Shot Couture Street Fashion

Such a wonderful day...

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:22:00 +0000

I have been blogging for a while now, and boy how it has changed! Professional bloggers, celebrity bloggers, newbies... it's a whole new world out there. For me, blogging has been an extension of my desire to write and connect, and in that I have had much success. I started Shotcouture a few years back with a focus on street style, and over the years, it has become a part of who I am. My visual voice has changed. My style of writing has changed. The blog itself has had a makeover.

But nothing has changed more than my life. In just a few years, I became a writer, a blogger, a divorcee, a designer, an aspiring chef, a lover, a wanderer, an orphan, a lonely crusader for sanity and happiness, and now, I am soon going to add one more description to my name. I am going to marry the love of my life.

This is perhaps, one of the most exciting times of my life. Though the wedding, scheduled for February, is an extremely low key affair, I am thrilled about starting the rest of my life with someone who has helped me heal, and has helped me become the woman I always thought I could be.

These past few months have been hectic, and I have not been able to post as often as possible. The content on Shotcouture is undergoing change. I have been working on Bandagi, my own line of accessories. I have a lot going on. But blogging keeps me sane. It helps me stay on track, and not lose sight of my dreams, my aspirations.

The next few posts will be about the very rushed, very tight-scheduled wedding preparations. From the "Girls' Nite Out", to the post-wedding dinner, my not so fat Indian wedding will be the focus of this blog's posts. This weekend, I shop for my post-wedding dinner dress.

For now, I am leaving you with one of my favorite recent looks. The skirt is from Goa, made my these really talented, quirky ex-hippies, who happen to be my favorite designers. More on the wedding soon.

Hello Twenty Twelve - Keep thy promise!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 06:39:00 +0000

I know I have started this year a bit late. But a lot has been happening, and a few announcements are in order. First of all, Bandagi- Bling Worship, my own line of accessories did very well in its first exhibition. Thank you all for your beautiful and kind words of encouragement. Secondly, I am poised for one of my life's biggest events. Will let you know more soon. Very soon!

2011 was a year of mixed blessings. It began badly enough with me losing my dad on 15th January, 2011. I cannot believe that it's almost a year now. On a positive note, I finally started finding my little spot of sunshine on the planet. As a blogger and as a designer, I learned a lot and have the blogosphere to thank for the inspiration I found here. Each one of you, a reader and a commenter on this blog, you are really really special to me. You give me a reason to look beyond my day job, and do something different, all for myself. You are beautiful, inspiring and special to me. Thank you for being in my life.

I hope that 2012 will be a year full of happiness and blessings for all of us. I promise to be more regular with posts and make the content of shotcouture engaging and worth your time.

I am posting some pictures of the Bandagi Collection here. Am now working on the next collection for the Brand - Mon Tresor! It will all be about, Love, Hope and life's irreplaceable treasures. Hope it will be a huge success too.

We shot the above pictures at my Office's Christmas celebration. I am wearing one of my own hairbands. It was such a fun party, with Christmas Carols, plum cake and wine!

And now for the winner of the beautiful Art Meets Fashion bag!!! The lovely hand painted bag made by the young and talented designer Aarti Verma goes to the lovely Cecile!

Congrats Cecile!

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend. Will see you on the other side of this beautiful Sunday.

Bandagi Launch and a New Year Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 03:22:00 +0000

This Saturday was one of the most significant days in my life. I launched my own line of accessories. The brand is called BANDAGI – Bling Worship. Bandagi means Worship, and I see the brand as a bit of a rebel, a free-spirit out to explore and discover. My first collection was only hair accessories, as I feel the Hair can transform a woman. Also, we have an extremely emotional association with our hair. So I had a small launch event this weekend which did very well. What had started out as a personal passion is reaching out to many women and I cannot even begin to describe this feeling!

To celebrate the successful Launch of Bandagi, I wanted to have a Giveaway. This also gave me an opportunity to get to know one extremely talented lady, Aarti Verma, of ART MEETS FASHION. Art meets fashion is an independent label which deals with Handpainted and Handcrafted Fashion and Home decor Accessories. Every Product is a unique piece of art. Its founder and designer Aarti has done an Art Teacher Diploma from Sir JJ School Of Arts, and then pursued a crash course in fashion Designing. After teaching as an Arts Teacher for a year, she sought to do something more concrete with her inclination to blend art and fashion, and that was how her label was born.
Aarti believes that Art and Fashion have been the twin passions of her life, and every day she grows as a designer, absorbing new inspirations, rendering them into her colorful designs.

