How Bollywood is dressing for weddings in-between seasons
While Mumbai’s monsoon grows stronger by the day, Bengaluru is all chilly winds and Delhi’s afternoons are blazing at best. With the whole country tentatively switching from one climate to another, now’s the most confusing time for a baraati’s wardrobe. To make your wedding-hopping a little easier, Vogue breaks down five looks that will see you through any weather, as seen on Bollywood’s best dressed women.
Bring back the shararas
Easy to wear and never inappropriate, the Indian suit is always a favourite. Skip the tight churidars for breezier palazzo or sharara pants for full coverage that also allows a little breeze around the ankles at humid summer parties. Both Preity Zinta’s white-and-gold Ritu Kumar and Nargis Fakhri’s pink Payal Singhal are winners.
Layer it up
Got a sundown sangeet coming up? Pick an ensemble that you can dissect when the hot afternoon finally gives way to that much-awaited evening breeze. While Rahul Mishra topped his sheer sari with a cool girl biker jacket on the runway, Athiya Shetty wore her Jade two-piece with a light jacket at a friend’s wedding in Abu Dhabi. Doesn’t get smarter than that.
Try the laidback lehenga
No lehenga does that movie-style swirl unless it’s got layers of can-can holding it in place. But a skirt like that is not easy to manage between sudden drizzles and droughts. Make the wedding favourite more manageable between seasons by ditching your heavy-duty choli for a relaxed blouse instead. We love Sridevi’s roomy white button-down and Diana Penty’s bat wing version.
Go for gowns
Double the impact, half the fuss: for a destination wedding, nothing will have your back quite like a classic gown. Go dainty like Katrina Kaif for cocktails, or add Indian accents like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Shilpa Shetty Kundra (in Anamika Khanna and Amit Aggarwal respectively) for a reception party. No heavy dupattas, stuffy trousers or oversized safety pins needed.
Stick with the staple
When in doubt, go back to the basics. While Sabyasachi’s sheer saris are perfect for the day (drape the pallu over your shoulder if you feel the temperature drop unexpectedly), full-sleeved blouses like Abraham & Thakore’s are ideal for wintery evenings. Going back to layers, Anita Dongre and Rabani & Rakha’s models prove that throwing a jacket over one’s sari is anything but dowdy.Read more at:formal dresses australia | formal dresses melbourne
How to refuse a family heirloom for your wedding
Q: Your mom’s wedding dress. A ring that belonged to your partner’s grandma. They’re beautiful but not your style. How do you politely decline family heirlooms for your wedding?
You want to consider your family’s feelings, but you should be able to choose what makes you happy for your wedding day.
Is there a way to modify the heirloom to suit you better? Perhaps your grandmother’s engagement ring features a stunning vintage diamond, but the ring setting itself is too old fashioned for your tastes. You can have that diamond reset in a new ring.
Or make the family heirloom a part of your ceremony without having to wear it.
For example, you could display heirloom china as a decoration or take influences from a piece of vintage jewelry as part of your decor. If the heirloom was a wedding dress worn by your partner’s grandmother or by your own mother, it could be special to display photographs of your parents or partner’s grandparents on their wedding day.
If these ideas fail, the best option is to be honest. You can say, “I love the history and thought behind this piece. At the same time, it’s important for me to choose a new ring that’s truly my own and that expresses my style.”
— Kathryn Edison Money, vice president of strategy and merchandising at Brilliant Earth, a company that specializes in lab-grown and ethically sourced jewelry
Before declining, keep in mind that there are powerful memories and emotions attached to the heirloom. The person offering it expects you to love the idea.
Don’t prolong the agony if you have no intention of wearing the item, and don’t give an elaborate excuse. Be honest, but be gentle in your words.
If your partner offers you his grandmother’s ring, you could say something like, “That’s a lovely ring, and I appreciate the offer, but I have something else in mind. I was hoping we could go together to choose one.”
If your mother asks you to wear her wedding dress, you could say, “Mom, I know it would mean a lot for you to see me walk down the aisle in your wedding dress, but I believe every bride should have her own special dress — one that she feels beautiful in. I hope you will go with me to help me choose mine.”Read more at:queenieau.com
Fashion Forward
Halima Ousseïni is just 16 years old. The world should be hers. Yet, living in the village of Tanout, Niger, where climate change impacts, political instability, gender inequality and poverty are commonplace, life is not easy for Halima.
Halima had to drop out of school after two years of secondary school. By the time she turned 16, her future was caving in. In a country where three out of four girls is married before the age of 18 - many girls in Halima’s village were already pregnant, and like many people affected by climate change and the brute force of poverty and inequality, Halima was out of options.
