Summer Scorchers
As Indians get fitness savvy and eager to flaunt their well-toned bodies with gusto, beachwear promises to be in a happy place in 2012
Anandita Gupta

swimwear in India is truly experiencing something of a splash. With beach-hopping sprees, foreign vacations, pool parties and destination beach weddings going viral among Indian jet setters, there’s been a wave in the beachwear segment.

Bidding goodbye to dowdy, one-piece swimsuits, women are throwing comfort to the winds and embracing bolder, more stylish monokinis, embellished bikinis, see-through cover-ups and hot pants. Concept swimwear boutiques, portals and Indian A-list couturiers are blending luxury with Indian sensibilities.

“Considering that India is perceived as a potential swimwear market, a resort fashion week has made its foray here,” chips in Pallav Ojha, Director, UVAR Pvt Ltd, one of the organisers of the first-ever India Resort Fashion Week that debuted at Goa in 2011. “The swimwear market has seen an exponential growth.”

Indian sensibility

“The market is still at a nascent stage but definitely showing a great potential. Youngsters today are readily exploring coastal lines of India, besides travelling abroad for holidays, honeymoon and family cruises,” inform Shivan Bhatia and Narresh Kukreja, India’s first mainstream beachwear designers. The 20-something duo established India’s first luxury beachwear label Shrivan Narresh in 2008. Offering 100 per cent handcrafted, stitch-free surfaced beachwear in 100 per cent Italian fabrics, their collections use an Italian fabric made by bonding tapes — a technology used only by Armani Prive, Hugo Boss and La Perla.

“Indian sensibility is big in swimwear today, not just nationally but internationally. Even, the eponymous line of couture swimwear by Tara Matthews uses exquisite, hand-embellished beading and embroidery from India,” informs Chandigarh-based designer Mona Jawandha.

Innovative retailers

Not just designers, but smart entrepreneurs are exploring the hidden potential in beachwear retail. Like Shruti and Tushar Agarwal, the couple who recently launched Secret Cache — India’s first luxury beachwear boutique and online portal that features pieces hot off the runway, understanding the Indian woman’s requirements.

“Most of our customers opt for extra coverage and bright, earthen colours — like those found in lehngas and sarees,” says Aggarwal.

Designer stamp

Country’s A-List designers too, are stepping outside their specialty pools to create a ripple in the ready-to-wear swimwear arena. Malini Ramani, Sanchita Ajjampur, Rocky S and Wendell Rodricks have expanded their repertoire to offer vibrantly flamboyant swimwear. Designers Rina Dhaka and Ranna Gill have been showcasing swimsuits and bikinis at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week.

Beachwear in India is diving into bright colours, interesting styles, haute patterns and chic embellishments.

“From sexy cuts to Swarovski adornments, fabric trimmings to bows and sashes, the designer look has become a must-have for the beach party regulars,” says Ranna Gill.

Lingerie brands like Victoria’s Secret, La Perla, Strumpet and Pink, Lovable, Marks&Spencer and Guia La Bruna and luxury brands like Chloe, Christian Dior, Chanel and Mango have made a name for themselves, but a connect is yet to be established with Indian brands.

“The swimwear market requires an indispensable amount of skill, expertise and a great understanding of the Indian body type to master a product that is more than just fashionable,” reasons Bangalore-based Sneha Satyaprakash.

Bling is big

“Though Indian markets are more apt for loose silhouettes, people have begun to understand tailoring,” says Mumbai-based designer James Ferreira, who showed his Bikini Sarees line with an Indian twist at IRFW. Sanchita Ajjampur, dubbed as the ‘Queen of slinky resort-wear’ in India, says, “The foray of designers into beachwear has made it dramatic and sassy. Bikinis today flaunt sequins and crystals, abstract graphic designs, iridescent lycra jewels, feathers and eye-catching embroidery.”

Online comfort zone

Thanks to an increasing number of online portals that offer international brands on a platter, women today have the privacy to browse and pick from the best global brands. “Online stores give you enough options to browse and get one shipped right to your doorstep. The size charts that these portals offer and the exchange policies that allow customers to return or trade the unused items are add-ons,” signs off Elaine Costa, co-owner of www.plushswimwear.com.

