Cannes Film Festival 2016: A Fashion Extravaganza

Cannes Film Festival is one-of-its-kind.  It not only promotes and showcases movies from across the globe but is also a great gateway to the world of fashion.  Every year it set fashion trends that rule the entire year. Celebrities from the film fraternity turn out for movie premieres in the best designer dresses that frame the fashion trend for upcoming year. This year was the 69^th annual Cannes Film Festival and yet again we witnessed some of the hottest fashion styles.  Let’s have a look at the best red carpet looks from this year.

Black Magic

 When in doubt, wear black! Yes, black is the safest bet for red carpet events. It’s not just a formal colour but also makes you look slimmer.  No wonder most of the celebrities choose to wear black at formal occasions. This year too many celebrities wore black gowns at the Cannes Film Festival 2016 but the gorgeous actress Julianne Moore and talented Kristen Stewart really caught our eye. While Juliane opted for a sheer black Givenchy gown along with Chopard jewellery, Kristen looked fabulous in a retro-inspired Chanel dress with a sheer button-up top. Both rocked their respective black numbers with grace and panache.

Red Hot

 Red never goes out of vogue. Also known as the colour of passion and sensuality, red looks ravishing on one and all. Keeping this in mind, stunning Bella Hadid and super model and actress Rosie Huntington Whiteley wore red gowns at Cannes 2016. Bella flaunted a daring thigh-high slit Alexandre Vauthier’s red satin halter neck gown and looked like a million bucks. Rosie also chose an Alexandre Vauthier gown and completed her look with jewellery from Chanel Joaillerie.  They did complete justice with the red and made it their own.

Sunshine Yellow

Yellow is synonymous with all things bright and beautiful. And this is what we witnessed when we saw the gorgeous Anna Kendrick in marigold Stella McCartney gown and Bulgari jewellery.  The silhouette was simple yet eye-catching, all thanks to the pop yellow colour. Apart from Anna Kendrick, Jessica Chastain also chose a yellow strapless gown for her red carpet appearance and looked dazzling.

Sheer Delight

Sometimes a neutral hue does all the wonder. Which is explains why designers came up with nude coloured gowns. Who rocked a sheer Atelier Versace sheer gown? None other than our very own ‘Gossip Girl’, Blake Lively! She looked like a true diva in her sheer gown with little glittery sequins and made onlookers go wow! Ex-Miss world and Bollywood starlet Aishwarya Rai Bachchan also chose a beautiful cape style sheer gown and owned the look. In addition, the very talented Kirsten Dunst sported a sheer nude gown with lace detailing. Not to forget, Bella Hadid’s Cavalli Couture gown that made her look angelic.

Pristine White

White is indeed a serene color and looks great on all skin complexions. We spotted actress, Eva Longoria, of Desperate Housewives fame, sporting a divine Pamella Roland white dress with a beaded top and fish-cut white fitted skirt. Her sartorial choice made her win the fancy of fashion police.  Another hit at Cannes fashion was Indian beauty Sonam Kapoor, who dazzled in her white Ralph & Russo’s dramatic gown with embroidered cape. She looked utterly sophisticated and classy in her white ensemble.  Calling her a delicate princess won’t be an exaggeration! Kirsten Dunst, actress-par-excellence also chose a fitted white gown with delicate straps and gave shutterbugs a visual delight!

Though the list of eye-candy fashion statements on the Cannes red carpet was endless, the above mentioned are our personal favourites. Take a look and I’m sure you will be mesmerised by the fashion at its best!

Image source: www.laineygossip.com, www.buro247.me, www.fashionisima.com.es, www.footwearnews.com

Impressions of the 'Fashion International' - Show at London Fashion Week

Last week we were talking about how to enjoy London Fashion Week even if you're not in the front-row. We had the chance to attend a fashion show on Saturday, 19th September. The show took place at the elegant Ballroom of the world famous Amba Charing Cross Hotel in London.

