Liva Protégé: New Talent and Creative Fluidity

Sometimes you need to see things from a fresh and new perspective to appreciate it even more. That is exactly what the team at Liva had in mind. 

After establishing itself as the got-to fabric for some of the biggest brands in the country, Liva is all set to give its support and offer a platform to the up and coming designers of Indian fashion industry. 

Liva Protégé, a fashion property by the Aditya Birla Group, was created with the aim to help make budding designers big in the world of fashion.

What is Liva Protégé?

Liva Protégé is an annual, pan India designer hunt to discover India’s brightest and most creative talent in the field of fashion. 

The competition is open to final year students of select colleges. It offers the students a chance to showcase their talent at a national level and get mentored by some of the biggest and best names in the industry.

After a rigorous Campus, Jury Selection and Semi-Final round, the top 2 finalists from each zone- Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai-will be selected by the mentor of that zone.

Under the guidance of their respective mentors, each finalist will have to create 5 outfits made from Liva fabric to be showcased at Liva Protégé 2015’s Grand Finale.

When fluid fashion meets raw talent, the end result is bound to be magic. 

Liva Protégé 2015’s Grand Finale showcased the novel and different interpretations of Liva.

Liva’s trademark feature, its fluidity, was showcased in all its magnificent glory.

From cowls and drapes to show the soft flow and grace of the fabric, to pleats and fitted silhouettes to highlight the structured fluidity, each designer showcased Liva in a innovative and different light.

Liva’s natural sheen radiated all through the night in different shades. From basic monochromes to softest pastels to vibrant hues, every outfit stood out in its own way.

From Ganges to Marrakesh and from UFOs to dandelion, the 12 finalists found inspiration far and wide. Each inspiration helped showcase the designer’s ingenuity and their understanding of Liva and how each designer adapted the fabric to their designs along with making the most out of Liva’s key features. 

The end result was a Grand Finale filled with prodigious talent and fluid creativity.

Liva Protégé is an experience of a lifetime and each finalist gets one step closer to achieving his or her dream.

Meet the Liva Protégé 2015 Finalist:

Shruti Sancheti was the mentor for Mumbai finalists.

Soham Dave was the mentor for Ahmedabad finalists.

Sahil Kochhar was the mentor for Delhi finalists.

Agnimitra Paul was the mentor for Kolkata finalists.

Manoviraj Khosla was the mentor for Bengaluru finalists.

Chaitanya Rao was the mentor for Chennai finalists.

The judges of Liva Protégé 2015 Grand Finale were Soha Ali Khan, Prasad Naik, Ananya Birla, Narendra Kumar Ahmed and Nandini Bhalla.

This esteemed panel of judges had the herculean task of picking a winner and two runners up from the 12 talented finalists.

The winner of Liva Protégé 2015 is Riturana Deori from Ahmedabad. 

Riturana gets an opportunity to work with ABOF.com’s in-house design team OR an opportunity to have upto 5 of his designs sold on www.abof.com and a cash prize of INR 2,00,000/-

1st Runner Up is Nitin Gupta from Ahmedabad.

Nitin gets the opportunity to have upto 3 of his designs sold through www.abof.com and a cash prize of INR 1,00,000/-

2nd Runner Up is Sagarika Joshi from Bengaluru.

Sagarika wins a cash prize of INR 50,000/-

Liva Protégé is not just another hunt for the next big fashion star. It aims to tap into the vast and versatile Indian talent pool and ensure that promising fashion designers get an opportunity to showcase their creativity and make a name for themselves in the global fashion fraternity.

Photography by Suraj Warrier | Collages by Digital Daku

Till then, tra-la,

      Amena!!
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Book Review | Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

For the longest time I have been wanting to expand my blog. Add a variety of things without diluting its true essence. Since I don’t fancy myself a food or travel expert, like many other fashion bloggers, I could not branch out into those genres.

I decided to go with something that I am extremely passionate about as well as have quite a bit of knowledge about the subject. Nothing better than books fits the bill perfectly!

