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Bling is gone, grunge is on
Green designs for your garden
PACESETTER Arunima Sinha
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Bling is gone, grunge is on ven Karan Johar’s escapist Student of The Year dresses up its cast in designer wear that is in sync with today’s youth. Nothing jaw-droppingly Lady Gagaesque, but quite inspired by the American high school fashion. “Alia’s cutesy, rich brat look — the fluffy short skirts, chunky hairbands and high heels — comes from Gossip Girl, the popular American teen drama television series,” points out Sakshi Golatkar, fashion brand manager trained in Milan, Italy. The Western influence in film fashion cannot be denied. Currently, European fashion is going natural with clean makeup, tossed hair and casual worn-out clothes. The filmstars pick up these trends through media and foreign visits and so the street look is here, too. Take for instance, Deepika Padukone’s distressed denims and Saif Ali Khan’s cargos in Cocktail, Salman Khan’s keffiyah (Palestine scarf) and Katrina’s sweat pants from Ek Tha Tiger, Anushka Sharma’s gunjis n check shirts in Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Kareena’s layered tops and short skirts in Ekk Main Aur Ekk Tu and most recently Sridevi’s Sabyasachi sarees in English Vinglish. Notice the common comfort factor in all outfits? “Absolutely wearable!” declares Sakshi, fashion analyst, “The street grunge style that film stars are currently sporting on screen is derived from real-life trends, designers as well as actors are dressing up as per the characters they play in the film. Reel fashion is aping real fashion. In the metros we are wearing those clothes. It is nice to know that you are fashionable and that stars are wearing the same outfits as you are.” she adds happily. Casual chic
Unlike those glitzy, glamorous outfits specially crafted for films like Oscar winner Bhanu Athaiya’s layered saree drape which became famous as the Mumtaz saree, the bouffant and arched eyebrows that became synonymous with Sharmila Tagore, the slinky gowns that Zeenat Aman adorned, jazzy ghaghras that Madhuri Dixit favoured and all the flashy get-ups that remained confined to the big screen, today’s stars avoid over-the-top (OTT) look, they are opting for clean, elegant look. Things took a major turn when Kareena Kapoor sported regular collegian casual chic in a long tee and a roomy Patiala salwar in Jab We Met. Designer Manish Malhotra, talking about the evolution of film fashion in an interview, recently said, “I was a huge Mumtaz fan. I liked heroines to be voluptuous, saucy and sexy and Mumtaz epitomised that. Earlier heroines were full-bodied women and they were expected to be formally dressed all times, not a hair out of place. Today when I dress Sonam in I Hate Love Stories, I have to make sure she carries casual chic straight out of life. I put Kareena in a T shirt and salwar in Jab We Met and because Kareena is Kareena, it becomes a rage. It was inconceivable 20 years ago that a heroine could dress like that! But things that remain constant in my work are soft and flowing fabrics and feminine allure.” While Kareena’s short kurtis and Patiala salwars in Jab We Met were an easy-to-follow off screen trend, her brightly coloured, long kurtas with high slits and ghera salwars with block print teamed with oxidised jewellery in Bodyguard appeared to be influenced by the daily college fashion. As Manish Malhotra, who created both the looks, admits, “Inspiration is all around me. I draw inspiration from day to day life, from things, people, environment, and architecture.” Character-defined designs