The show we were invited to was not a main London Fashion Week Show, it was organized by 'Fashion International'. Aga Couture London, Daniel Syiem, Forever Devine, Yuvna Kim, Lenie Boya and Omar Mansoor were the designers who presented their new Spring/Summer collection for 2016.

Each line was different and it was amazing to see six different styles: from ladylike and feminine silhouettes to very straight and clear cuts, but every piece was unique and on its way perfect.
After all presentations there was a after-show-reception where you could meet the designers with their models, talk to them and take some pictures.

To show you some inspiration for SpringSummer 2016 here are some impressions of the amazing shows!

    Designer: Aga Couture London

    Designer: Daniel Syiem

Designer: Forever Devine London

   
After-show reception

London Fashion Week - Enjoy it even if you're not in the front-row!

These are the days - like each year the most famous designers and brands are going to present their Spring/Summer-Collections for 2016 at London Fashion Week. After six years at Somerset House, this year it is moved to Brewer Street in Soho: the perfect place for a city-wide fashion celebration.

"The brilliant thing about Brewer Street is that we'll be able to have natural light coming in through the roof" , said Caroline Rush, the CEO of the British Fashion Council.

The idea of this trade event? The £28 billion British fashion-industry wants to show what they created to global press, industry buyers, bloggers, photographers and chancers. So just take a look at all the beautiful models wearing clothes of the most famous designers of the world. But there will be as well some newcomers who will have their first show during the next five days. Edeline Lee, Toga and Hills & Friends are mentioned as Must-See.

When you have no possibility to go to London Fashion Week, why not checking out the London Fashion Weekend (24th - 27th September)? Host in the Saatchi Gallery you can find Trend Shows by TheOutnet.com and Designer Galleries of international and British Brands, framed by a dynamic events programme. It is the perfect alternative to get a taste of the Fashion Week including insider knowledge and style advice.

Source: London Fashion Weekend

For those of you who can't wait until next weekend or are too curious to know what is IN next year: Here is the link to the live stream of London Fashion Week:

http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/live.aspx

But if you don't want to watch alone, enjoy London Fashion Week at Carnaby. You can watch all the shows on a ginormous outdoor screen; and always keep your eyes open: there are a few shops giving discounts or small gifts. At least get yourself a London Fashion Week Cocktail at Riding House Cafe at the end of the day (each one is named after snappy quotes from the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and Anna Wintour) and discuss about the stunning collections.

You don't need to sit in the front row to experience London Fashion Week, you just need to know where to go else!

London Fashion Trends of 2015

It's always difficult for a woman to keep up with all the new trends, colours and styles, and it’s especially tricky to dress when living in London. Nowadays, the city of London encourages people to be creative and unique, and not follow other peoples styles. However, when you’re out for the entire day in London, you have not only look stylish but also be dressed practical for every occasion. Whilst in London you have to think about the perfect all day outfit because in an average day in London it could be seen in many different periods of the day: work, lunch, shopping and even clubbing. Wearing a flouncy dress with high heels can seem like a good idea for a summers day in London, but after one hour’s walking it will be a disaster, which is a daily challenge when you don’t have time to get home and change clothes after work. Fortunately for all of us, London is a capital where you can be edgy-cool, that’s why it is an ideal city to experiment with new and unique looks.

It’s also the perfect time to think about new and fresh fashion trends that are currently taking place in London for spring/summer 2015.

London is a huge city, meaning there is many different trends depending on the places you are going. For example Camden is a place where you will witness extremely alternative and quirky styles worn by both 'hipsters' and 'goths'. You will also witness people wearing copious amounts black eye-liner (even the boys) and an influx of body piercings and tattoos. It’s all about burlesque style in this area of London, one of the most popular pin-up ladies Dita Von Teese influences many styles and outfit decisions in Camden. The result of this will be bold colours, frilly skirts, fish net tights and bright lipstick. And to complete this intriguing look, add a tight corset. Let’s be realistic, this strange look is not for everyone!