But then Halima learned about a new sewing cooperative in her village – a place where single women, women with disabilities, and other girls could find a second chance The sewing cooperative was established as one of 18 “micro-projects” within the UNDP-supportedBuilding Climate-Resilience and Adaptive Capacity in the Agricultural Sector of Niger project, financed with a US$3.5 million grant from the Global Environment Facility Least Developed Countries Fund and US$2.5 million in scaling-up funding from the Government of Canada through the Climate Change Adaptation Facility.
“I was excluded from school and was doing nothing when I learned through a friend that the project had opened a sewing center to allow women and girls to learn sewing,” says Halima. “I was interested and so I enrolled in the center. Since I have been here, I have learned a lot. To sew clothes for myself, for my parents and even for clients.”A Delicate Tapestry
But what does sewing have to do with climate change? In Niger, recurring droughts, inconsistent rainfall patterns and other weather-related stressors are impacting the overall stability of the country’s economy. People are forced to migrate, tensions rise, and women – already a marginalized group – are further cast to the side. Sewing provides an alternative livelihood, and an opportunity to make a living and reduce poverty doing something not dependent on changing climatic conditions.
Mrs. Hadizatou Ebiliki is confined to a wheelchair. Not an easy place to be for a woman whose husband regularly needs to migrate to find agricultural work. With limited mobility and opportunities, she could easily have ended up begging in the streets. But Hadizatou is no victim. Despite the hand she has been dealt, she proves that hope springs eternal when women are given the tools, training and assets they need to build more resilient livelihoods. Hadizatou is now the president of a collective seamstress group that is making major progress in breaking down gender lines and building climate-resilience income streams in Aderbissanat, Agadez region of Northern Niger.
"At the beginning, we had a lot of difficulty operating our business. We didn’t have the equipment we needed. Then the project built this nice facility, and gave us training and materials to support us. This support has naturally enabled us to increase our services and improve our incomes. You see that I am a handicapped person, but I am fully in charge thanks to my sewing activity,” Hadizatou says.
Girls Interrupted No More
There were just a dozen women in Hadizatou’s cooperative to start. Now, some 40 women work in the workshop, with more hoping to join and other small seamstress operations popping up throughout the region.
The most important thing about Hadizatou’s seamstress collective is that the young women that work here have a shared interest in its success. A joint fund that Hadizatou helps manage is collected from the cooperative earnings. With this small 10 percent fee, the cooperative has been able to purchase their own plot of land and ensure a permanent location for their business. They are even building savings to invest in new sewing machines and new materials.
“I am comfortable testifying that the women who work in our center have acquired a certain independence since they are not waiting for their husbands to help them buy clothes or cosmetics,” Hadizatou says.
Resilient Lives, Brighter Livelihoods
The outcomes from this project worked toward fostering food security and ensuring better ecosystem-based natural resource management. While new climate-resilient seeds, planting techniques and irrigation equipment fostered improved production on the farm, the project was also careful to support farmers in building the land and water resource management practices necessary to protect the earth from changing weather, droughts, floods, desertification and more.
Some of the major outcomes achieved through the project are especially noteworthy. Agricultural productivity skyrocketed in many areas where improved climate-smart seed-and-pesticide kits were delivered, moving production from around 300kg per hectare to 800 to 1200kg per hectare. Planting cycles were reduced from 120 days to just 60, and the use of fertilizers was reduced.
In all, more than 20,000 households in all eight intervention communities saw increased incomes. The farmers in the community of Tondikiwindi, in the Tillabery Region, reported income increases from around US$200 a month to over US$330 a month, a 65 percent jump.
“In the end, whether it’s a small increase from selling a scarf, or a huge jump derived from a newly installed irrigation system and improved seeds, the idea behind climate resiliency efforts like these is to fortify all aspects of society and the economy, diversify income streams, and empower women to become powerful agents of change,” said Clotilde Goeman, UNDP Regional Technical Advisor. Just think of the village of Loga, in the Dosso Region, where women working in a cooperative producing squash were supported in finding new markets to sell their produce. By going beyond simple consumption, the women are making more money, all the while providing a valuable staple for their families to eat.
"Since we have been doing this market gardening, our status has changed. We are no longer seen as simple consumers who expect everything from their husbands. We also contribute to the care of our families because part of what we produce is directly consumed and the other part is sold. In the end, we invest the profits that we earn in the other expenses of our families," says Zara Mali of the Sargagui Market Garden.
