Begin Again

Gurgaon Autowala

No. Enough is enough. I will just shut up and start writing again! I have been feeling miserable about not being able to write about things that matter to me. I have been (what seems to me) shouting hoarse about loving writing opinion pieces about fashion and gender politics. But, what have I done the past few weeks? Just cribbed and moaned that "I don't get a good WiFi connection", "I need to do more fashion posts or no one will be interested", " I don't have any good images." I am just shutting up and letting things happen. Because the value of having a platform to speak out is immense. And I have that platform. I have poured 5 years of my life and opinions into this blog and how dare I let it go to waste! Enough is enough. I will stop making excuses. I will write about everything I have thought I should write about and then didn't these past few weeks. Forgive me, my words, for letting you get trapped like this.

Let's begin again.

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Don't You Honey Me

Terms of endearment. Such a misnomer. They have always made me cringe. I am an Indian, so being called sweetheart, dear, honey, by our parents was not a common thing growing up. These words are, just like plenty of other things, a foreign export. I have nothing against Western concepts being assimilated into our society. Mutual exchange of customs has always been a norm. And globalisation has only helped speed the process. The more we are alike in terms of the good things, the better. The world will be a better place. No, we won't lose our identities if we let go of some of our more backward traditions. Negatives do not define us. Positives do. But, when we are exporting certain cultural things from anywhere in the world, we are also exporting the history associated with them. Nothing really exists without precedence. I am simply tired of reminding people that I do not like being called "dear" and "honey". There even exists a Bengali term of endearment that is spoken with the same tone of faux familiarity and a hint of condescension as these English words. That famous term is "babu". Older people calling me that is fine (does that make me a practitioner of ageism somehow?). But, really when a peer calls me that it's an absolute no-no. Terms of endearment are mostly used by people who tend to habitually use them while talking to pretty much everyone they know. I once knew a girl (who is happily married now) in my UG class who said the word "babu" so often, she once called a professor that, by mistake of course. You get the picture right? If a loved one, in a truly endearing way calls me any of these terms, I will still cringe because of my past and ongoing experience with these words. They all seem seeped in dubious hypocrisy and insincere candour. They try to forge a forced bond of familiarity between the speaker and the one spoken to, no matter whether their encounter lasts 5 minutes or continues sporadically over decades. 

I have been trying to find out if my sentiments are echoed around the world or if there is just something wrong with me. I have compiled a list of articles you might be interested in reading on this issue and gain some perspective.

1. DON’T Call Me Dear!
2. Don't patronise me, Darling
3. Frankly, my dear: Why Terms of Endearment are Not Ok
4. I'm not your honey, darling, sweetheart, dear, ducky, or any other diminutive creature

Don't forget to share your thoughts on this.

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Sunny Love

All remnants of any sort of chilliness is gone from the wind. It is officially spring. But, you can feel the buzz of summer right beneath the windowsills. Soon the temperatures will start soaring sky high and we will all end up complaining mercilessly about the sun. All I can do right now, is dream of another city, of a certain warmth that spreads from within and tingles the toes. Why? Because every single day life changes forever, never to return to what it was yesterday. And I feel like I need to rush ahead with it. But, I am someone who is always a pace behind.

Yellow Cardigan - c/o Vero Moda

Backpack - c/o Romwe

Lennon Sunglasses - c/o Firmoo

Anchor Print Palazzo Pants - B.K. Market

Platform Sandals - Street Shop

FlySongbird

Mosaic Art by Vandeepp Kalra

A couple of posts ago I said I will feature a couple of female artists on this blog as March celebrated as Women's History Month. I am sure you loved learning about designer and entrepreneur Shivani Patel and I am happy to let you know her crowd-funding venture is going well. If you haven't contributed yet then go to my previous post *here* to read up about her eco-friendly range of fabulous designer bags.

I would like to introduce you to the work of mosaic artist Vandeepp Kalra. She delved into the world of mosaic art as a hobby which soon turned into an obsession and then into a full fledged career. Each piece is a beautiful work of art that you have to see with your own eyes. It takes hard work, immense patience and a great amount of passion to create the kind of work that she does. If you think it's too late to find your true calling in life then know that you are not the only one and it isn't too late to start. Vandeepp did her B.A. in Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, while her P.G. degree was in Business Administration. Her education has helped her in developing a sensibility of handling her business with grace and creativity. She is a self taught artist to top all of that.
She sources her materials from United Kingdom, Netherlands and Italy as well as India. Life inspires her mosaic artwork. The way she captures light and movement in her work is commendable. Each work takes one or two months to complete, the process is so labour intensive. She specialises in hand crafting mosaic portraits that flawlessly capture all kinds of silhouettes. Her studio offers product customisations to cater to client's specific needs.
Vandeepp Kalra is poised to shape a mosaic industry in India, which is still not fully exposed to the medium, through her innovative products and excellence in quality. As the only mosaic studio from India, it aims to educate and create awareness about mosaic as an art form and would like to be synonymous with similar artists that are present around the world.

