milgayi style diary

Playfully Indian - Play Clan

While browsing through the lazy neighborhood of Lodhi Colony last weekend, I stumbled upon an uber cool store named “Play Clan” – a desi inspired retail outlet that carries merchandise produced by a small group of insanely talented designers who believe in putting the laugh-out-loud spin on everyday objects. This is “Indie Cool” at its best.

Owned by India’s new design guru Himanshu Dongra, his work represents a mix of Indie pop art with a dash of humor based on everyday life in India. Their works of art depicted from street culture, deities & Bollywood icons extend into products that include fashion wear, stationary items, accessories and home goods.

I caught up with Himanshu yesterday in his fabulous store in Lodhi Road and asked him how it all began.  Here are some excerpts from our conversation. 

Tell us a little about yourself.

I come from a fashion background.  Having studied fashion from NIFT, I always had a slant towards the illustrative and graphic stance to things. 

When and what motivated you to start Play Clan?

I started Play Clan in 2008 with the idea of making great design more accessible and affordable.  We started out with the simple idea of just having fun with art on everyday life themes in India.  The response we received was well appreciated and one thing led to another; we got a couple of  international awards such as ‘Elle Décor’ award for ‘Best New Talent in India’  which encouraged us to take this concept forward and extend the range and make more products.

How are you involved in this venture?

As the Founder of Play Clan, I have the task of sustaining the brand so to speak; my job is to come up with retail concepts, showcase our products, develop more collections and ensure the quality of our products. All of our products are well thought out with a certain level of detailing and a lot of conceptual placement of artwork and techniques.  These items are made in India with pride.

Where does the Play Clan team get its inspiration from?

I think for us, “making the mundane magical” was what we intended to do when we started out and still continue to do so.  We get our inspiration from everyday life in India and look for humor and small pleasures attached with them.

How was Play Clan’s collaboration with Paul Smith?

It was a real honor for us to be associated with the iconic brand.  We thought there were similar synergies to his design processes and ours. We came up with this idea of presenting a "Tale of Two Cities", a project that showcases the relationship between Delhi and London through a series of Warli artworks featuring the two respective cityscapes and their iconic figures. 

Future plans for Play Clan

We intend to open more stores all over the country.  We are launching our new store in Pune within the next two months.  We are looking forward to doing interesting things like opening a café someday.

So if you want to get your funny bone tickled, do make a halt at Play Clan.  Even their online store has a funny tagline - its says 'from our store to your door' . LOL!!!

MAL – India’s First Baby Couture store!

It’s good to be back on the blogging scene while still in the midst of my crazy (fun) India trip!  It never ceases to amaze me how much there is to do in this city!  Besides, scheduling interviews with designers and profiling high end boutiques, I`m also attending art gallery openings, kiddie birthday parties, catching up with old friends and bonding with new ones.   Last week, one of my dear friends from Mumbai visited me and she brought with her the cutest outfit for my daughter.   After probing her for a while, she spilled the beans as to where she bought it from and told me that this store deserved to be on the Milgayi Style Diary - I couldn’t agree more!!

 
Step into MAL – India’s first one-stop-shop of kiddie couture wear located in Juhu, one of Mumbai`s breezy suburbs.  Started by Minoti Sampat, this multi designer store carries high fashion designer collections for infant and toddlers between the ages of zero to seven years.  The boutique houses some of India`s ace designers such as Raghavendra Rathore, Zubair Kirmani, Masaba Gupta and Sonali Mansingka, who have already made their mark in adult wear and are now gearing to get your tots all dressed up too! 

The collections include outfits for birthday to weddings and formal occasions. Expect everything from lehengas, tuxedos, bandhgalas, salwars and dresses.  Minoti plans to open another store in Mumbai and one in Delhi in the coming year. "We will hopefully have stores abroad too," she adds.  I can’t wait!!  How about one in San Francisco??  Minoti – hope you are listening!!

MAL – The Store,

50 Bhagwat,  2nd NS Rd, JVPD Scheme, Vile Parle West, Mumbai - 400056
Ph: +91.022.6529.4424

www.malthestore.com

Shop Talk – Rajesh Pratap Singh's store at DLF Emporio

These days I frequent the DLF Emporio mall quite often.  Yes, I admit the clothes and jewelry are an attraction but more so, the stores by itself are the actual appeal. An amazing boutique at the Emporio Mall is of ace designer – Rajesh Pratap Singh.   Known as the “scissor store” and you’ll know why shortly, this store has drawn attention of major architects and design houses worldwide.

