Love Aaj Kal

Sure, you can’t buy love but these absolutely fab gifts might just entitle you to unlimited hugs and kisses

It’s no longer as simple as boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after.Modern day relationships are quite complicated, not so surprisingly, because it now involves very complex people with very complex lives. But that makes it all the more important to reassure a special someone on the fact that they mean the world to us every now and then. Maybe that’s the reason why someone set aside a day just for love (so that we could get away with being total idiots during the rest of the year). So this Feb. 14th take some time off to say to say ‘I love you’ and what better way than to say it with one of these

Love box

Any woman would more than appreciate a personalized gift hamper from Bodyshop especially after all the years of waiting for the brand to open up a flagship outlet in the city. Throw in a membership card too and you can be assured of her devotion. Priced at Rs 1000 upwards, Morrocan Rose gift box available at Bodyshop, Ampa Skywalk.

Passion potion

Voted by Vogue India’s beauty director as the most romantic pick of the month, you cannot possibly go wrong with this deliciously masculine fragrance by Carolina Herrera with notes of patchouli, musk and cedar wood that comes in sexy brown leather packaging. Priced at Rs 3,450, available at available at Lifestyle, Citicentre Plaza. Details: 28477744

Red hot

Picture how gorgeous she would look in this red halter top with rosettes and smock detail as you both dance the night away and you will get exactly why this one’s so strongly recommended. Priced at Rs 899, available at Lifestyle, Citicentre Plaza. Details: 28477744

Twosome

You don’t need his and hers tees to look good together. You can match your gorgeous red lipstick or heels to this super hot tie on your Valentine’s night out. Priced at Rs 999, available at Zodiac, Khader Nawaz Khan Road. Details: 65245084

Bear hug

Relationship rules can change and so can gender roles, but the reactions that a cute teddy bear can evoke in a woman, well that’s not going to change anytime soon. A sophisticated take on the fuzzy animal, Swarovski’s faceted clear crystal ‘Blowing kisses’ Kris bear. Priced at Rs 4420, available at Swarovski, Ispahani centre, Nungambakkam.


Mind games

You might see competition in this totally attention demanding 17’’ laptop equipped with the latest Core 17 Quadcore processor which supposedly is one heck of a gaming device. But allowing for the fun possibilities of challenging him to a game, the MSI GT 740 is a great gifting option, and it’s red too. Priced at Rs 1.2 lakhs, available at www.msi.com

Huggables


Short on cash definitely does not equal short on love. For all those on a budget barista has a range of adorable cuddles priced at Rs 175 upwards. Available at all Barista outlets in the city

Stupid cupid

It’s the age of clubhopping, mobile phones and social networking sites, so the cupid strikes quite often, but, the real test comes with making ‘that thing called love’ last. And making it last means hard work (extra hard work nowadays considering we are the generation that has the term ‘falling out of love’ included in our vocabulary). But right in the middle of our crazy, jet paced, confused lives, love continues to give us the most beautiful of fairy tales. So we had these three couples who happen to be living the fairytale (and also know a thing or two about the city’s most romantic hotspots) pitch in with some great suggestions for valentines day on everything from the perfect coffee place to popping the question the right way


Chetan Acharya and Priyanka Palani

Says Priyanka “I told Chetan that I wanted him to cook us dinner for Valentine's Day, but for the sake of both our tongues and tummies I think we'll be having dinner at a nice restaurant. You don't have to make extravagant plans for the day, just spend time with your loved one.”
Popping the question: Someplace in nature would be truly romantic, but Chennai doesn't have much of that (other than the beach which is not private enough) so an elegant, quiet restaurant with romantic lighting would be the best. Our personal pick would be Prego in Taj Coromandel.
Quick weekend away: Kumarakom! The greenery and backwaters of Kerala inspire a peacefulness that is best enjoyed with your partner at your side.
Crazy for love: Hanging a banner over Anna flyover declaring their feelings. But for the record we definitely discourage this because it could cause an accident or two (laughs)


Craig Gallyot and Pooja Ramachandran

Says Craig “We are off to Ooty because it’s the only place where we can hold hands and walk on the roads and buy carrots and eat for just Rs 5 and of course also because the weather guarantees a lot of hugging(laughs).”
Coffee and conversation: ‘Paprika’ at Courtyard by Marriot is a great place for a nice cup of coffee and some privacy.
A ‘hearty’ meal: Our personal favourite is Sigree because we have this special place there that we are escorted to and also because we both share a weakness for their amazing dal makhani
Fun night out: Definitely Dublin or Blend!