She launched Art Meets Fashion just about a year back with just a few handpainted totes, and already the label does tunics, sling clutches, and ceramic jewellery pieces. But Aarti does not want to get into mass production, and likes to keep her designs unique and rare.

For her designs, Aarti is drawn to Tribal Elements, and prefers doing human figures, very bold, Indian yet contemporary. She loves to fuse two opposite elements, whether in the colors, form or even fabric. While she loves color in general, her preferred colors are earthy tones, with brown and black being her favorites. She is also drawn to reds and greens, depending on her mood.

Aarti’s online presence poses the biggest challenge faced by all independent designers: Plagiarism. She continually tries to refresh and renew her designs in order to combat that, but laments the lack of control over theft of her designs.

While Aarti redefines the style platform for others, her own style is pretty eclectic. She loves to mix trends and isn’t afraid to experiment. In her closet, one would find chunky silver jewellery, skirts of all lengths, and a lovely little black dress! When not working, the young designer loves to travel, take pictures of her world, and gorge on Chinese food.

Currently, Art Meets Fashion is available at the unique multidesigner store, Bliss in Mumbai and Pune. The designs can also be ordered at stainedcanvas@gmail.com

Aarti has given a beautiful, hand-painted bag as a Giveaway gift just for the Shotcouture readers.

To win this lovely Art Meets Fashion bag, you have to…
1. Be a follower of Shotcouture on GFC.
2. LIKE Art Meets Fashion Page On facebook

Once you have done that, just leave a message on this post with your name and valid email id. The Giveaway is open to international readers and will end on Friday, 6http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifth January, 2012!

I can relate to Aarti on so many levels. Having just started my own line of accessories, my constant fears and challenges follow the same progression as her. I will be posting more about my label and accessories on my Facebook Bandagi Page. You can see the key pieces from the collection HERE.

Also, a special mention of my Design Da Paura, inspired by the lovely Rachel, of Capturingitaly. The design is crafted from a delicate fabric flower, and is available in two colors, black and purple.

I am so excited about the launch and keeping my fingers crossed that it would do well. Christmas this year has been memorable. I do hope to hear from lots of you on your plans for the New Year. And yes, don’t forget to take part in the Art Meets Fashion Giveaway! The beautiful, hand-painted bag could be yours!

So much! So much!

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:19:00 +0000

This is going to a picture heavy, long post. There is so much happening. My own accessories line, to start with. I launch in less than two weeks, and nothing seems to be in place! I am falling behind on my posts, as the day job is in full swing. Not that I am complaining. Love my job, love my people. And I absolutely love the fact that there is never a dull moment.

Spent this weekend with a dining group, "Pet Pujaris", literally translates into stomach- worshipers. We had a long, happy lunch at the newly launched restaurant "All Day 5", at the Apollo Hotel in Colaba, Mumbai. This colorful, young eating space, with an energetic, young chef is a must visit if you happen to be in Mumbai and are looking for a cozy, casual dining option. The drinks, the starters, the main course, and the dessert were absolutely delightful. Which perhaps explains why the lunch extended till about 5 in the evening. I had a Sangria to drink, and called for a Vermicelli crusted Basa, which was superbly done and perfectly flavored. Anyways, here are some pictures from the lunch.

Of course, with my first accessories collection just around the corner, there is lots to do. So Saturday was spent working and reworking the designs, and things seem to be falling into place now. For those who think blogging is easy and frivolous, well, blah! It has changed the course of people's lives. Mine, for sure. I am excited and a bit scared. I can only hope that my designs will be liked and the accessories will be bought. Right now, I am working on branding and Packaging, and it seems like nothing will get done on time. But that's the fun bit!

So yes, I used denim to beat the Monday morning blues, and as usual, took some pictures. How was your weekend? What special things are happening in your life?

Giveaway Winner, a pretty cake, some colorful socks and new shoes...

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 03:45:00 +0000

Thank you all for taking part in the Shotcouture Mish Mash Giveaway! And the winner of the hand-painted bag is - Jenny Benny of Jenniferfabulous!
I had a lovely weekend. Was working on Sunday, but that too was a lot of fun as we had all met for a brain-storming session for an upcoming project. On Saturday, I managed to pick up a couple of pairs of new shoes from Tresmode, and also met my brother who had gone to our home town Agra, and brought back an amazing pair of green boots for me. Also, I happen to love colorful socks, and have quite a few pairs. So can't wait to sport some new footwear.

Last week has been a busy week. Work is progressing well on my hair accessories collection, and it gives me so much satisfaction to see things take shape. After a difficult phase, my life is getting back on track. Soon, I will be able to share my collection with you all.

