Wedding Vogue - Part 1 : Cocktail

Hello ladies, welcome back to yet another wedding fashion series on this blog. Unlike the last two years, I'm only going to write about two parts this time; out of which one is the cocktail party dress that I'm set to talk about in this post. So leave everything you're doing at the moment and read below the curation of this look with none other than STRAWBERRY FASHION STUDIO!

We all know that Indian weddings are an extravagant affair. I myself have told you this umpteen number of times, I guess! And every year with so many pre-wedding and wedding ceremonies to attend, you find yourself looking out for outfits that are in trend and still distinctive. So while I was on a drive to pick attires for this series, Aditi Jaggi Rastogi from Strawberry Fashion Studio came to my rescue. An internationally acclaimed fashion designer and passionate about singular creations (pre-couture and couture), helped me pick the best pieces from her latest wedding collection that'll leave you spellbound!

Gown, ring : Strawberry Fashion Studio | handcuff, earrings : Auhna Creations | heels : Steve Madden

Throwing a cocktail party is the latest trend, no more confined to the upper strata of the society. And it is probably the only occasion in the long Indian wedding celebrations where one can give the traditional wear a complete ditch. Well, it shall only be right if I say, with changing times and fashion trends, Indian wedding dresses have undergone a sea change in terms of design and style. Cocktail dressing was never a thing earlier, but in the recent times it's become essential to add a new, separate outfit only for an evening where you're sharing a few moves with your friends and family and enjoying drinks, and laying down the most gorgeously-happening-side of yours!

Standing tall in the pictures above, and flaunting my outfit just rightly, has already made you believe how much I'm in love with it. A pure Georgette gown it is in black with sequin embroidery in floral pattern on the upper front, with dazzling flares and cut sleeves, and so light in weight that makes my look appear captivating. I chose to wear this floor-length piece with my golden stilettos (you can opt for flats if you're taller or maybe some glitter shoes since heels are a bit uncomfortable to dance in) and a black-gold handcuff with matching gold-blue earrings and a finger ring that fitted aesthetically with the entire look!

For an even perfect team up, my MUA - Simran Taneja, tied my hair into a beautiful bun and left a strand flowing on the side. JSYK, this is the first time I've been convinced to carry a bun and it looks absolutely enchanting. For my makeup, she gave me half smokey eyes and pink tint, false lashes, high brows and shimmery face with dense contouring & highlights and bright pink lips!  

Keeping the look minimal and elegant, I am dressed in a brand new piece from Strawberry Fashion Studio. One stop shop for all occasions. Get your outfits customised according to your style and liking and I'm pretty sure you'll love the outcome! Store address : A-1, Shahnazaf Road, Opp. Sahara Ganj mall, Hazratganj, Lucknow.

Photographed by : Yash Athwani


~xoxo~

Affordable Fashion : Class & Charm in less than Rs. 5000

"You don't have to be rich to look fashionable!"

As fashion lovers, we'll admit to busting the bank for some purchases. But we're not crazy. There are some items that don't need to be designer. Beyond that, it's actually better if they're not, especially when you're talking basics that will see a lot of wear and tear. You cannot imagine the number of messages I get on a daily basis from girls who want to read about affordable fashion that's trendy, comfy, classy and charming at the same time! Of course, you'd say street style is the least expensive, but what about other trends that are more girly and chic? I've got you today's post with exact prices as picked from different brands put together in my #ootd for less than Rs.5000. Read below more details!

dress : AND | bag : Ni & Sa Bags | heels : StreetStyleStore | bow : Oony by Anab

bracelet : Auhna Creations | belt : Jabong | ring : Blinglane 

It's no secret that shift dresses are easy to wear and are universally flattering as they compliment just about all body shapes. My first pick was this cute ombre peach dress from AND which was for Rs.1699/-. For a pear-shaped, petite woman like me, this dress is a perfect piece which covers my knees, has full length sleeves, and can be donned at a casual brunch or a dine out. Along with that, to give it a more polished look, I secured the waist with a skinny belt from Jabong that I bought for Rs.200/- on a sale. Belts are edgy and fun to accentuate the lose waists, and can be twisted to form pretty embellishments at any time!

Coming to the accessories, I opted for a cute pair of peach heels that are enclosed and pointed from the front, looking posh. These are versatile footwear, can be styled with office wear, party gowns, or a simple dress like mine. I got it from StreetStyleStore for Rs.699/-. I've gotta say this that my accessories all put together are way more than all my money spent on the dress, but that's the fun part, you get too many things for cheaper rates. Like how girls want it, eh? Anyway, to add some funk to my look, I wore a twisty bracelet in silver and orange on my right wrist which is worth Rs. 150/-, sold by Auhna Creations. A pair of studs in my ears for Rs.10 from a local market. The ring on my left little finger for Rs. 499/- from Blinglane, and the cutest part of my look - the blue bow in my hair is from Oony for just Rs. 150/-. To finish off my look, I opted for a quirky tassel bag from Ni & Sa that costs Rs.1499/-. And I'm done!

