Fashion star: March 2019

Sunday, March 31, 2019

Sara Ali Khan: Taimur is my blood and the source of my father’s joy

“I’m short, but you can’t tell because I’m loud!” Sara Ali Khan serendipitously offers the best introduction to herself. It’s 6am, and the young actor is bouncing on the set of her debut Vogue shoot, pumping dumbbells with superhuman vigour. She is every photographer’s dream when she shouts: “Come on, I’m not wasting any light,” and volunteers to juggle changes inside a makeshift vanity—in this case, a blacked-out autorickshaw on the beach—only to save time. As she gets ready to pose, her excitement is contagious. After all, she’s been waiting for this moment her entire life, or so she claims when we call for a wrap-up.

Sara’s indomitable spirit and cool-girl confidence belie her two-movies-old filmography. In fact, she’s unlike any other ingénues of her generation. Doe-eyed, wee in stature, her winsome smile is bolstered by a bold personality that has enough bite to separate her from other younglings in the industry. She has none of that bashful uncertainty of a newcomer—whether she’s walking out of a Bandra café or stepping into a party, Sara commands attention with enviable ease. And it’s evident even as we meet at her home, five days later.

“Sorry I’m late!” she announces, as she enters the serene Juhu apartment she shares with her mother and brother, Ibrahim. A study in beige, the house has little influence of the two millennials who reside in it. Inside, an earthy colour scheme is complemented by carved wood artworks and intricate ink paintings that adorn the walls. Dressed in a breezy lime green kurta, Sara plops herself onto the couch, cross-legged, with a plate of home-cooked food in hand, as she flashes her biggest smile and asks, “Can I eat while we talk?”

MODERN FAMILY

We live in a voyeuristic world, so even before we knew Sara the actor, we knew Sara the daughter. Of course, there’s the royal angle: She’s the granddaughter of Mansoor Ali Khan, ace cricketer and the ninth nawab of Pataudi. And then there’s the star factor: Sara’s grandmother, Sharmila Tagore, was one of the supers of the ’70s, her father Saif Ali Khan continues to break boundaries with his work, and her mother, Amrita Singh, is associated with unforgettable films like Chameli Ki Shaadi (1986), Waaris (1988) and Aaina (1993).

After 13 years of marriage, Singh and Khan separated in 2004, “and look where I am today; I have two happy homes,” shares Sara. Despite the split, she’s never felt the distance between herself and her father. “For him, taking a step like Sacred Games is so admirable. He doesn’t care about what people have to say. He’s just out there to do his work to the best of his abilities. He and I would agree that he’s doing his finest acting now.” As a father, “he’s always just a phone call away… I am very thankful to Kareena [Kapoor Khan] because she makes my father happy.” From her self-assured tone to the way she pushes her hair back as she speaks, you can see so much of her mother in her. But the similarities with her father run deeper: “He’s a lot like me—we’re both readers, we both like history, we’re both travellers. He is 25 years older than me, which isn’t a lot. I am right in between the age gap of Taimur [Ali Khan] and my father.” Pausing her at the mention of her youngest sibling, a social media sensation at just age two, earns me a slow, I-knew- this-was-coming nod. “To be honest, I don’t get to see Taimur very often but every time I do he’s a bundle of happiness. When Taimur is happy, the whole room is happy. He is my blood and the source of my father’s joy.”

The cheery, chatty air softens visibly when I ask her about her biggest fear when it comes to family. “I really don’t know what I’d do without my mother. My biggest fear is to not have immediate access to her,” she says.

Seeing her mother as a mentor, friend and ultimate confidant, Sara exemplifies the closeness that only children of single parents seem to master. “My mother is the reason I am aware of who is who in my life. She’s my reality check.” Her mind races back in time: “I was very good at studies, but I’ve always been a naughty child. It didn’t take my mom long to realise that she would never have the privilege to call a parent and say, ‘Keep your kid away from my daughter’ because her daughter was the menace,” she jokes, as she dives into a re-enactment of an episode from school where she flung a jar of glue at the ceiling fan and almost got herself suspended. “This was geography class, I never really enjoyed it. I was like, ‘I just want to know more about Stalin, Hitler and Mao, see you never.’”

As a student, Sara was intelligent yet irksome, and even today she remains a person of contradictions—on the one hand she’s a Leo (fiercely independent and exuding confidence that even Karan Johar couldn’t shake off on his famous couch) and yet there’s another side, that of a Bollywood star with an Ivy League degree—she’s smart, brash and a princess with an undoubtedly striking personality.