While dressing up a middle-class Maharashtrian house wife in English Vinglish, ace designer Sabyasachi went with the character, “He has forfeited his signature style elaborate prints and heavy embroidery and settled for the casual, light cottons that enhanced the simplicity of Sridevi’s character in the film,” observed Sakshi. The casual, yet stylish, looks of Deepika and Saif in Cocktail caught everybody’s eye, stylist Anahita Shroff Adjania explained that she got it right by interacting with her young teammates and picking up costumes from “A lot of high-street shopping along with some luxury brands”. Saif’s T-shirt layered with cotton shirts on cargos, Deepika’s deconstructed tees hit the bull’s eye and Anahita attributed it to, “The trick is to keep the characters looking very real and believable. Homi (director) was very clear he didn’t want a fashion show! I’m lucky to have a young, talented team and I am always eager to hear what they have to say. I get their opinions and I like to observe them. We work as a team, we shop together, we have many open discussions and that’s what comes through.” This year’s big ticket movie, Ek Tha Tiger also opted for the raw, casual look, as designer Ashley Rebello described, “In the first half of the movie, Salman Khan wore a lot of formals like trousers, waistcoats, and checked shirts. In the second half, he was seen in cargos, scarves styled around his neck and clothes that look faded. Even the colours used are earthy, sandy tones with a lot of khakis.” Ashley sourced clothes from local markets. Accessories like keffiyehs (Palestinian scarf) from Turkey to give the character a local flavour. While Katrina’s designer, Anoushka Veljee gave Katrina two different looks in the film. In the action scenes, the clothes worn are combat wear. In the scenes where she plays a contemporary dancer, she’s seen in sweat pants and T-shirts. Anoushka said, “I have used toned-down hues and prints in order to stay faithful to the character.” Styled by Shiraz Siddique, Imran Khan in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu sported only slim-fit shirts, trousers and cardigans — no jeans or tees — to keep with the stiff character he essayed in the film while Kareena sported a range of colours, casual messed up look mostly. Award-winning designer, Mandira Shukla remained faithful to the chawl-dwelling characters while dressing up Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra in Agneepath — nothing glam would do, as she put it, “The emphasis was on the simplicity even for Hrithik’s character Vijay Dinanath Chauhan as he basically wants to take revenge. He’s not interested in clothes. He wears jeans and shirts, nothing too in your face.” Niharika Khan picked up the National Award and Screen award for best costume for The Dirty Picture. When designing for Rowdy Rathore gave Akshay a very colourful look with multi-hued check shirts and a handlebar moustache while Sonakshi Sinha wore bright-coloured salwar-kameez for her character. “The emphasis is on bringing out the character,” says Niharika who likes to take references from real life, "If I have an actress wearing an Indian dress, I try to team up the dress with chappals and accessorise with jholas,” she adds.
100 costumes for Heroine,
Manish Malhotra created as many as 100 costumes for Kareena in Heroine at a whopping budget of over one crore rupees! “It was a fantastic experience. To bring the director’s vision to life with the heroine’s style statements was not an easy job,” said Malhotra in an interview.
So designers have to give it their all to the demands of the script, as designer Raghavendra Rathore did while dressing up Lord Krishna in Oh My God!“It was like a call from heaven,” described Rathore as Akshay Kumar called him for the divine assignment. Rathore spent months only researching the idea of God through clothes, “It was a journey from dreamy imagination to a practical pinning down of the idea of God at work. Once I knew that there was a special motorcycle that Kumar would ride in the film, I figured that the garments needed to be practically appropriate,” he said. The accessories like the peacock brooch and keychain also played a vital role in instilling the character of Krishna. As noted fashion designer, Rocky S concludes, “The overall sense of dressing in films has changed drastically, because the newer breed of actors and actresses are fully aware of the latest trends and happenings around the world.” Well, fashion analyst Sakshi puts it well, “Bling is gone, street grunge is on!”