Vivek Karunakaran and Shreya Kamalia

Says Vivek “Well we usually do not really sit down to make plans for special days like this. We try and go with the day and suit ourselves to the best of what the day has to offer. It might be a dinner out with close friends or maybe jus some wine & slow dancing at home”
Offbeat: Plan a surprise trip to bandipur national park or even a quick getaway to Pondicherry and enjoying the leisure of Auroville would be an interesting option.
DVD pick: Notting Hill / When harry met sally / Pretty woman
For last minute gifts (that are unfailingly romantic): Head to Amethyst or The Box

Made to fit

Five years ago Lata Madhu was inspired by her daughter’s homework (a simple collage) to start off a retail space like no other. With two stores, an ever-growing designer base and an extremely loyal following the entrepreneur talks about her unfailing support system, plans for this year and how every new day is just as challenging

Then and now
I started in a small way. The only one thing that we were very clear about right from the beginning was that we wanted a retail space that people would look at and say wow! I cannot take credit for the interiors because that’s entirely my husband’s brain child and while initially we were just looking for interesting clothes, we are now very streamlined and are mostly into textures.

Experiments with style
Right from the time I was in school I have always been fascinated by good clothes even though I never had ideas of becoming a designer or opening a store. Even now I would never want to become a designer myself; I am just interested in discovering brilliant designs for myself and others. When you travel abroad there are some stores like the Louis Vuitton apparel store that really influence you. The clothes might not exactly be wearable but they capitalize on that ‘feel good’ factor that just compels you to walk out with something every time you walk in.

Personal style
There have never been any pressures related to always being well turned out as I represent Collage because it’s not just now, I have always been very organized. It’s almost an obsession, something that I think have inherited from my mother. I can’t stand to see the remote control on the couch, it has to be on the table or the tassels of my carpet being walked upon, they have to be set right. This aspect of my nature extends to the way I dress as well. I would never look at the way someone dresses and say this is the way I want to look even if I think they dress fabulous. I would rather

Favourites on the rack
Are designers like Anand kabra and Manish Gupta who are a lot into textures and never disappoint when it comes to being different. Now people here understand that designers who are different are definitely expensive and don’t mind spending that extra buck

On Indian designers
Every time I go abroad I cannot help thinking just how fabulous our Indian designers are. It’s not always a long dress or a short dress; there is so much variety over here. Personally I think we are doing great in terms of fabrics, colours and textures and where we really need to grow is with our finish and accessories

On Chennai
Chennai is definitely a conservative city but conservative does not have to be boring. I have lived in cities like Bombay and Delhi as well and so can definitely vouch for the fact that the people of this city are very chic. They know what they are and know exactly what works for them. They know that being stylish does not necessarily mean being fashionable. Infact 60 % of my clientele would rather be safe than fashionable

Designers and styles
Most of the designers who retail out of our stores (Chennai and Bangalore) are well established but that definitely does not stop us from signing on young designers who are promising. Even with the collections of the ones who are well-known we are now at a position where we can afford to pick and choose styles that go with the store’s design sensibilities. What you see at both the stores is a mix of what I want and what my sister wants. Considering the fact that we never agree on anything you have an interesting combination of two very different opinions.

On exclusivity
At Collage we have different kinds of people coming in. We have young daughters shopping with their mothers, people who are looking for something fun to wear and then again we also have people who are very very specifically looking for something stylish. The one thing that we never compromise on is exclusivity. We’ve never believed in sizing or duplicating styles

On never disappointing
This is where the pressure comes in. We share a very special connection with the people who shop out of the store. Like this good friend of mine who is a very well known dancer, it’s been a most wonderful journey with her and her family. People come in knowing they will always find good clothes and we never want to disappoint them.

