Dolce & Gabbana's Ugly Raffia & Straw Purses

I'm not one to talk about stuff I don't like on my blog, but then every now and then something just irritates the crap out of me and I just cant help myself but vent it out on a blog post. This time, it's Dolce & Gabbana's raffia and straw purses. Purses, baskets, whatever. Now I'm a die hard fan of their ready to wear (that sundress with printed lemons is still lurking in my mind) and their Miss Sicily handbags. But off late, some of their accessories are just plain ridiculous. Furthermore, their pricing is just absurd. The duo has worked with raffia many times in the past and have had lots of hits too, but not with these bags.

Take the straw basket bag (if you can even call it a bag) for example. Agreed it looked charming on the runway. But unless you're lemon picking in a farm in Sicily, a basket bag serves no real purpose. Also, I don't buy the whole handmade shenanigans this time around. I could get the same thing, with the pompoms and mirror work 'handmade' in Rajasthan for as little as 30 dollars if not less. The croc leather iPhone 6 case and another exotic leather pouch it comes with still don't justify the basket's obnoxious price. At almost 3 Lacs INR, I would rather get me a Chanel.

The raffia clutch and bucket bag aren't any better. Priced at over 4 Lacs INR for the former and approximately 2 Lacs for the bucket bag, I wouldn't give these pieces a second glance. Nor would I carry them even if someone paid me to do so. They're not pretty at all. It just looks like someone put some random riff raff they found lying around and stuck a hefty price tag on them! If you're spending that kind of money on a handbag, it better be worth it and none of these are.
 

Flared Jeans Kinda Day

When I got my hands on the Gucci Dionysus Top Handle bag, I knew I couldn't shoot it wearing just any outfit. I had to somehow get a seventies feel to it since that's what Alessandro Michele's Gucci is all about. So it was decided, flared jeans it is. Now I almost always only wear skinny jeans, so this was me having to step out of my comfort zone a little bit. And quite frankly, I'm really glad I did. I made a quick sourcing trip to the mall to hunt for the perfect pair and I was lucky enough to find it at Mango in Select City Walk. These boot cut jeans had a really big flare so it fit perfectly with my attempted seventies theme. Also, I love how tall they made me look. I'm a short person and skinny jeans don't really help, so in a way, this has encouraged me to really be more experimental this year as you never know what look ends up working for you.

I already had a nice green shirt that matched the signature Gucci stripes so my clothes were sorted. I didn't have a pair of those John Lennon style round sunglasses so I had to make do with my oversized Tom Ford's. Again, I wanted to keep my jewellery minimal as I wanted to focus on the handbag, so I just stacked up some bracelets and was good to go.


Shirt & Bracelets: Forever 21
Jeans: Mango
Handbag: Gucci
Shoes: Dune
Photography: Surbhi Sethi

A Monochrome Summer Afternoon

As I mentioned in my previous post, a good summer jacket is a solid investment for your wardrobe this season. And if you get one that turns out to be the focal point of your outfit, even better. For this look, I thought of playing around with a strict and slightly formal look; a simple black tee and a fitted black skirt paired with super high stilettos. I wanted to add an element of fun to it so I threw on this luxurious crepe, laser cut motorcycle jacket and it totally transformed the look. The laser cut motifs all over the back and the zippered sleeves really make it stand out. In addition, it's such a versatile piece and can be worn with jeans, trousers, denim skirt and even a fitted dress. To add a little more of an edge, I wore this funky sword shaped pendant and ring that were just the right size. I steered clear of very chunky jewellery because I didn't want to steal the attention away from the jacket. Always remember, you should never have too many focal points on your outfit, otherwise nothing will ever stand out.