Hall of Fame...no kidding
The toy story
Mukesh Khosla

In the heart of each toy is the mind of an adult — a mind trying to capture the thrill that the toy would give to a child. The toy industry incorporates the most imaginative and delicate kind of manufacturing — a constant flirtation with the whims and fancies of children with an eye on the ever-changing trends and tastes.

So what are the popular toys this season? Is it the YBike or the Floppets or the LeapPad Explorer or even Mr Pencil? Opinion may be divided but all of these toys introduced in the market recently have been clocking brisk sales worldwide.

Many reviewers have elected the LeapPad Explorer as the toy of the year.

The multifunctional educational tablet device is aimed at children between the ages of four and nine and comes loaded with software that hones the skills of kids in problem-solving, reading, spelling and personal creativity in a fun way.

Blockbuster list

However, despite the rave reviews, the LeapPad Explorer is unlikely to make it to the list of the most popular toys ever made. Nor is it likely that other toys like the YBike or the Floppets or even Mr Pencil are likely to make it to the blockbuster list of great toys. In fact, none of the toys and board games in the last decade or so (with the sole exception of the Angry Birds) would cut much ice in the hall of fame not because there is a flaw in them but because many of them may not stand the test of durability.

Interestingly, some of the greatest toys have been around for years and years and some like the Teddy Bear and Meccano have even crossed the century-mark while a board game like Snakes & Ladders has a timeless appeal. Most of these toys and board games have been fascinating generation after generation, having clocked sales in millions and some like the View Master have crossed the billion-mark and show no signs of slowing down.

Ironically, many of the century’s most popular toys were nearly never developed because of initial rejections. Monopoly is a case in point. One of the highest-selling board games ever, it was developed by an unemployed American Charles Darrow in 1934 when the country was reeling under the Great Depression.

All-Time Favourite Board Games

Convinced he had a bestseller on hand, Darrow approached the leading American toy manufacturers Parker Brothers. But the company did not see any potential in the game and rejected it. It is another matter that since then Monopoly has sold more than 200 million sets, and is considered one of the all-time great board games.

Many toys like Mr Potatohead, Raggety Anne Doll, Play-Do, Hula Hoop, Frisbee and a few others nearly make it to the top toys list but just nearly.

Though most of these made big fortunes for their developers, many of them have turned out to be cyclical by nature, and sometimes go out of fashion and at other times make a comeback.

The top 10 spaces are firmly taken by iconic toys that never go out of vogue and whose demand never flags, like the Barbie doll (three Barbies are sold every second somewhere in the world), Rubik’s Cube (in many countries, the cube is found on restaurant tables along with the salt cellar) and Cabbage Patch Kids (the craze for these dolls inspired the 1996 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Jingle All the Way).

Enduring appeal

One of the enduring appeals of these classic toys is that children develop an emotional bond with them. These are safe, and provide many amazing hours of good, clean fun and entertainment for children. These may be simple toys yet make a mark on their impressionable mind and become a part of their childhood.

Those who develop these classic toys are no ordinary people. Somewhere within their rational minds is an innocent child, who is fascinated by bright colours and attractive shapes. That is precisely the reason why even Barbie had to change her strictly western dress code and Mattel had to introduce a series of Indian costumes; and even the manufacturers of stuffed animals had to widen their scope beyond white Antarctic bears to include bright-green Indian parrots.

Here’s looking at some of the greatest toys and board games ever made....

Cabbage Patch Kids

With their chubby looks and cuddly features, the Cabbage Patch Kids created a sensation in the 1980s. Their inventor Xavier Roberts is an American artist-turned-tycoon, who cleverly inducted himself as a 10-year-old boy in the Cabbage Patch adventures. He is shown to discover the Cabbage Patch Kids of all sizes and shapes that are born in the secret cabbage patch. He builds a special place called BabyLand General where all these kids can live and play until someone adopts them and takes them home. Though the craze waned in the 1990s, there has been a sudden revival, and today the original Cabbage Patch Kids are sold at a premium.

