On the Catwalk, On the Celeb...Shilpa Shetty in Ridhi Mehra

I haven't seen Shilpa in the news for a while but recently she's been cropping up again at the catwalks and fashion shows, and is looking good while she's doing it!

I thought I'd post a quick outfit I saw on the Bollywood star that I liked by Ridhi Mehra (makes a change from the constant Sonam-Priyanka-Deepika outfits I keep seeing, as much as I enjoy looking at them!) - let me know what you think of the outfit!

On the catwalk:
I LOVE the oxblood red colour of this outfit, and though it looked very chic on the catwalk - flowy, stylish and very fusion in style, a great balance of westernised jumpsuits and dressy asian wear. The only thing I didn't love about this outfit was the deep V-neck which seemed a little too low, and brings the effortless look of the outfit down a bit- apart from that, I love it, it reminds me of something you'd see on an Italian catwalk, particularly the cinched-in belt added in which gives it a lovely, smart look.

On the celeb:
I think what I like most about this outfit was that it looks a lot more playful on Shipa, and also more girly. She worked the V-neck pretty well here (probably because it's not so low and also looks more chic), and I also love that she accessorised with pretty gold earrings (by Valliyan) and and pretty gold stack bangles (by Prerto) for a minimal but elegant look. For some reason the outfit looks more fuschia in these pictures, but it still works well and I love that she's managed to make it a great dressed-up evening look.

I'm not sure which look I prefer more - the catwalk one is much more stylish and Westernised, but on Shilpa she carried the outfit wonderfully and looks a lot more spunky which I quite like!

So here's a random story -  did I ever tell you (readers) about the time I (kind of) met Shilpa Shetty?

It was while I was working part-time in Knightsbridge at university (I won't say when but it was nearly a decade ago!) a little while after the actress appeared in Big Brother, so she was staying around London for a little while to shop.
My job was to be a 'host' (basically a greeter) for the day at Monsoon in Knightsbridge to greet customers and show them around. In breezes in a tall, pretty brown woman with oversized sunglasses, who walked past way too fast, before I could say 'Hi! Welcome to Monsoon!' in my fake cheery voice.
So while I looked around in a baffled way about why someone had walked past so quickly, another person (later found out this was Shilpa's PR Team) stopped to tell me not to worry and leave the customer alone. I crept up to the main cash till to speak to my colleagues, and amid furious whispers we all realised the beautiful Shilpa was in our store. Unfortunately our managers also caught us whispering and warned us not to approach the actress, ask for photos or autographs (this was before the explosion of selfies, really) and basically treat her like a normal customer.

Shilpa tried on a few dresses, bought a pretty yellow number and then left, and that was the end of it -  none of us got any pictures. It was still pretty cool for the teenager I was at the time though!

On the Catwalk, On a Celebrity: Raveena Tandon in Mantra by Shalini James

I'm a big fan of Raveena Tandon and I always keep an eye out for her on the random channels and photoshoots, partly because I'm a fan of her from the 90s films, and partly because I love her dress-sense. She's always very well put-together, and a lot of her outfits are very modest and mature, which I love because she still looks the same gorgeous self that she has from the 90s era and only seems to look classier with age.

The Bollywood heroine was spotted in a Mantra by Shalini James outfit yesterday, promoting a jewellery brand in a gorgeous printed anarkali.

On the catwalk:
Like a lot of the brand's designs, this is a beautiful printed dress - I really love the fusion of gypsy-chic and boho with traditional Indian trends. I love that the outfits from this brand are made from rich fabrics, beautiful deep colours with subtle accents, which make for beautiful outfits which look classic.This outfit is pretty lovely on the model because it looks so flowy, and it works well with her height without looking baggy or boring on her. The only criticism I would have is that the look is very plain - although this was probably a deliberate effect from the designer to take away attention from the model such as accessories, and focus on the dress.

 Image source

On the celeb:
I loved the way this outfit looked on Raveena Tandon, it's perfect for a wedding without looking too overdressed. I also love that the jewellery doesn't clash but rather adds to the rich-look of the material and the outfit, making it look very traditional and classic, not to mention Raveena's updo and smokey eyes which give a little more of a dramatic effect.

Image source

Honestly. I loved the outfits on the catwalk and the celebrity, but I think Raveena pulls it off a little better because of how well the outfit is put together with accessories and doesn't look too overly-dressed.

