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 : Neelam Garg

Born & brought up in New Delhi, Neelam is a model, fashion choreographer, groomer and fitness trainer by profession.

Winner of many international beauty titles and now Director of ‘Blue Sapphire Productions’, a top events company.

My fashion motto?

Stand out always in the crowd 

My favourite style influencers?

I don’t follow any one, my style is my own.

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

I love to experiment 

You wouldn’t catch me wearing?

Red lipstick 

My favourite party attire?

Short black dress 

The worst trend to ever become popular is?

Different nail paints on each finger nail

The first thing I notice about people?

Outfit 

 The best fashion advice I have ever received?

Cut the colour with any different colour from the dress with the help of the purse or accessory 

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

Thanks for choosing us 

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

Trendsetter of the Week : Bhagyashree Bhansali

She is an Overseas In charge for Funding and Campaigns, Aam Aadmi Party, Co-Founder & CSO at Let’s Markit.

Why did you choose a career in politics?

In today’s political landscape, motherhood is often deployed as a tool to highlight the ‘sacred’ nature of a subject, ranging from the gau mata to Bharat mata and Ganga mata. At the same time, issues around women’s rights and empowerment, varying from triple talaq to Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, are regular topics of conversation in political circles. But an important question remains: In a country like India with around 49 per cent of women in the population, why is the political participation of women so low?

History has stood witness to the brilliance of women in politics, time and again. From Marie Antoinette to Queen Elizabeth, women across the world have often held the political scepter firmly in their hands whenever needed.

Today, equal participation of men and women is not only a prerequisite for justice and democracy; it is an inevitable condition for harmonious human existence as well. Effective representation of women in decision-making structures will have a bearing on the policies, vision and structure of institutions. And that’s something everyone should be fighting for

My fashion motto?

Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.

3 words to describe my sense of style?

 Minimalistic , Feminine, Effortless

My 5 essential wardrobe elements?

 Perfect white tee, A sharp blazer, Minimalistic Saree, Black/Beige ballet flats, Dark denim

My favorite style influencers?

Alia Bhatt, Priyanka Chopra, Aimee Song, Gigi Hadid

You wouldn’t catch me wearing?

 Wrinkled Clothes.

My favorite party attire?

 Floral print short dress with tan leather shoes.

My favorite work attire?

 White shirt, denim jeans, slip-on sneakers.

Brands I love? 

Sabyasachi

 Brand: Zara

Designer : Ralph & Russo

A fashion blunder you have made in the past?

 Wearing stockings/ tights with everything I considered short.

 My go to must have accessory?

  A statement handbag.

 

Trendsetter of the Week : Moneka Parrwani

I am Moneka Parrwani. I am 48 years old and I live in Delhi. I have graduated from Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai and am a gold-medalist in textile designing, weaving and printing. Additional skills that I have acquired include, tie and dye, batik, screen print, and tapestry weaving. I have been married for 25 years and I am a mother of 2.

Up until 2011, I was a home-maker. I started working with my husband at Zaveri Bros. Jewellers, Lajpat Nagar and currently, I am managing a chunk of the business. Jewellery designing is another forte of mine and I usually help clients out in designing and customising their pieces of jewellery according to their preference.

 

My fashion motto? 

Less is more

3 words to describe my sense of style?

Comfort,simplicity and elegance

My 5 essential wardrobe elements?

blue jeans, black shirt, comfy shoes,statement jewelry and my tote bag.

My favourite style influencers?

Ritu Kumar

My go to must have accessory?

My solitaire earings

Dressire x Designers : Wimpy Arora

Like every other teenager, I decided to pursue my graduation. Soon after, I did my post graduation i.e., MBA in finance. While I always liked to dress up for functions and casual outing, I didn’t really know that my true calling was in fashion lifestyle. At least, not until my sister and I decided to map the length and breadth of Delhi for her wedding shopping.

Having visited all designer labels and exhibitions at that time, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my analysis of what’s in fashion and what’s out of fashion was mostly right. After a point in time, I could almost predict the trends of the fashion industry. Coming from a business family that traded in handloom and had an inherent sense of style, I realised that working with fabrics and designs came organically to me. In between all this, I was working with a leading Japanese bank that paid me well and took me across the globe for work. But as they say, you will find happiness where your heart is. And thus began my journey of exploring my love for all things fashion and style.

As destiny would have it, I got enrolled for a fashion women wear course in the celebrated Pearl Academy. The academy helped me bring out my skills and sharpen my craft. One fine morning, as I stepped out of my bed to get ready for work it dawned upon me that without wasting a single moment, I must take the plunge into being a full-time fashion designer. Having an extremely supportive family always works to your advantage. A few dinner table conversations and workplace discussions later, it was clear that am going to launch my own very label. With my sister by my side who shared a similar passion as me, we decided to call our label – dresstorybysisters. Within six months of our launch, we had a loyal customer base and had behind us a successful exhibition at The Hyatt. Today, our label has managed to ruffle a few feathers in the industry and we are extremely humbled at the steady growth of our venture. We have a few plans lined up in the coming months and are supremely excited to see how it all unfolds for us. In the end, whatever may be the result, there’s no better living than living your dreams and pursuing your passion.