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Green designs for your garden Gardening is one of the most sublime pleasures of modern life. Besides being relaxing, it is also very therapeutic and is proven to be an effective stressbuster. The sheer expanse of the neatly manicured green carpet, peppered with resplendent flowerbeds and multi-hued pots and plants, is a delight to behold. Though one of the greatest joys is to sit in the patch of green and enjoy the surroundings, gardening is hard work. A beautifully laid-out lawn requires loads of work, and even more imagination. A basic sense of design and landscaping is essential to make the garden appealing and attractive. Tending a garden requires hours of toil and perspiration. It is an unwritten law of nature that a good garden needs fine attention to detail. If you love nature, then, in spite of your busy schedule, you will have to find time to tend to the flowers, shrubs and bushes. A garden also requires meticulous planning. You will have to determine the amount of sunlight that a garden will get in the daytime. That will determine the kind of plants that can be sown. You will need to determine the amount of soil and manure required. Once the basic plan is ready, you will need to go to a nursery and select plants for the sunny side and the shaded side of the garden. This is very necessary, otherwise you will not get a healthy growth.Also one requires the basic implements for gardening, which require some investment. A garden that appeals to the eye does not come cheap. What you need Here are 10 basic tools you require to tend to your greens: Trowel: This is the first implement required for your garden. It is used for digging, planting and smoothing the garden earth. Cultivator: A fork-like instrument, it is used to rake up soil during planting, and for the mixing of manure and fertilisers. Weeding
fork: A two or three-pronged spear-like implement used to get to the bottom of the toughest weeds and removing them. Shovel: A broad-bladed metal with a wooden handle, the shovel is used for digging, cutting through soil and spreading mulch. Pruning
shears: These are scissors but with a lot more cutting power and are used for hacking hard and thick shrubs and branches. Grass
shears: Unlike pruning shears, grass shears have the handle at right angle to the blade to facilitate fine cutting of grass. Garden
hose: Required almost everyday, this is one of the most essential tools of the garden and is used to water the lawn and the plants. Sprinkler: It is very necessary for a well-manicured lawn as it distributes the water evenly in every nook and corner of the garden. Water mist
sprays: Similar to a sprinkler, the water mist sprayer is highly effective in bathing leaves and flower beds. Gardening
gloves: An important part of the garden paraphernalia, gardening gloves protect hands from thorns and thistles. Apart from these essential tools, there are many other implements that are put to use by serious gardeners. These can include rakes, spades, scuffles, bow saws, wheelbarrows, lawnmowers and plant sensors. However, for a home gardener, the 10 basic tools will more than suffice to bring up a well laid out patch of green. Most of these tools are easily available and any good nursery will have these. The price, of course, will vary depending on the quality of tools you buy. It could range from a few hundred rupees to thousands, if you are purchasing branded tools. But experts say it is always a good idea to buy quality gardening implements as cheap ones not just tend to be less effective but can also result in nicks and cuts, which can put you off the pleasurable hobby. Landscaping tools Once the green carpet is laid and begins growing healthily, you must start concentrating on the landscaping. For this, you would require tools like shears, pruners, trimmers, sprinklers and other implements like a lawnmower, and even a hedge leveller, though it is best to get a professional to do the last two jobs. Landscaping is not a difficult art. If you have the basic instruments, all you need is a creative bent of mind as a good-looking garden is nothing but imaginative arrangement of flowers, plants and trees. But you need to get down to gardening yourself and only then will the results be rewarding. You can take the help of a gardener but remember, it is your creativity and involvement which will bring joy and satisfaction. Remember, a garden is a work of art and will bring you that special happiness and peace that only nature can provide. So go ahead, get your tools together and create a garden for your five senses. While gardening, save yourself the discomfort of wet feet with Sloggers’ high boots. Made of soft and flexible water-proof resilient resin, these are tough and longwearing. The material has a biocide that prevents odour and fungus. And best of all, these are easy to clean. Just hose 'em off! Chuck out those bulky watering cans and fix these specially designed screw-on spouts on used plastic bottles in your house and transform these into eco-friendly fun water sprays. The spouts created by Swiss designer Nicholas le Maigne are available in a choice of five funky colours. Birds will love your garden if you give them a place to stay. This beautiful bird house being offered on www.zansar.com is crafted from wood and metal with a sliding door at the back for easy cleaning. It has a country cottage look and is embellished with a sloping green roof and door and lots of flowers.
