MADE IN INDIA

From Vogue photographer Norman Parkinson's India series

India has always been an artistic stimuli for the creative minds. Yoga, ayurveda, kamasutra, spices, tandoori, architecture, embroidery, elephants, snakes, Buddha & Ganesha are the few blocks that build a fort of intrigue.

She is a diaspora of vibrant colors, exhuberant finery, details & kitsch.

"In every collection I have done, there is always an Indian inspiration,” says Jean-Paul Gaultier, who has been amassing a vast library of intensely colored textile swatches since his first visit to Calcutta and Puri in the 1970’s

Hermès’s India-inspired collection for Spring/Summer 2008 has an array of sari sihouttes, jodhpur pants, elephants, marigolds & the exotic Lakshmi Menon.

For his Hermès spring/summer runway show, Gaultier sent models out against a backdrop of cascading red pigment reminiscent of the handfuls of colored powder that Indians toss in the air during the Hindu festival of Holi. But this was not a folkloric collection: there were subdued sari gowns with metallic detailing, soft turbans in lambskin, and jodhpurs made of alligator skin.


Armani experimented with subtle shades of the Rajasthan desert sands

Inspired by Indian maharajahs, Armani took those heroic bejeweled males who "dressed themselves for pleasure's sake" — in all their elegance, glamour and splendor and translated the details to women's clothes. The Indian odyssey was inspired by a trip to Rajasthan.

The House of Boucheron's jewellery legacy continued when it launched the fragrance - 'Jaipur' named after the city in India and with a bottle shaped like an Indian Navratan bracelet.

Perfumer Jean Paul Guerlain created- 'Shalimar' in 1925. It was created as a tribute to the legendary lovers Mumtaz Mahal and Emperor Shah Jahan and the Shalimar Gardens of Agra. (In Sanskrit Shalimar translates to '' the home of love''. )

The Devnagri script on the Kenzo bottle adds to the graphical delight against the bright crimson.

When Kenzo Creative Director and photographer, Patrick Guedj, was traveling through Northern Indian last Spring, he was deeply inspired by the Holi festival. The limited edition of their new fragrance called -Holi was launched around valentine's day in february 2008.

Its rather strange that the Indian creative minds rarely look for inspiration within.

P.S. Look out for the 'Made in India' labels when you shop.

A SHOE 'FETISH'

Meet the fifth star of the Sex & the City, she's tall, bright and blingy. I am talking about a pair of sky-high blue Manolos that play a 'big' role in Sex & the City the movie. A pair of satin blue Manolos with a massive silver buckle are the star of the movie. It started off in the T.V. show & continues in the movie, Carrie Bradshaw's 'shoe fetish'

These blue satin Blahniks are involved in a plot twist in the film.

Dior's 'Gladiator' was another one to attain fame after SATC the movie.

Manolo Blahnik with his signature shoe.

Salvatore Ferragamo, Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo are the few sought after names for every shoe buff.

According to Webster 's; a "fetish" is "a material or object regarded with superstitious or extravagant trust or reverence." If that's what a "fetish" is then what is a shoe fetish. One psychiatrist in a journal article said that shoes of woman are very phallic. Technically, there is no such thing as a 'foot fetish'. Freud discribed fetishism as a love for an inanitmate thing, so, not a body part. Shoe fetishes do exisit though, and for them to qualify as a fetish, the object (in this case a shoe) must be present in order for the [usually] male to have an orgasm. If an orgasm can be attained without the shoe incorporated into the sexual play, it is not considered a fetishism. I would say they are symbols of sexuality and powerful femininity. Though I may not have a full-blown fetish of shoes, I do admire shoes in an odd way. When I see someone in shoes that appeal to my eyes I become curious as to what made him or her purchase that shoe? What made them like it? What made me like it? And where can I get a pair?

