Design Catalyst 2015 – Graduation Extravaganza, NIFT Mumbai

  

  NIFT Mumbai established in 1995, offers full time undergraduate courses in Fashion Design, Knitwear Design, Textile Design, Fashion Communications, Accessory Design, Apparel Production and Postgraduate courses in Fashion Management and Design Space. The class of 2015 graduating from NIFT Mumbai campus, showcases its potential through Interactive Exhibitions, Craft Displays & Fashion Shows from the 22^nd to 23^rd May 2015 at CIDCO Convention Centre.

The Grand Finale NIFT Mumbai Final Year Graduation Show 2015 organized by the dynamic NIFT Mumbai Director Nilima Rani Singh, aided by her stellar team of professor’s promises many highlights.  Directed by renowned columnist and Designer Nisha JamVwal the#NIFTMumbai Gradshow 2015 on the 23^rd of May stands apart in its celebrity walk to save traditional weaves & crafts from extinction & exemplifies the 'Make in India' theme exemplified by our Prime Minister. 

Walking the ramp along with the students for the cause of ‘saving traditional crafts' are actors Rati Agnihotri, Kiran Joneja Sippy, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, Asha Sachdev, Tanaaz Bhaktiar Irani, Juhi Babbar, Anup Soni, Singers Sharon Prabhakar, Geetu Hinduja, artists Sunil Padwal, Arzan Khambatta, Krsna Mehta, designer Nisha JamVwal who is also visiting faculty at NIFT, sculptor Kayur Patel, critic Bhawana Somaaya, Lawyer Mrunalini Deshmukh, theatre persona Dolly Thakore, Gynac Rishma Dhillon Pai.

  

On the same morning of the fashion show and banquet, is the graduation convocation ceremony of National Institute of Fashion Technology Mumbai. On the morning of May the 23^rd- 206 students will receive Degree Certificates from Actor Hema Mailini Honourable MP.

On the 22^nd of May- perusing the grand finale- the department of Fashion Communication hosts a Poster Display revealing in depth design research with  an impressive Exhibition by the department of Textile Design & Knitwear Design inaugurated by V. Radha, IAS Joint Managing Director, CIDCO, Vikram Bawa, Ram Kremer Managing Director Opti-Tex  who will interact with students. Vibrant panel discussions by Departments of Fashion Technology, Fashion Management and Space Design will see CEOs of Industry addressing and faculty jointly interacting with students embarking on their professional journey. 

NIFT Mumbai is involved in reviving the Crafts of Maharashtra & bringing them to the mainstream Commercial platform & has been constantly trying to upgrade the livelihood of the artisans by teaching those new designs & techniques with the help of Centre and the State Govt. NIFT Mumbai prides itself in showcasing the crafts in all its different formats.  In this context to create an awareness of the different Crafts of Maharashtra celebrities from all walks of life will walk ‘for the cause of Craft’. 

Venue: CIDCO Convention Centre, Navi Mumbai

Date: Friday, 22nd May 2015

Time: 11 am - 8 pm

MADHURI DIXIT LAUNCHES FITNESS EXPERT LEENA MOGRE’S DEBUT BOOK TITLED ‘TOTAL FITNESS’

One of the pioneers in the health and fitness industry, and the first to introduce the idea of celebrity fitness in India, Leena Mogre is an institution in herself. Her first book titled ‘Total Fitness – The Leena Mogre Way’ published by Random House India and Penguin India was launched by celebrated Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit at Leena Mogre’s gymnasium located in Bandra.

Leena Mogre is armed with a Masters in Food and Science & Nutrition and Sports Nutrition; regaled the guests and media present with incredible anecdotes of success stories. She started her journey in the fitness industry over two decades ago and her own signature brand of fitness centres over a decade ago and has over the years trained and guided actors like Ranbir Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Deepika Padukone, Jacqueline Fernandez, Katrina Kaif, Soha Ali Khan and Aditya Roy Kapur to her credit.