Price in india: Rs 2,154 This is an innovative and eco-friendly way of growing plants. Globar’s self-watering planters hold a reservoir of water under the soil. As the soil dries out, it draws up water by the process of osmosis. These planters are ideal for cultivating house plants, flowers, herbs, orchids, and succulents. For a garden hobbyist, it is always a challenge to evenly water the lawn. The garden watering lawn irrigation water sprinkle does just that. Its rotating four arms guarantee that water is evenly distributed in the garden to maintain a healthy green patch. It also keeps down the amount of airborne dust. GARDEN HOSE
Price: $70 for 50-foot hose Rs 3,850 Delhi-based Peekay Farm Equipments have launched a range of garden planters in attractive shapes and colours. The animal-shaped planters and pots are ideal to furnish your garden. These light-weight and water proof planters can also be used indoors to add a touch of green to the house. Whether you have a large lawn or a small one, you would need the basic tools of gardening required for digging, planting, and weeding. You would require implements like a hand trowel, a transplanting trowel, a cultivator, a weeding fork and a weeder — tools for efficient gardening. A perennial problem for those with a lawn is to find someone to mow it. You can do away with the hassle with the Black & Decker electric lawn mower which is quiet but powerful and easy to use. It has a single lever height adjustment system and a carry-handle for simpler storage.
Price: Rs 9,500 PROTECTIVE GLOVES
Price: start from Rs 500 BABY CHERUBS BIRD BATH
Price: $280 around Rs 15,400 With an increasing number of people taking up upside-down gardening, it is but natural for the upside down planters to arrive in the market. Go for the striking Gardener's Revolution Planter, which is a fun and easy way to grow tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and other veggies up in the air.
Price: $15 around Rs 825 CREATING A GARDEN OF EDEN Once the garden is blooming with greens and colourful plants, it is time to embellish and decorate it. This can, at once, be both an artistic and onerous task that will test your creative juices. Depending on the size of the garden, you will require chairs, tables, and even benches for people to appreciate the foliage. If space is not a problem, you can even consider installing a small fountain at a strategic place or a bird bath, or a bird house. Furniture can be an important part of a garden. But make sure you select chairs or benches that are specifically made for gardens. Choose from a choice of garden and planter benches and you can have an easy chair to relax on. Even trellises and statues can look very attractive. Colours are important. Make sure your furniture matches the hues of your garden. Pots and planters are an essential part of the garden. Though earthen pots are eco-friendly, you can mix these up with a variety of planters made of ceramic, terracotta, marble, plastic, metal and other material.
These days, the planters come in many shapes and sizes and add beauty to the greens. You can also enhance the appeal of your garden by hanging containers and baskets, which visually lend an air of sophistication to the garden.
Another vital aspect of a garden is imaginative lighting. Subtle lights must be used to emphasise certain attractive areas. You can also make great use of a spotlight to highlight a nice bed of flowers. Floor lighting can look great along the garden pathway. Subdued warm lighting will lend a magical charm to the garden and give you and your family and guests hours of bliss and happiness.