Teddy Bear

Though for years it has been a cuddly toy for kids, the incident that led to the launch of the Teddy Bear would have the modern-day wildlife activists up in arms. In 1902, the then, American President Theodore Roosevelt was invited to a hunting expedition. While most in the party were able to get hunting trophies, Roosevelt could not. So his assistants caught a young bear and beat it with clubs and tied it to a tree. They urged the President to kill it so that word could be sent out that he was a great hunter. A disgusted Roosevelt refused to shoot the animal but ordered its mercy killing. A toy manufacturer inspired by the incident created a stuffed toy and called it Teddy’s Bear, which, over time, has become Teddy Bear. The rest, as they say, is history. 

Dinky Toys

It was a craze whose time had come. The aftermath of World War ll ushered in an era of peace and harmony in the West. People started looking for leisurely deviation. That was the time when the Dinky Toys were launched. And these took a generation of boys and young men by storm because of their innovativeness. The toys were exact replicas of cars, planes, ships, battle tanks and ambulances. But it was the cars that were the most popular. Most models were in a scale of approximately 1:48 and they had moving parts with opening doors and boots as also plastic interiors. 

Meccano

At the turn of the last century, a Liverpool clerk with an engineering degree, Frank Hornby, designed a game of nuts and bolts for his children. Little did he realise that it would become one of the biggest-selling games in the world. Hornby patented Mecanno in 1907. For most of the 20th century, the company was to become one of the largest toy makers whose main line was Mecanno — the construction set comprising moving parts like wheels, axles, gears and metal strips which, when put together, could make a plethora of working models. Thanks to innovations in the basic set, Meccano still rules the mindspace of children.

Barbie

She has vacuous eyes, stiff limbs and a synthetic voice. Yet, Barbie, the dream doll, has been fascinating children, teenagers and even older people ever since American toy company Mattel Inc. launched it in 1959. Over the years, Barbie has acquired the special traits of people in the countries where she is sold and has even worn a saree for her Indian admirers. Over a billion dolls have been sold in the past 53 years in over 150 countries. 

Rubik’s Cube

In 1974, when a reclusive Hungarian Professor Erno Rubik challenged the world with the Rubik's Cube, little did he imagine that it would go down in history as the puzzle toy of the century. Over the past 38 years, 350 million Cubes have been sold. Such has been its cult following that it has an annual International Rubik's Championship held in Budapest. The word Rubik's has also entered the Oxford English Dictionary. It has earned a place as a permanent exhibit in New York's Museum of Modern Art. People who have solved the Cube are treated like heroes and a handful, who can crack it blind-folded, have become instant stars. 

Snakes & Ladders

One of the most popular board games ever devised, Snakes & Ladder has its origins in India. Though no one knows the year it was developed but its Indian version was called Moksha Patam, which revolved around the theme of life, death and re-birth. The game travelled to England in 1892 where it got its name Snakes & Ladders. In 1943, the American game company Milton Bradley bought the rights and launched Chutes and Ladders which, the company claimed, was an improved new version of the original. Needless to say, both the versions are runaway hits and the board game gets millions of admirers with every passing generation. 

Angry Birds

When Finnish computer games company Rovio Mobile created the video game revolving around an angry-looking wingless bird, it got instant attention. But it became a sensation once it started being marketed by Apple stores in 2009. Ever since, more than 12 million copies of the game have been sold worldwide. The Finnish company is entering into tie-ups of television series and films featuring Angry Birds. Considered the best game ever developed for hand-held devices, its fans include British Prime Minister David Cameron and celebrated author Salman Rushdie. 

G.I. Joe

Back in the early 1960s, when the Mattel toy company was clocking mind-boggling sales with Barbie, a rival company Hasbro Toy, cashing on the craze, came out with G.I. Joe, a toy for the boys. The company did not call the 12-inch high toys as dolls but action figures. Modelled after World War ll, the line of toys included an Action Soldier, Action Sailor, Action Pilot and an Action Marine. Later, an Action Nurse was added to the team. Expectedly, the G.I. Joe team became a runaway hit. Such was its popularity that G.I. Joe has spawned a line of very popular comics, TV series, video games and films. 

Monopoly

Developed in 1934 by an unemployed American Charles Darrow, Monopoly became an instant worldwide hit. However, when Darrow first took the concept to the American toys and games manufacturer Parker Brothers, it was rejected. Darrow with the help of a printer friend developed the game himself and in a short period sold 5,000 sets.

