Winter skin care

Now when the weather changes the first effect of it is seen on your Skin be it oily, dry or combination skin. As in  when we tend to drink less water and more of coffee and hot drinks the result is usually dehydrated skin dryness acne and dullness.

Here are few tips to take care of your skin this winter.

1. moisturizer and cleansing.

2. weekly one Scrub and mask.

3. olive oil for face and hair

4. aloe Vera gel and good sunblock

Do not over cleans your skin with harsh soaps and face washes as it over dries up the skin and creates more oil production which leads to acne and dullness instead  use a sun block and moisturising Do drink lots of water and fresh juices. Dry skin can lead to cracking and bleeding and harsh winter wind makes the problem worse, Do avoid toxins specially allergies and irritates.

Use DIY masks:  

• homemade hydrating mask can provide needed moisture in the winter months
• use natural moisturizing ingredients like Honey, Avocado, Yogurt, Olive oil Almond oil bananas and aloe
• Mix what you like together to create a cream or paste and leave on skin for 20 to 30 minutes for lasting hydration.

By : Lubna Rizwan

India is a country with ancient clothing designed tradition form ages men and women have been changing the styles according to the era’s though handful of designers existed prior to the 1980’s the late 80s and 90s emerging spurt of growth this was the result of increasing exposure to global fashion and economic boom after the economic liberalization of the Indian economy in 1990’s  the following the decades firmly established as fashion as an industry across India.

By the  1980  the first generation of Indian fashion designers started cropping including Satya Paul, However it was Rohit Khosla (1958 1994) who became a pioneer in the fashion industry. Tarun Tahiliani Abujani  Sandeep Khosla and others

Here is a list of the top designers in India

1. Manish Malhotra,2. Tarun Tahiliani, 3.Ritu Beri, 4. J J Valaya

5. Rohit Bal 6. Ritu kumar, 7. Wendell Rodricks, 8. Sabyasachi Mukherjee

9.Vikram Phadnis, 10.Manish Arora, 11.Neetha Lula

Some new designers of this era  are Anitha Dongre, Payal Singal, Sanjay Garg, Nishika Lula Anju Modi, Surily Goel, Archana Rao, Gauri and Nainika Rohit Gandhi, Rahul Khanna Namrutha Joshpuri, Ashmitha Marva, Anamika khanna and many more talented designers who are still in the running to make it big. 

There is a new sportswear store in town and you are invited to its grand launch on Saturday, November 17. Time to step in!

 

Making its foray into India for the first time is Xtep Sports, a Hong Kong and Xiamen headquartered sportswear brand that has launched its first ever flagship store on 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar. The XTEP store will be inaugurated by ace former cricketer Venkatesh Prasad.

Founded by the 46-year-old Ding Shui Po, who is also the chairman and chief executive officer of Xtep, the company was first established in 1999, as an original equipment manufacturer for international sports manufacturer. It then started its own sportswear brand in 2002 and has gone on to become a leading professional sports brand with a stylish and functional sportswear inventory. The Xtep group currently operates 6,035 stores across 31 provinces across the People’s Republic Of China (PRC) as well as Nepal, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Spain and now in Bangalore, India

Plans are afoot to come up with five stores by the end of the year and start online sales in major platforms too.

Xtra Special

Xtepspecialises in footwear and sportswear in several categories. Under sports performance, the categories include football, outdoors, basketball, and an urban and fashion category too. Millennials, there is a special category of fashion-meets-athleisure footwear available to please you too. Some of the footwear technologies innovated at Xtep include: Dynamic Foam, a high resilience cushioning material with a unique honeycomb design. After being compressed it recovers its original shape immediately offering cushioning and rebound energy. Air Mega is a cushioning system comprising a single or multiple air bags. Utilising the segmented and connected supporting structures on the outsole, Air Mega reduces pressure and impact force on the foot, offering all-rounded shock absorption and support. Reactive Coil is a hollowed structural cushioning system that supports shape recovery from deformation caused by compression and impact, and is ideal for flexibility and a comfortable wearing experience.

Comfy Cubes applies cube modules on the outsole of the shoe to distribute the dynamic stress and the Softpad series is a multi-functional insole family that comprises Softpad, Softpad Lite, SoftpadLite+, Softpad Pro, Softpad Cool and Softpad. The signature Softpad is a world leading memory foam insole technology co developed by Xtep and Dow Chemical Company

With VORALAST™ polyurethane memory materials. The insole provides comfort via foot pressure relief. Special innovations for apparel include Xtep Dry (to keep you dry), Xtep Cool (to keep you cool), Xtep Warm (to keep you warm), Xtep Comfortable (to keep you comfy) Xtep Shield (to keep you protected) and Xtep Energy (to make you stronger).

