INNOVATIVE SAREE BLOUSE DESIGNS ’19

by Vijaya Durga Ram

Regardless of shape, size or style…a saree looks great on every woman.

We have seen a huge lifestyle shift and culture change, where we accepted the western wardrobe graciously and have made tremendous advancement towards experimenting pretty much all the styles we see on the international magazine and yet, a SAREE somehow always fits in, stays perfectly in trend and will always do.

Through different generations, it has been worn in so many different styles.

And, I would say, that’s the best part! Let’s get creative and add in a streak of our own style to the blouses! 

A saree is the trendiest wear for girls! It looks more comfortable and stylish for women. However, the blouse is what makes or the breaks the perfect saree look. It’s is the vital element of the saree look. Every year we are blessed with new saree blouse designs. Here, we have a shirt blouse that is draped with an indigo-dyed saree. The abstract elements on the blouse makes it trendier as by combining both traditional and fusion elements. 

Here are some of the looks that I found really interesting!

Pradaini Surva, fashion model.

A Sheath turtleneck top, with an illusion neckline that just grabs the look of this simple and elegant cotton saree to the next level. The waist belt and the shoes add an extra fusion vibe to the look!

You Need To Check Out Sabyasachi’s New Collection Which Is Perfect For Summer Brides!

Sabyasachi’s  Fiza – Spring Summer 2019 collection has made us go wowww! Everything from the silhouettes to the cuts, created over a series of adorable colour palettes, left us in awe! The exquisite jewellery, flowy embroidered fabrics and the strikingly shot collection have us glued to his Instagram profile, as he updated one post after another. We also noticed a freshness in styling and also, instead of going heavy on jewellery he switched to dainty but timeless pieces, super apt for summers. Is that an inception of a new trend?!  Whatever it may be, but it literally melted our weak hearts.

Yami Gautham,Actor.

Indigo dyed Indo-western saree with a mustard embroidered shrug!

Taapse Pannu,Actor.

Taapse Pannu at one her recent movie promotions, wore a thin striped shirt blouse and saree. It came off too strong on her and I just found it overwhelming!

The tie and the bindi just make it look effortlessly stylish yet traditional!

 

 

 

 

Trendsetter of the Week

Prerna Singh is a young and dynamic management professional and the author of various books, articles and whitepapers. She has also successfully managed the publication of numerous journals and magazines of international repute. She has laid the foundation of the Promising Indians’ Society with a vision to bridge the communication gap among the PIOs, NRIs and citizens of India and to connect them on a platform that would present innovative and lucrative business opportunities to all and augment their socio-economic opportunities.

The main aim of the Society is to unite Indians globally and bring them together and to applaud them for their outstanding achievements. The Society will celebrate their success in India and thereby, help aspiring Indians and organisations to carry forward their legacies in different spheres of professional lives. Prerna is supported in her endeavour by her unique strength of innovation and ability to strategize and leads a team of competent professionals to execute her strategy at the ground level.

A self-motivated businesswoman with an analytical mind-set, Prerna foresees the strengths of the Indian markets and capitalises on the opportunities through innovation and undying determination. She thrives on a constant desire to learn and continually upgrade her skills.

By laying the foundation of the Promising Indians’ Society, Prerna has unequivocally embarked on a new journey that shall provide every Indian the opportunity to learn, grow and appreciate the strengths of India and its socio- economic strengths as our country takes a leap into a brighter future.

Prerna is a dynamic individual and upcoming entrepreneur and philanthropist. Her keen interest in the infrastructure sector, accompanied with an analytical approach to determine investment opportunities in India, motivates her to go an extra mile in unleashing business synergies. A woman with great business mind-set, Prerna shall undoubtedly be one of the renowned names in the remarkably valued entrepreneur industry.

My fashion motto? 

To be Simply Awesome

3 words to describe my sense of style? 

Minimalistic, elegant & classy

My 5 essential wardrobe elements? 

My dresses, Fragrance, footwear, Denims, Earrings + Bangles

My favourite style influencers? 

Sonam Kapoor & Priyanka Chopra

You wouldn’t catch me wearing?

Blue denim & white shirt

My favorite party attire?

My favorite party attire is shimmering crepe exclusive dress or evening gown in western and in Indian lehanga with lot of flair and elaborate dupatta

Brands I love?