Madhuri also mentioned how Leena’s guidance and expertise led her to being fit and fabulous. Madhuri who has penned the foreword in Leena’s book said, “I have known Leena since my ‘Hum Aapke Hain Kaun’ days. She was my first trainer and has helped me understand my body and how important it is to look fit and feel healthy. She has shared her wealth of experience and knowledge in this book to help you achieve ‘Total Fitness’ by learning and adapting from it. Her passion reflects in the book.”

Leena Mogre said, “This book brings you comprehensive and distinctive insider secrets – everything from the myth of size zero to assessing your actual strength and fitness before starting out, and finding your comfort zone and pushing beyond it gradually to achieve complete fitness. It is the perfect guide for anyone looking to get fit the right way.”

Several well-known guests like Candice Pinto, Diandra Soares, Neeta Lulla, Madhur Bhandarkar, Kiran Juneja and Ramesh Sippy, Chhaya Momaya, Manali & Dilip Vengsarkar, Shilpa Shirodkar, Vithal Kamat, Anirudh Dhoot, Baba Siddiqui, Ashish Shelar, Poonam Mahajan, Asif Bhamla, Nitin Sardesai, Vishwas Nagre Patil, Ashish Chaudhary, Meghna Ghai, Timmy Narang, Akshay Oberoi and more were in attendance to support and encourage Leena’s new initiative. The book launch event was followed by an after party at Bandra’s newest bar-and-grill ‘La Ruche’ over delish snacks, cocktails, fab music and was hosted by Amrita Pursnani and Rohan Rampal.

Leena Mogre currently has a 24x7 well equipped and functional gymnasium in Bandra (W) and another one in Dadar (W), Mumbai. She also has a signature fitness centre in Chandigarh.

Akshay Kumar the face of INDIA LUXURY STYLE WEEK 2015- Men's Edition

What: Announcement  of  INDIA LUXURY STYLE WEEK 2015 with Akshay Kumar the face of INDIA LUXURY STYLE WEEK 2015- Men's Edition – The Business Fashion Week Show, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER organized by Ramesh Dembla! 

Where: La Ruche

           Linking Road,Bandra,Mumbai

         

When Akshay Kumar is said to be coming for an event, one can surely expect two things. One is that pandemonium will be created and the other is that the event will start right on time as scheduled! These two were most definitely the outcomes at the announcement of India's first men's fashion week, INDIA LUXURY STYLE WEEK 2015- Men's Edition organized by Ramesh Dembla! 

Akshay, who the is the most natural choice for a men's fashion week, what with his effortlessly stylish sense of dressing and that chiseled to perfection physique said some interesting words at the launch but more on that below.

The event commenced with participating menswear designers (from all over India) displaying a sneak preview of their collection and then Madhurima Tuli took the stage to be the perfect emcee and say some charming words about ILSW and her favorite co-star. She said that, "Akshay, with his Greek god body and athletic appeal, can carry off virtually any ensemble under the sun, be it a sharp 3 piece suit or a sweatshirt and hoodie! Therefore, its only natural for Mr. Kumar to be the face of a fashion week that focuses exclusively on men's luxury fashion wear. The India Luxury Style Week will take place in Bangalore from 12th-16th August and with Akshay as the brand ambassador, one can only image how sizzling the week will be! A big round of applause for the man behind the genius idea of ILSW, Mr. Ramesh Dembla!" 

Akshay then walked the ramp for ace designer Ramesh Dembla who is also his very close friend for the past 26 years. The man looked his sharpest best in a powder blue suit with a stick engraved with a skull! His walk was met with thunderous applause and we did hear a few ladies swoon at his salt and pepper beard, amazing swag and infectious smile! Akshay then went on to call the man of the hour, Mr. Ramesh Dembla onstage and addressed media questions wherein he stated that, "There are 52 weeks in a year and now finally there will be one full week dedicated to men's fashion from Aug12-16 in Bangalore called ILSW! After all, women should not have all the fun of fashion weeks right?" He spoke about his strong friendship with Ramesh Dembla and said that, "Ramesh's father had financed my first film Saugandh and we go back 26 years and I have great respect for his work. He asked me to do this and so here I am." Their banter was visible when Ramesh said that, "Earlier for my fashion shows, which I have been doing since 9-10 years, I would use men as props till the women were ready, but its now time for men's fashion to take centre stage and this will happen with ILSW." At this point, Akshay cheekily chimed in saying, "I would not mind being your prop Ramesh!" Akshay also addressed a media question on wife Twinkle in an interesting fashion. When asked as to what Twinkle thinks of his style of dressing he said that she does not think anything, in fact what is her opinion becomes his opinion by default so he dare not argue! 