Today is a friend's birthday, and we brought it in with a lovely cake that a co-worker's wife had made. She has just started making these fabulous cakes, and I just loved her work, and decided to buy one. How was your weekend? Did you do anything special?

My co-worker, Noopur, and I were sitting on the office terrace and clicked some pictures fooling around with the camera.

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Mish Mash Design Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:51:00 +0000

Sorry for being missing for so long. Lots of work, and some really great news. I have started work on my own line of accessories, and will share them with you really soon.
Also, I did not want to have a run of the mill Giveaway for Shotcouture, so that took time. And I am glad to share with you, the Mish Mash design Giveaway, along with an interview with the brand's talented designer - Abhilasha Jain.

I first discovered Mish Mash Design on Facebook, when the young designer, Abhilasha, initially started promoting her hand painted bags and cushion covers through the social networking platform. I bought my first Mish Mash cushion cover from Abhilasha’s stall at a popular store’s flea market. The lovely colors on the cushion cover placed in my living room promptly started getting me compliments. More and more friends and acquaintances wanted to know where they could get one. Meanwhile, Abhilasha was introducing one fabulous design after another, giving Mish Mash Design a unique identity, increasing her buyer’s base, and generally bringing a spot of happiness in many lives. After a few months of chasing, I not only managed to tag the super-busy, shy designer for an interview, she even offered an amazing Mish Mash Bag just for the readers of Shotcouture!

Here is the interview with Abhilasha...

Q 1.When did you first discover your passion? How did you start?
A. I was always interested in Art, in particular art on Indian culture,tribal based themes & vibrancy in bold colors always attracted & inspired me. My mom is a very good artist and has been the key in. However the passion actually turned in to a profession quite accidentally. I had been working in the Jewellery industry for the last 8 years. A few years back as a hobby,I used to hand paint bags and cushion covers for my friends & family. Appreciation from friends and the thought of doing something I loved led me to start Mish Mash Design. On all practical grounds , it was a crazy decision to leave a well set position in the Jewellery industry and build something from nothing.However for me this is exactly what I wanted to do.

Q2. What are the challenges you face as an artist?
A. For a creative person, you may be good at your skill but it takes time to understand the market, how it works & approach the right clientele. On an operational level, the hardest part which I have faced so far has been to find skilled labor to do the production as per my designs, imaginations & requirement.

Q3. How do you think your Art has changed over the years?
A. Honestly, these are still the initial years for Mish Mash, so I don't think I really can answer that. But I could say most of my work illustrates simple subjects like life, human beings and nature and here I aim to blend colors to bring about a lively mood. Like in any other field, as an artist you keep learning and evolving, so the focus is to constantly take inspirations from life and try to create something that can bring cheer to the end user.

Q4. What are some of your favorite designs?
A. Altough I love all my designs but my all time favorite designs are: Jodha akbar cushions, Tribal beauties bag, Rangeela Rajsthan Silk Bags,Boho Chic hand bag series & Fashionista bag series.

Q5.How well do you think Social Networking sites like facebook work for Independent Artists?
A. I feel nowadays social networking sites like facebook can be an amazing platform for independent artists.The biggest advantage is its ability to help artists engage and build their own audience across the globe. The artist gets immediate & direct feedback from his/her audience which helps artists understands their customer’s needs.

Q6. Where do you see yourself in a few years from now? What future plans do you have as an artist?
A. Right now I am going with the flow and totally enjoying this phase :).I currently have a small studio at my house where I create and paint stories. I am Retailing at a few stores in India and London and also available on some online stores.
In the long run, I do wish to create a niche for myself in the market by creating unique hand painted home decor products and fashion accessories accessible to as many locations across the globe!

Check out some of the Mish Mash Design products. It's hard to pick a favorite. You can check out more of Abhilasha'a work on HER BLOG.

Love her work already!

Great! Because like I mentioned, Abhilasha very sweetly offered one of her fabulous bags as a gift, for one lucky Shotcouture reader! The contest is open to readers across the world.

To win this fabulous bag, you have to
LIKE the Mish Mash Design page on Facebook.
AND
Follow Shotcouture through Google Friend Connect

For additional entries, LIKE the Shotcouture Page on Facebook

Once you have done this, just leave a comment on the blog, stating you have followed the required steps.

This Giveaway Ends 2nd December, 2011.

And yeah! Started posting on Lookbook. Check out my profile.

Pinwheel Mornings...

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 06:36:00 +0000

Lots of new followers. And lots to share. I have been blogging on and off now for five years. And the past couple of years have been the most eventful years of my life. I have seen way too many ups and downs, the kinds people get to see over several decades. I lost my Mother to hemorrhage, lost my dad to cancer, had to leave my loved pet behind, got divorced, permanently injured my knees, and started life practically from scratch.