What do you think of this look?

Lollywood Ishtyle: Bin Roye's Glittering Outfits

I saw Bin Roye this weekend, and left the film in love with the beautiful outfits, sets and scenes. Mahira Khan looks amazing in the film and the film itself is really, all about her. I haven't seen many Pakistani films over the years, and I'm not sure this one falls into Lollywood (which I remember from my childhood being Punjabi films with a lot of shouting, over-acting and heroes jumping off buildings!)

I wanted to post some of the outfits showcased in the film - the images below are from both the film and also from the launch of Bin Roye's music at Telenor Bridal Couture Week 2015 last month, where the designer outfits worn were modelled by the main actors and reknowned Pakistani models.

First is this iconic outfit by Feeha Jamshed, which I love the colour combination of - yellow, royal blue and bronze accents. I've seen a few outfits in the Pakistani fashion trends with sequins all over, it works on some and doesn't on others - this one pulls it off with a lovely sparkle and glamour.

This is the outfit as worn by Mahira in the 'Balle Balle' song, which is actually a fun song because it reminded me of some of the dholki songs my sisters and I know. This is one of my favourite looks on Mahira mainly because of the swishy skirt and the simple block colours which work well together.

The next outfit I immediately recognised was this Elan outfit, from PFDC L’oreal Paris Bridal Week in 2012 - I recognised it especially because it's a pretty popular outfit and I love the soft colours and the heavy work. I couldn't find a picture of Armeena Khan wearing it in the fil, but it looks pretty much the same (except she has the dupatta pinned to her head in a bridal style).

I also loved this bridal by Sania Maskatiya, which was really pretty in orange, red and yellow, and ideal for the mehndi scene. It's a very traditional look which you just can't go wrong with, and looks pretty much the same as worn by Armeena on the catwalk (except the border of the dupatta which looks slightly different but that's minor)

It took me a good while to find out where the next outfit was from, I had to ask a few of my friends who are fashion aficionados like myself before I found out it was by Elan (I kept thinking it was Elan because it reminded me of their older designs) I liked the classic cut of this outfit but was less keen on the two-tone look of the fabric and the colour of the dupatta, which I think would have worked better as a deeper colour.

This is the outfit worn by Mahira in the film although with a skirt rather than with a salwar - I loved the brocade print of the skirt and the deep teal colour of it, and thought it went with the rust coloured kameez pretty well.

I also loved this sharara outfit which was modelled by Sabeeka Imam in the Bin Roye music launch, I couldn't find a picture of Mahira wearing it but it looks the same, except Mahira has her hair loose! It's a lovely traditional outfit and I think it works well as a formal.

The last bridal I found from this film is another Elan outfit, although I don't remember seeing this one in the film even though it was part of the Bin Roye catwalk, so I either missed it or it didn't end up in the film.

This outfit is a traditional deep red and purple outfit which is really heavily worked - I liked it but I found it a little too heavy as a bridal, and it not something I would pick myself. I liked the way it was styled on the model, although the jewellery on Mahira looked lovely too.

I also liked some of the simpler outfits worn by Mahira, I won't post them all but you can see the rest here - there were a lot of simple Punjabi-style salwar kameezes and casual suits which I thought was a nice touch for the casuals-at-home-look. 

Both of these remind me of other outfits I've seen in other films before, but Mahira looks lovely in them because she keeps it simple, her hair is loose and the jewellery is never overdone.

The last few outfits I wanted to post were these Elan (1 and 2) and Sania Maskatiya (3) ones below that are also worn in the film, which I loved because of the colours and the floral embroidery - all perfect wedding formals and Eid outfits!

It's really great to see Pakistani designers getting some visibility on the big screen - I'm so used to seeing the Bollywood go-to designers such as Manish Malhotra that it's nice to see Pakistani trends getting some screen time!

The film itself was a nice watch, a little too girly and romantic for me (I do like my sci-fi!) but I went with some close girl friends and we had a lot of fun watching the film. It was also nice to see some Eid scenes and Chand raat scenes as well, which was fun and made me want to visit Pakistan!

