Bollywood Stars who Nailed the Navratri Look

You gotta love bollywood stars and the elaborate shows that the directors put up in movies. And one of the most colourful ones tends to be around the Gujarati festival of Navratri. What is Navratri you ask? And how to nail your look for the festival? Read on!

Navratri, as defined by wikipedia, "is a festival dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity Durga. The word Navaratrimeans 'nine nights' in Sanskrit, nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Devi are worshipped. The tenth day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or "Dussehra" (also spelled Dasera). Navaratri is an important major festival and is celebrated all over India and Nepal. Diwali the festival of lights is celebrated twenty days after Dasera."

The festival is celebrated in gusto around India, but one of the endearing traditions is the Garba, which is a lot of fun and often portrayed in Bollywood movies. This is a colourful festival that involves a lot of dancing, so naturally all of us want to look our absolute best!

How do you dress for such an event? Let us look at Bollywood for some much needed inspiration and see how some movies and stars absolutely nailed their looks.

Who can forget Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and their famous grab routine on Dhol Baaje (I list all the videos at the end of the article). I dont like Aishwarya's style, but salman in his kutch mirror work waistcoat for me absolutely nails it. The style is quirky and yet a nod to the origins of garba in Gujarat.

Deepika and Ranveer in Ram Leela's famous grab scene. I think Ranveer's look is meh, but deepika looks stunning and has nailed it! The beautifully detailed blouse and the flowing skirt are perfect for the garba season. The colours and the freedom of movement are absolutely stunning and perfect!

Nimbooda was a cult classic again from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, and Aishwarya had the perfect look. A nice vibrant colour and classic styling touches - this is perfect inspiration for a more traditional look that is going to impress. Note the jewellery and accessories - they complete the look in my opinion.

Gracy Singh in a very simple style from Lagaan. I particularly like this style because sometimes you just need to keep it simple so that you can easily dance the evening away without feeling like you are weighed down by 10 kg of accessories. The vibrant colour is important, and she absolutely nailed it.

What do you think? You Agree?

Videos for all the songs / movies listed above:

- Dholi Taro Dhol Baaje (Video Song) - Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam

- Nagada Sang Dhol - Full Song - Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-leela

- Nimbooda Nimbooda (Video Song) - Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam

- Radha Kaise Na Jale - Lagaan | Aamir Khan | Gracy Singh

Beautiful Bridal Lehengas You’ll Wish Were in Your Wardrobe

Brides today are undoubtedly fashion conscious and are clear with what they want. Not ready to settle for anything but the best, modern brides are looking for new and trendy attires to wear on their special day. No wonder, the bridal couture has moved away from merely the traditional red and has become more unconventional, trendy and yet as luxurious as ever.

When it came to bridal lehengas, the options are varied and can be suited to the bride’s personal taste. From tasteful and subtle shades to intricately embroidered lehengas studded with expensive stones, the options are endless. Even the colours vary from the traditional red to something as conventional as black or blue. Despite that, most of today’s bridal designs combine beautiful Indian detailing with modern cuts and incorporate minimalist yet elegant embroidery with mature colours.

Keeping this in mind, let us take a look at ten of the most amazing bridal lehngas ever worn!

1. Having a heavily embroidered cropped blouse paired with a wide ghargra, this design comes from the 2015 bridal collection of Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla and has a deep luxurious feel to it. The pink and orange colours combined with the gold detailing are perfectly suited to a bride and will look gorgeous at any wedding.

2. This unconventional lehnga by Tarun Tahiliani is full of vibrant colours. The unique blouse, the mehndi lehenga are all eye catching and will make any bride glow on their wedding day.

3. Coming straight from Anita Dongre’s Bridal Collection of 2015, this pink lehenga features beautiful in a shiny silver colour. The delicate dupatta rounds out the design and any bride would be delighted to get her hands on this beautiful piece.

4. Sabyasachi has always been known for his intricate patterns and royal designs. This magenta lehenga is no different and the elaborate detailing immediately gives a luxurious look to the whole outfit.

