Desihighstyle X Headtilt: Featuring DLF Emporio - Part 2

As I talked about in a previous post, Surbhi (from Headtilt) and I recently collaborated on a fun shoot featuring DLF Emporio. The mall has an eclectic mix of both Indian and international labels so one doesn't need to go running around like a headless chicken all over the city when they're in the mood to indulge in luxury fashion. This worked perfectly for us, as we were able to find everything from the SS17 collections to come up with looks that were not only stylish but also reflection of our individual personalities under one roof.

For our second look, we went absolutely crazy at the Rajesh Pratap Singh boutique. I still remember how mesmerised we were when we saw the collection on the runway at fashion week. So when we started browsing, we tried on almost every outfit at his store! The blazer obsessed person that I am, when Surbhi picked out a black wrap around jacket, with shiny lapels for me to try, I was sold. I loved its fit and that it wasn't restricting my movement. And the wrap around added a playful touch. Paired over a pair of high waisted Versace jeans, my outfit was sorted. Meanwhile, Surbhi looked absolutely ravishing in a deconstructed gold shirt which she styled in a way that revealed her shoulders and a grey skirt from the designer. Someone even stopped her in the middle of the shoot to ask where her outfit was from. Yes. She looked that good.

As a bag snob, I had been eyeing the Versace Palazzo Empire bags since they were launched, so it was a no brainer that both of us were going to end up with one of those for our looks. I chose a a mini, colour blocked version of the purse. The colours were really striking so they added a bit of a contrast to against the black jacket. In addition, since the bag comes with two optional shoulder straps,  I chose the more sporty, striped wide strap. Surbhi on the other hand selected a more classic variation of the bag in black and a larger size. As for jewellery, Roberto Cavalli without a doubt has one of the finest collections of costume jewellery. You can see for yourself from our shoots!

On Me:

Jacket - Rajesh Pratap Singh
Jeans & Bag - Versace
Ring, Cuff & Necklace - Roberto Cavalli
Shoes - Christian Louboutin

On Surbhi:

Shirt & Skirt - Rajesh Pratap Singh
Bag - Versace
Belt, Ring & Earrings - Roberto Cavalli
Shoes - Fendi

Location: DLF Emporio
Photography: Tarun Chawla

Desihighstyle X Headtilt : Featuring DLF Emporio - Part 1

Surbhi (from Headtilt ) and I have now been friends for a while. From our personal lives, to discussing blog posts, to shooting each other numerous times, to shopping; somehow we managed to become good friends despite being bloggers. In the fashion industry, it's rare to actually find friends from the same world. Between the back biting, exchanging air kisses, fake pleasantries, etc. where's the time???

Anyways, for a while now we had been planning to do a shoot together. Somehow, the timing wasn't right and there was always something coming up. However, this one time, as luck would have it, everything worked out. Well, it wasn't a smooth ride, because as I mentioned in the previous post, I  have a lot happening in my personal life. But we made it work.

DLF Emporio has always been one of my favourite malls for various reasons. Those who know me, know that as soon as I hit the luxury fashion retail space, something happens to me. I get a random and sudden burst of energy. Almost as if I'm ready to take over the world. Anyways, what I love about Emporio is that there's always a new boutique ready to open at the mall. Suddenly you'll walk in to the mall and you're like whoa, when did this store open up?? So obviously when my favourite crockery/cutlery brand, Villeroy & Boch opened it's doors there, I was over the moon. I mean from designer shoes to ready to wear, to fine jewellery & watches and even crockery, everything I love is under one roof. So why exactly would I want to shop anywhere else. In addition, their various dining options make sure you get whatever you're in the mood for. Be it the feta and apple salad at Cafe Emprio, absolutely delicious sushi at Cha-Shi, a sugar donut/ bhel puri/ cappuccino at On The Go or fine dining at Set'z. I've lost count on how many times I've gone to Emporio over the years just to have a quiet coffee with the husband or a friend just because it's much less crowded than the other malls.

For our first look, we wanted to do a slightly glamorous look that would easily transition from day to night. We checked out Missoni's newly launched SS17 collection and it fit the bill. We decided we wanted to do something metallic and they had exactly what we needed. Surbhi chose a lovely and sparkling colourful dress and I selected a blush pink shiny top to wear over a knitted skirt. I threw on a fabulous Fendi winter coat because the nights are still nippy in Delhi and what better than a gorgeous, long black coat with big lapels and white piping on the inside.

