Ujjwala Raut for Bloomingdales Catalog 2006

Speaking of natural beauties and celebrating Indian women... here's a throwback - Bloomy's catalog. How awesome is this?

Why L'Officiel India's New Cover Unveils India's Dysfunctional Beauty Image

The new L'Officiel India cover totally eeeeked me out. In my mind the photoshoot probably went something like this: Ten girls. Cream and beige tone dresses. 'Now pout.. breasts out.. sexy sexy year'. And it's a wrap. 

It's neither brilliantly styled nor is it an amazing concept (especially for an 100th Anniversary issue) but I don't usually go in on covers I don't like. As usual, it seems as if L'Official was cashing in on star power - in numbers. Yes, Priyanka Chopra and others are in this picture somewhere. But you'll probably have to look closely. (Update: Priyanka isn't in here like original news reports suggested but I don't blame them for being confused).

This is exactly what freaked me out. All these women - some even successful and smart - look the same. So similar that is scared me. The nose jobs scared me. The skin tones, or lack there of, scared me. THE COVER IS SCARY. 

Source: Pinkvilla

The problem with Indian female beauty is bigger than an addiction to plastic surgery and fair skin. It's insecurity. In a nation of diverse races, languages, religions, and yes, skin color, we have defined beauty as one image - the white girl. Indian women aspire to look white but are told to 'act' Indian. But this cover doesn't reflect the definition of Indian beauty outside of India - Lakshmi Menon, Freida Pinto and Padma Lakshmi are just some examples of how NRIs (Non-Resident Indians as the Indian government defines us) are changing the image of Indian women worldwide. The question is: will women in India follow?  The issue isn't just insecurity of a women's own natural beauty, it's a societal issue in India. If beauty is redefined, will it destroy the system and the way we've defined it for centuries? Will the elite - who thrive on social structure - allow females from all walks of life to be defined as 'beautiful'?  Clearly this runs deeper than we all think. But the history is the past and it's funny that while the rest of the world - including westerners - have embraced diverse images of beauty (and natural beauty), Indians have decided not to follow suit. Indians don't want to follow but this might be the time for an exception.

BBA Fashion Wrap-Up

I'm in love with Freida (as we know) but you can see why. This look was perfect for the Nylon event and the kitsch Prada dress is so much fun, you can tell she doesn't mind taking a risk nor does she take herself too seriously. That's a true diva! It's perfectly styled down to the baby blue matching nails. This is what you call a complete look and it's hard to do!! I also want to mention Kajol, who stepped out this month with some major sassiness! Don't call it a comeback but damn... the Bollywood star is showing us she's still got it. 

Freida in Prada

Kajol in Shantanu and Nikhil

Other top looks:

Kajol in Manish Malhotra, Neha Dhupia in Manish Malhotra, Roshni Chopra in James Ferreira.

BBA Pics: Couture Or Crazy??

I found this while looking for inspiration online and I believe its Jean Paul Gaultier (which explains it a little bit) but I want to know what you think... is it acceptable in the name of Couture or is it just plain silly?

Vogue India, March 2012 (Editorial)

Alyssah Ali, our BBA girl Ashika Pratt (Hi Ashika!!) & Jessica Clark look amazing in this shoot for Vogue India's March issue! Fabulously styled by Anaita Shroff Adajania ofcourse.

Dance & Romance in NYC!!

So recently I had UK girlfriends hit town and we went hard! It was a little crazy but we had an AMAZING time! Thanks to Mani, K, Kim, & Harreet for everything. It's refreshing to see the city from the eyes of an outsider.. you appreciate NYC so much more! Here's some pics from our adventures:

The outfit! Blazer: Zara Cuff: Hermes Earrings: Manik Mercian 

The girls! Ashlene Nand (Yep, that's me far left), Kim, Harreet, Maneka, K.

The boys! 

Me (centre)... jealous? lol..

It's not complete unless you go to KATI ROLL!!

Harreet (right) makes everyone smile...

No words needed. The stunning Kim.

I don't care what anyone says; it's all about BOLLYWOOD!

I rocked an older dress (far left) but wore these below...

Donna Karan Garter Illusion tight. SWAG!! xo

BBA Flashback Friday: Beyonce & India (new pics)

I'm a HUGE Beyonce fan and recently our girl Bey posted some never seen pics on her Tumblr. There were some great Indian-inspired shots and I thought it would be nice to see both new and older pics of Bey's  South Asian inspired looks. What makes Queen Bey a global star is that she is open to cultures and you see that reflected in her life & style. She's rocked Indian designers like Farah Khan (see crown below) and Rocky S (when touring India) and she loves the turban. Beyonce = Brown Love. xo

This Lanvin dress uses a saree silhouette 

"Inspired By India" Sotheby's London

When I started this blog it was about the inspiration of India on fashion, lifestyle and art. So I'm excited to hear Sotheby's London will be doing an exhbition focusing on just that. The "Inspired By India", a selling exhibition of Contemprary Design, is on from May 8-15 and includes Sabyasachi saris (they are works of art!) and Pia Wustenberg's Stacking Vessels. More here.

April 2012 Editorials

UPDATED: Bipasha for Man's World and Deepika for Grazia. While I just loved the cover for Grazia, I thought the rest of the shots were average. Meanwhile, I think Bipasha looks very different in her Man's World shoot and cover. Nice surprise and nice to see a men's magazine doing something other than tacky.

I'm loving Sarah Jane Dias for GQ India and while you're here take a look at the inside of Harper's Bazaar with Sonam...