Fab India

Zara . Prada

My go to  accessory? 

Bangles

I would not leave my home without?

Shades

Trendsetter of the Week

Publecity is a industrial themed pub in Pune. This concept is very new to Pune, we have used a lot of metal, scrape material, oil drums.

My fashion motto?

“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” — Rachel Zoe

My wardrobe essentials?

Jumpsuits, Little black dress, denim jacket, gown, jeans and t-shirt

My style icons?

Deepika Padukone

Victoria Beckham
Kate Middleton

The worst trend to become popular?

bell bottom pants

My go to office attire?

White shirt and black formal skirt

My favourite brands?

Michael cinco

Sherry hill

I can’t leave the house without?

car keys, sun glasses, my purse, lip gloss, Kajal

The talented Ms. Arati Basnet seeks immense amount of keenness in brand endorsements, business, modeling, fashion, singing, gardening, painting.

Arati who grew up in the city of Kathmandu, has always been inclined towards art, music, painting, fashion, media, modelling while seeing the world in a different way. Her works exudes her confidence.

Arati easily dabbles into media and handles press conferences and has been a part of taking interviews. She has phenomenal experience in handling press, organizing events and working with celebrities.

My Fashion Motto?

Wear stuff that brings out your personality

My 5 essential wardrobe elements?

Undergarments matching my see through dresses, stoles matching my dresses, different size handbags matching the occasion I go to, shoes appropriate for driving and walking .

You wont catch me wearing?

A man’s suit

My favourite party attire?

Marriage – saree;

Party – pants and tops

Official party – kurtis.

Brands I love?

W and Stop to shop.

A fashion blunder you have made in the past?

Jumped into the pool in a transparent swimming costume!

Trendsetter of the Week : Kriti Bhatia

Kriti Bhatia is a PhD Research Scholar (Dept. of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics), Urbanist and an inquisitive sociologist as she likes to be called.

She is the Founding Partner of Jan Ki Baat (India’s largest on-ground election-driven citizen-centric platform).

She holds her Bachelors in Economics from the Sri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University and Masters in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University. She pursued Public Policy and Economic Reasoning from the Takshashila Institution, Bangalore. She has worked with the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi for about 2 years (on Regional Economic Integration and political economy and trade of jute in the Indian subcontinent) and has undertaken projects with prestigious organisations like the World Bank (on output assessment of ITIs and ITCs), International Committee of the Red Cross (on Economic security in conflict regions and International Humanitarian Law), TaTa Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai (World Bank and MRVC funded project on Engendering the suburban rail network – making public transport inclusive) and with Members of Parliament (providing legislative research inputs on Socio-Economic issues and policies).

She has authored a number of articles and papers for reputed platforms and has presented her cutting-edge work at various International and National conferences. Her vision is to contribute towards a world free from inequities of Knowledge and income.

My fashion motto? 

Elegance is key

3 words to describe my sense of style? 

Boho Chic, vivid, Indo-Western

My 5 essential wardrobe elements?

Long skirts, one-piece maxi dresses, bardot tops, traditional kurtis, jumpsuits

One thing that most people don’t know about me?

Can carry Indian and Western formals with equal ease

My favourite party attire?

Sweetheart neckline gown

The worst trend to ever become popular is?

Frills

Who should everyone be following right now?

Olivier Rousteing

The first thing I notice about people? 

Their eyes

My style secret?

Last-minute accessorizing

The best fashion advice I have ever receive?

Just be yourself

At the end of the day, what would you want your wardrobe to say about you?

Wardrobe full of different hues and breezy attires tend to reflect my sprightly personality

I’m dying to splurge on.. (fashion item)

Perhaps a Chopard watch

Trendsetter of the Week : Sharmita Bhinder

Sharmita Banerjee Bhinder practiced civil criminal law in Dost and high court Chandigarh for two years, she trains various corporates and started an NGO, ‘Empower’ for special children.

She has also trained in Angel healing, Pranic and spiritual healing and became a spiritual healer.

My fashion motto?

Be unique! Create your style – Don’t blend in or follow but be the one to be followed 

My 5 essential wardrobe elements?

A black skirt, a white top, scarves, a handbag, shades, saree and bindi

My favourite style influencers?

