QUIRKY FASHION: Louis Vuitton's Sari Dress

Some of you may have already seen this, as it's a couple of years old so I'm not sure whether the concept of this is as novel as it used to be. Designer brand Louis Vuitton created a series of dresses to coincide with Diwali and this was one of the dresses that was the result.

I'm liking the wackiness of this 'sari-dress', while I'm not sure how practical it is (I don't like how it looks here, for example), and I'm not sure whether it can really desever the term 'sari' anywhere in it, I do like the beautiful rich colours of the fabrics uses. I'm not a big Louis Vuitton fan (I've been over-exposed to fake LV bags which has put me off a little), but this dress does actually appeal to me, simply because it of the beautiful prints and the mix of colours. I'd probably take the the belt off it, though.

Something to wear with a smart, black jacket, maybe?

Image from here

On the Catwalk, On a Celebrity: Dita von Teese in Green Sabyasachi

I'm sure you know by know what a big fan I am of the beautiful designs of Sabyasachi, his designs are just beautiful, luxurious and elegant, and I love how the designer's Facebook page tries to reach out to different branches, like showing the public in Sabyaschi, as well as celebs, photo-shoots and catwalk shows.

I would have loved to have done a series on real people wearing designer clothes, but I don't like posting pictures of people whose images may be on the Internet without their consent. So here's something more a bit more safer, designer outfits on the ramp versus the outfits on famous celebrities! (not that I'm saying celebrities aren't entitled to their privacy, but it's just easier to get official pictures of them!)

I'm loving that more Western celebrities are embracing South Asian designs, such as the models and actors dressed in Manish Malhotra at Naomi Campbell's birthday party, and looking fab with it too. So when I saw this Sabyasachi design in a Dita von Teese photo shoot, I was quite pleased with how well she carries it off, it looks elegant, flattering and has a hint of the 'old style' era about it.

On the Catwalk
This is the dress on the catwalk and in the photo shoots, looking beautiful glamorous and green, I love how it has that Spanish sort of feel, and that the embroidery on it looks so intricate.

On the Celeb
And this is Dita von Teese wearing the outfit, looking graceful and feminine. I like how it's less crowded here, she's not wearing the heavy necklace piece from the catwalk so it looks less busy, and the skirt looks fuller (it looks like it's made of a more chiffony material here, the ones in catwalk images look a bit more silky, but that could just be picture quality!) Nevertheless, I think this dress is really flattering with Dita's classic pale skin-black eyeliner-red lips look, and I like how she's not wearing any accessories because the dress is enough of a statement piece. I love this dress, it looks great on Dita von Teese, and I love that she doesn't look tall and stick-thin in it, but that she still carries it off marvellously.

Images from Sabyasachi Facebook page

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Kareena's Vivid Bangles in 'Halkat Jawani'

I watched Kareena's latest film 'Heroine' recently, which was well-acted by the beautiful actress (although it reminded me slightly of Fashion, and also made me wonder just how much of Heroine was similar to Kareena's own life) - but nevertheless, it was quite an entertaining film.

One thing I loved about the costumes worn by Kareen (which were designed by popular Bollywood choice, Manish Malhotra) was how her dresses in the song 'Halkat Jawani' were paired with vividly colourful, contrasting bangles which looked simple yet very eye-catching.

The first outfit Kareena wore was this orange lengha, which was accessorised with bright metallic gold bangles, (I have very similar bangles from Green Street!), which I liked because they flashed prettily and stood out because they went with the bright orange of her outfit.

The next outfit is this black and hot pink sari, which I loved because of the rich colours, which was set off with with bright blue bangles. I love how the bangles look great with the outfit, without needing to match or compliment them, and how simple the accessories look yet still managing to stand out.

Lastly is this bright, lime green dress which is contrasted with beautiful hot pink bangles, which again don't necessarily match the outfit but still look great with it. I also like the fact that the dress seems to have 'gota' style work which gives the dress a pretty shimmery look.

All images taken from 'Heroine' and belong to respective directors/producers

I really like the idea of matching bright coloured bangles to an outfit to give a contrasting look, and the fact that they are simple makes it easier to put together. This is a really easy look to replicate - I can imagine it would look great for a mehndi night, and the best thing is, these types of bangles are easy to find!

OUTFIT Of The Day: Red and Navy Velvet Anarkali

I went to a wedding recently and finally managed to make good use of an outfit I ordered a few months ago, but never got a chance to wear. Navy and red is a colour combination which I've been seeing a lot in recent months, and I think it is a very flattering combination, classy, easy to wear and easy to dress up.

I wore this dress which I got made by a designer from the Paklinks forums, an outfit which I was quite pleased with due to the high level of quality and the excellent stitching. I accessorised with navy heels, silver bangles and a simple silver clutch (and then glammed up with red lips!), as I think the work on the dress was quite sparkly.

Dress - Paklinks forums

Clutch bag - Oasis

Shoes - Kurt Geiger

Bangles - Shringar, Green Street

And here's me wearing the dress (excuse the awkward pose, I think my sister was on the side watching me and making fun!), which I chose to wear with a simple, plain dark blue hijab.