THE FAME GAME

For Sara, the word ‘famous’ has always been an odd one. Even before she made Ranveer Singh blush on the big screen, she had countless Instagram fan clubs, sharing minute-to-minute updates of her gym visits, airport looks and other hard-to-miss party pictures with the other new cool kids like Aryan Khan, Ananya Panday and Janhvi Kapoor. But Sara doesn’t mind the paparazzi trailing her. “I’m not complaining. I’m thankful to the paparazzi for portraying me the way they have.” There are no delusions here, and she takes the attention with a strong sense of responsibility. “I know that I’ve been given appreciation and recognition before I’ve done anything to deserve it. The only way I can repay that is to endeavour to do honest-enough work so that eventually people will think that I have deserved it. I did not ask for this much love or to be born in the family that I have,” she says.

Read the complete interview in Vogue India’s April 2019 issue that hits stands on April 3, 2019

Photographed by Tarun Vishwa. Styled by Priyanka Kapadia

On Sara Ali Khan: All Louis Vuitton

Hair: Yianni Tsapatori/ Faze Management. Makeup: Bondu (Amit Chitnis). Creative direction: Heidi Volpe. Art and props: Bindiya Chhabria. Production: Divya Jagwani; Bindiya Chhabria

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MUSEO SOUMAYA

I’M WEARING >> Pants: Custom-made | Boots: Western Outfitters in Williams Arizona | Tee: Pull & Bear | Bag: Moschino

So happy that I have been able to serve you some lewks from Mexico city every day on the blog since I arrived. You saw it here first baby!

This look is one of my absolute favourites because of that touch of Rock n’ Roll meets 70’s. I get questions about these pants all the time and the truth is that my seamstress back home in Mexico made them for me. I brought her my favourite pair of black flare pants and asked her to copy those, but make the flare more dramatic and MOST IMPORTANTLY, make them as long as possible. I have BIG surprise for you guys if you are also into these type of pants, but you will just have to wait a little longer for the reveal.

In the meantime; I hope you had a KICK ASS WEEKEND!

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Saturday, March 30, 2019

22 pictures that will take you inside Jacqueline Fernandez’s wardrobe

GOLDEN HOUR IN BELLAS ARTES AND MY NEW FAVOURITE SKIRT

MOM I’M HOME!!!

If you guys follow my path on Instagram, you might have noticed that I landed in Mexico City a couple of days ago and I can’t explain how good it feels to finally be back in my homeland. I spent the fist few days in Mexico City but I am heading to Guadalajara tomorrow. I am speaking at a conference and I am so excited and slightly -VERY- nervous to talk in-front of over 700 students but YOLO.

I shall keep you posted of all my Mexican adventures and in the meantime, I leave you with my current favourite skirt. hope you like it! :)

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Friday, March 29, 2019

How to wear florals like a Bollywood celebrity this summer

The seven biggest jewellery trends from autumn/winter 2019

TREND-SPOTTING; THE PEARL CHOKER

Pearl Choker: Mexico City’s Jewellery Market

I have been trying to find a pearl choker necklace for months, the problem was that it is quite hard to find the right size to fit me like a choker, plus I am quite picky with the size of the pearls I wanted. I FINALLY managed to come across a store at Mexico City’s Jewellery market, where I showed the jeweller a photo of what I wanted and she told me she could make me one in 40 minutes. You have no idea how excited I was to finally get my very own, plus customised to my size!

Pearls will make a massive comeback this Summer so get yourself one of these before everyone on instagram is wearing them! ;) (try etsy for some options!)

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An immersive marketplace for slow fashion is coming to Mumbai

In celebration of their 10-year anniversary, Jiyo, a brand that caters to the high-end market while supporting rural artisans, is organising a marketplace called ‘Junoon’ from March 31 to April 4 at Grand Hyatt, Mumbai.

Open for all, Jiyo Junoon has an assortment of unique products such as earth totems, incense burners, silk ikats, nature-inspired accessories, design-oriented modular wall tiles, cotton brocades, grass furniture, tribal papier mâché, asymmetric needlework, leather lamps and forest food products available for purchase—all created by artisans self-empowered communities of six Red Corridor states, including Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. These contemporary products are made by 70 craftsmen from across villages, who have worked alongside 20 designers from distinct fields like architecture, technology, fashion, cuisine, art and jewellery, to create 3,000 plus products.

“The market for India’s skill has still not evolved enough to sustain livelihoods for millions of our skilled poor,” says Rajiv Sethi, the name behind the Jaya He art program. “10 years ago, Jiyo was formed because we realised that for this sector to survive, it had to be reimagined for contemporary markets. We have launched a rural market for real consumers under the brand ‘Jiva’. Then there is ‘Jaani’, the more affordable range of products and services catering to the young, and finally ‘Jiyo’, for high-end export boutiques and urban retails,” he adds.