Shabana Azmi, Kiran Thakur Singh Kher

My favorite work attire?

Saree

Brands I love?
Byloom International, Sabyasachi

I would not leave my home without?

Kajal, bindi, sunscreen and phone

Dressire x Designers : Preety Sameer

What is the inspiration behind your designs?

My inspiration behind my designs is to make my every client more beautiful.

What are the key elements for you when designing a collection for each season?

The key elements when I design a collection is firstly the curiosity about transforming what should be into what could be, secondly I try to understand the position and mindset of my client as the stuff that I made is for them only and not for myself

What challenges did you face when launching your brand?

While launching my brand the very first challenge was to initiate this whole thing as I was a house wife and I had to create my own identity

What are your plans for the future?

 No particular plans but yes I want to work till my last page and to built my own identity

What do you think are the keys to professional and business success for women in India?

Courage and passion is the most important key to success. One must have the passion to work on their dreams and it’s the courageous ones who succeed in their career.

What sparked your interest in fashion?

I was always crazy for Fashion – I would say from childhood I was crazy to see beautiful actresses in beautiful dresses

How would you describe your brand?

My brand name is ‘Preety’s couture” – reinventing your curves, I design and manufacture fashionable clothes for my clients according to their body shape and needs.

Dressire x Designer : Deepti Acharya

I graduated from School of fashion technology and post completing my internship I started working in Pune.

Those times, this field wasn’t as common as Medicine and Engineering. Getting into this line, today I give complete credit to my family who supported me in my early days.

I have a work shop and I mass manufacture kids clothing and sell pan India.

One thing I believe in strongly is that nothing comes easy, you got to prove yourself and work smart towards your passion.

My love for children and passion for fashion led me to start Rose Couture, a clothing line designed especially for girls aged six months to six years. Rose Couture showcases some of the most colourful and floral designs. The clothes are made just for occasion and party wear, keeping in mind all the latest trends in kids’ fashion.

We started working on initial concept by scribbling on paper in the month of June 2016 and registered our company Spectrum clothing on October 26/2016 having our brand name as Rose couture.

Starting from sourcing the team to the legal part of the start-up, each day has been a new experience.

When your product is good, adds some value and you have some well-wishers and strong mentorship around, I think the journey becomes great.

We started working with e-com portals like First Cry and realized many loop holes in terms of cut sizes, wrong returns and then took decision to enter into the retail market as well

Today we sell across major cities like Gujarat, Assam, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad through distribution and agency.

From one team member, we are today a team of 15 young ladies.

I think I am blessed in that case, my family is been extremely supportive when I was working then and running my own organization now. And I feel that trust comes when they see your passion and loyalty towards your work.

I’ve learned from my own experience, when you switch career and start businesses: Prepare to work harder than you ever have.

Women need to understand the importance of business network building.

It’s important to have a strong purpose and strong WHY which will help you for the long run.

I am teaching my team to be career driven than job seeker. Building a sense of belonging and taking ownership. Making them believe in outcome than output. It takes a good amount of time to build a business, having a positive outlook and not stopping to believe is very important. There has never been a successful business owner that hasn’t run into some challenges. most important Integrity towards suppliers and making them feel part of the journey together is the ultimate way towards success.

I strongly promote #Women Empowerment by training & hiring young women from the lower socio-economic backgrounds & aim to provide strong purpose to their lives. It’s soul satisfying to see these young ladies making mark in their lives, contributing to their families finicially,helping young siblings in educational support or buying vehicle on their own or supporting parents to pay home loans etc.

I also to aim to employ young females with “special needs”. (Physically challenged)
with minor Down syndrome or disability like hearing impaired etc. and want to to come in main stream as I believe Beyond Disabilities there are Infinite Possibilities. I am truly passionate about my dream.

At Rose Couture it is believed “Number of products we create is equal to number of smiles we create on the faces of our little shoppers!”

Our Vision describes the WHAT

What we are trying to achieve in the future.

To be one of the most “Customer Preferred” Brand Leader in Clothing Line for Kids in India and globally because we know a child’s favourite outfit can make every day a great one.

