eStylista

Delhi Couture Week 2011: Manav Gangwani

Readers of this blog know of my slight partiality to Manav Gangwani. He is one of the leading young Indian designers and the last word in all things sparkly and provocative.

Attending his show at Delhi Couture Week 2011 was an experience in itself. While most other designers were happy with a bit of stage dressing - Manav went to great lengths to create an elaborate set that executed his vision of a 'Timeless affair'.

The revolving wheels of time, the zodiac as a back drop, levers suspended from the ceiling - it really set the stage and the bar for a special evening.

His celebrity friends and supporters were very visible and vocal - the really dapper and debonair actor Rahul Khanna in a three piece suit, glamourous singer Sophie Choudry wearing a Manav Gangwani sari, jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali in a daring backless dress, Manav's best buddy and rather handsome actor Zayed Khan, Fardeen Khan with his lovely wife Natasha, actress Raveena Tandon and the petite actress Soha Ali Khan all cheered enthusiastically from the front row.

Sitting next to me was Suhel Seth (it was, rather surprisingly, his first fashion show attendance) flanked by Robert Vadra. All-in-all the front row was packed with high voltage star power. (Have I mentioned how good Rahul Khanna looked?)

Coming to the clothes - Swarovski crystals are Manav's signature embellishment and there were plenty of them in sight. Lavishly sprinkled over impressive, ambitious silhouettes - he pushed the envelope and stood true to the 'couture' test. It was not a practical collection - maybe a few pieces can be worn of the ramp - but then couture never is. It was a flight of fantasy and imagination. 

The construction, the flamboyance and the sheer confidence with which the garments were designed marked the coming to age of Manav Gangwani. The palette ranged from from pale whites to sumptuous yellows leading to flaming orange. 

The collection is obviously priced at levels that will give check to most clients but all the Swarovski glitter that makes such a statement does not come cheap. 

One elaborate yellow sari that caught my fancy was sold out minutes after the show - so there is clearly a demand and Manav - the consummate businessman understands it better than most.

 

 The setting...

 

 

 

 The sari that caught my eye...

 

 Elaborate garments...

 

 

Provocative statements... 

Take a bow… what a show! 

The Birkin Diaries: Enter the Quintessentially give away!!

If you really, really want a Birkin - why not 'like' the Quintessentially page on Facebook and enter the lottery for this gorgeous orange specimen...

Here is what they said in their post...

Quintessentially London

We are running a crazily big competition: WE ARE GIVING AWAY AN HERMES BIRKIN BAG, if you 'LIKE' our page you've already entered, when we get to 100,000 'LIKE'S the names go into a hat and one lucky person gets instantly promoted to fashion royalty with our favourite status symbol on their arm. Sit down, digest what I have just said and then 'Share' this post to tell your friends.

The Birkin Diaries: How to buy a Birkin….

Normally, if you wished to to buy a bag or a car or even a house for that matter - it would be a simple matter of identifying what kind and then walking into the shop/agent and asking for it. In case of the elusive Hermes Birkin handbag, this approach simply does not work.

So how can you get one?

The company line is either you put your name on a (long) waiting list and then twiddle your thumbs for a year or you just *happen* to get lucky - i.e. you walk into a store and they have one mythically waiting for you (this happened to me once, in Vegas, once - it almost felt like winning the lottery!)

If you really want a Birkin - all roads lead to Paris.

You have the highest probability of scoring one in their Rue St Honore boutique. You go into the store, do a bit of light shopping - maybe a belt or a bracelet and then as you are about to pay casually ask the assistant - "have any Birkins come in today?". Don't ever make the mistake of walking up cold and asking "Can I buy a Birkin?" because you will most likely be fobbed of with genteel sarcasm.

Disclaimer: It is not a sure-shot method but it does increase your chances - and obviously the more 'pre-shopping' you do - the higher the possibility that your request will be answered positively...

If you can't get to Paris and you happen to have a Hermes store in your city then start visiting the boutique often. Figure out which assistants deal with handbags and get friendly with them. Pick one assistant and buy small bits and bobs from that person (they work on commission so will appreciate your interest).

It IS Hermes and NOTHING comes cheap. But all this will add up and if you make your interest in the Birkin known - there is a much higher chance you will get one if someone does not show up to pick up their pre-ordered bag. 

