it ever business in it's true sense? Aren't we tired of barter exchanges which is freebies or 2 vouchers in lieu of all the editorial + styling+ photography + researching + social media amplification work that we single-handedly do for every post on our blog. At times the offer reads "we will give you credits but no backlinks"!!! Doesn't sound like a business deal, right?

Cherry on the cake-you read Bryanboy earns as much as a Hollywood star, Chiara Ferragni raked in millions with her glittery winking shoes and you go what the ....!! and the sinking feeling that accompanies which also announces to you -you are doomed

Well, that's one side of the story, brands approaching bloggers may have a very different perspective other than the" limited budget" part. Their focus could be numbers which means reach with the audience, active engagement, quality & body of work and a basic understanding of marketing in general.Today no brand can deny the power of social media influencers but in a country like India the integration of bloggers with mainstream media is not as organised as it is abroad.I think like any other business bloggers cannot negate the need to learn the art of doing business because beyond a point the blog will suffer due to lack of understanding of the finer aspects of building a brand.

India Fashion Interface 2016, is a platform which has been created to address these specific issues for the bloggers community. It will bring the fashion fraternity -designers, brands, educational institutes and bloggers face-to-face on one platform to discuss issues and exchange information for all of them to strengthen this community and work together in tandem.

Alongside India's First every lifestyle blogger's convocation there will be a lifestyle exhibition "Pop Bazaar" where exhibitors from various parts of the country will participate.

So if you as a blogger want to be part of the convocation or as a designer/brand and want to be part of Pop Bazaar,the exhibition you can contact us at myfashionbay.rg@gmail.com

Nightclub Launch in Kingdom Of Dreams Gurgaon

2015-12-02T20:45:00.000+05:30

Gurgaon witnessed official launch weekend of a premium nightclub Showhaa at Kingdom of Dreams located in sector 29 last month. The club grooved to the electronic dance music by international DJ project Hard Rock Sofa.

Showshaa looks forward to becoming a popular destination for international artists from Ibiza, Miami or world famous music festivals like Tomorrow land and Ultra Music Festival. The vibrant nightclub has the most advanced sound system as well as the biggest square footage of let screens and biggest DJ stage out of all clubs in the Delhi - Gurgaon region and is spread across more than 12,000 sq ft area and a state of 1600 sq ft stage. It is the only club in the city to feature an exclusive shot bar.

“This is the destination for the party animals of Delhi-NCR to unwind to the fullest with the most known international acts the city has ever seen along with the full Las-Vegas-like clubbing experience. We encourage our guests to be wild, be you, be Showshaa”, says Rahul Chhabra, the owner of Showshaa.

AWE-Art Exhibition by Kiran Mehra Kerpelman at Alliance Francaise

2015-11-23T17:40:00.000+05:30

"Awe" an exhibition of paintings by Artist Kiran Mehra-Kerpelman was inaugurated by Dr Shashi Tharoor on Saturday at Alliance Francaise ,Delhi. Kiran started painting as a hobby but as the interest grew she wanted to experiment more.She started painting more often taking inspiration from photographs from her holidays around the world.

Dr Shashi Tharoor

Mrs Ratan Kaul

Speaking at the event Kiran shared "The paintings at the AWEsome world represents my take on the beauty of our world representing Air Water Earth"

Kiran's paintings at display at Alliance Francaise. The Exhibition is on till 25th Nov.2015

That is me in my Little black Dress at the event. Trust me when I say you have to have one in your wardrobe, if not many.