BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Madhuri's Orange Look in Kalank

I love a good Madhuri Dixit post, especially as she's an actress who can pull off a gorgeous outfit and still dance beautifully in it.

Her latest to-be released movie is the star-studded Kalank, in which a teaser song has been released featuring Madhuri herself. The actress looks as graceful as ever, in an orange embellished anarkali with contrasting rich purple piping and churidar pants. The dress itself is dreamy - it has several panels to give it that 'ghair' (the flare) and looks beautifully swishy.

I love, love LOVE Madhuri's jewellery, which looks tasteful and elegant - especially her pearl hair piece and her matching pearl and kundan tikka and earring set which all compliment each other. I also like the fact that her makeup and hair is fairly toned down but still looks quite classy and suits her face and her age.

And of course the complimenting outfits of the back-up dancers, the luxurious setting all look amazing against this shot - a good peek at what's to come!

What do you think of this look? And will you be going to watch this movie when it releases?

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Alia Bhatt's Vintage Wedding Outfits in Raazi

I'm a bit late for this one, as the film came out about 10 months ago! I thought I'd post about the outfits from Bollywood hit Raazi, starring Alia Bhatt as a spy called Sehmat, as I loved the outfits she wore. The costume designers were Maxima Basu and Bhagyashree Dattatreya Rajurkar, who have designed for other period movies (think Padhmavaat!) so it's not surprising these are pretty.

The first outfit was the Sehmat's wedding gharara, which is vintage gorgeousness! The film is set in the 70s, and I love how the outfits reflect this (not to mention this faux wedding photo below!)

I loved the details of this outfit, not to mention the contrasting green dupatta, , the gota kaam (the gold fabric sewn on), and the beautiful jewellery. I'm sure my mum would be able to relate to a lot of these pieces, as a lot of it is reminiscent of her time (although perhaps some of this is a little more glamorous that some brides at that time!). The makeup is dressy without being too much, and works well with the red lips.

The next outfit is the sari worn in the bride's 'rukhsati' or 'bidaai' scene, which is when she is leaving her parents to go to her new home.The character wears a simple baby pink and light blue sari, which is accessorised with a separate dupatta for her head, as well as pretty jewels. I thought this was more cute than gorgeous, but it does go with the Alia's look for the movie, and certainly does look a little 70s to me!

What did you think of the costumes in this movie? And did you like the gharara or the sari more?

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?

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?!

BOLLYWOOD ISTYLE: Anushka Sharma Weds Virat Kholi

I’m sure a lot of you caught photos for this one – Anushka Sharma’s super-secret wedding to Virat Kholo last month, which was planned by the couple themselves, in a small ceremony in Italy (which I did follow via hashtag #Virushka!) The couple looked like they had a fun wedding, and it seemed like a pretty happy event all around. I wanted to post the outfits the bride wore, which were a good mix of styles - although all designed by Sabyaschi!

The Engagement

This was a pretty smart affair, with Virat wearing a smart suit and Anushka in a gorgeous velvet maroon sari which she rocked with a simple updo and red flowers in her hair, and a gorgeous choker necklace. I think this would be among my favourite of the looks she had, striking, classy and elegant done well.

The Sangeet

What I liked about this most of all was how genuinely happy the couple looked here – neither of them are overly dressed up, and the henna looks exquisite. I really liked Anushka’s and Virat’s outfits – they’re wonderfully colourful, and feel fun fun – perfect  for a henna event, and you can see how relaxed the bride and groom are. And I’m sure none of us missed the déjà vu feeling though – seeing some of these photos reminded me a little of the wedding in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil! Anushka looks pretty in a print, brightly printed lengha choli and Virat looks great in a complimenting hot pink waistcoat jacket.