On the Catwalk, On a Celebrity: Kangana Ranaut in Nupur Kanoi

I've been a very busy bee lately, (when haven't I been these days?) which is why I've been sporadically blogging here and there. I've been seriously bogged down with wedding preps/house-hunting/work stuff/family-time and I've barely had time to post half the things I want to (I've taken lots of pictures of the wedding stuff though, don't worry, and will post these closer to the time when it's all together for lots of pretty posts!). Most of the bigger and important wedding stuff is done and booked now (thank goodness) and things are really starting to come together. so hopefully I should have a bit more time to post.

On the catwalk
In the meantime, here's some eye candy from a designer I came across recently, Nupur Kanoi, whose designs from Lakme Fashion Week 2014 featured plenty of beautiful nude-pink and gold designs that I loved. There's very little bling here, it's all about brocade and jacquard fabrics, self prints and cuts of the dresses. I also like that the same style of fabric and colours have been interpreted into different styles, whether it is a pencil dress, a maxi dress or a jacket-style dress with trousers. There's something very elegant about these, and very feminine which looked beautifully made.

The first outfit below is quite figure-hugging, so probably suits a slimmer or curvier build, while the second two designs are more flowy around the skirt area which feel a little more accommodation. I do like each of the designs below, and the fact that they're fairly different in shape to each other.

On the celeb
Bollywood beauty Kangana Ranaut recently wore a Nupur Kanoi ensemble to a promotion for her film Queen, which I thought looked lovely, especially because it was such an understated look. Kangana is a natural beauty, and I love how the outfit, updo hair and her make-up is subtle and doesn't overpower the whole look. I also like the fact that she has no accessories on as well, and that she has simple sandals on which look casual and chic.

While the outfit looks similar on both the model on the catwalk, and on Kangana, I think it looks more appealing on Kangana because it doesn't look as overly-polished as it does on the catwalk. Rather, it looks like a summery, light semi-formal outfit which isn't too fussy and looks very pretty on - and also shows how shorter hemlines are coming back in without being too dressed up. I also like the Westernised look to this dress, it looks like it could be worn as an evening dress on its own without the churidar bottoms, and would still look great.

On the Catwalk, On a Celebrity: Mahira Khan in a Grey & Mustard Nida Azwer Kameez

This is not a recent design from 2013, but I still really liked it -  a Nida Azwer design from last year on the catwalk, a greyish taupe kameez with silver work which is brightened up with mustard accents and pants. I love how modest this outfit looks, it it long and flowy and is beautifully embellished in a way which looks dressy without feeling too heavy - definitely one of my future outfit idea/inspirations!

On the catwalk
I think the outfit looks really elegant here, especially with an asymmetric neckline and mustard tassells which gives a slightly funky, eclectic style to it. This outfit is great for those looking for a more Western look, particularly because it has been styled with no dupatta for a less traditional look and more of an evening-wear style.

Image Source

On the celeb
This is the lovely Mahira Khan, a popular Pakistani actress known for her stylish looks, wearing the same outfit to a live show about the TV serial that she stars in (you can see some of it here). I think she has accessorised it well and not tried to over-do the make-up, so it looks quite effortless and very comfortable. I love the sleeves on this outfit, and here it adds a touch of chic luxury and remains quite modest, which makes a difference in my opinion. I'm also glad that the neckline isn't too deep and is quite small, so doesn't look tacky or too revealing for my tastes.

Images from here

Personally, I think both the model on the catwalk and Mahira Khan wore this outfit beautifully, it looks chic on both of them, and both have been styled well so that there are not too many accessories with it. I'm not too keen on the model's hair with the outfit, as I think it needs a bit more volume and perhaps looks less feminine, but I think Mahira Khan could have tied her hair slightly up to show more of the dress's design.

On the whole though, neither of the wore it better, they both look pretty good (I've shown this to my sisters and they love this too) and it's nice to see a fresh colour combination like this.

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Kangana's Green Maxi & Freida's Chic Sari

I know, I know, I've not been posting for a few days! I've been busy with a few things at home which has meant no browsing at eye-candy for a few days, but I'll be back with regular posts now that I have a few days of Christmas holidays!

In the meantime, how lovely are these - a beautiful green maxi dress complete with retro curls on actress Kangana Ranaut, and a funkily-draped a sari (not to mention that lovely work on the high collar of the blouse) on Freida Pinto (although I have to say I'm less keen on the lace number of the maxi dress on the right). Worn at a Winter Weekend gala thrown by A Small World foundation, the girls look glamorous and effortlessly chic, probably because they haven't overloaded the look with accessories.