Known for his immaculate tailoring, sophisticated clean lines and restricted color palettes he is a designer par excellence.  Keeping his theme of clean contemporary looks, his boutique is unquestionably a reflection of his minimalistic style. His cage like store is entirely made of scissor lace work as in scissor walls, scissor doors and scissor hangers.  

Still don’t believe me!! Look closer and you’ll see it’s actually a pattern of lace work using scissors (the tailors’ tool has been smartly used as a metaphor). The “scissor” was laid into motifs and patterns to generate a lace like surface. My favorite aspect of the store is how the architect has cleverly integrated details such as hooks and shelves into metal scissor lacework.  Very Impressive!!

  
Don’t miss to check out this space when you are in town.

Shop 409, 3rd Floor, The Emporio
Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj
91.11 4606 0959

www.pratap.ws

My City, My Home, My Top Shops in Delhi!!

A fortnight in the city, meeting family and friends, being thoroughly pampered at home, catching up with girlfriends in between spa appointments and shopping at my favorite hotspots – I’m totally revived.  That’s what coming home does for me! 

 Delhi is one of my all time favorite shopping destinations in India. Known for its stunning jewelry, rare craftsmanship of silver, exquisite Indian wear, fabulous artwork and funky artifacts, this city is beaming with traditionalistic modernism.  In addition, thanks to the recently held 2010 Common Wealth games, the city has also never looked better!  With malls and freewayssprouting up everywhere, the city now has an international flavor to it.  These past few days, I did an initial round of retail therapy at my most favored hot spots in the city.  Here is a sneak peak of my list. 

White – Delhi`s coolest multi designer fashion store, started by entrepreneur Shaan Thadani is stocked with silk dresses, ruffled tops, tunics by India`s leading designers such as Rajesh Pratap Singh, Gaurav Gupta, Sunaina Puri, Prashant Verma, Gauri and Nainika, Nachiket Barve and Namrata Joshipura. This store is definitely worth a visit.

 
31 Hauz Khas Village, 1st Floor New Delhi-110016

Ph: 011.4605.4817  www.whitethestore.com 

Ozel – Another great store tucked away in Delhi`s most famed GK-1 M Block market is London based Ozel.  This multi designer store carries an impressive collection of vintage inspired Mawi jewelry, embellished Mary Frances purses, Marchesa dresses and its own signature brand Ozel clothing. This is a store where high street fashion blends with haute couture.  

 

 
M-7, M-Block Market, Greater Kailash - I, New Delhi-110048 

Ph: 011.4685.8528   www.ozel.co.in

Aza – One of my favorite one stop-shops for Indian couture wear is the uber luxe Aza store.  Their second flagship store at South Extension is a shopper`s delight.  Aza is home to India’s best design czars such as Anamika Khanna, Manish Malhotra, Rohit Bal, Sabyasachi Mukherji, Suneet Varma and Varun Bahl, to name a few.  The boutique offers a wide range of couture, diffusion and prêt collections along with an emphasis on “Occasion-Wear”.

 
Aza, F-48, South Extn - I, New Delhi-110049
Ph:  011.4323.7878   www.azafashions.com

Amrapali – Hollywood`s best kept jewelry secret Amrapali jewels has been around for a while now although you may seen their eye catching jewels on the silver screen. Everyone in Hollywood from Nicole Kidman to Halle Berry to Sandra Bullock to Anne Hathaway has adorned their jeweled pieces either for a shoot or on the red carpet.  There’s something for everyone in Amrapali from gold hammered cuffs, to filigree earrings to gigantic cocktail rings to drool worthy necklaces. An absolute must go.

 
39 Khan Market, New Delhi - 110003
Ph: 011. 41752024  www.amrapalijewels.com 

DLF Emporio – Undoubtedly India`s finest luxury mall is here in Delhi.  This is “the mall” to shop in India currently.  Emporio boasts more than 80 specialty retailers including top Indian and international brands such Armani, HarryWinston, Chopard, Louis Vuitton and Bottega Veneta. The crème de la crème of all Indian designers prevail here, Abu Jani, Adarsh Gill, JJ Valaya, Suneet Varma, Surekha Jain, Tarun Tahiliani, you name them and they are here.  Infact each store by itself is so beautifully architected that you don’t mind spending a few moments just admiring the store, before you actually hit the shelves.