I have always loved books and reviewing it comes naturally to me. However, unlike my Lit days where the book review was more structured and technical this one is purely on an emotional level. 

I have met people whose lives have changed after reading Dante's Inferno or Charles Darwin’s The Descent of Man. Their whole outlook on life changed. I never really experienced that with either of those two writers or their works; or many others, for that matter.

Little did I know, a modern day novel would have a profound impact on me. Never did I imagine, that after reading the book I would start seeing life through a whole new spectrum.

My experience during and after reading Me Before You, by British writer Jojo Moyes, compelled me to write about it.
For my first every book review on the blog I decided to start with Me Before You. It is my first book by Jojo Moyes and it has left me wanting, no craving, for more!

Photography by Suraj Warrier

On the surface level, the novel tells the poignant story of two diametrically opposite people put together in a difficult situation and their journey through it.

Louisa ‘Lou’ Clark, “one of the invisibles”, British girl hired to care for, William ‘Will’ Traynor, a bitter quadriplegic.

There is nothing new about this storyline. What makes this book stand out is how Jojo Moyes has shaped her characters and their struggles to bring to life an emotional, romantic and grounded in reality story to life. 

While elements of fantasy and romance are interweaved into the story, at no point does it ever lose its grip on reality. 

Moyes manages to walk the fine line between romantic fantasy and reality. At no point did one side infringe on the other.

She does not mislead us into believing otherwise not did she sugarcoat the hard part. Like Will, Lou and everyone else, the readers too have to face the hard parts.

Here’s how Moyes aced the hardest part of the book. She did not get harsh or overly emotional about it. She dealt it with the finesse it required. And like Lou, the readers experienced the worst of heartache in a sublime manner that is heartbreaking and cathartic.

One of the many reasons why I loved Me Before You with such a passion is, I have never connected with a character as strongly as I did with Lou. (The last time I made such a strong connection with a character, it was Jamila from Hanif Kureishi’s The Buddha of Suburbia) 

Most of times you could replace Lou with Amena. Like Lou, I am a creature of familiar. I don’t like taking risk or stepping out of my comfort. I dislike change of any kind.
I completely connected with Lou and her inherent qualities and personal struggles. 

Lou is the quintessential girl next door, living in a small English town with her parents and sister and dating a guy who is more interested in marathons than her.

She has been working in the same job for years and had the café she worked in not shut, she would have worked there forever. Loss of employment and her parents’ financial crunch makes her take up the job of Will’s caretaker.

From their first meet, Will makes it very clear that Lou is not wanted and he makes sure she knows it too.

Lou knows she is unwelcome and is ready to leave until she finds out the reason why she has been hired. The reason not only shakes her but also makes her determine to make sure things don’t go as Will's plan.

In the process of doing this, Lou, with the help of Will, truly discovers herself. And through Lou, Will gets to partly relive the life he once had.

Will makes her realise that even though she is physically fit as a fiddle, she’s emotionally paralysed. For almost 7 year she has let a past incident hold her back- from exploring and living her life to the fullest. 

In contrast to Lou, Will, who for the past two years has be prisoned within the four wheels of his wheelchair, due to a motorbike accident, is constantly buzzing. His body may not function like it used to, but his mind is a livewire. He introduces Lou to new authors, foreign cinema and the world beyond. He shows Lou her real potentials and what she is missing. He pushes, until she herself is desirous of wanting more.

In may ways Will reminds me of Augustus ‘Gus’ Waters from The Fault in Our Stars. Both men are in the peak of their life-Gus in his teens, Will in his youth, when they both become victims of fate that change their lives forever.

While their personalities differ- Gus full of life, Will bitter- in their own way they help the women they love discover herself and grown. They open new horizons for the women in their lives by showing them the joys of life and living their life to the fullest.

Will’s sharp wit and intelligent personality radiates through out the book, it is when he is put in the same room as Lou’s overly fit boyfriend does one see his real charisma and the glimmer of the man he was before the accident.

While Patrick tries and fails to impress Lou and her family with his marathon stories, it is Will, with just his words and kind act that manages to leave them all enthralled. 

