The devil’s advocate

At the rate of 300 words per minute interrupted only by contagious laughter Catherine McQueen tells me how the only thing she gets high on is music and I immediately know this is going to be interesting. Well, how could it possibly not be, sitting before me at the Taj Mount Road was a bond girl who has dabbled in everything from modeling to soliciting, been the face of brands like Chanel and Dior and could twist an arm if necessary thanks to four years of Tae Kwondo. From graduating with a degree in Law from the prestigious Edinburgh University to hosting shows for MTV and ESPN she is determined to make the most of the one life that she believes everyone gets.
After having learnt that she personally prefers Rnb to other genres, I steer the conversation to turntablism and her celeb Dj status as she is in the city to spin house tracks at Blend the same evening. I wonder aloud if her dance track ‘Time after Time’ reaching no 15 in the US Billboard Charts is what got her started and she explains, “A few years back when my modeling contract of three months had ended and I had nothing much to do in L.A, Emma, a friend of mine from my modeling days in UK who worked as a dj asked me if I would be interested in joining her. With a little help from her I was soon hooked on and yes the dance track helped too.”
The 5’9” stunner who started modelling at the age of 16 after being chosen finalist for Scotland in The Elite Model Look pageant, claims she’s a jean and tee girl who loves high heels because they instantly make her feel sexy. Speaking of brands she’s very much in awe of Louis Vuitton. “ I have had this amazing LV bag for quite sometime that has been to the jungle, the desert, the beach and has practically been thrown around, but is in great shape till today(touches wood). So I guess I can say Louis Vuitton is a brand I definitely swear by”
For someone who has worked and lived out of a lot of cities around the world she brings up London and L.A quite often during the conversation leading me to further delve into the relationship she shares with both places. “Eventhough I am scottish, London is a lot like home to me. I absolutely love the place, but the weather sucks. Maybe if I could have place like london with the weather of L.A, then I would have my ideal city”, she laughs.
While she might be a bond girl in the widest sense of the term, making an appearance in the Pierce Brosnan starrer ‘Die Another Day’ is something she says, will always cherish. “ I have been fascinated by James bond ever since I was five and I have always loved watching the International espionage kind of movies. So being a part of one felt truly amazing.” Going by the fact that she has toured India quite a bit over the years and also played at Sunburn 2009(Goa) I bring up Bollywood and she animatedly describes her experience of watching Sanjay leela Bansali’s ‘Devdas’ on a Diwali with friends.“I just loved how beautifully the colours were shot and Aishwarya rai is really really beautiful” she adds.What would be her reaction if someone chose to cast her in a Bollywood flick I ask and she excitedly quips, “ Fantastic! I am there” and bursts into laughter.

Forever

These sensible wardrobe investments will see you through anything from the psychedelic rage to the monochrome craze, even global recession

In the highly erratic world of fashion nothing is as constant as change. By the time you’ve figured out fall’s colours it’s already time to stock up for spring summer and just when you’ve picked up the season’s ‘it’ bag you realize it doesn’t exactly go with anything you already have in your wardrobe. While experimentation with trends is fun, investing in these classic pieces will ensure you stay stylish not just today but well after even all of this season’s hottest trends have faded into oblivion

1 The LBD
Invest in a Little Black Dress today and wear it five years from now and you will still turn heads. Little or ‘not so little’ (even maxi versions of the dress work great) a versatile classic that is definitely not going to exit the fashion scene anytime soon.

2 White button down shirt
A crisp, well-cut white shirt is a constant in most of the world’s best dressed men and women’s wardrobes.

3 Aviators
Popularised by the movie Top Gun in the 80’s, they have been around for quite a while now. The reason every guy should own a pair is, irrespective of your face shape you will always find a pair that looks great on you.

4 Dark wash jeans
The classic dark wash is a must have for both men and women. With just one pair that fits well you can effortlessly pull off a minimum of five different looks.

5 Black dress pants
They may never make a statement on their own but can multitask like no other garment. Boardroom/bar/barbeque/night club/fat days they work for all occasions and all seasons.

6 Black Dress Shoes
The unmistakable staple of a gentleman’s wardrobe. Dress up with polished loafers or choose a slip on style in relaxed leather for casual occassions

7 Chiffon saris
Lithe, modern and perfectly reflecting the spirit of the emancipated woman of today chiffon saris are everything that the traditional nine yards were never meant to be. Embellished or underplayed, they will never get dated.

8 Sports Jacket
In a solid colour like black, navy blue or brown because patterns can fade in and out. Sports jackets have a slightly more relaxed fit when compared to blazers

9 Pumps
Shoes that require no fastening or lacing, as the foot could be slipped into them. A good pair of pumps with towering heels will see you through many seasons to come

10 Short kurti
When designer Monisha Jaising cut the length of the kurta, little did we expect that it would soon acquire cult status. Frequent attempts to write off the humble garment as ‘so last year’ have failed because of its high comfort factor and flaw concealing benefits.

New woman

Just by insisting they would never want to be considered the ‘superior’ sex and would rather be treated as a respectable equal they confirm, most subtly, an undeniable superiority of thought

There was a time when she let others take charge -the conformist. Time passed, she read, she traveled, she rebelled -the feminist. What is she today? How does she define herself? This is what I set out to discover when in conversation with these five very talented women who supremely value their independence just as much as they respect relationship ties. Just by insisting that they would never want to be considered the ‘superior’ sex and would rather be treated as respectable equals they managed to confirm, most subtly, an undeniable superiority of thought. Going by their opinion on everything from eating alone at a restaurant, going dutch on a date, to riding motorcycles and single women adopting kids (increasingly common to an extent that probably by next women’s day you will not even think it’s a big deal) it turns out that the ‘new woman’ is way too busy discovering new things, spending quality time with herself or being a super mom to engage herself in meaningless gender based power games or for that matter even feministic bra burning.. As Rehane put it, I guess it indeed is passé to even give gender issues so much of thought.

Paloma
VJ

Top gear:I think a woman riding a motorcycle is very sexy, those who do definitely have my admiration but it requires certain skills that I myself do not possess. If I was any better with automobiles I would definitely have considered giving it a try.

Anjali Venkat
Artist

Top dog:I think being in a relationship with a less successful spouse has never been an issue for women because its men who have been conditioned to believe that they have to be the bread winners and yes the world is cruel too, which doesn’t make it any easier.

Rehane
Designer

Table for one:
I travel a lot and have eaten alone at restaurants and bistros a lot of times. I think its something that’s completely necessity based. You are hungry when on your own, you go grab a bite. I see no reason why you shouldn’t just because you are a woman.

Surya Dinkar
Photographer

Cheque please:Even today men at some level men like it when you are dependant on them. Picking up the tab seems to give them a sense of superiority, which is why I would never let a man pay for me unless he was my boyfriend. I always prefer going dutch.


Lata madhu
Entrepreneur

Single mom:I personally know single women who have adopted kids and I think anything women do, they do it with a lot of passion so there is no reason why they shouldn’t. This may not be the ideal choice but I know women who are doing a truly fabulous job.