BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: The Ghulab Gang Icons

I don't often look forward to Bollywood movies, mostly because a lot of them turn out to be chick flicks and full of eye-candy, although admittedly some of them do turn out to be surprisingly good watches.

Gulaab Gang is one film I am anticipating to be a good one - with two of my favourite icons, Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla, it looks like an interesting film and it doesn't seem to be the run-of-the-mill type Bollywood film.

I'm liking the simple costume and prominence of pink saris of this film - there's certainly a strong message in this film about women and feminism (although I'm not sure how much men will like this movie!) While some may argue that these issues are overblown to make a Bollywood blockbuster (and maybe it has), it's still interesting to see a film which is trying to send a message about women in Indian today.

I also like the two posters that have been released for each movie star, although I have to say, Madhuri's one is a lot more scarier!

I love the fact that these two actresses have paired up to make an interesting film like this, and it's something that looks (although dramatic) pretty intelligent. I especially like the chemistry between Madhuri and Juhi, who genuinely seem to have a good friendship with each other (like this!) While I'll wait til I actually watch the film to say whether it's a good one or not, I will say that this is certainly one I expect will attract a lot of attention (and probably critics!) - not least because of the two actresses in it.

DESIGNER MODE: The Sana Safinaz Purple Bridal

I've noticed that more and more shops in my locality and around the East London area have started to sell Pakistani bridal outfits, particularly designer ones. There's been at least three new shops which have opened very recently, that have started selling designer labels. Most of these carry Pakistani labels, although there are some with some Indian labels which means that there are more outfits which are longer tops, with flowy skirts and bright colours. I'm guessing that more and more consumers are becoming aware of different designers and options which are available, and it's nice to have more accessibility to them rather than through the internet or by visiting Pakistan and India.

This is a pretty Sana Safinaz bridal outfit I saw in a shop called Texheeb (possibly a branch of the ones in Lahore) which i loved. I'm not a huge fan of purple as a bridal outfits because I've seen too many colour combinations I didn't like - but this one is interesting, purple, fuchsia, a light pistachio green and eggshell. SS bridals in general are a popular (but expensive!) choice, and with beautiful colours and designs like this, I'm not surprised, although it's not something I would go for (I prefer traditional colours and embroidery!)

So here's some eye candy for the weekend, I'm loving the colours and am seriously considering these for a formal outfit somewhere or other - what do you think of this?

BRIDE COUTURE: The Red Dot Jewels and Inspiration Couture Sale

Calling all London jewellery fashionistas, brides to be and general beautiful-things-lovers - this is a must-see for those of you who are looking to buy something pretty for a bargain. My friends and fellow bloggers at The Twindividual Diaries must take credit for this find, they're big jewellery and Asian fashion aficionados!

Red Dot Jewels and Inspiration Couture are holding an exhibition and sale of their beautiful items at Master Roberts Hotel, Hounslow, this Sunday 23rd February, 11am-5pm. With a sale of 40% of jewels and up to 70% off fashion, this is certainly something which is worth checking out (I'm already eyeing up some of their blingy pieces to add to my jewellery collection!).

I'm hoping I'll be able to make it this weekend, but if not, I hope you manage to make it - let me know if you go and whether you saw anything you liked or bought!

Image from The Twindividual Diaries

IN MY WARDROBE: My Faiza Samee Outfit

I'm a big fan of Faiza Samee, so this is something I've been excited about posting - my first outfit by the wonderful designer herself! I've always loved the colourful, eclectic style of this designer, the use of bold colours and beautiful fabrics, so I took the opportunity to buy an outfit when it came up.

I have sent messages in the past via Faiza Samee's Facebook group, but did not have much luck with a response - to date I still haven't received a reply from the Facebook group so I assume it is not a very active account, or it may not have strong links with the actual designer and her company.

Truthfully, I managed to get this outfit by luck, and didn't end up going through contacting the designer to make a specific outfit. I don't tend to spend a lot on a single outfit, and haven't really gone for designer outfits before as they tend to be quite expensive for me (especially if I won't get a lot of wear out of it).

I managed to get this outfit by from a someone who went to a clothes boutique which is in Karachi, and who purchased the outfit for me. Although it wasn't cheap, it was less than I expected it to be, which is probably because it's not a heavily worked formal, and also because it was a ready-made outfit.

This is the outfit below, a long, fitted kameez with long slits on the side, with wide, slightly-cropped silk pants and a beautiful rich purple and light blue scarf. I've also posted a few close ups of the work because of how detailed it is, and how well done it is - even the dupatta has some beautiful hand-painted flowers on it.

I love the bright mix of colours in this outfit, the coral pink, rich orange and turquoise blues with beautiful embroidery. I also like the fact that although it's not heavily embellished, it doesn't need to be because of the rich satins, silks and brocades, as well as the print-work and hand-painted work. I don't have many outfits like this so this was certainly a nice, fun change from what I am used to (the orange silk wide trousers were different for me especially, but felt very nice on!)