 

About Founder Ding Shui Po

 

The Xtep group has engaged in design, development, manufacturing, sales and

marketing and brand management of sports footwear, apparel and accessories. The

Company’s shares commenced trading on the Main Board of Hong Kong Stock Exchange

on June 3 2008. With 28 years of experience in the sportswear industry in the PRC, Mr Ding has served as President ofXtep (China) and Koling (Fujian) since their conception in 2002 and 2007, respectively and was responsible for the overall corporate strategies, planning and business development of the two companies. From 1999 to 2007, he served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of XtepJinjiang, Koling (Fujian) and Xtep (China), respectively.

 

He is a member of The 10th Quanzhou City Fujian Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the chairman of the 3rd Executive CommitteeQuanzhou Footwear Chamber. Mr Ding was also honoured with the title of The Outstanding Young Entrepreneurs in Quanzhou.

XTEP Stores are located at the following places :-

 

Indiranagar–2006, below Pizza Hut, 100 ft Road, Indiranagar, Bengaluru

 

Yelahanka–RMZ Galleria Mall, LG 06, Yelahanka

 

Sunny Leone Unveiled An Awards Trophy & 1st Ever Perfect Mrs India Crown

Sunny Leone recently unveiled the 4th Bright Awards Trophy & 1st ever Perfect Mrs India Crown at the Ballroom By BCB, in Andheri West.

Yogesh Lakhani of Bright Outdoor had recently invited Sunny Leone to unveil the trophy of the 4th Bright Awards & also the crown of the 1st ever Bright Perfect Mrs India at the Ballroom by BCB at Andheri West.

Sunny Leone wished all the best for the award function & wished Happy birthday to Yogesh Lakhani in advance as she was not there in town on 25th Sept, 2018.

Jesal Vora who is style partner with 4th Bright Awards designed the costume for Sunny Leone for this event. Yogesh Lakhani also spoke about his social work. He is starting a hospital for needy people in Kandivali West with Matoshri Jayaben Himmatlal Shah Charitable Trust.

Dr. Khooshi Thakkar & Gurubhai Thakkar spoke regarding pageant. Rakhi Sawant, Nikita Rawal, Ali Khan & Tanisha Singh also wished all the best to Yogesh Lakhani for organizing this award.

Saif Ali Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Ranbir Kapoor, Armaan Malik, Meet Brothers, Salim Merchant, Monica Bedi, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Ritesh Deshmukh and many, many more Bollywood Celebs attended this award function & also celebrated the birthday of Yogesh Lakhani on 25th Sept, 2018.

MUFTI Announces Launch Of Marquee Fashion Show

MUFTI, India’s leading clothing & fashion brand is gearing up to launch its Autumn Winter ’18 Collection at its 1st ever fashion show to be held on Sat 29th Sept, 2018 at ITC Maratha in Mumbai. In another 1st, MUFTI has brought on board Kartik Aaryan, the 1st ever brand ambassador, who will be walking down the ramp at the event. MUFTI’s high-profile gala, filled with glamour & allure, will also be marking the brand’s 2 decades anniversary.

Launched in the year 1998, MUFTI is known for its remarkable creativity & pioneering ideas in fashion world. With a rich legacy of 2 decades, the brand’s clothing lines are synonymous with consistent innovation, exceptional designs & high quality. With MUFTI’s primary customer base being young, self-assured & aware of the latest international trends, Kartik Aaryan serves as the perfect face for the brand. His fun, easy-going & boy next door persona resonates well with the brand’s consumers.

Commenting on celebrating 2 decades of the brand, Kamal Khushlani, Founder & Managing Director, MUFTI said, “Completing 2 decades in the ever-changing fashion industry is a landmark achievement. With the fashion & apparel industry being extremely dynamic & competitive, it is challenging for a brand to stand out & make a mark. Our consistent innovation & originality has enabled us to deliver exceptional products to our customers for the last 2 decades. We plan to further expand & strengthen our position in the next 4 years. By roping in Kartik Aaryan as the brand ambassador, we aim to reinforce MUFTI’s connect with its youthful, fashionable & trendy consumers. Our 1st ever fashion show will further mark our presence & popularity in the world of fashion.”

Speaking about being the 1st brand ambassador for MUFTI, Kartik Aaryan said, “I’m thrilled to be associated with MUFTI, a brand that inspires the youth to be unique & set their own trends. After all it’s about reinventing. I am delighted to be a part of MUFTI family and looking forward to showcase the new Autumn Winter 2018 Collection.”
MUFTI was launched in the year 1998 by 1st generation entrepreneur Kamal Khushlani with one driving ambition, to provide an alternative dressing solution that didn’t conform to the “uniform” codes of mainstream fashion.