Freido Pinto wears an Anamika Khanna sari, which is accessorised with a beautiful Pinky Saraf clutch which you can't see in the image below, but is in this picture and which I love (and want!). The lovely Kangana wears a green Gauri & Nainika gown complete with a cute pink Vince Camuto bag, although it's her hair (which seems 1920's inspired!) and lips which I really love.

pink Vince Camuto clutc

pink Vince Camuto clutc

pink Vince Camuto clutc

pink Vince Camuto clutc

pink Vince Camuto clutc

pink Vince Camuto clutc

pink Vince Camuto clutc

You can also see pictures here, as well as the same outfits on the catwalk - do you like the way these have been styled below?

Image Source

On the Catwalk, On a Celebrity: Aamna Sheikh in Beautiful Elan

I'm a big fan of Pakistani model and actress Aamna Sheikh, she looks lovely in most thing and dresses very well - usually something chic and simply cut, rather than something dripping in stones or being too heavy. I'm also a fan of label Elan, which designs quite stylish Western clothes as well as some stunning dresses and kameezes for wedding wear (not to mention some beautiful bridal collections!)

On the catwalk
I like how sleek this dress looks on the model, although it does look more like a jumpsuit than a maxi dress in this picture. I've seen the colour combination of yellow and black before, and this dress has a slightly Oriental influence to it, which I think works well together and looks quite stylish. I also like how modest and hijab-friendly this dress it - it has full sleeves and covers up quite well, and would look great on those who wear hijab as well as those who don't.

Image from Style on Paper

On the celeb
Aamina Sheikh wore this same design by Elan recently at a premiere for her latest film Lamha, and I think it looked fabulous on her. Her hair looks really lovely in an up-do, and the slick of red lipstick really sets the outfit off. I also prefer the dress on Aamina because it looks a bit more simpler on her, the splash of yellow on the sash and the sides of the dress look great, and the dress itself is very flattering on the figure. While the outfit looked nice on the model, it also looked a bit loose on her, and on Aamina it looks a bit more realistically fitted without being too tight or inappropriate.

My verdict, she looks great, the dress is amazing and I'd love to have one like this in my wardrobe too!

Images from here

KAPRAY SHAPRAY: Sonaksi for Gintanjali Jewels for IIJW 2013

One of the outfits which really stood out for me out of the various designer pieces on the catwalks was this beautiful navy and indigo maxi dress worn by the lovely Sonaksi Sinha while showcasing jewellery for Gintanjali Group. Although the focus is more on the jewellery, I loved the outfit more, which was a beautiful cut and very hijab friendly! Indigo and navy/midnight blue are very flattering colours and with the flare of this dress, looks really elegant - this is certainly on my wish list for replicas!

I've tried to find out who designed the dress but wasn't able to - any ideas who it's by? Let me know!

 Image Source

EYE CANDY WISH LIST: The Kim Kardashian Kollection Ombre Jacket

I'll be honest, I'm not a big fan of the Kardashians, I don't really follow them and I don't know much about them. I did hear about the new Kim Kardashian Kollection, however, which is a new collection being retailed in high street stores Dorothy Perkins, and loved this jacket, an ombre-style nude and greyish-dusky purple colours which I can imagine looking great with black pants and black heels (there's a dress too, but I like the jacket more). These have sold out quite quickly, and I can't quite decide myself whether I want one or not.

What do you think of this? Is it something you would wear, or do you think it's not a classic piece?

Image found on Dorothy Perkins website

On the Catwalk, On a Celebrity: Mahima Chaudhry in A Green Rabani & Rakha Gown

This is an old design, from Rabani & Rakha's fashion show back in 2009, but I think it's still very pretty and something which I find very flattering. I've seen similar designs to these in the shops today (although not as well made as this), and I'm certainly seeing a lot of dresses with underlays of sequins, so I think this design is quite current as well.

I've mentioned before that I'm a big fan of maxi dresses, and I love the rich jewel green and emerald tones of this one, it's elegant, simple and sparkly, although it does look very flattering because of the model as well, in my opinion.

