Culture Khichdi - 7

I did not ask her, but it seemed like a transracial adoption. One sees a lot of them in Mumbai. Tranracial adoption means parents of a particular race or ethnic group adopting a child who is of a different race or ethnic group. All in all, a perfect shot for a series titled Culture Khichdi!

Though that wasn’t why I clicked her photograph. What grabbed my attention was her smoothly tailored jacket. The fabric seemed so fluid; structured but light. And her minimal accessories really did it for me. Her look was simple yet elegant. I guess, I also fell in love with the innocent expression on the kid’s face. Such sweetness! The gentleman standing close by just happened to walk into the frame and was not a part of the family.

In the background, you can see a part of the entrance gate for the Kala Ghoda Festival. Further away, the old building you can see is the Army & Navy building. It is just one of the old buildings in a row – David Sassoon Library, Elphinstone College, the Army and Navy Building and Watson's Hotel. They are all built from the same yellow Malad stone, and give the area a unique character.

Culture Khichdi - 6

The Culture Khichdi series is far from over. I plan to finish with some interesting pictures of the installation art, and some interesting observation shots. But for now, the next in the Kala Ghoda Festival series. This young girl was all colour with her beautiful Indian kurti and juttis. With her look, I could just sense the summer around the corner. I am a big fan of juttis myself. They are a form of traditional Indian footwear, a kind of slip-ons, skillfully handcrafted in leather. Juttis are often embroidered with beads and threads in different colorful patterns to create vibrant and unique designs. Almost always flat, though heeled versions are now available, they are extremely comfortable and ideal for Mumbai’s hot climate. They can be worn with traditional Indian wear, or with a pair of jeans like this girl has worn. She was also carrying a hand embroidered bag which is not clearly visible in this photograph. All in all, she was all sunshine and bright smile.

Culture Khichdi - 5

These two were Photogs… the real stuff. They went around clicking lovely pictures of the Festival, and I decided to take one of theirs. They both had this fun air to them. I love the shoes on the one on the left, and would give an arm for the curls the lady on the right has. In the background, you can see a photography stall that took out your pictures in the seventies style. If you see carefully, in the background you can see those clay apples hanging from a tree. And I really need to invest in a better camera.

Culture Khichdi - 4

I love shoes with coloured laces. They have this real sweet playfulness to them that reminds me of the sports field from my school days.
They both had a very casual, about-town look. Dressed down appropriately enough for a street festival, they both looked really comfortable with their styles. I think that along with the shoes, the red scarf really made her stand out.

Culture Khichdi - 3

He of the funky t-shirt and pony-tailed mane. She of the Rolling Stones attitude and gold necklace. I rarely like jewelry on men. But on certain individuals, it seems so right. This couple personified Rock Chic to the last letter. They were bold, they were unique and they head-banged their entry into the shotcouture hall of fame. He was cool enough to beat the heat in head to toe black, and sporting enough to turn around and pose patiently for me to be able to shoot the back of his tee. And she was a born groupie. This one is for the Nay-Sayers who find black boring and bland. There is something very interestingly mismatched (and gladly so) about this couple and the artsy yet very Indian Kala Ghoda Festival!

Culture Khichdi - 2

This young lady and her mother turned heads as they walked down the road. I love the girl’s skirt and her mother’s tee. Dig those elephants; and she totally rocked her look with the WSD (Welfare of Stray Dogs) cap. I love fashion with a conscience! Mumbai had been extremely pleasant that day, and the girl’s clothes had a lovely summer feel to them. And the mother’s clothes were fun and said young-at-heart. They were both such gorgeous women!

Culture Khichdi at the Kala Ghoda Festival - 1

Each year, the Kala Ghoda Festival gets bigger and better. At this time of the year, this heritage rich area in Mumbai comes alive with colors and a rich potpourri of gallery and pavement art shows, literary events, film screenings, music concerts, dance performances, exhibitions, workshops, heritage walks, a food fiesta, and a street festival that brings in people from across the city, and yes, sometimes from a different part of the world. For me, it was, above everything else, an opportunity to profile fashion individuality at its diverse best. Foreigners in Indian clothes, Indians in western designer labels, and many folks dressed uniquely enough to be featured on shotcouture.

Beginning today, I will be posting pictures from the festival that concluded last week, on the 11th February. I have called this series Culture Khichdi for a simple reason. Khichdi is an Indian dish made from a combination of rice and lentils. In colloquial terms, khichdi is also used to imply a mixture of sorts (think hodge-podge in English).

This lady’s short kurta was breathtaking. A delicate green embroidery on white… and with that hair and impish smile, she reminded me of a slightly younger version of Dame Judi Dench. Those shoes, though overtly casual, make sense when you know just how much walking around is required at the festival.

Winters in Delhi- 2

The one time that I wanted to kick myself for not picking up that fringed skirt. She looks so snug and warm! And that black and brown works for her. But what I loved most about her was her hair. It was done up really cool! I really need to grow mine a little longer. Resolutions! Resolutions! Back in Mumbai, I am missing Delhi already. The two days of real cold we had here were no fun, for the simple reason that it gave us too little time to rake up our winter fashion quotient. And layering is something we are just not familiar with. Sigh!

Shoes, glorious shoes!

To visit Delhi, and not come back loaded with fashion goodies is a sartorial sin of the worst kind. High on the priority this time were shoes. Since I am already quite well-stocked on heels, I decided to pile up some flats in the shoe drawer. This shop in Modern Bazaar is a blessing. Any pair for Rs 250! I need not mention that I went quite overboard. The designs were simple and wearable, and I can vouch for their lasting quality. I have shopped here for years and the variety has never disappointed. I took home some really pretty lovelies in red, black, silver and copper. And my feet aren’t complaining either!

Delhi Winters...

Born and brought up in the Northern part of India, winters were an important part of my life. I love winters for a lot of reasons, but mostly for the lovely coats and boots one sees around at this time of the year. And no one does winter fashion better than that loveliest of cities, Delhi. The lady in the photograph is a designer by profession. From head to toe, she was dressed warm and stylish. The fact that she was carrying a hugely funky bag helped too. My only grudge is that I could not get a good picture of her jacket, since she wasn’t too keen on her face being shown on the site. Pity, because she was such a lovely!