Along with 450 other women producers, Zara is now making extra income that she can use to feed her family, send her kids to school and create the independence that transforms women from girls interrupted to women of power and action.Read more at:formal dresses australia
Banstead fashion student Tara O’Donovan’s 1970s
A Banstead fashion student has said she is in shock after her design for retro lingerie was picked for an exclusive catwalk show.
Tara O’Donovan will have her work showcased at an event to celebrate the 70th anniversary of De Montfort University’s (DMU) Contour Fashion course.
Miss O’Donovan, who studied at UCA in Epsom before heading to DMU, has been working on her lingerie design since January as part of a final year project.
The designs created will be worn by professional models at the show which takes place in Grand Temple in Freemasons’ Hall in Covent Garden.
The student presented her work to a panel of judges on May 16.
Her idea was inspired by “unconventional beauty of construction with a 1970s /Studio 54 style”.
She said: “The biggest challenge I faced with the design was creating the shapes with the different wooden accessories to match.”
Miss O’Donovan, who is “very excited” about the show, described the moment she heard the good news.
“I was screaming,” she began.
“We just went to the pub and had a good time and had a party. Some of the teachers we worked with on projects came down and bought us Prosecco.
“We were all really shocked that we got through.”
Hours of work went into producing the designs.
She explained: “Even though we started in January it still wasn’t that much time because we are only used to making one outfit for a project but for this one we had to make six.”
All six of her designs will be worn by the models on Thursday night.
Underwear designing has been a passion of O’Donovan’s ever since she went to her first fashion school at the University for the Creative Arts in Epsom.
Past students who have graduated from the course have gone on to work in Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger with Beyoncé, Rita Ora and Paloma Faith having worn their designs.
“I would love to stay in London and be at like Topshop,” O’Donovan stated when asked about her plans for after college.Read more at:queenieau.com
The Innovative Cruelty-Free Materials That Will Replace Leather
“Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable, we must alter it every six months”, said Oscar Wilde. And change has become synonymous with the fashion industry: nowhere do things change as swiftly as they do in the world of fashion. What’s trendy today is old news tomorrow, and if it’s not innovative, then fashion doesn’t want it.
With that in mind, it is peculiar that we still wear animal skins. Nothing is less innovative, less new or exciting, than the skins of a dead animal. That’s why the new generation of up-and-coming designers like Vika Gazinskaya, Felder Felder and Ann-Sofie Back are refusing to use fur and leather in their collections. There is little creativity involved in draping yourself in the skin that once belonged to a living being - the caveman approach to fashion is slowly but surely being phased out in favour of new and cool fabrics that, in a few years’ time, may end up taking over our wardrobes.
And we’re not just talking synthetic materials, either. In a time when more and more people are concerned with the origins of what they wear, innovation is taking centre stage in the vegan fashion arena - to ensure that the new substitutes for leather are as kind to the planet as they can be, which often means working creatively with natural fibres instead of petroleum-based synthetics. Here are a few up-and-comers that might outshine leather in the years to come.
Cork
This completely natural, easily recycled material might not be your first choice when you think “fashion” - but recently, vegan brands have interpreted cork in entirely new and very visually interesting ways. Examples include Jentil, a French brand that creates men’s and women’s accessories in a variety of colours; Australian newcomer brand Nina Bernice with an essential range of cork accessories; and Canadian label Rokcork, offering sustainable accessories produced ethically in Portugal.
Mushroom leather
One of the newest innovations in the game is MuSkin, a biodegradable vegan “leather” extracted from mushroom caps. Only chemical-free tanning is used in the production of this material, making it an eco-friendly choice (the tanning process is one of the factors - but not the only factor - that makes animal-derived leather an environmental hazard). MuSkin is produced entirely without the use of toxic substances and is worked to obtain a suede- or leather-like finish.
Kombucha leather
If trendy, healthy and somewhat obscure food ingredients are your thing, you may have heard of kombucha, a fermented tea originally from China that has taken the healthy food scene by storm in the latest few years due to its probiotic and antioxidant content. However, this magical ingredient has another potential use: it can be used to create a leather-like fabric. The cellulose fibres that are a byproduct of the tea can be dried and made into fashion accessories. It is still in the works, and not ready for purchase just yet - but watch this space.
Lab-grown leather
Another one in the works - and this is a truly exciting one. Pioneer company Modern Meadow use cultured animal cells that are then genetically modified to create a durable, resistant and high-quality biomaterial to rival leather. To be clear, this is still an animal-derived product, using cells that come from animals - but substituting leather with its lab-cultivated counterpart would save millions of animals each year from a horrific life and an even worse death. It’s debatable whether this material can be considered vegan - but it’s significantly more animal-friendly than traditional leather.
