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Fashion Lite Blogs

Have some ‘experimental’ haircuts

In this style, the colour transition is done from the roots to the ends. This technique will change your overall look by giving your manes some extra charm…writes Agnes Chen

The festive season is around the corner and we are all preparing to celebrate in our ways. From clothes to make-up and home decor to food, we want to give a fresh touch to everything!

If you are looking for interesting ideas to refresh your style, experiment with your hair. The year 2021 is all about trying new hair colour and experimenting with haircuts to breathe new life into your hair. And what’s the best way to do so, try out a funky colour like purple, pink or green or an all-time in trend blonde, silver, or caramel.

One should also understand that technique makes your hair look super stylish. Here are some popular hair colour techniques to help achieve your most desired look:

Highlights

This is the most popular hair colour technique with weaves that are fine, medium, or thick in texture. Depending on your preference, it can be done all over your hair or partially.

Slices

Slicing is the technique when a hairstylist takes a slice of your hair usually 1/8 of an inch thick to use as the highlighted hair in a foil. With thicker slices, the highlights look more beautiful and are more noticeable. The small hair sheets show the colour much more that can be thin, medium or thick. A combination of weaves and slices is an interesting colour technique for the festive season.

Balayage

This trendy hair colour technique has been recently opted for by many popular celebrities like Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and others. It’s a freehand, vertical paint on technique to give your hair a more natural-looking highlight effect.

Ombre

Ombre is another trendy hair colour technique is where sections of the hair are backcombed at the roots to create separation. The colour is applied from mid-lengths to the ends to give a more dramatic dual-tone effect.

Sombre

Sombre is one of the most recommended hair colour techniques for the festive season. It’s a combination of balayage and ombre. In this style, the colour transition is done from the roots to the ends. This technique will change your overall look by giving your manes some extra charm.

Face Framing Balayage

This hair colour technique is used to highlight strands covering our face by taking diagonal sombre sections around the hairline and nape area thereby framing the face to add glamour and extra pizazz.

Underlights

This is the top trending hair colour technique mostly opted to highlight a strand with funky, bright colours. These are thick slices and sections taken underneath a hair section, in several halo sections, pre-lightened, and a vibrant colour deposited on them. The highlighted hair colour can be seen or hidden depending on the styling.

A transformation for the festivals will give you a fresh and exciting look and also uplift your mood. Explore these trends, experiment with some to be the centre of the conversation.

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Fashion Hollywood Lite Blogs

Met Gala 2021: In America: A Lexicon of Fashion

The event is hosted by Vogue’s Dame Anna Wintour and is held annually at The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Here’s a look at some of the stars who chose to walk on the darker side…reports Asian Lite News.

Fashion’s biggest extravaganza, The Met Gala 2021, made a comeback with a vengeance after a skip in 2020 due to the pandemic. The theme for this year’s gala was ‘In America: A Lexicon of Fashion’, and as usual in attendance were a long list of celebrities including actors, musicians and sportpersons. Many fashion houses and celebrities chose to dazzle with the dark side of fashion as capes, leather, face masks and all kinds of drama unfolded at the event, as black ruling the red carpet with its darker vibe.

Met Gala regulars like Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Sharon Stone, Emily Blunt, Irina Shayk, Gigi Hadid and the Kardashian-Jenner siblings were spotted alongside debutantes like 18-year-old British tennis star Emma Raducanu who recently won the US Open, Rose Leslie from ‘The Game of Thrones’, gymnast Nia Dennis and Justin and Hailey Beiber who walked the Me carpet together for the first time.

The event is hosted by Vogue’s Dame Anna Wintour and is held annually at The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Here’s a look at some of the stars who chose to walk on the darker side:

Debut Stars

The long-awaited Met Gala is back after a two-year-long hiatus and there are a lot of fresh faces that have emerged from the last two years from the entertainment industry.Let’s takes a look at the stars that made their debut at the Met Gala 2021.

The Prince of Reggaeton, J Balvin looked stylish in a flower-adorned black suit and face mask, whereas ‘Industry Baby’ rapper Lil Nas X was seen sporting Versace’s three golden outfits in one. Kim Petras, the 29-year-old German singer and songwriter wore a sculptural horse head gown by Collina Strada.