Also - don't get too hung up on the kind of bag you want. If your heart's desire is a Black, togo leather, 35cm with silver hardware - then your wait will be a very long one.

If you dislike a particular colour then tell the assistant (I personally can't abide the 'blue jean' or the green 'vert olive' ). Don't be too specific on the gold or silver hardware - it does not really matter! 

Hermes shops in smaller European cities are also a good bet. A friend recently got a gorgeous tan one from Marbella. So if you happen to travel - make a pit stop and ask. 

If you are friends with someone who owns a Birkin (or two) - find out where she got hers and how likely is she to introduce you to her dealer aka shop assistant. If she's a good friend - she will ;) 

Procuring a Birkin is not really rocket science - its simply a matter of knowing the system - once you have one, the next one is a bit easier. 

If you are swimming in loads of spare cash and desperately need one then give my friends at Quintessentially Gifts a call. They sell genuine ones at rather inflated prices - but you do cut the line - I have never bought one from them, but desperate situations et al…

Generally beware of other online dealers and eBay sites purporting to sell the real thing. Some of them may be kosher but with so much money at stake its not really worth the risk. Ending up with a fake Birkin after parting with so much cash is not something you want...

Coming up next: The Birkin Glossary

 

 

The British 10k Run

Bootcamp at Camp Biche has several after effects - one of which is a propensity to agree to running a 10k for your favourite charity (in my case - it was for PrathamUK).

After all if you have walked 15kms a day for 6 consecutive days over rocky, uneven terrain then 10k on London roads is a do-able option.

Never mind that I actually don't like running and have never run except on the treadmill - that too only for a few minutes!

A dear friend of mine - Shrut is among lots of lovely things, a marathon runner, she did the New York marathon a few years ago. She agreed to do the run with me, constantly telling me that its no big deal.

I kind of believed her as the only preparation we did was a leisurely 7km stroll through Hyde Park a few days earlier. 

I set up my Just Giving page and lots of generous sponsorships began to pour in - one memorable benefactor gave me an astounding 500 pounds for PrathamUK. I was totally gob-smacked that a stranger would do so - it also cemented my determination that I had to do the run well. 

The night before the run, I had a late night confab with Shrut - she told me it would be easy. Taking her words to heart, we both ended up at the designated venue at 8.15am.

The 10k began for us at 10am. I managed to run the first 2k but after that I had to stop and walk for a bit. Shrut of course sped ahead. She also raised over 5k for PrathamUK, one of the benefits of being a hot-shot trader whose friends and colleagues have large hearts and wallets.

I followed the run-till-you-can't-anymore-then-walk pattern for the rest of the race and it was surprisingly not too bad. At some point I met Shrut again and we soldiered on together - its always nice to run with someone.

The atmosphere was electric - hundreds of people lined up to cheer the runners with imaginative banners. Around 25,000 people ran together most of them for their designated charity, a lot of them were in costume. I spotted a Scooby Do, a Robin, a group of men in nuns habits and lots of men in red Tutus!

DJs played at different points - it was a pretty nice way to spend a Sunday morning. We ran past famous London monuments, the roads were cordoned off - it was a unique perspective. 

As Shrut and I ran the last 300m - the feeling of accomplishment was immense. We finished in 1 hour and 5 minutes. I was exhausted - Gatorade has never tasted this good.

I may have begun to enjoy running - will definitely keep it up. Its a great way to loose weight too. 

The finish-line

With my running-buddy...

Facebook security alert

Let me digress from my usual posts to make a suggestion.

A friend posted this as her Facebook status:

IMPORTANT ALERT!!! FB has changed and said nothing..!!! Take a look at your URL (top box on your screen.) If you see "http" or just "www" instead of "https" you do NOT have a secure session & can be hacked. Go to Account Settings - Account Security - click Change. Check box (secure browsing), click Save. FB has automatically set it on the non-secure setting! Do everyone a favor, copy & re-post 

Now usually most such messages are a hoax - but not this one.

I did a bit of research to realise that http:// is NOT secure and Facebook in trademark style have made Http:// the default. It should be https://

So do yourself a favour - change the settings - whilst you are there review ALL your settings. Most of us have a ton of sensitive stuff on Facebook - lets at least maintain a modicum of security.

Let your friends know - spread the word!!

The Hare Ball: Hi-Blitz magazine coverage