But the going has been good. I have found out who my real friends are. I have discovered my strengths. And I have found some really inspiring people on the blogosphere. I am learning to respect myself, so I can expect the same from others. I am learning to put myself first. Thanks to your inspiring presence in my life, I have started work on my own line of hair accessories too! There are some women on the blogosphere who I have been following for a while now and who use this medium for far more than posting pretty pictures of themselves. They have relentlessly pursued their passion, travelled extensively, achieved what other keep day-dreaming about, and managed to bring just that little ray of sunshine to the lives of others. Even though I have never met them, I have learned to read between the lines and see the true grit that lies at the core of a woman. My this post is to honor a small handful of them. There are many more, and it's not possible to mention them all here, but in some small way, you all have helped me through a very difficult time in my life.

So, I'd like to give my very own "Inspiración Award" to the following beautiful women.

Rachel of CapturingItaly

Anna of IHOD

Anya of Couture Millinery Atelier

HauteWorld

Mimi Bleu of Bonjour Romance

I also want to share a few random things about myself.
I love pinwheels.
I love quiet, happy breakfasts.
I love flowers, candles, and beautiful things.

Leaving you with a few pictures clicked around my house on a lazy Sunday morning.

And yes, there is an Awesome Giveaway coming up soon. Watch this space!

A first in five years!

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:40:00 +0000

Can you believe this! I have been blogging for five years, and this is my first ever outfit post. Oh well, there is always a first time for everything. So here goes.

This is what I wore to office today. My workplace, and my job profile as a writer does not require a formal dress code. I dress up for comfort, as Mumbai is an unpredictable city, and many a times, I have to walk home in the evenings. So footwear has to be comfortable on all days. I often carry a "shoe bag", or a flat pair of shoes to wear on my walk back home.

Bolero : A shop in Colaba, Mumbai
Tank : Zara
Bangles : From a streetside vendor in New Delhi
Jeans : Levi's
Shoes : From an export surplus store in Agra

Oh, and since we are doing Firsts, I am five followers away from 100. How about a 100 Followers Celebration Giveaway? What say, bloggers?

Life. Music. Rockstar.

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:59:00 +0000

I woke up today and fell in love with life. I had a light but lovely breakfast, and then meditated for a while. There was no rain, and I had some good music. I know very well not every morning can be like this, but why let that come in the way of celebrating life today? The weekend is here and I am really looking forward to meeting my brother and his family. They will be spending the weekend at my place. There shall be some great food cooked and some awesome music listened to. Some board games are going to get played. Can't wait for the weekend to begin!

Meanwhile, if any of you like Indian music, do treat yourself to the music of the Bollywood Movie "Rockstar". Composed by A. R. Rehman, the music will soothe your soul and feed your dreams for days to come.

More from Vienna and Budapest

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:14:00 +0000

I made a little blooper in my last post. I hope you remember that I mentioned that Roseanne and I had a relaxed lunch at the SAPA Restaurant in Vienna. And I posted a couple of pictures of my gorgeous best friend without captioning them. So now, many among you thing that the lovely girl in the pictures is me. Nope, I am the bespectacled geek sitting across her.

So sharing some more pictures from Vienna and Budapest. I can feel that I have been bitten by the travel bug. I now want to travel to Greece. And then back to Austria, this time for a longer duration.

Will resume the fashion posts next week. I have a lot of new things happening in my life that i am just dying to share with you all. More on that later. To avoid any confusion this time, I am the tall woman in the yellow singlet. Have a great week ahead, my lovely blogging friends.

Back from Vienna!

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 16:02:00 +0000

Hey there. Am back from my whirlwind trip from Budapest and Vienna. It was an Entry and Exit trip. No sooner had we landed, it was time to go back. And I could only spend a day each in the two cities. So well, let's just say that i plan to go back and explore these two wonderful places, and this time around, Prague will definitely be on my list. But all in all, it was a great weekend.

In Budapest, I spent Saturday, exploring the great market hall, and then the office took us for a boat cruise on the River Danube. Post the cruise, I walked down Vaci Utca, a lovely street great for people watching, relaxing with a beer, and shopping. Budapest is one of the cheapest European cities I have been to. Its people are warm and friendly, and the food is great. Our office put us up in these lovely luxury apartments in Boscolo Hotels, and I optimized my hotel time with a long, luxurious bubble bath, using a LUSH Bath Bomb. I usually make it a point to carry Bath Bombs for all my vacations.