The clever juxtaposing of the two-Will in a wheelchair yet dynamic and Patrick, robust and virile, yet dull and boring-by Moyes is one of the best scenes in the book.

The best part about the book is the title: Me Before You.

The title with the briefest of words captures the true essence of the book. In three small words it says it all- putting my life, my need, wants, desires and choices before you or anyone else and not feeling guilty about it. 

This can only happen if one has the freedom and power of making their own choices. The central theme of the book is power of choice. The freedom to make those decisions for yourself and not feels guilty about it.

And staying true to the title, Will does put himself before everyone else who loves him and no one can really do anything about it except support him.

While exercising his rights to do with his life as he pleases he teaches Lou a very valuable lesson. He liberates her from her inhibitions and pushes her to explore the unknown and to live her life to its fullest potential.

There is a lot more I can write about this book. I rather you read and explore it on your own. For a book like Me Before You stays with you for a long time. You don’t want it to end and yet you can’t wait to find out how the story unfolds. This book is my favourite one of 2015.

I have tried to keep my review different from the run of the mill kind.  I hope you all like it. 

Till then, tra-la,

Amena!!

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Colour Fusion

Of late I have been trying to step out of my personal comfort zone and try out new things. Since 2015 started I have only read book by authors I have never read before, experimented with my writing style and decided to put my inhibitions aside and finally give personal style blogging a serious try.

Must admit, so far, so good! 

I owe this self-growth to my almost 4 years of fashion blogging. In many ways, I have learnt to accept the new and adapt to change thanks to my journey as a fashion blogger.  

The nature of the job is such; it requires you to step into uncharted waters for your own progress. Sometimes it can be tricky, most of the times it is rewarding.

Staying true to the spirit of trying out new things, I recently got acquainted with Trendin.com 
Everything from corporate attire to casual outfits to Indian ensembles is available under one roof. Trendin is a fashion lover's paradise.

Being plus size I don’t always get my size easily on most Indian e-commerce sites. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find some really good pieces in my size. While the western section had limited plus size options, the Indian and fusion section did not disappoint.

My love for layering is one of my major personal style evolution & achievement that is the direct result of blogging. 

Ever since I started layering clothes, I have been constantly experimenting with new ways of doing so. 

For my first look, I decided to layer two kurtas together- A classic fit, teal Rang Manch kurta with a bright yellow high-low hem, button front Rang Manch kurta. 

Opting to take a sartorial risk, I chose to style the yellow kurta in this manner so that it takes the form of a cape style jacket and gives the otherwise humble kurta an interesting contemporary spin. 

Completed this bright and colourful look with a pair of beige Van Heusen wedges and gold earrings.

Along with layering, I love styling vibrant colours. I decided to style both the looks in contrasting colours, so that the final result is an eye catching colour block look.

The second look is less street style and more everyday wear friendly. 

Swapping the long yellow kurta with a cropped multi colour printed Akkriti jacket.
With just a silhouette and colour change, the traditional pairing of kurta and pants gets an interesting fusion touch that ups it style quotient by many notches.

Featuring: TRENDIN.COM

Pantaloons (Rang Manch) Teal Kurta | Pantaloons (Rang Manch) Yellow High Low Kurta | Van Heusen Beige Wedges | Pantaloons (Akkriti) Multicoloured Jacket | Marks & Spencer Coloured Pants (Similar Here) | Accessorize Tote (Similar Here)| Accessorize Studded Clutch | Pavers England Black Pumps (Similar Here) | Youshine Earrings (Look 1) | Accessorize Earrings (Look 2) | L’Oréal Paris L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick Rose Symphony (Look 1) | MAC Grand Pumpkin Lipglass (Look 2) | L’Oreal Paris Superliner Waterproof Gel Eyeliner | Lancome Hypnose Mascara | Za Two-Way Foundation 

Along with being experimental, both the looks are plus size flattering too. The layering doesn’t add any bulk and the final look is sophisticated and chic.