This same dress was worn by Bollywood actress Mahima Chaudhry, who wore it to the Miss India final show in 2009. There were mixed reviews about how it looked on her, some said it looked pretty on her, and some said it didn't flatter her shape and that her look wasn't great.

Personally, I really like it on her, Mahima isn't amazingly skinny here, but she still looks great in this dress, and I think the green tone suited  her a lot. I also like how simplified and elegant her hair and make-up looked to go with the outfit, it's simple yet classy - I can definitely imagine a look like this for an English wedding or party.

The main difference I really noticed with this dress was that it was all one shade of green, unlike the original on the catwalk which seems to have light and dark greens which has a different effect. While I like both versions, I think Mahima's one looks more simpler and makes the green more striking, particularly as there is embellishment and a lot of sequins all over the dress. I also like the long, draped sleeves which look kind of like a dupatta scarf too, which also adds a touch of elegance to the dress. So all in all, I think this was pulled off quite well by Mahima :)

 

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On the Catwalk, On a Celebrity: Jacqueline Fernandez in Sabyasachi

Bollywood actress and model Jacqueline Fernandez wore a Sabyasachi sari to a Teacher's Achievement Awards ceremony, last week, which was quite a glamorous outfit (and the colour combination of beige, red and blacks was a bit different too).

On the Catwalk
This is the sari on the catwalk (with the model wearing geeky glasses), with a lacey red blouse and heavily embroidered sleeves. It's very similar to this green Sabyasachi maxi dress, which is no surprise as it was from the same collection in 2012, and has a similar feel to it of Spanish influence and Indian elegance.

On the Celeb
And here is the sari on Jacqueline, which I think looked great in some ways, along with her deep red lipstick. I think she went for a more traditional look than a 'fusion' look with this sari, as it looked less exotic on her than it did on the original model, although this may be because of the hair, make-up and accessories (and glasses!) as well. I also thought the back of this sari was pretty, because there isn't a lot of red on the rest of the sari, it also stands out more.

While I do like the sari, and the designer, I think this wouldn't be a sari I would go for, as the beige colour isn't as flattering as it could be, and the embellished neckline looks slightly out of place with the rest of the sari. All in all, though, a signature Sabyasachi sari!

On the Catwalk, On a Celebrity: Khadijah Shah of Elan, in Elan

I saw this today on Pakistani blog A Wardrobe Affair and thought I'd re-post the two looks, designer Khadijah Shah of Elan wearing one of her own designs to a wedding (I also LOVED this Farhad Hussayn outfit being worn by one of the guests at the same wedding!). This was a grey and peach outfit which was quite a stylish outfit on catwalk, and I thought the colour combination was quite different.

While I think this would be a slightly difficult outfit to pull off (out of the catwalk, that is!) because it is essentially a bridal outfit, and it's quite heavy, I think Khadijah does manage to look great in it. Maybe it's partly because she's tall and the outfit sits well on her, or maybe it's because she doesn't look OTT in this by having too much jewellery or done-up hair. I'm not sure which looks better, the celeb or the model on the catwalk, each have their own merits and I think it looks pretty on both - certainly only at a star-studded wedding would a guest be able to wear a bridal lengha!

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On the Catwalk, On a Celebrity: Sonaksi Sinh in Navy Manish Malhotra

Here's another piece I liked, a flowy, rich blue maxi dress, which I really liked due to the rich flares of colour, the delicate embroidery on the waist and the low of the dress. I wasn't a big fan of the sweetheart-style plunge neckline, but it does add a bit of boldness to the dress (although personally I'd do without it!). Seen on the ramp for one of Manish Malhotra's shows, this was one piece I really liked, although it seems to favour thin women. I also really liked the fact that this dress didn't look shiny,but more like raw silk without looking too stiff.

This dress was worn by the lovely Sonakishi Sinha for Big B's birthday party last October, and I think she pulled it off wonderfully. I liked the fact that the neckline seemed a bit less extravagant on her, and the fact that she isn't super-stick-think but still looks great in the dress. Her make-up compliments the dress as well, with smokey eyes and pink lips, and her jewellery was quite understated, to emphasise the cut of the dress and the richness of colour. (The only thing which I did notice was that her dupatta looks slightly like a cape, but that's probably just the way it's been draped and the way she is standing). All in all, this outfit looked fab on the actress; simple, yet very elegant and flattering.

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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