The T-shirt is a reliable source for all occasions. But don’t go too fast, it’s not just the simple and comfy t-shirt in cotton. As we are moving into summer, there will be a flood of shiny colours, shapes and textures. We are even seeing an influx of some t-shirts that have been shredded or ripped, paired with blazers, chunky jewellery and practical high heels to create a versatile and stylist great.

In Notting Hill, there are a lot of vintage stores with endless designer wear from the likes of Bottega, Christian Louboutin, Prada or Helmut Lang. This area is a great place for all fashionistas who love both vintage and luxury brands. A good thing to know when you are wearing vintage clothing is style one main vintage piece at a time so not to over do the look.

And if you don’t really like to wear second-hand clothes or shoes, go for a military style jacket with retro t-shirts that have a vintage look.

The perfect accessory to have this season is John Lennon glasses, super-trendy and versatile for the summer months.

For all girls, a fedora hat is a must have accessory for this year. We are witnessing more and more styles every season, but black and grey are the easiest to wear for most occasions. It really is an accessory not to be missed!

It’s the return of the midi! In nearly every shop on Oxford street from Topshop to Zara, we are witnessing a lot of midi dresses and skirts. Brands are calling these skirts the “tea length” skirt. The midi is quite difficult to wear and it’s not for anyone, however, if you wear it with the right accessories and for the right occasion, you will look as glamorous as ever!

Are you interested in Indian Fashion?

Bridal Indian Jewellery and Top Bridal Trends

Bridal Indian Jewellery is an extremely significant and integral part of the styling and appearance of the Indian bride on her big day. Essentially the bridal look is not actually considered to be complete unless the bride to be is showcasing every piece of jewellery that is intended and chosen for her. 

Traditionally, within most Indian weddings, the bride wears a variety of statement gold bridal Indian jewellery, similar to how every country has its own bridal trends. Among these countries, Indian weddings are widely considered the most glamorous.

The significant occurrence of marriage is an extremely special one for most people. In India, it is considered to be a very sacred and special bond. An Indian woman considers the day of her marriage to be the most important and biggest day in her life. To make this special day perfect, arrangements go on for a number of months within the Indian households. Bridal Indian Jewellery plays an extremely important role within Indian weddings; the Indian bride is normally decorated from head to toe in gorgeous bridal jewellery that accompaniments both her attire and personality.

On par with Bridal Indian Jewellery, bridal attire trends are always changing, and brides often strive to be at the head of their game when it comes to following the top and most luxurious trends, here are our top bridal trends from the most recent Indian Bridal Fashion Week, that stood out to us as being one of the best we've seen so far!

First is rich colours and Mirror work. Designer Suneet Varma was specifically inspired by the rich coloured hand-painted and crafted architecture of ‘Shekhawati’, a well known region in Rajasthan. His collection consisted of vibrant reds and deep fuchsia, perfect for a bride looking to turn heads. Kangana Ranaut stole the show in a deep red coloured saree, heavily embroidered and every inch of glamorous.

Next is the unique colour trend, and the colour of choice is blue. Funnily enough blue is an unusual choice for bridal wear, but it looks beautiful for more reasons than one. To get the most out of this unusual tone trend, add contrasting colours such as reds, oranges, maroons, and a touch of gold to accomplish a opulent look just like the one showcased by Ashima Leena's Jashn Bridal Collection. Her colourful bodice was an instant hit for it’s unique colour contrast.

Last but not least is the Cape trend, it would be fair to state that Sonam Kapoor was the first person introduce this trend when she wore a unique cape over her saree at Cannes Film Festival. But most recently, popular designer Jyotsna Tiwari paired a stunning sheer cape over a beautifully structured gown that made it look all that more special!

Want to see more Indian Accessories?

The Future of Fashion in India

The best thing about fashion in India is that it doesn’t remain constantm with new ideas constantly springing up. West meets ethnic is the fashion statement which has taken the country by a storm. Peasant crop tops, solid anarkalis, printed trousers and culottes are just some of the few wardrobe must haves. The glorious fusion of chic modern style with quintessentially Indian fashion has created an explosion of unique designs and a riot of never seen before colours. This is the future of Fashion in India.