This year

• Expect more events. We really want people to have fun while shopping so we hope to have a lot more of them.
• Accessory lines from designers like Protima Bannerji and Rahul Mishra. We are working on our accessories because that’s something that the city definitely needs
• A lot more colour
• A younger store (with fun clothes targeted at a younger crowd) in Hyderabad or Kochi.


Shop at Collage for
Smart chic: Rahul Reddy /Manish Gupta
Classic styles: Priyadarshini Rao/ Rina Dhaka
Bohemian: Free falling/Payal Singhania
Festive looks: Free falling/Rimzin Dadu


Prices start from Rs 4000 and go upto a lakh

Haute off the ramp

Interviewing Designer Sidney Sladen at the venue



The buzz started with an announcement on facebook and before long it became the hottest and most debated of topics at social events. There were deliberations, deliberations and more deliberations on whether we (as a city), were actually ready for a fashion event of this scale, but all doubts were set to rest when day after day people at their fashionable best, made it all the way to Le Royal Meridien from 16th - 20th December to witness the first international fashion week of the city. Explained an elated Shakti Girish, Chief Editor, Galatta cinema, who is already in the middle of model castings for season 2, “While I might have been the pivotal force behind the event, the person who actually went ahead and made things happen despite over 500 people telling him it would never work out was Gaurav Sharma and he definitely deserves a lot more credit than what he’s already got.” “There was a lot of enthusiasm and excitement and it was the positive response from the city that has made us decide to make CIFW a biannual Affair” added Gaurav Sharma of Storm Fashion company.
Loungy, resort style silhouettes, abstract prints and a LOT of Kollywood characterized this five day event which as Shakti Girish puts it, was more about bringing to the notice of manufacturers, retailers and suppliers world over that Chennai is fashion ready to both supply and buy than to actually generate buyers. “In the last five years retail in Chennai has really boomed. Other cities like Delhi and Mumbai already have a huge fashion line up and which is exactly why we (the team) felt that it makes much more sense to start something in a city like this where there is a lot of untapped potential”, she added.
Noticeably, the most interesting designs came from the newbies and the international designers who came with no preconceived notions about the city.
Day 1
With relaxed silhouettes and abstract prints Pria Kataria Puri’s 80’s inspired opening collection was wearable but definitely lacking in imagination. The choreography and Koena Mitra hardly did anything to the ‘not so exciting’ colour palette but Delhi based Chirag Joshi’s three lines more than made up for the luke warm opening. The very chic Cotton Couture, prismatic Flora and Fauna and Kamasutra (very interesting, indianised interpretations of the LBD) are perfect for Chennai. Nothing OTT, but very sleek and stylish. Ishita Singh did justice to fusion wear (a much abused term nowadays). Her floor length skirts with suspenders, embellished waist coats and showstopper Genelia were contagiously vibrant. Jason and Anshu’s line was vibrant with fruity hues. Sri Lankan designer Yolanda Aluwihare with jungle beats and brilliant animal prints gave us the action that we were all looking for and Chennai’s own Sidney Sladen with a power packed finale and showstoppers Neil Nitin Mukesh and Namita ensured that the gliterrati of Chennai was in full attendance. “Chennai has always been a fashion destination, but things were never loud here, unlike other cities like Delhi and Bombay, till very recently,” said the designer as he talked about how delighted he was to be a part of the event and the very special relationship that he shared with the city.

Day 2
Bangalore based designer Yogitha Ramamurthy opened with a line of hand-woven saris with elaborate pallavs in silk and silk blends, followed by a fun and free spirited collection by Richa Kapoor of Chennai. A very bohemian line with retro touches. Hooded tops, sheath dresses, duster coats in aubergines, blacks and cinnamons - Sanchita Ajjampur’s collection that gave the ancient craft of Sashiko quilting a modern twist was breathtaking. After Yolanda, Fahad Sheriff gave us added reason to follow the fashion scene in Srilanka more seriously as his label Middle finger’s uber cool clothes with noticeably great finish did thoroughly inspire us to get buff (they do not retail x sizes). Anurag Goenka’s casuals for men were very contemporary. Rehane’s ‘Looks like love’ was romantic and whimsical, think Midsummer Night’s dream, with delicate lacer cutwork detail. Looks like the designer has come a long way from her ‘Space Age Sundari’ days. Among others who were spotted on Day 2 choreographer Sunil Menon shared with us “I am definitely excited about the city witnessing its first international fashion week but would have loved to have seen a more Chennai oriented team behind the event”. His thoughts were echoed by jewellery designer and Stylist Ratika Kaul Haksar who was also present in a stunning blue number.