5. This Pink and Mint Combo by Anarkali is another bridal lehenga that any bride would be lucky to wear. Full of ornate designs and a fine dupatta to complement, it has a regal appeal.

6. This wedding outfit by Sabyasachi may be a little unconventional but nobody can deny that it looks gorgeous! Bright and shiny is the rule of the day and that is why this amazing bridal lehenga with its shimmery look will always be a classic!

7. This design from the Rohit Bal Bridal Collection of 2015 is another timeless piece that brings out the traditional colours in a contemporary design that is elegant and graceful. Heavily patterned in gold, this maroon and red lehenga is a perfect bridal outfit.

8. This subtle bridal piece by Satya Paul takes the trending ombre concept and incorporates it into a beautiful bridal lehenga. Although a bit less ornate than the usual bridal outfits, it is perfect for the bride looking for something elegant and understated!

9. This unconventional lehenga design by Manish Malhotra comes with a beautiful trail. Incorporating a Western element, the trail adds glamour and richness to this gorgeous lehenga.

10. Another conventional bridal lehenga, this design comes from Manish Malhotra’s Bridal Collection of 2015. Having a beautiful golden halter neck crop top as a blouse that is paired with a heavily embroidered red and golden lehenga, this is a stunning bridal outfit!

Beautiful Bridal Lehengas You’ll Wish Were in Your Wardrobe

Brides today are undoubtedly fashion conscious and are clear with what they want. Not ready to settle for anything but the best, modern brides are looking for new and trendy attires to wear on their special day. No wonder, the bridal couture has moved away from merely the traditional red and has become more unconventional, trendy and yet as luxurious as ever.

When it came to bridal lehengas, the options are varied and can be suited to the bride’s personal taste. From tasteful and subtle shades to intricately embroidered lehengas studded with expensive stones, the options are endless. Even the colours vary from the traditional red to something as conventional as black or blue. Despite that, most of today’s bridal designs combine beautiful Indian detailing with modern cuts and incorporate minimalist yet elegant embroidery with mature colours.

Keeping this in mind, let us take a look at ten of the most amazing bridal lehngas ever worn!

1. Having a heavily embroidered cropped blouse paired with a wide ghargra, this design comes from the 2015 bridal collection of Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla and has a deep luxurious feel to it. The pink and orange colours combined with the gold detailing are perfectly suited to a bride and will look gorgeous at any wedding.

2. This unconventional lehnga by Tarun Tahiliani is full of vibrant colours. The unique blouse, the mehndi lehenga are all eye catching and will make any bride glow on their wedding day.

3. Coming straight from Anita Dongre’s Bridal Collection of 2015, this pink lehenga features beautiful in a shiny silver colour. The delicate dupatta rounds out the design and any bride would be delighted to get her hands on this beautiful piece.

4. Sabyasachi has always been known for his intricate patterns and royal designs. This magenta lehenga is no different and the elaborate detailing immediately gives a luxurious look to the whole outfit.

5. This Pink and Mint Combo by Anarkali is another bridal lehenga that any bride would be lucky to wear. Full of ornate designs and a fine dupatta to complement, it has a regal appeal.

6. This wedding outfit by Sabyasachi may be a little unconventional but nobody can deny that it looks gorgeous! Bright and shiny is the rule of the day and that is why this amazing bridal lehenga with its shimmery look will always be a classic!

7. This design from the Rohit Bal Bridal Collection of 2015 is another timeless piece that brings out the traditional colours in a contemporary design that is elegant and graceful. Heavily patterned in gold, this maroon and red lehenga is a perfect bridal outfit.

8. This subtle bridal piece by Satya Paul takes the trending ombre concept and incorporates it into a beautiful bridal lehenga. Although a bit less ornate than the usual bridal outfits, it is perfect for the bride looking for something elegant and understated!

9. This unconventional lehenga design by Manish Malhotra comes with a beautiful trail. Incorporating a Western element, the trail adds glamour and richness to this gorgeous lehenga.

