There was something simple, something cute and something downright sexy on the evening of Day 4 at Amazon India Fashion Week 2015 in the Capital. Veteran designer Poonam Bhagat’s label Taika, on Saturday, took an artistic interpretation of Cubist painter Pablo Picasso’s fascination for lines and dots, transferred the constellation drawings from the canvas to the fabrics, and presented a simple and unique collection on the ramp.

Long skirts, dresses with outwardly curved thighs, full-sleeve shirts with wide peplums, boatneck tops and cut-out jackets formed the range in ivory, cobalt blue, black and orange, paying ode to the setting sun. Special ‘constellation headgears’ were crafted by Tokyobased milliner Satsuki Nakagawa for the show. The collection was minimal yet chic, and brought to the fore the designer’s skill for traversing through younger styles with a sophisticated sensibility. Speaking of sensibilities, Pero by Aneeth Arora brought explored identity through art with her 1930’s militaryinspired collection , juxtaposed with adorable little dolls created by a Gurgaon-based contemporary artist. Miniature dolls lined either side of the ramp and small green-coloured first-aid military boxes lay on the seats-with knick-knacks like Swiss knives, patterned band-aids, badges and postcards- while chants in a foreign language filled the room.

As guests took guesses over what the collection was going to be about, they were called to attention by a live marching band belting out beats on a drum and tunes from synchronised bugles. The show began with models strutting down in feminine-androgynous ensembles-check jackets with loose jeans and boots, berets with pompoms on top, dresses with softly pleated skirts boasting of dot and star prints, dungarees, oversized parkas and gallaces over wide trousers-while Princess Pea dolls played as accessories

Fabrics comprised handwoven wool (from the Himalays) with Scottish checks and indigo resist block-printed khadi from Gujarat. Also on display on garments were enamel brass buttons made by Rajasthani silversmiths. The showstopper was the artist herself who walked the ramp wearing an oversized doll head covering her face.

The final show for the evening was by one of the hottest tickets among the fashion fraternity, designer Gaurav Gupta. Lame fabrics made a comeback at the show with draped one shoulder dresses, hooded tops, and pre-stitched saris in shimmering blue and plum tones. Elements of the customary ‘goth’ in G.G. Studio was presented with subtle elegance.

Three party dresses with irregular gold and black sequins were wellcrafted and received admiration and applause from the spectators. Structured bows and shoulders added dimension to the garments while men’s suits in grey pinstripes brought a masculine edge

The panellists discussed if India needed to make efforts to win the West or if there was already enough to grab their attention. Adding historical context, Kumar said, “India has faced too many years of carrying a colonial hangover. We were a poor country, yes, but we were never poor in textiles. We need to build on our strengths.” Rhodes-who has designed for the likes of UK’s Princess Diana and singer Freddie Mercury- confessed she fell in love with Indian textiles, saris and salwar-kameez in 1980s. In 1987, she even did a show on saris.

Beeche, meanwhile, said, “India riveted my whole being. My senses were on fire with the colours, smells, emotions and devotion. I thought this was better than a Paris catwalk, and decided to give it all up to stay here and photograph the beauty I saw.”

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/amazon-india-fashion-week-2015-for-the-love-of-picasso-and-dolls/1/426369.html

Aditi Arya was declared fbb Femina Miss India World 2015 at a star-studded event at the Yash Raj Studios, Mumbai on 28th March. Aafreen Rachel Vaz walked away with the fbb Femina Miss India 2015 first runner-up crown, while Vartika Singh was fbb Femina Miss India 2015 second runner-up!

Gurgaon girl Aditi Arya, a research analyst, received the crown from Miss India 2014 Koyal Rana. Aditi will represent India at Miss World 2015 to be held later this year. She believes in staying busy with constructive activities and says every woman must possess grace and compassion.

Mangaluru’s Aafreen Rachel Vaz, fbb femina Miss India 2015 first runner-up,is a medical student who has spent many years growing up in New Zealand. The leggy lass earned applause during the semi-final round when she was asked to part with one motivational quote that influenced her life. “Be your own best friend,” she said. She was crowned by Miss India International 2014 Jhataleka Malhotra.

Lucknow’s Vartika Singh was crowned fbb Femina Miss India 2015 second runner-up by Miss India United Continental 2014 Gail Nicole Da Silva.. She also went on to win the title of fbb Beauty With a Purpose. Singh has a keen interest in dance and sports.

