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In True Esprit Ah red is here! Not a rose red, moony and romantic, but bright vivacious and fresh—spelling style, Esprit style! Across 80 countries and five continents (and there were many more impressive statistics!) Esprit squirrels down to Chandigarh, because we are North India’s high priests of fashion no less! With an exclusive store opening in Sector 17, here is one aggressively trendy collection for men, women, children and yes street-smart funky individuals! One might ask how aggressive? Ah, here is the dope. Working on 12-season concept, Esprit pulls off 108 staggering separate collections over a single year and it has been doing this since (hold your breath!) 1968! “The customer needs freshness,” says Manjula Tiwari, Head of Esprit in India. And fresh translates into new colours, styles, fits that the world is wearing. As Hemachandra Zaveri, President Madhura Garments, who in a strategic tie-up with Esprit have brought the brand to India, says, “The same product, the world over, at the same time, in the same retailing experience.” So what do we have here? Denims, stylish tops, narrow blazers with savvy pencil skirts—the fashion statements of Paris, Milan and New York but along with all this is the hip autumn-winter collection of casuals for women and men here. Woollen tweeds, jackets in coated and metallic fabrics, narrow cut shirts, light voluminous knits for men and check corduroy blazers, jodhpurs, duffle coats, over-sized knitted sweaters, knee-length trousers for women along with Maritime, Folk, Mountaineering and Rock themes for women translating into blue, white, red block stripes tough gear for women too. Funky accessories, belts, caps, bags, socks, scarves, there is plenty to dress up with. And to merge global trends with local flavours and preferences, Esprit not only 200 designers from all over the world building the style blocks but they have local special buyers in every region procuring stuff according to fits, colours and sizes. Youthful, colourful and chic with infusions of newness, the clothes were modelled by models beautiful—Aryan Vaid, Indrani Dasgupta, Zulfi Sayed and Arti—showing off vivacious colours—ice blue, parrot green, ruby red—in stripes, in chords and knits—bright as the summer sun! So what do the models wear in ‘real-life’? Aryan Vaid, model, actor is a distinctly casual dresser, making his appearance on the quick walk-through in his favourite jeans and t-shirt. But even for a more formal do, his tuxedo never comes out; his formal shirt is combined with jeans! For Indrani Dasgupta, scorcher on the ramp, casuals, denims, shorts and skirts with chappals do the trick on a day-to-day basis. But her latest fascination is for accessories, beads and scarves and yes she gets to keep the lovely pink knit creation from Esprit after walking the ramp for them! So as the big international brands plump for Chandigarh, vying for patrons, we can take Paris by storm, soon very soon. Fashion divas around the world here we come!
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Indian idol
Truly a global citizen of the world but India makes this lady’s heart rock! So much so that, take away Annegret Schulz’s flaxen crop, turn away (so you do not see her sparkling blue eyes!) and hear her speak and goodness, she sounds just like an Indian speaking English, not a trace of an accent! “I knew French, Russian, Spanish but no English. In fact, I have leant most of my English in India,” she laughs. Indeed, one glance at the ease with which she interacts with students at the Alliance Francaise, Sector 36, during her recent visit here to talk on ESSEC, France’s top business school, which she represents in India, clad in a breezy blue-green salwar kameez and you know she is firmly entrenched in this country! Her journey to ‘the land of snake-charmers and tigers’ has been a long and interesting one and goes back to Leipzig in former East Germany, where she was born. “I had never been out until the unification of the two Germanys happened in 1990. But things changed rapidly after that. Two years later, in 1992, I was in France,” she smiles. Although she had to go back to school, she came right back in 2004 to teach at French in Woodstock International School in Mussourie, joined Satyam Computers in Hyderabad a year later and moved to Pune to represent ESSEC in India last year. What’s more, she has no plans to go back. “I only go forward and this is one country where you cannot go anywhere but ahead,” she laughs. “So many cultures, regions, languages, there is so much here.” For Annegret, it is the hospitality and the relationships that have made all the difference and what makes India so beautiful to her. “People in Europe live within rules, on automaton. Over here, there is always someone coming up to find a solution to help you out of a spot,” she says. Annegret, it seems, has found her world, right here.