The Wedding

For the wedding ceremony itself, Anushka wore a pretty floral lengha by leading designer Sabyasachi (who seems to be everyone’s first choice at the moment, I’ve noticed). The outfit was a girly one – pastel pinks and white, with a very spring vibe to it. I have to confess, I didn’t love this wedding look  – it was okay but it could have been so much better. Perhaps I’m used to the more glamorous looks, but something about this looked a little ordinary – especially the hair and makeup, which looked a little flat, and felt like Anushka’s  beauty didn’t shine through. I was a little surprised by rave comments about her bridal but I guess it’s down to different tastes. Personally I think Anushka would have looked amazing if she had gone for a similar look as this one (especially the hair which I love!) – but hey, that’s just me. Having said that, I later saw photos of Anushka's hair under the dupatta which had beautiful soft pink roses, which looked really pretty!

The Delhi Wedding Reception

For the couple's first reception in Virat's home town, Anushka looked appropriately ‘wifey’ in a rich red silk Benarasi Sabyasachi saree – can’t get more regal and respectable looking than that – and with her gorgeous figure pulled it off well. She got the ornamental side of things pretty well put together as well, and I do think that she looked more glowy on this event. having said that, I still think her hair was again, a little flat, and could have been made more glamorous, but it did showcase her sari and extravagant jewellery quite well!

The Mumbai Wedding Reception

This last event was the wedding reception in Mumbai with all the stars, where Anushka wore another Sabysachi ensemble, this time a nude-beigey gold lengha-choli outfit. I think this outfit suited her the most, and was another of all of her bridal outfits that I really liked. I also think her hair looked the best on this day – it framed her face well and looked elegant with her tasteful makeup.

  

Over all I think Anushka did look pretty on her wedding events, but some looks were better than others. I can guess that like a lot of Bollywood heroines, Anushka has done a lot of bridal looks before so wasn’t looking to go overboard or too blingy on her wedding, which makes sense. I also think that the first bridal look in pink pastels and florals looked great for a destination wedding, and I can see the theme she was aiming for.

What did you think of her bridal looks? Which one did you like best?

BOLLYWOOD ISTYLE: Aishwariya's Mama-and-Daughter Pose!

I recently saw this on Manish Malhotra's Instagram account, featuring Aishwariya Rai and her daughter's Independence Day celebrations. I love how Aishwariya's outfit compliments her daughter's which looks seriously cute!

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Sonam for Ralph & Russo

Bollywood style icon Sonam Kapoor caught everyone's eyes again a few days ago, after she walked as a showstopper on the catwalk for her favourite dressers, Ralph and Russo. The Bollywood actress looked like a ice princess from a (fashionable) fairy-tale, with a couture white and silver gown, and dripping in sparkling diamonds from head to heel.

Sonam   walked the ramp to present Ralph & Russo's 2017 fall/winter Haute Couture collection at the Paris Fashion Week, where she wore a figure-hugging bridal gown, involving a peplum gown and a spectacular gown.

I thought Sonam Kapoor's look was spectacular, while I'm not sure everyone would go for the full-on jewelled look, it worked nicely with her minimal makeup, and help showcase the beautiful dress quite well.

I'll be waiting to see what other showstopper looks Sonam will be going for this year, although this one will be pretty hard to top! Let me know what you thought of this one - yay or  nay?

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Anushka's Wedding Outfit in Phillauri

I saw this today, the just-released trailer for Phillauri, a project starring and produced by the lovely Anushka Sharma. I'm quite looking forward to seeing this, it looks quirky, funny and I'm sure I'll enjoy seeing the actress playing a ghost bride!

I also like this first-look of Anushka in a simple, traditional bridal outfit - white and gold with simple embellishment and a plain hair/jewellery look. It's a nice change from some of the usual bling, and of course this is meant to show a 'old-timey' bride from a past era.

I couldn't get a clear picture of the outfit (these are about as good as I got!) but I like the classic colour combination. Anushka pulls off this look well, and it doesn't overshadow her natural look or personality at all. I also love a traditional lengha, these reminds me of the outfits we used to wear in the 90s, which I love!

What do you think of this first-look? Will you be watching the film when it releases?