Jacket: 431-88 By Shweta Kapoor
Skirt: Zara
Top & Earrings: HnM
Shoes: Balenciaga by Nicholas Ghesquière
Bag: Celine
Necklace & Ring: Loupe
Sunglasses: Dior

Summer Jackets & Sneakers

Even though we get excruciating summers in Delhi and Dubai, I still love wearing a summer jacket every now and then. It comes as a nice change to wearing summer dresses all the time. Obviously I don't mean the thick fabric kinds. I'm talking light and airy ones that you can wear over a thin tank or a bra top. Furthermore, with bombers being the rage for this season, a summer jacket is a must have in your closet. I spotted this one when I was browsing the Sacoor Brothers boutique in Dubai and fell head over heels in love with it. The high collar, the high low hemline, utilitarian pockets, the gold hardware along with two strings that you can pull to cinch it a little bit made it a real statement piece. It's made from the raincoat kind fabric and also comes with a little hoodie tucked neatly away inside a zipper. The pale pink colour was the cherry on top. I like my looks to be very effortless and comfortable so I paired it with a pair of simple skinny jeans and my favourite Longchamp sneakers. The whole look was really easy to put together and can be worn to a casual lunch or even an evening out.

Jacket: Sacoor Brothers
Jeans: Zara
Bag: Givenchy
Bracelet: Moschino
Sunglasses: Dior
Earrings: HnM
Shoes: Longchamp

Anavila AIFW AW16 Review

Anavila Misra showcased yet another successful, artisanal and easy to wear collection. Misra, known for creating the linen sari and for changing people's outlook towards the traditional garment is talented to say the least. I mean to make a sari as casual as a pair of jeans, that's just pure genius! In addition, crafting it all from pure linen which is not an easy yarn to work in the first place.

This time though, apart from her signature linen saris, Anavila also focussed on some great styling techniques through the use of layering in the her collection along with featuring various other fabrics like stiff silk and silk wool. The colour palette was fairly muted consisting of beige, light brown (almost latte like), grey and duck egg hues with prints ranging from florals to checks and stripes.

The show had a very bohemian vibe to it as was seen in the look where a model is sporting a pair of flared linen trousers, a shirt with exaggerated sleeves and a fringed handbag or the matching tunic and cropped pants look with the oversized scarf casually looped around the model's neck. Layering was seen on almost every look. Knit tops were worn over or under shirts and dresses. Saris, some of which were slightly cropped gave a glimpse of the pleated skirts or pants they were paired with whilst others were cinched at the waist by a belted silk jacket. However, my favourite part of the show was when the models wore cardigans with the saris. I have only seen grandmothers pair the two and always wondered how anyone could make that look work. Clearly, Anavila can and has done so successfully.






 

Delhi Summer and Linen Pants

If there's one piece of clothing you need to invest in for the scorching Delhi summer, it's a pair of versatile linen pants. I'm not talking about the generic white ones you get almost everywhere. More like well tailored and super flared with some fun detailing on them. A pair than can easily transition from day to night and can be worn with anything from a wife beater tank to feminine and formal blouse. I had chosen these pants from a lovely boutique called Sue Mue in Green Park and wore them on fashion week under a stiff linen shirt. For this shoot, I decided to pair it with a halter top just so I can show that there are various ways you can style the trousers. I love the black piping and how there's an extra layer of fabric that slightly cris crosses from the waist. Not to mention, the thought of wearing skinny jeans in this 40 degree weather is just daunting. With these linen trousers, it's just so much easier for my skin to breathe! What did you think of my look?

Pants: Sue Mue
Halter Top: Birdwalk
Shoes: Guiseppe Zanotti
Necklace (worn on my arm), Sunglasses & Handbag: Dior

Rajesh Pratap Singh Amazon India Fashion Week AW16 Review

Rajesh Pratap Singh's show was without a doubt the best this fashion week. Despite naming his collection 'The Gold Rush', the clothes were far from blingy. Instead, what we witnessed were clean cut and contemporary silhouettes crafted from gold woven into the most of the fabrics. There were exquisitely tailored jackets out of which a white, double breasted jacket (part of a slouchy pant suit) with oversized gold buttons and a woollen, floor length bandh gala style coat with a gold sari like border that closed the show were superstars. The pristine white poplin shirt dresses with splashes of gold and sleeveless evening dresses boasting shiny floral motifs that were cinched at the waist were equally beautiful. The whole collection had a very relaxed vibe to it as was seen from the loose velvet suit, the flowy skirts and comfy culottes.

