BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Priyanka Chopra & Nick Jonas

What a year it's been for celebrity weddings! And one which has rounded off the year for us is the beautiful Priyanka Chopra's wedding to beau Nick Jonas. It's a sweet mix of Western traditions and Eastern cultures, and I liked how the couple celebrated with a Hindu ceremony (in which Priyank awore a deep red Sabysachi lengha) and a Christian ceremony in which the bride wore couture designer Ralph Lauren.

I like both dresses, although the Ralph Lauren dress is probably more dramatic and impressive with a 70-foot veil!

I'll be posting more about this couple's wedding events very soon - what did you think of the outfits?

Seasonal Chocolate Delights at Aubaine...!

Is it that time of the year already? Its nearly the end of 2018 and I've been busy sampling seasonal menus, exploring the bright lights in London and generally making the most of what is left of the year before I relax in the holidays!

This is a chocolatey dessert menu I was able to try at French restaurant Aubaine recently, which involved a very chocolate hot chocolate plus a chocolate log to enjoy! I opted for the creamy Javara hot chocolate, while my friend went for the 'blond' and more sweeter Dulcey hot chocolate. We're both chocoholics so it was ideal for us!

I'll be posting some Winter Wedding ideas soon, as I have a few events coming up - so watch this space!

BRIDAL COUTURE: Yellow and Pearl Inspiration by Samreen Vance and Dhaani Official

This is a campaign I came across recently, which caught my eye because of the unusual colour combination - but it was one I really liked! Pakistani model and actress Sara Loren modelled for Samreen Vance jewelry company, and Dhaani Official (who outfitted her) and I love the results. There was a heavy presence of yellow to compliment the jewels, which I think looks stunning - yellow and grey, as well as yellow and orange, which make perfect mehndi bridal inspiration!

The jewels are mainly kundan (gemstone) and pearl, with a vintage look to some of the pieces. I'm not a fan of overly embellished naaths (nose-rings) as I'm a fan of the delicate, thin ones, but I love these pieces - each one looks elegant without being overly blingy (although I think this is helped by the makeup being balance well with the jewellery).

I'm also a fan of the outfits themselves - the colour combinations look beautiful together, particularly the grey and yellow (although my sister did once say the combo reminds her of boiled eggs!). Each outfit is quite vibrant but also has a slightly 60s look to it, with mirror work, beading and gota work (the strips of material sewn on in patterns) that reminds me of an older era.

What do you think of these colours - would you wear them? A campaign I really like - where the jewels are equally as gorgeous as the outfits!

FRIDAY FASHION LINKS...!

I'm always on the look out for more blogs to read - especially in the age of social media where it's a lot about pictures and less about articles! Here's a few I've found

1. Siddy Says 
This is quite a varied website, covering topics from fashion and beauty to lifestyle, TV and art. It is quite focussed on Pakistani fashion on the Style section, but what I like most is the Stories page, which is a mixed bag of everything from different writers.

2. Zara Zi
A blog that's all things modesty, pastels and afternoon tea! I follow her Instagram account as well which gets updates more often, but it's a nice pinky account that I quite like.

3. Pinkvilla
If you don't know about Pinkvilla then you will do soon enough - it's chock full of Bollywood gossip, fashion trends, weddings and celeb topics. I've currently been surfing it for the #DeepVeer wedding posts but I also like reading it for the latest news in Bollywood land.

Let me know what you've been reading lately, and whether you already read any of these!

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Deepika Padukone Weds Ranveer Singh

We've all been holding our breaths on this one - and after a few days of no pictures (apart from a few blurry ones of the island the couple are staying on), Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh released a couple of beautiful photos of them tying the knot while at Lake Como, Italy.

The couple look gorgeous, twinning in rich red and gold, made by the artist that is Sabyasachi. I love that they both opted for two ceremonies as a nod to both of their backgrounds - the first being the Konkani (South Indian) look, and the second being the Anand Karaj look which is the Sikh ceremony.