Audrey Hepburn getting a 'shoe-fit' by the legendary Salvatore Ferragamo

One place I wish to visit is the Ferragamo shoe museum in Florence. Ferragamo is to shoes what Ferrari is to cars. His unmatched ability to pair anatomy and engineering put Ferragamo in a class of designers all of his own. His biggest accomplishment was his discovery that ‘the weight of the body in an erect position falls vertically upon the arch of the foot’. Thanks to this principle, Ferragamo ‘sculpted revolutionary lasts that supported the arch and enabled the foot to move like a pendulum in reverse’. Contrary to his competitors, Ferragamo concluded that the arch couldn’t be ignored and all the support should not be placed on the heel.

Some interesting shoe quotes:

"When it comes to getting dressed, men are a little bit more important than handbags but less important than shoes. At any rate, we are merely accessories." – Ashton Kutcher

Did Paris Hilton get that bunion after wearing shoes from her own collection?

"I have always loved shoes, and after working on my recently launched sportswear and fragrance lines, this seemed like a natural next step,” the heiress says.
Each Paris Hilton footwear original will include a heart-shaped comfort pad and pink soles.

Nicole Richie was the first to wear these gorgeous Balenciaga Ankle booties back in April, whilst out and about in Hollywood. Lohan wore the same shoes whilst leaving her home to go and relax with a few friends poolside at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood on a sunday.
Lindsay Lohan has made many girls around the world jealous since she admitted how much she indulges her shoe fetish. The star said, "I own 5,000 pairs of shoes. It's mad. I do love fashion. Stella McCartney is great, she sends me loads of free stuff."

There were nods of agreement from bizarre girls when Gywneth Paltrow exclaimed: "Men measure inches differently than women."

The 7" platform boots which kickstarted Gwyneth Paltrow's shoe parade

F.I.Y. High heel marathons have officially hit the states. It’s fitting that the latest high heel marathon occurred in fashionable New York City.

YELLOW JUXTAPOSITIONS

A month in Mumbai & back in Delhi, I had no access to the digital media, my computer had crashed, seems like it missed me!

So I finally got down to using my basic skill sets acquired in art school & decided to get my fingers off the mouse.

I started tearing off pages from some glossies & realised I was tearing out all things yellow.

So 'Yellow' was the theme.

I then sandpapered a wooden box of chocolates gifted by a friend & started pasting the fragmented yellow bits on to it & voila!

Look what I created...my own cigar case.

Next time I have a party, I shall serve some vanilla flavoured Phillies in it.

WHY I LOVE VOGUE

Bursting with rich color, texture, glossy text, it is luxury within the flip of a page.

It is an 'institution'

It is the only magazine that would inspire a hollywood movie.

You don't buy Vogue because it gives you realistic fashion advice or because it has any real practical use to your life. You buy it because it captures the lavishness of the fashion industry and lets you into a world that you will never know, but will always aspire to.

I love Vogue because everyone in it is beautiful, flawless skin & no flab on the sides (so what if its the airbrush & botox, the end result is fab!)

The fact that most of the magazine is filled with advertisements adds to this experience. High fashion adverts of Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Dior add to the visual splendor.

Its always been a dream to work with Vogue, even if I do not get paid.

Half of my dream got realised when it came to India last year, still praying...hard.

F.I.Y. Kate Moss has done a record 23 covers with Vogue.

DIGITAL REVERIE, CONTINUES

The Sun, the Moon & the Stars are elements which never fail to inspire me.
I love all the warm tones I can use while painting the sun, specially the yellows.
Love the serenity & romance that go with the moon.
Can't help but hum the Coldplay number, "Look at the stars, Look how they shine for you, And everything you do, Yeah they were all yellow"
I call this one 'Japan'.
I find the country very mysterious. Love the bamboos, the kimono, the ikebana, the bonsai & the sushi.

DIGITAL REVERIE

When it comes to spinning dreams, nobody can beat me.

One afternoon I decided to use my expertise by letting some of the dreamy colors flow onto my digital canvas & the result was not bad at all.

I call this one 'Tuscan Sun'.

Its me on my bicycle soaking in the soft sun, lying around on the poppy fields, sipping on wine & nibbling on olives & cheese.