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No matter what age group you belong to, trendiest fashion in the best prices is a dream for every female. There are so many brands out there, waiting for you to grab their pieces on sale (especially the ones I mentioned as above). Know your shape and find your style, and you can always thank me later! If you liked this quick tip post, do let me know in the comments below. Until next, much love.

Photographed by : Madhukant Tripathi  |  Makeup : Divya Vishnani  |  Shot at : Rollarappa Lucknow - Episode 3

~xoxo~

Laces, Knots, Fringes & Straws

Hey dearies, hope everything's happening great! So, I've been in a constant touch with my fellow city bloggers and saw them updating a lot many bohemian inspired looks recently. Whereas, I myself had been thinking of sharing a look on the similar lines since a very long time but I feel I'm more of a free-spirited country girl and like to keep things opulent and sophisticated!

Hence, today I've partnered with a multiple fashion brands (find details below) to put across an eccentric look that includes four of my favorite trends that are booming this season - lace, knots, fringes and straws.

The country-boho as we could name it, history suggests that the urbanity of the look comes from the french period, where girls dressed as art and walked across roads flaunting loose fabrics and lots of colors! Apparently, its true because you would rarely see an Indian girl running around places with fringes and straw hats on head and so we could say its a borrowed craze from the west. Having said that, I am a firm believer of exotic alternatives in fashion and feel that every person carries an individual and unique style which represents a counterculture. 

Scroll down below to check out all the pictures from my kind of boho look and read what makes it a head turner!

dress : Forever21 | hat : Accessorize | bag : Old Buy | footwear : StreetStyleStore

twisty bracelet : Aminabad (Lucknow) | bracelet set : Auhna Creations | earrings : Aarna Designs | rings : H&M

Recently, in of the episodes on the Ellen DeGenerous show, the famous Bollywood actress and former Miss World - Priyanka Chopra carried a beautiful white lace dress from Zimmerman and became the talk of the town for the same! I was astound to find a very similar looking dress at the Forever21 store in Delhi and picked it without giving it a second thought. It was a clinched piece from the waist and an A-Line in the fall with a short length, just perfect for my height. I knew I was going to do something impromptu with it and that's what exactly happened when one morning I got up only to find myself pulling out my new pair of roman gladiators with brown laces from StreetStyleStore that are super comfy to walk in & look hot AF to match with the dress!

I quickly called up my team and told them we're shooting for a country side look in 2 hours and my accessories would be bluntly colored in red, orange, green, blue or just any random color one could think of, so we need a location that looks culturally aesthetic. As you could see in the pictures already, we finally stumbled upon a lake view with a broken bridge and some flowery scenes nearby!

To add, the multi-colored, knotted pom-pom earrings have been making its mark in the fashion market since quite some time, so I got myself some mirrored ones from Aarna Designs & paired it with a multi-colored twisty bracelet on one wrist and another stack of beaded ones on the other wrist complimenting the white dress, and of course we even wanted absolute finesse in the style so I carried a black-brown fringe bag to add vivacity along with my oxidised finger rings from H&M. I opted to finish off the look with a straw hat inspired by the actual country girl mode that I'd been discovering in western movies past so many years. Also, kudos to my MUA who gave me the best face of all time, a fresh & glamorous look with bold eyes, sensitive contouring and deep pink lips, and left my hair open to let me set to pose!

PS : If you were looking for a similar style, or were sceptical about trying out an unconventional look, I hope this post lead you somewhere. Do share it with your friends and help me spread some panache! Until next time, lots of love to you all.

Photographed by : Creativity Studio  |  Makeup by : Divya Vishnani

~xoxo~

Indian Wedding Fashion : Part 2 - Tilak/Sangeet

Hey girlies! Hope you are all doing fine. Firstly, I would like to thank everyone out there who took out time and read my first part of the wedding collaboration series which was an engagement party look. It was indeed overwhelming to see your comments too, so thank you very very much! And for all those who missed checking it out earlier can do it now by clicking HERE.

