{ F.A.S.H.I.O.N } The Bohemian Diwali- A series of Self-portraits

 

9 months into the pandemic and we've all found our own tricks to work from home. While i have been majorly creating content from home since 2 + years , i used to travel for shoots, trend discovery, brand events/meetings for my work . While most of my work is stitched end to end by me - the added responsibility of being my own photographer 24x7 has been exciting yet challenging at the same time  ! Shooting in the 4 walls of my Mumbai apartment , not a challenge i don't like ,even though there's just 2-3 walls as backdrops . For the first 6-7 months, most sunlight filtered through my bedroom- now you know why my instagram feed is full of bedroom shots! With the sudden change in weather post Dussehra, the lights changed their way! They now shine in full glory in the drawing room. Which means i have now shifted my shoot backdrop to the drawing room!I am literally dancing to the tunes of mother nature till i invest in artificial light . I am not sure what is stopping me but sunlight has to be my most favourite filter ever. This entire series of course is shot in the new backdrop which is my drawing room with my camera resting on the dining table ! I know , i am beginning to sound very "Jugaadu"- but thats me! Yet to add a full-length tripod too! 

While i do this, I have come across so many young girls on the gram who are nailing the self-portrait game! Who knew it would become a fad ! This year has brought in a lot of learnings and unexpected trends for sure! 


I hope you enjoy this festive series - All too bohemian, easy to wear and Re-wear! For the first two looks , I have styled a skirt which first made appearance on the blog in 2015. You can read about it in this post! 

I still remember how head over heels i was over this skirt which came as a set. It was expensive then but right now i can only say it was totally worth it. The number of re-wear looks i can do with it is endless! If you build a wardrobe with solid colors, they continue to look unique - because unlike prints , they don't end up easily in the human memory ! To everyone looking for sustainable options, remember that an outfit with maximum re-wears qualifies too! I don't see myself parting with this one for sure!  


Look 1: I paired the skirt with this structured sleeve zara blouse ! Puffed sleeves and a structured shoulder add the necessary drama without the frills! You could wear a choker or style with an embroidered bib necklace like i did- this one from PROMOD. They did some really amazing accessories earlier! You could even wear this outfit to a sangeeta if you are to attend one during this lockdown- stay safe!







Look 2: This is my favourite look because of the accessory overload and the fluid dupatta layered with the skirt . The skirt has a zipper and a hook and hence it looks pretty neat up there! If it had an elastic, the look would've been a bit fluffy. The duppata is special - its part of the anarkali set which i wore for my Roka / Bata Pakki ceremony 8 years ago! Me and Nikunj had a crazy time selecting the kurta visiting every market in Bombay! Over 10,000 visits and then we ended up liking this one! The bangle with the green stone is from 3 years ago . I got it from Maheshwar- the birthplace of Maheshwari silk sarees and a favourite Bollywood shoot location for a lot of aesthetic movies like Bajirao Mastani and Kalank. I spent a great deal of time haggling with the seller who sold this bangle at the ghats. He said this was elephant tusk ! Its banned due to animal cruelty and yet these people think they can fool people! Its quite a statement though! Now, the sterling silver nose- pin and the neckpiece are from FAB-INDIA and this is part of my lockdown sale steal this month! I have never worn a nose pin and this was just to experiment. Not a very comfortable accessory but certainly worked well with my theme! The white metal bag is from Udaipur which was bought in November end last year! It was an expensive street buy but looking at the quality , i think it was totally worth it!  What do you think of this look? 













Till next time, CIAO! 




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{ E.D.I.T.O.R.I.A.L } An autumnal paradise

 

Today should have been the day for our 9th Blog anniversary post - but i am keeping this treat as a pre-cursor because well, I promised ! 

Honestly , I could go on an expedition to find that remote that will help me to fast-forward to December of 2020 ( hoping that would be a better phase for the whole world !) . I decided to go slow, and bring around some autumnal vibes instead. We shot this beautiful editorial in a place that felt right out of my parisian dreams ! In the lovely city of Pretoria , South Africa , when the weather was chilly and the autumnal leaves decorated the sky before falling down and crisping under my feet like wafers! Shooting in a different country has a different set of challenges but this day, I will always remember !  It was dreamy and the place looked even better than the pictures thanks to the autumnal beauty ! All this while, I  couldn't decide between the 100 good shots taken by Mandy. She was a delight to work with but later we couldnt seem to work together which made me sad. But sometimes, despite everything being perfect , things don't work out. Not complaining because this shoot is one of my most favourite ever and perfect to welcome the autumn season soon ! WARNING: THE MOST PHOTO HEAVY POST on our blog ever! Tell me if you have a favourite shot?

























 
DRESS, earrings : ZARA | Heels : Charles & Keith | Bag : Shop in dharavi | Watch : Fossil 




Till, next time , CIAO! 








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{ F.A.S.H.I.O.N } Lounge 2020

 

My first post on the blog was about 2020 and fast forward 8 months  ( Can you believe? ) , I can't still part ways with the magical number- 2020. At least we thought 2020 sounded futuristic and the most transformational. But well, nature had its own " transformational" plans and we are at its mercy . All of us who made those travel bucket lists , got a huge jolt and thats really nothing as compared to everyone who has been deeply impacted due to the virus. 

But this year has taught us "GRATITUDE" in abundance. I am thankful everyday for a healthy life, an opportunity to still continue to hold on to what i love most - blogging and creating content  . This month we complete 9 years and there's a ton of fabulous SELF-SHOT posts & IRRESISTIBLE giveaways coming your way as i explore the future of fashion post the pandemic. Do not forget to catch up with every post on instagram as well and stay tuned for announcements on my stories!  