Day 3
Micro shorts, ruffled blouses and skinny pants in white, white and more white. A monochrome colour palette, but Revathy, Radhika and Rays’collection was anything but monotonous. Hopefully we will get to see a lot more of this very young designer trio and their very chic clothes. With dresses, in neutrals, inspired by the pleats of the sari, Satkrit’s ‘Kanchipuram’ paid perfect tribute to the nine yard drape while Archana Kochar’s sapphire inspired line was tediously blue. Throughout, the signature international hour did not disappoint and on Day 3 the fashionista in Rachel G of Singapore totally came through in her line that was soft and feminine yet very very powerful. There was something almost poetic about the jasmine decked models who walked the ramp for Vikram Phadnis’s finale. Bringing back ancient Mughal influences with contemporary twists the intricately detailed lehngas, sherwanis and achkans were sheer opulence.

Day 4
Pooja Rajvanshi’s shirt style kameez is bound to find a way into most Chennai wardrobes. Inspired by the colours of the pearl this designer from Rajasthan presented a collection of evening gowns, tunics and skirts. Nazia Syeds ‘Art Nouveau’ inspired collection in chiffon and satin silk was a good mix of the old and the new. Nishka Lulla’s line was everything that was expected- youthful, kitschy and fun and Tamanna was the perfect muse. The tunics and paneled dresses with mirror and threadwork embellishments perfectly reflected the delightfully adventurous design sensibilities of the very young designer. Something that CIFW could definitely have done without is the Reebok Easy tone show and we are still wondering why we did not get to see more of Louie Mariette’s head pieces which everybody seemed to be looking forward to after having caught glimpses of the man, his muse and one or two of the totally attention demanding head pieces at the Kingfisher Lounge. Sanjana Jon’s show was energetic but a tad film oriented.

Day 5
Rahul and Gunjan’s line of flowy dresses inspired by USA pears was prismatic. Satya Paul was predictable. Jasbir Jamani’s collection was high on glam and the jazz performance(which we heard was show director Anupama Varma’s idea) added interest to the showing of intricately printed corsets and flowy netted gowns. It was ‘art meets fashion’ at its best with Lida Oreilly’s collection. Clothes on the ramp do not always have to be wearable as long as they succeed in interpreting the creative abilities of the designer and on that regard we know exactly what to expect of this young from Mauritius. Breaking one of the oldest fashion rules (it’s now official. You can wear gold and silver together) Neeta lulla’s finale collection of ghagras, saris, jackets and lungis in beige, dull gold and silver was spellbinding.

What was truly endearing was how genuinely excited most of the designers were about being a part of the city’s first fashion week and how the city responded, but what was missing was the high energy drama that is expected of a fashion event of this scale which we are told is what the next season will be all about. While initially there were a few organizational issues it was wonderful to see how things quickly picked up making it a fabulous first attempt by Storm fashion company and Galatta Cinema in association with Mediamix. Chennai Fashion week - definitely a very good beginning, but we are sure the best is yet to come. Looking forward to season 2.


Unforgettable Fashion moments
When …
• Day 1 ended with Sidney’s showstopper Neil Nitin Mukesh
• We caught our first glimpse of Supermodel Sofia Hayat with Louis Mariette’s bespoke headgear
• A vivacious Genelia wowed the crowds in a red gown by Ishita Singh
• Rehane struck her rockstar pose




Trend report
Kaftans, kaftans and more kaftans
Relaxed, resort style silhouettes
Geometrical patterns, abstract prints
Sunny yellows, peppy pinks and minty greens