Krishka and Sunil Lulla were all smiles and proud of Ramesh Dembla (Krishka's brother). Also present were Anu Malik with daughter Anmol Malik, badman Gulshan Grover, Neil Nitin Mukesh, participating designers Manoviraj Khosla and Rocky S who were heard receiving praises for their collections, Smita Thackeray, Urvashi Rautela, Zarine Khan, and more! 

L’Oreal Paris and Femina celebrate ‘Women of Worth’

Felicitate 16 women for their exemplary work in various fields of Sicence & Innovation, Literary Contribution, Design & Arts, Business & Entrepreneurship, etc.

 Katrina Kaif, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor gave away L'Oréal Paris Femina Women Awards to winners

 

Femina, India’s largest women’s magazine and L'Oréal Paris, the world’s No. 1 beauty brand once again came together to celebrate Indian women achievers at the fourth edition of the L'Oréal Paris Femina Women Awards at The Leela, Mumbai. The awards celebrated 'Women of Worth' in India, across 12 categories including science & Innovation, business and entrepreneurship, sports, design & art, social impact and education among others.

 

 

Honoring women with extraordinary accomplishments, leadership qualities and commitment to their careers and communities, the L’Oréal Paris Femina Women Awards brought to the fore the inspirational journeys of Indian women and their selfless pledge to make a difference at the grass root level in the society.  The final nominees were shortlisted after much deliberation by the esteemed jury that comprised of –Kalpana Morparia, CEO, JP Morgan India, actor Supriya Pathak, theatre veteran Arundhati Nag, designer Ritu Kumar, athlete and educationist Ashwini Nachappa, Madhu Nair, Director, Design and Operations,Hotel Leelaventure Limited, JC Letellier, MD, Loreal India and Tanya Chaitanya, Editor, Femina.
 

The winners for the Reader’s Choice category were selected through a voting process across the digital platforms of L'Oréal Paris and Femina.

Manashi Guha, Marketing Manager, L'Oréal Paris said, “We are proud to associate with Femina for the fourth consecutive year of L'Oréal Paris Femina Women Awards to felicitate women of substance from all walks of life. Four simple, yet very powerful words - ‘Because You’re Worth It’ are meant to inspire each and every woman to embrace her unique strength and celebrate the incredible power she has to make a difference. L'Oréal Paris salutes women who embody self-confidence, possess a strong personality and are yet sensitive to the needs of the society. I would like to congratulate all the winners and the nominees.”

 

The evening saw distinguished women from various walks of life such as Madhu Nair, Arundati Nag, Ritu Kumar among many others felicitated for work done in diverse fields. L’Oreal Paris Brand ambassadors Sonam  Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Katrina Kaif along with the other stars and the esteemed jury members presented the awards.
 

 With power packed performances by Shobana Chandrakumar, Neeti Palta and Rekha Bhardwaj the ceremony brought alive the essence of womanhood in India and made the evening an occasion to remember.
 

Rounding off a successful fourth year of the awards Tanya Chaitanya, Editor, Feminasaid, The L'Oreal Paris Femina Women Awards  have been quite a revelation in their fourth year. We've measured the length and breadth of the country, zeroing in on organisations and women who have taken a spark and fanned it into a flame--a flame of change, development, huge impact. It is the unstoppable women and their causes that we celebrate through our awards this year. Here's hoping that the flicker of inspiration reaches out to a million other women and touches many more lives.