I love the whole look - Deepika didn't simplify her wedding look but looks beautiful - glamorous, glowy and completely bridal. I didn't straightaway but someone online pointed out the Hindi script on the edge of her dupatta, which translates to "Saubhagyavati Bhava", which means something along the lines of 'May you alwats be the one whose husband is alive and may you remain safe from widowhood', which is a romantic touch for her bridal look. Ranveer looks suitably royal - I love that as dressed up as he is though, he still looks absolutely delighted!

I'll be posting more about these gorgeous couple when we get full outfit pictures, as well as about the upcoming receptions for the couple in Mumbai - who's excited?!

Happy Independence Day Pakistan & India 2018

Happy Independence Day people! It's been 71 years since the creation and independence of Pakistan and India, and I love that the way we celebrate is no less joyful, and still all the more passionate. I love seeing the celebrations on the street, the dancing and music, and the gorgeous outfits that everyone pulls out for this celebration.

Although I am Pakistani, I strongly believe that my brothers and sister's celebration of Indian independence is equally a worthy celebration, and love seeing how exciting and jubilant it can get!

So regardless of where you are from, Happy Independence day everyone! Enjoy the day! :)

Love,
Curly Fries
xxx

KAPRAY SHAPRAY: 5 Kurtas I have Fallen in Love With This Summer

The summer heatwave has hit London in full blast for the past weeks - so you know what means? Pulling out the kurtas! I've been meaning to get a few new pieces for summer which are casual kurta that I can mix and match, so have been browsing to see what catches my eye. Unfortunately I have been a little out of touch with the latest collections in the Asian Fashion World, so some of these below might not be part of the lastest releases!

1. Sana Safinaz Yellow Kurta

This is from the Ready To Wear Dresses Collection 2018, which is part of the silk kurtas collection. Unfortunately this has sold out, I've been looking for this online but so far no luck! I'll be keeping an eye out for more of this collection as I really like how cool and comfortable it looks.

2. The floral outfit by Zaha Online

This collection is a new one by Zaha Online, which was released on 1st August  acclaimed fashion designer Khadijah Shah - I love the prints and the feminine feel to the whole look, although the company is Pakistan-based so I'm not sure how good the shipping is to the UK!

3. These lace overlay Agha Noor Kurtas
I recently visited the Agha Noor store in Westfield Stratford, and had a quick browse (during my lunch hour at work!). I loved the collection I saw - light pastel colours, embroidered lace and and pretty cuts which are perfect for the summer. I really liked these two below which were on display - the lilac kurta was a really pretty pearl embellished piece, while the pink kurta on the right has a lovely asymmetric hem that I really liked. Both of these are around £55.00 which I thought was really reasonable, and would look great paired with plain white trousers!

4. These embroidered kurtas from Amelia Boutique
I came across this company on Instagram a few weeks ago and loved the pieces I saw - they're beautifully embroiderered and look great for formal occasions. I haven't found out the prices for these yet (I do have a few bookmarked though!) but will be contacting the company soon.

5. The Sania Maskatiya Eid Collection
I've always been a fan of this brand, although it is a bit pricey for me - that doesn't mean I can't ogle at their designs though! This is part of Sania Maskatiya's Eid collection, which I really liked as they looked pretty classic but very wearable. These kurtas are longer than the usual and are also available as 3-piece suits, with prices ranging from £129.00 up to £600 for the heavier formals.

I'll be keeping an eye out for more outfits and kurtas, especially with Eid coming up, and will try to post my finds! If you have any companies you can recommend, do let me know so I can look these up too!

OUTFIT OF THE DAY: The Grey & Red Outfit by Elegance of Oooh My

I'm always looking for affordable (translation: cheap!) outfits online - if I can't find them on the high street then I usually have a search online on various websites, Instagram pages or just stalk some of my randon style icons to see where they shop!