10. Another conventional bridal lehenga, this design comes from Manish Malhotra’s Bridal Collection of 2015. Having a beautiful golden halter neck crop top as a blouse that is paired with a heavily embroidered red and golden lehenga, this is a stunning bridal outfit!

Indian Bridal Wear 2015 - From Ramp to Reality

Every bride dreams of looking like a million bucks on her wedding day. When a sea of people are looking and analysing your choice of hairdo, make up and bridal outfit, you surely feel a lot of pressure. And to make everyone go gaga over you, one has to look the best on the D-day. So, if you are walking down the aisle this year, let us help you take a cue on the trending Indian bridal wear 2015.

This year, both Lakme Fashion Week and Amazon India Fashion week 2015 showcased plethora of trends including outstanding bridal wear for all the fashion savvy bride-to-be’s out there. Here’s the list of awe-inspiring Indian bridal wear 2015 trends that are beyond obvious and will win your heart:

Feed your soul with more than one Colour
Gone are the days when brides used to choose just the shades of red for their bridal outfit. The new age bride is all about experimenting with colours and cuts. The ace designer Ashima Leena worked on this idea and presented her multi-coloured collection for the Indian bridal wear 2015.The collection featured contrasts in hues like bright yellows and pinks and some metallics tuned with subtle pastels. Go beyond the obvious with this multicolour trend and stand out!

Ashima Leena Design

Gold never goes out
Gold and silver motifs, beads and embroideries never go out of vogue. Indian bridal wear of 2015 also emphasised on the golden accents to the large extent. Gold embroideries are perfect for occasions like cocktail and reception parties.

New hue on the charts
Channel your inner diva by opting for Anamika Khanna’s black and white risque collection for your wedding functions. This classic contrast will surely make you a head turner and crowd-pleaser.

Anamika Khanna Design

Add neon to your wardrobe
Indian bridal wear 2015 is not restricted to the usual colours but a lot more than that. This season you can get bold and beautiful by adding the splash of neon colour to your wedding wear. Anushree Reddy showed us how neon colours can brighten your wedding attire with bright pinks and sunshine yellows.

Anushree Reddy Design

Let Prints do the talking
When larger-than-life prints are combined with sophisticated fabrics like silk, the result is just spectacular. Neha Aggarwal displayed her latest collection of lively prints which is perfect Indian bridal wear 2015 for outdoor weddings and brunches.

Neha Aggarwal Design

Simplicity at its best
Indian bridal wear 2015 is not just about over the top embellished outfits, but sometimes a simple garment speaks volumes. Gaurang Shah’s collection is one such kind. Simple patterns and minimal designs along with deep colours are a great choice for occasions like your mehndi or bangle ceremony.

Gaurang Shah Design

Time to flaunt your abs
If you are sweating hard in the gym to get the envious abs, it’s time to flaunt it. Here, crop tops and cholis come to your rescue. Crop tops paired with high-waist lehengas or palazzos is definitely the most ‘in’ thing for the season . It hides the stomach while showing just the right amount of skin.

Mix and Match
Indian bridal wear 2015 calls for creativity by playing with different fabrics in one garment. Designers came out with an edgy concept of combining different fabrics in one outfit either by layering it up one over the other or by pairing heavy fabric along with the soft ones to create an illusion of volume.

So all you gorgeous brides-to-be, embrace these styles and put your best foot forward!

Anita Dongre: A Powerful Fashion Businesswoman

Anita Dongre is nowadays one of the most famous Indian Designers. She built an authentic fashion empire with three design labels: her signature label Anita Dongre, AND, Global Desi.

Recently, she has been nominated for the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award by Ernst & Young. 

How did she become a businesswoman of Fashion?

Since, she was a child, she always wanted to become a designer in the fashion industry. She used to spend time in her grandmother’s house in Jaipur and she was seduced by Rajasthan with these colourful markets, architecture and the people. The place created an impact on her and a love for design and fashion. Just after graduating from SNDT College in Mumbai, she started supplying ready-to-wear to small stores in the city.

