Reshma, Bharat's opened a design studio
Sanya Ahuja, TNN Jun 1, 2011, 12.00am IST
Designer Reshma was recently heard asking all her married friends to get married again. Why? Because she and her husband Bharat opened their fourth design studio amid friends in the city recently.The store was inaugurated by hairstylist Sylvie. Plus, it wasn't just the clothes there that had been designed by the designers, but also the store's interiors.
But why are all their stores so close to each other, and all in North Delhi? "Our kids are very young, and we can't manage work
so far away in South Delhi right now. But when they grow up, we'll definitely open up stores all across the capital," explained Reshma. They might not be able to do business far away from home because of kids, but they can perhaps take a holiday to someplace far away with the kids? "Yeah, we're soon going to Singapore, Malaysia and Bangkok," she smiled.
"Our forte is men's wedding wear, but we have now formally launched our bridal wear, which will be available at this studio," said Reshma. "Our collection is designed to enhance the grandeur of the Indian wedding by making the bride and groom the cynosure of all eyes," added Bharat. About the combo sets in their collection - in which the colour combination and embroidery on both, the bride's and groom's outfits, is similar - he said, "These days, couples match their wedding dress, so we thought of designing some combo sets." Peacock motifs, which are a rage these days, were prominent too. "Animal motifs are in, so we had to incorporate that in our designs," informs Reshma.
Gowns, a hot trend at Indian weddings
If styles showcased at the recently held Delhi Couture Week are anything to go by, gowns will rule the wedding season. So, we bring to you trousseau rules for the new-age ultra chic Indian bride...Do you belong to the wedding school that trains brides to search for that perfect lehenga? Well, it's time to re-dress that issue! The new-age bride is giving the traditional outfit a miss and opting for the gown. With high-end destination and themed weddings (replete with bachelor parties and OTT mehndi ceremonies) becoming the order of the day, it's no secret that shaadis have acquired a truly global appeal. So in the new scheme of things, the gown is being hailed as the new lehenga!
Western fix-ationIf you have already zeroed in on lehengas, sarees or churidars for your marriage, fret not. Just a bit of styling will make sure you are also able to walk down the aisle, 'red carpet' style! Designers suggest a gown for brides, as it's going to be the most stylish statement she can ever make on her special day. "The young, free-spirited Indian bride is not shy to experiment with her wedding trousseau anymore. Gowns that have the same volumes of a lehenga, involve typical Indian draping and accentuate femininity with structured styling are the ones to go for," says designer Shantanu Mehra of Shantanu & Nikhil. But he cautions brides never to pick wedding gowns off the rack. "Instead, opt for personalised styling from a designer who can actually highlight the slim silhouette and hide any unseemly bulge with innovative draping techniques," is his firm advice.
Desi designAnd if you're still thinking a white gown is too staid for an Indian wedding, the designer Anju Modi has handy hints for you. She suggests you jazz it up with traditional embroidery patterns and motifs. "Opt for gowns in Indian weaves, deck them up with embroidered Indian imagery like a peacock or parrot, match them with dupattas that need you to cover your hair and add bling through a corset or waist belt if it still looks staid," says Anju.
So go ahead, turn your walk down the aisle into a red carpet affair and actually be the show stopper at your own wedding donning gorgeous gown.
Handy hints from the collections showcased at Delhi Couture Week:
If you are slim around the shoulders and heavy at the hips, then opt for a fitted look at the top. For the bottom, a voluminous 'lehenga' look, which is high on drapes and nets, will work wonders
From: Shantanu & NikhilA saree gown is probably the easiest and sexiest way to be the fuse the western style and Indian sensibilities.
From: Gaurav GuptaA floor length gown that looks like an extension of an anarkali decked with Indian motifs can be a great way to down a gown.
From: Varun BahlThe sleeveless jacket or koti with lots of gota work can give your flowy gown a truly Indian feel
From: JJ ValayaGive your gown a chic Indian touch with a broad waist belt and gold coloured borders and traditional indian motifs.