My overall experience with Trendin.com has been an extremely delightful one. From transaction to delivery everything was smooth sailing. I received my order in less than 24 hours of ordering. That was very impressive. 

Trendin.com is an initiative of Madura Fashion & Lifestyle and I am quite familiar with most Madura brands. Therefore I decided to try out brands I have never tried before. 

Form quality to fit to finish, I was glad I made this choice. Not only did I get to try out new brands, but I also got a chance to experiment with my looks.

My only suggestion is, please add more plus size clothing options, especially in the western section. They were quite a few pieces that I had my eye on, but due to lack of size availability I had to forgo them.

If you are looking for affordable, luxurious, high-end style that cater to every age group, from women, men to children, head straight to Trendin.com

Photography by Suraj Warrier 

Till then, tra-la,

Amena!!
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My New Passion

If there is one (of the many) thing you should know about me, it is, I research everything. Literally everything!
Be it the books I want to read, the new TV shows I want to start watching or the latest phone I want to buy, I spend quality time researching everything from mundane to significant.

Often, my friends jokingly tell me, you take more time to select a phone than most people take to select a spouse.
The way I see it, if I am going to spend a good 18 hours with it, I better be sure about it! 

While selecting a new phone can be a herculean task, the overall experience can be quite enlightening and rewarding.

I had my enlightening and rewarding movement last week when I got to try out the newly launched Phicomm Passion 660.  

Now I am no technology maven and a new phone always manages to overwhelm me, but with a little help from the brothers, I managed to figure out the basics and from then on it was smooth sailing.

As a rule, I never judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to phones, appearance and design plays a significant role in my selection process. 

While aesthetically on the simple side, Phicomm Passion 660 is a super slim and ultra light phone, that makes it easy to handle and carry around. The matte finish and sleek fit gives the phone a very classy, polished look and the 5-inch full HD display is compact enough to easily fit in your palm.

Getting into the real purpose of the phone, I got a chance to try out and use Phicomm Passion 660. 

Phicomm Passion 660 operates on Android 4.4 KitKat. An Android loyalist since 2012, I was very comfortable with the operating system and was able to use the phone with ease. 

The phone’s good touch sensitivity made my entire navigation process effortless.

One of the most interesting features of the phone is the gesture control. Without touching you can perform some of the basic task with just the flick of a hand.

Thanks to the phone’s 1.5GHz, Octa Core, it was hassle-free to perform multiple tasks and use different apps simultaneously without the phone hanging. There was no lag or stutter while launching and switching between apps, clicking and editing photos, browsing the web, watching videos or playing games.

Okay, now coming to one of my favourite features of the phone-The camera. 

As a full-time fashion blogger, I am often required to click pictures on the go, under different conditions and lighting. 

One of my main requirement form any phone is, the camera should take good pictures under all conditions.

Phicomm Passion 660 has a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing camera.

Features such as auto focus, burst mode and anti-shake, makes it very convenient to click good quality pictures. 

The 5 MP front cameras is a selfie lovers dream come true. It has a matte filter effect that manages to make you look good in any light.

You can keep clicking those selfies and photos to your hearts content as the phone comes with 16GB of internal storage. And if 16 GB is a tad bit less for you then you can expand the memory by adding a 64 GB microSD card.
Someone who uses her phone non-stop, my biggest grievance against smartphones, especially Androids, is its battery life. 

Featuring: PHICOMM PASSION 660

Vero Moda Floral Jacket|AND Blue Shirt|Lakmé Absolute Sculpt Collection Pink Me Up|Lakme Absolute Precision Liquid|Ornamas Earrings|Ornamas Ring|Maybelline Colossal Volume Mascara|Koovs Sunglasses 

The one thing that makes Phicomm Passion 660 stand out among the other Android phones currently available in the market is, its remarkable battery life. 

After non-stop using a whole bunch of apps, playing games, clicking loads of pictures, and browsing the web, the battery did not die. The battery easily lasts for 9 to 10 hours.

