Showstoppers
Leading designers spend megabucks to sign stars and celebrities as showstoppers to display their collections. It not only ensures great media coverage but also translates into lucrative business deals…
Mukesh Khosla

Celebrity dreams and seven-figure deals lure thousands of young people into the world of modelling in the hope they could one day strike gold in Bollywood. Much the way models-turned-stars like Priety Zinta, Bipasha Basu, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Rampal, Diana Penty and many others did.

The ramp-to-stardom is a well-established route. But when filmstars apply the reverse gear to their careers and begin making forays into the world of modelling and walking the ramp, then it is time to think: Why current actors have reversed this trend?

The answer is that modelling and especially, walking the ramp, has come in for a dramatic change with leading designers spending megabucks to have stars become showstoppers for their fashion wear.

Value-addition

India’s leading designer J. J.Valaya says that whenever he invites a star to his show, it is a tremendous value addition. Designers say leading stars enhance the appeal of their brand. A star showstopper ensures a great media coverage that translates into lucrative deals.

Designer Rana Gill unfolded her collection at the Wills Lifestyle show where Deepika Padukone showcased her designs. In the same show designer Rina Dhaka bought Deepika back on the ramp in a short tunic again.

Non-film showstoppers

Designers have also successfully used cricketers like Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Kapil Dev etc. as showstoppers. International cricketers like Brett Lee, Shane Warne, Kumar Sangakkara and many others too have done it and walked away a bagful of money.

Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee opened his show with Sridevi at the Delhi Couture Week this year

This year’s Lakme Fashion Week saw Siddharth Mallya walk the ramp for designer Komal Sood and actor Abhay Deol’s girlfriend Preet Desai for designer Anita Dongre. Earlier, businessman Navin Ansal roared on the stage on a Harley Davidson bike for designer Ravi Bajaj. Amitabh Bachchan’s daughter Shweta Nanda looked stunning in an Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla attire during the grand finale of the Delhi Couture Week.

However, it is the established Bollywood faces that get the maximum applause. At the Delhi Couture Week this year, designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee created a flutter as he opened his show with Sridevi.

Old-timers’ appeal

Madhuri Dixit is in hot demand and was recently seen at the India International Jewellery Week 2012 and later at the Delhi Couture Week walking the ramp for designer Anju Modi. Sharmila Tagore, too, received a grand ovation as the showstopper for designers Ashima and Leena Singh at Delhi Couture Week.

Stars like Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor are extremely fit, and they look great in designer clothes. Experts say that whether newcomers or established names, when stars and celebrities walk the ramp, it’s a win-win situation for all concerned.

Lady Gaga	Armani	Beyonce	Balmain
Jennifer Lopez	Christian Louboutin	Kirsten Dust	Rodarte
Gwyneth Paltrow	Victoria Beckham	Gwyneth Paltrow	Victoria Beckham
Alexa Chung	Chane	Julliane Moore	Giorgio Tom Ford

Glass apart
Every wine comes with its own special glass. Connoisseurs say that the right stem glass can change the wine-drinking experience from ordinary to outstanding
Subodh Samuel

In modern times, wine drinking has been elevated to an art and wine lovers come up with newer ways to relish the bubbly. Wine is a delicate drink that has to be enjoyed in style. Its temperature, and the way it is served, makes all the difference between a great and an ordinary wine experience. One of the most important accessories is the glass it is served in. For those in the know of things, a great wine will diminish in appeal if it is served in the wrong glass.

According to folklore, if you serve a cheap quality wine in a sophisticated wine goblet, its flavours will enhance and it will not taste cheap anymore. That is why there are different glasses for red, white, sparkling and dessert wines. There are tulip glasses, flute glasses, hurricane glasses, parfait glasses, chimney glasses and a host of others that are suited for different wines and cocktails.

Dedicated glassware

As in wines, there is dedicated glassware to serve other liquors like single malt, Cognac, vodka and brandy in. Since single malt needs to be rolled on the tongue, it is usually served in a tumbler kind of glassware.

Cognac and brandy, on the other hand, need to be swirled in the glass to release their flavours so these have to be served in a snifter, which has a short stem and a wide bell, which narrows as it reaches the rim.

Glasses that are most prevalent for serving wine have three parts — base, stem and bowl. The base gives the glass the uprightness when placed on a table. The stem helps hold the glass from below, which is important because if you hold it from the top, then the temperature of your hand will warm the wine. And the third part is the bowl into which the wine is poured. It is usually the shape and size of this bowl that changes with different kinds of wine.