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After shying away from the stage for over half a century, women in Chandigarh are playing a greater role in the staging of Ramlila scheduled to start in the city this week, says Saurabh Malik
Call it the after effect of divine intervention or lifting of curtains to yet another trend, young women are finally getting their celestial due before the earthly footlights right here in Chandigarh. After shying away for over half a century, so many of them are now slipping into the pious roles of goddesses to play their part in the great Indian epic, Ramayana. If you haven’t noticed them replacing tender little boys on stage to make their sacred and historical debut, you still have time. Just drive down the road leading to the venues of so many Ramlilas all set to be staged in the city. You will find actresses rehearsing their roles, religiously. Some of these actresses are not as fragile and soft-spoken as their male counterparts who have been playing the parts of Sita, Kaushalya, Kekai and so many other women characters in the Ramlila. For some delicately built young boys have been playing the feminine roles for years together now. But then, the performance of young actresses is more natural. There can be no doubt about it. “This change began in the staging of the epic last year itself, but the number of actresses willing to strut the boards in 2005 was limited,” says the director of Sector 28-based Garhwal Ramlila Mandal (Bijli Board) Balwant Singh Rawat. “The reason behind earlier reluctance of the women in doing the roles is not very hard to understand as the timings are odd. Ramlila begins at 10.30 pm and continues till well past mid night. It kind of becomes difficult for the girls to commute at such late hours”. Well Mr Rawat, they can return late from movies in a city like Chandigarh, but that’s another story. In any case, the problem was so bad that no amount of persuasion could sway them upstage. “Young actresses looking for a break are more often than not willing to come out on the stage even for less, but here they were simply unwilling to perform despite the promise of good payment,” says young theatre artist Asha Saklani, playing the part of Kekai in the larger-than-life classic. Giving final touches to her make-up, she adds, “For zipping down the fast track of materialism with fear of god in the backseat, majority of the actresses wanted better stage experience like a performing in an impressive theatre. Me…. I wanted to act out ever since my childhood days when Ramlila used to be a craze. So, nowadays I take out time from my busy schedule to personate on the stage”. Well, the actors believe the crowd too was initially disinclined to have women in the epic. Most thought the classic was too sacred to have girls. For, their presence could lead to distractions on and off stage, they assert. “But now the attitudes have changed,” says Asha’s sister Navdeep Saklani, playing the lead role of Sita. “The people are more encouraging, and the presence of upcoming actresses on the stage is making more and more girls to come forward. The facilities are also better. In fact, the organisers pick and drop you. No wonder, as many as six actresses are playing their part in our Ramlila alone. Even the playback singers are girls this time.” Hey, guys, women are actually playing a greater role on the stage of life!
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Sensually yours What happens when creativity mixes with sensuality? Nothing less than a mind-boggling collection of trendy dresses come into being! Yes, we are talking about the fashion show put together by the passing out students of the Northern India Institute of Fashion and Technology (NIIFT) at Mohali. The show presented a total of seven collections by a well-choreographed show by Anu and Navneet. The collections were a mix of creativity, imagination, modernism and sensuality. They were based on the forecast from around the world, primarily colorful, trendy and inspired. But the show was not just about teaching the latest trends in the Page 3 circle. It came packed with knowledge— about people, place and spiritualism. For instance Rana Tharu: Women of Grace was a collection by Kiranjeet Kaur that was meant to be an ode to a small tribe called Tharu in the southern Nepal, existing for about 400 years. The lives of Tharus have remained simple for centuries. Their clay containers, mud walls, their embroidered garments, fish-net they weave and all about their art work. And there were others like Sea Scapes — A collection by Amrinder and Nirleep Kaur, Spritualism —The power to rule…by Chavi and Neha, inspired by the sensitivity or attachments of religious values embracing a vast array of highly diversify, philosophical views. Fashion and spirituality stands out for its uniqueness. Kool Kats: a collection by Kanchan and Charanjit was inspired by their love for animals. Boho-chics: A collection by Nidhi Sandal. Boho is a style of female fashion throwing light on various bohemian and hippie influence.
