Lakme Fashion Week - Winter Festive 2012 - Color Trends - Blue

Blue seems to be all prevalent in the coming season, if the recent shows are any indication. Many collections at the Lakme Fashion Week featured numerous different shades of the color, from sky to teal to indigo, blue was making its presence felt in most of the runway shows. Whether used with other colors, as the pre-dominent color, or as a trimming, blue is just making a comeback, and it seems likely that the color will be seen in many highly visible autumn wardrobes. Aniket Satam, the talented GenNext designer used cobalt and ink, splashed on sensuous viscose georgette, cotton jersey, raw silk and velvet, in his collection "Aarambh" (Beginning).

Anita Dongre's glamourous "Urban Goddess" collection had some stunning outfits in the preferred color of the season, while Debarun chose the colour blue as a constant for his creations as well as added beige and black for the base, to give depth to his creativity.

I am personally a big fan of Blue, and I do feel that the color works well in Indian designs and silhouettes. So while the Mumbai skies stay stubbornly grey, there is, after all, some cheerful blue to drive away the seasonal blues...

Winter Festive Color Trends - Yellow on the runway

Color always spells joy for me, whether it's in interiors, or fashion. I actively seek bright colors, and unabashedly use them as mood-lifters on Mondays and other days when things are not going too well. One of my all time, all seasons go-to color is Yellow. I love all shades of it, and I am fortunate to have a brown skin-tone that actually goes well with this color. So, it was surely a delight to see a more than generous sprinkling of yellow in the recently concluded Lakme Fashion Week Winter Festive 2012. This bright and playful hue will be a big scorcher this season. Full of warm vitality, yellow made an appearance in just about every other show at the fashion week. Bold and brave in edgy outfits, finding a perfect companion in black, or lending an audacious streak to an otherwise subdued outfit, yellow spoke out loud on every day of the Fashion Week. From pale yellow to bright lemon – yellow is the color for those who don't feel particularly mellow this season. Among the designers who made some fabulous use of one of my favorite colors is Deepika Govind who sent some spirited interpretations of the color down the runway.

Ken Fernandes adorned his yellows with Rorschach inkblot test-like patterns, giving them a dark and elegant twist.

Prashant Chauhan and Tanya Sharma blended two of the season's prominent trends - yellow and sheer to create some glamour-infused high fashion designs.

Mayank Anand, Pia Pauro, Payal Khandwala, and Sailex make just a few names in the list of designers who played with yellow in the upcoming season's collections.

It's such a delight that this sunny hue is getting its due, and how! And with yellow around, Orange too promises to stick around a little more. Orange and yellow usually make an appearance together. For more trend updates and fashion week collection reviews, please join my facebook page www.facebook.com/shotcouture.

Lakme Fashion Week Winter Festive 2012 Preview - Rohan Arora

Okay, so let me get the bad news out of the way first. between my last post on his collection, and this preview, the super cute designer, Rohan Arora, got married! Considering his female fan following, and the immensely prolific designer's well-acknowledged talent, there must have been quite a few hearts broken. But there is good news yet, ladies. The man seems to have found his Muse, because he floors us yet again with a quirky, fascinating take on fashion footwear. And this time, he is irreverent, as usual, but with an unusual take that will have to laughing all the way from a bad hair day to a fabulous shoes day! Yup, you heard me. I have always believed that drop-dead awesome shoes are a perfect foil to a bad hair day. And Rohan's upcoming collection at the Lakme Fashion Week Winter Festive 2012, inspired by Indian Cinema's "Item Girls" and "Item Boys" promises to have people looking at your feet, all day long! "Item Songs" in Indian cinema are song and dance numbers introduced in a movie, to up the entertainment quotient of a film, and bring in more audience. these glamourous, high energy dances often become the highlight of the film, with the dancers even stealing the limelight from the actual leads of the story! And Rohan's shoes might be conspiring to do just that. I love the way this man thinks! I mean, everyone talks rhetoric when it comes to collection inspirations. Rohan gets funny and well, quite off the mark, in a very very nice way. He belongs to that new league of designer, who thankfully never had a decent one-on-one conversation with the mundane and the conventional. The "Item Collection", by Rohan Arora plays with exotic colours, intricate traditional embroidery and unconventional silhouettes, and includes a mix of varied materials like brocade,pure satin, sheep skin, pure silk and handwoven khadi. Unusual shoes from an unconventional designer, that surprisingly, hold well with a wedding trousseau as well as casual pair of shirt and denims. I can't stop gawking since I found these images in my inbox! Drool with me. Can't wait to see these at the show!