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Grit Walk After losing a leg in a train accident, Arunima dreamt of climbing mountains Geetu Vaid If the sweetest songs are those that tell of the saddest thoughts, the most inspiring victories are the ones that come from the realm of loss. No loss is great enough to bury the strength of the human spirit and 26-year-old Arunima Sinha is a lively example of this. An embodiment of the resilience of human will, she has not just climbed the 21,110-ft Mt Chhamser Kangri peak in September, 2012 (barely 16 months after losing a leg), but is also determined to start a sports academy for poor and physically challenged children in Unnao, UP. A national-level football and volleyball player from a small town in Uttar Pradesh, Arunima had always dreamt of hitting the headlines by excelling as a sportswoman. In a cruel twist of fate, her dream came true in April 2011, not for winning laurels on the sports field but for being the girl whose courageous act of resisting a chain-snatching bid in a train cost her a limb. Arunima was thrown off a moving train in Bareilly by miscreants who were trying to snatch her chain. Her left leg was crushed as she was hit by another train after falling down. She suffered multiple fractures in her right leg, besides other grievous injuries. However, while the whole country was aghast at her tragic fate, this gutsy girl was planning and dreaming big in her hospital bed at AIIMS, New Delhi. She dared destiny by dreaming of climbing mountains. “I could barely walk as I had lost one leg and the other one had rods in it. Even standing for a few seconds was extremely painful, but I knew clearly that I wanted to go for mountaineering. I had no idea how and when but I was determined to do it,” she says, while recalling the painful months after her accident. Reaching the base camp in Uttarkashi to start training for the mountaineering expedition was a no less arduous climb for her as she traced and convinced noted woman mountaineer Bachendri Pal to take her under her wings. Fighting pain with grit for five months and training non-stop each day, Arunima managed to accomplish a feat that is unparalleled in the history of Indian mountaineering. Another project close to her heart is setting up Pt. Chandra Shekhar Azad Viklang Khel Academy in Bethar, Unnao, where free training in different sporting disciplines would be provided to less privileged and physically challenged children. “This academy will be in freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad’s village and hence it is named after him”, says Arunima. She has used the compensation amount and grants that she got from various quarters after her accident to buy land to set up the academy. She is also being aided in her venture by the state government. This LLB student, who has an MA in sociology and an advanced diploma in computer application, has her eyes set on scaling the highest peak in the world — Mt. Everest, next year. “The greatest mountains are the ones that we build in our minds and the biggest handicap is when we tell ourselves that we can’t do something. And by climbing peaks I am determined to show the world and to prove to myself that if we are determined then nothing is impossible”, sums up this true fighter.
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Bling it on
MAGIC OF THE TURNTABLE Price range: $55,00 to $8,250 (From
Rs 3,02,500 to Rs 4,53,750) SPACEAGE SUPERBUS LEVI’S GOES VINTAGE The decade after World War ll brought in the rebels without a cause. A decade where macho stars like James Dean, Marlon Brando and Clark Gable wore Levi’s 501Z a zipper version of the button-fly denims and gave men’s fashion a seductive twist with its classic slim fit with straight leg and two back pockets. The status of the 501Z jeans made Levi Strauss a global phenomenon. Six decades later, the company has revived the iconic jeans making it a wardrobe essential for the fashionable young people. It has the same silhouette, the tough but flexible fabric and metal rivets. So go for the vintage look this winter with a pair of these deconstructed denims. Price: $48
(Rs 2,640) ‘MITHAI’ FROM HÄAGEN-DAZS Price: 12 assorted ‘mithai’ pieces
Rs 1500 COUTURe on YOUR WRIST ‘DRESS’ UP YOUR ROOM TWO FOR THE RAIN
Price: $40
(Rs 2,200) A NANO WHICH IS MUSIC TO THE EARS
Price: $149 (Rs
8,195) PLAYING GAMES WITH THE iPAD Price: Single pack for $10 & Multiple toys with accessories for $20 (Rs 550 and Rs 1,100)
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If the sweetest songs are those that tell of the saddest thoughts, the most inspiring victories are the ones that come from the realm of loss. No loss is great enough to bury the strength of the human spirit and 26-year-old Arunima Sinha is a lively example of this. An embodiment of the resilience of human will, she has not just climbed the 21,110-ft Mt Chhamser Kangri peak in September, 2012 (barely 16 months after losing a leg), but is also determined to start a sports academy for poor and physically challenged children in Unnao, UP.
Imran and Kareena in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu
Garden hoses have their own problems as thesetwist and turn making the delivery of water erratic. That is why American company Dramm’s hoses are among the best in the world. These neither twist nor kink, are hot- water proof and provide full flow of water without damaging the plant.
A good set of gloves will protect you from thorns and thistles that can sometimes make garden work a painful hobby. Buy a pair of gloves that are made with comfort in mind. The wrist should be elasticated to ensure a snug fit and completely resistant to thorn and thistle penetration.