What is the inspiration behind your designs?

The idea is to keep it simple. Create trendy yet comfortable clothing wear. If your cloth is not comfortable, whatever may be the design, it won’t work.

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

When designing a collection we keep in mind the mood, time of the year, the upcoming trends etc. Of course, fabric, color palette and embellishments goes without saying. All of this put together helps us come up with a collection.

What challenges did you face when launching your brand?

It would be dishonest on my part if I said there weren’t any challenges. Right from the time the thought came into my mind of launching my own label, there were challenges. Giving up a well paying job, naming our brand, getting a team behind, creating your presence. Far too many to list. But, my family was my biggest support. With their blessings, everything sort of fell in place and we came overcame the challenges.

What are your plans for the future?

We are working round the clock to showcase our designs in an upcoming exhibition.

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

A strong vision, great attitude, perseverance till the end. Irrespective of the gender, you will succeed.

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

Believe in your dreams, till the end. As women, we are the source of life. There’s literally nothing that we cannot do.

What sparked your interest in fashion?

That’s slightly difficult. Frankly,, I can’t put my finger to a date,month, year. How I would like to see it is that while I always liked to dress up for functions and casual outing, I didn’t really know my true calling was in fashion lifestyle. At least, not until my sister and I decided to map the length and breadth of Delhi for her wedding shopping. Having visited all designer labels and exhibitions at that time, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my analysis of what’s in fashion and what’s out of fashion was mostly right. After a point in time, I could almost prophesize what is going to be in trend.

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

There will be turbulence. There would be times when the going would be tough, very tough. Results may be far from what you expected. But in the end, survival will not depend on the numbers but in your own belief that this is a phase and it too shall pass. Don’t give up and brave a smile all through it.

How would you describe your brand?

Our brand is a refreshing and unique take in the couture space. The idea is to create designs that strike a chord with the woman in you. This brand is all about celebrating the small and big moments that make up life.

Dressire x Designers : Pinky Ahuja

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

While designing our  collection we always keep creativity with comfort in mind. It is a very important thing. Also the beautiful colours according to beautiful skin tone.
KRCOUTURE stands for KAJALRANI COUTURE

What are your plans for the future?

I want to see KRCOUTURE in Dubai and London one day. Want to enter international market.

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

My advice to all young upcoming designers is follow your passion with determination & love what you do and success follows you.

What sparked your interest in fashion?

Every Woman is beautiful but it is her style quotient that makes her confident and different. Styling has always been my passion. Be it a family dinner ,a school fete,college annual day , weddings  or just any occasion I  always loved to style myself.
This passion was loved by near and dear ones in my family and friends and they would  often take me with them for their shopping spree.They felt confident with my Choice. This inspired me!

I want every woman to feel confident in her own body.
So here at KRCOUTURE we want every woman to feel confident and beautiful.Rani and I are college buddies both having passion for good food good clothes good life. We always wanted to do something professionally. Wanted to express our passion further. So when our kids reached their mid teens, we launched KRCOUTURE in PUNE at NIBM ROAD at TARASHA MULTIDESIGNER STORE .WE share this store with two more brands so our customers get a wide range.I believe together we grow so having a great team makes challenges easy.

 

What is the biggest lesson that you have learned since you started your company?
How would you describe your brand?

KRCOUTURE is for woman of substance. She is a daughter, a wife a mother a grandmother  modern yet classy and chic so basically we serve women of all ages  and size

Trendsetter of the Week

Aarti Bhatia is a tarot card reader  Akashic Reader, Numerologist, & Clinical Hypnotist

She has been practicing for past 15 years .She believes her 25 years of connection with occult and mythology has made a firm and sound base to help her clients .

Her experience with different age groups and different issues has really strengthened her readings.

Her journey for occult started when she was herself very young . Her love for numbers and their interplay in her life gave her wings to impact others life  in a positive way .According to her, God speaks in numbers . The different vibrations of a number like one’s thoughts bring the same vibrational frequency people and situations in ones life .

She has written for weekly tarot for Dainik Bhaskar for five years .

Her Mythology columns are read and appreciated by many .

My fashion motto?

Fashion Motto for me is more about comfort and class and less about being a fashion chick

3 words to describe my sense of style?

Simple , Sophisticated and Vogue-ish

My 5 essential wardrobe elements?

Black dress, A scarf, Black heals,White shirt and Slacks.

You wouldn’t catch me wearing?

Shorts

My favourite party attire?

Bright colored long dress or a gown with a silk scarf .

The first thing I notice about people?

The honesty which I can read through their eyes .