And here is my favourite mosaic art from Vandeepp Kalra's exhibition that I personally got to gawk at the previous day. This Predator poster can become a collector's item for a movie buff.




image c/o Anupriya DG

You can drop in at her studio, located at Wood Street any time and bring home some of her finest pieces or order something one-of-a-kind that can be customised especially for you.

FlySongbird

Arture - A Corky Take On Things

March has been declared Women's History Awareness Month. And to keep in theme I have planned on highlighting a couple of artists who are the best in their respective fields. They are women, they are entrepreneurs and they are unique thinkers. Without further ado let me introduce to you our 1st artist- accessory designer, Shivani Patel who is about to launch an entire collection of wallets and handbags for both men and women that are made out of CORK fabrics!

1. Tell us a little about yourself. What inspired you to become a designer?

~ I was born and brought up in Chennai. Ever since I was a kid, I loved arts and crafts. Also, my father was in the export industry. He was the CEO of a company that dealt with leather goods. In my summer vacations, I used to go with him to the factory and make small bags and pouches for myself out of waste scraps of leather. I even used to make clothes for my Barbies. That’s when my interest began. 

2. Why did you go into accessory designing?

~ I have always been crazy about footwear and accessories. Right from the time I was a kid dancing around in my mom’s heels, waiting for the day I would get a pair of my own. And as I mentioned earlier, I used to go to the factory a lot. I became very passionate about footwear, handbags and wallets. That’s how my interest developed and I ended up choosing the Accessory Design course when I was accepted into NIFT.

3. As a woman entrepreneur how has your experience been running your own company so far? 

~ It’s been great. I’ve had no difference in my experience due to being a woman. I think it’s important to be confident in yourself. My parents have never treated me any different just because I’m a girl. They always made me believe that I can be anything I want to be, and that’s the attitude I carry with me. It’s easy for people to push you around if you doubt yourself. I do not see myself as inferior, and that gives me the confidence to deal with the world. 

4. Why Arture? Why go into eco-friendly designing now? 

~ Arture – the name means art+nature. I wanted to create products that are natural and inspired by nature. I also believe that every product is a piece of art. I want Arture to be the canvas of nature. Contemporary, yet taking you back to your roots.
I always felt the lack of products that are eco-friendly yet fashionable and luxurious. A lot of brands do use non-leather materials but these products are usually made of synthetics which are bad for the environment. That isn’t a viable solution. It was these thoughts that led to the formation of Arture, and when I stumbled upon cork and learned about all it’s properties I knew that was the perfect way for Arture to come to life.

5. Tell us about your crowd funding campaign. (Why you are crowd funding rather than say get a loan or investors the traditional way. And tell us how we can help.)

~ My crowdfunding campaign goes live on the 10th of March. The purpose of the campaign is to help me launch Arture in the market. The funds I get will help me purchase all the materials I require, produce my first batch of products and ship them out to all my backers. All the products from my collection are available as perks. People who back me are sure to get whatever products they like from the collections.
I love the transparency of crowdfunding and I love how involved backers get with the project. From a brand’s perspective, we get market validation and we get the direct feedback from the people who are going to be using our products. We get the ability to form a community around our brand. From the consumer’s perspective, they get the chance to back something they truly love and believe in, and they get to be a part of it.

The link is now live - *click to contribute*. You can follow Arture on Facebook or Twitter and we can’t wait to join hands with you on this journey that we are so incredibly excited about!

FlySongbird

Magnum Ice Creams-Royal Experience

this pic and food styling c/o Anupriya DGs

Belgium chocolate covered Magnum ice creams are a favourite of millions across the globe. 1st March onwards Magnum is officially hitting the stores of Calcutta! This will be a really grand summer for Calcuttans. These ice creams are made with at least 35% cocoa, making them rich in flavour. The Truffle flavour is for the dark chocolate lovers. But, you can pick any of their flavours for a rich royal experience. There is a delicious crackle in every bite, there is no fear of it melting all over your hand as the chocolate coating is ever so generous and there is never a risk of sweetness overload since the inner creamy filling is almost like a palate cleanser.