This is a classic bird bath for your garden. Re-sculpted from an Italian antique angel sculpture in the Baroque style, this trio of cherubs rises in three-dimensional, perfectly scaled unison to hold up a bird bath urn. The cherub statue is cast in resin and hand-painted for the final effect.
Turntables that rocked the world in the 1970s and 1980s are back with a bang. High-end German music systems company ClearAudio has unveiled its latest Ovation model that will take your breath away. The stunning turntable features a chassis made of aluminium and bullet-proof wood. Up to 100,000 tiny, stainless-steel balls are integrated into the precision-machined wood corpus for effective resonance absorption. With its stunning tonal quality and timeless design it is little wonder that it has been voted the turntable of the year.
Ever had the experience of travelling in a public bus? It can be quite a challenging task given the crowds and the grime. But that is about to change now. Dutch inventor and aerospace engineer Wubbo Ockels has designed an eco-friendly electric Superbus that is being touted as the future of public transport. Displayed at the Dubai Auto Show recently, the 15-feet-long vehicle can accommodate 23 passengers and reach a speed of up to 255kmph. Though with its slick design and wing-opening doors it looks more like a space-age vehicle waiting to take off, the fact is this is the kind of public transport needed for the future.
There’s innovation in the air as luxury ice cream brand Häagen-Dazs gets inspired by delectable Indian mithais. Be it the barfi inspired vanilla or chocolate and or macadamia nut ice creams or the gulab jamun inspired Belgian Chocolate offering, these desserts are a surefire winner. The company has also come out with ice cream cakes which are a signature blend of intricate design and flavours. So go ahead indulge your fantasies without looking at the steep price tags.
These watches are just right to adorn delicate feminine wrists. Emporio Armani has introduced the Chiara range of slim watches to its Fall/Winter 2012 horology portfolio in India. Exuding Armani’s signature aesthetic of elegant sophistication, this collection borrows from one of its best-selling classic case bodies and applies a contemporary makeover. The result is a watch with mother-of-pearl dial and a mesh bracelet as a luxe finishing touch.
Back in 1989, leading Italian fashion house Fendi created the Casa Collection with an aim of “dressing up” rooms in the same way the company designs its furs, clothes, and accessories. Through its distribution outlet in Gurgaon, the Fendi collection this Divali gave a defined presence to any space with its luxurious linen. It has unveiled creative new concepts where the objects are treated in detail with the elegant and comfortable seating. So if you are the type who never bothers looking at the price tags, this stylish collection of fox, mink and sheep skin is just your kind of indulgence. price: Upon request
Ever seen two people huddled under one umbrella in an unexpected downpour? It may look romantic but chances are both will be drenched as an umbrella is meant for one and not two persons. So next time you are going out with your friend or partner, take a dualbrella, which is actually two umbrellas merged into one. This six-foot-wide modern take on the umbrella is big enough to take in two people comfortably and makes sure that the romance stays but the rain water does not.
Drowned in the clamour of the iPhone5 is the news that Apple has released its seventh-generation iPod Nano with some jaw-dropping changes. Looking more like a miniaturised iPhone, the new Nano is a bit bigger than its predecessor, with a 16GB capacity and comes with the new Apple EarPods. It also has great new features like Bluetooth, a built-in pedometer and Nike support right out of the box and an FM radio. It’s 2.5-inch touchscreen is nearly twice as big as the display on the 
Toy major Mattel sure knows how to keep up with the times. In its latest launch it has virtually turned the iPad into a toy for the tech-savvy child. Mattel Apptivity Play Toys are plastic toys like Angry Birds, Ninja, Hot Wheels and Batman — the Dark Knight Rises which can be used to interact with game apps on the iPad. Simply download the app to the iPad or the tablet and place the toy on iPad’s screen. The rubber touch points on the base of the toys will be recognized by Apptivity versions of these popular iPad games and the toy is ready to be played with the app. That these games are exciting and innovative is stating the obvious.