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Anushka's Dreamy Nikah Outfit in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

I've been seeing some promos for this movie the last few weeks, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil which released a few days ago in time for Diwali celebrations. I'm a big fan of Ranbir Kapoor's movies for the quirky characters he plays, and also of Anushka's bubbly personality, so will be looking forward to this one!

One of the things everyone has been talking about (apart from the beautiful songs and their lyrics!) is Anushka and Ranbir's wedding scene, which features Anushka wearing a beautiful, regal red and gold outfit designed by Bollywood costume king Manish Malhotra.

This is the dress itself (posted in Manish Malhotra's instagram account!) - I love how regal and old-school this outfit looks, while still mixing in beautiful jewellery and modern trends. I think the jewellery for this works beautifully, and looks very Pakistani or traditionally Indian which is gorgeous.

This was the only image i was able to find of the trail of the dress (and it's not that clear, is it!), but it shoes the lovely A-line shape of the skirt.

The draping of this bridal look is what makes half of it (the jewellery too!) there's two dupattas being used here, the one on her head and the second one draped across the front of the outfit for a traditional look.

Over the years I've noticed that Bollywood brides in films tend to use very simple, light makeup (like this bridal, for example!) - for this scene Anushka has more of a smokey-eye look and soft pink lips, which I liked because it looked a lot more like brides I've seen in real life. Having said that, the eye makeup also makes Anushka look slightly ill - perhaps less pink around the eyes?

I haven't seen many other outfits from this film yet, but I did see these two sneak peeks below which I liked - the left is the mehndi outfit and the right is a glimpse of a pretty sparkly white outfit. I loved that Anushka's outfit on the left is a mix of embellished skirt and s kundan necklace with a off-white collar-shirt, very cool!

Apparently the bridal dress weighted 17kg and was a real struggle for Anushka - you can see her talking about it here.

 Images from @manishmalhotra and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil promos

I've also seen a lot of comparisons between Anushka's brida outfit from this film and the pretty white and gold bridal outfit she wears in Sultan - I personally love both!

What did you think of this bridal outfit?

Bollywood Stars at Lakme Fashion Week Autumn-Winter 2016

I do love celeb-spotting when it comes to fashion weeks, and Lakme Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2016 which took place just over a week ago was chock-full of them. I won't post all of the collections and red-carpet pictures because there's too many, so here are a few of my favourites which caught my eye on the catwalk.

You can also see more pictures of the LFW16 event here - Day One, Day Two and here, plus these gorgeous Sabyasachi outfits at the finale.

Kareena stole the show with her baby bump, wearing a beautiful Sabyasachi ensemble as the designer's showstopper. As always I love the designer's bridals pieces and this is a beautiful combo of sequinned-net and worked top.

Both Illeana D'Cruz and Shilpa wore vibrant, colourful lengha outfits - Illeana's rich purple design was by Ridhi Mehra while Shilpa's was by Anushree Reddy.

Alternatively, Karishma Kapoor went for a more contemporary look with this bright red maxi dress by Archita Narayanam, which looks like the perfect party or reception dress for brides. While I don't love the work on this, I do like the cut of the dress and Karishma carries it well.

I loved this dramatic outfit worn by Prachi Desai by SVA - I've always liked their striking designs and their fusion style, and it works here well with the draped sleeves/cape look and the flowy skirt.

Dia Mirza and Bipasha went for the traditional sari route, although I love that Bipasha had the traditional South Indian bridal style to it (by designer Sanjukta Dutta) while Dia's sari was more regal and deeper-coloured (by Tulsi Silks).

Lastly are two very different styles, but both beautifully done. On the right is Radika Apte in a heavily-worked, red Saroj Jalan bridal. I'm not a huge fan of the fishtail lengha and crop-top look because it reminds me too much of the 90s bridal look, but I love the work on this and the shape of the lengha skirt is done well. In contrast is the rich blue worn by Pooja Hegde on the left, which is a skirt and top design but looks almost like a modern jumpsuit look. I actually like the played-down dressy look this is going for and think this is quite wearable.

