Fashionista for less - Rooja

Talk about coincidences! The other day I was listening to the song Fashionista by Jimmy James and was appreciating  how well he has read a fashionista’s mind. Here are a couple of lines from the song which I’m sure you can relate to:

“Kenneth Cole, Michael Korrs
Mr. Ford I can't afford
D&G and BCBG
Looking good is never easy”

“I wanna be Delgada
To fit into my Prada
Oscar de la Renta
Louis Vuitton
Imitation of Christ, beauty has a price”

And almost the same time I got an invite for this luxury online shopping site, Rooja which offers designer stuff at 60% of their retail price! What a coincidence, isn’t it?

Are you also like me? Have you ever desired a bag or that pair of heels which is wayy too expensive and would leave a huge hole in your wallet ? Fret not ! Fairy Godmother has made it easier for us to get our hands on that bag or that pair of shoes we have been longing for!

Based in India, Rooja is India's truly luxury online shopping experience. However the prime reason behind Rooja is to give you a say in what you wear, and what you buy- most importantly empower the "original you". Membership is exclusive and by invitation only, and their sales will only last 2 to 3 days.

Rooja plans to bring to you amazing brand names like D&G, Missoni, Versace, Gucci, Juicy Couture, Michael Kors, Burberry, Diesel and many more at prices much below the Indian retail prices.

Thanks to Raj at Rooja, they have given me an invitation for Readers of Pink Diaries. Signup Now for an exclusive early invite when they launch.

Check out their website (here) and Facebook page (here) to be a part of the goodness they promise to unleash shortly.

Stay stylish

XOXO

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Old wines in new bottles

I absolutely adore this particular time of the year. There’s a lovely nip in the air and the mood is upbeat as the festivities come rolling in one after the other. My birthday and wedding anniversary being less than a fortnight away pumps up the happening quotient even further as we consciously plan for a vacation every year around this time for a twin celebration. Though this year a long, idyllic vacation is on the cards for a later time of the month, we sneaked out from the city to bring in our anniversary this weekend.

Being the diehard travel junkie couple that we are and largely of the road tripping kind, we’d been itching to hit the highway and with indulgence on our mind, a road trip to Sula Vineyards fit the bill completely. Sula Vineyards in Nasik (180 KM from Mumbai) is India's most popular winery that churns out India’s leading premium wine brand, Sula Wines and is developed to be world-class. The winery is open to visitors, who can enjoy a tour, tastings, courses, and fun events. Read more about Sula Wines here

Wine has evolved into a lifestyle staple. It plays diverse roles as a conversation starter, a romantic prop, a style statement, a dinner delight and a heady beverage that gives health benefits when had in moderation. And one of the rare things that get better with age! Experiencing the multi-faceted wine at its full glory was an absolute joy. We packed in a tour of the vineyard, a process demo of grapes from plants to wine bottles, a tasting session, a lip-smacking spread of kebabs, a sumptuous Italian meal and a sinful walnut brownie and loads of pictures – all in a day trip.

The wine tasting & appreciation session was quite informative. Here r a few things from the session that all wine lovers must know:

• All types of wine fall into one of these six categories: White Wine, Red Wine, Rose Wine, Sparkling Wine, (including Champagne), Dessert Wine, and Fortified Wine.

• Generally, bigger round bowled glasses for reds and tulips (standard wine glasses) for whites. Champagnes can be served in flutes (tall, long, thin wine glasses) so that the bubbles don’t escape or in tulips.

• Always hold the glass from the base or the stem so that the warmth of your hand doesn’t affect the temperature of the wine

• There are four stages to tasting wine – look, smell, taste, savour

1. Look : evaluate your wine’s appearance for color (both hue and depth), and clarity. Move the wine around in your glass by tilting it from side to side. Hold it up to the light or in front of a white background.
2. Smell : evaluate your wine’s nose, aroma, and bouquet. Swirl the wine gently in your glass to open it up to more surface air. This will release more of its aromas. Take a few moments to let it breathe. Dip your nose into the glass and inhale deeply.
3. Taste : evaluate your wine’s taste or palate . Sip a small amount of your wine, but do not swallow it yet. Let it roll around inside your mouth for a few moments so you can detect its flavors. Note the body of your wine, or how it feels in your mouth. Wines will be light-bodied, medium-bodied, or full-bodied.
4. Savour : evaluate your wine’s finish , the sensation left in your mouth after swallowing. The longer the flavors linger on your palate, the longer the finish.

While I was faking enjoying wine like a connoisseur but being an utterly poor drinker, I got tipsy in just a few sips of wine. What a perfect way to end a great day! They say “Love makes the world go round?” Not at all! Wine makes it go round twice as fast. Hic…hic…hic

P.S. Images by Inky Pinky & Mr. Husband

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High on Design

I could not say no and succumbed to the charm…Before your mind starts getting ideas, let me clear the air. The ‘item’ in question is my latest buy – a chic Hidesign bucket tote bag. A Hidesign bag has always occupied the top slots of my must-haves list and owning an iconic bag had moved my style quotient up by several notches. I have bought Warhol 02 – Hidesign’s ‘IT’ bag and a best seller ,as the makers put it!Over the years, Hidesign’s USP has been the sensuous naturalness of its high quality leathers and the smooth soft glow of its solid brass fittings and my proud possession exudes every bit of it.

I was intrigued to see Puducherry written on the tag (thanks to my growing inquisitiveness about brands and attention to detail ever since Pink Diaries took shape :)) and that was enough for my blogger alter ego to get kicking. A quick google search and a languid perusal of some glossy magazines threw up interesting facts about the brand and its success story which is the stuff legends are made up of!!