 I was at the launch event where chef Kunal Kapoor hosted a master class. Soha Ali Khan, a self professed Magnum lover since she was a child was there for the launch as well. Many stories were shared about their memories of chocolates and Calcutta. And hence Kunal Kapoor decided to make a dessert with Magnum inspired by Calcutta. He made a Patishapta, which is essentially a crepe that is traditionally filled with kheer, jaggery and coconut. He filled the Magnum Patishapta with crushed chunks of Magnum Classic, berries, nuts and topped it with some sprinkling of khoya kheer, almonds and pistachio. If you follow me on instagram(click to follow if you don't already), you must have seen the delicious dessert in a jar that I was gifted at the event. It was made with Magnum ice cream and once they are officially available at the stores I will try to grab one and recreate the recipe to share it with you guys on the blog.

The 3 flavours of Magnum you can get in stores - Classic, Almond and Chocolate Truffle

Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Kapoor at the photo op

Soha trying her best to help out the chef

The delicious Magnum filled Patishapta

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How To Survive: Valentine's Day

This Valentine's day you must be wondering where you can go out to have a lovely lunch or dinner without blowing a giant hole in your pocket. I have a couple of very delicious suggestions for both the romantic and the anti-mush brigade. And both these restaurants are located in the New Market area of Kolkata beside each other. Scoop will be decked up to welcome all the V-day celebrators. They even have a special menu for the lovers which includes items like 100% LOB(a crunchy juicy prawn wrap) and Phata Phati Love(mango juice topped with ice cream and pineapple slices). You can even pick up a goodie basket to surprise your other half with. You get choco chip cookies, strawberry cupcakes, heart shaped candle and a rose in the basket for only INR200. Isn't that a sweet deal?

Now for the anti-mush brigade, I suggest you walk a couple of doors down from Scoop and enter into Spice. It is a new restaurant with the edgiest décor ever. It looks like the insides of a factory that was turned into the hippest eat out zone in town. It is the perfect place to hide from coochie cooing lovers all over the city tomorrow. You can go down with a bunch of buddies as well to enjoy some of the most delicious Thai food with a few giant mugs of beer. You must try their chicken satay that comes with a peanut butter sauce that would leave you craving for more.

Nearest landmark - New Empire

Show some love on V-day. Hit the like button.

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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

5 Useful Travel Tips for the Budget Conscious

I have a love-hate relationship with my city, Calcutta. No, I do not like calling it Kolkata even though it has been officially changed thanks to the whimsies of the ruling political party leaders. I don't know if that is neocolonialism deeply embedded in my psyche that makes me think this way or just my preference with the more familiar, but it is the way it is. When I was growing up, I couldn't wait till I left this city forever to settle somewhere abroad. When I started weighing the pros and cons (aka when I was old enough to understand how much money matters) I realised the dream to live in some fancy destination is not really a true dream of mine, it is the dream of travelling the world then returning home that is truly mine. This city is known as the City of Joy. But, to me it does not represent this single emotion. How can it? I have lived in this city my whole life and every lane I have been to represents something different to me. More than anything else, it feels familiar. Not safe and secure, but even the presumed dangers here are familiar to me.

North Sikkim

I am not a seasoned traveller. But, I would love to travel the world on my own someday, one destination at a time, strictly on a budget. This year I took 3 short trips within India with my friends. The first one was a college trip to Lava and Lolegaon, the 2nd to Shantiniketan and the 3rd to Gangtok. These are a few things I think everyone needs to know about travelling alone, especially if you are on a budget. Do keep in mind there are a lot of other things you need to carry along, like medicines, lots of clean underwear and all your chargers(for your cameras, phones and other gadgets).