It was a really sunny afternoon and we were shooting at patio of Set'z in Emporio so we settled on some playful Fendi sunglasses (which will be available in stores really soon if they're not already there). I love statement eye wear so their Round Wave glasses in red and white were just perfect. Plus, I loved the whole 90's vibe they had going on!  For our jewellery, we knew exactly where to go. Roberto Cavalli of course! Surbhi and I were a big fan of their Circus series which featured a Lion (a symbol of the brand) on the pieces from that collection so it worked very well for us. Furthermore, it added just the right amount of bling. Because my look already had a lot going on, I wanted to go light with the earrings so I wore their delicate Circus earrings. Finally, Louboutin shoes completed our look.

The best part about everything we wore? You can shop all of it at DLF Emporio!

On Me

Jacket, Sunglasses & Purse - Fendi
Top & Skirt - Missoni
Earrings - Roberto Cavalli
Shoes - Christian Louboutin

On Surbhi

Dress - Missoni
Bag & Sunglasses - Fendi
Cuff & Earrings - Roberto Cavalli
Shoes - Christian Louboutin

Location - SETZ at DLF Emporio
Photography - Tarun Chawla 

Amazon India Fashion Week Day 3 Outfit

For day 3 of fashion week, I wanted to wear something a little blingy. Not in your face kinds, but something with a little more embellishment on it. I had been eyeing this label called Sanchita by Sanchita Ajjampur for her easy to wear separates that were comfortable and made a statement at the same time. I chose a sporty dress with some really fun detailing. The bottom half of the sleeves had fun fur on it and the shoulders were embellished with stones. I felt a little empty with just the dress so I chose a letterman jacket from her collection to layer on to the dress. My whole look turned out to be really sparkly because both the border of the dress and the back of the jacket had lots of embroidered sequins. Funnily though, despite all the bling on my outfit, none of it looked tacky. It just looked playful. At least to me!

Jacket & Dress - Sanchita
Shoes & Bag - Gucci
Photography - Surbhi Sethi
Sunglasses - Tom Ford

Handbag Review - Ralph Lauren Ricky Drawstring Bag

Although the Ralph Lauren Ricky Drawstring isn't a brand spanking new model, I recently got my hands on it and have been dying to talk about it ever since. A fun reinterpretation of their iconic Ricky bag, the Drawstring is luxurious, utilitarian, fabulous and just plain gorgeous. I've used numerous bucket bags in the past, and I have to say, none of them come close to being as comfortable as the Ralph Lauren one. 

I used it for two days back to back at fashion week and I was amazed at how easy it was to get stuff out of the bag. It comes with a very easy to use and NON-FUSSY drawstring closure (my Kenzo bag's drawstring is the most annoying one till date) so it doesn't take forever to open it and dig into it whenever your need to. And interestingly enough, the closure is at the back of the bag giving the front a very clean look.  I've experienced my share of inconvenient and hard purse zippers. If not the zipper then the weight of the bag is good enough to give me a shoulder ache. Whilst the purse comes in various leathers including calfskin, alligator and python, my favourite has been the Nappa leather version because of the leather's buttery soft texture and lightweight properties which makes the purse really light to carry.  Plus, I love how nappa leather rarely creases. 

In addition, both, the top handle and the cross body strap are removable giving you more than one way to carry the bag without the added weight of the handle/ strap when not in use. Unless you want to leave them both on like I did! Of the two internal pockets, one of them is specifically designed for your mobile phone giving you easy access to it when you're in a rush. At fashion week, whilst Surbhi and were shooting each other, I needed to be as hands free as possible but I also needed to be able to get to my phone without digging all the way into the bag. This pocket made organising my phone really convenient. And finally, it's the signature Ricky push lock that I am totally smitten with on the external front pocket which comes in various finishes like antique brass, silver tone or gold depending on which model of the bag you choose. 

Overall, it fits the bill for the perfect everyday handbag. Minimalist, light and easy to move around with, the Ricky Drawstring is a bag every girl needs in her closet. 

Official bag images via Ralphlauren.com

My Images  - Surbhi Sethi