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Blossom into beauty Coco-Blossom
Of all things splendid, the buzz-word this season is chocolates—gooey, pampering, aphrodisiacal and groovy. And spreading the ‘good word’ was aroma-therapist and hair designer Dr Blossom Kochhar in the city for the launch of her Aroma Magic Chocolate Facial, already being used as a luxurious indulgence in her day spas, but will now be available in salons across India as well. “I make chocolates so I thought let’s try and do something that will make it work for the skin as well,” she smiles. So what you have is a delicious melange of chocolate, cocoa butter and grape seeds along with essential oils for that heavenly feel. “Apart from being exotic, it has excellent toning and lightening properties,” she explains. But that is not all; with the bridal season at our doorstep Dr Kochhar had several tips for that essential wedding glow. “Pre-bridals with facials and packs are a must now because subtle, natural and a minimum make-up look is very ‘in’. This can be carried off only if the woman’s skin is glowing naturally,” she insists. So what she recommends is her Glycolic (sugarcane based) Facial for treating pigmentation and dark circles and the Four Elements Facial to balance the elements within us, Naroli for the water element, lavender for the air element, khus for the earth element and peppermint for the fire element. With this is the Oxy-Pearl Facial, using a heavy infusion of oxygen to detoxify the skin. Couple this with a soft fulsome hairstyle, a la Scarlet O’ Hara with ringlets, curls and twirls and finally some “wellness” thrown in for good measure which translates into yoga or some form of exercise to feel good from inside and voila you are on your way pretty bride! Ah but that is not all. Tropical Care
Hoping to spring into the festive season is Silent Valley, a range of hair, skin and body-care products manufactured by SFP Sons (India) Pvt. Ltd. The name inspired by one of the largest tropical evergreen rainforests in India, ‘Silent Valley’ is nestled in the folds of the Nilgiris and hopes to rejuvenate the mind and body, quite like its namesake! So what is on offer is more than 40 products that contain coconut oil, bamboo marrow extract, olive, rose and rosemary oils, almond, tea tree oil, avocado oil, rice bran oil, lemon, amla, Aloe Vera and Jojoba oil in the body lotions, skin creams, cleansers, body splashes, hair gels, oils and shampoos to feel fresh and beautiful. Like we said, there is no business like the beauty business.
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Sweet mein twist This is ghar ka khana with a ‘sweet’ twist. More than two months after an informal opening, Sindhi Sweets launched their pure vegetarian fine-dine restaurant in Sector 17 on the eve of the Navratras with their mantra firmly in place—food is passion. And their reasoning is very simple. “Try cooking your food at home with a smile it will taste very different from when you cook it in anger or in irritation,” says Neeraj Bajaj, Director of Sindhi Sweets. “This is our lifeline and we want to do it well,” he smiles. Indeed, theirs is a legacy coming down from pre-Partition days when their founder late C. L. Bajaj started Sindhi Sweets in the Sind province of Pakistan well before the Partition. Sindhi Sweets came to Chandigarh in 1976 and has been associated with some mouth-watering mithai since then. The restaurant itself boasts of traditional preparations and a culinary fiesta of five different cuisines—Indian, Chinese, Continental, South Indian and mini-meals with Indian beverages (read lassi, shikanjvi, jal jeera) and desserts (kheer, kesar rasmalai, including a sugar free version, matka kesar rabri and tons more!) thrown in. Right from the Sindhi Dal (a staple of every Sindhi home we are assured) which is a delightful blend of channa, moong and masur dals to their special vegetarian thali with and with out onions and garlic (Rs 90 each) to the simple Dal Roti with salad, achar, papad and raita (Rs 60), even the Karhi Chawal there is a aura of homespun food. Cooked in ghee, the flavours are a delight but the food is neither heavy, nor oily. “We started this restaurant only after asking people what kind of food they wanted,” says Neeraj. So what do the people of Chandigarh want, we ask? “Pooris that don’t look oily and rasmalai that is not too sweet,” he smiles. A tall order by any stretch of imagination but that is exactly what the Sindhi Restaurant hopes to deliver. Steeped in religiosity as the family is, (they even have an Akhand Jyot burning since they first opened shop) particular care is taken to prepare the special Navratra Thalis (Rs 85) wherein even the cooks are on a fast themselves and all this special food, including those dishes without onions and garlic are prepared by a team of cooks, separately. The idea at the end of the day is to completely revolutionise eating out, the vegetarian way. “The food, the preparation will remain the same, as our culture demands but the setting will be snazzier, cleaner more upbeat,” insists Neeraj. One look around the new first floor setting of this eatery with its neon colour changing light system in place, custom designed furniture, even chic wooden chime look-alike light points, a la wooden chandeliers and you know they mean business! After all, the eye is on a chain of such restaurants combined with their sweet shop, but in a new fangled avatar. Watch out for the vegetarian take-over or shall we say take-away!
