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Cut to 3D
The Indian fashion industry got its first lesson in 3D designs by celebrated designer Manish Arora. His collection, Circus, still serves as the encyclopedia, and structured carousel skirt as the major reference point to those who wish to create installation-like garments.
Adding height, depth and width to the otherwise plain designs, usually measured in length and breadth, besides certain other things, is what it takes to make a form with a third dimension.
Going ga ga over it
From time to time, Indian fashion designers, who otherwise swear by embellishment-laden couture and copious use of fabric, do indulge in creating clothes that are experimental in their true form. At the Lakme Fashion Week this time, experiments with 3D were welcomed. From Little Shilpa, whose designs are known for inherent eccentricity to Jatin Varma's nylon mesh gowns to Rocky S's high neck (really high this time) collared gown, 3D creations paved the way for themselves on the ramp. No wonder, Lady Gaga too picked up a Little Shilpa hat last year! Shilpa Chavan, the face behind the label, treats the fabric like an artist uses material to create installations. Her collection this time, Grey Matter, was named so to underline the debate whether unusual fashion is getting popular or not. She whipped up bright silk sarees with men's check shirts, garnished further with a huge collar, to present an interesting mix in 3D form. That, however, leaves the designer with a niche market. "We need exposure to designs that don't conform to the popular idea of dress-making. My collection is interpretation of English dandy meet Mumbai locals." She is confident that there are buyers for her kind of creations, which are especially suitable for winter. "3D needs a lot of layering to give structure to clothes," she reasons.
A glimpse of paradise
While big labels from the fashion industry in the West like John Galliano, Christan Dior and Alexander Mc Queen have come up with rebellious designs, very few from the club of established Indian designers have dared to venture in the less-travelled territory. Interestingly, it is the young designers who are exploring the same. Jatin Varma, at his show, presented creations that were pure craft pieces. He used nylon mesh and bonded it with crochet lace to explain his theme, From Eden To Paradise. With just one pattern, crescent moon, he created shapes of shrubs, flowers, leaves, branches. "My inspiration for the collection is the forest, thus the forms were created and intertwined to make clothes." The commercial viability of his designs, he says, is gradually becoming better as people in India are opening to novel concepts. "Manish Arora is as popular in India as he is in the West."
Defying gravity
If Jatin worked on the 3D element on the whole, Ken Ferns preferred it in bits and pieces. He added length to the shoulder of his showstopper's creation and that was enough to put across the point. "Rather than doing a 3D design in totality, I preferred to add a hint of it to my creations to suit the sensibilities of my clients. It's very important to create a balance." At the same time, it's not simple to translate sketches of 3D creations into clothes. In this case, it's not the creation that takes shape of the body but vice-versa — the body takes the shape of the outfit. "Each time you move against gravity, it's a challenge and in 3D designs too, it's no different."
Progressive thoughts
Rocky S too contributed with his creations at his show; he is happy to make usual as well as 3D creations. "A 3D piece will always stand out, courtesy its finesse and detailing," says the designer, who feels that the modern Indian woman is ready to wear anything that complements her personality-rebellious and progressive — that the modern Indian woman is for sure!
ashima@tribunemail.com
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It’s a small wor(l)d
A sprinkle of imagination paves the way for illustrations and it's only a matter of time before characters come crawling; words as well as pictures follow and objects form. It takes only a slight consideration to enter the curious crazy world of children. A world where a swarm of wasps could attack a village, a pear could be orange; a mouse could encounter big bad animals.