My Apartment In Budapest

In Vienna, we roamed the lanes of the famous Nashmarkt, looking at the juicy fruits and yummy delectable delights that the market is so famous for. Later, Roseanne and I walked down the streets of Vienna, did some shopping and had a long, lazy lunch.

Am back in office now, and pretty exhausted. Just uploading a few pictures from the trip. Since it was a really short trip, I could not shop much. But will post pictures soon of the goodies I managed to bring back. Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend.

Style Trends - Lakme Fashion Week - Colored Pants

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 10:36:00 +0000

We saw them on the runways across the world. So it's no surprise at all that the pants have acquired colors on the Indian style scene too.

I really feel that this trend brings in a real freshness to fashion, as I often find myself bored with pants, and color brings such a welcome change to an old piece of clothing. As with all fashion trends, however, this is one style that should be adapted with caution. Being heavy bottomed, I'd go with darker, more neutral colors, rather than wear a neon that screams, "fatass"! Colored pants also call for simpler styles. You want just one trend to take precedence at a time. Clean lines and styles add brownie points to color worn well on your legs.

Lakme Fashion Week - Black and Gold

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:08:00 +0000

Black and gold seem to have an ever-lasting partnership in Indian fashion. This time, they found new grounds for their union. From classic silhouettes, to flowing forms, the color duo made its presence felt across the fashion week shows. A rare, urban sophistication has, fortunately, found its ground in this trend's renewal. Too severe by itself, black finds a softer accent in gold. And gold, left alone tends to become sheer bling, but black tones it down and adds depth.

Loving these looks from the Lakme Fashion Week Winter Festive shows.

Lakme Fashion Week - Fall Trends - Color - Pink Passion

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:38:00 +0000

It has red as a parent, but it's softer, less violent. Pink is reformed red, as the designers would have you believe. Pink was a recurring theme at the Lakme Fashion Week in all its sweet and sophisticated avatars. From Archana Kochhar and Rina Dhaka, to Drashta, Vivek Kumar and Vj Balhara, the designers unleashed Pink Power in all its hues. Blush, coral, flesh, flush, fuchsia, hot pink, magenta, raspberry, rose, and salmon strutted down the ramp, displaying the versatile side of pink, from playful to glamorous.

Combined with grey, black, blue, green and beige, the pink flaunted its glory, gaining a sharp edge it's often denied. Here are some of my favorites from the Fashion Week.

What do you think of the trend?

Spirit of the forest

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:13:00 +0000

Spirit of the forest by pratishtha featuring beaded bracelets

I know I am supposed to be posting the fashion trends and reviews from the fashion week. But am feeling a bit Gypsy, a tad bohemian, and very very forest spirit right now. So here is my inspiration for the day. What is your fashion inspiration for today?

Lakme Fashion Week - Preview - Rohan Arora

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 17:53:00 +0000

He looks like your regular geek boy, with glasses. The kind when you see in a Rom-com, you know is going to transform into the college stud who will finally walk away with the girl, the basketball trophy, and the million dollar prize money on the random lottery he bought from a creepy friend who was, in fact, trying to cheat him.

And Carrie would approve of him.
Did anyone say shoes???

He designs shoes. Shoes that make you do a double take, and then make you gape. Then you realize that it’s rude to stare, and you find yourself thinking that you are not half as cool as the kind of person that wears the kind of shoes that Rohan Arora designs. But that’s wrong, you see. For the kind of shoes that Rohan Arora designs make people, even your regular college geeks who do NOT walk away with the girl, look cool.

Rohan, a Kolkata based designer, started the label “Rohan Arora” in 2008. Whatever he might say was the reason behind it, I believe that the REAL reason he started designing shoes was because he realized that there was a definite vacuum where great shoes, with an awesome sense of style married to a quirky sense of humor should have been. He knew that many a high end shoe closets were missing the kind of shoes that put an end to all conversation, when their wearer enters a room. Because these shoes command a new string of conversation: about them. About how intricately crafted wooden heels that look so stunning can also be very comfortable. About how sterile modernization can never ever beat the dying art of shoes made by hands.

Some shoes from Rohan's past collections

For this year’s collection, Rohan has designed 16 stunning pairs in a collection titled “Leela”. Irreverently fusing street-style fashion inspirations with vintage charms, he took almost two months to get the perfect look for his unusual creations: wooden heels with delicate Nakashi work on them, adorned with fun trinkets that make your feet do a waltz with joy. Rohan got his skilled artisans to create the timeless Nakashi motifs like peacocks, abstract flowers, butterflies, parrots and fish on the heels, to make his collection timeless.