I think that this dress was quite a flattering shape, although in hindsight, I would have preferred a longer dress, the length that it actually was made it very easy to walk around in, and very comfortable too. As much as I LOVE wearing maxi dresses and long anarkalis, the one hassle about them is making sure that you don't trip on your own folds - and sometimes it can be a nice change to wear something which isn't as long but still looks pretty. I think that this look went quite well together, the silver work enhances the colours of the dress and didn't look too blingy, and it was certainly a very easy look to put together.

COLOUR COMBINATION LOVES: Fawn and Coral Pink at ‘Mijwan Sonnets in Fabric’ fashion show

I love this theme of beige/fawn coupled with a feminine coral pink, as seen in this Manish Malhotra dominated fashion show from just a couple of months ago. It's not often that I see a show where I love everything on the catwalk, but this is definitely one of them - every one of these pieces are pretty, feminine and gorgeous, and each one has something about it which makes me love it.

What I love about this colour combination is how easy it is to match make-up to, coral pink is a colour which I find very flattering Asian skin tones, and it certainly looks amazing on these celebrities here too!

While some of these pieces may not be practical in the real world (i.e. too heavy or slightly revealing), I think the designs of some of these are just beautiful, and the colour combination is just perfect.

 

 

Images from here and here

MAKE-UP REVIEW: Pretty Lip Pots

I do like pretty pieces of make-up, like these lip-pots I picked up which had been sculpted into flowers, by cosmetics company Chic Flowers. Perfect for everyday wear, although I'm not sure I'd wear the deep-red one all of the time!

MAKE-IT-YOURSELF-FASHION: T-Shirt Scarves!

Here's a good way to recycle your t-shirts...into scarves! Courtesy of the fab Erica Domesek at P.S. - I made this, using just a t-shirt and some scissors. And this site is AMAZING, check out her other ideas, not to mention her spectacular (like this alternative to re-using your old t-shirts!)

Image belongs to P.S. I made this...

GLAMOROUS ACCESSORIES: Leaf-shaped hair slides

I'm not one who has the opportunity to dress my hair up due to my hijab, but when I do, I'd love to do something like this. It's amazing how a single piece of accessory can make the whole look, like this pretty leaf-design hair comb. This would also be perfect for a bride looking for a classy, elegant look for her big day - I have seen a lot of brides who want the slightly more Western style go for this look, especially for a more vintage look.

My sister wore something very similar to this on her reception which she used to pin her veil in - and it looked very pretty and timeless (although hers was not leaf-shaped - I shall try to get pictures!), and it's definitely useful for other occasions for glamming up simple hair styles. And the best thing about these is that they can be found in English shops too!

Image via Allechant

DESIGNER MODE: Kamiar Rokhni

I'm liking Pakistani designer Kamiar Rokni's style at the moment, such as these bridals and heavy formals. The designer, who formerly worked with famous Pakistani brand Karma before going independent, has created his own style of traditional outfits as well as fusion ones, which have received favourable feedback and has been seen on brides and celebrities.

While I think the price-tags for some of these outfits are not necessarily justified, I love the look that that is put together here, chic yet traditional.and not too heavily-done.

What do you think of these designs?

Images from House of Kamiar Rokni

Happy Diwali from Sukhman Grewal Photography...

...to all of you who are celebrating tonight,

A good friend of mine is an astonishing photographer, she's always managed to capture something which I will always fall in love with, my favourite of her series of photographs is her trip to India (although she has travelled to other countries and has beautiful images to show for it).

Soni of Sukhman Grewal Photography, along with her twin sister Noorie, has put together a beautiful depiction of a Mughal-era Queen, as part of a re-imagining of Bandi Chorr Divas, (which is also celebrated on the same day as Diwali by Sikhs), remembering the release of 52 Kings from imprisonment by the Mughal Emperor, Jahangir on the day of Diwali.

My absolutely favourite image of the series is this depiction of the Queen waiting for her husband with a diya in her hand - photographed by Noorie and modelled by Soni, the picture's captured the essence of the times perfectly. My sister managed to sum it up well, the reason it looks so good is because of the amount of realistic detail which has gone into it, not to mention the fact that it echoes an era which our mothers belonged to, short kameezes, long plaits and vintage jewellery! It's enough to make me want to raid my mum's cupboard and buy myself a few borla tikkas and vintage-style bangles!

Be sure to look through the rest of Soni's images, they are a real treat and each show a beautiful journey.

Have a beautiful evening, everyone x

Image belongs to Sukhman Grewal Photography

GLAMOROUS ACCESSORIES: Blue Soled Louboutins

Here's some eye-candy to start the week, these yummy green Louboutins heels with a blue sole, as photographed by wedding photographer Marie Labbancz,which make a refreshing colour theme and look really pretty - I can really imagine these two colours for a mehndi colour theme too!

Not sure whether I'd be able to afford these beauties, but a girl can dream!

In the mean time, be sure to look through Marie's other pictures, some of them are absolutely magical!

 

Image source, images belong to Marie Labbancz