A respectable arsenal for any home bar should include some basic kind of stemware — flute glasses for sparkling wines like champagne, glasses for red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot. You will require smaller stem glasses for white wines like Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Riesling.

Complex aromas

It is a well established fact that the shape of the glass can completely change the way wine is savoured. Red wine, for example, has complex aromas and needs to be swirled in the glass so that it comes in contact with oxygen, which will help it release the flavours. For this purpose, a full and wide glass is best suited to enjoy red wine.

A wider glass with a shorter stem, larger and rounder bowl and a wider mouth will make it easy for you to smell the red wine, which is necessary to check if all the aromas are trapped in there. The wide shape of the glass will also allow wine to travel straight to the tip of the tongue so that you can directly savour all the delicate tastes of the bubbly.

White wine glass has a longer stem. That's because it is served chilled and has to be held by the stem. If it is held by the bowl, the heat from the hand will take the chill out of the wine and ruin its flavour. The white wine glass has a smaller and narrower bowl so that small quantity of wine is served to retain its temperature. The stem glass can be refilled with cool wine frequently.

Connoisseurs say that for subtle white wines like Riesling or Pinot Noir, the stemware best suited is the one that has a narrow opening to allow the more delicate aromas to rise to the surface. However, for hardier white wines like Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, a shallower glass is advisable as the flavour of these wines enhance with oxidation.

Sparkling wines

Champagne and sparkling wines, on the other hand, have to be served in narrow flute glasses that preserve up to twice as much carbon dioxide than other glassware. Experts explain that the carbon dioxide present in the Champagne helps determine the aroma, in-mouth taste and aftertaste - the higher the content, the better the taste. However, if it is served in an ordinary or wide-mouthed glass, the bubbles will escape impacting the flavour and taste negatively.

Dessert wines like port and sherry will require short glasses that have small bowls. That's because these are more potent and need to be sipped slowly. Moreover, a sip from such small glass will go straight to the back of the mouth where its intense flavours will unfold gently without overpowering the entire mouth.

Apart from these four basic stem glasses, you will require special conical-shaped stem glasses for cocktails like martinis, margaritas and daiquiris. And also an assortment of snifters, tumblers, goblets and shot glasses for Cognac, brandy, whiskey and vodka for that perfect home bar, which not just shows your knowledge but panache as well. 

WINE COUNTRIES

Do the best wines of the world come from France? The answer is yes and no. Yes, France traditionally has been producing great wines but now other countries are catching up with wines, which are qualitatively as good, if not better. Here’s looking at the world’s five top wine-producing nations whose wines have a mesmerising effect and get the glasses clinking around the world.

France: Despite the onslaught by Italy and Spain, France has maintained its leadership in the wine business. At around 5.5 million tonnes a year, it is the world leader in quantity and quality. Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Rhone and Alsace and Loire Valley are the main wine-growing regions and home to some of the greatest wines in the world like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Champagne, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris.

Italy: Wine production in Italy has grown by leaps and bounds and today stands at around five million — a tad below France. Chianti in Tuscany produces some of the world’s most exclusive wines. So do Piedmont and Veneto. These three are the main wine-growing regions of Italy which produce great wines like Amarone, Barbaresco, Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Chianti.

Spain: At around four million tonnes, Spain is the third highest wine producer in the world and is also the home of wines fortified with alcohol. The main wine-producing regions are Rioja, Valencia, Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Toro, Priorat, Montsant, Conca de Barbera, Valdeorras, Galicia and Penedés. Its best wines are Contador, Maduresa, Unico Gran Reserva and Domingo de Pingus del Duero, Termanthia, Embruix, Cabrida and Barrica and Absis.

America: Over the years, America has started competing with the best wine-producing nations in the world putting the country — with an annual production of around 2.25 million tonnes — in the fourth place. Most of the American vineries are in California, Washington, Oregon and New York. The best wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Gamay, Sangiovese and Zinfandel. Pinot Chris, Muller Thurgau, Syrah, Viognier Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Argentina: The fifth wine-producing position is generally a toss-up between Argentina and Australia. But for the connoisseur, Argentina is a step ahead with its 500-year-old vineyards and state-of-the-art technology that produces almost 1.5 million tonnes of wine annually. The Mendoza region produces almost three quarter of the country’s wine. Some of its world-class wines include names like Esmeralda, Achaval-Ferrer, Vina Cobos, Catena and Torrontes Reserve.

SAYING CHEERS WITH INDIAN WINE

The Indian wine market is growing at a whopping 35 percent annually. Experts predict in the years to come, it will be the preferred drink of the young generation.