Fashion blogger duo Shereen and Kayaan are fun, challenging, confident and bold. They push their boundaries and wear quirky outfits that leave us desiring some for ourselves.  

Their Rakshabandhan blog post was aptly titled Raksha Fusion. Kayaan, as seen in the top image, has captured the absolute essence of India with her Debashree Samanta dhoti pants, and flashy gold jewellery while the crop top balances the whole look lending it a western touch.

Shereen, as seen in the top image, wears a Karishma Jamwal drape dress and tops it with a Kiran Uttam Ghosh pleated cape. The loud and vibrant orange and red colours add that perfect smack of ethnicity.

They also modelled for the next gen Indianfashion designer Tanya Sharma’s eccentric label named ‘GaGa’. Shereen, in the far top image, wears a quilted Bandhini sweatshirt, a croptop and bright lehenga skirt. Kayaan on the other hand goes sporty ethnic (yes, that’s a thing now) with a quilted jersey and tie dye anarkali. These outfits take this wonderful fusion to a whole new level.

While the designer, Debashri Samanta, was inspired by the plight of the Vietnamese fisherwomen when creating these outfits, we can’t ignore the subtle Indian ness in them which is so chic and strangely elegant that we can’t take our eyes off them.

Our absolute favourite is Masaba Gupta, the originator of the avant-garde. With her zany, quirky and eccentric prints, she has won over the hearts of millions. Such was the demand for her clothes that she started a new line of unusual and unconventional outfits in affordable prices!

Khyati Pande is an upcoming designer whose creations are spreading like wildfire. She combines various elements to create one outfit and the best part is that it doesn’t look garish or over the top.

She loves her colours and knows how to play with them. Layering with flair is her forte and she loves bright waistcoats, minimal kurtas and bold trousers.

‘It’s a new era in fashion- there are no rules’ –Alexander McQueen

Never be scared to experiment with your style and fuse eastern and western elements!

Bridal Lehengas: On Trend Bridal Styles

Indian traditional wear comes in many different forms, such as sarees, salwar kameez and not forgetting the number one favourite, the lehenga. In an Indian wedding, family of the bride and groom, especially the women, can even spend months deciding what to wear. However, the most challenging decision is definitely the bride’s wedding dress. She is the heart of attention and her attire is what matters the most within the big day. For an Indian bride, especially brides from the North, the favoured bridal outfit is bridal lehengas, traditionally a combination of long skirt, blouse and stole.

There are many different lehenga trends, and until a few years back contemporary were most popular and now traditional lehengas suddenly seem to be most in demand on the scene. Thanks to Bollywood movies and popular television shows, Indian brides are now choosing to go extremely traditional when it comes to picking their bridal lehengas.

A lehenga is usually a full pleated long lengh skirt in a number of colours such as burnt orange, pinks, reds, maroon, greens and yellow. The cut and shape of the blouse has recently been modernised, brides are now teaming their bridal lehenga with everything from small patterned crop tops to tightly fitted corsets.

Recent and popular lehenga trends include that of ‘Village Chic’, which includes rich and bright contrasting colours which emulate the floral prints well known cotton fabrics, but in contrast, this trend is extremely luxurious with art sliks, heavily detailed handmade embroidery and thick patched floral motifs. This rejuvenated trend is the prefect balance of down to earth and fancy!

Another recent popular trend is ‘Polychromatic’ lehengas. Contrasting colours are a go-to trend this season, take a chance on a stand out tasteful multicolor palette that breaches past just two or three shades. The playful contrast of colours will bring the perfect spontaneity a bridal outfit.

The latest trends in bridal lehengas are also to do with the style of embellishments and detail on the skirt. Today, the traditional style is complete with heavy borders of gota patti work or intricately detailed embroidery which is currently in huge demand!