 
Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi- 110070

Ph: 011.46116666 www.dlfemporio.com

Viya Home – This is my favorite place to browse through for home décor stuff in Delhi.  The store has an amazing collection of in-house designed sculptures, accessories and furniture.  The underlying theme behind every collection represents a modern Indian aesthetic.  Me looovvve!!!

  
 www.viyahome.com

India Calling!!

We are already in the second week of the New Year and exciting things are happening on our front.  Speaking of excitement, I’m heading home to India this week for a mini vacation and while I’m there, I’m hoping to make it a worthwhile work trip.  A girl does need to charge her batteries once in a while and get back to work.  So stay tuned for brand new updates.  We leave you with some fascinating desi flavored fashion images of Tarun Khiwal`s work.  Love his stuff.

(All images courtsey Tarun Khiwal Photography)

Wrap of Luxury - Bindya Lulla Scarves

The Milgayi team wishes you all a very Happy New Year.  Sorry, we are a couple of days late but nonetheless; I just want to take a moment here to thank you all for visiting the Milgayi Style Diary. I started this blog two years ago to share our take on fashion, our fashion finds, new designers we come across, style trends and all fashion related stuff that interests to us and are worth mentioning. I feel like we have made so many online friends - your emails and comments always make us smile! I cannot thank you enough.

I look forward to a new year with you and I hope to make this blog a lot more interactive this year - one thing I am really excited about is sharing your fashion finds, your fashion faux pas and your ideas on what you’d to like to see more on this blog.  Hope this decade is filled with new beginnings, new fashion choices, new designers and new fashion finds.  On that note, I’d like to present you our first fabulous fashion find of the year. 

Meet Bindya Lulla – A passionate accessory designer and scarf specialist, a New Yorker by resident with an Indian heart and a globetrotting fashion enthusiast.  This FIT alum, and former handbag designer, creates some of the coolest scarves around town. 

Her collection of Indian inspired pashminas, wraps and scarves are known for their luxe cashmere blends and hand-painted designs.  All her pieces are made in India with traditional techniques of tie dye and then hand painted in rich jewel tones.  The scarves have a contemporary look to them with hints of Indian aesthetics. They are light, luxurious works of wearable art.  No wonder, celebrities such as Hilary Duff, Jessica Alba and Drew Barrymore are hooked on them.

Bindya draws her inspiration from her annual trips to India and Paris, as well as street fashions of Paris and New York City. Her collections come in a kaleidoscope of colors and patterns.  There’s always something for everyone.  Some of these prints remind me of my mom’s old saris that she used to wear in the 70s.  Love them!!  Grab her goodies here or here.

Night out in Laila Azhar`s dresses!!

As we approach these last few days of 2010, we at Milgayi are wrapping up the year with this last post. 

Make no mistake – this is the party season!  Everyone is eager to add a huge glam quotient to their style either by donning a sequined cami with skinnies or a stunning evening dress that is timeless yet trendy, sexy yet stylish, and most importantly, dressy yet comfy!  In my opinion, Laila Azhar’s collections encompass all of the above.  Her party dresses exude sexiness and practicality but they are designed to make a woman feel her utterly beautiful. Her dresses are a hit among Hollywood celebrities such as Khloe Kardashian, Nicky Hilton and Lauren Conrad to name a few.

Moroccan-born but US bred, Laila`s love for fashion was purely accidental.  While attending college in Canada’s McGill University she was exposed to the fashion world through her numerous modeling assignments which later became a motivating force to create her own designs.  In 2002, she enrolled in Parsons School of Design to pursue her strong desire of becoming a fashion designer. After graduating, she worked as an assistant designer for two years.  In 2005, she launched her first collection under her namesake label and there has been no looking back since then.  Laila`s design pieces are structured beautifully around the fluidity and detailed draping of the fabric.  Her silk dresses adorned with ruffles, bows and flouncy pleats thrive on effortless elegance and understated sophistication.