Since its inception, MUFTI has evolved as a denim casual wear brand and currently retails through 275 EBO’s (Exclusive Brand Outlets) pan India, 1200 MBO’s (Multi-Brand Outlets), 110 LFS’s (Large Format Stores like Shoppers Stop & Central) and is also present on all major e-commerce portals including its own website offering a product portfolio comprising of Shirts, Jeans, Trousers, T-shirts, Shorts, Blazers & Winterwear/Outerwear.

Looking to provide a holistic lifestyle dressing solution, MUFTI also launched footwear recently with the same ethos, to provide an alternative choice which is young, casual yet comfortable.

The brand has over 600 employees on its direct payroll & indirectly employs over 2000 people.

Dubai-based Indian perfumer Abdulla Ajmal, who is the consulting perfumer to Ajmal India, says the label is ready for its “ghar wapsi” to offer the best in the country.

Ajmal Perfumes, a homegrown brand in India, was founded by Abdulla’s grandfather Haji Ajmal Ali in 1951. The brand serves over three hundred beautiful smells, with the most precious being the “Oudh”, which Abdulla describes as “liquid gold”.

In a tete-a-tete with IANS here, Abdulla, who is the first of the third generation in the family business, said: “We are focusing on India. Being proud Indians, we want to bring the best to our own country… It (the perfume) has always been a part of Indian culture, otherwise Kannauj (a decades-old perfume manufacturing industry) couldn’t have happened… People wouldn’t have indulged.”

Abdulla said fragrance has always been integral to Indians.

“In the southern part, Indian women wear “gajras”. It is not only because of the beauty, it’s also for the smell… People offer flowers to idols because it’s a sign of purity… That is there in the largest religion in India.

“It has been a part of our culture… It just got lost for a while, but it’s coming back and I’ve termed it ‘ghar wapsi’,” he added.

Born in Mumbai, Abdulla moved with his family to the UAE in 1988. He later travelled to the UK where he completed his Bachelors in Marketing and subsequently an MBA with specialisation in International Relations from Huron University.

Abdulla finds “great potential” in the India market, which is currently their biggest target audience.

“But like any brand, we need to start and as we are growing, the culture has to come into play over a period of time. The first name (that comes to people’s mind) when they think of fragrances should be Ajmal… That’s the whole idea,” he said.

Often, people only think of “attars” — fragrance oils — when talking about fragrances from the Middle-East. Abdulla dismissed it as a “mental block”.

“People have not been involved in this category, so everything they think is the most basic. (It is also) because they never took interest in knowing what all are there in fragrances.”

He is adamant about breaking that perception with Ajmal Perfumes. With the best of international labels cementing their space in India, how does Ajmal Perfumes plan to compete?

Abdulla said: “We are available in many areas where we compete with them directly, like the duty frees, modern trade, multi-branded outlets… What is special about Ajmal Perfumes is that we are creating for the market, and those guys, because of their size, don’t have the ability to target certain regions.”

His brand targets even regions by their taste. “The first thing is that the product is created bearing in mind the Indian palette…. Ours is more segmented and targeted. We are very clear that our brand is not just targeted at the wealthy 10 per cent.

“It has been created for the middle and upper middle class who can afford to buy perfumes frequently and re-purchase without it really hitting the pocket.”

While Abdulla knows the journey won’t be easy, he says “we will try to achieve that by getting closer to the customer”.

(IANS)

The colorful exhibition of Akriti was inaugurated by cine actress Kavya Shetty in Hotel Lalit Ashok. Akritti was back to Bengaluru on 29th & Aug, 2018 & 30th Aug. 2018 at Lalit Ashok with special designers from all over India. In recent years Akriti had tie-ups with designers who understand the South Indian market very well and can cater to all the needs of the buyers. As witnessed, Akwriti had the focus on showcasing a range of Designer Wear, Lehengas, Sarees, Suits, Jewellery, Footwear & fashion accessories et al at the most competitive prices. It’s a one stop shop for all the buyers, to fulfil all their shopping needs. With more than 7 years of experience, Akritti with a great come back is all set to rock the Bengaluru Market.

Speaking on the occasion Sashi Nahata – the Exhibition Organizer averred, “The Expo aims at giving a 1 stop solution for visitors with varied artificial jewellery & clothing (Indian aawell as western ) for the festive season.”