The Houston Hottie Megan Thee Stallion was seen in a Coach dress and the ‘Do It’ sister duo Chloe x Halle wore Rodarte. The ‘Driver’s License’ singer Olivia Rodrigo wore an all-black Saint Laurent bodysuit.

Euphoria star Barbie Ferreira wore a pearled Jonathan Simkhai dress, whereas ‘Gossip Girl’ star Evan Mock wore Thom Browne paired with an infamous mask to boot.

Maisie Williams, the 24-year-old ‘Game of Thrones’ star wore a gothic all-black Thom Browne dress, and the ‘Tap In’ rapper Saweetie was dressed in a sequined Christian Cowan dress.

‘She’s All That’ star Addison Rae dressed in vintage Tom Ford for Gucci and Rosalía, the 27-year-old singer and songwriter wore a Rick Owens. Hunter Schafer, the 22-year-old ‘Euphoria’ star wore Prada.

These stylish first-timers did manage to grab the eyeballs with their unique outfits among the veteran Met Gala attendees.

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Fashion Lite Blogs

ICW 2021: Contemporary silhouettes into fashion statements

There are very few Indian designers who really fall into these categories, Day 6 was a treat because all three showcases captured couture and haute couture in its true sense…reports Tanya Banon.

Fashion is always a signature of the period.Couture in India is a fairly loosely used term, usually in reference with “shaadi” fashion or bridal wear. What couture actually means is “the design and manufacture of fashionable clothes to a client’s specific requirements and measurements”, and so “fashionable clothes” is the operative term largely forgotten in the Indian context.

Haute Couture on the other hand “is a protected name that may not be used except by firms that meet certain well-defined standards”. Which goes to say that it refers to “fashionable clothes produced by leading fashion houses”, “constructed by hand from start to finish, made from high-quality, expensive, often unusual fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable of sewers –often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques.[1][2]

Produced by a few of India’s leading designers, the clothes were fashionable, high quality, sewn with extreme attention to detail, hand crafted by the most experienced and capable sewers with time consuming techniques. Albeit they may be expensive, but competitively priced compared to international artisanal creations.

Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna began a new chapter with this Couture line. The dresses, as if immersed in gleaming crystals were a profusion of opulence with embellished rich fabrics like velvet, duchesse satin, and chiffon in a harmonious palette of wine, grey, sapphire, and with mostly tonal arabesques or floral embroideries. For gentleman, sharp tuxedos detailed with embroideries and made with heritage techniques were tailored in modern luxury silhouettes.

Of their collection the designers stated, “We have worked on a couture collection for the first time. We specialize in textural surface ornamentation and our hand embroideries are all based on old Indian crafts. So, it was a very natural transition to infuse our hand-done techniques on couture ensembles. The modern Indian bride and the groom were looking for something unusual, which is global yet traditional. We believe our collection with its emphasis on sculpted silhouettes softened with sensual shimmer is apt for the modern bride and groom who are breaking conventions by trying unusual silhouettes for their big day.”

Couturier Tarun Tahiliani’s ‘Artisanal Couture’ collection featured a stunning set of six discrete capsule collections, each of which showcases his signature ‘India Modern’ design aesthetic. Featuring Chikankari, Pichwai, Rangrez, Cocktail Goddess, Pakeezagi and Bridal capsules, each showcase presented unique techniques, stories and designs that appeal to the label’s loyal and dedicated clientele.

In a career spanning over 25 years, Tahiliani has always focused on exquisite hand-craftsmanship and contemporary silhouettes, where Indian techniques, embroideries and textiles are used in modern ways. Aimed to provide relevant design work to the craftsmen that he works with, through his creations the designer hopes to keep the artisan’s stories, livelihood and Indian culture alive.

