Stole 'n' Simplicity

Sometimes we just don’t see what is right in front of our eyes. We walk around at Bombay Central and buy this fashion magazine from the newsstand and try to educate our simple minds about what fashion is. While women in Burqas pass by with beautiful scarves delicately covering their heads, our myopic eyes bore only into the magazine scoping it for some sort of knowledge. WAKE UP! 

In Bombay, Burqa clad Muslim women wear scarves on a more regular basis than others. From the ruffle stole to silk scarves, the variety you will find is astonishing. And it just goes to show that fashion does not always require elaborate styling, loud colours or any form of skin show. Keeping it simple, peace out.

Twisted

A good hair day can turn your day around, but a unique hairstyle can turn your life around. (Been there done that!) One of the things unique to Bombay, at least in the opinion of an outsider, is the number of wacky hairdos you see. Girls with pixie cuts, boys with curly locks, and Mohawks break the drab routine of what is expected to be resting on a person’s head. 

The era of experimentation has been ushered in, and as this wave of freshness crashes over us, we cannot but help being filled by the bold risky attitude that it has brought along with it. So don’t let your boat sink to the bottom of this sea of black heads, raise your mainsail above the others, and don’t worry where the winds take you. 

Back to the future: Mosaic

Ingredients: 

2 cups of Leopard print bra (Secret Possessions, Delhi) The 60s

An oversized top (Pepe Jeans, Dehradun) The 80s

A pinch of pink belt for the Empire Waist (New Look, Abu Dhabi) The 60s

A pair of pattern tights (Splash, Abu Dhabi ) The 60s 

1 ‘heel’spoon of pink (Aldo, Delhi) Evergreen


Garnish with:

A handful of hard gel for Pompadour aka the puff – The 40s

An eyeful of eyeliner to achieve the Mod look- The 60s

By merging SIX trends of the past with current fashion, we’ve created a salad bowl of style. 

And boy does it taste good. 

[Model: Akanksha Tandon]

Styling Sherry

We went over to Scherezade Shroff’s apartment in Colaba and raided her closet. An accomplished model, best known for featuring in the‘Right Here Right Now’ video from Bluffmaster, Scherezade (Sherry) mostly dresses in branded western and casual clothing.

That’s why, we picked an unbranded red embroidered saree from her clothes and really wanted to see how she’d look in it. We decided to add to the look a pair of kolhapuri chappals and a golden bag,both non-branded, and her mother’s gold jewelry.After an hour of draping, tucking, and un-tucking till we got it right, we stood back and saw our work.

To our surprise, Sherry looked perfectly in character. She really pulled off the entire ensemble without a sweat. Seeing how stunning she looked, nobody would guess that the saree wasn't one of her more expensive, branded possessions.

Devil's workshop

Sometimes boredom can lead you to discover things you wouldn't otherwise think of. Here's something I did; and you should try it, too. Ask three women from different generations to put on a saree. Now sit back and watch.

   

     Margaret, 63, wearing a saree from Nalli's, Bangalore

 Radhika, 19, wearing a saree from an exhibition at World Trade Centre, Mumbai.

Nandita, 6, wearing a saree from Fabindia.

You will notice, like we did, a stark difference, not just in the kind of sarees, ranging in their material, print and design, but also in the drape. From the sheer duty to cover the female body to becoming the most experimented with wear, owing to the scope it provides to the designers, the saree is undoubtedly at par with any western garment invented.

The mini wardrobe

When accessories are not busy hiding flaws or enhancing outfits, they have an identity of their own. These are some must-haves for every girl.

Rainbow-coloured peep-toes from Catwalk.

Leopard-print shades from Westside

Silver Payals: a Family Heirloom

Handbag from Colaba Causeway, Mumbai;
Scarf from Daiso, Abu Dhabi.

Owl ring from Colaba Causeway.

Your Indelible Identity

Caught in the act: Mickey Malani of Body Canvas, Bandra.

Nothing is permanent. Certainly not  fashion. So how do you retain your identity, even as the styles around you keep changing? 

Body art has been around since the Neolithic times though its cultural status has been changing ever since. From being a rite of passage in certain tribes, to being treated with hostility and associated with junkies, this peculiar art is now snowballing into a huge trend. A word of advice from Micky Malani, one of the two founders of Body canvas, opt for more depth of meaning, since there is no undo button. 




Apart from having tattooed and pierced questionable parts of the body, Micky distinctly recalled the quirkiest one being a cheesecake on the back.  Some may see it as distorting the body, we see it as making a meaningful statement.

So whip out those piggy banks and start saving! Not expensive enough for you to have to sell a kidney but not cutting chai kind of cheap either, a tattoo may just help you discover yourself, and aesthetically.