Jiyo Junoon is much more than a marketplace. Spread across 20,000sqft and spanning six days, the itinerary here consists of one-on-one conversations with celebrities such as Jaya Bachchan, Nandita Das, Anita Dongre, Shabana Azmi, Shobhaa De, Suki Dusanj, Konkona Sensharma, Aditi Rao Hydari, Tasneem Mehta and Pheroza Godrej, as well as workshops on weaving, bagh block printing, folk art and rope making. Multiple dance performances, yoga sessions and discussions on topics from various fields can also be enjoyed throughout the six days.

Address: Grand Hyatt Mumbai, Bandra Kurla Complex Vicinity, Off Western Express Highway, Kalina, Santacruz East, Mumbai

Thursday, March 28, 2019

THE MAGIC OF GOING ONE SIZE UP #ANDYTIPS

One of my most favourite styling tips is something that I have been doing for years but I have never openly talked about. You guys already know that I am tall, so by default I’ve always been “forced” to look into trying bigger sizes in coats and jacket simply because my torso is quite long and I hate when things are too short on me. This experimentation throughout the years has made me come to the realisation that going one size up (and sometimes two) in coats and jackets can really make a HUGE difference in how the garment looks.

My research is conclusive! Going one size up will make your coats and jackets look more expensive and most importantly, WAY more chic. For instance, this coat on the picture is actually 3 sizes bigger than I would normally take but I realised as I was trying it that the bigger I went, the cooler it looked. I guess its a preference thing but whenever you go coat shopping next, try it! You might find that you will never shop for a coat in your size again ;)

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The Polkadot Pieces I’m Loving Right Now

Perfect for spring and beyond.

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Protected: Emporio Armani launches its new capsule collection

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Louis Vuitton’s colouring pencils bring luxury to everyday stationary

Seemingly, Louis Vuitton can transform any inanimate object into a must-have, to-die-for accessory.

From monogrammed teddy bears to vases and lipstick cases, if there’s something you want given the Louis Vuitton treatment, it’s likely the French house can do it.

The latest Louis Vuitton invention is a coloured pencil set with matching leather roll. The Louis Vuitton stamped pencils, which range from white to gold and every colour in between, sit neatly in the leather roll which has been crafted in the brand’s classic monogram canvas.

On the outer side of the roll, coloured circles have been hand-painted to mirror where the matching pencil shades should sit, which is particularly thoughtful for those who like to keep their stationery in order.

With 40 colours in total, the Louis Vuitton coloured pencil roll is as transportable as it is chic and while we personally couldn’t bear to sharpen a single pencil, this item is really the perfect gift for the artist in you.

The brand’s new offering will set you back $1,190 but it’s well worth it to satisfy your inner child and colour outside the lines.

And if you really want to take your artistry to the next elevated level, the brand also offers a pencil holder, the perfect at-home receptacle for your Vuitton colouring pencils—yes, the brand really has thought of everything. Now we just need a Vuitton sharpener and rubber to complete our set.

This article originally appeared at Vogue.com.au

Also read:

The Louis Vuitton store in the capital is about to get bigger

Watch the Louis Vuitton autumn/winter 2019 show live here

These are the pieces from Louis Vuitton’s men’s collection that you need

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This is how Pharrell Williams’ collaboration with Chanel came to be

When Pharrell Williams debuted a bold yellow hoodie emblazoned with sparkly Chanel insignia in November, we knew his collaboration with the French house would shake up usual proceedings in the salon. Now, a film about the making of the collection and the campaign shared exclusively with Vogue reveals that Chanel-Pharrell is as vibrant and spirited as we expected.

Image: Chanel

With street art at the core of the capsule, the music maestro has taken the brand’s signature CC and N°5 logos and reimagined them as graffiti and embellished motifs. As well as unisex hoodies and Tees in a rainbow palette, there’s rhinestoned costume jewellery, terry towelling bucket hats, bum bags, trainers and logo-ed belts. It’s a street fashionista’s paradise, and an edit that has entry price points for all Chanel fans.

Image: Chanel

“Gabrielle Coco Chanel didn’t see partitions, and it’s interesting, because neither did the brand when it came to giving me a shot,” says Williams. “[Chanel] is not afraid of these things, just like [Gabrielle] wasn’t afraid. There doesn’t need to be boundaries as long as you can hold onto the heritage and continue to push it, like Karl always [did]. We don’t need walls, we need bridges.”

