Culinary celebrations

Culinary celebrations

    Otto Infinito, a gastronomic oasis in the heart of BKC, completes one year of its culinary journey. The restaurant brought the magic of the Mediterranean to Mumbai, with its easy dining atmosphere and understated elegance. As part of its anniversary celebrations, a special menu with several innovative dishes has been planned. This predominantly Italian menu inspired by the essence of the other Mediterranean countries has been specially created for the guests to embark on a new culinary journey. The preparations will complement the a la carte menu, adding a new twist to the experience.
    Sample savory delights like the pumpkin tortelli filled with a mixture of pumpkin, asparagus tips, pine nuts and ginger; black pepper roast chicken with coriander rice, garlic pok choy, stewed pearl onion and orange bourblanc. End your meal on a sweet note with the mango baked yogurt with chilli chocolate soil or a salted caramel chocolate tart with caramelised banana and vanilla ice cream.
Where and when: Otto Infinito, all days of the week.

Mango baked yogurt

Otto Infinito

Manish Malhotra brings back sharara pants

Manish Malhotra brings back sharara pants

    Designer Manish Malhotra recently showcased his new collection 'Reflections' at the Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2013, where he introduced a lighter luxe line for younger minds. He says, “My festive collection for this season is high on colour and new silhouettes. It plays with the concept of lightness and celebrations. The primary influences are from Rajasthan and Kutch — mirror work, my signature Kashmiri work, traditional colour-blocking and a     palette of deep green, dark beige, mustard and earthy greys, are all characteristic of these regions.
The collection, therefore, marries the best of India’s sartorial heritage with youth and sparkle.” The show, sans a showstopper, highlighted the theme of reflections, which displayed models walking on the ramp in pairs to create an effect of mirror image in an opulent and festive atmosphere.
    The collection will be exclusively available at the new diffusion store in Mumbai today and will soon be showcased at the Delhi store. 

    Where: Shivraj Heights, Behind Rajkumar Jewellers, 14th Road, Khar (W).

Manish Malhotra

Folk-inspired silhouettes: Light, simple, modern folkinspired silhouettes, which exude understated elegance. They are glamorous and traditional at the same time.

Traditional sartorial colour blocking: By moulding the old and new, Manish gives colour-blocking an interesting twist.

The ghagra that becomes a sharara:
Introducing a new silhouette — the ghagra pants, which are a fusion of the sharara and the classic pants. This is a fun and very stylish alternative to the lehenga.
4

Lehenga sarees: The designer loves the idea of lehenga sarees, which is inspired by Rajasthan’s extensive use of beiges with pop-up colours.

Koti top: Has reinterpreted traditional Rajasthani koti silhouette to create a top, which can be worn with saris and ghagras. Inspired by traditional Rajasthani folk fashion with mirror work, the silhouettes are enhanced by metallic colours.

SHIMMER LIKE GOLD

SHIMMER LIKE GOLD

    Day three at the Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2013 ended with Pond’s gold radiance™ presenting the “Wear Nothing But Gold” collection by Vikram Phadnis. The opening of the show featured Karisma Kapoor, the face of Pond’s gold radiance™.
Said Karisma, “Everyone grows old. But with a product like this, you stop fearing it. I saw my skin glow the instant I applied it for the first time. The serum is incredibly beautiful. And that’s how it makes you feel. Everytime I use it, I feel like a princess. And gold has always been a part of every milestone in my life. Whether it was tears being shed at my wedding or the smiles shared at an achievement. I was excited about being Vikram’s showstopper. After being away for a while, there is a tinge of nervousness when you come back. But I wore something gorgeous and looked it too!”
“This is a range of luxurious skincare products made with a combination of potent anti-ageing ingredients and real gold micro-particles. Vikram’s collection was a tribute to this beautiful radiance of gold and portray its beauty in the best way that it can be,” said Arun Srinivas, Vice-President Skincare and Makeup, HUL.
A luxury in anti-ageing, these are a specially formulated range of products infused with real gold micro particles. They revitalise the lost radiance of ageing skin across four dimensions — texture, colour, evenness of tone and hydration — to awaken the skin’s youthful radiance, visibly reduce wrinkles and brighten skin tone in 15 minutes.
    Youthful skin has an undeniable radiance. As skin cells age, the inner ability to regenerate slows down over time, making skin visibly duller. This is an ageing solution that directly targets the combined four signs of skin dullness to recapture skin’s youthful radiance. This range is a combination of the best proven antiageing ingredients, combined with real elemental gold, to reenergise dull skin and recapture the radiance of your youth.
    The range comes in six unique anti ageing products — Youthful Glow Day Cream, Precious Youth Serum, Youth Reviving Eye Cream, Youthful Night Repair, Radiance Boosting Cleansing Mousse and Radiance Revealed Facial Mousse.

