Monday, March 30, 2015

Blueprint Coleccion: Lookbook Shoot-II

Without getting into too many details about how harsh the lighting was and how we meandered from one spot to another in search of the perfect Pre-Fall background and lighting, I shall get right to the great results.
P.S.: There is no charm to a shoot unless you have gotten past some serious obstacles.
Part Deux of Melange, Pre Fall '15 by Blueprint Coleccion. You can always email divya@blueprintcoleccion.com to place an order for any of these.










Modelled and styled by: Shreya Kalra
Photography by: Dhruv Sethi Photography


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Wednesday, March 25, 2015

FTLOFAOT X Falguni & Shane Peacock

There is a certain charm to finding the larger than life Indian glitz and glamour take form on contemporary and modern shapes. The epitome of weaving this reality happens to be the husband wife designer duo, Falguni Shane Peacock. I have been ardently following their work, not just in the Indian fashion scene but also the niche that they have carved for themselves at a global platform like New York Fashion Week. From bridal couture (as couture stands in India) to luxurious prĂȘt, there wasn't a Falguni & Shane creation that I did not like. Their sensibilities appeal to the Indian fashionistas and international alike because the approach they take towards design is highly unequivocally fun. It is nigh impossible to not appreciate the dynamics of a label that manages to find itself on every pop music icon globally and every Bollywood celebrity, alike. 
This time I play favourites and with barely any regrets. This custom made Falguni Shane Peacock jacket is quilted with a clear Falguni & Shane favourite, the baroque print. The glamorous exaggerated sleeves and its front zip detail lend it the perfect form to make it a day wear piece or a party night staple.
A little birdy just told me that starting at 9 a.m. today, the Falguni Shane Peacock store in DLF Emporio, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi is going to witness a massive sale of up to 60% on Peacock Bride and their NYFW Collection. The Delhi bride-to-bes and the fashionistas extraordinaire, this is your calling. Round up the girls and get going today. 









Wearing
Grey jersey dress: Forever 21
Jacket: C/O Falguni Shane Peacock
Gold slides: C/O Blur Fashion Accessories
Lips bag: C/O Stalk Buy Love

Photography by: Dhruv Sethi Photography

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Sunday, March 22, 2015

Ice Ice Baby

This transition weather has long been on the cards. March end in Delhi never sees such fits of bitter cold winds. But without attempting to sound like the Met guy, I am just going to tell you that I welcomed these hints of the cold before the summer begins, happily. My transition outfit is about effortless style. The kind that I was bowled over by in Paris. The kind that makes you want to take notice, yet not gawk at the put together nature of it all. The kind where a crisp white shirt plays the protagonist and a tan leather jacket plays its faithful sidekick.
Most of my outfits, invariably manage to find a hint of quirk or a dash of madness and my Blur Fashion Accessories sunnies in blue do just that. At different angles the blue acquires a different shade so while at one it camouflaged beautifully into the cerulean wall, the other angle showed it a dark blue. Have you visited the Blur Fashion Accessories online store yet?
After a quick stop at the flower shop, we made a beeline for our shoot location and the result was this melange of all things crisp.










Wearing:
White shirt: Forever 21
Acid wash denims: Forever 21
Black pumps: Zara
Pouch: Louis Vuitton
Sunglasses: C/O Blur Fashion Accessories
Necklace: C/O Miss Flurrty
Tan jacket: Nicked off my sister (an Australian designer make)

Photography Courtesy: Riddhima Arora Behance or reach her on email at riddhimarora17@gmail.com