Image: Chanel

The optimistic mood is echoed by models Alton Mason, Anok Yai, Adesuwa Aighewi and Soo Joo Park, who all enthuse about the heavy jewellery and loafers in the clip. “Pharrell has had a huge impact on popular culture and hip-hop culture,” smiles Mason in between takes of the futuristic campaign shots, which are inspired by the anime film Akira. “He is a genius. It’s crazy to be working with him.”

Image: Chanel

For Chanel’s first guest designer in the history of the brand, Pharrell has certainly come up frontin’.

The Chanel-Pharrell collection will be available exclusively in Seoul on March 28 at the opening of the new Chanel boutique, and then in certain Chanel shops around the world from April 4. Go behind-the-scenes on the shoot by watching the video above.

This article originally appeared at Vogue.co.uk

Also read:

Chanel muses walk the runway in a tribute to Karl Lagerfeld

Chanel announces Virginie Viard and Eric Pfrunder as co-creative directors

These are the most famous Chanel bags of all time

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How accessory design and art have come together for this jeweller

For a designer, creativity exists everywhere—he often sees life in his own works of art. And Rajiv Popley’s latest platinum jewellery collection is a great example of this. His latest, specially curated collection merges two art forms: jewellery design and painting, both that Popley holds dear. Vogue spoke to the designer about his new line, the inspiration behind it and how jewellery and art go hand-in-hand for him. Excerpts below.

Tell us about the inspiration behind your new platinum jewellery collection?

The inspiration has purely been my own art and moods, which have been put into oil canvas. My art has been inspired from the surrealism of Salvador Dali and the colours of Mark Rothko. They spell out emotions with the use of soulful shades. The precious gemstones, especially the rose cut diamonds, have been chosen in shades that best represent my art.

Platinum earrings from Popley’s new collection

What are some of the motifs used in the jewellery pieces?

The lotus is an iconic feature in my artworks, hence the motifs derived from the flower are seen in many of my jewellery designs. The unique shapes used in the rose cuts helped me blend them into petals of the lotus, which made it one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable.

Which are some of the key pieces from the line?

Blue lotus earrings

These earrings (as seen above), inspired by a blue lotus, are one of my favourite creations. The blend of enamel with platinum is a rare phenomena. The blue petals woven onto the blue enamel bring out the lustre of the diamonds set with pristine pearls.

Artwork by Rajiv Popley

Symbolically speaking, a blue lotus suggests victory of the spirit over the senses; of intelligence, wisdom and knowledge. The earrings are inspired by this artwork (as seen above), which is my tribute to one of Kabir’s famous dohas.

How does jewellery and art go hand in hand for you?

It helps that I am a third generation jeweller, but I’ve always been passionate about painting. My experiments with colours on canvases channelised my creative energies, and helped me express myself better. This eventually brewed into a blend of both jewellery design and art on canvas.

Also read:

8 new rules for building the perfect jewellery collection

Two jewellery designers give you a one-stop guide to exploring Mexico

Lust list: The perfect watches and jewellery pairings you can’t do without

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Your summer wardrobe is incomplete without these shoes

The app helping grassroots level weavers in India cut out the middlemen

Indian textile crafts enjoy fame all over the world. The handloom industry employs around five million weavers, and is the second largest employment provider for the rural population in India after agriculture. Like farmers, however, many artisans and co-operatives have to route their handcrafted products through middlemen and lose out on substantial profits. Siva Devireddy founder of GoCoop, an online marketplace, is trying to change that by helping weaves become self-empowered businessmen and manage inventory, orders and deliveries themselves. Vogue spoke to Devireddy on how the website (and now, app) is making its mark in the handloom industry.

How can technology drive social change?

Since my days at Hewlett Packard in the US, I always aspired to work on a project that would have a social impact, especially for people living in the rural parts of India. Having spent a lot of time at my grandparents’ village in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, I was close to the rural producers—both farmers and weavers—and the challenges they faced in marketing their products. I still remember our village had an entire lane of weavers. In early 2012, we started GoCoop with the main objective of improving the livelihoods of rural producers through technology innovation. We spent the next two years understanding the workings of craft clusters across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, looking at different handloom products, their markets and the challenges faced by weavers and artisans. In 2013, we started working as an e-commerce partner for some of the largest weaver co-operative societies in the country such as APCO and Boyanika, and launched their e-commerce platforms—this was the first e-commerce initiative in the handloom sector.

In 2014, we launched GoCoop.com as India’s first marketplace platform for weavers and artisans. So far, the platform has created the largest supply chain for handlooms in India. We work with over 50 craft clusters across India and over 350 master weavers/co-operative societies on the platform.