Along with being sleek and easy to use, Phicomm Passion 660 is extremely well priced too. 

Reasonably priced at INR 10,999/- Phicomm Passion 660 offers all the benefits of a smartphone without you having to break the bank.

A fine balance of power performance, attractive package and smart pricing, Phicomm Passion 660 is an ideal value for money smartphone. 

For further information on Phicomm please get in touch with Media Moments (www.mediamoments.in).

Photography by Suraj Warrier and Mubasshir Sayed 

Till then, tra-la,

Amena!!
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Draped In Fluidity

Fashion mirrors the times we live in. Just like art, literature and cinema, fashion too adapts to its surrounding. The rise and fall in economy; the shifting political climate, the birth of a new ideology and the ever changing mindsets and outlook of the people, all invariably get represented in the clothes we wear and how we wear it.

With the world becoming more freethinking and ready to embrace new ideas, it is only natural we do that by wearing clothes that represent our mindset.

This post is all about embracing and exploring the new. What better way to do it than draped in Liva- The new age natural fluid fabric.

Not a stranger to this fabric, I have been wearing Liva based clothes for a year now. 
To help showcase Liva’s trademark feature of fluidity I knew I had to do something a tad bit different.

To make my vision come to life, I decided to style a classic white mirror embellished, high-low hem Global Desi kurta with a floor length sleeveless jacket.

However, instead of opting for a run-of-the-mill, regular jacket, I decided to style a button-front cobalt and chartreuse printed Global Desi maxi dresses as a jacket. Not only did I get to layer these pieces together, but I also got to showcase the versatility of the pieces and the different ways in which they can be styled.

I loved the flowy silhouette of the dress and when layered as a jacket it beautifully cascades around you due to the fabric’s inherent fluidity. The bright colour lover that I am, I could not resist the vibrant colour combination of the dress.

The lightweight quality of the kurta and dress made it an easy choice to layer with, without adding bulk or feeling uncomfortable.

Since Liva is made from natural cellulosic fibers, the fabric has great breathability and absorption ability that allows the skin to breathe easily and provide comfort even on the most hot and humid days.

Honestly, I had the hardest time finalising the look for this post. The minute I walked into the Global Desi store, I was engulfed with bright colours, eye-catching prints and flowy silhouettes. I tried on quite a lot of different looks before opting for this one.

Along with pandering to my newfound love for layering, the look is quite different from my previous looks. Plus, thanks to the flowy silhouette of the kurta and dress, it lets me effortlessly show off Liva’s graceful fluidity.

After sending a few hours at the Global Desi store I was totally spoilt for choice.
Like me, if you too love colours and prints in natural fabric, then you must check out the entire Liva range at Global Desi. I promise, you are in for a major treat. 

Featuring: LIVA

Global Desi Maxi Dress|Global Desi Kurta|Marks & Spencer Coloured Pants|Accessorize Clutch|Forever 21 Cuff|Ornamas Earrings|Forever 21 Flats|L’Oreal Star Collective Lip Color Pure Amaranthe|Loreal Paris Superliner Waterproof Gel Eyeliner|L’Oreal Paris Volume Million Lashes Mascara

Photography by Mubasshir Sayed and Suraj Warrier

Till then, tra-la,

Amena!!

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Introducing LIVA: The New Age Fluid Fabric

Very often we associate fashion with glamour. But before a garment reaches it glamorous destination it starts its journey as a single yarn. The yarns that make up the fabric of the garment plays the most important and crucial role.

Like everything else in the fashion world, the world of textiles has been evolving in its efforts to offer us new age fabrics. 
As much as I love discovering new designers and trends, it brings me immense joy when I learn about a new fabric. 

When I was invited for Liva's official unveiling I was mighty thrilled. To be honest, I have known about Liva for a while now, however, I got to see the fabric’s full potential up-close at an event that took place a few days back.

To start with, what is Liva?

Liva is a new age, high quality fabric made from natural (wood pulp) cellulosic fibres. The fabric is the brain child of Birla Cellulose, a part of the Aditya Birla Group.