Leading Indian players like Chateau Indage, Grover Wines, Sula Vineyards and Vintage Wines have been improving the quality and the range of their portfolios, launching lower-priced wines to appeal to a wider range of income groups and also producing wine that goes better with Indian food. Though not yet a mainstream drink, wine is fast becoming the toast of GenNext. Indian wines have gone from hic to hip with even the world's leading producers like France and Italy saying cheers to the Indian bubbly and wine exports expected to touch the ~100-crore mark by 2015.

ARTLAND SOMMELIER burgundy WINE GLASSES

This is a must-have set of glasses in your bar. The high quality Artland Sommelier burgundy wine glasses will let the flavour of the bubbly shine through. Crafted of high-quality, hand-blown glass that’s break-resistant, this set is suitable both for casual, everyday use and also for a party.

Price: $55 for a set of 4 Rs 3,025

ROBERT MONDAVI PINOT NOIR STEM GLASS

Pinot Noir will taste more refined in a Robert Mondavi stem glass, specially made for the light-to-medium bodied red wine. The shape of the glass is such that it will not only bring out the best taste of the Pinot Noir but also enhance the wine-drinking experience.

Price: $50 for a set of 2 Rs 2,750

SHARON GOBLET WINE GLASS

For connoisseurs of wines, the Sharon wine glasses are sleek vessels from which one can fully appreciate the bubbly. Designed for versatility, these goblets can be used for serving any still wine. The signature teardrop bubble in the stem of the glass makes a bold statement of timeless design. 

Price: $80 for a set of 2 Rs 4,400

EISCH PORT WINE GLASS

Made of high-quality lead-free crystal, the Eisch glasses feature elegant stemmed pieces tailored to the characteristics of port wine. The quality of these glasses elevates the enjoyment of wine, preserving the original character and structure of the wine and enhancing its subtle aromas. 

Price: $164 for pack of 6 Rs 9,020

VINUM XL CABERNET SAUVIGNON GLASS

This glass is specially crafted to perfectly blend together the aromas and flavours of Cabernet Sauvignon bringing to light brilliant concentration while harmonising the intense sweet dark red fruit and masking the alcohol. The vinum XL can also enhance the flavours of other young wines from the Bordeaux region.

Price: $80 for a set of 4 Rs 4,400

DARTINGTON CRYSTAL SHERRY GLASSES

Exuding a blend of creativity and durability, the Dartington crystal sherry glasses are just what you need to truly appreciate a fine drink of sherry. Suitable also for enjoying port, dessert wines and a range of aperitifs, these glasses make a bold statement of timeless design.

Price: $70 for a set of 4 Rs 3,850

RIESLING GRAND CRU WINE GLASS

This is a very exclusive glass for a very exclusive wine. The Riesling grape variety produces some of the finest white wines which have to be enjoyed in the Riesling grand cru wine glass. Handmade and mouth blown from the finest lead crystal, this glass is designed to recognise the bouquet, taste, balance and finish of the wine.

Price: $110 per glass Rs 6,050

NORMANN COPENHAGEN COGNAC GLASSES

These look quirky but can enhance the aroma of the Cognac. These combine normal functions with a dramatic design. These enhance the flavour of Cognac and maintain the right temperature. Looking like decorative vases, these feel good in the hand while the Cognac is swirled.

Price: $55 for a set of two Rs 3,025

SPIEGELAU VINOVINO MERLOT WINE GLASSES

Its elegance is designed for complete wine enjoyment. The Spiegelau Vinovino Merlot wine glasses are lead-free, taking wine drinking to the next level. These are designed to enhance Merlot flavour and bouquet. Its shape guarantees that the wine will aerate to its highest quality.

Price: $55 for a set of 4 Rs 3,025

RIGOLETTO CHAMPAGNE FLUTE

This is the perfect way to enjoy your favourite Champagne. The Rigoletto Champagne flute is made with Luigi Bormioli crystal glass, known for its high-level of transparency. The flute-like shape directs Champagne to just the right place on the tongue taking it to a higher level of appreciation.

Price: $158 for a set of 12 Rs  8,800

NOVASCOTIAN CRYSTAL SINGLE MALT

Single malt — the name conjures up magic among whiskey lovers. The magic will get a further boost if it is enjoyed in the Novascotian crystal single malt glasses, which are designed to enhance the already divine flavour. That it takes a week to make one glass tells about its quality.