Image: GoCoop

My main mantra is that technology can drive social change. We are seeing this happen in the artisan sector—artisans who are mostly in remote parts of the country have been historically deprived with access and information. Technology is playing a key role in enabling the artisans and connecting them with markets and the rest of the world. But just technology alone may not be the solution—we need to work on branding and marketing handmade products, integrating designers and their inputs into product development, and educating our consumers on the benefits of supporting and using handmade products.

Tell us about how GoCoop works.

GoCoop has digitalised and built this significant web and mobile-based marketplace platform, which seamlessly integrates and helps co-operatives and master weavers to manage inventory, orders and deliveries. It provides visibility and traceability to buyers in terms of production and supply chain.

Our operating model involves cluster-level workshops to educate the weavers and artisans on online marketing and merchandising of products based on consumer demand. Post the workshop, co-operatives and master weavers or artisans can register themselves on the platform. GoCoop’s cluster level service executives work closely with the weavers and artisans to get them on the platform, and provide required support to manage their products, inventory and ongoing business.

With crafts dying and weavers’ children moving to cities in search of new jobs, it has become all the more important to support the handloom industry. Your thoughts?

Yes, this is one of the biggest challenges for the sector. Unless we create a suitable demand for handloom and craft products, the livelihoods of the weavers and artisans are not sustainable and the migration would continue. We need to create a stronger market for handmade products, with a focus on connecting the creators and producers directly with the consumers and markets. Benefits from the markets should be equitable to the producers—this is the key. We need to also promote entrepreneurship among the next generation weavers and artisans, and we have seen very successful entrepreneurs from the weaver community in many clusters including Mangalgiri, Maheshwar and Chanderi.

Image: GoCoop

How are the local weavers and artisans benefiting from GoCoop?

GoCoop dis-intermediates the supply chain and helps the co-operatives and weavers by connecting them directly with the consumers, both online and offline, through our exhibitions. This helps them understand a better price for their produce, as compared to what they can know in their clusters or villages. On an average, we see our weavers getting a price that is 15-30 per cent higher when compared to the traditional sources in their clusters.

Other important benefits for weavers and artisans is identity and awareness, which is getting generated online. Many of our weavers have successfully become entrepreneurs and have developed their business in the last four to five years. Similarly, we have seen significant growth in business for some of the co-operatives because of their online presence. Understanding consumer needs helps the weavers a lot in creating products that are more suitable for the market requirements. This is one of the key benefits of direct marketing, where the producers can directly learn from the consumers and the market.

Of all the products on the website, which ones are the most sought after?

Pochampally ikats, Maheshwari saris, Chanderi saris, Ilkal saris and Bengal cotton saris are the most common.

What are some of the challenges you are currently facing?

There are many challenges to building a good market for handwoven products, and this includes a need for greater awareness in consumers about the benefits of supporting and using handmade products. Competition from lookalike mill-made and powerloom products that are less expensive and can be mass produced is another concern, apart from the usual obstacles of online marketing where it is getting so expensive and difficult for smaller organisations to operate. In addition, as an organisation that is not profitable yet, it has been quite challenging to continue our efforts without required funding. We are expecting GoCoop to break even in 2019, and this should make us more self-sustaining going forward.

Also read:

All the wedding wear trends spotted at Lakmé Fashion Week summer/resort 2019

4 hairstyles from Lakmé Fashion Week that even beginners can DIY

The most interesting designer saris spotted at Lakmé Fashion Week

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Wednesday, March 27, 2019

BEST PRE SUMMER SALES TO SHOP FROM

Isn’t it about time we plan for the vacation? While you’re slogging on your office desk or gazing through your books isn’t summer vacay on your mind? It is definitely ticking on my mind making me wander to places I’ve never been to before. While vacation is one reason to shop, I know the arrival […]

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Women’s Oversized Floppy Hat

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5 new designer stores across the country you need to visit right now

6 traditional Rajasthani sari styles you need to know about

Rajasthan is known as a textile hub for a reason—the region is home to renowned crafts like bandhini, block printing and gota patti that have been passed down for generations, securing a well-deserved spot in every Rajasthani woman’s wardrobe. Recognised for their lightweight and breathable fabrics, bright colours and eclectic prints, Rajasthani saris make ideal picks for your summer closet. Vogue asks Samprati Sancheti, creative director, Vasansi Jaipur, to shortlist six Rajasthani sari styles that every woman who loves the traditional six yards should have in her wardrobe.