Celebrity favourite designer, Anamika Khanna’s collection was an emotion, a rejoicing of beauty, wonder and surrender. An ode to celebrate and accept what is and what is given, in homage to the most intricate crafts of India. To get inspired and internalize the spirit of what was and what will be for eternity. Festive and joyful, Khanna’s collection honoured the human spirit, “stars masquerading as humans”, shining bright. Heavily embroidered and embellished lehengas, kurtas and skirts in flowing silhouettes for women and modern interpretations of traditional styles for men dominated the collection.

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Yesteryear trends are back

Animal prints always make a comeback with the latest fashion twist. Prints like leopard, zebra or even tiger are steadily taking the spotlight…Puja Gupta.

Old is precious for keeping us active, but old trends or fashion never repeats as it is. Fashion trends are forever changing. What is in trend today may be a complete no next year. Ashima Sharma, a fashion designer and founder of Ashima S Couture, shares some yesteryear trends that have been revisiting the fashion arena. She adds that the pandemic has made one comfortable with experimenting so try these styles out:

Bell Bottoms

Bell bottoms are a trend from the ’70s and ’80s which have recently made a comeback. They exhibit a retro summer style for fashion divas. These trousers are ideal for those who want to make their legs look longer and slimmer. For a perfect office look, you can match it with a black or some neutral colour trousers with a white shirt and a short vest. Keep the blouse untucked for a casual look. For an everyday style, combine ethnic bell bottom pants with a boho top.

Asymmetric Dresses or Asymmetrical silhouettes

Nowadays the fresh asymmetrical trend is sweeping the fashion arena. Fashion influencers have adopted this uber-chic trend and are experimenting with ways of wearing asymmetrical dresses. The rule of fashion is ‘not to follow’ the rules. One needs to play with colours and silhouettes to create a style. You can never go wrong with the classic one shoulder asymmetrical dress, which works from day to night.

Cold shoulders

Owing to the Covid-19 vaccination drive, the cold-shoulder is back with a bang. This entirely flattering and adaptable silhouette can be teamed with a flowing skirt or jeans. The simple reason is that people rather wear a one or cold shoulder top in place of a half or full sleeve t-shirt to avoid rolling up their sleeves.

Animal prints

Animal prints always make a comeback with the latest fashion twist. Prints like leopard, zebra or even tiger are steadily taking the spotlight. Wearing animal prints is like experiencing the energy of exotic lands and their climates.

Halter necks

The 2000 trend is back in 2021 with a makeover. The strap around the neck now has a modern spin. The halter neck blouse usually works for every style and body type. If you’re into minimal fashion, then it is better to go for a neutrals or black.

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Experimental textiles curate ‘fashion beyond’

Ekaya collaborates with young designer, Aarohi Shah, from the Fashion Institute of Technology New York, to create a range of experimental textiles. Reports… Asian Lite News.

Fashion is just like we read a book multiple times, as we get new and different kinds of meanings. Fashion always work with experiments and makes a great number of new styles and trends.

The Arohi X Ekaya SS’21 collection is a modern and versatile selection of handwoven saris, chic suits, bias-cut skirts, and pop-coloured organza co-ord sets inspired by contemporary art, bold colour play, and clean construction.

Ekaya collaborates with young designer, Aarohi Shah, from the Fashion Institute of Technology New York, to create a range of experimental textiles and silhouettes keeping in mind the ever-growing demand for easy to wear, modern saris, and ready to wear, combining craftsmanship and attention to detail.

The textiles of this collection comprises experimental and youthful saris exuding an artful sense of texture and pattern along with timeless cord sets with fluid silhouettes and vivid colours. It features 25-30 pieces, including colourways, priced between Rs 15,000 to Rs 40,000 and is available at Ekaya stores.

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Art on carpets with a traditional touch

The Persian floor coverings were hence re-made in Indian structures. These carpets spread to the whole subcontinent with each area having its own specialties…writes Puja Gupta.

Indians can’t avoid artistic perceptions in any of their creativity. India has been enormously honoured by having a rich legacy of craft skills assimilated through the rhythmic movement of historical events that rest upon cultural practices and strict convictions.

Changes and advancements have occurred from trade developments. The Indian carpets are a fruit of this rich heritage. They are known over the world for their dazzling plans, unpretentious class, appealing tones, and workmanship.