Brighton-based children's author and illustrator Emily Gravett, doesn't need much to get her chain of thoughts started. "It could be anything I come across in a normal course of day. It could be something on the radio to everyday situations. You have to be open and receptive to the mind of children, right from difficult food to feeling scared." A state of mind that brought along Kate Greenway Medal for the first book Wolves and made her pen Spells, Orange Pear and Apple Bear, The Odd Egg, Little Mouse Big Book of Fears, Monkey and Me and Meekat Mail! At the British Council, Chandigarh, for a workshop titled Make Your Own Picture Book, she does away with the phrase teach while incorporating the idea of wholesome interaction. "I'm not a teacher. I'm not here to teach children rather I want to interact with them. We read a couple of books and then we moved onto the concept of word pictures and illustrations." She laughs, "Indian children are very polite and quiet but after a while, they can be hands-full. I have to learn how to handle them." Considering it is her first visit to the country, there's a lot more coming, "I was in Delhi before and after this I go to Dehradun. I don't know anything about Indian authors and Indian literature; haven't heard at all." No children's author can escape a reference to JK Rowling and the possibility of cinematic adaptations. "I think my books are too short for that. No one ever has approached me so far." Coming up is Little Mouse's Big Book of Beasts: "I have just finished it; it's about a little mouse who's too scared and enters a book, which is on big animals and how they keep changing all the time." Back home, "Books for children form a huge market in the UK." "It's hard to reproduce three-dimensional illustrations on an I-phone. Technology has affected novels and older fiction, but not literature for children." Nevertheless, it's increasingly a challenge to introduce the 'impatient age group' to books. "It has to start very early. As soon as there's a focus, a child can be introduced to pictures, short words and finally stories. My First favourite book was Giant Jam Sandwich. It was about wasps attacking a village and it was my favourite book at the time. I must have been four," she highlights the sanctity of bed-time stories.
manpriya@tribunemail.com
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get physical
To begin with it is recommended to start gradually at a moderate pace like 6 km/hr and give the body time to adjust to the motion. Warm up for at least 3-6 minutes before starting heavy duty running. Many people avoid treadmills because they believe that they'll have to work out for a longer duration to get the desired results. Even the busiest schedule can accommodate 30-40 minutes of brisk walking or jogging on a treadmill to support good cardiovascular health. Beginners are advised to hold on to the bars of the treadmill either on the sides or in the front and they just don't let go. Holding on prevents finding natural running/walking stance and
posture and also burns lesser calories. One important aspect of running and not just on the treadmill is landing the foot properly. Most experts agree that runners should land midsole—neither on toes nor on heels. Landing on toes put too much pressure on the calves and can develop shin pain, at the same time, landing on heels means putting unnecessary stress on knees. Once the comfort level is achieved on the treadmill, 30-40 minutes workout that mixes walking and jogging may be a good idea which may help to burn 300-400 calories. Establish a challenging but a reasonable pace. Experiment with various speeds to develop a baseline pace. Increase speed over time. To get better results, continuously push yourself and present new challenges. Switch the speed to 9 km/hr for 3 minutes and then bring it back to 6 km/hr. Repeat this for at least 6 sets so that total exercise lasts for 36 minutes. Walk on the treadmill at 6 km/hr for a cool down period. Running uphill is always harder than running on the level ground. That is why it's important to use the incline feature of treadmills to reap the maximum benefits from the machine. Even a 1 per cent incline (most machines 1-15) will help to burn more calories than walking on level ground. Of course, if you're just getting started with running, it's fine to leave the incline at 0 per cent until the fitness level is build. Make sure to keep the body upright. It's not necessary to lean forward because the treadmill pulls the feet backward. Keep strides quick and short to minimise the impact transferred to legs. To make the run more effective take more steps per minute. Running on a treadmill can make you lose more water compared to running outside, as there is little air resistance to keep the cool. So keep a bottle of water
within reach. (Thukral is an aerobics fitness trainer)
Health tip
Bananas are exceptionally healthy food that provides numerous health benefits. It is a versatile fruit that contains many nutrients including vitamins A, B, C and E along with minerals like potassium, zinc, iron and manganese. In addition, the large amount of antioxidants present in banana protect the body from damaged caused by free radicals which lead to premature aging of the skin.