Ghatchola

Searching for a sari that’ll help you breeze through the upcoming wedding season? Look towards the ghatchola sari, a style that also happens to be a typical pick for a Rajasthani bride. “Ghatchola is a bandhini sari but with heavy real zari (a handloom weave) work all over. In fact, the most exquisite ghatchola saris are woven using silver threads,” says Sancheti. “The tie-dye is done very intricately and skilfully (which is referred to as ‘ek boond bandhej’) and comes in hues of red, orange and fuchsia (known as ‘kache colours’ in Rajasthan).”

Leheriya

“A woman’s wardrobe is incomplete without different types of leheriya saris. While Mothra (a leheriya sari that is recognised by its criss-cross patterned stripes) is a must-have, samundra leheriya (known for its broad stripes) is another favourite,” says Sancheti.

Favri

“Favri is a pure georgette sari specifically in red, mostly without borders like Rajputi saris,” shares Sancheti. “It comes decorated with delicate mukesh (a type of embroidery that involves twisting thin metallic threads) on it.”

Gota patti

The unique aspect about gota is that it creates a heavy, opulent look, but is surprisingly lightweight to wear. This makes a gota patti sari an ideal pick for auspicious occasions. An obvious draw, however, is the technique of gota—it is hand embroidered onto saris in delicate motifs of birds, animals, leaves and more. “Opt for sacha gota or real silver gota work for an elegant finish,” recommends Sancheti.

Kota

The Kota weave—characterised by its checkered appearance—is essentially cotton woven with silk threads. However, Sancheti advises on picking a very particular type of Kota. “The bandhini Kota silk sari is a Jaipur staple that’s perfect for small occasions,” she says.

Ajrakh Bandhini

Ajrakh is a unique form of block printing that uses natural dyes to create symmetrical patterns onto the fabric. Since it is all done meticulously by hand, artisans can take months to finish one sari. “The Ajrakh Bandhini is another sari style that can work for small functions,” says Sancheti.

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Spring is here – NIKE AIR MAX 720

This post is brought to you by Nike. While this was a sponsored opportunity, all content and opinions expressed here are my own.

With spring around the corner I love running errands . This is a casual effortless look I usually put together for those days I have a lot to do. Nothing like a basic tank, some comfy cargo pants and a pair of cool newly released Nike sneakers.

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4 Reasons Why Granola Should Always Be in Your Cabinet

Back in 2017 when my husband adopted a vegan lifestyle, it had a profound effect on my health as well. Not only did I end up losing weight without any effort, but his food choices helped me become much more aware of my own food choices, especially breakfast.

After trying granola for the very first time, I liked it so much that I immediately swapped my daily orange juice based smoothie, turkey bacon and toast breakfast I had eaten every single day for 8+ years, for french vanilla and almond granola with soy milk. Now this is what both Dave and I eat for breakfast every morning, even when we travel!

Having a healthy breakfast every morning and keeping smart snacks on hand are a must for keeping your energy levels up and curbing cravings for unhealthy foods during the rest of the day. But you don’t have to cook up a full meal to make these changes to your daily diet — something quick and easy works, too. That’s why granola has been a major go-to for me since late 2017. Every morning I start my day by eating granola as cereal with soy milk, and I often use it in acai bowls as an afternoon or evening snack.

Here are 4 reasons why you should add granola to your go-to food stash:

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The millennial’s guide to understanding handloom

Handloom is a term that conjures images of exhibitions in dilapidated museums, artisans at work in dimly-lit factories, and stiff saris worn by heads of state. But in 2019, the word means more. I’m discovering this as I click on link after link, skim-read several articles and speak to the people who work with the craft—finally coming to the conclusion that there’s so much more I haven’t covered. For instance, did you know August 7 is National Handloom Day? Neither did I.

Perhaps it’s the approaching Election Day; or a reflection of countries turning inward, protecting their boundaries, crafts and communities; or simply part of a larger movement towards a slower pace in the age of social media, but handmade and hand-done is clearly making a return. Only two weeks ago, the capital celebrated 100 years of khadi with a show line-up that included heavyweights like Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla and Rajesh Pratap Singh, and Ruchika Sachdeva of Bodice made her Woolmark win not so long ago on the basis of her contemporary use of handloom fabrics.

But for millennial consumers like you and me, how does handloom become more than a buzzword? If you, like me, associate the term with forced trips to sari exhibitions with your mum, read on to know how millennial designers are doing handloom for the next-gen of buyers. Kshitij Jalori spins Benarasi into beach-worthy swimsuits, Sweta Tantia of Tahweave turns ikat and jamdani into tiered maxis, Aratrik Dev Varman creates jobs for the women weavers in North East India via his label Tilla, and Bodice by Ruchika Sachdeva brings a subtle and sophisticated look to traditional crafts.

From the difference between handloom versus machine loom to the common myths and misconceptions, the designers tell all. Call this your guide to handloom 101. We suggest you keep it handy.

