May 2016

Pearl Portfolio 2016 – Fashion Show Details

May 31, 2016

Seasoned designers believe in the power of retaining their signature style every run-through of a fashion week. It is the young buds (note : Pearlites) who maintain the zeal to grasp the trend forecasts of a season and adapt the same memo onto their collections and themes likewise. Pearl Academy of India welcoming the kaleidoscope of such creative minds celebrated Pearl Portfolio 2016 a few days back. For those who read Kalapalette regularly will definitely be aware of our event-duty profile of this 3 days affair in Pearl Portfolio 2016 Ft. FDCI article. While we had plans on featuring the entire activity in one single report, the type of creativity and fine designs that the graduating students put forward definitely needed a separate mention. Hence, this article features a visual delight to what the students and shall we say ‘the future of Indian fashion’ showcased on one of their first every runway presence. To summarise the entire fashion show collectively, group of students were given themes based on which they were asked to create their signature designs for the finale. Every student put forward at least 2 unique designs, empowering the theme’s essence in a true sense; putting forward the hard work of Pearl Academy faculty who polished these graduating students over years of nurturing. The fashion show took place on the 2nd and 3rd day of Pearl Portfolio 2016, which was held on the NSIC Grounds, Delhi. The students were assigned themes like Elysium, Brandished Gold, Tailored Wraps, Floral Sublime, Printemps, Knitted Affair, Real People, Dramatic Lengths, Fun & Frolic, Asymmetric Puzzles and Whiter Shade of Pale. Having been covering leading Fashion Shows of Delhi, we were definitely not expecting such sophisticated designs to have been put forward by the final semester students. Each student showcased uniqueness in their designs, with some silhouettes …

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John Players Play Unscripted – Menswear

May 30, 2016

While our Indian Fashion Runway is still catching up on menswear drama, the retail brands are pushing forward a whole new anti-stereotype propaganda on fashion for men! So much so, that the game is just not about styling it right, but actually breaking free of the memo that every man has been taught under the tagline of ‘Manly way of dressing up’ and engaging in the wave with the best foot (note : denims) forward. Now that women have already trended hardcore for a ‘boyfriend jeans’ on the social network, it is time for men to shed the basic denims off for something more candid. John Players is one of those few fashion brands that have been evolving constantly on menswear category, keeping abreast with the latest trend forecasts of the world.   And this time of the year, they are playing unscripted to promote denims as the trendsetter of the summer season. Well, you’d anticipate that all you’ll get to see in the collection will be just the denims with maybe some washed acidic affect or those regular ripped fabric threads giving the whole *macho* vibe to the wearer. NOPE! You will definitely see hints of the regulars, but John Players has taken another bold step in presenting a denims collection for men which is designed on laser printing technology, holds uni-sexual patterns and patches adding zeal to the comfort and a varied range of colour palette for those who are bored of the regular denims affair. Popularly known as JPJ, a.k.a. John Players Jeans not only caters to the trend cravings of a fashionista, but has also been designed keeping in mind the comfort that one seeks during the hot season. Hashtagged #JPJSS16 on the social network, John Players Jeans collection has been crafted with experimental washes, contemporary fits …

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Aire The Sky Bar Crowne Plaza Jaipur {Review}

May 24, 2016

You must have already read our review of the House of Han by Crowne Plaza Jaipur. This article is a first hand review of Aire the Sky Bar Crowne Plaza Jaipur which is nothing like your regular sundowner decks! Situated right in the middle of the Crowne Plaza Property, it has been designed next to the elevated swimming pool area, which provides a more intimate dining experience overall. Keeping the surroundings open air, with room for natural breeze and a relaxed lounge seating area, Aire the Sky Bar is definitely a breezy experience. To top it up, the bar also offers a live grill and a live evening musical performance by their encore singers; every evening. You name it and Crowne Plaza has pledged to serve it! Right from the seating arrangements, the dim-lit setup to the freshly brewed alcoholic concoctions that their in-house bartender offers, once can definitely look forward to an evening full of spirits (literally). During match days, Aire the Sky Bar Crowne Plaza Jaipur also proudly installs a projector, that entitles the diners to keep a tab on the cricket scores while they snack on some hot-out-of-the-grill delicacies. The Drinks While their bartender is definitely skilled with the universal cocktails like LIIT, Margarita, Mojito, Cosmopolitan and the Apple Martini; one can definitely feel that the menu is incomplete without their ‘signature cocktails’ section which often Hospitality groups boast about! But, for those who know their drinks right, it won’t be a disappointment as the bar do offers a wide variety of rich Single Malts, Blended Scotches, Tennessee, Cognac, Rum and the global menu of Wines, Beers and Vodkas. They serve finest drinks available like Villa Fassini Cabernet Shiraz and Norton Bodega that won’t disappoint your appetite to tantalise your taste buds with nothing but the best. THE FOOD One platter …