Some of the designers are Sheetall Nahata NIFT graduate, REINS from Indore, Sonia Punwani & lehanga specialists Sonali & Deepali from Hyderabad, Simran, Tabu, Inara, from Mumbai, Vismaya from Banaras, Vima from Bangalore, Deepak Khanna, unique fancy sarees from Jaipur, Mandy from Chandigarh, Bobby & Dilip Khemka from Kolkata and more than 60 designers to fulfill everyone’s needs.

Akritti has been a well-known brand for its elite exhibitions in South India. Akritti has won several awards recognitions and in the recent past, it was awarded The “Best Exhibition Award” by Telangana Chamber of Events Industry (TCEI) & “Best Exhibition Organizer” award by Ritz Magazine.

Ace designer Tarun Tahiliani says it is time for sustainable fashion, but it doesn’t mean creating disposable outfits “for some silly fashion fantasies”.

His comment comes amidst the backlash that international luxury brand Burberry is facing for burning unsold clothing and beauty products worth millions of pounds. Social media users have criticised the company for wastefully destroying clothing instead of putting it on sale or donating it to a charitable cause, as part of a practice used by luxury brands to keep their products in the hands of only those who can afford them at full price.

“The need of the hour is sustainable fashion. I think the need of the hour should be sustainable everything,” Tahiliani told IANS over an email.

“We know that we are living at the limits of what this planet can take in terms of the over-plundering of its resources, so I think we are way past the time unless we want to risk further dire consequences of unpredictable patterns of weather which result in crazy rainfall, drought, water shortages and food shortages at a very basic level before we get to anything else, and all the other repercussions which we don’t even understand from global warming,” added the designer, whose creations represent modern India in a glamorousway but have Indian heritage art and craft at its core.

For Tahiliani, sustainable fashion is all about using largely natural materials.

“But also quality fashion as opposed to disposable fashion where billions of pieces are made and discarded every year for some silly fashion fantasies.

“I think sustainable fashion supports elegance; it supports people dressing as they feel appropriate and dressing with dignity. The more we do this and stop making fashion something new that has to be discarded and reinvented every month, our approach to buying better quality and buying less but buying with finesse would change and I think that’s very sustainable.”

Tahiliani says organic fabrics are in vogue.

“Though often it could be blended fabric that looks organic — often in the case of heavy embroideries — nets or blended tulles are preferred which can take heavier embroideries — so it depends. But Indian textile has always been exquisite and there has been a wonderful revival, particularly since people wear so much western clothing that is not handloom based.”

The designer launched his eponymous label in 1990, and has styled Bollywood celebrities like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Lisa Haydon, Shilpa Shetty, Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone. He also styled global icon Oprah Winfrey in an orange and pink Kanjeevaram sari during her visit to India in 2011.

He will be participating in the sixth edition of The Vogue Wedding Show (VWS). Held in partnership with Taj Hotels Palaces Resorts Safaris, the three-day specially curated wedding exhibition will start from August 3 at the Taj Palace hotel here.

Talking about the event, he said: “We will showcase ‘Elysium’, our couture and occasion wear collection. It celebrates the modern Indian goddess…Shimmering florals and weightless drapes are rendered in an ethereal lightness of being.

“Juxtaposing iconic European construction with classic Indian styles and embroideries, this collection exemplifies an India Modern aesthetic.”

Pointing out some wedding trends which will make it big, he said: “I think comfort is key. The most popular request I get is just ‘please let me be comfortable’, and it is repeatedly the most often thank you, gratitude texts we get after weddings to say that they looked fabulous, but also they felt like a dream and they were weightless and the clothes moved on them and they can’t wait to wear them again.

Bollywood Celebrities Attend Mrs/Miss Bharat Icon Pageant

Bollywood celebrities like Madhurima Tuli, Gia Manek, Neha Kaul, Anurita Jha, Chandani Bhagwani, Priyamvada, Prithvi Hatte recently attended Mrs/Miss Bharat Icon Pageant at Sahara Star, Mumbai.

Akhil Bansal CMD of Mrs Bharat Icon & Royal Heritage Group organized the finale of Mrs/Miss Bharat Icon at Sahara Star, Vile Parle (East), Mumbai, where he invited guest from Bollywood & TV. Bharat Icon Pageant is a Women Empowered Equal Opportunity Platform Pageant Show “From The Kitchen To The Ramp”. The finalist varied from different walks of life, Single parent & diverse religions from India & Social Cause for Save Girl Child & Acid attack Victim. Bharat Icon Pageant is a statement that “Life Begins After Marriage & Dreams realize, a married woman is not just a domestic goddess & stay-at-home wife & Mom but she is also a Glamorous “Woman Of Substance” with her family support.