Pineapple leather
One of the most talked-about vegan materials of recent time. Pinatex was created by Dr Carmen Hijosa of Ananas Anam. This vegan-friendly material is made from waste pineapple leaf fibres which are a by-product of pineapple harvest - meaning that no extra resources such as land, water, fertilisers or pesticides are used in the production of these fibres. Already on the market and used by brands such as Bourgeois Boheme and Alexandra K, Pinatex is a true game-changer, paving the way for more innovation to come.
Wine leather
Winner of H&M Foundation’s Global Change Award of 2017, wine leather is a vegan material made from leftover grape skins, stalks and seeds from the wine industry. This material is produced by Italian company Vegea - not surprising, as Italy is the largest wine producer in the world - and is set to become the next cruelty-free textile. The company and its leader, Rossella Longobardo, noted that each year, 13 million tonnes of waste are generated from the wine industry, so they set out to recycle this waste into an exciting new material that might just save the lives of many animals.
Many of these innovations are still works in progress, and for now, vegans have to make do with polyurethane (the least environmentally damaging alternative to PVC, the other kind of vegan leather) but the future looks promising for those who want to dress with compassion for animals and the planet - and judging from the recent spikes in vegan living, it’s more than just a few of us.Read more at:formal wear sydney
Kauai Fashion Weekend ends on high note
Jeanne Russell was more than thrilled Saturday night during the 5th annual Kauai Fashion Weekend red carpet signature event at the Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club.
“She bought an Ahmadcourture!” gushed Leonora Orr.
For Russell, it was not about getting something designed by international designer Sha Ali Ahmad, a co-founder of KFW with Marynel Valenzuela of Inkspot Printing, who appeared in an Ahmadcourture.
“This is very functional,” Russell said. “I tried it on, and I liked it. My daughter is one of the models tonight, and we came to watch her.”
But the purchase during the show preceding the catwalk fashion presentation gave Russell some notoriety as she was allowed a walk on the catwalk with Jennifer Davis’s Pineapple Pilates group, prompted by Dickie Chang — who was fashionably garbed in bright yellow pants and a gaudy aloha shirt.
More than 400 people took advantage of the event to dress up, shop, enjoy dinner in the company of special guest Meghan King Edmonds — an actress with “Real Housewives of Orange County” — and enjoy the creations of local and international designers like Edgar Madamba of the Philippines.
Kauai Fashion Weekend capped a flurry of activity, where professionals like Ahmad and other off-island design professionals like Florida-based photographer Natasha Kertes were able to share their knowledge with Kauai residents. Kertes worked her magic aboard a yacht for a Na Pali series.
“We heard about this, and thought we would come to check out what this is about,” said Sara Miura and Eric Miura of Deja Vu Surf, a fourth-generation retail operation. “This is our first time at the Kauai Marriott event.”
Local designer Kristyl Apeles of Puka Surf not only presented her items, but accessorized the presentations with items from other designers including “wearable art designed, stitched and dyed by Christiane Love.”
Susan Tai Kaneko of the Kauai Economic Development Board, Sue Kanoho of the Kauai Visitors Bureau, Edie Ignacio Neumiller, and other familiar Kauai faces had an opportunity to grace the catwalk in fashion created by Kona designer Nita Pilago of Wahine Toa who incorporates the elements of culture into high-demand fashion.Read more at:formal dresses
A stylish uprising
If one traces the life and journey of khadi — the crown jewel of Indian traditional fabrics — the one sentiment it triumphantly conjures up for every Indian is that of freedom. Political freedom then and freedom of spirit now, through every phase of its growth, khadi has been more than just a piece of fabric.
Under the veil of simplicity, the versatile fabric has for long carried the weight of balancing traditions and style. And as traditions go, the time has come for khadi to reinvent. The government’s initiative to promote khadi, along with Indian fashion houses’ interest to take the agenda forward with their prowess of design and scale, has set a grand stage for the resurgence of brand Khadi.
Talking to DH about the government’s approach, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Chairman V K Saxena said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to popularise khadi has come a long way in supporting the industry. The khadi industry generated employment for about 2,025 artisans in FY2016-17, while the village industry generated 4.08 lakh jobs,” adding, “We are very keen on generating employment, and hence we are distributing charkhas and looms, and also replacing old charkhas.”
Last year, khadi and village industries’ turnover was Rs 52,000 crore, of which khadi contributed Rs 2,007 crore. This year, khadi revenues are expected to grow by 35% to touch Rs 2,700 crore.