From: Rohit BalA blingy corset that doubles as a short sleeve jacket worn over a white gown is perfect for any wedding function.
From: Anju ModiIndian wedding gets bigger with Shakira
Grand palazzos, gondolas and Colombian pop star Shakira in person! It couldn't get bigger than the grand Indian wedding of Britain-based industrialist Pramod Agarwal's daughter in Venice at a reported cost of 10 million euros.The May 12-14 affair to remember saw as many as 800 guests and 72 hours of celebration, the high point of which was a performance by Shakira. The three-day extravaganza saw elephants and horses traipsing down the charming Italian city of canals.Agarwal, an Indian born metals commodities trader and investor, hosted the wedding of his daughter Vinita to Muqit Teja at the San Clemente Palace Hotel and Resort.According to weddingsutra.com, a huge team of coordinators and specialists from Mumbai and Delhi was flown down to conceptualise the grand affair, which included logistics and hospitality teams, decor tycoon Sumant Jayakrishnan along with ace photographers Badal and Raja Jain, while well-known chefs from India took care of the Indian cuisine.This is not the first time an international artist has performed at an Indian wedding. International popstar Akon also performed at the wedding reception of Mumbai socialites Kajal Fabiani and Gaurav Assomull in Monte Carlo in March this year.Bollywood is, of course, not far behind. From Shah Rukh Khan and Malaika Arora to Neha Dhupia and Minissha Lamba, stars have often been seen performing at the weddings of business tycoons and politicians.Congress leader Kanwar Singh Tanwar's son's marriage in Delhi, for instance, saw a slew of Bollywood stars taking to the stage. These included Shah Rukh, Neha Dhupia, Zarine Khan and Minissha Lamba.In 2004, ace businessman Laxmi Mittal's daughter's wedding saw Shah Rukh, Juhi Chawla, Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherjee showing dance moves choreographed by Farah Khan. Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai also set the stage on fire with high-energy performances.His brother Pramod celebrated his birthday in a lavish bash in Central London. Sajid Khan hosted the event, Shah Rukh played James Bond, while Bipasha Basu, Celina Jaitley and Dia Mirza were also the part of the celebrations.The week-long mega-wedding of the two sons of Sahara business group chief Subrota Roy in 2004 was also a star-studded affair with stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya. The guests were entertained by a music group flown in from London and dances choreographed by a top Bollywood dance director.Industrialist Pradeep Dhoot's son Saurabh's marriage to Radhika Singhal was also full of celebrities like Bipasha and Malaika and King Khan. Katrina Kaif also gave a dance performance at the wedding.Ali Merchant back to create problem for Akshara
Ali Merchant is returning for the third time in Rajan Shahi's Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlaata Hai.As Rashmi (Naitik's sister) is all set to tie the knot, his character Rituraj will be back to add more drama to an otherwise smooth running track of the show. The guy has always created trouble and nuisance for the Singhania family. Hina Khan aka Akshara will be troubled the most with him resurfacing on the show. Informs a source, "Everyone in the family will be harrassed with his behaviour and attitude. Akshara will be reminded of her past and the fact that Rituraj was the very first suitor who refused to marry her. Expectantly, his entry will result in utter chaos in the show." Well an Indian wedding without drama is beyond imagination!
Another big, fat Indian wedding on the anvil
Close on the heels of the Murthy wedding reception in the city, Vijay Mallaya will be throwing a big bash for his stepdaughter Laila Mehmood's wedding in Bali.According to sources the wedding is going to be bigger than anything Bangaloreans have ever seen before.
According to inside sources, Laila Mehmood, Vijay Mallya's stepdaughter from his wife Rekha, is set to tie the knot with sweetheart Samar Singh, a senior management employee in Mallaya's group, at Bali this weekend.
The three-day wedding extravaganza will take place at a resort in Bali, from June 18 to 20.
Guests from Bangalore will include family members and very close friends who will be arriving in Bali, the day before. Sources said that Mallya is putting up all the guests at the resort at his expense.
