Fall of the frill
Plain venues and minimalistic looks at fashion shows denote that the industry has entered the era of restraint...
Jigyasa Kapoor Chimra
Frills have given way to subtlety, champagne have become rarer, guest lists squeezed. From New York to London, Paris to Milan, many top-notch fashion houses have pulled strings altogether as the luxury sector feels the growing pain of recession. Well, to elaborate it a little further, the Milan Women's Wear Fashion Week, which ended on March 4, the number of shows slipped to 79 against 99 last year.

Fashion industry too feels the pinch of recession as luxury brands admit the downturn affect

Stone age
Parbina Rashid
A nomad is no mad. The statement made by UK-based eminent sculptor Avtarjeet Dhanjal during the lecture organised by the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi at the Government Museum and Art Gallery-10 evoked a peel of laughter among the audience, but that's precisely what it did.

The moment of truth With the announcement of polls, the youth is taking to blog awareness Jasmine Singh It’s here finally. The moment we all have been waiting for. The announcement of polls for the constitution of the 15th Lok Sabha in five phases from April 16 to May 13, has raised hopes of all and sundry in the country. For they know, it’s now or never.

Nanhi Chidiya spreads wings Four students of Mad Art come up with a short animation film on female foeticide Ashima Sehajpal We have debated on it endlessly, taken out massive rallies in support of it, advertised it extensively and perhaps by now have used almost every medium to educate people about the same. It isn't like efforts haven't yielded any results and what confirms the positive change is also worldwide celebrations of Woman's Day.

— Photo: S.Chandan

WE are here
The all-woman group of artists is back
Manpriya Khurana
Can you define art? No. Can you define a woman? Never. What if the two came together? Never ever! The ongoing art exhibition, Expressions-21 by WE, at the Government Museum and Art Gallery, spells it for us, 'A group of Indian contemporary women artists' with twenty-one symptomatic of the number of artists.

Footprints

The annual art exhibition-2009 got under way at the Govt College of Art-10 on Monday — Photos: S.Chandan

Spade work Hang out Satish Narula When one wants to extend the garden boundaries skywards, one uses climbers. Another good choice is the use of baskets. They come handy, especially when the space is a constraint. You may also call them the hanging gardens. Baskets are now available in various kinds and material, ranging from wire baskets to plastic and terracotta.

Star Signs Machine man Jasmine Singh Actors live life the Ferrari lane, like most of us. And well, like us, they too yearn for a long weekend. If not that at least, they want to be in touch with their near and dear ones wherever they are. Actor Randeep Hooda, is someone always likes to stay connected with people who matter to him, even it means dropping a mail once a while.          Randeep Hooda

GEEK SPEAK Zooming in Amitpal Singh Grewal If you are about to grab a digital camera, I am sure you must be confused by the puzzling and extensive range of models out there. And after this to make things even worse, digital cameras do not come cheap. Choosing a bad camera will easily cost you a few thousand rupees.

Colourful invasion Let's be precise and come straight to the point here. Is there anything left that the Chinese aren't making for us? Is anything available in the market minus the 'made in China' label? Our neighbouring nation is making everything and anything for us, including the holi colours. Whether Chinese or not, all colours available in the market are organic colours and are therefore safe," says Surinder Kumar of General Merchants and Govt. Suppliers.

— Photo: S.Chandan

Wow Women

Author-Journalist Nandita Puri poses with the Woman Achievers Award along with her husband and Bollywood actor Om Puri on the occasion of International Women's Day.

Actor Raima Sen with the Woman Achievers Award. PTI Photo

St(r)ands apart
Strands, a leading salon chain originally based in Chandigarh, has opened its 7th outlet at Panchkula today. This newly opened salon boasts of an array of beauty and pampering services that are guaranteed to leave you relaxed and rejuvenated.

Light side
Little Zizou is a comic insight into the world of Parsis
After penning award-winning scripts like Salaam Bombay!, Mississippi Masala and The Namesake, writer-photographer Sooni Taraporewala has donned the director's hat for her self-written maiden venture Little Zizou - a rib tickling take on the Parsi community.

Going places
Rang De Basanti will be screened at the ongoing SAARC Film Festival in Abu Dhabi
Beside Bollywood director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's RDB, another major attraction of the festival is the Pakistani film Khuda Ke Liye, which will also be screened. The film features Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah in a cameo as a Muslim scholar clarifying the tenets of Islam during a court case.

Behind camera
The woman who groomed Freida Pinto
Madhusree Chatterjee
Indian actor Freida Pinto is making waves internationally for her walk down the Oscar red carpet, her designer gowns and gracing the covers of popular magazines, thanks to Slumdog Millionaire. But not many know the woman who helped groom her and introduced her to British director Danny Boyle.

Shared secrets
Shilpa Shetty offers to share beauty secrets with youngsters
Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty who has set girls across the country trudge the treadmill to achieve a svelte figure like hers, wants to pass on all her fitness and beauty secrets to the aspiring lot.

Step by step
19 Steps is my next big film, says Asin
Asin, who shot into popularity with the film Ghajini, made in Tamil and then in Hindi, is now aiming to scale even greater heights in the multi-lingual film 19 Steps to be directed by Bharath Bala.