Bed Head TIGI India

As of 5th April, 2015, I have officially bid goodbye to good old fly songbird. That doesn't mean I have left behind my free flying days. A name change was needed. I have considered changing the name of the blog ever since it became a fashion and lifestyle blog as opposed to just being a personal blog where I wrote about everything that knocked at my brain. I have always maintained that a blog needs to stick to it's niche(it's very easy to say yes to brands who will pay you or give you lucrative freebies). Quality over quantity, people. And I have stuck to mine and an appropriate name was necessary. I have thought of names for years on and off. I have thought of buying a domain and redesigning the look of the blog on and off. But, always put it off for tomorrow. Always thinking I am still learning how to blog better and making mistakes here and there. This March my blogging journey completed a whole 5 years. And I put my foot down. I had to get my big ass moving and get all the changes done. The new look is simple and clean with a hint of colour and calligraphy, a good combo of everything I love in design, and life in general. Project Curve does not signify only the curves of a body, even though every curve and plane of a woman's body is celebrated here. This is a no body snark, only body love zone. And it will always remain so. But, this curve I speak of, signifies also the curve of life. The journey to anywhere is mired in following a lot bendy roads, there are seldom any straight lanes that take us to our destination. The curves make it fun. I have plans of launching a new segment soon. But, my "soons" are longer than your "soons".

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How many of you have used and love TIGI products? It is a hugely popular hair product range abroad. When I had just started discovering hair products that can do wonders to my otherwise straight hair, TIGI was one of the first brands I wanted to try. So, when it became available online a few years back (all heavens bless online shopping!) I was a very happy girl. But, I have even better news for all you city dwellers. TIGI will now be available in Calcutta, exclusively in select salons all over the city. Their Bead Head and S-factor ranges are coming to town. I was invited to the product launch event for a one-on-one styling session. I got into a tête–à–tête session with TIGI creative expert, Rohit Solanki as he styled my hair.

Q. What's the difference between the Bed Head and S-factor ranges?
Rohit ~ S-factor is more of a high end, luxury range. Whereas Bed Head is for the young at heart, the more spirited ones.

Q. Which city in India has the more experimental crowd in terms of hair styling?
Rohit ~ Bangalore for sure. It is not like the other cities. It is like a hub.

Q. How would you rate the Calcutta crowd?
Rohit ~ Most people in cities like Calcutta, Chennai and even Delhi love their lengths. They like a particular look. They are much more conservative.

Q. But, would you say the younger generation is moving away from conservative style choices now?
Rohit ~ Definitely. There has been a huge shift in the past few years, the young generation is definitely more aware of international trends. India and China especially are growing markets.

Q. Why are the TIGI products only available at salons?
Rohit ~ Well, the TIGI products are like medicine for your hair and the salon experts are like hair doctors. You should buy the products you need only after you know how to use them.

Q. Okay, I have always wanted to go really short with an asymmetric bob. How short should I go?
Rohit ~ The front layer should touch your shoulders and back should cover your neck. That would create the right frame for your face.
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Well that's it guys. Hope you got a little insight. Next time you ask your hair stylist to spare your hair length, know that you are just being a true desi. 
TIGI Products used on my hair - Hard Head hair spray for strong hold and a subtle shine. Manipulator gunk for texture. And Head Rush mist spray for a sheen. It smelled so exotic.
I loved the glamorous curls. It lasted for a whole day and some more. Almost made me want to go in for a boudoir shoot.

Project Curve

Niine by Niine-Styled by Me

I featured Niine by Niine in my previous post(click to read) and here I am, back with a post where I have styled a few items from their fabulous collection. Go and read all about what the store offers for both men and women in my last post(link provided above).

I chose similar looking earrings in different colours because I loved how easily I could team them with a retro outfit as well as an Indo-Western fusion outfit. They were about INR550. I am not a big fan of bows but, I chose this dress because of the polka dots and the awesome layered bell sleeves. Have I mentioned ever that I am a huge fan of good bell sleeves? It's a love affair that started when I was a tiny tot. This sequin jacket is perfection. Agree? I just slipped into it and it fit perfectly. It is only INR2200 and you can have it custom made in your size if needed. I bought these round sunglasses the very day of the event from a street shop. These were technically gifted, not bought. I finally have a round pair with silver rims and faded pink glasses and I love them.

Earrings, Polka Dotted Dress, Sequinned Jacket - Niine by Niine

Teal Mary Jane Wedges - B.K. Market

Pink Round Teashades - Gifted

Blue Ethnic Printed Stole, Black Cardigan - my own

FlySongbird

Niine by Niine-Designer Wear For Every Body

Niine by Niine graciously invited us over to check out their latest offerings for the upcoming seasons at their store. It was a good opportunity for me to go back to the locality of my old school. It is just near where the famous Ekdalia Park Durga Puja takes place every year in autumn. So, all in all you can say this store is located right in the midst of a lot of nostalgia inducing landmarks for me. 

Sprawling over three stories Niine by Niine houses the best of both Western and Indian wear for men and women. The different labels you will find here are - in house designer Sonia Kripalani along with Seema Oberoi and Mini Singh from Delhi. The 1st floor is filled with traditional weaves like chanderi, chiffon, kalamkari, cotton jamewars, tussar and muslin. The 2nd floor is full of the prettiest gowns, bandage dresses, and a plethora of accessories discovered on travels across the world. On the 3rd floor you will find menswear for all occasions ranging from regal looking jackets, vests to bridal and other traditional garb. There is also a segment dedicated to shoes that range from the chunkiest of platforms to the most glittery heels. There are plenty of chic and trendy options here for everyone.