The key feature of Liva is, its fluidity. Due to its soft, free flowing characteristic, the fabric is ideal for a number of silhouettes and drapes. 

Along with fluidity, Liva has a natural sheen to it. Since the fabric is made from natural fibres and renewable resource, it has a great breathability and absorption ability that allows the skin to breathe easilys and provide comfort even in the harshest weather.

In a nutshell, Liva is a fluid, lustrous, skin-friendly fabric, that is set to change the face of the fashion world.

The graceful fluidity of LIVA was bought to life through a fashion show title ‘Panchtatva’.

The show was divided into 5 collections inspired by 5 elements of nature. Each designer’s collection was inspired by one of nature's element to highlighted the fluid quality of the fabric.

Air was the theme for James Ferreira’s all white, cowl drape and sequin embellished collection.  

Puja Nayyar took inspiration for the vast expanse of Mother Earth for her neutral palette with neon pop collection.

The shapes and shades of sky played muse for Soham Dave’s collection.

Narendra Kumar decide to showcase the fluid nature of water through ripple effect inspired prints, sharp tailoring and structured silhouettes .

The warm colours and voluminous skirts were the highlight of Anita Dongre’s fire theme collection . 

The highlight of the fashion show was show stopper Kangana Ranaut, who is the official face and brand ambassador for Liva.

When asked about her experience with Liva, Kangana said: “I think it’s the kind of fabric that can go well with any clothing and occasion. Moreover, I personally feel that Liva is going to play a very important role in the world of fashion.” 

Brands like Global Desi, AND, Allen Solly, Van Heusen, Pantaloon and Chemistry are already using Liva for their collection.

With an aim to make Liva the preferred choice of fabric with all designers and fashion brands, Liva is all set to revolutionise Indian (and global) fashion industry.

If LIVA has you intrigued then please do get in touch with Media Moments (www.mediamoments.in) for further details!

***Fashionopolis post Introducing LIVA: The New Age Fabric Featured On Links À La Mode: IFB Weekly Roundup (April 23 2015)***

Links à la Mode: The IFB Weekly Roundup, April 23

By: Kristen Philipkoski

Lists à la Mode

This week, IFB members made a lot of lists. It’s not that surprising—bloggers are known for making lists. But among this week’s submissions, I was impressed by the spectrum of topics featured, from 3 ways to wear a white shirt, to 4 Kentucky Derby looks to 20 ways to wear short hair (with a video!). The originality of IFB is always impressive.

And as you know, we don’t usually choose outfit posts for LALM, unless they have an exceptionally compelling angle. This week, we went for it because anyone who braves a swarm of bees for an #OOTD photo deserves a shout out. On to the links!

Links à la Mode: April 23

Anami Blog: How to Do Natural Makeup

Christie Moeller: How to Keep White Shoes Pristine

Curvy Elle: 6 Tips for Buying Vintage Clothing

Keily’s Fashion Picks: The AirBnB of Dresses: StyleLend

Les Assorties': Paris Je T’aime: Shagreen et Tortoise

Invictus: Swarm of Bees

Fashionopolis: Liva: The New Age Fluid Fabric

Funky Jungle: 5 Reasons for Shopping in a Brick and Mortar Store

Modavracha’s Spot: How to Wear the Fringe Trend

My Bougeotte: 5 Clothing Lines for the Wanderluster

Musings of a Fashion Designer: The Color Rioters

Omnia Vitae: Three Ways to Style a White Shirt

Purushu: 6 Years of Blogging and Beyond

Riva La Diva: DIY M Missoni Fruity Earrings

Save, Spend, Splurge: 10 Uncommon Closet Essentials

Style Bizarre: Your Cruelty-Free Wardrobe Book

Suzanne Carillo: Easy Floral DIY Painted Shoes

The Outfit Repeater: 20 Ways to Style Short Hair

TLV Birdie: It’s All About Makeup—Green Beauty Bloggers Community

Try It on Me: Kentucky Derby Style, Four Ways

Till then, tra-la,
Amena!!
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