Lakme Fashion Week Winter Festive 2012 - Preview - Atithi Gupta

You wouldn’t believe the weather in Mumbai. The Sun, it seems, has gone on a vacation. It’s grey and Monsoon clouds are looming, but little to no rain. Mumbai, my friends, could do with some festive cheer. And we are now just a week away from an ample dose of just what the doctor ordered, the Lakme Fashion Week Winter festive 2012, is almost here! The line-up and the schedule is up on the website, and I am all geared up for the shows. Here, in Shotcouture, like ever season, I am doing a set of previews from the collections of the designers showing at Lakme, some new, some old favorites. And one name that has found iself on the pages of Shotcouture, season after season, is the versatile Atithi Gupta. Having made her debut as a Gen-next designer at the Lakme Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2009, Atithi has returned to the Lakme Fashion Week several times, everytime showcasing a collection that inspires and amazes. Her upcoming collection, titled ‘Azul’ a Spanish word, which means "blue" , concentrates more on feminine, minimalistic, wearable wear in a colour palette of strong blues, pastel powdery purples to greys and blacks. Atithi returns to the Lakme Runway with a collection that plays with georgettes, wrinkled crepe, chiffons and cotton silks, fabrics that create movement for strong woman. Every outfit is adorned with details of fine pleats, with tops, jumpsuits, and dresses suitable for both day and night wear. The collection is designed to adorn and follow the movements of the body, communicating through both form and feeling. I find Atithi’s designs very contemporary, with a subtle underlining of modern day romance. Even in this dull Mumbai weather, they evoke memories of moonlit nights and sunshine filled mornings. For now, I am leaving you to grab a quick cup of late afternoon coffee, but not before posting a couple of pictures from Atithi’s upcoming collection.

Lakme fashion Week Winter Festive 2012 Preview - Vaishali Shadangule

If her previous collections are anything to go by, it’s anybody’s guess that Vaishali Shadangule’s young fashion label is a power house of talent and creativity. Her contemporary designs crafted from Indian hand woven textiles have brought her into the style file of the discerning Indian Fashionistas. Her clothing line is a delightful and contemporary mix of traditional Indian wear, Indo-western and western wear. For her collection at the upcoming Lakme Fashion Week, Vaishali finds her muse in Colors of Indian Festivals! Her collection, titled “Reverb” is an all out celebration of the Colors of Indian Festivals. It encapsulates the joy that is an integral part of the Indian cultural fabric, weaving together the many diversities found in the country’s many regions. Going beyond creating designs that fuse many influences, Vaishali is creating silhouettes that play with the form, while retaining the authenticity of their origin through conventional drapes and cuts of traditional garments. Using Indian textiles like silk, chanderi, organza, brocade, and khand with colours like blue, red, white and gold, she seeks to capture the true spirit of life’s most vivid celebrations. All these fabrics have a very strong and deep association with celebrations and festivals and set the correct look for the collection. The garments are embellished with red, blue and gold flowers to give a feeling of celebration. Vaishali hopes that the progression and variation of layers and contrast featured in her collection will grow on its audience.

Weekends filled with Love and Life

So how is your weekend going? Is it bring spent with family, friends or at work (ugh!)? I hope you are having a fabulous time, though, and not working. Husband came home after about ten days of work related traveling, so I am really excited about spending quality time with him. Also, that means I can cook and cook and cook, and have someone to share those meals with. Weekend cooking is among the most relaxing activities for me. And so is shopping! The weather in Mumbai continues to be wet and humid, so all my Cold Tea Arsenal is out most evenings. Nothing beats the persistent Monsoon Blues better than a tall, cold glass of fruit infusion or green tea! Catching up with the husband, there is so much to talk about! He travelled across three very different cities, and has so many stories to tell. Speaking of stories, this post is about a weekend "Yummy Yatra" (Journey for Taste)that I went on in the first week of July, along with some fellow foodies from Mumbai. This was an event sponsored by Zomato.com, one of the fastest growing restaurant review sites in the country. The group of foodies, who call themselves Pet Pujaris (Stomach worshipers)are the most fun people I have met in some time. I always believe that foodies might not be best of friends with the weighing scales, but have ample friends to boast of otherwise. The same goes for Pet Pujaris. Not a sad, forlorn soul there! You can check out their Facebook page HERE.

So with Pet Pujaris I traveled to Pune, sampling food at six different places in just two days! Believe me, there was a lot of eating involved. Sharing with you some of the foods we foodies shared over that weekend!

Here is wishing you a great week ahead. Am busy designing more and more accessories for the collection. Will be posting those soon. Between designing, cooking, writing and traveling, my days are kind of full. And that's just the way I want them to be. Please share with me your weekend trysts with life and love.

Hugs, Prati All Food Photographs, courtesy Pet Pujaris on Facebook.