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Sunday, March 15, 2015

Smells like teen spirit

This one is to those '90s girls who grew up on a staple diet of hairy chested rockstars and bandanas to complement their long locks. My memories from my school time remain unmatched as far as my fixation with a new band everyday go. It probably began with God of Rock, Kurt Cobain of 'Nirvana' and it never really ended. It just went from 'Smells like teen spirit' to 'Man who sold the world' as time passed. The allure of a man who wrote best under the influence of love and other drugs is best known to us teenagers who were reeling under the effect of the tunes he belted out.
I don't think Linkin Park was any different. The only difference I would identify in this situation would be that Nirvana did not exactly jump onto the punk rock bandwagon and stuck to its classic rock roots. I would still forever remain indebted to Linkin Park for giving me 'Meteora' for it really put the 15 year old me's life in perspective. True Story.
Besides, credit where credit is due. Nirvana gave me my first real email address on MSN. Yes, it certainly does smell like teen spirit in here.
More about the post, my interpretation of the uber cool Blur Fashion Accessories remains that these accessories do not blindly keep up with the trends. A lot of these pieces give you a unique perspective on art, be it graphic or fun or just a splash of colour. Hop on to the website right here and shop to your heart's content.
The second collaboration and news I have for you is my modelling and collection stint with Miss Flurrty. More about it soon but till then, hop on to their website for fun, flirty jewellery for all tastes alike.








Issey Miyake might have created the Bao Bao bag, but I'm more than thrilled with my Blur baby. Also find them on Facebook.

Wearing:
Crop top: ASOS
Denim high waisted joggers: Forever 21
Oxford platforms: C/O Clarks
Bag: C/O Blur store
Watch: C/O Daniel Wellington
Gold bracelet and earrings: C/O Miss Flurrty

Photography Courtesy: Riddhima Arora Behance or reach her on email at riddhimarora17@gmail.com.

Till the next time,
x


Saturday, March 7, 2015

Lookbook shoot: Blueprint Coleccion

My admiration for the designer sisters, Navya and Divya of Blueprint Collection is a well known secret. After a series of successful collaborations with this fast bourgeoning label in Tinsel Town, I jumped at the opportunity to model for their 'Melange', Pre Fall '15 collection. The old favourites come back with a twist and the new pieces have been spotted fast becoming celebrity favourites. This one should not be missed.
To place an order for any of these pieces, shoot an email to divya@blueprintcoleccion.com



















Modelled and styled by: Shreya Kalra
Photography by: Dhruv Sethi Photography


x

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Ten things to do(or not do) in Paris

We all have that one city we are completely besotted with ever since we can remember. That one city which probably constructs the perfect vision in your head, every time you take a moment to conjure a picture of it. It never mattered that you had actually not seen the city. Until you actually do. You can read a billion travelogues and you can inundate under the effect of a billion lists, it is never going to feel like enough preparation. Sometimes, knowing your basics is enough and the rest as they say can be 'winged'. I have not been an ardent traveller as much as I would like to be. That could be the reason it took me twenty five years to plan this holiday and plant my feet in the city of my dreams. Eiffel Tower always sparkled with the lights of a thousand glittering bulbs in my head. It was always windy and my hair always managed to stay right where I intended them to be by the end of the day, in my imagination. The 'creme glacee' as the French would say, always looked perfect in my head maybe even with a sprinkle of edible glitter. Women in the most effortless kind of street style were always running asunder and I wouldn't even want to get to those dapper French men. If I could put it in the most succinct manner, Paris is all that and more. It is not just a board straight out of Pinterest, it is that board with a hint of reality. Parisians don't poop rainbows and everything is not topped with a dollop of glitter or cream (it could be if you cared no less about your health) but it is dreamy, beautiful and instils a sense of revelry in you that no other place does. The architecture of France, which includes Pre-Roman, Romanesque, Medieval and other periods that it pans over, is so magnificent that every possible cliche on the list of touristy sights, is worth going to. In order to save you the hassle of compiling tips from twenty blogs, below is a list of ten things to do(or not to do) to have a fun short trip to Paris. It is not all inclusive and does not include the complete list of places to go to or what to eat, but it touches upon important matters:

  1. Get ready to walk. And walk a lot. Paris is a city best seen on foot because you never know what you might find in the lane adjoining your hotel. A lot of areas can be covered on foot over a few hours. And if you are as enthusiastic as we were, you will probably walk half the city and back. Comfortable shoes are a priority, as are comfortable bags.
  2. Le Marais should not be missed. This might be driven by the fact that we decided to stay in that area but I can safely say that every possible element of the Parisian culture can be found in this area. You can walk down a lane and buy wholesale jewellery or walk down another and find it lined with the cutest cafes. You could buy every possible variety of flowers (including those fabulous tulips) and you could also grab a drink at a bar where the locals hang at the same time. It is brimming with cute little boutiques and ample of street style.
  3. If you, like me are a 'need-to-see-everything' kind of a traveller then a word of caution: Do not spend an entire day at the Louvre, unless art is the purpose of your travel. There are many other museums and art galleries that you could see in the remainder of the day, which include Musee D'Orsay. Finding the most coveted paintings and sculptures at the Louvre is not hard, given that there are audio commentaries available along with some research that you could do on what to see before you actually go there.
  4. Eat and drink where the locals do. We found this little bar called Industrie in our locale of Le Marais and I believe that the fun, French evening out vibe there remains unparalleled to any of our touristy cafe jaunts. Ask the locals, see where they go for a stiff drink or a portion of their beef tartar and live a day in their life. Another must visit, albeit a little expensive is Les deux Magots at Rue de Bonaparte which incidentally, I did first find through some food blogs. 
  5. The longest walk and definitely worth all the hype is the walk to Montmartre. There are buses and trains that drop you to the plateau landing and there upwards is the most beautiful walk, where in you will cross artists sitting by the road and dreamily sketching away, bars to grab a drink on the way and even souvenir shops since Montmartre is such a tourist attraction. The walk is worth every calf muscle pain especially with the views from the top.
  6. Shopping is an expensive affair in Paris. If you are from India then you would be happy to know that at least the high end designer lines are slightly cheaper. High street is almost priced similarly but it is great in terms of the variety of brands available and the collections they are displaying at the certain point. There are plenty of indigenous small boutiques but those are definitely more expensive than the high street brands. 
  7. A little bit of working knowledge of the language will go a long way. I travelled with my sister who had been to Paris before and I was equipped with the working knowledge of the French language. It makes things like identifying food items (not all places have an english menu and not all who wait on you know english), asking for directions (simple words like left, right, straight), total sum of a bill or in a cab (working knowledge of numbers) a lot simpler. You also deal better with interactions when you have to pronounce a certain word since French pronunciations are extremely convoluted. Besides, lets not forget, a simple 'Merci' (French for Thank you) post a hearty meal will definitely leave you feeling more at home.
  8. Dressing for Paris is a tricky affair. While one way to go about it would be to wear what you are most comfortable in, the other way is to dress like the Europeans. I love European fashion and hence dressing for the weather with ample of layers, oversized coats, gloves, beanies et al was a breeze. Parisian women never over dress and a leather jacket with great pants and boots with an infinity scarf and red lips with no make up is their staple for the ideal French winter.
  9. Moulin Rouge is definitely a must watch simply because of the culture of cabaret that it introduced in all of Europe and the fact that it continues to be a highly entertaining evening spent over some champagne. Some of the acts from the 1800s continue to make their way into the evening still.
  10. This last one is for those who want to relax and just soak in the vibe. Find yourself a nice cafe (there is one literally after every two steps), preferably not near an obvious tourist attraction, pick up a book to read, alternate that with people watching and pet watching since pets are allowed everywhere (including indoors) in France, sip your cafe ou cafe au last (coffee or coffee with milk), grab a smoke with your coffee and croissant (in case tobacco is your thing!) and soak in the culture. Alternatively, you could do this somewhere outside like around the fountain in Jardin du Tuileries and also seek pride in the fact that you're sitting in a very historically significant garden.
If you are still reading, here a few snap shots from my sojourn in Paris.















If you have any questions, doubts or just random experiences to share about Paris, you are more than welcome to drop in a comment and I would love to respond to the best of my knowledge.

Bisous.

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