But the demand was huge and failing to keep pace with it he went back to Parker Brothers, who made no mistake this time and grabbed it. There's been no looking back ever since. Today, Monopoly has sold over 200 million sets in 103 countries and an estimated 500 million have played it. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Originally the characters of a comic book, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or simply Ninja Turtles created a storm when they were launched as figurines in the 1990s. The four characters named after Renaissance artists — Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and their father figure Donatello — live in the sewers of New York. Their mission in life is to save the world from criminals and evil-doers. The concept caught on so fast that there were three major television series revolving around their adventures, besides four feature films and countless video games.

Sony's PlayStation

When it first hit the market in 1994, Sony’s PlayStation created an instant sensation. The CD-ROM format of the PlayStation allowed audio, video and computer data to be accessed simultaneously. With 1,000 games in its library, it sold more than 50 million copies. In 2000, Sony came out with a newer version PlayStation 2, which was slimmer and sleeker and has sold more than 150 million sets till date. The next best came in 2006 with PlayStation 3, which introduced the concept of motion control in gaming. The Japanese company is now working to develop PlayStation 4, which promises to be a far more advanced console than the previous versions.

In 1932, a Danish carpenter wishing to augment his income began making wooden toys which were well received in the market. He set up a company called Lego. A few years later, he expanded his repertoire by branching out into plastic toys. In 1949, he developed the unique self-locking bricks that could be attached together to make all kinds of stuff — from trucks to homes and from robots to superheroes. Today, the company has branched out into video and board games, books, TV series, movies, children’s clothes and theme parks in the US, England, Germany and Denmark. 

Bling it on
Fortune on two wheels

We all know that scooters are an inexpensive means of transport. But not many know that there is one brand that not just commands a high price but is considered true-blue vintage. The 1965 Vespa SS90 Super Sprint enjoys the rarest of the rare status. It is different from other Vespas as it has a narrower front, a glove box and spare wheel mounted in the step-through area of the frame.

It didn’t do so well and only 5,309 were ever made. Today if you are lucky enough to find one, expect to pay a fortune for this 1960s beauty.

Price: Between $10000 and $15000 (Rs 5 lakh and 7.5 lakh)

Holidaying in style

Andreas Liveras was one of the unfortunate victims of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack but the yachting legacy he has left behind is legendary. Now you can entertain your guests in style by chartering the Liveras yacht for a week. You and your guests will be taken to the yacht by a helicopter which will land on the sunny deck, and waiting there will be your captain to show you around the yacht. There’s an impressive marble lobby on the main deck, the guest staterooms, the dining room and spacious saloon, sunbathing areas, sofas and bar on the top deck. A vacation that you and your guest will cherish for the rest of your life.

Price: For a week’s charter $4,75,000 (Rs 2.4 crore)

Time for a musical soiree

To make an ultimate style statement, get a plus 100-year-old Scheidmayer Baby Grand Piano. This is not just the best musical instrument in the world but also makes a stunning decoration piece. It has a lovely casework. The term “Baby Grand” means a grand piano less than six-foot-long with the best sound quality in the world. But there’s nothing kiddish about its output. The soft melodic strains of this piano will transport you to a blissful state in a blink of time.

Price $ 22,000 (Rs 11 lakh)

Photo finish

It harks back to the 1970s when the instant photo-processing camera brought a revolution in the world of photography. Polaroid, the grand-daddy of such cameras, has revived nostalgia with the GL30. This is an all-in-one digital camera with an instant zinc photo printer and a swivel screen. Don’t let the GL30’s projector-like look fool you. This is pure family fun and a throwback to the heady decade of the 1970s.

Price: Around $ 150 (Rs 7,500) 

Fasten your love

A padlock is supposed to guard your house/trunk/almirah from thieves and crooks. But this one would do just the opposite. You would have to guard it against robbers! A British jewellery designer Andrew Bunney has teamed up with Paris-based Colette to create pure Sterling Silver 925 padlock. But this is not to lock up your valuables. It is a token of love to be given to your beloved. It has the word Je t’aime engraved on it which in simple English means ‘I Love You’. The padlock, with a Colette blue ribbon, is a sure way to fasten your love for someone.