I've worn this outfit a couple of times already (and will post pictures soon!), and have had a lot of compliments every time I did from everyone who has seen it - and no wonder, it really is a lovely outfit. I've found it to be an ideal outfit for a mehndi event too because of the colours, and it's very comfortable to move around in and still looks flattering to my shape.

I'm not a massive advocate of always buying designer outfits, but this outfit by Faiza Samee looks exactly how I imagined her designs to be, and I certainly would recommend these because I haven't seen these styles in many other places. It's also nice to have something which feels dressy without actually being too heavy, which again, makes a change from heavy maxi dresses that I've worn in the past!

EYE CANDY WISH LIST: The Kundan Leaf Cuff Bangle by Bees

This is something lovely, a beautiful cuff bangle by jewellers Bees, embellished with beautiful stones and leaves - something which is definitely on my wish list! I love the intricate detail on this cuff, it's different from the usual bangles you see in the shops and it's certainly a unique piece.

So here's something pretty to look at for the weekend - what do you think of this?

Image belongs to Shop Bees

DESIGNER MODE: MORA by Ritika

I've mentioned before my love for quirky, boho and out-of-the-ordinary garments, so I thought I'd post another designer who has caught my eye. MORA by Ritika Mittal ('Mora' meaning 'mine') is a company which designs beautiful saris, skirts, shawls and even home furnishing and similar drapes, using home-grown Indian fabrics and textiles, and drawing on the techniques of weavers in small towns and villages.

I love the fact that the MORA looks at different dialects, customs and traditions of India, and bounds them together in their rich printed and embroidered designs:

"Mora designs are an eclectic collage of influences from various regions of India: a handful of Ahomiya jungle mist, the tickling laughter of Kutchi women, the spicy wet earth of Kerala and the booming railroad whirring of Punjab’s song and dance."

Focussing on North East Indian weaves, the fabrics used are beautiful, natural products which aren't heavily embellished, looking comfortable, traditional and beautiful. I love the fact that the women who model these clothes are beautiful too, but not in an air-brushed, model sort of way - these look like real women in India, women of all shapes, ages and sizes, which makes the brand even more likeable and worth supporting because of their ethic. It's easy to forget the small tailors and weavers trying to support their small business amongst all of the huge labels and designer brands in the clothes industry, and it's nice to see something different out there too.

MORA saris and drapes are available to buy here (or you can message the designers via Facebook) and you can also check out the Ritika's blog here.

 

All images belong to MORA

Masques at H&M!

I saw these last week and thought they were cute (sorry about the slightly blurry pictures, these were the better ones!) - pretty embroidered masks, which I thought were a great idea for a themed party.

I've been looking at a few themes for parties we may be throwing this year, and it's nice to see something like this pretty-fied and made available in the high street, I love the idea of eye masks like these but I'm not sure we'd end up using these!

What do you think of these, would you buy a mask like this from the high street?

DESIGNER MODE: The Pakistani Luscious Fashion Nail Varnish Collection

I'm a bit late to the party here, as these were released a good few months ago last year, but I thought I'd post it anyway because this is the first time I've seen these - nail varnishes inspired/designed under various famous Pakistani designers and labels.

I quite like this idea, the fact that there's so many bright pops of colour and shades of pink of red as interpreted by these designers, and it's interesting to see them branching out to the world of cosmetics (although some may not agree and say that they should stick to clothes!).

Below are just a few of the colours that are available, I'm enjoying matching up brands to colours (like HSY being a sexy deep red while Sania Maskatiya has a sunny yellow colour) although I think some of these colours are for the more brave.

As far as I can see, you can mostly buy these across Pakistan in various shops, or otherwise online on websites like this, but I'd be curious enough to pick one of these up to see what they're like. The price seems pretty reasonable, they're R. 295 which works out about £2, which is would quite a good buy in the shops in London today - although I can imagine that if these ever came here, the prices may rise! 

You can also find a pretty good review and colour swatches of the nail varnishes on this blog here - what do you think of these, a cute novelty or unnecessary merchandising?

GLAMOROUS ACCESSORIES: The Blue LYDC Plastic Clutch

I finally gave in and bought myself a plastic clutch bag after my previous post about them - luckily I found quite a cheap option at LYDC London, which I thought was a great find.

I picked the blue clutch (I was torn between the pink, orange and blue because they all looked so cute) - I thought this would be most versatile colour and would be easy to use with my clothes. I ordered it and it came a few days later - so here it is!

I'm waiting to use it for a few events which are coming up, but I've tried it out by putting things inside and it looks quite cute (although I have to remember not to put my used tissues in there!).

What do you think of this - would you get a plastic clutch?