The grand finale boasted an eminent jury of top names from the field of entertainment and fashion — Anil Kapoor, John Abraham, Manisha Koirala, Shilpa Shety, Sonali Bendre, Chitrangada Singh, filmmaker Feroz Nadiadwala, designer duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, and choreographer Shaimak Davar.

The show was hosted by the exuberant Manish Paul and he was joined by the gorgeous Neha Dhupia for a segment.

The Top 5 finalists — Aafreen Rachel Vaz, Aditi Arya, Vartika Singh, Deeksha Kaushal and Tanya Hope walked the ramp with popular TV actors such as Gautam Gulati and Karan Tacker, amongst others. The evening witnessed glorious moments of glamour, verve and determination where the finalists were adjudged on various parameters of grace, elegance, intelligence and presentation.

The Grand Finale also saw the crowning of two sub-titles- fbb Miss Beauty with a Purpose and Reliance Digital Miss Multimedia. Guwahati’s Rewati Chetri was declared the winner of Reliance Digital Miss Multimedia and was fastracked to Top 10. Vartika Singh, the winner of fbb Miss Beauty with a Purpose was gratified with a Style wardrobe from fbb worth Rs 50,000.

Touted as the most glamorous and credible beauty pageant of the country, fbb Femina Miss India 2015 saw electrifying performances by Bollywood stars Kareena Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandes, Shahid Kapoor and Famous singers like Kanika Kapoor, Meet Brothers, and Shalmali Kholgade. The 52nd year of fbb Femina Miss India 2015 was celebrated with glamour and panache.

TV characters from `Comedy Nights With Kapil’, Palak and Daadi draped actor John Abraham in a blue sari, terming the phenomenon “wardrobe malefunction.” The actor played to the gallery with a catwalk. Paul, on his part, indulged both the judges and contestants in goofy banter, egging four contestants to dance to Sonu Nigam’s songs.

The evening also saw actress Kalki Koechlin make a swift entry on stage to talk about her upcoming film ‘Margarita, With A Straw’. In the film Palki plays a girl suffering from cerebral palsy.

The stunning 21 finalists were introduced in gorgeous saree gowns by designer Mandira Wirk. The collection was complimented by diamond jewellery by PC Jeweller. A special collection of fbb created by Sailex featured the finalists draped in luxuriously elegant styles of the house, crafted as per the fbb Spring Summer 2015. Reflecting the brand’s vibrant color palette for the season, the ensembles are created in shades of ivory, cream, peachy pink and washed indigo.

Gorgeous evening gowns by Gavin Miguel, a collection called Jewel Luxe, adorned by the contestants, was inspired by jewels and defined by colour, cut and finesse.

The unprecedented success of the grand finale follows the super-successful city editions that received an overwhelming response from participants across the country. This year the pageant featured 13 city auditions, 3 regional auditions and 2 city pageants which culminated into a gala final round of auditions, and gave wings to larger-than-life aspiration of millions of young women out to redefine their destiny.

The pageant’s title sponsor is fbb. The pageant is powered by Neutrogena, with PC Jeweller as the crown and jewellery partner. The pageant is held in association with Reliance Digital. Sofitel Luxury Hotels, Mumbai BKC is the Hospitality partner.

Sunny Leone’s upcoming film Ek Paheli Leela boasts of some peppy tracks including ‘Desi Look’ and ‘Saiyaan Superstar’ where we spotted the actress doing some sensuous moves. But the bubbly actress wasn’t the only one to shake the leg during rehearsals on the sets.

During the shoot of ‘Saiyaan Superstar’, producer Bhushan Kumar visited the sets, which was constructed in Mumbai, to see how the song is looking and to have a meeting with the other producer and choreographer Ahmed Khan. During a break, when the producers were having an important discussion, Sunny Leone made the three dance to the tunes of the song. She taught them some steps and made them do a small jig which was captured by the photographer on the set. The on lookers there couldn’t hold back and supported Sunny. Ahmed being the choreographer was a pro but Bhushan was having fun while shaking his legs.

Produced by T-Series and Paperdoll Entertainment and directed by Bobby Khan, Ek Paheli Leela also stars Mohit Ahlawat, Rajniesh Duggal and Jay Bhanushali and it is all set to release on April 10.