The celebrations will kickstart with a sunset party at the resort hosted by Laila's siblings Kabir and Sidhartha. The mehendi is on June 19 with a brunch party, followed by the sangeet the same night. On June 20 is the big red-letter day where the Laila and Samar will be joined as man and wife in the afternoon at the resort itself. The ceremony will be followed by a reception for the guests after which, the party will move on to a hip nightclub.
The guest list includes the who's who of Bangalore including socialite Latha Bhandari, hoteliers Bobby and Abhishek Kamani, Rashmi Vaswani, Liaquat Ali Khan among others. It is learnt that not more than a dozen invitees from Bangalore will be attending the wedding in Bali.
Varanasi pandit for Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum. (Reuters Photo)VARANASI: A Varanasi pandit would travel to Mexico to bless German supermodel Heidi Klum and her singer husband, Seal, on their third marriage anniversary on May 10.In fact, the invitation card, that arrived last week, took the recipient, Shailaish Tripathi — a pandit and government-approved tourist guide — by surprise. Designed in Indian style with Hindu symbols like bangles, Lord Ganesha, the card also has 'Om' inscribed on it.The couple had met Tripathi during their visit to Lord Vishwanath's city in September last year.Tripathi said the couple was mesmerised by the city life and culture. Heidi Klum and Seal had also witnessed the Ganga Aarti at the Dashashwamedh Ghat and were enchanted by the chanting of Vedic mantras and the scenic beauty."I told them about most of the things they wanted to know. I was surprised when they expressed the desire to have an Indian wedding," said Tripathi adding, "I fulfilled their desire and performed a symbolic marriage ceremony for them.""I was unaware about another surprise that was in store for me till last Friday, when I received an invitation to come over to Mexico and perform same rituals on their wedding anniversary," he said, adding, "Being a singer himself, Seal was impressed with the rhythmic presentation of Vedic mantras."Initially, Tripathi was unaware that he was acting as a guide for a celebrity couple. "I came to know about them later," he said.He said Indian culture has the potential to bring the world closer. "This potential can be exploited by promoting tourism," he said.Reshma, Bharat's opened a design studio
Designer Reshma was recently heard asking all her married friends to get married again. Why? Because she and her husband Bharat opened their fourth design studio amid friends in the city recently.The store was inaugurated by hairstylist Sylvie. Plus, it wasn't just the clothes there that had been designed by the designers, but also the store's interiors.
But why are all their stores so close to each other, and all in North Delhi? "Our kids are very young, and we can't manage work
so far away in South Delhi right now. But when they grow up, we'll definitely open up stores all across the capital," explained Reshma. They might not be able to do business far away from home because of kids, but they can perhaps take a holiday to someplace far away with the kids? "Yeah, we're soon going to Singapore, Malaysia and Bangkok," she smiled.
Chatwals' reception: Clinton steals the show
NEW DELHI:
"Namaste !" That's how former US president Bill Clinton addressed an Indian guest at Vikram and Priya Chatwal's wedding reception. The greeting wasn't a hurriedly-learnt effort to impress the gathering. It was the result of Clinton's growing cultural closeness to the country. "I simply love India, that's why I keep coming back here," he said.
This was Clinton's first Indian wedding experience and he seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed himself. So much so, that he wished that his daughter, Chelsea, had an Indian wedding!
As tabla sounds echoed in the background, Clinton was tapping his feet, hobnobbing with guests and charming everyone during the Black-and-White theme evening at Maurya Sheraton. ''When you're 50, weddings bring out strange emotions in you. I've never attended a wedding in India. But this is an enchanting evening, I'm extremely happy I could be here. Every father of a girl would wish he gets his daughter married like Sant Chatwal. This is an amazing wedding."
He didn't stop there. "I really like the colours and rituals of an Indian wedding. I wish I can have an Indian wedding for my daughter too."
Great thought. In fact, we were so excited by the idea that we morphed a photo to see how the former first family of America would look decked up in typical desi regalia. And we have to admit, it certainly makes for a pretty picture. We're sure the Clintons would agree.
Welcome