Historically, carpet weaving flourished under the Mughal reign. Mughals utilized the Persian method of carpet weaving, and at the same time were impacted by traditional designs and motifs from Persia.

“Mughal rugs were just about as dark as their miniatures and normally portrayed court life, creatures, and flower decorations. Mughal carpets were brilliantly hued and the hand-knotted silk carpets had 4,224 knots per square inch. The art grew and flourished here and it was modified as per the royal tastes and mixed with the Indian arts,” informs Vikas Gupta, CEO, Greyweave.com.

The Persian floor coverings were hence re-made in Indian structures. These carpets spread to the whole subcontinent with each area having its own specialties.

“The strength of handmade carpets lies in its distinctiveness, style, traditionalism, and encouraging innovations,” Gupta comments.

In contemporary India, important centers of carpet weaving in India include Mirzapur and Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh, other than Agra and Varanasi which are rich places for woolen carpets and smooth textures. Srinagar in Kashmir, Jaipur in Rajasthan, and Warangal and Elluru in Andhra Pradesh are some of the well-known carpet-making urban communities, he highlights.

Speaking about the demand of different varieties of carpets, Gupta says, “Handmade Woolen Carpets, Tufted Woollen Carpets, Chain stitch Rugs, Pure Silk Carpets, Staple/Synthetic Carpets, Handmade Woolen Dhurries, have an immense market demand in the European and American market.”

India with a geological and social variety has assortments of carpets produced over the nation. Floor coverings from Jammu and Kashmir have an extraordinary interest in European business sectors.

The Indian Carpet Industry is energetic and has extensive potential for development. Presently, the government has taken dynamic measures to dispose of the existing deficiencies in the industry and at the same time produce great quality rugs.

The government has set up the Carpet Export Promotion Council of India (CEPC) to advance the fares of hand-knotted rugs and other floor covers. It gives vital help to the Indian exporters, recognizes the business sectors, gives monetary and advertising help, supports investment in fairs and presentations, and furthermore directs exposure abroad.

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Summer styling ideas for home

Summertime means that you’ll be sitting outside a lot — maybe on a porch or a terrace or a veranda. If your patio furniture looks worn out, don’t worry. …writes N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe.

Homes should be eligible to admit any kind of season. The temperature is gradually starting to rise. Soon, we’ll all be seeking asylum from the scorching heat, and while it might not be feasible to jet off to the comfort of cozy hill stations or breezy beaches thanks to the pandemic, one can transform your home into a summer-friendly abode.

Bhawana Bhatnagar, Founder, CASA Exotique, shares just the right ideas to get you started.

Keep It Light With White

If you want your home to look cool, clean, and classy, you cannot go wrong with white. From walls to windows to furniture, paint everything in white. You can then adorn your house with creamy and sandy textiles to achieve that chic look.

Go natural with flowers and plants

There are few things more comforting than the lap of mother nature, and if summer heat is preventing you from going outside, you can bring nature inside your home. Decorate your abode with plants and flowers — real, painted, or printed.

Add some funk with colours

Are you tired of the boring colour scheme of your home? Then this is the perfect time for a makeover. Mix and match different colours from a colour palette to create a vibrant, funky scheme. It gives you an energy boost every time you enter through the door.

Change the curtains

Gauzy panels not only add privacy and shield you from the sun, but they also keep away mosquitoes and other insects that breed during the summer season.

Paint your furniture

Summertime means that you’ll be sitting outside a lot — maybe on a porch or a terrace or a veranda. If your patio furniture looks worn out, don’t worry. Just grab a brush and a bucket of paint — and voila! Make sure to pick out light, cool colours to enjoy the authentic summer vibe.

Use mirrors to create space

If you live in a metropolitan area and are running short of space, try hanging a mirror or two on your walls. Mirrors create an illusion of space and can make the surroundings feel more open and welcoming.

Add a canopy above your bed

Summer time is the time to live like royalty, and what better way to feel like a king/queen than hanging a canopy over your bed. Every time you open your eyes, you are greeted by a wonderful sight. An elegantly designed canopy hanging over your bed can emulate a series of ocean waves breaking against a quiet shore. If you’re sold on the idea, then we’d recommend using a white eyelet as it is a great fabric for canopies.