​Philips presented a captivating collection by ace designer Wendell Rodricks at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2015

Mumbai, March 22, 2015: Ace designer Wendell Rodricks did not fail to impress yet again with his collection ‘Popology’ at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/ Resort 2015 presented by Philips.
Highly roused by the ‘Pop Art’ trend, Wendell let loose a burst of colour on stage, mesmerising the awaiting audience. This collection was also a referral to the concept of pop-up stores that merchandise at unusual places, making it accessible to a wider group of ​consumers. His idea was to fit into the concept of youthful fashion that made it attainable in an instant.
The collection unfolded onto the ramp in a sensational array of hues like sunshine yellow, burnt orange, olive green, pale mint, dove grey, black, candy pink, pale lilac, Turkish blue, turquoise blue and signature white. Each garment sent out a precise Pop Art statement in terms of the cut, colour and freshness, which radiated from the ensembles.
Based on a wave of nostalgia from the 1960’s style and silhouettes, the line brought a very fashion-forward touch to the ramp. The signature style carried out by Wendell Rodricks, who is known to excel in his craft and expertise, was clearly evident as the models cat-walked, leaving the audience in awe.
The models danced down the runway to upbeat music like “Uptown Funk’ in a fun and catchy way that was contagious. The clothing line commenced with a black Lycra bikini and hotpants under silk crépe rectangular beach shirt. Soon it was the 60’s silhouettes like the purple crépe silk dress featuring a yellow satin stripe, olive and dove grey ribbons that were worn over yellow linen Capris.
Some of the men’s wear that accentuated the collection was a candy pink linen jacket that edged in black silk and paired with grey linen beach pyjamas and another that was a pop art men’s grey linen shirt worn over turquoise linen beach pyjamas.
The show stopping garment was preceded with a hunky model wearing an orange linen men’s jacket with lavender silk detailing and crépe silk beach pyjamas.
Show stopper, Waluscha took the spectators by surprise when the lights dimmed to neon blue and she walked out wearing a jet black swimsuit over a wool crépe pleated peplum skirt. She was the perfect defining icon to the youthful collection.
‘Popology’ by Wendell Rodricks presented by Philips was a vibrant, fun, young line of clothing that had all the fashion divas swooning over it.

(Exclusive reporting Real News of India team )

Shilpa Reddy and Ridhi Mehra presented amazing style directions at Jabong stage during Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2015

RIDHI MEHRA REFLECTED A STUNNING COLLECTION AT JABONG STAGE DURING LAKME FASHION WEEK SUMMER/RESORT 2015.

22 March 2015, Mumbai: Youthful designer, Ridhi Mehra showcased a timeless spectrum of clothing titled ‘A Mirror Affaire’ at Jabong Stage during Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2015.

Taken by the intriguing interior decoration of the Sheesh Mahal – the palace of unbelievable beauty, Ridhi incorporated tastefully the essence of the palace onto her garments. Based on oriental charms juxtaposed with the subtleness of the romantic West; a fusion was artistically created to merge the romantic era and the craftsmanship of the Mughals.

Dainty soft-powdered hues like blush, nude, peach were balanced with bolder tones of mint green, orange and dreamy white dominated the colour palette.
While staying true to her signature look, the designer played around and achieved an elegant, refreshing mix of aari and mirror work brought to life with hints of zardosi. The compilation, this season consisted of grand anarkalis, jumpsuits, capes, jackets with peplums, saris, blouses and cholis.
The designer also played with a unique concept of embellishing see-through fabric with flower motifs, which appeared to float on one’s body in an almost dream-like manner.
Embellishments comprised rich thread work, which graced each form, as Grecian drapes helped to soften the feel of the collection.

Riches from the orient such as Chanderi silk, georgette, chiffon, satin and net were used to create the airy feminine silhouettes radiating a delicate tease.
The showstopper was lovely Bollywood star of the film; “Fugly” Kiara Advani who graced the runway in a gorgeous green choli, with the skirt enriched with several layers of embroidered fabric.
Footwear by Dune London and jewellery by Prerto added to the beauty of the collection.

‘The Mirror Affaire’ by Ridhi Mehra was a bold step towards the romantic mirage of a woman, who moves towards glory.

SHILPA REDDY’S ENSEMBLES WERE VISIONS OF BEAUTY AT JABONG STAGE DURING LAKMÉ FASHION WEEK SUMMER/RESORT 2015

Shilpa Reddy showcased an ethereal collection titled ‘Moon Lit Sand’ inspired by the moon at Jabong Stage during Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2015.