Coming to today's post, its the second part of this year's wedding fashion series with JMA Makeup & Fashion Studio, where I'm going to share with you a beautiful outfit totally apt for the Tilak & Sangeet ceremonies as we have in the Indian culture. I would request you to now scroll down and enjoy the pictures and all details about my look! 

outfit, head accessory : JMA Fashion Studio | rings, bracelets : Auhna Creations | silver bangle set : The Trinket Shop

handcuff : Hill Road (Mumbai) | makeup & hair : JMA Makeup Studio

To be honest, my most favorite ceremony out of all other functions is sangeet because first you get to dance madly and second you get to wear your best outfit because then's when the groom's and bride's families compete the most, so you know you want to look your best! In a recent sangeet function I attended, I chose to wear the lehenga skirt & top attire that you see in the pictures above, comprising of a black cold shoulder crop top made of raw silk fabric and slight ruffles on the sleeves with a long, flowy skirt with mesmerising floral prints on the satin silk fabric that makes the skirt really comfortable to dance around in!

This outfit is designed by Jyotika Mirpuri Aroura under her own fashion label and I love how gracefully it stands out on a gorgeous silhouette. Now, since we wanted to keep my hair lose and long, Jyotika simply gave me bouncy tongs with a pouf and accessorized it with a metallic head chain to give a bohemian touch to dazzle! I also added a few bangles and bracelets on either wrists to give a party finish to the look. And, with my makeup we didn't play a lot this time, because smokey eyes pink lips and a fresh face did wonders as it is!

So guys, that's it for today. I hope you liked going through this post and loved watching the pictures as much as I loved getting them clicked. If you're looking for some sangeet outfits soon, you must check out JMA store once at least and I'm sure you'll drool over their collection. You can check them out on facebook and instagram for more!

Photographed by : Zeeshan Khan  |  Location : Renaissance Lucknow Hotel

~xoxo~

Indian Wedding Fashion : Part 1 - Engagement

Hello my gorgeous readers! It feels so good to be back at work, writing my first post for the last month of this year. 2016 has been a great journey so far and I hope I make the last days of it worthwhile for you all on this blog as well!

Last night I released a teaser video on facebook telling you all about the wedding ceremonial looks that I'll be sharing here under the wedding series like I'd put last year! You all loved it even then and I was adamant on continuing it this time too, so bringing in something new I've collaborated with a celebrity designer and makeup-artist, Mrs. Jyotika Mirpuri Aroura, who has been working for more than 6 years in the industry now. Having her roots in Lucknow, she decided to return to her hometown from Mumbai, and start her label giving some glam back to the city. JMA MAKEUP & FASHION STUDIO in Lucknow is located at Gokhale Marg past 2 years and Lucknowites are crazy over JMA's excellent work!

I feel so glad to have gotten an opportunity to be styled by Jyotika and with no further delay let's scroll down to check out a few pictures from the Engagement look we've created and some details about it!  

outfit : JMA Fashion Studio | rings, handcuff : Auhna Creations

makeup & hair : JMA Makeup Studio

An engagement party is such a fun time. You get to dressup whatever way you want, without the traditional rituals, you can make new traditions and wear the most beautiful dresses. If you're a bride-to-be and looking for something unconventional, a full length gown will help you make a statement and show off your personality. Imbibing the indo-western concept, these days most of Indian engagement parties are incomplete without an add-on cocktail party and you definitely want to wear something that looks perfect for the entire affair!

The glam gown that I'm wearing suits the engagement-cocktail occasion amazingly. Made of raw silk in azure blue color, this A-line outfit is layered with a hard net jacket embroidered fully with silver and gold. I love how the full sleeve net covers the cut sleeve of the gown inside and makes the whole look appear so classy. Opting for a gown at your engagement has many pluses that appeal to the Indian woman. It hides figure imperfections, can be worn long, or short, and most importantly, free-flowing gowns are perfect for women with a heavy bottom, since they hide flab. Its a breakaway from the lehenga-choli ensemble and here it was, both put together as a silhouette, in one easy-to-wear piece. So now you know, wearing a gown is much more than a fashion statement!

Coming to my makeup for this look, I wanted to go in for natural shades because heavy bridal makeup is a no-no for me, and who better than you guys would know it! Jyotika being the pro gave me a fresh face with light foundation covering, little blush, coral lips and smokey eyes, Let me tell you I tried false eyelashes for the first time very hesitantly but I love how it accentuated my eyelids and the filled in brows created a perfect illusion of a subtle face! For my hair she gave me a curly pony and a poofy rose bun on the back to enhance the entire hair section and we accessorized the complete look with a ring and handcuff and that's it!

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I hope you all liked reading this first post of this year's wedding collaboration series. I'll be sharing 2 more posts in this week itself so that I don't have to keep you waiting for long, so stay tuned for those as well. As of now, let me know in the comments below what do you think of this engagement look. If you love it, share it across and spread some love! 