I was recently sent a lovely outfit by online company Elegance of Oooh My, (their sister company is modest fashion wear Oooh My), which sells affordable ready made Asian outfits, ideal for casual wear or slightly dressier occasions (I'm thinking dawats, bbqs and random dress up days!). The outfits on the website aren't too dressy and are mostly cotton, lawn and chiffon embroidered pieces, with the emphasis on comfortable, including kurta style tops and 3-piece outfits.

I was invited to pick an outfit to try, and picked this outfit below - a grey 3-piece suit with black embroidery, accented with a pretty scarlet red scarf and red rose embroidery on the hem of the kameez. This is the kameez below - I loved the tassel details!

Here are the details while the kaam is not high end, I think what you pay for a cheap outfit is not too bad. The embroidery is machine-worked, and the material is standard cotton, but I thought the cut of the outfit was done quite well.

This is me wearing it - I really liked the fit of the kameez and thought it looked lovely with the red dupatta. I'm a little wary of outfits which don't fit well in a flattering way, and also am not too keen on kameezes which are too short - so this was the perfect length for me, short enough to  be trendy but still long enough to be modest.

I loved how easy it was to wear this - just pair with red shoes, red lips and you're done! It was also a lovely suit for the heat - the material is quite lightweight and it's very fuss-free.

Outfit - Elegance of Oooh My

Shoes - New Look

Handbag - Zara

Overall, my experience with Elegance of Oooh My was great - the communication with the seller was great, my outfit arrived in about 2 days after I confirmed the order, and it was exactly what it looked like on the website. 

I have often bought custom-made outfits in the past (especially in the days of Facebook sellers!) but am a little more wary now - I would rather buy an affordable branded outfit or a buy from a reputable seller who posts pictures of their actual products rather than generic photoshoot or catwalk photos so I know what to expect. I am also finding that as the prices of designers and custom-made businesses are raising their prices, there are also more companies filling the need of those who want affordable ready made outfits (although not all of them are brilliant!).

I thought this outfit was a pretty good bargain - this particular one is only £35.00 which is cheaper than a lot of the pieces I've seen on the high street, and the company has come across as quite reliable. The website itself has outfits ranging from £25 to £38 which I think is reasonable, and the outfits are pretty on-trend which is always great!

Elegance of Oooh My - website
Elegance of Oooh My - Instagram page

I'll be posting most of my experiences of Instagram sellers, but do let me know if you have tried any companies worth recommending!

Eid Stationary by Muslim By Design

I was recently sent an Eid bundle by by greeting card company Muslim by Design - who design and make their own Islamic-themed quirky cards, wedding invites and wrapping paper. For Eid the company designed some cards and wrapping paper to be sold as bundles or individually, which I thought were perfect - they're simple, beautifully made and they make me smile!

It's nice to see that there are companies like this one catering for Muslims for special days - I remember when we were young most of our cards on Eids from relatives had big cheesy roses, or were pretty generic cards.

These are the cards - they're perfect for me and my sisters, and I'll admit, I half-wished someone had bought these and gave them to me! I can think of several people I would give these to, however and can imagine them smiling when they get it!

Next is the wrapping paper which I though looked lovely - you can't tell but the gold spots are actually metallic gold and look very elegant. I didn't get a chance to use this paper for last Eid so I'm saving it for the next! I've seen a lot of Eid cards but I haven't come across much themed wrapping paper, so it's nice to know that this is being thought of too.

I have bought from this company before, and find their designs refreshing, cute and very on-trend! I actually came across the company at an Eid fair a couple of years back and loved their designs - it's rare to find a company that combines good quality with aesthetics, great customer care and great price! I bought a few colourful cards from them at that time and am glad to get hold of a couple more!

Muslim by Design sells via Etsy, or you can also contact them via Instagram.

