Tag: handloom

F.I.E.R.C.E

Published on by Lavanya Pulijala2 Comments

“I am not the size of my jeans, I am the size of my smile.

 I am not a number on a weighing machine, I am the strength that I carry.

I am not the complexion I am born with, I am the blush on my cheek.

I am not the patches on my skin, I am the scars I have endured.

I am not the length of  dress, I am the beauty that blazes within.

I am not a type you want me to fit in, I am beyond your comprehension.

I am courage, I am fire, I am a burning desire.

I am not who you want me to be, I am who I am ”  -RK

As inspiring as these words seem to be, it’s important to be who you are, to define yourself, to come out of the cocoons and face the world the way you like and not the way others want you to be 🙂

Happy Women’s Day to all gorgeous women out there 😀

Capturing the boldness of a modern woman along with the simplicity and style of a traditional attire is challenging. I have been trying to put forth looks depicting a blend of wilderness and rustic essence using our age-old handloom fabrics. Since the handlooms are so much in trend among the Indian designers, I have worked on using that fabric in this look.

The graciously arranged pleats of a saree , the rustic feel of the handloom, the high heeled black boots, the white leather jacket along with a tinge of bold red define the essence of my current look. The black can’t make me fade away, the red ensured my look is on point and my boots break the notion of a stereotypical saree look.Leather jacket went hand in hand with the boots.Attention to intricacies while choosing the accessories is  the most vital part.

I have been trying to define my style as something that breaks the stereotype of any outfit and hence, the boots and the jacket. I have chosen a solid black plain saree and accessorized using a clutch from Rann of Kutch,an antique neck piece.I didn’t want to go heavy with the earrings since my neck piece is dominant enough and stuck to my choice of red lipstick for the bold look.

Details:

Saree : Mangalagiri

Blouse : Ikkat

Clutch : Borrowed from my mom

Boots : Zara

Waist Belt : Forever 21

Neck piece, earrings: Colaba Causeway

Ring : Goa flea market

 

Photos by Suresh Neralla 

Special Thanks to Sampath Kumar for all the support 🙂 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shopping and Hopping in Kolkata

Published on by Lavanya PulijalaLeave a comment

So, I happened to visit Kolkata for a couple of days.Though, I had only 5 hours of free time, I managed to shop and explore the city as much as I could.I would like to take you through my entire experience in Kolkata.

When it comes to the city, if you are the person who is obsessed with cleanliness, then, Kolkata might not meet those standards.Besides, it is a city which literally shuts down by 9 pm and being used to Mumbai, I found it hard to believe.A small note to all those who are planning to shop in the evenings is ,most of the shops are open only till 8:30 pm.So, plan accordingly 🙂

Apart from this, if you are new to Kolkata, it’s better to stick to Ola/Uber for travelling.However, be prepared, many drivers don’t even turn up or cancel the trips without any reason and this becomes literally worse in the night after 9 pm.Solo travellers,be sure to plan your travel a bit early during the night.

Yeah!! Yeah!! I know, you must be eagerly waiting to know about my shopping 😀 

Whenever I happen to visit a new place, I try to collect and shop for things unique to that place.The same happened even with respect to Kolkata.I started hunting shops in Park Street for such exclusive stuff and you know what, I found one amazing store,”Biswa Bangla”, which was launched by West Bengal Government and it has all the bengal-specific sarees,artifacts,accessories,bags,dupattas. This store has limited stock for sale but it covers all kinds of unique arts of Bengal.They even had sarees woven by tribals with vegetable dyes.

                                                           Vegetable dyed saree


Kantha work of Bengal is something which captivated me.I bought a two-sided dupatta with kantha work done on tappa on one side and a completely different single design on the other side. Tappa ,basically , is a collection of small square-shaped cloth pieces with varied designs and kantha work is used to put these pieces together.I even bought a cotton saree which was weaved in the form of a fine detailed net and colored with a vegetable dye.Jute and copper accessories are unique to this place which made me grab a jute laptop bag and a set of copper earrings as well.

                                                              Kantha work on Tappa

                                                                    Kantha stitch 

I had a plan to visit the most popular new market of Kolkata for shopping but unfortunately, I couldn’t find time for it due to heavy rains.I hate these spoilers but I did manage to go around and check out the Victoria Memorial which was built in memory of Queen Victoria, the Empress of India in 1877.It was constructed in Italian style with marble.The royal hall brings in the beauty of the high-dome architecture with glass painted windows and intricate wall carvings.The museum showcases the richness of the Kolkata culture since ages in terms of literature, politics,art and trade.

                                                    The Majestic Victoria Memorial

 

                                      Kantha work in 1900’s (Displayed in Victoria Memorial)


I am not a person who would be interested in temples but since the Kali ghat temple was built in 19th century,I was intrigued to check its architecture. However, much to my surprise, the architecture was minimal.The idol looked elegant, though.

That’s about my overall experience in Kolkata.


Do follow me on Instagram for more updates : slaythestyle_


Pictures by Lavanya Pulijala