Top Six Must Have Backpacks - Bringing Sexy Back!

Whoever said backpacks are for school going kids can now easily take a hike! As you may have witnessed from street style photos, these babies are now equally essential to those who aren't in school anymore. Okay so I'm not talking about Chanel's 3,400 USD canvas graffiti backpack that was seen on every bigwig blogger, model and pretty much most of the fashion flock. For this fall, these bags come in various price ranges, materials and funky designs. Furthermore, as I gear up for motherhood (10 weeks to go!!) I constantly find myself worrying about how I'm going to manage a stroller, baby bag and my own handbag whilst staying fabulous at the same time. Enter backpacks! I can safely say, I now have the most trendy solution to my "getting around town with a new born" problems. I can hold the bag on both my shoulders, or casually sling it on one arm - whatever the case, here are some of the coolest rucksacks you need to invest in.

1. Alexander Wang Dumbo Textured Leather Backpack - I've always been a fan of the brand's Rocco handbag with the studded base and now to see the same on a backpack. It's like I'm smitten all over again. I absolutely adore the textured leather and the colour, well, we all know how much I love blue. Click here to purchase or check with Le Mill India for availability.

2.  Saint Laurent Paris Backpack - Whilst this may be from the label's men's collection, I didn't see any reason why girls cant wear it too. I like the black and white take on the classic leopard print along with how lightweight it is. Made from nylon with splashes of leather here and there and of course a price tag of only 895 USD, this bag is too good to give up! Click here to check it out or check at your local Kitsch boutique for availability.

3. Karl Lagerfeld K Kuilted Leather Backpack - King of narcissism, Karl Lagerfeld's quilted bag features numerous Ks (I did mention he's a narcissist) on the quilting along with a squarish shape made from soft leather. The flap closure over the drawstring ensures all your essentials are safe and I really like how the black is contrasted with a colourful interior. Although, it could do without the hefty price tag. My suggestion, as cool as the bag is, is to buy it on sale. Click here to purchase.

4. Perrin Paris Flap Backpack - Ever since I discovered Perrin Paris, I have been a huge fan. Their glove clutches are to die for! Anyways, this bag is another hit from the brand. The chocolate brown leather is soft but not slouchy and if you're a winged bag fan then the two side pockets will bode well for you. Not to mention a little extra storage space for convenience never really hurts. I also like the old school buckle used as a closure. Aren't you a fan already? Click here to purchase.

5. Elizabeth & James Cynnie Sling Leather Tassel Backpack - Don't you just love it when there's more than one way to wear a bag? I know I do! I love how you can hold it on your shoulder as a bucket bag (they're so HOT right now) or simply take the detachable strap off and use it at as a rucksack if you change your mood. The khaki green leather is perfect for the winter and the fringed tassel is so playful. Finally, at INR 37,000 you really can't go wrong. Click here to purchase.

6. Jerome Dreyfuss Leopard Print Calf Hair Backpack - This baby is just so chic with it's luxurious calf hair, the suede and chain shoulder strap and sexy leopard print. The bag features a drawstring closure and black canvas lining. Furthermore, it comes with it's own flashlight so you never need to use your iPhone light anymore! I love clever bag accessories (like the Bulgari bag raincoat that came with the bag). Oh and the shoulder straps are detachable so you can change the way you wear the bag too. Yay, more than one way to wear it! Isn't it such a cool bag? Click here to purchase.

Wills India Fashion Week Round Up - Rajesh Pratap Singh

Rajesh Pratap Singh SS15

Over at Rajesh Pratap Singh, it was all about his Blue Blooded tribe. Most of the clothes were created from indigo dyed raw selvedge denim not only because of the designer's love for the fabric, but also to revive the dying craft of creating the fabric. Furthermore, the production involves using pure natural indigo and non-toxic raw denim which makes the process extremely environmentally friendly thereby supporting ethical fashion.

Silhouettes (for women) were very androgynous. Next season, girls will be seen wearing bow ties and suspenders!There were Nehru jackets for women worn over white kurta shirts, masculine overalls and jeans featuring large, rolled cuffs and boyish Bermuda shorts amongst others all paired with industrial looking Doctor Martin style boots.The pristine white dress seen on Carol Gracias has gone down on my wish list as did the white kurta, cropped pants and the jacquard stole. Despite the whole boyish theme, cute polka dots and quirky embroideries made their way into the collection adding an element of playfulness.

Ethically manufactured fabrics, innovative textiles and attitude packed clothes made Rajesh Pratap Singh's show one of the most talked about of the season.

P.S: Click here to understand what selvedge denim is and how it's different from raw denim. A little background information never hurt anybody!