• Carry a small tube of toothpaste that can be stowed away in a small pocket in your handbag and can be accessed easily every morning. Do not throw away old containers of these small tubes. Just refill them from a bigger tube you keep at home before every trip. Hold the mouths of the tubes firmly together and squeeze it out of the bigger tube into the smaller one. You can always share a tube with your friends.
• Do not carry huge shampoo and conditioner bottles that you use at home. They will take up a lot of space and might come out of the bottle under pressure and ruin your clothes and other things. You do not want to spend on laundry which is usually expensive at any hotel. Carry sachets instead. They are easier to carry, cheaper and are disposable after use. Every hotel may not give shampoo bottles. 
• Carry disposable paper soaps to save space and for easy access. Every hotel usually provides a small soap, or you can buy them at your destination. But, while you are travelling on a train or a bus these will come in handy. I forgot them this time and had to make do with hand sanitizer, which is also a pretty useful thing to carry around while travelling.
• Trolley bags, if not rucksacks are the way to go if you want to run around between hotels, trains and buses. The 1st 2 trips I ignored the need because I travelled light. This time, between missed trains and running around the railway station for about 5 hours I realised how badly I needed to buy a trolley bag pronto. A rucksack might be too big for short trips. I had helpful travel-mates who shared the burden halfway through every time, but you may not always be so lucky. You don't want to hire a porter on a budget trip. And my bag felt heavier after each hour which made me desperately want to hire one this time.
• If you have bought e-tickets from the online website of IRCTC and are wait listed then do yourself a favour and either buy the tickets on tatkal or buy them from the ticket counter in person. This is a valuable lesson we learnt this time. Many of you may know that wait listed e-tickets get dropped on final charting. Of course I am writing this for the non-smartasses who do not  know this information. At least IRCTC will refund the money because we were on wait list. If you missed the train you would end up losing the money entirely. So, reach the station on time if you have reservation. We came back in an AC sleeper bus (which cost us a little more than the train would have) which was full of families who had met with a similar misfortune like us. The bus journey wasn't as bad as we had expected and would have in fact been a better experience if the bus reached Calcutta a little earlier. Do use the washrooms at every bus stop and try charging your phone at every stop if it is feasible.

Misty Mountains Cold-(yes I just referenced LOTR. I had thought of it while taking the photo only.)

Over all I have loved all my trips so far. India isn't safe enough for solo vacations for girls yet(although someday I would love to take a solo trip, but it might get lonely). It is always better to have someone watch your back. I learnt from my travel-mate, Anu how to be in zen mode when situations are completely out of control. I learnt I am a semi-good mimic and provide good enough entertainment even in such out-of-control situations. Here's hoping I get to travel more, to more beautiful places and to learn something new everywhere I go. Don't get discouraged by what others have to say. You don't need a lot of money for travelling, you don't need to have lived on your own to be independent enough to know your mind and you don't need to travel with a guy every time to watch over you for safety. Truth be told, I did not feel unsafe anywhere I went with these girls. We did get quizzical looks and some assumed we must be related.
Make your own memories and be unafraid to experience new things (unless it's something gag-worthy enough to make you super sick. After all, you do not want to spend your vacation in the bathroom or the local hospital).

With Anupriya DG and Soumi Paul in Gangtok

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Durga Puja 2014 - Trends Spotted

I saw a good deal of Normcore fashion this year while pandal hopping. But, I am not really sure how many of them consciously dressed up that way. Normcore fashion is where people dress up in a normal way to look same rather than stand out. Read this *article* to get an idea of what is Normcore as documented by artist Hans Eijkelboom.

But I did not capture the denim on denim and other Normcore craziness during Durga Puja for you! Here are 3 of the biggest trends I spotted this year. All my fashionable friends wore gorgeous sarees every day. Well, of course I didn't. I did wear an ethnic kurta with a beautiful printed vest on Ashtami. And I gorged on a sumptuous Italian fare at Spaghetti Kitchen that day. Also watched Haider on the first day of release and loved every bit of it.I wrapped up that awesome day by promptly falling down wearing flat shoes and tearing my beautiful red leggings on the way back.

Printed leggings were everywhere, they were mostly paired with bum covering long tops and flats

the Anarkali salwar kameez was everywhere! It was a bit weird how many of these I spotted this time.

No one wore the saree better or more fashionably than city bloggers Soumi and Anupriya DG. Soumi draped her saree over leggings! It doesn't get more trendsetting than that. Love Anu's necklace and clutch. Learn how to put a twist on your traditionals from these 2 ladies.

People really do forget all about calories during these 5 days

And with this I wish you a Subho Bijaya and Happy Dussehra!

In association with Lifestyle International I will be highlighting the food, fashion and atmosphere of Durga Puja here on the blog.

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Durga Puja 2014

I have noticed my favourite photos tend to be the ones that echo solitude.

Here are a few of my favourite shots from Sashthi and Saptami.

Sribhumi

Sribhumi Durga

Rajdanga Durga

Bosepukur Pandal

Dhaaki

Outside Badamtala Durga Puja

Before the ride starts again for customers she gets a free ride

Chandipath on Saptami at Babubagan Durga Puja

Sasthi Blues - style spotted

In association with Lifestyle International I will be highlighting the food, fashion and atmosphere of Durga Puja here on the blog.

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.

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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