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Catching up with Karisma
Karisma Kapoor's Bollywood comeback Dangerous Ishq did not do very well but that has not affected her brand value at all. She has penned a book on parenting and more. She is supporting a social initiative on drivers. She talks about her plans for the future, current assignments and much more. The author within
Honestly, I did not think about writing a book 10 years ago. The idea took form only after I became a mother. I feel that motherhood is a journey of a lifetime. It teaches you so many things about yourself, relationships, family, society, etc. I have grown as a human being after becoming a mother. This book is meant for young mothers who have to multi-task and manage their families as well. The book also has tips on beauty, fitness and wellness. I hope that readers can relate to me as I am a modern woman and a mother of two young kids as well. Dancing shoes
I enjoy dancing even now but no one has offered me an item song or a special dance number. I did like some of the recent dance numbers. As of now, I am busy with my show, portal and my book. Family oriented
As a mother, I enjoy being involved in the lives of my children. Family is a priority for me. I would like to do more films but I am not in any hurry whatsoever. I am in a happy space now. I haven't said no to films. I am reading scripts and will take up an offer if it excites me. All I can say is that the thought of doing something new is what gets me going nowadays. On the driving campaign
I chose to be a part of this campaign because long distance and public transport drivers are one of the most ignored and yet are a crucial section of society and our economy. For an actor, his driver is his Man Friday. I have had five-six drivers in my life and all of them stayed with me for more than five years. Sadly, I lost one of my drivers to a road accident. It was ironical that a man who used to drive so carefully had to lose his life in a hit-and-run incident. He was extremely trustworthy. He looked after my children as his own. Experimental mode
At this stage of life, I don't have anything very definite in mind. I want to explore new avenues and challenge myself. So, when I got the chance to host a radio show or be a part of an online business, I took it up to see how much I could enjoy it.
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SRK wants to spend time with Abram
Shah Rukh Khan will get busy with his new movie Happy New Year and before moving to his next project, King Khan wants to spend some time with his family and especially Abram.
He shares, "I don't spend much time with Abram. I hardly see him. I am not allowed to see him too much as he has to be infection free for another one month."
Abram is still under close observation in a sterilised room to avoid infection, "I'd like to roll with him on the ground, yeah that's what I'm really looking forward to, playing with him. Insha'Allah, by next month he should be good to move around in the house. I see him once or twice a day. I will be most relieved when I see him in regular parts of the house though."
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Once bitten, forever shy
Rishi Kapoor is keeping a tab on his son Ranbir Kapoor. He is monitoring his movement in and out of the house and the people who accompany him. All the stories of Ranbir's alleged romance have irked him and he gets his staff to spill the beans on his son.
Meanwhile, Ranbir Kapoor will romance Parineeti Chopra in his next movie, according to sources. The film will be directed by Karan Johar, who denies casting any actress in the movie. The film will roll after Ranbir wraps up Bombay
Velvet.
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Sana Saeed was unfortunately the one to leave the dance floor this week. Sana's choreographer Tushar trained her in the most effective manner and the judges even mentioned it in one of the episodes, but she had to ultimately quit the show. On her elimination, she was seen thanking ace director Karan Johar, who she believes has been her mentor. "The three most important things I've done in life are with Karan —Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Student of the Year and Jhalak Dikhla Jaa. With this reality show, I'm glad I could work with him again. I love you, Karan," the actor was heard saying. STEP DOWN: Sana Saeed(R) Karan Johar also remarked, "I made Kuch Kuch Hota Hai when I was 25 and the first-ever time I felt anything paternal in my heart, it was for Sana." Judge Remo D'souza was also seen praising Sana for all the liveliness she brought to the show. "The energy you have brought to this whole show is fantastic. We'll miss you," he
said. — HRM
The celebrated 'Hot Seat' of the most popular game show on Indian television Kaun Banega Crorepati will now travel across the length and breadth of the country, giving the common man an opportunity to experience the magic of the game right in their city. The Hot Seat Aapke Shehar van was kicked off by the iconic host of the show Amitabh Bachchan in Mumbai as part of the promotional activity for Kaun Banega Crorepati 2013. The promotional van will travel to twelve cities across India starting from Surat, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Ludhiana, Meerut, Lucknow, Varanasi, Patna, Kolkata, Nagpur, Indore and finally Nasik. In each city, the van activity will be on for three days culminating in an event where a few lucky participants from the city will get an opportunity of a simulated experience of sitting on the "Hot Seat" and answering questions asked by AB from a recorded video. The lucky winners will also stand a chance to win attractive prizes. A special message board will travel in the van across these cities inviting people to write down their individual seekh in life for this season of KBC. Said Gaurav Seth, Senior Vice-President and Marketing Head, SET, Hot Seat Aapke Shehar is a promotional initiative designed to drive the brand experience of KBC. It will touch millions of our viewers and give them an opportunity to experience the magic of KBC first-hand. We are confident that the audiences will receive the show with the same amount of enthusiasm as previous years."