 

 

Winners of the fourth edition of L’Oréal Paris Femina Women Awards 2015 are as follows:

	Category	Winners- Digital Voting	Winners- FB Fan Page
	Reader’s Choice for Social Impact	Manjula Pradeep	Dr. Rukmini Rao
	Reader’s Choice for Face of a cause	Binalakshmi Nepram	Dr. Ritu Biyanni
	Online Influencer	Shraddha Sharma
	Reader's Choice for Enviroment	Lakshmi Narayanan	Nisha Bora
	Sports	Bhakti Sharma
	Music & Performing arts	Sonam Kalra
	Reader’s Choice for Science and Innovation	Swati Bedekar	Hemani Kalucha
	Education	Geetanjali Babbar
	Design and Arts	Dr. Alka Pande
	Literary Contribution	Leena Manimekalai
	Business and Entrepreneurship.	Shravani Pawar Hagargi
	Editor’s Choice Award – Woman We Love	Bader Sayeed​

FALGUNI AND SHANE PEACOCK ON THE PICTURESQUE LAWNS OF LA BRISE

 INDIA BEACH FASHION WEEK 2015 ENDED WITH A SPECTACULAR GRAND FINALE BY THE AWARD WINNING AND INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED FALGUNI AND SHANE PEACOCK ON THE PICTURESQUE LAWNS OF LA BRISE

Under the starlit sky with a 60-meter ramp that ran down the lawns, with the gentle breeze wafting around - could there have been a more spectacular venue for a Grand Finale for any designer?

It was a fabulous glamorous end to the first edition of Gionee India Beach Fashion Week 2015, when Falguni and Shane Peacock, award winning designers and internationally renowned for their creations, unveiled their “Runaway Bride” collection at the Grand Finale on the picturesque lawns of La Brise, the sprawling property, that kissed the silver sands of Goa.

To the beats of the swinging DJs, Nina and Malika of Elektrovertz the pace was set for a tightly edited show of bridal wear that was ideal for the bride in a great hurry to reach the altar. As the audience lounged on comfy sofas, the relaxed unconventional atmosphere was perfect for the high impact show.

When it comes to bridal wear no one can beat the glitz and scintillating collections from Falguni and Shane whose “Peacock Bride” label is coveted by every girl who wants to walk down the aisle.

But this bridal wear is not for the faint of heart as was revealed by the dramatic collection. The Peacock Bride is a woman who is sexy, stylish, very daring, yet elegant and traditional.

Keeping the New Age Indian woman’s wedding trousseau requirements in mind, the designing pair created sensuous, sleek gowns, ornate cropped tops with swirling printed skirts, gossamer fine lehengas, luxuriously embroidered jackets and stunning gowns.

The colour choice matched the theme of the show as pastel pink, eye-catching grey, striking blue, red, yellow, gentle aqua green, and pristine white added to the glam factor of the creations.

Known for their striking prints’ stories, the creative pair ensured that they were the highlight of the collection. Tonal embroidery was the centre of attraction but in an innovative mix of floral and geometric patterns.

Opening the show with a baby pink net lehenga and printed cropped top, the assortment of fishtail low back gowns, hip high slit shimmering long tubes, luxurious will-power or corset style lehenga-cum-gowns with shoulder trail and hip hugging long flared embroidered skirts were visions of beauty.

The print story was in dual shades of white/blue, white/red and white/yellow for swirling panelled skirts, often teamed with long sleeved shirts; tiny velvet/net tank tops, boleros or just plain Tees with either racer back or skivvy silhouettes.

Long slinky tulle embroidered column gowns were in black, pale blue or white and the elaborately embroidered transparent net skirts were the sexy choice with body suits.

To complete the look the designing duo added jaunty printed baseball caps for a sporty angle to the wardrobe of the bride in a hurry. The gorgeous jewellery that decked the models and perfectly complemented the fabulous collection was by Minerali.

To end the show were the “Real Showstoppers”  - the very creative and dynamic pair, Falguni and Shane Peacock  - who took the ramp as the rousing applause from the very appreciative audience, filled the air.

The “Runaway Bride” collection by Falguni and Shane Peacock was the perfect couture resort wear end to a successful first edition of the Gionee India Beach Fashion Week 2015.