Staying true to the essence of the range, the colour palette comprised gold, silver, white, sand, royal blue, copper, grey and nudes for a timeless edge.
The Indo-western range showcased easy-to-wear, timeless silhouettes like skirts, jackets, tops, blouses, capes, pants and lehenga cholis that floated down the ramp in luxurious fabrics like malka and khadi silk.

Floral motifs, thread work, embroidery and subtle texturing added to the fresh, fun and flirty vibe of the outfits.
The designer played with each form, adding a whimsical western touch to traditional Indian outfits.

Embellishments like beads, sequins and crystals were used to add a brilliant, luminous effect to each piece – a reflection of the moon and were balanced with a solid strip of colour at the bottom.
Some of the pieces which stood out were a unique pre-stitched sari with pants in tangerine with a bead encrusted blouse; while a shimmering gold blouse stole the spotlight as a fashionably functional separate that could be paired with pants, shorts or a skirt.
Lastly, the show stopper, actress Nimrat Kaur known for her role in the movie “Lunchbox” took the catwalk in a stunning forest green embroidered lehenga teamed with a half sleeved jacket worn over a sensual low cut blouse.

Beautiful, elegant and eternal, Shilpa Reddy’s collection ‘Moon Lit Sand’ is sure to have any fashionista feeling like a Goddess.

About Lakmé:

Contemporary Indian beauty expert Lakmé continuously innovates to offer a wide range of, high performance and world class color cosmetics, skincare products, and beauty salons. In addition to leveraging Unilever’s worldwide expertise, Lakmé also partners with the leading cosmetic house Milan-based Intercos Italia, Schwann Stabilo Germany and Paris-based Fiabila. Combining international cosmetic technology with an in-depth understanding of the Indian woman’s needs, Lakmé also offers its consumers a comprehensive beauty experience through its products and services at the Lakmé Salons and Studios. For further information log on to www.lakméindia.com

About IMG Reliance:
IMG Reliance Pvt Ltd., is an equal joint venture between Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), India’s largest and most recognized private sector company, and IMG Worldwide (IMG), the world’s leading sports marketing and management company. The joint venture company will develop, market and manage sports and entertainment in India. Its current assets include India’s premier fashion event, Lakmé Fashion Week and South Asia’s only ATP World Tour event, the Aircel Chennai Open. IMG Reliance has entered agreements with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) to create a new professional basketball league and manage all aspects of the commercial rights to the game in India and the All India Football Federation (AIFF), to improve, popularize and promote the game of football throughout India, from the grassroots to the professional level. IMG Reliance has also created a scholarship program to identify and train talented young Indians from sports including – basketball, soccer and tennis-at IMG’s world-class sports training facilities at IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida.

( Exclusive reporting by Real News of India Team)

An Indian company today claimed to have indigenously developed four advanced dual-use radar systems capable of 3D bird detection and deterrence, besides UAV tracker and foliage penetration, a first for the domestic defence industry.

The radars would have a global launch in the upcoming Aero India air show in Bengaluru.

“OIS Advanced Technology has the IP rights for these four radars. We are launching these advanced radar systems for global markets, in essence taking Indian intellectual property and manufactured product to advance our expanded vision of taking Make in India to the world,” Sanjay Bhandari, Founder- Chairman and Managing Director of the firm said here.

The company said its 3D Bird Detection, Tracking and Monitoring and Deterrence Radar System is a global first.

Bhandari explained that there are bird detection radars but those don’t come quipped with deterrence capabilities.

“Our technology uses bio-acoustics (sound) and an eye-safe laser both of which are automatically controlled by the radar system.”

The company has already bid for the Indian Air Force’s requirements for such a radar.

It has also designed, developed and manufactured another industry’s first – the 3D Multi-function, Multi-mode UAV Detection and Tracking and Air Surveillance Radar System.

Unlike most air surveillance radars today, it includes a unique Sense-N-Avoid feature to identify UAVs that may be on a collision course, allowing the controller to take remedial action, the firm said.

The company claims that it can detect a small UAV up to 25 kms and fighter aircraft up to 60 kms.

This week came to a close with the big Filmfare Nominations party, and as always there were a few stars to shine out.