Decorate the headboard

Depending on your taste, you can decorate your headboard in an infinite number of ways. We would recommend either going all white or adding greenery with a statement piece. A botanical headboard would be a perfect addition to your bedroom decor.

You can either use these tips as guidelines or you can embark on an adventure by letting loose your creativity. Sky is the limit!

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Fashion Lite Blogs

Beena Kannan’s experiment in luxury silk

The designer held a fashion show in Kochi, Kerala, to launch her new label ‘Beena Kannan’. Top models sashayed on the ramp, wearing the collection that comprises sarees, lehengas, crop and long jackets, kaftans, dresses, etc…writes Puja Gupta.

Beena Kannan is a notable name in the fashion industry for several years. Having spent over forty years in the industry designing sarees for her Kerala-based brand Seematti, designer Beena Kannan is all set to launch India’s first luxury silk inspired haute couture label.

With this move, Kannan aims to change the notion that Kanjeevaram silk is only for sarees. Her new namesake brand, includes Indian, Indo-western and western outfits made either of silk or with a touch of it.

The designer held a fashion show in Kochi, Kerala, to launch her new label ‘Beena Kannan’. Top models sashayed on the ramp, wearing the collection that comprises sarees, lehengas, crop and long jackets, kaftans, dresses, etc.

Kannan has used different weaving techniques from across the country to do the label’s first lineup, based on three mood boards to cater the likings of Gen Z and millennials, among others.

Kannan has combined the Byzantine era with Indian Geometric art; the Art Deco period with Jamiwar and Ottoman art with Mughal styles. She has adopted famous paintings of Vincent van Gogh and S.H. Raza on to her sarees.

However, it is very difficult to create such art on weaving, she says. “Even machines cannot take the 40,000 hooks and 60,000 hooks that we handle.”

Additionally, getting modern designs weaved by artisans who otherwise work on traditional weaves and techniques is also not very easy, she says.

“The artisans were never ready to do innovative things, because it’s a very time consuming, money consuming and is a hard process. It’s very difficult for them to get into innovation, get into new designs because Kanjeevaram has certain limitations. It’s considered very religious and very much attached to the Hindu wedding. So they thought believe the scope of this weaving is very limited,” she tells.

“When I talked to them, they asked me who’s going to buy it. If it’s a simple saree, it can be made in five days, and my designs sometimes take three months to be ready. But we pay them accordingly. Some of our saris even cost more than our selling price. But we do it because it needs to be done. That’s how we think, that’s where we are positioning ourselves,” asserts Kannan, who made into Guinness Book of Records and Limca Book of Records in 2007 for making the longest-ever silk saree.

Unlike Seematti, which is a 120-year-old retail brand, every bit of the outfits in the new label is custom-made, she clarifies. “There are clothes which will be fitting in all occasions in your life.”

Label Beena Kannan will see garments made with various silk weaving techniques and technologies in India which will be inspired by her travel across the globe.

She says: “The entire silk industry was revolving around modular designs, say X+Y+Z or Y+X+Z. But we are reinventing the procedure of the weaving. Today, customers need light weighted outfits, a particular zari etc. So we do a lot of experiments. I have done weaving in organza, linen and raw silk to make sarees. I have combined weaving in silk, printing in silk and embroidery in silk for occasion wear and accessories also.”

“Everything we want is not available in the market and we are adjusting and celebrating with what is out there But I don’t want the Kanjeevaram deteriorate. Already the weaver’s community is deteriorating, and the enthusiasm which the seniors have, maybe the juniors won’t have, maybe they are looking out for collared jobs. But there are certain people who can be with me. So I train them to work for us.”

Kannan, will launch the brand with a 17,500 sqft store in Kerala, and plans to expand it across the world in the next three years. This year, they plan to open five stores in Delhi, Bombay, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, plus two flagships stores. There are plans to hold trunk shows across cities, with altered designs that suit the taste of each place.

The brand is open for collaborations and looking to give franchisees across the country and internationally.

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