This luxury brand, indeed, has its roots in the sleepy town of Pondicherry. What started as a hobby of leather crafting in the workshops of Auroville, boasts of being an internationally acclaimed brand. It features leather handbags, garments, briefcases, travel bags, wallets and belts made of genuine leather. Three decades old and still going strong, the brand has its presence in 23 countries in over 2000 outlets collectively in India and abroad. The retailing, however, started with Britain and Australia in 70s and India developed into a potential market only in late 90s. The phenomenal change in consumer landscape in India in the past decade has contributed to the brand gaining immense recognition and ushering it in the ‘affordable luxury’ segment. Interestingly, it was primarily seen as a men’s briefcase brand, but gradually its elegant shoes and handbags for women have taken on the brand. With the modern Indian woman making smarter choices for herself, the dart has evidently hit the bulls eye!

I ponder what is that one thing that appeals me so much about Hidesign. Is it the contemporary styling or clean silhouettes or competitive pricing? I find it hard to put a finger on any one of these. An obvious choice for me would be all of the above. Like all other women-on-the-move, I too rarely have the time and patience to change my bags frequently so what I look for in a bag is functionality, style and durability. A Hidesign bag fits the bill completely and that too without burning a huge hole in my pocket: P

The makers have stayed focused on their strong heritage of fine hand craftsmanship and innovation in age-old practices of vegetable tanning with natural materials like seeds and barks and sand casting for their brass hardware. The ecological use of vegetable tanning creates fashionable leathers in multitude of hides & hues that age exceptionally well and sand-casted solid brass fittings provide a soft glow to the leather, giving it a distinct look. They strongly believe that the way to the best leather is still the natural way and this belief clearly gives them the competitive edge.

Coming back to the iconic range, the brand has an array of classic bags that remain the best sellers and exhibit the brand’s core attributes - being clean, sharp, practical, contemporary and elegant. The bags that have become signature pieces in the recent years are the Virgin, Logo and Warhol 02.

Pic Courtesy: www.hidesign.com

The Virgin Bag is the biggest rage currently. Its a petite purse-like carrier that comes in many colours and is embossed with elephant prints. A variant of the original Virgin bag, the Baby Virgin, is equally popular. The bold textured vegetable tanned leather and hand stitched craftsmanship makes this shoulder bag for day wear stand out from the rest.

Logo is the latest icon bag in vegetable tanned crocodile grain embossed leather with exclusive logo handle detail. It’s a medium sized tote bag for day occasions.

Warhol 02, the new ‘IT’ bag, is a bucket tote bag made in vegetable tanned faux crocodile leathers. This medium sized tote bag is also ideal for day wear.

As I sit mulling over what would be a better investment between Virgin and Logo after Warhol02, my attention is drawn to trendspotting segment in a fashion magazine that illustrates the new prospective icons on the block – Mughetto 02 ,Fiori 02 and Queen 01. Hmmm…tough call! Looks like my research on LV, Ferragamo & Bottega Veneta will have to wait. Ladies, keep watching this space for more …

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The Luxe carries Hermes

Recently I stumbled on an article in a leading daily on Ms.Ambani's recent public appearance. More than the real issues being discussed in the meeting, it solely focussed on the handbag she carried to the meeting!! Apparently, she was carrying a Birkin as opposed to a Kelly that would have suited the occasion more, as the author presumed. More often than not, media construes too much out of unintentional actions and this to me appears to be one classic example! The author went to the extent of deciphering what must've been going on in her mind, considering the gravity of the occasion that made her choose a Birkin over other handbags as it gives out casual vibes. Much ado about nothing ,I'd say! For all you know, she might have chosen one because a white handbag went well with a pastel pink outfit that she donned :)

When I asked several people whom I consider to have more than a passing interest in fashion if they know the different between a Kelly & a Birkin, I received very different replies. Most of them seemed to be as clueless about this terminology as I was so I decided to take the lead in giving them a heads-up on the who’s who of the luxury bags segment.


Hermès is a brand of luxury goods that specializes in leather, ready-to-wear, lifestyle accessories, perfumery et al. Two of its iconic, limited edition hand-crafted purses are the Birkin bag & the Kelly bag. Each bag is carefully handmade from beginning to end by a single artisan and are distributed to Hermès boutiques on unpredictable schedules and limited quantities, creating scarcity and exclusivity. The waiting list for these bags run into a couple of years. These bags start at about $7,000 and can go well beyond $50,000 (OMG!) depending on hide and hue and are named after a duo of beautiful actresses – Jane Birkin & Grace Kelly respectively. For a celebrity, socialite or fashionista to be seen carrying a Birkin or Kelly is a testimony of her living a good life and that she has ‘arrived’!

But choosing a Kelly over Birkin or vice-versa had always been a subject of debate. May be it is because these handbags are seen more as personal statements rather than fashion accessories. The Kelly remains the classic choice for a formal do and is hugely popular with women who identify themselves with the bag’s muse, Grace Kelly who exuded royalty and refined manners and tastes. On the other hand, the Birkin, designed for the bohemian Jane Birkin, is the pick for the women on the move – casual yet understated.

The choice may be difficult for the yuppies in select social circles where owning a bag that can cost as much as a car is seen a status symbol but not for me, simply because I’ll have to rob a bank to fund even the least expensive one irrespective of what vibe it sends out. Nevertheless, it’s good to stay updated on the things that make a woman’s world go round. So girls, next time someone mentions Hermes, just brag on!!

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