Kareena Kapoor Khan

Maheep Kapoor

Mashoom Singha

Dayana Erappa

Amrita Arora Ladak

Malaika Arora Khan

TOP FASHION MISTAKES THAT MEN MAKE

TOP FASHION MISTAKES THAT MEN MAKE

    Just having a face that fits Prince Charming isn’t enough. If you look like you just made the biggest wardrobe blunder of the year, it’s time to sit up and get that error out of the way. Here are style no-nos that most men make and ought to avoid: 

 

TOO MUCH SHINE: This one just doesn’t cut it by any standards. We mean, why would you want to look like you've escaped from the disco? Shiny suits and iridescent trousers look crass and loud. If you wear it on an evening out it’s one thing, but men who wear shiny material pants or shirts must revamp in favour of kinder fabrics like linen and cotton. 

 
WEARING SOCKS AND SANDALS: OK, school-going lad you are not, so get rid of this look immediately. It’s a major casual style offender as most guys have been doing this for years. Rule is: socks go with closed shoes and under trousers or chinos. Shorts worn with socks and sandals will only edge you into nerdville and drive away the ladies, so watch out! 

 
WRINKLED CLOTHES: If you haven’t had the time to iron out that favourite shirt, wear something else. Resembling this morning’s laundry basket is a huge blooper and just shouts out that you're a disorganised, careless soul. Remember, a slob can never look cool. 

 
GOING OVERBOARD WITH NEON: Sure, bright orange and green may be in vogue and men sport the hues too. But if you have to showcase neon don’t be an eyesore. Integrate the shade right in your wardrobe. Simply use a neon ties over a subtle shaded shirt, or if you are wearing a bright shirt, wear it with simple blue denim. A blazer and a shirt worn together in bright shades should be ruled out. 

 
WEARING RIPPED JEANS EVERYWHERE: Yes, the washed-out, ripped denim look might be cool, but it can’t be worn on all occasions like some people deem it fit. It’s not party wear, neither is it Saturday dressing, so do not wear it to work. The rockstar look is okay for a movie or on a casual date.

Padma Shri Dr Mukesh Batra, renowned homeopath

From the doc’s lens

    Padma Shri Dr Mukesh Batra, renowned homeopath, Founder and Chairman of Dr Batra’s Positive Health Clinic, had his ninth annual charity photo exhibition titled ‘Magic Moments’, which showcased two of the most popular Greek islands — Mykonos and Santorini. They are renowned for their whitewashed buildings with blue doors, bluedomed churches, windmills and clear waters.
    Student from Happy Home inaugurated the exhibition in Mumbai. It was attended by over 200 people from different walks of society, including The Consul General of Turkey, Ceylan Ozen Erisen, Meera Borwankar, Salomi Roy Kapur, Dolly Bindra, Naina Kanodia, Ambika Shukla, Pritish Nandy, Ananya Dutta, Sameer Mandol, Dolly Thakur, Farid Currim, Parvez Damania, Rashmi Uday Singh, Khalid Ansari and a NGO from Thane.
    Dr Batra said, “Although my first passion is medicine, I am completed by my second love, photography. Photography is an artistic expression that can capture beautiful moments when words are not sufficient to describe their true splendour. My biggest inspiration is my cause; it allows me to collect funds for the underprivileged.”

Dr Mukesh Batra, Dr Akshay Batra and Hriman

Meera Borwankar

Ambika Shukla

Ceylan Ozen Erisen

Dolly Bindra

Salomi Roy Kapoor

Reliance Jewels, the jewellery specialty store from Reliance Retail, presented a dazzling display of jewellery

STARS SPARKLE ON THE RAMP

    Reliance Jewels, the jewellery specialty store from Reliance Retail, presented a dazzling display of jewellery along with designer Ritu Kumar’s creations, at the Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2013.
    Models dazzled on the ramp in a range of jewellery, from bangles and kadas to gold earrings and some elaborate neckpieces. The highlight of the evening was showstopper Nargis Fakhri, who was seen wearing regal kundan jewellery. Said Nargis, “The wedding collection pieces are absolutely stunning and very exotic. And I feel gorgeous in this ensemble.” The show saw many prominent faces in the front row, which included models, filmstars and corporate honchos.
    Talking about the association of the brand with Lakmé Fashion Week, Sunil Nayak, CEO, Reliance Jewels, said, “We are pleased to be associated with Ritu Kumar for showcasing our latest designs in gold jewellery on this platform, which is ideal for exhibiting our jewellery. The evening was truly a celebration of design, craftsmanship and techniques that helped in creating these timeless pieces of jewellery. These pieces have been designed for the woman of today, who is deeply rooted to her traditional self and is trying to take on new roles to celebrate the occasions in her life.”
    The brand understands the penchant for gold among Indian women as well as their need to stay in tune with the latest in style and international jewellery trends. The retail chain currently includes 54 exclusive showrooms in 37 cities and is one of India’s largest jewellery retail store chains.
    The ambience of the venue — an elaborate floral backdrop as well as a circular ramp — added to the drama of the show.