It seems Priyanka Chopra has undergone sartorial transformation. On a roll since last week, the actor-turned-singer has walked red carpets in stand-out ensembles of the kind she’s never been known to wear before. This time, it was a textured Elena Perseil gown with a hood. It could have looked too eskimo for a breezy night in Mumbai, but she made it work.

Another star to try something new at the event was Alia Bhatt. Her look was sleek and very grown-up: a white Temperley London vest-suit with sleek hair and bourdeaux lips. Who else stood out? The list includes Pernia Qureshi in a blue and orange mini dress, Gauhar Khan looking tough in studs and leather, and Kiara Advani in a pastel suit by The Circus and chihuahua minaudiere by Judith Leiber.

Going the ethnic route this week were Sridevi (in her favourite–Sabyasachi), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla, and Shruti Haasan in Arpita Mehta. Of course, no-one sparkled quite as much as Sonakshi Sinha on her elder brother Kussh Sinha’s wedding reception.

The favourite look of this week internationally seemed to be full skirts, with Jennifer Lopez wearing the look twice (first, a rich red skirt with matching red smoky eyes, then a Christian Siriano skirt in green with a cool top knot). Marion Cotillard favoured the look too, wearing a white Christian Dior gown that was equal parts dainty and whimsical.

The Techfest organized by IIT Bombay started from 2nd January till 4th January. Ex President Abdul Kalam is to grace the exhibition on 4th January.
Techfest is Asia’s largest annual IT exhibition. Students from all over India, Asia and abroad are present in the Techfest. The ambience is done up very artistically which has a real Festival outlook along with young aspiring IT students bustling with various activities. The different innovative products on display show the talent and intelligence these students posses.
The main exhibits which are of great innovation, invention and attraction of TECHFEST are as follows.
1 OPEN-SOURCE 3D PRINTED LIFE-SIZE ROBOT
The In Moov bot seen here can be built in a relatively tiny 3D printer, cheap servos, Arduino boards and off-the-shelf parts. Even the software is open source

2 ROBOWARS
Metal takes on metal as the robots go to war.
This is the adrenaline surge as robots armed with saws, hammers and armour take on the competition by pinning them to a corner and bashing the one and zeros into them.

3 SEPIOS

Sepios is a cuttlefish inspired robot that is super silent and can navigate in the water to a depth of around five feet with relative ease. Sepios’ electricals are hidden within the polycarbonate hull to keep them away from water.
4 BIONICOHAND
The hand is a 3D printed open source prosthetic created by Nicolas Huchet. The prosthetic uses sensors to automatically move the hand when needed.
5 OCULUS RIFT
Oculus Rift has been in the news for more than a year now, especially after Facebook acquired the company. Techfest has a setup where one can watch a 5-minute rollercoaster demo.
6 FLIGHT SIMULATOR
7 BEBeachbot is a beach ball-sized robot that can write and draw in sand autonomously, the bot can detect the size of its frame using reflective sticks as markers, creating the design within the area.
8 WORLD’S SMALLEST ELECTRIC BIKE
The MECH CUB is a tiny 26.5cm-long bike that weighs in at 4.7kgs and can carry a maximum weight of 80kgs. The electric bike running on a 12V battery also has a USB port to charge your devices and a 2Watt LED bulb to light up the road.
9 AUTOMATED CHESS

Created by students from KJ Somaiya the automated chess board called Riidl, can help you play a physical game of chess over the Internet. The chess pieces are moved with magnets while an Arduino board powers the device.
10 FULL THROTTLE

IIT Powai’s favourite fuel burning competition is back with college students competing with their mean machines on a dirt track that is a notch tougher than last year. It should be noted that the participants have to build their own car.
You might want to hold off eating anything while at IIT just so you can experience the Gs with this nifty flight simulator. The exhibit takes you through a jet simulation where you have to take down enemy aircrafts.
On the entertainment front various entertaining programs are lined for these three days program
Some of the highlights are:
Thoughts of darkness- Winners of Arab’s got talent
Modern times- Flow Motion dance company from Austria – Pioneering Shadow Performing Show and World Premier of their 3D mapping Show. Based on the simple idea, that any kind of silhouette or shape can be produced with human bodies as shadow pictures.
The Techfest has a series of talk programs. The prominent speakers are MR. R. Chidambram Director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC), MR Bedabrata Pain , National Award Winner. Other speakers are Ada Yonath, Anil Kakodkar and Sushanata Mitra .