Bag Review - Prada Cahier Bag

For reasons that are unknown to me, I have never been a fan of Prada handbags. Clothes and shoes, yes yes yes. Purses, not so much. Since they came out with their limited edition Fairy bag all the way back in 2008, I never came across another bag from the fashion label that stopped me dead in my tracks and made me faint with desire. That was until I saw their Cahier bag on the FW 16 runway show. I am back to counting pennies in my bank account and thinking of how to move my money around so I can get my hands on it. No. I am not a money launderer. Just a desperate bag hag.

What's so special about this bag? Honestly, if you have to even ask me that question, it means you don't deserve it! Reminiscent of antique, gilded hardcover books, (hence it's name, which translates to notebook in French), the Cahier is a structured purse and comes with the most exquisite detailing which really make it stand out despite it's overall simplicity. Featuring lots of bronze hardware, especially the design on the bottom of the front flap and at the rear of the bag and the embellishment on the shoulder strap, this baby is definitely going to be the IT bag of the Fall. What I find really cool is if you flip the bag, where the top part is now on your left, the bag looks like an actual book with ornate corners. And where the flap that goes inside the buckle, it reminds you of those old school diaries with a flap closure. Such interesting details right?

The double gussets make it roomy and it comes with two internal pockets. Its boxy shape is in line with the current box bags trend and the size makes it versatile enough for you to carry it from day to night. Finally, it comes in leather and velvet versions giving you more choice. Click here to see more details on availability, price, etc.

Honestly, this isn't the only bag from their FW16 collection that I have been going crazy over. Even their Pionniere bag is just beautiful. You have to check it out on their website. I'm so glad Prada has finally upped their handbag game. I'm so bored of seeing those classic Prada purses everywhere. Even their flower tote from a few seasons ago didn't hit the spot. It could really do them some good by adding more shapes to their collection. I have big expectations from the label after seeing the two new launches.

Now, back to counting pennies it is.

Dhoti & A White Jacket

My love affair with a dhoti began in 2013, when my mother picked up a pair of malmal dhotis from Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla for Eid. The tailoring was exceptional and I loved how the fabric had a little stiffness so it didn't have a fall in it. I've seen a lot flowy dhotis but was never a fan of those. And after we bought that pair, I never found one remotely similar to it until I came across these black ones from Sue Mue. One thing about this garment is despite how traditional it is, it's extremely versatile and can be paired with almost anything. I wore my old pair with a nehru jacket,  a tank top, a denim jacket, a formal shirt; the possibilities are endless! For this particular shoot, I paired it with a long, ivory coloured silk jacket with some embroidery on the side and buttons featuring Rajasthani mirror work on them. . I am a huge fan of Sue Mue's cuts and the jacket fit like a glove. Again, the silhouette of the jacket is such that it can worn formally, or casually with jeans or a pair of tights or even a mini skirt thereby adding a bit of a contemporary touch to an Indian look.

In terms of accessories, in my previous post, I talked about a jewellery label, Vaitaanika that I have recently discovered. I've been so obsessed with their jewels that I have shot four looks wearing Vaitaanika! Such fun suff with gorgeous craftsmanship. I urge you to check out the boutique in Shapurjat.

Jacket, Dhoti & Choker - Sue Mue
Earrings & Ring - Vaitaanika by Ageerika Hari
Location - Dusit Devrana

Black Anarkali With Printed Pants

Last week, I had the pleasure to attend Sue Mue's new ready to wear collection launch and it was a real treat. Inspired by Rajasthan, the collection featured some beautiful clothes. What I loved about the clothes was how Rajasthani embroidery had been given a contemporary twist, so nothing looked too traditional. The outfit I chose for this shoot was an anarkali style jacket in raw silk with gota patti work and resham thread embroidery worn over a pair of printed pants. What I really liked was how the entire outfit was so light and how easy it was to move around in it. Furthermore, The printed pants gave the entire look a really modern touch. The structured high collar immediately attracted me to the jacket because I feel that gives out a very regal vibe. Shooting Indian outfits is a new territory for me, so I decided to go all out with the accessories. I recently discovered a jewellery label called Vaitaanika located in Shapurjaat, which boasts some stunning ethnic jewellery. The designer's cocktail ring collection is exquisite and features some fine craftsmanship. I selected this pretty maang teeka (which was a huge deal for me because the last time I wore one was when I got married), with delicate earrings and an oversized, green statement ring.