Despite being created from wood, the blocks and wedges are incredibly tough, being made of mahogany, an extremely durable wood that renders itself well to Nakashi. For the uppers of the shoes, Rohan has used screen printed and block printed corduroy. Sheep skin lining, supposed to be the softest and the best inner lining, is just one of the fine details that make Rohan’s shoes a must-have for every fashionista worth her two pedicured feet.

Tomorrow, on the final day of the Lakme Fashion Week, Rohan will send 16 sets of happy feet down the runway. I can bet that as soon as the show will get over, the conversations will start. After all, who can stop talking about shoes like that! I think I can hear Carrie scream with joy.

A design from "Leela"

Lakme Fashion Week – Day 3 – Vj Balhara

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:58:00 +0000

I am thinking cupcakes and cheese cakes. And dreamy, flowing silhouettes in ethereal, form defying details. Vj unveiled 25 stunning creations from his collection “Age of Innocence”, and celebrated defiantly, the return to honest-to-goodness designing. Making a tongue-in-cheek styling statement, by adorning the models’ hair with colorful cupcakes and cheesecake slices, (his stylist wife Cynthia’s contribution) Vj brought out his characteristic drama, never taking himself too seriously, yet knowing what women want from his fashion statements.
A welcome trend that I have seen in Indian fashion, at least in collections created by designers determined to take Indian fashion to new grounds, is the lack of “bling”. Usually, you take heavy fabrics, put tons of embroidery, sequins, thread work, and you have a collection. Fortunately, Vj does not take that path. Sure, there was cut daana, pipe work and mukaish in her collection. But they were there merely to complement the elaborate fabric detailing that has become Vj’s forte.

Using Chanderi and brocade with ethnic motifs, Vj enthralled the potential buyers and fashion followers alike, with aqua, hot pink, and vibrant green mixed with grey, olive and cream. Silhouettes varied from floor length dresses and smocks to long skirts, chogas and tiered diaphanous tunics. Sheer and fluid fabrics like chiffon, cotton, mull and plisse materials with hints of gold motifs made this a collection every woman would go to bed dreaming of.

The show opened with a white tiered gown with brocade bodice and a patched hem. A grey tiered mini with green lining, drop crotch pants with a flaring top and cropped jacket, a flowing grey and fuchsia outfit, a powder blue full length floor-sweeper teamed with a bolero, and a fluid, vibrant green outfit were among my favorites. Waistcoats with interesting lapels and detailing in soft pastels were recurrent in the collection, teamed with kurtas, gowns, and dresses. The show-stopper was a shimmering gold cape over a plisse smock gown, a fitting finale to a dazzling collection.
So, Day 3 of the Lakme Fashion Week is over. I know I am really behind on the reviews, but madness has unfolded, and you all will soon have all the Indian fashion trends reports soon. For now, I am craving one of Cynthia’s super-adorable cupcakes. For my hair!

Vj and Cynthia Lim Balhara - Creating "The Age Of Innocence"

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 09:22:00 +0000

He is as energetic and flamboyant as his collections. She sort of hides behind her silken soft hair, and smiles like a little girl in Wonderland. They are one of my favorite couples in fashion. She is the driving force behind his creative vision. He is the young, good-looking fashion designer known for juxtaposing classic silhouettes with an unique contemporary edge. Vj Balhara and Cynthia Lim Blahara work together yet again to bring out a collection that in the designer’s opinion, made him strip his creative core to the bare basics – The Age Of Innocence.

Vj with Cynthia (In black)

Typically, a fashion show is no big deal. Take a sheet of paper, cut open a vein, and slowly bleed to death. Well, kidding! A designer collection is a result of months of grueling labour, late nights, galleons of coffee, frustration, false starts, and apprehensions. For Vj and Cynthia, it’s just another day at the workshop.

For the uninitiated, Vj is one of my favorite Indian designers, and is fast becoming a force to reckon with in Indian fashion. I admire him for the unique brand of fiery panache that he brings to an otherwise slightly clichéd Indian couture. While Vj toils to bring his creative vision to life, Cynthia’s inputs are what gives his collections their unique identity. Whether it’s the colorful birds adorning the models’ hairdo, or silver plates and Oriental hairstyles for an ethnic Indian collection, Cynthia’s styling of Vj’s runway collections gives them the drama and extravagance that is essential and integral to fashion.

But what makes this designer’s work close to my heart is that he lends a part of himself to his collections. Vj is real, and grounded, yet suffers no fools quietly. And Cynthia, despite her quiet and reserved demeanor, is a freewheeling thinker, and explorer. Which is why even the most hard-wired critics cannot dismiss Vj’s collections as glorified “bridals”. If designing for an Indian woman, and drawing from Indian influences, rather can steal “western trends” can tackily and hastily be labeled as bridal, then Vj surely is a culprit. For he designs for a woman who isn’t afraid of flaunting her heritage and culture. In true fashion sense, Vj Balhara is a bit of a rebel.