Then, she began to create a collection of clothes that she really liked. Obviously, the collection resounded with the young women who were open to experimenting with new outfits: western outfits. However, like every new designer, she encountered some problems with the shops that she supplied to - a lot of them were not open to the concept and the collections. So, she decided to start her own business. This Indian designer began to work at home designing for friends and supplying to little shops until her father offered her the possibility to start a small factory of her own which had grown more and more.

For Anita Dongre, the most important was creativity because it means constantly re-inventing and innovating herself and her creations, while keeping her signature design aesthetic. Her ideal fashion design is understated elegance and always offers the consumers “accessible luxury” inspired by Indian things and techniques, and by Rajasthan.

To succeed, she always stays organised, creative, and runs her fashion labels like one would run a corporate business - taking into account that fashion is very dynamic, with new trends and new styles coming every day, so she has to be a step ahead in the game. Also, another important key of success for her is to be passionate about what you do and to remember that creativity is constantly work in progress.

Anita Dongre has been successfully doing it right by opening a flagship in Mauritius and expects to realize her dream project - to move the brand headquarters to a bigger facility in Rabale, Navi Mumbai. This would make her company the first Indian fashion house to have its own centralised production hub.

Cocktail Dresses to Make you Look Hotter than Summer!

Summer? What a bummer!

That is the reaction most of us have, as soon as the temperatures rise up. The month of May usually spells ‘dismay’ for many fashion enthusiasts, as it means no more long flowing dresses, no more dark shades to camouflage those love handles, no more heavy embroideries, and absolutely no layers! In short, it’s time to bid adieu to flattering cocktail dresses, right? Wrong! Summers are the best time to give the ‘Safe Dressing’ a break and bring the funky on! Show the world your fun side,

and be the belle of any event with these super stylish summer cocktail dresses.

Maxi dress:

For all the ladies with an undying love for long flowy dresses, MAXI is the way to go. Initially deemed as more of a comfort wear, these dresses today have become one of the classiest summer cocktail dresses. If you’re tall, you can easily pull off a Maxi dress, however, make sure that the dress compliments your figure instead of giving you a straight, oblong silhouette. This can be easily done by adding a belt at the waist line, which favourably enhances your body. Also, subtle jewellery, such as a long chain with a statement pendant, single or double bracelets, arm jewellery etc can add to the appeal of your outfit.

Strapless:

It’s time to do away with sleeves, and flaunt those shoulders! As glamorous as these dresses are, be sure to choose the right neckline.  Scoop, V-neck , square or sweetheart cuts tend to look good on almost every body type and size. 

v-neck    

sweetheart neckline

                                                                            

The Little Black Dress:

Running late for a party, and have no time to decide what to wear? It’s the Little Black Dress to the rescue! If there’s anything as flawless as a pair of blue jeans and white shirt combo, it’s the LBD. If you decide to go for a minimal classy look, just dab on some lip-gloss and mascara, and voila, the party has a head turner! If you wish to accessorize, go in for gold or silver jewellery, as it will more than compliment this evergreen summer cocktail dress.

Faux wrap:

Want to go in for a casual yet elegant summer cocktail dress? The faux wrap is your best bet. If worn right, the faux wrap can not only be super flattering, but can even help you minimize your problem areas! Women with full-figures can go in for shades like turquoise, purple and red as these aim to complement rather than highlight a curvy body. The way a faux wrap drapes around the body, helps create a feminine silhouette.

Vintage style dresses:

If there’s a summer cocktail dress that favours every type of figure, it is the Vintage dress. These full-formed frocks not only feature a fit and flared shape but can also be paired with a wide belt that further accentuates  the smallest part of your midsection,  that is the waist. Part modern, part retro, this ladylike dress will have you looking and feeling as graceful as a princess. This dress can be paired with a pair of matching pumps to add a modern edge. This chic summer cocktail dress proves beyond doubt that old sure is gold!