More than 100 women took part in audition across the globe. Top 37 finalist walked the ramp in 3 categories. Model Alesia Raut choreographed the pageant which was anchored by Simran Ahuja. Designer Archana Kochhar, Jagruti Vikam, Tina Ranka, Jaisal Vora, Sangeeta Tandon, Mrunalini Deshmukh, Rekha Gupta, Yogesh Lakhani of Bright Outdoor , Madhurima Tuli, Prakriti Kakkar & Sukriti Kakar, Neha Kaul, Anurita Jha, Chandani Bhagwani, Priyamvada, Prithvi Hatte, Gia Manek, Skin specialist Dr. Shankar Sawant came specially for this pageant. Actress Esha Gupta came to meet her mother Rekha Gupta for 2 minutes from shoot.
Mrs Sheetal Sharma won Mrs Bharat Icon in Gold category, Mrs Honey Verma in Platinum category. Varsha Kaul won the title of Miss Bharat Icon 2018. The models were groomed by Mrs Wasan, skin consultancy by Dr. Amit & make up by Star Cosmetics.

 
City-based Samarpan Maiti, the second runner-up of Mr Gay World 2018, dreams of a day when there would be no need to use terms like “straight” to identify people, but says this could be possible only when people have the tolerance to accept diversities.

“I dream of a day when we don’t need to coin terms like ‘gay’, ‘straight’ to identify people, one can simply say I am a man and my partner is a man and so on. This could be possible with the tolerance of accepting diversities, giving respect to everyone’s personal choices,” Maiti, also a cancer researcher, told IANS in an e-mail interview.

The 29-year old IIT Kharagpur alumni is a role model for those who “want to break the stereotypes, don’t want to fit in any particular box” and is far from the caricature-like portrayals of gay men in Bollywood or other Indian shows. Despite his “broken English”, he finished second runner-up in the contest held in Knysna in South Africa this May.

“My mother says that I made our country proud and that must be celebrated! Sadly in our society people don’t have that same respect for us as Mr World or Miss World winners,” Samarpan said after returning to Kolkata.

He thinks even if Section 377 of Indian Penal Code is done away with, it will matter little for the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) community if society continues discrimination and violence, so community building involving the entire society is important.

Maiti is working for the visibility of aged and the rural folks of the LGBTQ community.

Juggling between such diverse fields, he has always wondered why someone couldn’t be a model, actor, writer and scientists at the same time.

“Since childhood I wanted to be a scientist. I always feel that if I do something good in research it will help millions of people. But in future, if I find myself not doing up to that level, I may shift to something else. I am also interested in studying about acting and film direction.”

Maiti’s preparation started in 2016 when he became a model in a LGBT-themed photo series and acted in theatre and short films.

“I wanted to participate because it was in my mind that if I win the title, it will shake the society more because I am from a background which people see with a huge respect. I wanted people to respect me not only for my work but also as an individual,” he added.

His journey is bitterly laced with his share of bullying and discrimination.

“Once my landlord drove me out of a hostel suspecting I was gay. Friends and even teachers bullied me calling ‘girly’, ‘feminine’, ‘hijra’ (eunuch) and all sorts of names. I cried a lot and tried to commit suicide. Only because of one of my straight friend’s support, I survived,” he disclosed.

He joined a reputed institute in Kolkata as a researcher working on “discovery of low cost-effective therapies and drug repositioning” for cancer. Even there society’s ugliness followed him.

“The discrimination started in new forms, as I was from a remote village; I was not able to speak English fluently with the right pronunciation and kept myself isolated, but that did not stop my creativity,” he said.

Maiti believes if he continues his good work, society is bound to love him for his work, accept him and his message, for who he is.

His cultural grooming started in the village fields amidst cows and huge collection of books at home. A friend, Archangel Mukherjee groomed him in modelling.

“In the international platform I felt how freedom of love could be and am inspired to bring that freedom here,” Maiti said.

His mother took time to accept her son’s sexual orientation.

“If your parents are not mentally prepared, try to educate them first. With my mother, I discussed the issues about LGBTQ community and their miseries. In Indian society, parents dream about their children’s marriage and I explained why marriage is less important than the companionship with someone,” Maiti said, in a suggestion to the ones trying to reveal their sexual orientation to parents.

Contending that homosexuality was not alien to Indian culture, he regrets that the problem lies in people not ready to accept it in real life.

“In our mythology, you will find lots of examples of same-sex lovemaking and people are worshipping them, but not ready to accept in real life. The policymakers think that it will affect their vote bank, some people think it’s against our culture but we forget that is was imposed by the British,” said Maiti.