Back to Bandagi

One more week gone, and boy, I had a hectic weekend! I slept for just about 3-4 hours over the last three days. I started work on the next collection of Bandagi, my own accessories line. Bandagi means Worship! I have made some pretty headbands and hair pins, and am now moving on to some more accessories. It has been exhilarating and exhausting. Sunday was for friends, at the Saltwater Cafe in Mumbai. Excellent food. Great company. My breakfast project is going strong. Please check the link above for details and recipes can be found on my other blog : www.lifein2suitcases.com How is your week going? I am gearing up for the Lakme Fashion Week, scheduled for August. This will be a busy month. But I'd rather wear out than rust out. What do you do to relax when life is on a fast track?

Lakme Fashion Week - Winter/Festive 2012 - Gen Next Preview

The Lakme Fashion Week Winter Festive 2012 is back! Scheduled from 3rd August to 7th August, the fashion extravaganza is definitely a first ranker on every fashion high flyer’s To-Do List for the year. One key aspect of this Fashion Week is the consistent focus on scouting for and promoting fresh and upcoming talent. This year too, Winter/ Festive 2012 will see 7 Gen Next, 15 Emerging and 3 Accessory designers showcasing their collections.

And the budding designers who will be exhibiting theIr collections at the much awaited extravaganza have their task cut out for them. For in the past, the Gen Next Collection has thrown up some massive talent. Quirky sensibilities have flirted with practical aesthetics in collections and designs that have made the critics sit up and take notice of the young designers who have given this opportunity their very best shot. It’s no mean guess then, that the entire lot of Gen Next Designers for this season are currently busy getting ready for their Big Day. Two of the uber-talented designers, Tanya Sharma and Prashant Chauhan took a quick, brief breather from their back-breaking schedule to give Shotcouture a quick update on their upcoming collections. Tanya’s collection for GaGa, her own fashion label, will be a unique streetwear interpretation of the classic achkan and the tuxedo. Her silhouettes are a mix of menswear, clubbed with the traditional Indian wear. Designs like the tuxedo sari, the achkan kaftan seek to redefine the conservative achkan and tuxedo look into a transcendental space more reminiscent of contemporary aesthetics. She has highlighted the Indian aspect of her designs through the use of Indian fabrics and embroideries like silk ikat, net chikankari embroidery, georgette with vintage kasab and sequins embroidery. The colors palette for this very intense and modern collection includes mustard, royal blue, peach and a generous streak of fluorescent pink. Prashant’s collection takes its inspirations from the verdant and picturesque Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand, India. His inspiration comes from a celebration of the air of silent mystery that surrounds the valley. He seeks to capture the essence of Nature through details, prints and decorations inspired by the Valley’s stunning fauna. Upbeat, modern signature pieces celebrate a woman, who like the valley, embodies a formidable Force Of Nature. Prashant’s collection uses the vast canvas of valley’s flowers for color inspiration. He has experimented with bold, vibrant and playful combinations that enhance the glamorous appeal of the designs, and at the same time infuse them with an untouched innocence. The collection uses natural fibres like hemp, soya, ramie and flex, and seeks to turn these natural fibres into timeless pieces of art.

If these two young designers are anything to go by, this season too, the Gen Next Show promises to be an event to look forward too. It is always a treat and a delight to see a new generation of designers reinterpret the existing trends and give them new dimensions.

For The Love Of Food And Mankind

This weekend was an extra special one. I went on a Food Sojourn unlike any other. Within one weekend, I travelled along with a group of Mumbai's avid foodies "Pet Pujaris" (Food worshipers) to Pune, on a trip to sample different cuisines. We ate at six different places, and came back both tired and delighted. I met some very interesting people, and made some new friends. From Spanish Fritattas, to creamy Strawberry Mousse, it was one awesome journey for the taste buds! The lovely rain drenched roads, and green hillsides welcomed us on our way back to Mumbai. Monday is almost over, and I am still living with the food hangover. Fun, food, friends... What more can one ask for on a weekend!

What a fabulous weekend! Rains, hot cups of tea, good food, great music, and peaceful quality time with husband. Saw a wonderful movie, "Gangs Of Wasseypur" on Friday. My brother-in-law has a key role in the film, so it was bonus happiness for the family that it's promising to be a huge hit, and is massively critically acclaimed. Can't believe it's Sunday evening already. How was your weekend?

Check out the trailer here. Warning: It's a gritty, grimy story about the real Gangs of Wasseypur in India. Will post a review soon. 

Monsoon Secrets...

Monsoons are hitting Mumbai shores and I can relate to the woes of many Mumbai Shoe addicts who are forced to reduce the usage of their beautiful towering heels in order to protect them from the weather. I myself cannot wear high heels any more because of a permanent knee injury, but that does not stop me from giving in to a cute pair every now and then. Though the only place I can truly wear them Is my home. Well, to each their guilty little secret!

