Spanish Fashion

Yesterday Zara was launched in Delhi. There was huge queue even to make payment, leave aside the trial room and inside the store. Being a shopaholic, I could not resist myself from checking out the clothes. They were OK. Nothing over the top. I could not understand why were people so crazy about it. It reminded me of the time when Mc Donald was launched in India and people queued up. I would buy from Zara but only when the initial excitement of the masses subsides down.
My favorite Spanish brand of clothes is Desigual. It is so me. It is colors- vibrant colors, patch work, embroidery, funky and fun. You should check their website on the link provided above.


Seen above and below
Skirt: Desigual.
Sweater: Gucci
Shoes: Nine West
Location:Alaska Cruise



Dress: Desigual. Notice, it has written on it- "Me and You".
Necklace: Bought from dad
Location: Alaska Cruise


Skirt and Top: Desigual
Location: Bali, Nusa Dua Western inn resort

Mauve- My sister's favorite color

My favorite color is Fuschia and White. I like this fact even more now because white is my Guruji, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's color and Fuschia is favorite color of Guruji's sister, Bhanu didi. Now my sister's favorite color is mauve. The other day when I was seeing my wardrobe, I realized that I have ended up buying more of mauve colors than fuschia. Why? Maybe because whenever I have liked a dress, it is not available in my favorite color but my sister's.
Well, my kind of dress has to be structured and which enhances my curves (yes i do have some). The cut, the fabric, the style is important. And when I do go out in the evening, I do enjoy dressing up.
So here are few of my styles.


I like the detail on the shoulder


Dress: Gifted by my friend
Shoes: Miu Miu
Clutch: Gucci
Watch: Chanel
Location courtesy :Taj Palace- Blues.




Dress : Mango
The complete ensemble. I wanted to keep it monotone.


Earings: Bought from my dad, who is a jeweler.
I like the detail of satin bow on the neck.


And I like the deep back.


Bag: Louis Vuitton
Watch:Bought on Alaska Cruise
Bangles: Bought from dad


Shoes: salvatore ferragamo

I had previously worn the same dress here as

Paired with shoes: Nine West
Bag: Chanel
Location: San Gimignano, Imperial hotel

Watch: Guess (Gift from husband- He loved the paisely print on it)

I did a post earlier here about this restaurant. Read it here.

The Magic Skirt

Shopping always fascinates me and I know am very good at it too. While in Honolulu, I went to Aloha Stadium. Here there was a huge area filled with small shops selling variety of products. The most unusual thing that I picked up and that really excited me was something called The magic skirt. It is very much made in India and made by joining two inexpensive sarees and is like a wrap around thing. But the beauty of it is that it can be worn in hundred of different ways and every time you have a new dress on you. The sales guy demonstrated us (me, my sister, my mom) these ways and also gave us a pamphlet which taught us how to wear it. On my recent trip to Bali, I carried it along and experimented so many different ways of wearing the same skirt. I loved what I did. Here are fruits of my experimentation.




This I wore in Mauii while heading for a dinner.
Sandals: Nine West

And Now see my experiments in Bali.





Shoes:Prada
White T: Channel
White Bag: Lacoste

Fashion in my childhood

One more interesting fact about me. I started doing TV shows (professionally), at the age of 7 year. I was anchoring/hosting children shows and was even getting paid for it. That was my first pocket money (Rs. 30, to be precise, per episode). This was of course, for Doordarshan (other channels were unheard of). And I was very confident in front of the camera. I would write my own lines and rattle them when the camera rolled. I also wanted to design my own clothes that I wore for my shows.

My earliest stint with fashion started when I was as young as 8 years. (Can you believe that?). I designed my first creation when I was as young as 8. And I also knew what shoes I wanted with it that time. I was inspired by a picture in a magazine (that time it was a russian magazine- the only one that was published on a glossy paper- called Soviet Nari). I saw a russian girl wearing high shoes with a dress, which really fascinated me. Now those shoes were unheard of in those days. ( I am talking about 1977). They called it gum boots. And Viola! I took my mom for cloth shopping. I wanted a check skirt with a same check waist coat worn over a white shirt. And wanted my parents to import gum boots. Now in those days (I am talking as if this was some centuries back) our only relative who stayed in a "phoren" country (overseas) was my dad's younger brother. I sent him a picture from the magazine I also drew my foot imprint on a paper for its size and he got me those gum boots. Must tell you, I looked so weird wearing those boots in a small town. People stood and looked at me as if I had polio legs. But I could not care less. It was my proudest possession-pure leather high shoes of cherry red color. Below is my picture of the dress that I had first designed. The picture quality is not good. But I had an attitude to model even as a young kid.




Check my High boots (gum boots). I was about 12 year old here.


And when I was asked to wear a kimono for a stage show in my school, this is how I wore it. I used my mom's shawls to drape as kimono. Here I was 7 year old.


At 15 year (I was in class 10), we had school farewell party. I studied in all girls convent school and we were all supposed to wear sarees for it. I made my mom buy me this mauve color, plain saree and was so pleased with what I wore. My best friend Nidhi Chauhan is seen here wearing a red saree.


Another picture with Nidhi Chauhan.


And this is a sweater I knitted myself (very painstakingly to be honest).


Seen here wearing the same sweater with my friends Nidhi and Gina Parmar


And I thought I looked like a movie star in this- sweet lace neck, polka dot, pistachio green color dress.


Again with Nidhi and Cherry

It still amuses me to think that how at the age of 7-8 year, when fashion designers were unheard of, when Bhanu Athaiya existed and not Manish Malhotra, I was so into fashion.

Joss

My style of dressing (specially for dresses) is also inspired from Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and the City. In fact it is one of my favorite soaps and I am eagerly waiting to watch sex and the city 2.
My another favorite store in Delhi is Joss. I love their collection. In fact whenever I try to pass that store, I avoid looking/peeping inside. Because I know, one look and I wont be able to stop myself from buying their beautiful dresses. This store is so me. So here is one of the dresses I bought from this store.


Dress: Joss, Sandals: Nine West, Seattle, Bag: Coach (borrowed from my sister Komal).


I like the print of vintage cars on my dress.


Location courtesy: US Arizona Memorial, Hawaii.