So if you are a no fuss gal like me, slip into one of her darling drapes and be the star of the social scene.  Anyways, it’s party time, bring on the glam, pop some bubbly and have a fabulous New Year.  You can get her stuff here and here.

Casual Luxury Jewelry – Sethi Couture

I have stated this time and again, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication!”  The ability to pull off anything that’s simple with ease is the ultimate test of your personal style quotient.  For this very reason, I have always been fascinated with simple yet wearable jewelry – not only will the pieces stand the test of time, but they also become a part of your signature look.   With that in mind, I recently caught up with a very gifted jewelry designer.

Meet Pratima Sethi – Head Designer of Fine Jewelry for Sethi Couture (formerly known as Manak Couture). A bay area native, Pratima grew up with jewelry in her genes. She remembers her parents taking her to trade shows since she was six months of age.  Though she earned a MBA from USC  and worked in Silicon Valley’s tech sector, her heart always belonged to jewelry design.  She started out designing engagement rings and other jewelry for co-workers for fun – before she knew it, she was designing for Manak full time.

Prior to Pratima joining the family business, Manak Couture was known for its one of a kind red carpet statement pieces. It was her innovative vision and passion for contemporary designs that today has made Sethi Couture a brand synonymous with casual luxury jewelry – fine jewelry that can be worn on daily basis. 

Pictures don’t begin to do justice to the simplicity of her design pieces; you have to actually be there in the moment to appreciate their magnificence. We recently caught up with her in her San Francisco office, chatting away as to how it all began and what makes her create these exquisite pieces of jewels. 

   


Here is an extract from our conversation.

When did you first start to design jewelry?  What motivated you to start?

 I started designing about six years ago when I officially joined Manak but I launched my line formally in 2009 as Sethi Couture.  Back then, Manak was manufacturing large statement pieces like the ones you see at red carpet events – they were gorgeous pieces but un-wearable on a daily basis.  That inspired me to create a collection that is more for the Western market – for someone who is looking for fine jewelry that is still luxurious and something they can wear from daytime to evening.

What story do you wish to tell each time you design a new line?

 I try to launch at least two collections a year and the inspirations behind these come from anything from my travels to fashion images I’ve seen that I liked.  For instance, this past summer I spent two months in Belgium vacationing with my husband’s family.  There, I got a chance to see their heirloom jewelry and that inspired me to create a new collection in which I incorporated their heritage into these beautiful pieces.  This new collection is going to be launched in January and it is really an inspiration from an antique passed down style of jewelry.

  
Tell me about your design process: conceptualization to finished piece.

 I go about it in two ways.  One way, is pure imagination – sketching and then refining those sketches and submitting them with specifications to the factory.  The second way is by playing around with the stones and experimenting with different color combinations and cuts.   I take a large white sheet of paper, put the stones on there and just start moving them around and seeing what comes up.  Then, I take a photo, and start the sketching process. 

How would you characterize your jewelry designs?

They are definitely feminine pieces.  I have a few collections which range from romantic, to classy, to edgy jewelry.  I also have an Art deco collection that has more straight lines and geometric shapes but the one thing that is prevalent throughout all my collections is the clean lines as what I like to describe as ‘simple elegance’.

 
Personally speaking, what is your most prized jewelry possession?

My most prized jewelry possession is a set of simple white gold bangles that my uncle gifted me when I was a child.  Amazingly, it still fits me and the nice thing is that I can mix it in with my own designs and wear them till date.  

Tell me, what are your thoughts on jewelry trends for 2011?

For 2011, I think one of the hottest trends that is going to continue is layering – not just layering of necklaces but also layering in terms of bangles or stacking rings of different metals.

Who are your favorite designers?

It ranges; there are a couple of small scale designers whose work I love – Rebecca Overmann and Meghan Thorne. They create more organic, one-of-a-kind pieces. For a classy clean look, I really like Kwiat.  They have high quality stones.

What are your future plans?

My future plans are to continue to grow the Sethi Couture brand.  To expand by having more retail outlets, but always staying true to what the brand is known for which is natural color diamonds and different cuts of diamonds.

Sethi's gems have a vintage look and feel to it.  Something like what your grandmother would have given you in your childhood.  You can get a hold of some of her goodies here and here.

Santa Claus is coming to town – Milgayi Holiday Gift Guide for 2010

You better watch out, you better not cry; better not pout, I'm telling you why Santa Claus is coming to town!  He's making a list and checking it twice.  And that’s why we at Milgayi have been extra nice!!