Shift dress:

This type of summer cocktail dress lacks detailed shaping. They can be plain or feature A-line skirts and are usually sleeveless. However, the generous cut of the dress in addition to the lack of detail, has a tendency to make the wearer look frumpy, hence several factors should be considered when choosing the right shift dress. In addition to this, the right accessories can be used to draw the attention away from problem areas and turn a shift dress into something spectacular. One of the reasons shift dresses are a hot favourite among women is the shear versatility of the garment. Be it an office get-together or a dinner party, a shift dress is sure to shift all gazes on to you!

 

Sheath dress:

Contrary to the Shift Dress, a Sheath Dress is designed to fit the body intimately, and is a relatively unadorned summer cocktail dress. Since it has a close-fitting shape that encases the body, it is important to ensure that the back slit/back pleat keeps it walkable. In this type of summer cocktail dress, the major focal point is the waist, hence accessorizing with a belt serves to add extra definition.

Peplum:

A peplum dress is a relatively newer trend in summer cocktail dresses that is rapidly gaining popularity, owing to its commendable ability to redefine your natural body shape into the ideal hourglass shape. The peplum attracts attention away from problematic areas such as hips and gives the illusion of a slender waist.

Floral:

This cocktail dress is hands down a summer must-have!  Not only do these perky dresses reflect playfulness, but at the same time, exude femininity. While accessorising, keep the bling to a minimum, as you do not want your jewellery to compete with the much obvious floral pattern of the dress. Not only are these dresses apt for any morning/afternoon event, these floral frocks are also perfect summer cocktail dresses for any evening soiree. Who knew, beating the heat could be so glamorous!

Searching for Top bridal Indian Jewellery?

Anita Dongre: When Elegance Met Edgy

Dear Anita Dongre, is there anything you cannot do? We desperately wish someone could answer our question. Anita Dongre is the reigning queen of Indian Fashion. She is the preferred designer by various Bollywood celebrities and has dipped her fingers in almost every field. Ranging from suits, sarees and lehengas in Indian fashion to contemporary fashion, she has left no stone unturned. In order to commemorate her sheer brilliance, we have put together a list of all our favourite Anita Dongre salwar suits and anarkalis.

We are in love with this Anita Dongre embroidered kurta jacket and straight pants. It has the perfect mix of black and golden; elegance and edgy; new and old. Minimal accessories add the perfect finishing touch to the outfit. This ensemble is sure to make heads turn with envy.

This Anita Dongre salwar suit is ordinary yet extraordinary. Contradicting statement, yes. But strangely true. This salwar suit combines three most basic and commonly worn colours. Fashion faux pas? Some may see it as that. But we see this Anita Dongre creation as a symbol of her versatility. She makes unusual combinations and ideas come to life and with such flair, mind you! Don’t give this super chic outfit a miss. Trust us.

We strongly believe you can never go wrong with pink. Pink is definitely the new black. It is consistent and never goes out of fashion. So when our eyes landed on this pink Anita Dongre anarkali with flare pants, we just couldn’t get enough of it. The gota work, intricate embroidery and printed anarkali scream timeless beauty.

This white Anita Dongre salwar suit personifies perfection and Kareena Kapoor Khan carries it with so much finesse. While pink has a special place in our hearts, white isn’t forgotten. For an instant burst of elegance and grace, embrace this elegant colour! Preferably this Anita Dongre salwar suit.

In our craze for grace we haven’t forgotten edgy and modern styles. This Anita Dongre salwar suit fulfils all our requirements. It has a long printed flare top paired with pants. This ensemble is seen in two of our favourite colours, black and red, which gel so immaculately with each other that all we can do is lust after this outfit.

Our last outfit is this blood red Anita Dongre lace kameez with straight pants. Lace is very difficult to get right, both whilst creating it and wearing it. But Anita Dongre undoubtedly nails it. Available in an array of colours, red was the hue that stood out for us. As Bill Blass so aptly puts it “When in doubt, wear red.”

We can’t get enough of all things Anita Dongre. She has definitely carved a niche for herself in this huge Indian fashion world. Now go and treat yourself to some Anita