On-trend Indian Skirts for the Upcoming Season: Our Top Picks

The cold is closing in and we have officially entered winter, but that hasn’t stopped the influx of the Indian skirts trend which has dominated the fashion scene this Autumn/winter. Although skirts are associated with summer, we are seeing a variety of Autumn and Winter inspired designs and styles recently which are perfect for layering up and still looking trendy. 

One designer that always catches are attention when it comes to for Indian skirts is Anita Dongre, each style within her collections consists of a fusion of the old and the new, with a versatile colour palette comprising of a contrast of soft neutrals like nude and cream, to vibrant tones such as ruby reds, fuchsia pinks and peacock blues.

Anita dongre’s Jaipur bride collection consists of stunningly embellished Lehengas in rich Autumnal colours which are a definite favourite of ours this season, all of which are extremely unique yet characteristically Indian.

In relation to this, Anita has stated that a Jaipur Bride is said to be beautiful, complex, full of colour and very powerful. The collection is packed with unique beauty to each skirt designs and is what every bride-to-be could dream of. This particular exclusive collection is tailor made for the new-age Indian bride who want expand from the ordinary.

 

Another designer who has stood out to us is Siddartha Tytler, who creates the most unique skirt designs of all. According to the Indian designer “Novel silhouettes, innovative structural elements, new fangled patterns, ‘wear-ability’ and originality are the essential elements in every creation at the Siddartha Tytler studio". 

When creating one of his pieces an important factor come into play: changing trends or the inspiration by elements that exist as part of our everyday lives.

Siddhartha's extraordinary attention to detail is witnessed in the sharply defined silhouettes of his Indian skirts, we personally love the intricate detail showcased in each one of his garments, which is usually combined with dark colour tones and gold detailing. 

Making women look good is what Siddharta Tytler does best, form fitting or free-flowing, the silhouettes of these skirt designs emphasis the natural curves of the women’s body with a focus on surface ornamentation and unique embellishment. Never one to ignore bling, his forte is the use of crystal embellishment combined with gorgeously detailed thread work, a match made in heaven!

Collection of Jewellery by Designer Anita Dongre ''Pinkcity''

Anita Dongre, one of the best known and powerful Indian designer among the Indian fashion fraternity, has been leading a huge successful business for years. Indeed she is at the head of three labels: AND, ANITA DONGRE and GLOBAL DESI.

We could all think that she reached the limit of her ascent and that she has enough to manage but she is full of ambition. After designing clothes for every kind of market she recently added jewellery to her creations by launching a new collection of gold handcrafted jewellery called ‘’Pinkcity’’on 13^th of August 2013. 

It is a line of Jaipur-inspired jadau jewellery designed by Anita Dongre and produced by Pradeep Jethani of Jet Gems, a jewellery designer with more than 27 years of experience. She explained that it was natural to associate with Jet Gems first because of the unparalleled expertise of Pradeep Jethani in crafting intricate bespoke jewellery and also because they share the same philosophy about beauty within perfection and precision.

 

Designer Anita Dongre with Designer Pradeep Jethani 

The name "Pinkcity" and it concept is inspired by the traditional legend of a princess in search of love who will find her prince only when a Pink Flamingo arrives. So the collection transcribed romanticism and dream, representing love and engagement and is also reminiscent of the charm and grandeur of the royal Moghul era.

 

 Painting of the Mughal era 

Each piece is handcrafted by high skilled craftsmen of Rajasthan using traditional techniques of their state including Jadau and Meenakari, one of a kind of works on the surface of metals and all with designer Anita Dongre’s aesthetic. Tradition and modernity - we can recognise the specific signature of this unique designer.

She explains, "the idea first struck when I started my menswear line two years ago, because I wanted to make my own buttons. "We started with jaali buttons, then pieces with interchangeable colours where customers could switch from about seven shades from pink and turquoise to cobalt blue’’.

The women collection is ‘’Nayantara’’ and includes Necklaces, Jhumkas, Cuffs, Bangles and Polki. The men one is ‘’Anshumat’’ and includes buttons and cufflinks. Both ranges are set in 18k and/or 22k gold, what can dazzle a connoisseur’s eyes.

Let's have a look : 

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