Photographed by : Zeeshan Khan  |  Location : Skybar at Renaissance Lucknow Hotel

~xoxo~

Winter Dungaree Swag

Hi loves! What's up with y'all? Here I'm just pulling out my sweats and jackets, welcoming the winter season because hey, that's been my favorite time of the year, since years! I love to dress up from top to toe, layering myself with clothes to stay warm. And you'd agree with me that winter outfits look amazingly attractive than the summer ones, say what?

Today I've got you one of my personal favorite looks, which is a dungaree and sweat combo. Below are some pictures showing you how I styled the complete outfit and a few details why I chose to do so. Enjoying reading!

dungaree, sweat top : StalkBuyLove | shoes : StreetStyleStore.com

bag, sunglasses : Missa More | bracelets : Auhna Creations

There were so many winter fashion trends spotted last year that our heads cannot stop spinning from it all. We were treated to so much that we are sure that almost anything we wear now goes. And then we realize that just is not the case. 'Overalls', or as most of us call it 'dungarees' never went out of fashion. It just laid back with fewer designs and now that's it back in swag, I can totally vouch for this style anytime! 

I recently bought a pretty pink pair of woven rayon dungarees from StalkBuyLove that I loved on their website. Its a casual, trendy piece with soft, breathable fabric and simple buttons on the front. My favorite part being the pockets which most pairs lack. I chose to pair it up with a grey sweat top, bought from the new collection at SBL itself. Its a warm one, perfect for winters and it really attracted me! Pink and grey have always gone along well and hence, the combo seemed way too sexy than I thought of it in head, I chose to add some funk with my black oxford cut shoes to give the color scheme an edge!

Keeping my accessories a bit trans, I opted for grey mirror sunglasses that looked ultra modern. These are from Missa More's pop collection and I love how chic they appear. My new bucket bag from Missa More too adds to the swag to the entire look and I've been carrying it everywhere since the time I received it because its pure fashion addiction! Completed the look with a few stack of matching bracelets creating it a fancy attire and I was good to go. Well, just in case you missed, I did put on some red lipstick to add to the pink contrast and making my face appear brighter.

To all you girls out there, I strongly recommend trying some dungarees this winter season as it not only makes you look sassy and sophisticated, but also helps you stand a trendsetter. Let me know what do you feel about this look in the comments below, because I love to read your feedback and it helps me get better at my thoughts to create what you love!

Photographed by : Poorvi Naithani


~xoxo~

Pastaabilities at L-14, Renaissance Lucknow

Hey everyone, hope you all are doing good!

Its been a while since I treated you guys with a food post, and specially one from Renaissance, since I missed out on the previous month's fests! But, now that I'm back with my routine, I feel its my duty to take you along on my journey of PASTAABILITIES, the new ongoing dinner buffet which is an amalgamation of 'possibilities of pasta dishes' at L-14, Renaissance Lucknow Hotel. 

With my previous posts about the 14th floor restaurant at the hotel, I'm sure you don't need any further notes on how beautiful it looks and how warm the ambience is. Or if you've landed for the first time on my blog, let me just summarize the fact for you that L-14 is a fine-dine restaurant serving the best of breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, for foodies like me and has the most beautiful top view of the town! Now, lets get rolling to the session of pastaabilities..

Nothing says Italy like its food, and nothing says Italian food like pasta. It is an integrant part of Italy's food history, like wherever Italians immigrated they brought their pasta along, so much so today it can be considered a staple of international cuisine. Popular legend has it that Marco Polo introduced pasta to Italy following his exploration of the Far East in the late 13th century; however, we can trace pasta back as far as the fourth century B.C., where an Etruscan tomb showed a group of natives making what appears to be pasta.

Today pasta is everywhere and can be found in dried (pasta secca) and fresh (pasta fresca) varieties depending on what the recipes call for and it is the perfect foundation for a healthy, delicious and satisfying meal. At L-14, Renaissance I was amazed to see the different variety and shapes of pasta laid in front of me at the buffet counter! Not that I don't know of them from before but most of them were quite pretty as they appeared and looked super fresh. Distinguished on shapes they are named — penne, maccaroni, spaghetti, fettucini, fusilli, pacheri, mushroom pecorino panzotti and many more varieties that are filled with other ingredients like ravioli and tortellini.