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Gardens: Other compost options So you don’t have enough space in the back yard for a compost pit. Take a lot of strong plastic bags and stuff them with dry leaves. Avoid and sift out sticks and stones. Tie a rubber band and leave your pile in a shady corner. Open it three to four months later and start feeding your plants. Remember, the longer you keep the leaves, the better the compost. Many specialists leave it for a year to get that rich, musty smell and fluffy crumble. Ten bags of leaves will give you only one bag of well cured compost. So scrounge leaves off the neighbours. Leaves are organic matter and the soil in Chandigarh needs plenty of that. Fortunately the city has a lot of raw material to offer. Leaves have trace minerals which are sought after by all plants. The moment leaves are applied to the garden as mulch or manure, they attract earthworms and microbes. Earthworms and plants feed off the same menu. But the worms dig deep into the soil and their casts (a polite word for excreta!) aerate the soil. So even if you do not do too much godi, the worms will work for you. Mulch is needed for roses, garlic and all the perennials. Dig out a collar round the plant and pack it with compost. Mango trees fruit much better if they are collared with mulch every year. In-fact all fruit trees could do with some compost as otherwise their roots have to go very deep to find trace minerals. Other options for compost containers are wire bins, old wooden barrels, plastic containers, thick card-board boxes, old trash can. Rotting leaves and grass trimmings create heat when various insects and microbes chomp through the material. The greater the heat, the faster your compost manufacture. When your cardboard cartons start rotting, shred them and add them to the compost pit. Microorganisms, enzymes, vitamins and natural antibiotics prevent many infections amongst your plants. Remember that penicillin is derived from a fungus. So many fungi that emerge in a compost pit protect plants.
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COOL STUFF
The Autograph Range focuses on classic elegance, sharp silhouettes and casual comfort. The collection uses sharp tailoring looks and is also influenced by texture and classic English country look by mixing a Jacquard stripe shirt with a Herringbone Frogmouth trouser and a Block Stripe V Sweater. Godrej-Interio
Godrej Interio has entered the classrooms to provide entire furniture options for educational institutes. The company has launched specially designed furniture for areas like classrooms, libraries, laboratories, training rooms, staff rooms, administration areas, auditorium, hostels, computer labs and conference rooms. The furniture is easy on maintenance and is safe for the users. Based on customer needs the furniture is made to undergo quality tests in its in-house testing laboratory. Godrej Interio is can provide for customized as well as bulk supplies, has a multi location reach with 20 branches and 700 dealers, in trendy functional, durable and other lifestyle products. Mast munching from Nirula’s
Ever heard of paneer pasanda in a burger? Come September Nirula’s will offer five mouthwatering additions to the burger menu including Nutty paneer, Mutton maniac, Paneer pe fida, French flip and Crazy pea. The range offers three vegetarian and two non-vegetarian burgers served with crispy french-fries, coleslaw and chilled Coke – creating a complete quick meal priced between Rs 69 – Rs 79 only. The Mast burger range will be available across all Nirula’s outlets in Chandigarh.
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Bon Appetit
A gratin is a dish where the ingredients are nearly always pre-cooked to an extent, and then mixed in with a light sauce. A sprinkling of grated cheese
follows and then the bowl is popped into the oven till it acquires a golden-brown top. Cheddar, Parmesan and Emmental are recommended cheeses for gratinating a dish. Mozzarella, though it melts beautifully with an elastic quality, admittedly has little flavour of its
own. Ratatouille gratin
1 each, red, green and yellow pepper,
Method
Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan and fry the onion and garlic till transparent. Add the aubergines and peppers and cook for another 6-8 minutes, Add the chopped tomatoes and the puree. Add the herbs to the vegetable mixture and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the vegetables
look done. Spoon the ratatouille, (the vegetable mix ), into a shallow dish.