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The Body Shop Indian Night Jasmine

May 24, 2016

The first time I laid my eyes on The Body Shop Indian Night Jasmine parfum range, I knew that this fragrance edition needs to be added to my personal collection asap! I have always preferred floral fragrances over fruity scents and this one was an instant hit with me. Boxed in a very artistic packaging, the Indian-ness of this edition reflects well right from treating your eyes to your smelling senses! As per the older reviews available online, the packaging was very different which has been customised and restocked on the extensive demand of the product. What’s The Body Shop Indian Night Jasmine? Since ancient times, Indian women have used jasmine flowers to perfume and adorn their hair. Jasmine’s small, fine flower reveals a strong scent that reaches its most powerful intensity at night. In India, we extracted Jasmine essence from hundreds of freshly-picked flowers to compose a unique warm and intensely heady white floral fragrance at heart deepened by notes of sandalwood and vanilla. My Experience Hands down, I have been sold on the idea of Mughal inspired Jasmine fragrance by The Body Shop. Having been born and brought up in Delhi, I have always had a soft corner for everything Mughal. The wild bushes of Jasmine flowers are spread across the capital city of India and are loved and enjoyed by every resident of the city, each summer! Loved the Orange against a monochrome Mehendi design packaging of this one. The actual EDT bottle is a glass bottle and has has an old fashion parfum silhouette to match the Mughal feel of it. The fragrance is of medium strength with a base tone of course being the jasmine flower. The top and medium notes consist of a strong tangerine hint which evolves from the concoction of orange, sandalwood, musk and vanilla fragrances. I can …

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DLF Mall of India – High Street Fashion Zone

May 17, 2016

“Quality matters more than quantity” is an age-old saying. In the backdrop of increasing number of commercial shopping malls in Delhi NCR, what we now need to look out for are those malls offering quality. Mall Of India is the first new destination mall promising a Maha Kumbh of International as well as exclusive Indian premium brands under one roof and on the same floor. To exhibit the excellent garment collection available in the mall, they organized a high street fashion show “Celebrating What India Wears”. The show stopper for the show was none other than the graceful Aditi Rao Hyadri.   Since I live only 10 minutes away from Noida, I am extremely elated with this new addition in Sector-18 and have already visited it a number of times! Mall Of India brings to you the convenience of shopping in the finest of brands of India on the same floor. In fact, the race track atrium gives amazing visibility to all to all the stores we do not run out of any options. It is like a mini-mall in itself in the great Mall of India. Spread on a whopping 2 million sq ft retail space, MoI is all set to redefine how retail is perceived in India by bringing the unique concept of ‘zoning’ for the first time here. The mall has 6 customized levels like the International boulevard on ground and first floors, their flagship Indian high street section on the second, Family World on the third level, and Leisure Land on fourth and fifth floors. The lower ground level is a market place to be frequented for shopping in hyper market in home furnishing centres. Now coming to the grand array of designers at the MoI – I can briefly sum it up as simply awe-inspiring. …

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Niche Lounge & Bistro – Delhi {Menu Review}

May 16, 2016

Now for those who have been following my blog, will definitely be aware about my experience dining at Niche Bar & Lounge for its ‘Pre-Launch’ Blogger’s table. If you haven’t, then go ahead and check it out! Having been reviewed some of their best preparations, we were more keen on exploring what their regular menu has to offer too. And before going for the review, we definitely scrolled through the zomato reviews and what people highly recommended to try on. To my surprise, it wasn’t non-vegetarian nor was it a gourmet amalgamation. Known as the ‘Pulled Katahal Tacos’ on the menu, this Mexican mix with a vegetable not generally loved (and experimented with) much in the country was nothing less of a surprise. For a slider to go with their array of alcoholic concoctions, Pulled Katahal Tacos definitely faired well on the taste and nibbling metre. So for vegetarians who always end up ordering regular veggie kebabs and paneer tikkas to go with their drinks, this one can be called a gourmet substitute for your vegan requirements. The Tacos are filled with Katahal well cooked which is drenched in a juicy tangy sauce with a zing of sweetness and a sour curd dip and salsa to go on the side. Of course, we did order a portion of chicken and a prawns starter from their seafood menu. In chicken, we ordered the Lal Mirch Ka Chicken Tikka, which although sounds spicy; wasn’t spicy at all. In fact, the flavours of the marination combined with the smokiness of the grill and tenderness of the chicken pieces turned out to be one of the finest Chicken Tikka preparations I’ve had in a long while. The tikka was presented with some freshly grounded mint cloud and nitro cooked onion yoghurt chutney on the side. Being a …