Beyond ethnicity
Over the last one month, KVIC has announced association with textile giants Raymond and Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail that will see the launch of khadi products under their respective brand names.
Lalbhai Group’s flagship Arvind, which is due to sign an agreement with KVIC within a week or so, has been working closely with the khadi sector for several years. An MoU between Arvind Mills and Rajkot-based Saurashtra Rachnatmak Samiti (SRS), enabled the former to produce ‘denim khadi’ at a global level, wherein the latter, a voluntary organisation, provided raw khadi materials to the company.
“Public-private partnership impact on khadi sales may be difficult to quantify at this stage, as we are still experimenting. But the impact will definitely be significant,” says Saxena.
Over the past 7-8 years, Arvind has spun out hand-woven jeans for various brands, including its own Creyate, and Levi’s. This year, the company is working on a collection of hand-woven jeans for some Japanese brands. Moreover, this season, Arvind is working on hand-spun fabric in the shirting space as well. With these plans underway, the number of khadi artisans that Arvind works with, is set to run into the thousands from the 750 artisans it had worked with during the last season.
“Today, the segment claims a small part of Arvind’s total production because of capacity and price constraints, and we are trying to break through these constraints,” says Arvind Limited Executive Director Punit Lalbhai.
Raymond Vice President and Head (Sales and Distribution) Ram Bhatnagar says, “The whole idea behind launching khadi is to make it more relevant in today’s day and age. At this stage, it is all about achieving volumes and getting the supply chain and distribution right.” The company is aiming at an initial revenue of Rs 20-30 crore from the khadi collection this year. Raymond’s design team is working with 30 khadi clusters, each complementing the other to achieve innovative design and perfect finish to appeal to the youth. Come August, and it will launch its khadi portfolio consisting of shirting and suiting fabrics, and suits and jackets for men.
“Authentic Indian products resonate strongly with the Indian consumers and there is an increasing demand for hand-made fabric, that stays true to its roots and exudes simplicity and vogue at the same time,” says Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Business Head Ashish Dikshit. Peter England, an Aditya Birla brand, will launch its khadi collection across the country through its 700 retail ponts, KVIC outlets and leading ecommerce portals.
Alongside these fashion giants, khadi is also getting a good deal of its design bravado from designer Ritu Beri, who has been appointed as adviser to KVIC.
Knots along the way
Although it has written itself a rich heritage of quality and design, the industry faces its own set of challenges today. Entry barriers, market restrictions and compliance issues — the khadi industry is battling it all, in its own capacity. On entry barriers, Saxena says, “Earlier people lost interest in the industry as the procedure to get authorisation to undertake khadi activities was very tedious. Now, we have made the process simple, and it can be completed online.” Getting the Khadi Mark registration is a matter of 45 days now, he adds.
For an industry that is dealing with accessibility and affordability issues, market challenges for khadi also enlists lack of awareness. Over the years, khadi has gained itself a reputation of being an ordinary fabric suitable for politicians. However, as things are changing, now more rapidly than ever, sustainability in production and adaptability in design, have made the fabric aspirational among the youth.
“Now it is all about making it accessible and affordable, and while the domestic market continues to grow, the focus is on opening up to international markets. We want to take Indian expertise to the world,” says Lalbhai. He believes that as of now, the metrics to measure growth in the segment should be employment creation, ability to create an international market in the segment and improving affordability. “Affordability is another key area. While currently the price of hand-woven fabric is more than double machine-made fabric, the idea is to bring it to 30-40% with economies of scale in play,” Lalbhai adds.
In this context, it also becomes pertinent to create the right kind of employment, which supports social upliftment of artisans. KVIC is currently working with 2,372 khadi clusters, employing more than 4.1 lakh artisans. While Raymond is set to generate 2.5 lakh man hours of employment for khadi artisans, and has already purchased 1.27 lakh metres of fabric, Peter England has agreed for a minimum procurement of khadi and khadi products for five years, with primary purchases of muslin cotton and silk.
KVIC is already selling its products online through Paytm. Soon it will be made available on mygov.in also. “While retail partners play a huge role in the growth of the industry, the opportunity is not limited to that. The railways, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Air India and other such entities, are all purchasing khadi products,” says Saxena. “We have approached various embassies to adopt khadi. Circulars have already been dispatched and we are expecting orders soon,” he adds.
With sufficient push from the government and encouraging response from the industry, khadi is set to make a glorious comeback. Keen on crossing borders this time, the fabric is sure to enwrap more enthusiasts in its simplistic elegance. Authenticity, sustainability and style — as the three converge, Indian consumers may just find their sense of progressiveness in their roots.Read more at:princess formal dresses