Our Mission describes the WHY

Declares our organization’s purpose, or why it exists

• To make every child “Feel beautiful” and “Look beautiful”
• To work collaboratively with women to Empower themselves to contribute to their family and community’s social, cultural, and economic growth.
• To create products that provides opportunities of Growth for our company and team members

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dressire x Designers : Sheetal Bhadani Chandra

After over eight years of being in the banking industry, Sheetal Bhadani Chandra realized her heart and brain both needed something more. A creative soul always finds its tune sooner or later and this need to explore a more creative platform made this successful MBA graduate quit her well-paying job to start her own little creative studio. This was when Silverdot Design Studio was born. The last two years, Sheetal has dedicated her time and priority into generating exclusive platforms and work for home opportunities for women who need a stage while balancing families and other responsibilities. This has led to creating a unique and hardworking force that thrives on efficient and out of the box creativity. With a life that holds nostalgia of growing up in the 80’s and 90’s in India, her upbringing has influenced her love for India and all things culturally and ethnically rooted to being Indian. This has been the influencing factor in creating her in house brand Loophoop that curates exclusive artisan goods and makes it available globally. This is just the beginning for her.

 

What is the inspiration behind your designs?

We want to capture the essence of ethnic India in a very contemporary manner. So with all the designs what we curate, there is an essence of old world charm.

What are the key elements for you when designing a collection for each season?

We pick up particular weave and offer our products for each season. Say for summer we have pickedup Linen , Ikkat , mulmul cotton and have launched linen saree collection , mulmul sarees and dress material etc.

What challenges did you face when launching your brand?

The initial setting up of e-commerce store, planning for offline promotion was cumbersome. I will not term it as challenge but yes being into new business one cannot predict initially what will click with clients.

What are your plans for the future?

Our plan is to pick up each and every weave from different states and bring it to the main stream fashion. We like Jamdani , Sambalpuri.  We are yet to explore these weaves.

What do you think are the keys to professional and business success for women in India?

Be confident, be persistent. Don’t give up easily.

What advice would you give to young women readers who want to follow a similar career path as you?

Do what ever interests you. Devote a year to do lot of trials and market study and be consistent with your approach.

What sparked your interest in fashion?

The availability of so many different regional products and people are deprived of such exclusive crafts. For example linen sarees are a comfortable product but it’s availability is limited/ reach is limited or clients mostly do not know a convenient way to buy it

online .

what is the biggest lesson that you have learned since you started your company?

Client connect is very important, unlike eccomerce stores my clients wish to connect with me on personal chat window. Learn about the products,etc. and then purchase. Today’s clients want human touch. And as a company we are creating a large pool of resources who will be available for consultation on char with clients , so that the non tech savvy community can also easily shop online and buy the best products.

How would you describe your brand?

Loophoop is a people’s company. We have priced our products in such a way that it is easily affordable by the masses. Curated and handcrafted products offered with lots of personal touch.

Trendsetter of the Week : Avinka Sardana

An event manager turned restaurant owner, Avinka Sardana turned her hobbies into a profession. She started her career with event management, doing events for schools and corporates. She then started her restro in Shahpur Jat by the name of ‘One Hour’.

They have organic ingredients from farms and cook in earthen pots.

She strongly believes in living her life in a happy way. She fought her own battles against domestic violence and harassment and overcome all that to help motivate other women.

My fashion motto? 

Only buy clothes that last forever.

My favourite style influencers?

Desert Mannequin and Sona Mahabatra

One thing that most people don’t know about me?

That I love writing

You wouldn’t catch me wearing?

Bell bottoms

My favourite party attire?

Indian handcrafted textile sarees

The worst trend to ever become popular is?

Polka dots

The first thing I notice about people?

Footwear

If I could go back to any fashion era in history, the one I would choose is?

1980

At the end of the day, what would you want your wardrobe to say about you?

Beauty in everything

Dressire x Designers : Priyanka Tejaswee

June 2011, Priyanka Tejaswee graduated from Symbiosis Institute of Design with three major awards. Perhaps, the only one student to win three most illustrious awards with a unanimous decision of all judges in the panel. It took her absolutely no time to decide her future from then. She decided not to sit for any companies during placements, and launched her eponymous label ‘Tejaswee Design Studio’ within three months of her graduation. As a fashion designer, she opted not to evaluate a design from all angles of psychological, economic, anthropological, or social which is driven by extensive research on cultural influences and arts of the period; not because she is overwhelmed by the work of art but she believed in appreciating artist work from the ‘art for art’s sake’ angle. Today, her label ‘Tejaswee Design Studio’ cocooned in a peaceful lane of Baner, Pune has become five-year-old label and celebrates the contentment of over 3,000 clientele who believe in her design philosophy.