Price: $445 for a set of 6 Rs 24,475

VILLEROY and BOCH BRANDY GOBLET

This handmade glass, with its specially designed shape, will enhance the brandy flavour. The Villeroy & Boch Brandy Goblet is classically shaped and has a facetted detail at the base of the bowl connecting to the stem. The lead crystal gives the glass added strength and an amazing clarity.

Price: $48 per goblet Rs 2,640

SHIRAZ WINE GLASS — FIRE COLLECTION

A sharp blend of style and substance, Fire is the line for high-end home and restaurant bars. It has a tall, narrow bowl to aerate and accentuate aromatic topnotes, along with a narrow rim to swirl the flavours of the medium-bodied grape wine inside the mouth for maximum enjoyment.

Price: $80 per glass Rs 4,400

XL VIOGNIER GLASS

The classic shape of the XL viognier glass is designed to bring hasten the development of young and stimulates the texture of mature wines. Machine-made of premium 24 per cent lead crystal for brilliance and clarity, the taller stem and generous bowl of the glass brings to fore the subtle flavours of viognier and Chardonnay 

Price: $60 for a set of 2 Rs 3,300

LSA BAR VODKA SHOT GLASS

Perfected for refined beginner or the veteran wine connoisseur, the LSA vodka shot glasses are for the strong-hearted. These are hand blown, individually created pieces of art with chunky bases and a tapered body. Ideal for those who enjoy quick, intense and neat shots of vodka.

Price: $50 for a set of 4 Rs 2,750

ANCHOR HOCKING ASHBURY MARTINI GLASSES

Anchor Hocking, the leading glassware company of America, has been making stem glasses for more than a century. One of its most popular products is the Ashbury martini glass, which features a generous bowl and a tall glass, making the Martini experience stirred and shaken.

Price: $200 for a case of 36 Rs 11,000

CRISTAL D’ARQUES LONGCHAMP LIQUEUR GLASSES

You won’t have to be a Sommelier to appreciate the classic elegance of the Cristal D’Arques’ Longchamp liqueur glasses, which have found favour with several generations as an affordable luxury. Their popularity can be gauged from the fact that these have featured in films and TV shows.

Price: $40 for a set of 4 Rs 2,200

PACESETTER Utsav Bains
Child rights crusader
A lawyer with a conscience, he pulls out all the stops to fight for rights of abused children
Vasudha Gupta

Utsav Bains

Every day, heart-rending news of child abuse, torture and rape scream for our attention. No matter how many channels or papers talk about the apathy towards the future of our country, there are very few people working to save children’s rights and Utsav Bains is among them.

Utsav was never alien to the idea of fighting for rights, his grandfather Justice Ajit Singh Bains (retd) is noted for his bold and public-spirited judgments. Which 18-year-old will go on and fight for the rights of under privileged children? None. At the age where partying and celebration define adolescent growing years, Utsav fought and fought well. Today at the age of 25, the lad is a practising lawyer in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He shows that the current generation still cares for the future. It was a run-of-the-mill story on Pakistani children straying into Indian boundaries that instigated Utsav.

“I believe that the sexual exploitation of children is the most heinous crime as it leaves indelible marks on the soul of the child.” he says. His thoughts drove him to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to figure out how the children were doing. From visiting the children in the juvenile home to taking a hidden camera to record what they were undergoing, the truth came to light when he asked the children to write letters. “It was around Diwali time that I received their letters. Trust me, I did not sleep for days,” he says.

Stories of atrocities, electric shocks, torture and just about everything we read on a regular basis. Moved by the pathetic state of children homes, DGPs and Home Secretaries of both states were summoned by a bench of Chief Justice DK Jain and Justice Hemant Gupta. Judicial intervention finally activated a democratic deficit of governance. Utsav also decided to make a 10-minute documentary on the lives of the jailed children.

“It’s titled Lost Childhood and was picked up by the BBC, thanks to the tremendous impact it had,” he says. He also worked as a consultant with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and a member of the National Advisory Council, headed by Sonia Gandhi.

Utsav is soon planning to leave for the Mecca of legal studies, the Harvard Law School, for a research programme on Child Rights’ Advocacy. The lad has also played a significant role in Rohtak’s Apna Ghar case as it was he who had filed the PIL. “It was just a thought I had that something had gone terribly wrong,” he says. His suspicion has been proved correct and it did open a can of worms. Never before did it take just a month for a case to be transferred to the CBI. 

“I have always believed that the one of the main reason for the degradation of our national character is the absence of role models for our young generation. We have been born in the times of great scams, in times marred by corruption. I think, it is imperative to give role models to our young generation,” he says. He recently organised the first Shri KM Munshi memorial lecture. Resisting any injustice, Utsav ensures that the children of a lesser God have plenty of help to make them believe in the Almighty. 