Heart to heart
Were you going to quit Balika Vadhu? That's not true. There were some rumours and I was out of town, so unreachable. I am not quitting or going anywhere. People perhaps assumed that because my character Ganga has gone to Mangalore! Is the Ganga-Jagya-Sanchi track going well? Yes; now it will take many twists and turns. It has been fun and interesting. Are you looking at films or other projects? I am so busy with Balika that I don't have time for anything else. I love working on one show at a time anyway. As for films, one has to prepare and that can't really happen with a full-time show. Surekha Sikri, who plays the role of Dadisa, recently praised you in an interview. Do you share a good bond? Yes, she's fun on the sets but doesn't praise anyone openly; so it was a big deal for me to get appreciation from her. Now that we are all on different sets, I so miss the whole family. Are you seeing anyone? I am a very private person and don't like talking about my personal life. I am little old-fashioned that way. I am not seeing anyone though.
It's a coincidence that Avinash Sachdev and Barun Sobti share their birthdays one day apart from each other on August 21 and 22, respectively, and also have a show in common. While the former is playing the lead in Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon — Ek Baar Phir, Barun played the lead in original.
After rumours that he was approached for Bigg Boss 7, cricketer Sreesanth has apparently refused the offer. After the controversy in IPL 6 earlier, it seems he isn't interested in adding anymore as usually in the house there's some or the other controversy.
BIG WORD: Sreesanth
While Yash Tonk will return to television in a new Balaji show Pavitra Bandhan on Doordarshan, his wife Gauri returns to a television show with Ek Boond Ishq on Life OK. However, they are sad that both shows will air at the same time — 8.30 pm.
In Pavitra Rishta, Manav, played by Hiten Tejwani, might have been shot but off the camera the actors had good fun shooting the scene — right from arranging the fake blood, to Ankita Lokhande playing with the little baby girl Pari. The cast cracked jokes with Hiten, who had a good laugh with them.
After rumours about the problems on the show Saraswatichandra and its producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali with the channel deciding to bring in another producer, buzz is that things have been sorted out and he will stay on the show.
A still from Saraswatichandra Kristina Akheeva, who is a model and was seen in Yamla Pagla Deewana 2, loves travelling and has been to Shimla, Kerala, Goa and Jaipur among other places. She has modelled in London, Russia, Singapore and New York. She became a model due to her love for
travelling.
Model material: Kristina Akheeva Parineeti Chopra chooses her films on her own. If she is in doubt about her choice of movies, she asks Priyanka Chopra or Maneesh Sharma or Aditya Chopra for advice. She says that directors come to her only if they feel that she will suit the role.
Pick and choose: Parineeti Chopra Soha Ali Khan has this to say about her relationship with Kunal Khemu: "Being opinionated in a relationship is good but it is also a cause for disagreements. Kunal and I have our share of differences and argue a lot. The constant banter between us is quite entertaining."