Price: $1,086 (Rs 54,300)

Bite the bullet

In folklore, the only bullet effective against werewolves, witches and demons is the silver bullet. And the only place you can get a silver bullet is at Bullet Forge Company in Colorado, USA. Not just silver but gold and platinum as well. However, these are not to exterminate supernatural fiends. These are to be used as pieces of a chessboard, as pendants, for earrings, and for tie tacks. Though all bullets produced by this company are inert, some like the 45-ACP is a rare collector’s item. It is made from solid 14-karat white gold. Mounted in the hollow point is an amethyst surrounded by more than 90 high-quality diamonds. But right now, you can just dream of acquiring the 45-ACP or any other precious metal bullet as the company has closed bookings. No wonder the website warns, “Call us anytime. We may not answer anytime, but it is worth a try.”

Price: 45-ACP Bullet: $ 3,000 (Rs 1.5 lakh)

The write stuff

When the desk is your throne and the pen your sword, then style can’t be far behind. Enhance your desks’ style quotient with the finest writing instruments. The all-gold Globe Writing Pen set is stylish and makes an excellent romantic, business or corporate gift. So the next time you are signing an important business deal or have to write a note, go for your glittering gold pen and globe on your desk.

Price $7500 (Rs 3.75 lakh)

World’s first green supercar

Go for the Koenigsegg CCXR Flower Power, the world’s first “green” supercar. It runs on ethanol and pumps out an unparalleled 1018 hp, again a world first. It comes fitted with the unique chrono instrument cluster, which enhances aesthetics and high-speed safety. The performance of this Swedish car too is staggering. At a recent race, the CCX took the lap record in front of all famous competitors such as the Ferrai Enzo, Maserati MC12, Porsche Carrera GT, Pagani Zonda F.

Price: $ 6,00,000 (Rs 3 crore)

PACESETTERs
The Changemakers
Liza Chawla Tandon and Amit Tandon believe in giving back to society and be catalysts of social change Liza Chawla and Amit Tandon
Vasudha Gupta

In today’s day and age of professionalism and spiralling aspirations, there are few who are willing to let go of their dollar dreams and strive to make a difference in the world around them in their own ways. Panchkula-based, Liza Chawla Tandon (37) and Amit Tandon (36), are engaged in meaningful pursuits that have a positive impact on society.

Liza, founder of Chhoti si Asha, had only the initial intention of doing something at the grassroots level. What started of as just trying to teach slum children has today spiralled into a full-fledged NGO. The thought of staying for just two years has converted into the process of manufacturing and selling hand-made bags, conference accessories, belts and tablemats. “The Stitch-a-Living Programme is basically aimed at providing employment to women based on their skill sets and works towards income generation,” Liza shares. The focus of the NGO, which operates from Khuda Jassu, near the PGIMER, Chandigarh, has been shifting. From providing vocational training to making the women self sustaining, Chhoti si Asha has witnessed the investment of a new learning curve. “I intend to ensure that the next step moves towards making the NGO more self-sufficient,” Liza adds.

Two of the women have already found work at an export house and are now earning better.

Apart from working at the grassroots level, women empowerment also remains a focal point. Considering it started with no real know-how of bags or designing, the products are being appreciated for ever-improving benchmarks in quality. Plus the element of looking at each learning process is never devoid of fun. “Designing bags and understanding how the market really functions has had its own highs and lows,” Liza shares. Today, Chhoti si Asha also has volunteers coming in from all corners of the world to support the humble cause.

If the wife is putting hard work and labour in breathing lives into closed slums, Amit has focused his effort on resolving the challenge related to recycling of waste plastics. Amit is the founder of Vetanta Cleantech — a startup that has developed technology for converting waste plastic into fuel oil, which has a host of applications. The pilot project has been stabled recently in Kalka and employs a competent team of scientists and engineers, who are in their own little helping the environment. “The problem and the solution of plastic waste disposal is global in nature. It has also been a subject of research at a universal level since long now. The process engineering research and development set-up aims to commission the first commercial plant based on the technology in 2013. Amit’s efforts were selected for the prestigious Global Ideas Competition (from India) in Cleantech Open 2011 at San Jose, California. Liza and Amit truly understand attaching value to education and giving something back to society.