 

Currently Trending: Winter Blues

One of the strongest colours seen on the fall runways (especially New York and London) was blue. From cobalt to navy to baby - for this winter, be sure to incorporate varying shades of blue in your closet! Apart from the fact that the colour is trending, there's just something about blue that has some sort of a calming effect don't you think? Kind of reminds of the Mediterranean ocean and makes me want to go on a beach vacation! Anyways, here are some of this season's must haves.

1. Zara Long Double Breasted Handmade Coat - Masculine/oversized coats are so hot for this winter, and if it's handmade, even better! Pair it with skinny pants and some funky trainers to look bang on trend. Check it out at your local Zara boutique.

2. Nike Internationalist Suede & Nylon Sneakers - As I get bigger and bigger in my pregnancy, my eyes are immediately drawn to funky trainers. In varying shades of blue and a dash of pink, these pretty trainers are not limited to the gym. Skirts, cropped leather pants or a mini dress; these shoes are versatile and cool enough to be paired with a lot outfits. Click here to purchase.

3. Popinjay Baracoa Zip Clutch - Entirely handmade, this clutch features silk thread embroidery (that takes 72 hours to complete) in a pattern inspired by Art Nouveau tiles. Not to mention, all products sold on Indelust are ethically sourced and manufactured. Click here to purchase.

4. Moschino Quilted Denim Hat - Hop on the logomania express with this Jeremy Scott for Moschino hat. Bold, flashy and trendy, this hat is one of the coolest accessory of the season. Click here to purchase.

5. Mansur Gavriel Bucket Bag - I've been obsessed with these Mansur Gavriel bags and am really trying hard to get my hands on one! Isn't this blue version just to die for? Unfortunately it is out of stock, but the good news is the website will be restocking them in December. Click here to stay informed about availability.

6. Illesteva Leonard Round Framed Glasses - Don't these sunnies have the funkiest shape? I love how the frame is made from black acetate and the bold blue lenses really ensure you stand out. Oh and it's made in Italy. A really unique pair! Click here to purchase.

L-R: Matthew Williamson, Peter Pilotto, Roksanda Ilincic, Temperley London

 

Wills India Fashion Week Round Up - Samant Chauhan

Samant Chauhan SS15

A collection consisting primarily of whites and ivory with pops of colourful embroidery, Samant Chauhan had a very pretty line up for SS15. It was the first time Samant introduced colour in his outfits. What surprised me was the reaction of some people from the fashion flock who gave me a funny look (and raised eyebrows) when I came out of the show talking about how much I enjoyed it. What was there not to like? An array of clothes created from gorgeous hand woven fabric and that are eco-friendly? A combination of machine and intricate hand embroidery? Fun indo-western clothes? I didn't get it. Maybe I'm way off with my what's fashionable radar.

Moving on, silhouettes were leaning towards the Western side, with a few Indian looks in between too. Cotton silk seemed to dominate the runway with light and breezy skirts, tunics, easy to wear gowns and dresses, most of them boasting some lovely light, silk thread embroidery.Whereas Indian ensembles like a lehenga choli were heavily embellished with silk and zari work. My favourites included the transparent white trousers with shorts underneath and the bagalpur silk saree, so casually draped over the corset. Whilst I wasn't a fan of the show stopper outfit, I was amazed to learn that it was crafted out of discarded fabric and that the appliqued bows were hand made and individually applied on to the dress. As I mentioned, above, I'm not sure what there isn't to like about the collection. I for one am making a grab for those tunics, which by the way are available on www.exclusively.in .

A closer look inside the stalls

A closer look inside the stalls



A closer look inside the stalls

 

Wills India Fashion Week Round Up - Payal Singhal

Payal Singhal SS15

One of my favourite shows from WIFW was without a doubt Payal Singhal. Although, slightly mature, Payal presented some simple, yet beautifully crafted clothes for next spring. The designer was inspired by Gulmarg valley, which explains the recurring pine cone motif in the collection. Silhouettes were a modern interpretation of Indian clothing and included silk cigarette pants, soft dhoti skirts, various long-short cholis, kurtas and tunics, traditional sari with a pine cone print and shirt dresses amongst others. The long-short looks were a fun twist on the traditional Indian silhouette. In fact, I think the choli would look equally amazing when paired with skinny jeans. However, I'm sure if you know me by now, you'll know that I am most definitely eyeing the dhoti & tunic combo along with the very relaxed fit silk jacket!

As I was chatting to Payal's mum at their stall, she explained to me that some of the silk they used had like a mal mal feel to it, which indeed it did when you felt a few of the clothes. Whilst watching the show, I thought there was extensive use of gota patti, however I later discovered, the designer used leather embroidery. How cool was the second last look where the lehenga had a massive gold leather border? In addition, the collection also featured hand embroidered zardozi as was seen the last few looks.

P.S - You can shop the runway collection on www.payalsinghal.com.