I was invited to attend the dinner with my friend and photographer, Azman Khan and we made sure we did go since I missed being a part of the previous month's buffets so this was  a must! Now, while interacting with Chef Balwinder Singh, the man behind the inventory pasta dishes at this fest, I was told that I could pick my favorite type of pasta with my choice of vegetables and oil to add into my dish, and tbh it was a pleasant surprise when he himself came to my rescue and got special dishes prepared for me and my dear friend since I was uber tossed between the widespread of pasta types! 

WHAT WE TASTED

For starters, Chef Balwinder sent across a platter of Brushchetta - fresh garlic bread baked and topped with yummy vegetables and lots of cheese. And along with it, some vegetarian and non-vegetarian tomato soup with macaroni for our appetising taste buds, that tasted yum!

For the main course, we were served different pasta dishes. Named, Broccoli and Mascarpone Agnolotti (veg raviolli with broccoli and cheese filling, for me) and Prawn Aglio Olio (non-veg sphagetti with prawns and cheddar, for Azman). Each of the dishes tasted heavenly and the garnishing looked mesmerising as well! So much so that for an instance, I thought they served me some rose petals topped on my dish which were beetroot shaving in real :p

Brocolli and Mascarpone Agnolotti

Prawn Aglio Olio

While we were engrossed in eating as whatever served at our table, a few moments later we realised that it won't be fair if we didn't take a round of the buffet and I'm so glad we took the decision of leaving our comfortable chairs for a while because then we saw the display of innumerable other dishes at the counter waiting or us to grab 'em all. Well guys, below is the display for you to have a look at the entire dinner buffet presentation because the Pastaabilities food fest is still on and will run till 16th October, 2016. So, you can actually go and experience it yourself!

APPETISERS / SALADS

Crisp pita thins with cheese dips and hummus

Vegetarian Salads

Non Vegetarian Salads

MAIN COURSE (VEG)

Soba Noodles

Stir Fried Green Vegetables

Seekh Kebab Cottage Cheese and Kurkuri Tikki

MAIN COURSE (NON-VEG)

Pudina Kukked - Mint Flavored Char Grilled

Chilli Basil Fish

Mutton Rogan Josh (Curry Lamb Preparation)

Grill Fish in Dill Sauce

Char Pepper and Cheese Chicken Breast

Murgh Curry (Traditional Chicken Cooked with Onion & Tomato Sauces)

Black Bean Lamb

Gosht Biryani (Traditional Lamb Dilaf)

While casually strolling in between the desert counters with Chef Balwinder Singh, learning about the new recipes they've come up with, I met Chef Neeraj Jha who is as important a face behind the mouth watering pasta dishes at the fest. It was indeed a pleasure meeting him and getting clicked alongside felt like a privilege! *sigh*

Well, with my infinite LIVE Snapchat stories last week you already got a hint of the LIVE dessert making I witnessed during the buffet and tbh it was one of the most astonishing things I've ever seen in my entire life! Dressing the cold stone with colorful condiments and placing sweet lasange right on point and melting the cream cheese with a fire gun, it all looked so fascinating and toothsome by the chefs who were such fun and clapped at their own creation making the entire atmosphere joyous! I was sceptical that if I'd take a piece that big, would I be able to finish it but I did try a bite because I just couldn't resist and by all means I was delighted!!!

LIVE Dessert Making

L-R : Chef Abhishek, Chef Jitendra, Chef Neeraj, Chef Balwinder, Chef Binay, Chef Raj

OTHER DESSERTS

Pastries - Tiramisu, White Chocolate Raspberry

Tiramisu, Creme Caramel, Mahalabia

I took four rounds for Mahalabia and ate around 6 bowls. It's one of the best sugar free desserts I've ever tasted what makes me even more excited from now is, Chef Balwinder promised to make it for me from every time I'll visit them next. So, yayy!

This candy corner was a supreme surprise for sweet freaks like me. 

PS : If you're a kid or no, if you're at Renaissance, it doesn't really matter!

To end, both Azman and I enjoyed ourselves a lot. From the warmest welcome of all times with our favorite mocktails, to sharing information about the origin and making of the different types of pasta dishes, to the dessert making sessions and everything in all was absolutely fabulous! If you're a foodie and love exploring elite places to eat, L-14 is your stop and Pastaabilities is your event at the moment! MAKE RESERVATIONS NOW.

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It had been a while since I wore my LBD and hence thought of throwing it up at the Italian food fest this time. Looks good? Find full outfit details below! :)

dress : AND | heels : StreetStyleStore.com | bag : Parfois

choker : Auhna Creations | earcuff, ring : Myntra.com

If you liked reading this post, do share it across! I will be sharing another food story from Renaissance Lucknow in this month again, so stay tuned for that. Until then, lots of love and warm hugs!

 

Photographed by : Azman Khan

~xoxo~