So far my favourite is still the ever-classic Sabysachi, although the lengha ensembles are also on my wish-list!

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE; Anushka's Charming Colourful Outfits in Sultan

I recently watched Salman Khan's latest blockbuster Sultan, which made for an interesting watch, about a Haryana-based wrestler and his struggles, not least because the subject had a surprisingly decent plot.

One of the things I loved about the film was the beautiful set, and the attention to detail with the village and the use of beautiful colour, the landscapes and the buildings - it's grand and vivid yet still remains something which is easy to imagine as being in many parts of India, which I loved. (My husband loved a scene in the film where the boys are chasing cut-down guddis - kites which are flown and fought over by boys and then chased to be caught - it reminded him of his boyhood days!)

The first outfit which I loved was this ivory bridal worn by Anushka (sorry for any spoilers, but she gets married!), with traditional gold fringing on the dupatta, and delicate zari work all over. I've always been a fan of the very traditional look and this one harks back to the 1950s and 60s with the sharara bottoms - perfect for a down-to-earth nikkah event, and serious bridal inspo!

I also loved the jewellery worn by Anushka here - beautiful gold pieces with pearls and beading, which really gives a beautiful bridal look, as well as the pop of green from her bangles.

Apparently this is part of a collection called 'Lafz' by Diva'ni - which is a India's first cinema inspired brand and a collaborative venture of Yash Raj Films and KBSH. You can see the outfits below which are available to order which all have a gorgeous theme of ivory and golds, gold fringing and detailed work. I think the one Anushka is wearing is most like the first outfit, but the third one is also very similar.

Images from Elle

The second outfit which caught my eye was this vivid green affair, which was a lot more playful and colourful. While it did remind me of Anushka's royal blue outfit in Band Baaja Baraat (the style of the song too!) I think this is a lovely outfit and it certainly suited the character. While it's not something you may see on the catwalks, it's a classic Punjabi style (or should I say Haryana?) outfit which

I also thought I'd throw in a mention for the 440 Volt song in the film, which is basically just a fantasy song but has plenty of beautiful colour and funky outfits - there's a quick mix of traditional saris, a glamorous gold maxi dress and this flouncy skirt with a biker-studded style leather jacket - is that payals (anklets) I see on her boots?

I also loved the set on this song - neon lights, a night-time funfair and lots of gold gramaphone-style speakers - very artsy!

I've mentioned how much I loved the setting in this film - it doesn't feature grand palace-like buildings or exotic locations but more real settings - the big courtyards in someone's house, the local villages and the fields - all again something which can be easily recognisable in any part of India (or Pakistan!)

I loved the flowers in this wedding scene - the whole house is covered in marigold garlands and floral structures (including a huge flower peacock and there's a hanging aeroplane made of flowers somewhere too!)
I think I loved this scene because it reminded me of the traditional weddings in the village where my grandparents used to live - usually done in the house and in the huge courtyards with plenty of friends and family around, lots of food, lights and decor.

I also liked this nikkah scene - the decor is mainly white with red flowers for a lovely decor look - but the room is homely, filled with guests all squashed around the bride and groom!

Images belong to creators of Sultan

All in all, this is a colourful movie which aims for a very down-to-earth look, both in the setting and the outfits. While the outfits look gorgeous on Anushka, they're not too glitzy or over the top, and they definitely look like outfits you can easily get made. I'm sure you can guess that I loved the bridal outfit best - I've always been a fan of traditional ivory and gold with the vintage look, and it works well with the jewellery here.

To be honest, while there are colourful song sequences and a couple of weddings thrown in, the bulk of this film involves the main characters in dusty vest tops and learning to wrestle. The outfits and decor of this film make up a smaller part of the story of this film, but it really contributes to the homely feel and the way that it seems to show small town life.

Have you seen this film? What do you think of it?