Sprinkle grated cheese over it and spoon the remaining oil on the surface. Bake in an oven, pre-heated to 220º C until the cheese is
golden brown.
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FILM & FASHION The producer who has recorded pop star Britney Spears’ latest tracks, has hailed her music as ‘magical’. J.R. Rotem, who has recently become quite a hot collaborator after working with 50 Cent, Rihana, Li’l Kim and Paris Hilton, admitted he was a bit terrified about meeting the diva, but Spears with her friendly attitude soon put him at ease. And praising the Toxic singer’s latest recording efforts, Rotem claimed he’s convinced the tracks the duo made before she gave birth to new son Sutton Pierce will be huge hits. “I was blown away to see Britney record in the studio. You hear this finished result that sounds professional, but you don’t know how much of it is overproduced, how much of it is edited. But I found the actual talent was really there - that thing that makes people gravitate toward,” Contactmusic quoted him, as telling MTV. Costly affair
It seems American Idol judge Paula Abdul is quite convinced her celebrity status is worth thousand of dollars, as she has auctioned a meeting with her on eBay for charity purposes. In the auction, the highest bidder will be offered the Abdul treat package, which includes two first class plane tickets, a shopping trip on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and the chance to watch a taping of Idol. The VIP package comes with a $ 25,000 starting price. Charming the sharks Age and her reportedly deteriorating health were not enough to keep Elizabeth Taylor away from the thrill of swimming with sharks recently. The legendary Hollywood star, who has been wheelchair-bound for sometime, bravely donned a mask and snorkel as she plunged into the waters of the Pacific for a shark-viewing excursion. Later describing the experience as the ‘most exciting thing’ she has ever done, Taylor allowed herself to be barricaded into a 10ft by 6ft Plexiglas cage, which was lowered below surface level. The double Oscar winner also tried the snorkel on for size before tentatively dipping her head into the water and looking for her first shark.
— ANI
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Health tip of the day
While typing, writing, reading etc. it is advisable to keep the arms vertical with the elbow behind the plane of the chest and not projected forward. Armrest of suitable height should support the elbow. — Dr. Ravinder Chadha |
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Beauty is blooming and it is not just lovely women everywhere you turn, even the business of beauty is in flower and how!
Marks and Spencer is all set to dress your man with its trendy designs with oodles of style backed by simplicity. With the launch of American Preppy, Blue Harbour and the Autograph Range come new styles redefining mens fashion. Style codes vary from corporate boardroom power dressing to informal Friday dressing to club wear. Crease resistance, machine washable shirts and fine-tailored quick drying trousers in chocolate, red and grey colours. Creating a look that is rugged and oozes casual confidence is the ‘Blue Harbour’ collection for comfort lovers. Jersey crew T-shirts, relaxing vests, basic jeans, button down shirts, classic and stain free chino’s capture the ease in comfort dressing. Trousers are tailor-made for casual afternoons. Subdued checks, stripes and solids create a vintage washed down look. 
Here are some exciting times ahead for Chandigarh’s adventurous taste buds. Nirula’s new ‘Mast burger’ range offers some exciting new tastes and combinations like paneer and walnuts, spicy mutton with an omelet, or even peas and nutri.
The first time my husband tactfully made a request that I try my hand at a gratin I was stupefied. Being a complete novice, just ploughing through the alien recipe, my ardour for cooking this thing called a gratin began to defrost. As it is, being a young mum, I was as busy as a cow’s tail in the fly-season, looking after the two runny-noses I’d produced. Those were the days when a gap as wide as the Atlantic separated me from the cooking burner. Resigned to my fate, I donned my armour……oops, sorry, APRON, and bravely marched, ala Chengiz Khan, into the kitchen. You, dear readers, cannot even begin to fathom my apprehension, while the dish was finally baking. Would the Lord and Master throw a compliment, or a javelin? I shall refrain from letting you in on his comment!