Nargis Fakhri with designer Ritu Kumar

Bruna Abdullah, Karishma Tanna and Vivek Oberoi

Sonalee Kulkarni and Riteish Deshmukh

Genelia D’Souza

Aftab Shivdasani

Tara Kurien

Reha Sukheja

Prada, Jimmy Choo, Chloe, Fendi, Gucci, Miu Miu, Celine, Michael Kors, Stella McCartney, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, Ferragamo, Armani, Tods, Bottega, YSL and several others.

TIME TO SPLURGE

    Want to splurge on luxury designer items? Here’s your chance — an exhibition that gives you an opportunity to grab designer bags and shoes at affordable rates. The exhibition-cum-sale, organised by Solo Luxury, will showcase the latest collections from brands like Prada, Jimmy Choo, Chloe, Fendi, Gucci, Miu Miu, Celine, Michael Kors, Stella McCartney, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, Ferragamo, Armani, Tods, Bottega, YSL and several others.
    Discounts on these luxury handbags range form 10% to 40%. The concept behind the discounted prices is to introduce consumers to luxury brands at affordable prices, offer multiple brands under one roof and operate with lower overheads, thus helping the company pass on price savings to the consumer. All bags are sourced directly from distributors in Europe and the United States, are authentic and come with a complete warranty. They are imported through the official channel by paying requisite import duties, so the consumer can be satisfied about their authenticity.
WHEN AND WHERE:
    The Shangrila Hotel, Ballroom No 3, 9th Floor, Above Palladium Mall, Lower Parel, August 27, 11 am onwards.
    The JW Marriot Hotel, Kaveri Hall, Ground Floor, Juhu, August 28, 11 am onwards.
For details call 9820647303.

Some of the luxury designer handbags that will be available at the expo

MENSWEAR WITH A FUNKY TWIST

MENSWEAR WITH A FUNKY TWIST

    Designers Barkha and Sonzal will showcase a collection titled ‘A Beautiful Mind’ today at 5.15 pm at the ongoing Lakme Fashion week. Their collection focuses on how one’s mind goes through a metamorphosis from birth to death, from innocence to craziness.
    It highlights the constant Mahabharat raging within, the darkness and light, the robotic to pagan behaviour. This collection highlights this dichotomy that one goes through, when finding the purpose of the soul.
    The designers will showcase a menswear collection with funky jackets and trousers with cool cuts in a youthful and fun style. Their inspiration comes from life, arithmetic and movies like Run Lola Run. Their clothes reflect their creative talent as well as their technical expertise and skill. They believe their forte is dory work, with sleek cuts and impeccable finishing to create timeless and classic styles.
    This season they are also working towards building awareness on a project focusing on babies. Lakhs of babies die in the tribal zones of India because no covering is available for them. All that is needed is a small baby blanket to save a tribal newborn from death They are going to build awareness about this cause through their show.
    Besides that, the designer duo will also be stitching baby blankets for them and sending those across.

Barkha and Sonzal

Last year designers refused to dress him up for Cannes. This year Nawazuddin turned showstopper!

Last year designers refused to dress him up for Cannes. This year Nawazuddin turned showstopper!

    Last year, when Nawazuddin Siddiqui headed to Cannes with his film Gangs Of Wasseypur, he had to wear a suit stitched by a local tailor for his red carpet appearance as many designers had refused to create clothes for him. Today, it’s a different story. The actor debuted as a showstopper for menswear designer Troy Costa at the Lakme Fashion Week over the weekend. “I’ve never even seen a fashion show in my life, which is why I was extremely nervous. But when I looked into the mirror before the show, I realised I was looking nice and the nervousness abated.” Nawaz travelled for 18 hours from his village in Uttarakhand for the show, where he has been for the past month and a half helping in rehabilitation work for the victims of the natural calamity that took place there a few months ago.