Dear Santa, here’s our wish list for the ‘most wished gifts’ this holiday season for giving and receiving.  Yes, we are taking the time to enjoy, the time to savor the moment with our loved ones.  These ten categories of gifts have been selected for their thoughtfulness, longevity and quality over quantity; have this goal in mind and enjoy the love giving season.  Happy Holidays!!

 For the “It” Gal

 
Aidan Mattox Sequin Shoulder Shift Dress in Twilight       Kate Spade Lynn Knot Metallic Sandal 

For the Gadget Gal

Apple IPad & Marc By Marc Jacobs Jumble         Digital Picture Frame

Logo Neoprene IPad cover at Nordstrom

For the Blinglicious

Shabana Khan Sophia Bracelet                     Courtney Lee Collection Colorado Crystal Brooke Earrings

All at MaxandChloe.com

For the Bag Lady

        

Badgley Mischka Little Connie Sequined Mini Bag    Burberry Medium Embossed Check Patent Leather Tote

For the Homebody

  
Michael Aram Pomegranate Fruit Bowl                 L'Objet Multi Colored Flower Mini Picture Frame

For the Green gal

Eco Conscious Kayu Designs Jen Straw Clutch          Azuri Cashmere Ribbed Scarf from Nimli

For the Poodle lover

Happy Hot Dog Home Pillow from Naked Decor.com           Loyal Luxe Pedigree Bowtie Collar

For the Beauty Buff

 
Tory Burch Patent Cosmetic Case                          Lolita Lempicka Midnight Flower Fragnance Compact

For the Gorgeous man

Burberry Tweek Knit Scarf                                          The Perfect Shave Kit - The Art of Shaving

For the Little ones

Pink Plasma Car from Moolka.com                         Magnetic Stacking Acrobats from Giggle.com                                                                             

A birthday to remember!!

Yes, it’s finally over.  My daughter Nina just had her first birthday party which I had been planning for months.  She is officially one year and a week old.  It feels like it was just the other day I had brought home this little bundle of joy into my life and now my baby is growing up so fast so soon. I feel like I have known her forever, yet every day I learn something new about her little — or shall I say big? — personality! Her birthday was on Nov. 23^rd but we had her birthday party on Thanksgiving weekend, so a lot of our family from the east coast could also share this amazing milestone with us.  And boy, did we have a party!!!

We had the party at our pool side Club House.  It started out to be a rainy day but the sun came as the party progressed. (Thank God for that)!!  It was so nice to see everyone come together for her — its amazing how much love babies bring into the world with them, uniting families together and bringing everyone a little closer. It’s pretty incredible.

I decided to go with a Hello Kitty polka dot theme since Nina loves her Hello Kitty plush toy and always holds it while sleeping.  Pink was a color that had to be in the mix, and I love magenta with pink, so that was a natural choice. Then I came across some brightly colored polka dot plastic paper in Michaels and that helped me cement the color theme – magenta, pink and purple. 

And yes, I had to have a candy buffet, since we had over fifteen kids and forty adults with major sweet tooths (me included). So inspired by the amazing work of Amy Atlas, I came up with the following display.  As for the decorations go, I made most of them by myself starting from the goody bags, candy bags, tissue flowers (courtesy Martha Stewart); the polka dot foam boards were hand painted by me as a backdrop for the candy table.  For the candy buffet, I had a cupcake stand with frosted pink cupcakes, a Hello Kitty cake, strawberry wafers, chocolate chip cookies, dark chocolate truffles. I got the jars from Michaels and filled it up with color coordinated candy from Candy Warehouse. 

We all had so much fun.  — We played games, sang songs and danced. Nina loved being the center of attention. She has had a quick power nap during the party and was up just in time to cut her cake.  I really enjoyed every step of her birthday planning and preparation (except the cleaning part!), but I am also a bit glad to say... it's over!  In the end, all of the children headed home with smiles on their faces... I hope that was because they had fun and not just from all the sugar...but either way, they were smiling!

This year has flown by so quickly, and never in a million years could I have anticipated how much I would change when I became a mom. Having Nina makes me want to be a better person every day and seeing her grow just makes me fall in love with her over and over again.