Argument's sake: Soha Ali Khan Mandira Bedi and husband Raj Kaushal will soon adopt a girl child to be a sister to their young son. How sweet is
that!
Right path: Mandira Bedi
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ASTRO TURF
ARIES: Chances are high for meeting a good companion. Couples can spend a delightful time in each other's company. Mixed trends are indicated in the evening. A domestic servant can be cause of worry. Tarot message: Don't finance an overseas trip yourself. Lucky colour: Sea-green.
Magic number: 27
TAURUS: Early hours are definitely the best. A bubbly mood in good company relieves the heaviness of pending duties and responsibilities on your plate
for the days to come. Tarot message: Put your terms and conditions in writing.
Lucky colour: Rust. Magic number: 63 GEMINI: Learning processes and communication endeavours are highlighted. Changes made today will certainly appear to be for
the best. An engagement or marriage is on the cards. Tarot message: Be honest to
your desires. Lucky colour: Brown. Magic number: 27 CANCER: You will be free to operate as you feel is right. Relatives will do all they can to help. Speculation in property is not favoured. Legal matters can encounter red-tape; be patient.
Tarot message: Use your
common sense. Lucky colour: Black. Magic number: 57 LEO: The atmosphere will not be conducive to achieving good results. Using angry words over personal differences will only be regretted. A run-in with an aggressive character can spoil the day. Tarot message: Don't allow your confidence to be dented.
Lucky colour: Crimson. Magic number: 56 VIRGO: Rest is needed otherwise fatigue will produce pessimism. Leave stress, worries and cares behind; just enjoy yourself. Artistic and cultural experiences will be very satisfying.
Tarot message: A positive and caring attitude heals old wounds. Lucky
colour: White. Magic number: 51 LIBRA: The 'Knight of Wands' promises you a high profile day. Give way to minor issues. People whom you wish to contact will be hard to pin down.
Tarot message: If you play your cards right, you'll be able to reinforce your current position.
Lucky colour: Yellow. Magic number: 52 SCORPIO: Your card "the Fool" reveals deception, delays and unhealthy condition in your profession. Keep your wits about you and you will come out for
the better in a deal. Tarot message: You have to push to succeed. Lucky
colour: Forest-green. Magic number: 50 SAGITTARIUS: Improve your health by paying more attention to diet. Reacting to aggressive taunts is a waste of time and a losing proposition. Evening is comfortable in the company of family members.
Tarot message: Draw on your
inner energies. Lucky colour: Orange. Magic number: 27 CAPRICORN: Today, money may come from unexpected sources. Parents will find that this is a good time for dealing with youngsters. Crazy suggestions for
entertainment can intrigue, but will not work too well. Tarot message: Balance in all aspects is recommended.
Lucky colour: Peach. Magic number: 29 AQUARIUS: Deal with all outstanding communication, as certain people are waiting to hear from you. Detachment does not mean indifference. An early warning of a health problem is a blessing in disguise. Tarot message: Do not swing away from your path.
Lucky colour: Black. Magic number: 64 PISCES: Today fear of loss of reputation or slander can grip you. Be courageous about a new investment opportunity. Urgent demands on the domestic front need immediate attention.
Tarot message: Your efforts
will gain momentum. Lucky colour: Saffron. Magic number: 48
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A treadmill is a great workout apparatus for cardiovascular exercise. Whatsoever the weather conditions, one can still go for a walk or run in the comfort of ones home or at the gym. Running outdoors is quite an experience, however, unruly weather conditions sometimes makes it impossible.
Goodbye to Jhalak
Hot seat magic
Sriti Jha is thrilled with the response that her character Ganga in Balika Vadhu has drawn from the public. She talks about rumours of quitting the show, working on a solo project and being single.
What a coincidence!
No controversy
Clash of shows
Fun time
All’s well
For the love of travelling
A suitable role
Of friendly banter…
Setting an
example