For his Winter-Festive collection, Vj has played with Aristocratic influences fused with Bohemian playfulness to create full length tiered dresses, cocktail dresses, skirts, blouses, and wide legged pants. Throwing caution, and strait-jacketed designing rules, to the wind, Vj has created anti-fit garments replete with bizarre color-blocking. This time, he went on a destructive mode, driving his team up the wall when he refused to settle for anything that did not perfectly match his vision. He states sheepishly, “I’d like a design for a dress, and then after a couple of days, I could not bear to look at it. I would rework it, and transform it into a completely different design.” He adds that he has eventually ended up with as many designs in his storage as he will have on the runway. Some creative process, that!

It’s a sign of his own brand of innocence that Vj still gets anxious about his collections. Having spent countless hours over the 25 creations that will be unveiled on the runway this Friday, knowing Vj, he is perhaps already in two minds whether he has done the best he could have. And knowing Cynthia, she is just quietly busy styling the collection with her own mark of raw quirkiness. And you all know me; I am waiting in anticipation, wondering what this duo’s emotional power, fuelled by fantasy and rebellion, has in store for the fashion hungry.

Cynthia's creative influence can be seen in the unusual styling of Vj's collections

Lakme Winter Festive - Preview - Atithi Gupta

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:38:00 +0000

Atithi designs for the very modern, very confident woman on the go. Her fluid lines, and simple, avant- garde outfits are inspired by the young, urban woman who has a busy, busy, busy life, and her goals are in clear focus. Atithi, as seen in her previous collections too, loves to play with soft and smooth fabrics like silk, wool, chiffon and cotton silk, trying to encapsulate, through her designs, the dynamic life of the modern woman.
Atithi’s Winter/Festive 2011 collection, Side'an; is a symbiosis of modernity and elegance paired with pleats, folds & twists in all the right places, giving the collection extreme functionality while sensually accentuating the female form.
Keeping in line with a woman’s many forms and moods, Atithi has kept the lengths extreme; jackets appear almost too short on the front with their wide circular cuts on the waist, and get longer on the back. Fishtailed dresses trail on the floor and collars raise straight up around the head. Clear lines flirt with spacious silhouettes. The volumes are also contrasting: full for both the pleated skirts and the wide flared pants, and wrapping for collars and vests. Richly coloured caviar shades are offset against salty, granular, neutral shades for dramatic textural contrasts. All tones of sable, chambray, starlet, lido, bamboo, enamel, straw, pomegranate, and sapphire will feature in the collection that celebrates a balance of asymmetry and structure.
I believe, that as a designer, Atithi has brought new forms and inspirations to her collections, keeping them simple and chic, with just a hint of “edgy”. She has also evolved in terms of experimenting with fabric, colors and textures.
Atithi will unveil her promising collection on 21st August at the Lakme Fashion Week. I have been following Aithi’s work for the past couple of years, and can hardly wait for her new collection. Meanwhile, here are a few pictures from her last showing at the fashion week. Hope you all have a lovely weekend. I am going to be caught up in the fashion week madness all of next week. Hope to bring you daily updates and looks from India’s most happening designers.

Lakme Fashion Week - Preview - Gurpreet Kaur

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:20:00 +0000

What is a fashion week without its accessory designers? Every season, a brood of young designers adds dazzle to the couture and prêt ensembles showcased on the coveted runway. The truly fashionable know that it’s not just a dress that makes a statement, that it is crucial to pair it with the perfect handbag and the right pair of shoes. And therein lays the importance of the accessory designers. The right accessories have become an integral part of styling, and are fast emerging as an essential partners to designer clothes.

Taking this sartorial partnership to its next level is ‘Sarang by Gurpreet Kaur’, a unisex brand for garments and accessories. The brand puts forward its first collection 'The Love Cart’ in the Lakme Fashion Week Winter festive. Gurpreet promises to adorn this winter season with warmth and love, as embodied in her collection. Drawing inspiration from her rustic roots, and finding her muse in her memories of childhood years spent in a village, she has created a line of accessories that she says celebrates happiness in the simplest aspects of life. Crafting accessories from fabrics like pure silk and velvet combined with stones, wood and simple embroidery and hand skills, she intends to make ‘The Love Cart’ a joyous celebration of love through seasons. The collection is intended to compliment a wide variety of clothes, playing on unusual form and unique textures, to create signature pieces that stand out every time.