Handloom vs synthetic

Why is handloom a preferred product when I can buy synthetic fabrics that feel smooth and last long from the high street?

Kshitij Jalori: Handloom fabrics are essentially fabrics that are woven by hand on a manually-operated loom, with the most commonly used one being the pit loom. Most handloom fabrics are made using natural fibres, which feel significantly better against one’s skin as they are processed with lesser chemicals, or in some cases, grown organically without any use of chemicals—thereby making them eco-friendly and also putting less pressure on the environment, as they are easily biodegradable. The body also tends to breathe easier in handloom fabrics. Having said that, all synthetic fibres/fabrics aren’t bad as many are developed keeping a certain utility in mind.

Ruchika Sachdeva: Handloom is more sustainable and uses minimal resources like electricity without causing any damage to the environment. The handloom industry involves a community that has been practicing an artisanal skill or technique for generations, where each person has a specific role and contribution. Investing in handloom means doing your bit in preserving a traditional craft and supporting an artisanal community.

Aratrik Dev Varman: They also come from a long and ancient tradition which distinguishes different communities from each other and gives each a distinct identity. They can be as narrow as four inches in Tripura, or be woven as nine yard saris in Kanjeevaram.

Image: Aratrik Devvarman

The price tag

The tag on something handmade is always followed by a few zeros. Millennials who are either young adults finding their feet in their respective fields or starting families, or perhaps still students, can’t afford the luxury of handmade. Can the price tags on these garments be validated?

Kshitij Jalori: Generally speaking, handloom fabrics tend to be more expensive than the synthetic mill counterparts owing to the hand labour involved and limited production capacity when compared with power looms. Not all handlooms are expensive, and it totally depends on the fabrics or the yarns being used. Sometimes, it also depends on which region the handlooms are coming from, as techniques of weaving differ from place to place.

Sweta Tantia: The level of artistry and intricacy achieved in handloom fabrics is unparalleled, with certain weaves and designs still beyond the scope of modern machines. While India provides about 95 per cent of hand-woven fabric in the world, sadly there is very little demand for handloom products in our country.

Image: Kshitij Jalori

Handloom and the millennial mind

How do you make handloom more exciting for a millennial?

Kshitij Jalori: With the current buzz around handloom textiles, there is more demand for it [now] (some more than the others) than at any other given point of time, but simultaneously the quality of handloom is deteriorating day by day. A lot of power loom fabrics are getting passed off as handloom, thus giving genuine handloom fabrics a stiff price competition. For the longest time, we’ve seen Indian handloom fabrics being limited to ethnic wear. Educating the new-age customer through presentations and group travels to certain [artisan] clusters to actually showcase the painstaking work that is put into the development of these fabrics, will ensure the growth of this industry.

Sweta Tantia: Every craft takes time to execute as it involves complete human involvement, so unless [the artisans] get the right buyer who is ready to pay a price for their skill, it does not lead them to earn what they deserve. So, when we choose a handcrafted product by paying its right price, we are indirectly encouraging the artisans to continue to practice the art, thus saving it from entering the endangered list.

Aratrik Dev Varman: The secret to appreciating handloom cloth is in its touch. The unevenness of the hand and spontaneity with which patterns can be created are far more diverse than machine-made cloth.

Image: Tahweave

Busting myths

Handloom equals simplicity and ethnic wear. What are some common misconceptions you’d like to clarify?

Kshitij Jalori: A common misconception that I believe has been alleviated in the past couple of years is that [handlooms] are only good for ethnic wear. I believe with use of the right construction techniques and a good understanding of silhouettes, handloom fabrics can be used for a wider variety of clothing.

Ruchika Sachdeva: As it is a hand-woven fabric, it might have some irregularities that arise on account of being made by hand. But these are intrinsic to the beauty of the textile and should not be considered as defects.

Aratrik Dev Varman: That handlooms are boring or old-fashioned and need to get sexier. I think we need to educate the customer better and appreciate the sophistication that a weaver embeds into traditional designs.

Image: Bodice

Glory weaves

Why is it that certain weaves are more popular than others? Everyone knows about Benarasi, what with Sanjay Garg and others increasing its awareness, but what about jamdani?

Kshitij Jalori: Well, one reason is the end use of the product, as Benarasis tend to be used as occasion wear since they appear more affluent owing to a higher use of golden zari threads. Jamdani and Benarasi employ very similar techniques of weave ornamentation in the sense that both are extra weft-based weaves, however a jamdani, owing to its use of cotton in both the base fabric as well as the extra weft patterning, does not have a similar effect as a Benarasi—especially in the eyes of the end consumers.