Shooting this look was tricky because the weather was constantly misbehaving. One minute it was sunny, the next, cloudy before starting to rain for a few minutes. So it turned out to be a mix of an indoor/outdoor shoot! Anyways, I was just relieved we managed to get some nice shots because the Dusit Devrana is just such a pretty hotel and it would have been a shame to come back without taking photographs in their property.

What did you think of my full blown Indian look?

Jacket & Pants - Sue Mue
Maang Teeka, Earrings & Cocktail Ring - Vaitaanika
Shoes - Nicholas Kirkwood
Location - Dusit Devrana

A Mint Green Kurta & Gold Gharara

For day 1 of India Couture Week, I was super excited to wear my Raw Mango by Sanjay Garg outfit. My mom had bought this for me a few months ago, but I wore it for the first time at couture week. It was the simplest ensemble but it was super chic. The mint green silk kurta had the tiny round gold specs embroidered all over it and a little keyhole at the back where the button was. It came with a gorgeous bright gold and green ghrarara which looked so pretty and feminine under the kurta. The best part was how comfortable the whole outfit was. I could have worn this all day long. Sanjay Garg has just got himself a new fan! As always, you know how much I love to accessorise so I decided to wear a heavily embellished headband to make a statement and chose a fun, transparent perspex clutch with an ornate gold dragon on the clasp.

Kurta & Gharara - Raw Mango by Sanjay Garg
Headband - Dolce & Gabbana (available at Kitsch & Rock'n'Shop - Click here to purchase)
Clutch - Charlotte Olympia (available at Kitsch & Rock'nShop - Click here to purchase)
Earrings - Dior
Photography - Surbhi Sethi
Location - Taj Palace

Bag Review - JW Anderson's Pierce Bag

It's been a while since I did a bag review on the blog. I hadn't come across a bag that drove me absolutely nuts and made me feel like I absolutely had to have it. However, with J.W.Anderson's Pierce bag, I have found 'the one' for now! I'm a huge fan of him and love his work not only for his own label but for LOEWE as well and when he released the Puzzle bag for LOEWE, I knew that J.W.Anderson knows how to make an IT bag. So, no surprises there when I fell hard for the Pierce bag from his namesake label and it's crazy cool detailing.

Simple, chic and classic by design, the bag is crafted from supple and luxurious calfskin and comes in three different sizes; Small, medium and large. Whilst the small one is good for people who don't carry much around on any given day, I'm more attracted to the latter two sizes. The medium is more of a shoulder bag, whereas the large is more utilitarian chic as it can be worn as a satchel.  However, both these come with detachable shoulder straps so you can hold them like an oversized clutch thereby transitioning easily from day to night. The three gussets ensure there's enough room to hold all your daily essentials. The real cherry on top is the punk inspired gold ring on the front flap in between two cut out circles reminiscent of a piercing. It gives a classic bag a real cool and cultural twist. Some versions come with suede on the front and calfskin on the back and I'm drooling over the large version in military green.

Finally, the price is also extremely attractive. Whilst most luxury bags now start at a minimum of USD 2,000, this one is relatively more affordable with the large one starting at USD 1390 on Matchesfashion (shipping to Dubai of course since the duty is on 5 per cent ).

Some Thigh Baring Wrap Around Pants

In my previous post, I talked about this really cool new label I discovered, called The Revival Project. So when I was sourcing for Couture Week outfits, my first option was the checkered pant suit I featured a few days ago. However, when I was in talks with Chichouse.co, we weren't sure about the sizes so they asked me to pick something else as a backup so I chose another jacket and these black Kanchipuram silk wraparound pants. When the clothes came to me and I tired these super fun pants, I immediately decided I was wearing those for Rahul Mishra's show. What got me hooked on them apart from the comfort factor (it was like i was wearing nothing, literally!) was how because you sort of tie them up from the front and the back, when you move around, the pants automatically form a high slit on each side. Slits have a way of making you feel sexy because they flaunt just the right amount of skin without looking vulgar. If you liked my look, you can shop it now on Chichouse.co.

Jacket & Pants - The Revival Project from Chichouse.co
Cuff, Earring & Bag -Dior
Shoes - Prada
Photography - Surbhi Sethi
Location - Blue Bar, Taj Palace