Gurpreet shared her mood board, the starting point for collection, as it reflects the emotions she was experiencing while she worked on the designs. Hope her collection brings a ray of sunshine to the winter cold.

Lakme Fashion Week Preview - Farah Sanjana

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 06:10:00 +0000

So the Lakme Fashion Week is around the corner, and the pre-week anticipation is thick in the air. The dates for the winter/festive collections are August 16-21, 2011. Despite August being rainy, the decision to prepone the Fashion week from September to August will help the designers get ample time to meet their order demands after they showcase their collections.

For me, one of the highlights of the Lakme fashion Week is the Gennext Show. This is where the future of Indian Fashion unfolds. Where young designers showcase collections, that will change the direction of the fashion scene in coming years. The designs are rough, raw, and very true to the essence of fashion and style. Of course, I love the works of established designers too. But it’s the young designers that I love to watch out for.

One such designer that you all must keep your peepers out for is Farah Sanjana. The young graduate from the London School of Fashion plans to style well-heeled women who have an eye for quality. In the UK, Farah worked a six month stint assisting pattern cutting for designer Vivienne Westwood, and assisted backstage at Paris and London Fashion Week, helping put together a dress for actress Kim Cattrall and working on Hollywood star Anne Hathaway's gown for the premiere of Alice in Wonderland. Following this, she returned home with innovation, quirks and a waste-not ethic, all of which she picked up on the job. She is now ready to storm the Mumbai runway with a crop of clothes that’s sexy and rebellious, basic and androgynous, and sometimes just plain strange. Architectural shapes, origami, detailed metal work, and extremely structured silhouettes are what one must look forward to in her collection.

If these pictures from her Summer and Cruise Collections are anything to go by, Farah’s blend of edgy sophistication with form exaggeration and bold colors is bound to make her a hit at the Fashion Week Debut.

Fashion Superstars - Steven Meisel

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:45:00 +0000

Steven Meisel is without doubt, one of the most influential fashion photographers of our times. Shooting explosive and emotional works for the very best in the world of fashion, his work features regularly in both US and Italian Vogue, and lately W (also published by Condé Nast).
Even at a young age, Meisel drew women all the time. He used to turn to magazines like Vogue and Harper's Bazaar as sources of inspiration for his drawings. At 12 years old he asked some girlfriends to call model agencies and, by pretending to be secretaries of Richard Avedon, to get pictures of the models. To meet famous model Twiggy, the 12-year-old Meisel stood outside waiting for her at Melvin Sokolsky's studio.
By juxtaposing fashion and politics and/or social standards, Meisel creates controversial and stunning layouts. Fashion’s superstar photographer is the force behind some of the most press-stirring fashion editorials in the past years. Here are some of his works from some well-known shoots.

Back from a break...

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:54:00 +0000

Hi. I have sort of taken a break from blogging these past couple of months. There was too much happening in my head, if not my life. Will be back soon with posts and updates. Have had to do some serious soul searching and need to make some life-defining changes. I have lost a lot in these past couple of years and am in the process of rebuilding my life and giving it meaning.

Do get ready for some interesting reviews and updates from my world. I intend to make Shotcouture all about fashion and lifestyle from my part of the world. So get ready for some new designers, models, photogs, as well as restaurant and movie reviews.

Off to Bhutan...

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:52:00 +0000

Will be back on 19th June with pictures and stories. Much love to you all. Here is a glimpse of this stunning country.

Say hello to Mr Olowu...

noreply@blogger.com (Pratishtha Durga) — Fri, 27 May 2011 06:55:00 +0000

Breath in. Breath out. Relax. Calm down.

Okay. So this is pretty much my reaction to anything Duro Olowu. I gasp, I pant, and generally misbehave. The London based designer, who trained as a lawyer, and is now among Michelle Obama’s preferred designers, believes that fashion should be joyful. That it shouldn't dictate to women but it should invite them into the fantasy of the designer who is making them.
Hoo boy, Mr. Olowu, look up, I am right there, fantasizing about your designs!

Olowu, first discovered by Vogue's Sally Singer and Julie Gilhart, of Barneys, makes stunning fluid dresses, from vintage fabrics that he finds all over the world as well as new prints that he's been designing himself. Mixing prints on a background of cheerful patterns and vibrant hues, his Fall 2011 collection had plaids alongside watercolor prints and polka dots as well as different stripes juxtaposed against one another for a statement-making look.
Fur-trimmed coats, voluminous long skirts, form-fitting column gowns, printed capes ... There is so much to covet! Okay, there I go again.

Breath in. Breath out. Relax. Calm down.