Nawazuddin on the ramp

Model Jyotsana Chakravarty with designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee

A peak into the Lakme Absolute Royal grand finale: Model Jyotsana Chakravarty with designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, who will bring down the curtains on the Winter/Festive 2013 edition of Lakme Fashion Week in the city tomorrow

ART FOR ALL SENSIBILITIES

ART FOR ALL SENSIBILITIES

    While canvas paintings remain an integral part of most art collections in India, the globally travelled buyer is open to newer mediums, experimentation and diversity. Sculptures, installations, photography and video art are slowly becoming a must for any important collection.
    To encourage these newer genres of art, Tao Art Gallery presents Beyond The Canvas, a show jointly curated by Kalpana Shah and Sapna Kar. This must-see show, on at Tao till September 10, features works by Paresh Maity, Jayasri Burman, Seema Kohli, Rini Dhumal, Himmat Shah, Valay Shende, Arunkumar HG, Baiju Parthan, Raghu Rai, Rameshwar Broota, Arzan Khambatta and several other artists.
    Over 30 artists have come together for the show, using diverse mediums and themes that range from traditional to contemporary, thus creating a spectrum of options for all aesthetic sensibilities. Artworks from this collection can sure be ‘conversation pieces’ in your home.

Debanjan Roy, Bapu with Goats, fibreglass with acrylic paint

Raghu Rai, Jamuna, photograph on archival paper

Seema Kohli, George K, Dance of Life, fibreglass and newspaper

Mahendra Bhagat, Red alert, fibreglass

Paresh Maity, Closeness, oil on fibreglass

This season, go floral

This season, go floral

One of those trends, that continues to provide us with a myriad of options and refuses to fade away. Here’s how to rock this look...

    They never really went out of style, but now florals are back in an edgier, bolder avatar. What makes this trend even more appealing is perhaps the fact that it can make you look feminine without looking ultra girly. Thanks to the versatility of this theme, you can carry off both the ‘dainty flower child look’ as well as the ‘don’t mess with me’ look with total élan. Interestingly, men and children too seem to be adopting this trend with full aplomb. The elements of floral are being adopted not only in clothes, but also in accessories such as handbags, footwear and hairbands.
    A floral pint is essentially rich and busy, so it greatly reduces the hassle of accessorising. You can create a beautiful contrast with your shoes against the dress to make it look slightly more polished or team up a monochromatic floral look with some bright head or hand gear. Monochrome floral prints also look gorgeous and help in breaking out of the ‘oh so petite’ look, by giving the look a bolder appeal. These days, scorching the fashion meters, are florals in both soft, pastel shades as well as loud, vibrant hues. Team it up with a pair of striking gold stilettos and a waist cincher or some glamorous flats and you’re good to go.
Florals are all about keeping the essence of fun and laughter alive and kicking! Jumpsuits, casual dresses, pants and denims, tops, shirts, maxi dresses, all seem to be embracing and flaunting this trend with complete joy. A simple blend of florals in your overall attire and you can own the look. The key to wearing florals and getting the look right is to make sure your entire look collaborates with the accessories and footwear. The right add-ons can make a huge difference and vastly affect your overall look.

Hair accessories also seem to be quite the rage this season

Floral pants are flocking the markets.

Floral jumpsuits add to the oomph factor.

Model Tikshika Rao

Floral prints have made their way in ootwear as well.

you won’t find one single store empty when discounts are offered.

WHAT’S THE BIG CRAZE ABOUT SALE?

Whether its clothes, accessories, shoes or household items — you won’t find one single store empty when discounts are offered.

    The last two months saw shopaholics on a rampant shopping spree — from roadside stalls to branded ones, the heavy discounts have been driving people crazy and how. With new stocks arriving, certain stores have even decided to extend the sale days. So if you still haven’t splurged, this could be your last chance.
    “I wait for the time when stores offer huge discounts on clothes and shoes. The best time to purchase things is during the first one month, when you can get a hold of some great buys. Recently, I went to a store which has extended its sale and managed to buy a pair of formal trousers,” says Arunima Bose, 26-year-old banker.
JEWELLERY AND ACCESSORIES Though it isn’t the wedding season yet, several jewellery brands across the city are offering big discounts. From gold, diamonds, silver, everyday jewellery to stones — this is the perfect time to invest in them.
ELECTRONIC GOODS For all the gadget freaks, this is the best time to get a new phone, laptop, TV etc. The sales ensure that you not only splurge on essential buys, but on luxury items as well. Don’t miss out on this one.
HOME BUYS If you’ve been waiting to get new curtains, bed spreads or other items like bed sheets, home appliances etc for your house, here’s your chance. Big home brands have their sales going on till the last week of August.
APPARELS If you’ve been vying for a particular dress or top, here’s an option to pick it up for a steal. Says boutique owner Purnima Majithia, “People usually wait for this time to buy dresses of all sorts because we usually offer big discounts on garments. From Indian wear to Western wear, one would get at least 30 to 70 per cent off on clothes. This time we saw how people went crazy shopping, so we decided to extend the sale dates by a couple of days, till the end of the month.”