Tejaswee Design Studio is an exclusive service that revolves around the concept of an extraordinary semblance of personality in designs. At Tejaswee Design Studio, our creative process starts after understanding customer’s choice of designs and occasion. From there, we develop an extensive line to suit the requirement of our customers in the budget they are comfortable.
Our concept lies in providing the customer a clothing that speaks their language and not the trend crossovers. We do not force our garment/designs but we understand their requisites.
Majorly a label for designer wear for all occasions.

Priyanka Tejaswee’s every design is infused with vibrancy and creativity. A one-stop garment hub, Tejaswee Design Studio specializes in unique designs in bridal, ethnic, western, formals, casuals & mix match collection.
With in-house facility for stitching, embroidery, dyeing, fabrics. With creative and unconventional designs, the label participated in exhibitions and has designed collections for a few fashion week designers.

What is your inspiration behind your designs?

I get inspiration from everything I see around myself – the people, streets, cuisine, bazaars and chowks. Inspirations are sudden and organic for me, its not like a creative process that is rigid and time-dictated. I extensively take photographs of every place I visit and at the end of my tour when I sit to see all the images together, my mood board is already ready.

What are the key elements for you when designing a collection for each season?

I spiral deep into the core theme of my collection where each collection evokes the theme in its true form. For e.g., if my collection is driven by the theme of ‘nostalgia’, I ensure all the elements comes together to weave a story and reach to my client. My primary motto is to romance the lyrical narrative of the theme with day-to-day functionality.

What challenges did you face when launching your brand?

The biggest challenge was to arrive at the best location where the right clientele resides. I have never been worried about setting my proposition and credibility for the brand as the work eventually transpires to the end consumer in the due course of time.

 What are your plans for the future?

On the design front, we are working on our Summer/Monsoon 2019 collection and are soon proliferating our product-line. A few other exciting things are in the pipeline which will unfold over the course of the year.

What do you think are the keys to professional and business success for women in India?

My only advice is to listen to your intuition and do what you love because when we do what we love is when we develop that strength that supersedes any challenges, roadblocks or failures in the way. Hard work and a right attitude to work is a bonus.

What advice would you give to young women readers who want to follow a similar career path as you?

Devise a clear strategy for your label. Fashion market today is extremely volatile and is full of competition. In a span of less than a decade, fashion has grown from 0 to 100. Hence, it is indispensable to cut the clutter and come out strong with a proposition that is fresh, original and has a strong character.

What sparked your interest in fashion?

I had an interest in fine arts since my childhood days. I used to scribble, doodle, sketch and paint almost everyday when everybody in my family slept. So, this was always native. I started my small vocation of this favorite pastime of mine and made some good pocket money during my high-school days. It was only during my college days, I realized to make this as my full-time career and earn my employment out of this. The ever-changing nature and dynamics of fashion space always keep me grooved and interested.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned since you started your company?

Stand with your values. Sometimes, out of occupational interest or operational difficulties, we begin to be functional with our values. But in a long run, those who stand strong and solid with their ideologies and values carve a niche for themselves and qualify to inspire mass with their work.

How would you describe your brand?

Tejaswee is a label that romances with purity of native with an appeal of the modern. Our garments draws direct inspiration from our heritage, exude local charm and explores an expressive idiom with both, East and West.

Trendsetter of the Week : Kamal Monga

Kamal Monga is the co-ownder of Cherish Banquets and Ministry of Beer in Gurgaon and Connought Place. She is also a social worker and teaches children from slums.

My sense of style?

clean, polished & feminine

You wouldn’t catch me wearing?

I am very conscious of my social image and wouldn’t be caught dead doing anything that went against it.

My favourite party attire?

stylish gowns

The worst trend to ever become popular?

sagging pants.

The first thing I notice about people?

Their facial expressions & eyes contact

My style secret?

My beautiful smile. It’s my special ornament that I wear every time.

The best fashion advice I have ever received is?

* When not sure, go for black.
* Heels are very important in women’s life. It not only gives your leg shape but it helps you walk like a lady.