Things I loved about designer and proprietor Sonia Kripalani's work is the vibrant use of colour and prints. Even better is the fact that you will find something gorgeous for yourself no matter what your size is. The store is full of statement making pieces. If you love something and they don't have your size, fret not because they will customise it for you. It's not just the size that is customisable over here though. They can make something specially for you that fits your budget for your special day. We all know weddings can be darn expensive if you don't wish to compromise on your aesthetics. Niine by Niine is the store for you if you love bright, cheery colours and if you love trendy pieces that will make you stand out wherever you go. Constantly innovating and striving to provide the best of the best, Niine by Niine aims to grow by opening stores around the country & foray into standalone menswear boutiques.

FlySongbird

Get Love Struck by Westside Wunderlove Lingerie Collection

Last week I went to check out the latest collections that Westside launched. In my previous *post* I talked about the plus-sized Sassy Soda collection.The other in-house brand they have come out with is the Wunderlove lingerie collection.  The price range is within INR899. There are basic as well as fancy options. The bras and briefs come in matching pairs, but the best thing is they can be bought separately. It is a good thing because women often wear different sizes of tops and bottoms. Also you can choose not to buy matching pairs if that isn't your style. The briefs come in 3 styles-high leg, bikini briefs, full briefs. You can get the regular cotton briefs in combo packets of 3 and 4. The sizes range from small to XL. The bras range from 32 to 38 in sizes and the highest cup size you will get is a D. They have padded, wired options as well as regular non-padded and non-wired ones. Everything comes in neutral shades as well as with prints like florals, polka dots, animal prints and some with lace detailing. There are pretty blues, bright pinks and monochrome colours available as of now. They also have camisoles in neutral colours from S to XL. I really wish there were more sizes in this range because lots of women have cup sizes higher than a D. Especially if they have a smaller underbust size compared to bust circumference it becomes difficult to get something that fits properly. (read about how to measure yourself properly before you go lingerie shopping *here*). However, what the Wunderlove collection may lack in sizes they make up for it in style.

FlySongbird

Stay Sassy with the Westside Sassy Soda Collection

My Durga Puja shopping is rarely complete without a customary visit to Westside. They always have something I like in a variety of sizes. I am very happy to tell you that Westside has launched the Sassy Soda collection on 29th August which caters to the style loving plussized girls. They called me over to check out the collection and I really liked the designs. It is a casual meets party wear kind of collection. They have printed pants with zippered details, jumpsuits with lace detailing, casual tees with velvet appliques, sheer blouses, tie-up tops, crochet shrugs, denim skirts and pretty dresses as well. I was told they will keep adding more things to the collection every week. I was really impressed that they have incorporated all the latest trends in this collection. The sizes range from a US 16 to 22! That's what makes it even better. Larger women often wear drab solid colours that give them no shape and make them look and (I presume) feel even worse. We all know the power of dressing nice no matter what our sizes are. It is not about dressing like you are ready to hit the party circuit. Even if you love wearing slogan T-shirts and jeans, it needs to fit you well otherwise you will feel like shit. Don't reach for sack like garments to hide your body. Sassy Soda is here to help you with that problem. They have shades from dreamy corals, reds to darker blues and blacks. It is an in-house brand and the prices are pretty reasonable. So, kudos to Westside and I wish this range keeps expanding. Check out some of the things I clicked when I visited the store.

FlySongbird

Bengal Fashion Week 2014 - Backstage II

For all those who liked my post on the backstage shots taken at the fashion week that I got to attend a couple of weeks back, here's round two.

I was invited by The Body Shop.

FlySongbird

Bengal Fashion Week 2014 - Runway

I have finally edited the runway photos nicely enough, I didn't take as many as I did last time. I believe in taking fewer shots of things I like and taking good enough ones at that. So, I am finally going to apply that for fashion shows as well. But, all my not so good, but decent shots will feature on my facebook page soon enough. So keep your eyes open, (if you are interested).

A.D.Singh

His show started with a model doing a fusion dance performance to the instrumental version of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal". But, he won me over when for the final walk his models walked to this track from "The Last of the Mohicans" - ♫The Kiss♫

 

Jattinn Kochhar

Monochrome, stripes and pop colours for make-up ruled his show. The make-up partner for the Bengal Fashion Week was The Body Shop, and the shades used in this show were from their Colour Crush Range. These are my favourite looks and prints from the show.

Now can you tell me which designers have shown footprints and cow prints before?

And since you all liked the backstage shots post, I have a few others for your eyes only coming up soon.

Bengal Fashion Week 2014 - Backstage

I have a particular affinity towards backstage shots (be it a fashion event or a film set). I was at the Bengal Fashion Week (check out my past fashion week coverages by clicking on the label below title of the post). And here's a few of my favourite backstage shots (from Jattin Kochhar's show). I will blog with runway shots as soon as my back stops aching from editing these photos.

This is me(this pic was clicked by Pooja of Dialifestyle), getting my make-up done backstage. They made my skin flawless, see?

I was invited by The Body Shop.

Kazo Bloggers Event - Calcutta Chapter

When I got an email to attend a bloggers event Kazo was hosting I immediately said yes. In the preview post I showed you some of the stuff I got in the goodie bag I received. And now onto the other photos of the event. Check out their Spring/Summer 2013 collection - complete with ombre shorts, studded tees and dresses, printed jumpsuits, pop colours and cool accessories.

↑This is one of the looks yours truly styled from Kazo's S/S 2013 collection↑

↓This is yours truly. Photo c/o Anupriya DG. ↓

↓Behind the scenes with Sayantani and Shayoni↓

 ♫

Keep a lookout for some good news coming your way c/o Kazo

and *click* for more photos