Also read:

The Ministry of Textiles’ latest move aims to boost the handloom sector

This new collaboration uses Indian handloom textiles in French wedding wear

Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu is championing the cause of Indian handlooms

Sanjay Garg busts common myths about handlooms

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Paul Surridge leaves his role as creative director at Roberto Cavalli

Paul Surridge announced on his personal Instagram account this morning that he has left the Roberto Cavalli company. “I have given much consideration to this decision and reached the conclusion that the mission I have signed on has changed and enters a new direction with a new perspective.” He continued: “I now wish to focus on other projects I put aside in order to achieve our common goals with Roberto Cavalli Group.”

Surridge was a surprise hire in 2017, a menswear designer enlisted to revive a brand long identified with a sultry sort of bohemianism. Designer Roberto Cavalli didn’t coin the term “glamazon,” but it was used to describe his kind of women and the sexy clothes he made for them countless times over the course of his career. In Surridge’s two years at the Italian label, he never quite latched onto the glamazon thing; he prefers order to earthiness. That said, the job wasn’t made easy for him: According to reports, resources were “scarce” and the design team was “underfunded.” Surridge was responsible for the little sister line, Just Cavalli, and a kid’s collection, too.

If those conditions persist, whoever steps into the creative director role next will face challenges. But, inevitably, Surridge’s departure will prompt discussion over who would be the right fit, especially considering that the most obvious guy for the job already came and left. Peter Dundas, who worked at Roberto Cavalli during its peak glamazon years, signed on after Cavalli’s retirement, but exited after just three runway seasons.

The disposability of creative directors is a systemic industry-wide problem, no doubt. The larger question in this specific case: Is Cavalli right for the times? Surridge understood that what he described as the house’s “considered vulgarity” didn’t quite jibe with fashion circa the late 2010s, which spans the hyper-accessorised camp of Alessandro Michele’s Gucci and the fashion-nun minimalism of Celine and The Row, leaving not much room for Cavalli-esque indulgence. He was right to try to tweak the formula. But let’s face it, “mankiller” is just not the mood of the moment. Chalk it up to the #MeToo movement, to the six female Democratic U.S. presidential nominee contenders, to the post-Victoria’s Secret revolution of the lingerie industry… chalk it up to whatever, but “sexy” as Roberto Cavalli knew it feels like a dated concept in 2019.

The best idea I’ve heard for Roberto Cavalli? Hire a female creative director. With gender dynamics shifting everywhere from Capitol Hill to Hollywood, and a new generation coming up that rejects the binary thinking that gave us the objectifying male gaze, it should be a woman who redefines what Cavalli’s brand of sexy is for the new decade. All the more so because since Cavalli’s heyday, a new class of women designers has come up, and they have novel ways of thinking about the subject—women like Nicky Zimmermann of the Aussie line Zimmermann, Carly Cushnie of New York’s Cushnie brand, and Beckett Fogg, who designs the red-hot Area label with Piotrek Panszczyk. It could even be The Attico’s Gilda Ambrosio and Giorgia Tordini, whose hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers want to dress with the kind of swaggering attitude and sense of fun that they do, especially after dark.

Whoever steps in, let’s hope they get a longer run than that of Surridge or his predecessor.

This article originally appeared at Vogue.com

Monday, March 25, 2019

HOW TO SPICE UP AN “ALL WHITE LOOK” THIS SPRING

I’M WEARING >> Jeans: Uniqlo U | Coat: MSGM | Boots: Massimo Dutti | Top: Alexander Wang for Uniqlo | Bag: Proenza Schouler

Oh boy! I haven’t worn white jeans in what seems like forever! I remember reaching out for my white skinny jeans on a weekly basis and all of a sudden, I completely fell out of love with skinny jeans about three years ago. I haven’t worn white jeans for a lot longer though and the truth is; I have a love hate relationship with them.

First and foremost, I use my bike for commuting around Amsterdam on a daily basis, so that already guarantees getting my butt all stained with the bike saddle, but also, I just didn’t seem to figure out how to make white jeans work for me.

I get asked a lot on how I manage to pull off all black looks and I gotta be honest, all black looks are quite say and fun to style. This time, I wanted to try out an “all white look” for you guys, obviously by pimping the layering a but rot make it a little more exciting. I ADORE this coat and I really do believe that an all white base look does bring the best in it…When it comes to wearing “All White Looks”, my advice is to throw on some colourful accessories or an edgy oversized blazer to bring the look to life.

The post HOW TO SPICE UP AN “ALL WHITE LOOK” THIS SPRING appeared first on Stylescrapbook.

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