Our Eid...Day #2

I'm sure you know by now that when my family does Eid, we tend to make the most of it! On the second day of Eid we had lunch at my sister's and my family went to my aunt's for dinner, which was a relaxed evening of fun.

My outfit for the second day was a metallic green and gold outfit by a Pakistani label called Sequence, which my best friend bought as a gift for me on her last visit to Pakistan. I love the cut of this outfit - the top is a A-line angrakha-style top, which came with shimmery gold salwar-style bottoms that went perfectly. I paired this with metallic gold heels and a gold and cream clutch, which went perfectly!

I loved the decor my sister had set up - colourful pastels, which was finished off by a beautiful throw on the table to bring the colours together. She always puts together a different, pretty theme for Eid as well as Ramadan and I loved the colours for this year.

Food was a fun affair, with plenty of dishes of course - if you're from an Asian family like mine you'll know that it's not a dinner unless theres lots of different dishes and desserts!

The babies went colourful for the second day of Eid, with flouncy party dresses that they looked seriously cute in!

I wish I had more photos to show you of our Eid weekend, but honestly we always manage to not take enough because we're too busy yakking away and enjoying the good food!

Hope you all had a good weekend!

xx

Our Eid...Day #1

We had a lovely long weekend celebrating Eid this weekend, with plenty of opportunity to overstuff ourselves with food! It was nice to spend the day dressed up, especially with the weather being nice and sunny, and everyone being free for the weekend.

This is what I wore on Eid, which was a pretty mint-coloured kurta with silky pants. My sisters and I didn't get time to order anything online so had a look around the shops, and I ended up going with this outfit that my husband actually pointed out on a second visit to the shops! You can't tell properly but this is a shimmery gold tone to the fabric for a two-tone effect. I loved the colour palette of this kurta, lilacs, gold, silver and mint which for perfect for the warm weather.

I bought this outfit from a small shop in Ilford Lane, East London called Laaj London, which is a fairly new shop (Facebook page here and Instagram page here), where they had a range of different colours. The kurta was quite reasonably priced and fit perfectly, and I thought it was a pretty decent find among the madness of Eid shopping!

We started off Eid with lunch at my mum's house, which is always a tradition for us, as it's the one place myself and all of my siblings descend to get together, enjoy our mum's food and get all of the kids together. Unfortunately I have absolutely no pictures of the food, as we were pretty hungry and I forgot to take any! But just assume the food looked as amazing as it tasted!

We then decided to do something a little different for the evening, with a barbecue hosted by my brother and sister-in-law at their house. My sister-in-law had hired a bouncy castle for the children (which was fully enjoyed by all of us!), and we spent the evening chilling out with family and enjoying the warm evening.

If you know my family, you'll know that the toddlers in my family always steal the show - with credits for their dresses to my mum! The toddlers all wore matching floral dresses (the one in the middle had the dress too, but she wore a lilac dress to match all of her other cousins!)

This year I joined in with an online Secret Eid, which was really fun - there were over 40 participants, and it was fun to see the gifts everyone got! I opened my Secret Eid on Eid day and loved what i received - candles, an engraved personalised bookmark, travel mug, book light, chocolates and a gorgeous box that it all came in.

I also received some beautiful presents from my sisters, including these gorgeous purple heels, and a whole treasure trove of makeup, chocolate and jewellery from my eldest sister.

We finished off the day with a seriously chocolatey cake made by one of my sisters, which was as chocolatey and rich as it looks!

It was a lovely way to spend our Eid, and one which was special because all of the family which got together, which can be rare for all of us! The only thing I wish we had photos of was the outfits for the ladies in the family - we were too busy chasing after the kids and stuffing our faces!

Eid Mubarak!....2018/1439

Wishing you all a wonderful Eid, and hoped you had a lovely Eid celebration!

Hope you enjoyed the long weekend with lots of food, beautiful outfits, laughter with friends and family and lots of blessed memories.

I'll be posting about my weekend soon, so watch this space!

Love,
Curly Fries xx