At the stalls

A closer look at the zardozi and leather details

Leather detailing on the tie-back

I've got my eye on you!! My favourite look

 

Wills India Fashion Week Round Up - ATSU, Alpana & Neeraj

Atsu SS15

ATSU - At Atsu, it was all about pastels, light embellishments, plumage and architectural silhouettes. The designer was having fun mixing textures and shapes. He was inspired by his travels to the far east which explains how some of the looks were reminiscent of traditional Japanese clothing. Case in point: a light purple zip dress with sleeves like that on a geisha's gown and a peach number featuring sculptural, rounded sleeves like that on a samurai's armour. The collection mainly comprised of dresses - some were romantic and full skirted, some were mid thigh with very sculptural sleeves and some that were in between with very lovely embroidery. On the whole, Atsu didn't use very heavy embroidery (minus the cape that closed the show)which gave the clothes an element of lightness. My most favourite look was a flowy gown (kind of like a night gown), held together with a bow tied on the waist, featuring beautiful ostrich feathers on one side paired with cropped pants.

Alpana & Neeraj - Top marks to the duo for being brave enough to experiment with such crazy clothes and doing a great job at it. This was yet another Japanese inspired collection but not based on the usual geisha and samurai style clothes. More like the country's obsession with stuff like Hello Kitty, Anime, Manja and Harajuku. Silhouettes were very sculptural here too with giant bows, scalloped hems and embroidered floral patches adding a dramatic flair. Although it was great to see such fun creativity on the runway, I couldn't help but wonder how many of them would actually make it into real life. The pants and the full skirted ball gown style dress - yes, I can see those but most of them had way too much going on and seemed a little restrictive for my liking. A massive bow right across the bust on one dress could hardly be functional and the part bronze, part white dress with a bow right above the knees made me feel the model will fall any minute. Designers do need to constantly experiment, but one shouldn't forget that a collection needs to also be commercially viable. Lets hope next time Alpana & Neeraj strike a good balance between the two.

Alpana & Neeraj SS15

 

Bag Review - Bvlgari Serpenti Forever Medium Flap Bag With Two Gussets

For the last few months I was determined. Determined NOT to buy anything but another Chanel 2.55 that I've been attempting to save up for since the summer. I was more than halfway with my savings till I walked into Harvey Nichols in Dubai a few days ago and there it was, the serpent's head, staring right at me. Remember Kaa the snake from jungle book who goes around hypnotising everyone? Well, that's exactly what this bag did to me! Okay I know I'm being a little dramatic, but the truth was that I had admired the Serpenti Forever bag for a few months now, but for some reason never checked it out at a Bulgari boutique.  This time we just happened to cross paths when strolling through the department store and I'm ever so thankful for that interaction. I played around with it a bit then spent the rest of the evening followed by a sleepless night contemplating emptying all my Chanel savings on this purse.

As a bag lover, I often fall in love with a lot of bags, but every now and then there's that one special piece, that takes your breath away and sweeps you off your feet. Almost like finding THE ONE (except in the bag world, there are multiple the one's). 4pm the next day, I was inside the Bvlgari boutique at Dubai Mall, husband and BFF in tow, paying for a classic black in a medium size. I couldn't have been happier. I was in love. I had after all found the one. Well, for the rest of this year at least!

Moving on to the actual review after all the incessant blabbing! Inspired by the iconic wraparound watch, the bag features a stunning serpent's head closure made from enamel (black & white in my case) with either malachite or jade eyes. The shoulder straps or chain handles are gold and made to resemble a snake's body. I love the purse's minimalist silhouette and the gorgeous detailing of the lines of top stitching on the body. Because of its formal nature, I chose to buy this in a medium size simply because if I'm spending 180,000 INR, I need it to have enough space for me to carry it around during the day as well. The dimensions are 12"width x8.7" height and it can comfortably fit my wallet, sunglasses along with other basic essentials. The double gussets on this model gives it a little more room to expand.

Various internal pockets make it easy to organise your things and the middle zip compartment also has a serpent's head closure. It comes with a cute Bvlgari mirror and even a raincoat that fits the bag like a glove. Honestly, the raincoat is such a smart accessory. I cant tell you how frustrating it is when it starts pouring on that expensive leather. Now the only thing missing is an external pocket for added convenience. Finally, the leather scratches really easily, so please avoid using it roughly (I need to tell myself that more often).

If you happen to be interested in buying this model, the closest country you can purchase it from is Dubai. Unless someone can order it from the states from the Bvlgari website itself. There is merely a 100 dollar difference between the price in Dubai and the US (the American price doesn't include taxes). Click here to check out various models, prices and availability and click here to check out the making.

And on that note, I shall go back to staring at my new love (see photos below). Till the next time..

XOXO
Crazy bag lady

My Baby!

The back of the bag

Double Gussets

Serpent's head on the zip closure

Raincoat and Mirror :)