Speaking of secrets… I am, these days, addicted to a delightful sin… reading other people’s confessions on the super fun Facebook App, by Steve Madden India. It’s not enough that Steve Madden is finally available to India's Shoe crazy women, the App is bringing out the yummy secrets of women bursting to let out a secret or two. If your secret is particularly dark, you have the option of making an ‘Anonymous” confession. Trust me, it’s super fun reading through what some of our fellow women have been up to. You can check out the confessions at www.redshoesoiree.com

Some of my favorites are a combination of passion, secrets and a bit of tongue in cheek humor.

“I think I'm a little Shoesbian.”

“I have made out with both my best friends and they both don't know about it! And coincidentally they both are my fashion stylists! Most of what footwear i own, has been selected by them!”

My only grouse is that the posted secrets stay on the page for only a short while. So you have to keep going back to read the new ones. Not that I am complaining though. Apart from my daily visit to the Soiree Lounge, I am indulging in some great Me-Time with my breakfast project taking off and doing rather well. In fact, it was featured in Hindustan Times this Sunday!

Guest Post - Rachel of Capturing Italy- Season Trends

Rachel is no stranger to most of the bloggers. Lithe and beautiful, this lissom model and designer has been an inspiration to so many of us. After having quit her day job, Rachel travelled to Rome, and made the city her home while she learned how to make custom clothing. Now, having returned to San Diego, CA, Rachel is now adding a dash to beauty with her line of bespoke clothing. She continues to travel and explore new places, making friends and touching lives. In the following Guest post, she has been kind enough to share some of her favourite trends from this season and this year. Neon - I'm actually surprised that I ended up loving the neon trend so much. My first inclination was more toward pastels, but the "fierceness" of the bold colors overtook me! I love how it is borderline edgy to wear happy colors due to the bright hue of neon. I think my favorite way however to wear neon, is in tiny pops of accent on a more muted or neutral outfit. You can see examples of this in both outfits here, both coincidentally photos at the beach. (http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/04/neon-by-beach.html and http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/03/surfers-wear-neon.html)

Stripes - Stripes are a year-round staple in my mind, and are probably my favorite print to mix with and be a bit fun and crazy with. I like how they can be preppy or edge depending on how the outfit is styled. (http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/03/yellow-pink.html andhttp://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/04/candy-stripes.html and http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2011/12/ladylike.html andhttp://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/01/stripes-spikes-and-chevron.html and http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/05/florals-stripes-on-dock.html

Black and White - I've always been a fan of this combination, so naturally I'm happy to see it is a trend. It will always have a classic vibe. (http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/04/chicago-trip-1.html and http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/03/pleats-stripes.htmland http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2011/12/downtown-seattle-day-2.html)

Bra Tops, Bustiers, and Crochet - I figure while I'm still young enough to pull it off, why not go for the midriff-exposing trends? Certainly I firmly believe that some major judgement of location needs to be assessed before exposing skin in this way, but you will notice I live in Southern California near the beach, therefore that is where I'm usually wearing it. I don't see myself going to a black-tie dinner or church in it... so wise judgement in location is advised! (http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/03/pastels-for-clouds.html, http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/04/neon-by-beach.html and http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2011/12/white-wonderland.html and http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/01/cashmere-crochet-featured.html and http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2011/06/pink-posh-on-boardwalk.html - actually posted last spring!)

Platforms and Wooden Wedge - I've been in love with these Steve Madden wedges since I purchased them months ago. Can I just say, they are the hardest thing to walk in ever?! Since they are so flat on the bottom with the wood, there is no give. So one bump in the road or any rock and I'm toast! I've tripped in them probably 400 times....but of course I keep wearing them. They truly are comfortable, since they are so flat, it feels like I'm just standing on level ground. Not 5 inches from the ground. (http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2011/06/pink-posh-on-boardwalk.html - actually posted last spring!)

Floral - I think floral tends to come around every spring, doesn't it? I love it each and every year. (http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2011/02/la-dolce-vita.html - over a year ago and http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2011/07/creme-nude-scalloped-platforms.html and http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/03/pastels-for-clouds.html and http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2011/03/primavera.html - in Rome and http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/05/florals-stripes-on-dock.html

Gingham - This is a favorite Springtime classic trend of mine. I love the vintage country chic feel to gingham. http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/02/marionette.html

Wearing Fruit - I think this is a fun alternative to florals! http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/05/wearing-fruit-for-spring.html

Tail Hem Trend - This is a new one for me... wasn't sure I was going to give it a go, but I loved the elegance of this dress. http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/05/mint-at-beach.html

Mint & Seafoam - These are two of my favorite colors, regardless of any trends. So naturally I'm all about this one! http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/05/mint-at-beach.html and http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/03/melancholy-blues.html and http://capturingitaly.blogspot.com/2012/02/goodnight-macaroon.html