The painstaking work that goes into making his fabrics make them almost artistic. Combine that with immaculate tailoring and modern silhouettes and you've got clothes that are Indian by birth but international by design. There's a reason by Rajesh Pratap Singh made it to the Business of Fashion's top 500 list.

Bag Review - Gucci Dionysus Top Handle Bag

Named as one of Fall 2015's hottest bags, the Dionysus took the fashion flock by a storm. In various versions like full suede, suede and canvas or heavily embellished, this has been one of the most coveted bags since its release. For the coming season, the Dionysus has been given an update making it even cooler. The new version comes with the iconic bamboo top handle which was a brilliant way to incorporate more of the house's codes into the purse. It adds a very classic touch.

Instead of chain shoulder straps, this variation comes with two interchangeable straps; one in leather and one in nylon featuring the signature Gucci stripes. Both have two stars on them adding a bit of an edge. I like this option. If you feel like it's a classic and formal kind of day, put on the leather one, if you're in a fun mood, change it to the nylon one. Wear it cross body, sling on the shoulder or take of the straps off and hold it by the top handle. So many ways to carry it make it a very versatile piece.

The Dionysus top handle comes in two variations: In black with red and green stripes or full red. My heart beats faster with the striped one though. It's just so fresh and playful. P.S. Beyoncé has this one too. In terms of space, the bag is in a large size (W34 x H23.5 x D12) so it's pretty spacious. Other features like the hand-stitching, hand painted edges and the push lock closure remain the same.

I have a feeling this year is going to be all about Gucci for me. I haven't seen one bag that I didn't like since Alessandro Michele took over.

 

Dhruv Kapoor Amazon India Fashion Week AW16 Review

At Dhruv Kapoor, it was androgyny meets sports-luxe meets glam meets geek chic. I've only seen his clothes online so it was really exciting to experience my first show and I was not disappointed. The designer creates some excellent outerwear which were seen throughout the show. There were oversized jackets with rounded shoulders, shorter ones with giant fur pockets and big collars, slick sleeveless coats and some fur ones too. Dresses, especially Dhruv's version of the pinafore were an absolute hit. The grey embellished one worn over a white shirt with exaggerated sleeves that were slit from the elbow was a favourite. I used to wear a grey pinafore with a shirt to school as a little girl but these ones were so much cooler! Whilst most of the silhouettes were very masculine, the designer did add a touch of girliness through the use of broderie anglaise (at least that's what it looked like) on the border of some of the clothes, delicate lace like ruffles as accents on shirt dresses, fur wraps and the sequinned evening wear. More separates included some fabulous skirts that were embellished, embroidered or eye catching like the metallic silver one.

Rimzim Dadu AIFW AW16 Review

Rimzim Dadu's show was truly special. Upon entering the show area, we were given a little card and told to follow the instructions. At first I was like 'huh'? Then I saw, on stage, two rows filled with karigars busy on their machines. The Indian version of the 'les petites mains' i.e. what the French call their haute couture artisans. Rimzim wanted the audience to touch and feel the fabrics and get a real feel of what goes on behind the scenes. One exhibit, named 'The Ellipsis' showed a karigar use small specs of hand cut fabrics to make 3D dots, another exhibit showed very thin wire cords being stitched on to a fabric. A third exhibit included an artisan doing some more intricate 3D embroidery applique using tiny pieces of fabric to form branches, leaves and flowers with little birds on them.

The collection consisted of easy to wear separates. There were feminine chiffon dresses and sheer blouses with embroidered paisleys. Sporty racer back tank tops and dresses in faux leather were absolutely beautiful because of the detailing. I visited the stalls to get a better look at the work. Some of the pieces were made from intricately cut faux leather that formed sort of a pattern with stitches running through the holes. Another round necked, sporty dress was made from tiny rectangular leather pieces stitched together. Finally, came the wire cord fabric ensembles and they stole the show. I never thought something so technical could actually be so wearable. They came in the form of structured tops, dresses, a maxi skirt and a sari pallu all with this liquid effect. And all worthy of being displayed in a museum.

Kudos to you, Rimzim and your petites mains for this outstanding and memorable collection.


Image via vogue.in