Bling it on

MORE ‘AND’ MORE

As the nights get longer and parties come to town, fashion designer Anita Dongre’s label AND has launched its Autumn/Winter collection. The major hues in this collection are mustard, bottle greens, deep reds, blues and exotic blacks. Smart plaid patterns, eye-catching digital prints, stylised ikkats and cosy colour blocks. The label offers an assortment of bags, belts, scarves that go with the colour palette of the Autumn rush. So go ahead and don a new perky look with this autumn/winter line.

Price: Rs 999 onwards

MODEL BEAUTIES

His love for cars is well documented. So much so the 73-year-old Ralph Lauren has a fleet of 70 of the rarest of rare vintage cars costing millions. Now the fashion tycoon is out to make his collection public, with true-to-life scale models of some of his retro beauties. The highlight is a 1:8 scale models of his 1938 Bugatti 57 SC Atlantic Coupé. Then there is his 1958 Ferrari, 250 Testa Rossa and the 1996 McLaren F1 LM. If you have love for the wheels and money to burn, bring home these vintage beauties.

Price: $9,500 each model (Rs 5,22,500)

ONE FOR THE KIDS

Now you won’t have to go to Europe to shop for trendy clothes for your children. Giorgio Armani has opened its first Armani Junior store in India at DLF Emporio Mall in Delhi. The store showcases the complete Armani Junior lifestyle collections for boys and girls, including formal and casual wear, sportswear and accessories. The Armani Junior store has apparel for boys and girls from three months to teenagers of the age of 16. If you are a parent who never looks at price tags where your child’s clothes are concerned this is the store for you!

Price: Varies from apparel to apparel

CLASSY SHADES

We all know that Mont Blanc makes the best pens in the world. But now the German company would also want you to know that it makes some of the world’s most exquisite sunglasses as well. The latest are the very stylish men’s double bridge metal Aviators with brown frames, fade lenses and the logo engraved on the temple. They are a blend of modern shapes, combined with an understated elegance. Little wonder then that stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Reese Witherspoon, Sienna Miller and Eva Longoria are seen flaunting them!

Price in india: Rs 23,600

PROCESS THAT CHEERS! 

It’s back to the past with this coffee maker which works exactly the way its original creator Leoff of Berlin intended it to when he invented it in 1830. The Balancing Siphon Coffee Maker has two jars — a copper one to boil the water and a glass container for brewing. An alcohol burner boils the water, forcing it to pass through the pipette and into the lead crystal brewing chamber, where it steeps into the coffee grounds for making a rich, complex brew. As water begins to cool, a vacuum is created that draws the brewed coffee back to the kettle where it can be dispensed through the spigot. Apart from an excellent cup of coffee, the entire process is guaranteed to enthral your guests.

Price: $700 (Rs 38,500)

A MUSICAL CHAIR

It is both an eye catcher and a piece of multimedia furniture. For the person who sits in it, the Sonic Chair shuts out all outside noise and provides a unique audio experience, allowing you to sit at the very centre of a sound system. No matter what music or audio you like, this special chair will provide amazing surround sound experience with powerful speakers. You can feel the beat reverberate through your body, thanks to a sound converter that produces vibrations. So all you music lovers, go ahead and shut the world out and lose yourself in the world of melody.

Price: $10,000 (Rs 5.5 lakh)

BOVINE ART

This one’s for the cows. A unique art event called “Cow Parade,” which is held in many cities around the world, consists of making life-sized fibreglass cows by professional and amateur artists. These then adorn the city they are made in. Now Archies has entered into a tie-up with Cow Parade, to introduce 53 replicas gracing the streets of many cities around the globe. These will be retailed in select Archies and Hallmark stores. If you are up for bovine art, this one’s right up your Moo street!

Price: Between Rsc 1,999 and Rs 8,999

WRITING LUXURY

If you have a flair for writing now you won’t have to forage around for overseas pens. Indian luxury brand Cruiser has introduced an elite line of limited edition pens.

Each of these features detailed craftsmanship in precious metals and stones which have been engraved meticulously, making them a collector's item.

The three thematic pens in the series are — Cruiser Sacred Architecture, Cruiser Grapes, and Cruiser Diamond. Go ahead and show your ethnic style with these luxury writing instruments.

Price: Cruiser Sacred Architecture Rs 38,000, Cruiser Grapes Rs 49,000 & Cruiser Diamond Rs 65,000.