Just before the lockdown began , I was in Goa and goodness, am i thankful for that! It was my birthday and i had decided to quickly make this trip as well as planned some shoots. Who knew this would be the last travel ( so far ) and the last outdoor shoot! 2019 has been very unfortunate for me professionally as well as personally due to these health issues - my lower back as well as the dreaded viral infection on my face that finally went away in June 2020- an entire year! Its the reason why i was not able to create much content despite blogging full-time. Yet, I took chances and shot outdoors despite my face being full of the lesions in February . It was not only embarrassing but dissatisfying as my face was swollen due to the infection throughout the year. It wasn't the face I was used to but nonetheless i accepted it with all my grit and continued on my goals. And I am glad I did that. This was my idea of lounging in 2020 and well, i have been lounging for a lot of 2020 inside my head ! I guess you are too?  Hoping for the real deal now , haha . 












Top/Jumpsuit/Earrings : ZARA | Neckpiece : Sarojini nagar market | Bangle : Bandra fleamarket 




Till next time, CIAO!



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{ F.A.S.H. I.O.N } Patching up with 2020


Hello People!


2020 is a strange year. Almost like a thriller novel. A mystery everyone wants to solve. A nightmare everyone wants to get out of ! And in all this, we are finding ways to preserve our sanity! 

A lot of us are buried neck-deep in "Work" of all kinds.  Even the summers went by without us enjoying a holiday, and so its important to plan A BREAK if not a holiday ! We can never replace travel , but can surely get our dopamine fix with some creative DIY ! 

The nature is in revenge mode and we know that our consumption choices are under the radar more than ever . As a conscious generation, its time to go SLOW. And this applies to fashion as well. Does that mean we need to STOP BUYING FAST fashion? The good news is - there's another post coming up on that and the answer is coming in that post ! But this post will show you ways of sprucing up your most used DENIMS and elongate their lifespan even more !


Patchwork denims are rarely manufactured  , and if you are a bohemian at heart, this DIY will totally be your jam! When i posted these denims on my instagram, most of you were intrigued and i couldn't see  options similar to this! So i came up with this DIY trick, so you can create yours! 

These cloth-patchwork denims got special love from you when I first put the trial room selfie on instagram in 2017 . I spotted this in Zara sale and didn't see this in any other Zara outlet in the whole of Bombay- so hurried to try it on . There were only 2 sizes left. The other was a size smaller. I was skeptical because its not the regular denim and cannot be worn at all times. However my bohemian heart was already head over heels.  When i tried the size which was 2 inches smaller than my original , it squeezed my butt & tummy in an uncomfortable way ! To top it, it wasn't elastic. I walked to and fro- sat inside the trial room thinking it would expand like a miracle. 10 mins. Nothing happened, haha . I asked the Zara folks to help me with the next size or check availability in other stores. Alas, their servers went down and they couldn't track either information. I kept the denim back from where i picked it. I spoke to the zara folks again- Does this shrink further on wash? The guy was like- I am sure you wear denims- they always expand. But I was in still in two minds- what if it didn't expand! Its a high waist style - So its pushing my tummy in and making me uncomfortable! I almost walked out of the store and i looked at it again. I ran back again , picked it and back to the billing counter !!! HAHA. I was not going home without these.


You can have this denim style in a day's time or maybe an hour!!!

How?

1. Pick any denim from your wardrobe 
2. Cut square/triangular cloth pieces out of your favourite old cotton blouses/ pillow covers or sheets (Printed or solids ).
3. Use Fabric glue to stick them ( EASY) or if you are a stitching pro- just sew it on!

And done! 
If you are a guy reading this, why not try this trend as well.  Pair with a leather jacket for the colder months . I would love to see your DIY project. Share it with me!


SHOTS from August 2017:


indian fashion blog





Self-portrait from 2020 



Till next time, CIAO!




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{ F.A.S.H.I.O.N } Dot Twenty



Hello Folks!


As I write my first post of the fabulous year 2020 , I am surprised at how 2020 is so much like 2010 except that we buy literally everything over the internet,  mobile internet is accessible to everyone with rock bottom prices, countless international brands have made their foray into the indian market  and more people are running marathons to keep fit ! Ok, thats a huge shift but then as a kid ,2020 sounded very Space-age to me and i believed some of us would be living on the Moon or perhaps Mars and that i would be visiting them or at least making some advance booking for spaceships  . But in Bombay, we brought the "Moon and Mars" condition upon us ! Yes, the endless craters on our roads and diversions which make people restless and they drive like the game ROAD RASH!

That aside,  there is an increasing awareness of pollution and single-use plastic . We have definitely come a long way ! In 2010, straws and cups and poly bags would be scattered everywhere and now people are taking action ! All is not lost , we are just slow. Changes don't come easy, but when they do , there is action. That is a welcome change ! And with that hope i begin 2020 with a retro trend " Polka dots" because fashion is cyclical. Since 2018 we have been obsessed with all things in the past . So much so that we use apps like HUJI cam to convert our modern looks into retro with the filters!
Headbands, hair clips, baggy pants - we just seem to be yearning to belong to the 70s , 80s and the 90s ! So here we are - another year of cyclical trends and a lot of "BLUE" ( Pantone color of the year) . That actually sums up my wardrobe for 2020 because i love blue ( Check my instagram feed if you want to know what i mean ) .


Location: Kolkata
Photography : Arpit Rungta



Wrap dress, shell hoops : ZARA | Golden belt : Bata | Shoes : Charles & Keith | Watch : Esprit| Black slip : Local market 
















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