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Pearl Portfolio 2016 | FDCI India

May 12, 2016

“Pearl Academy to come out with the best pearls in the fashion industry!” – Sunil Sethi (at the Fashion week) The annual exhibition – cum – graduation celebrations of Pearl Academy presented Pearl Portfolio 2016 wherein fresh new graduates of Pearl Academy displayed a resplendent collection portraying a diverse range of themes. The young designers did their utmost in making the show a memorable one. We loved the geometric patterns and jaali-work in Artful Lines, the ravishing ‘Brandished Gold’ collection, the quirky and hooded collection of Elysium, the beautiful ‘Mystical’, and the flowy, colorful “OVER THE RAINBOW” collection. It must have meant so much to the students as the show was attended by bigwigs like Sunil Sethi, President of the FDCI, Manish Malhotra, while Amit Aggarwal came as the chief guest for the Pearl Folio. The show marked the signing of the breakthrough collaboration of Pearl Academy and FDCI in imparting quality fashion education. The stage has now been set for a transformation of future of design in India. The Indian fashion industry has reached new heights not only in economy but also in quality. And what better way to sustain this growth than by revolutionizing the contours of fashion education. The collaborative program called #FolioLive will have FDCI designers mentoring Pearl Academy Students, FDCI to host masterclass for Pearl Academy Faculty, The academy Alumni and students will also get to showcase their collections at FDCI Amazon India Fashion Week every season. India’s Pearl Academy, with a legacy of 22 years of shaping creative minds, has taken one step forward in this endeavour. With a mission to match the world class education in fashion and design, the Pearl Academy has come in a contract with the 400-member strong Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI). The FDCI is the quintessential flag bearer …

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Powdered Formal | SUE MUE

May 10, 2016

Being geeky and chic is no rocket science. While I have heard my friends cribbing over wearing shades of grey under the ‘formals’ category, I’d like to differ from the module that many of us follow for a daily routine check. Of course many MNC’s tend to have strict colour codes to be worn to work (my sincere sympathy with you), others who happen to have the liberty of playing around with the colour palettes yet maintain a formal silhouette can work wonders with their ‘serious look’.

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What type of Bollywood mother you have?

May 8, 2016

While everyone is busy posting Facebook updates with a photograph of them (being little or old) with their beloved mother, we thought of going overboard with the melodrama and give it a dash of Bollywood vibes. Now for those who’ve been following the Hindi Cinema saga for a really long time, this will come in as no surprise that the ‘Ma’ characters being played on the big screen are very much similar to our Desi Mother style! Their have been moments (while watching a Hindi flick) that we’ve felt a movie mother is an exact copy of our own dear mother. With shocking freaks of “Oh my god! My mom does just like that.” to the absolute nodding in agreement with “This is so true! She always scolds me like that.”; brown mothers are a true inspiration to the on-screen role playing mommas (Rosesh Sarabhai will agree). Enough of the blabbering already, we present to you a list of iconic Bollywood mothers who (we are pretty sure) are a carbon copy of how your mother in real life is like. Scroll through and tell us which Bollywood Mother is closest to your own MATAJI!? Durga Singh The mom who stays awake waiting for you to come back,  even when you are busy partying till 4 AM in the wee hours. Keep calm because, Mere Karan Arjun Ayenge! Nirmala Gupta Hitler of a Mother (Movie Khoobsurat) : The mom who runs a mini army cant in the house itself. She loves Apple Kheer, believes in the power of discipline and doesn’t let you finish that last slice of Pizza because, KAYEDA! Lajwanti The savoir mom, who covers up and cleans the mess you create. She doesn’t hesitate from fighting Papa bear if need be and always considers her laal as ‘Laakhon Mai Ek’. Nandini Raichand The melodramatic …

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