New Delhi: The Emporio, Mumbai: Taj Hotel Coloba-www.dior.com

MEDITATION

Q u e s t i o n i n g t h e n e e d f o r M e d i t a t i o n

by: Alisha Puri

For many years we've been asking what is

the need for meditation? Does it really benefit

us or has just been forced upon us to break

free from the lethal daily routine which we

have been following since ages. In simpler

words, it means to get your untidy and

disorganized thoughts into one place. The

whole idea of meditating is to gain inner peace

which we have lost over the years. Meditation

helps you clear all that junk out of your

system. Meditation on the other hand gives

you clarity of thoughts. It helps in bringing self-

awareness about your mind, your body and

what you think. The more you meditate, the

more self-aware you become. This is much

important in your life as it eases the decision

making process and you are able to choose

freely and without any hassles. It keeps you

calm and turns you into an observer. It

inspires you and rejuvenates you. It increases

your consciousness and keeps you more

focussed in your work. With meditation, you

begin to live fully in the present moment. This

lets you react better to the situations around

you. It includes being more focussed, efficient,

attentive and receptive. You maximize every

moment of your living life by living in the

present moment. As easy as it sounds, this

requires a lot of practice to attain such feat.

Keep meditating and see the change within.

From something as small

as a compliment on your

outfit to someone telling

you they love you are

things that can bring a little

hop to your walk and

make you happy, maybe

make your day. Happiness

is for those who look for it.

But for me, something that

happened that forced me

to think how the smallest

of things impact so

massively into our lives

while we forget to give

importance to those little

things that matter. So I joined a workshop that

was for a couple of weeks

during my break and I'd

take a train to get there. As

I walked out of the tube,

there was music i could

hear, skipping on the stairs i

passed the golden tooth old

man who's heart seemed

like it was younger than

mine, singing to his beat of

guitar "ain't no sunshine

when she's gone", I

fumbled through my purse

to find some change and let

it loose as I left the station.

This happens to be my

favorite all time number as

John Mayer sings it in one

of his covers, but there was

this kind and playfulness,

maybe because of the

memories that this old man

sang to with a smile on his

face flaunting his tooth, that

his version sounded better

than John's.

This went on for a week, I

would pass by the man on

my way to class, he'd

have his gleaming smile,

and I'd smile back. Put a

couple dollars in his guitar

case converted donation

box and walk away to not

be late. This happened to

become routine.

After a week past, on the 8

th day, as I got out of train, there wasn't no

more the music I'd hear. I walked the spot by the stairs only to see his

empty guitar case with post card marked, the girl with the purple hat,

for a moment I though tons of girls with the purple hat just like mine

walk past everyday, but I couldn't fight the urge to read it, it said, “You

remind me of my sunshine, always keep that smile on and don't leave

someone who loves you like I did my wife, because if you do, you'll

take his sunshine away and he may never get it back” I smiled, walked away to class, the rest of the week went by with no songs on the station and I never saw the man again, and maybe the postcard wasn't for me, but the feeling that love like that exists in todays world, and possibility of me reminding someone of their loved ones made me feel very special.

So let yourself feel the goodnessSUNSHINEanddon'tletyourlovedone'sgo, because

they are the ones with the supply of happiness to bring to you and you're

there sunshine too.

by: Aishwarya Sunej

PASSION

F E A T U R E S

T H E U R B A N S T R E E T A R T

The local kids

shout out “Hurray !”

as we capture

graffiti in

Khirkee Village,

Delhi.

By Aishwarya Suneja

KHIRKEE V I L L A G E

Artists of all ages, races, and sexes create passion through the art of graffiti. We find many of

such art forms on the streets of Khirkee Village.

While art has many forms, in India one of the most

neglected ones is that of

street art. It is popular style of

art in the west, street art

theme has been of choice

among many contemporaries,

café's and clubs in the

modern Delhi. A lot of our

young culture appreciates

and adores the art form, we

find a new world into Khirkee

Village, in the midst of Delhi,

the creative capital of the

country.

Khirkee is a popular destination for street

art admirers and aficionados. Laxmi, a

resident of the village explains ”foreigners

and many other people come by to

capture and create art here every year and

we love it.” We also found children calling

pieces of art as “Bhootnath” or a “Ghost”

and another to be a “Chipkali” or “Lizard”

as their pet names for the various graffiti

around the area and on being asked they

exclaimed their love for all of the arts and

artists as well as an aspiration to become

as talented one day. A drawback of street art in our country

is that many of the artists aren't able to

capture or grow in this art as its

considered illegal and not appreciated,

while the art form can be developed and

Right opposite a luxury mall in Saket, one of

the epitomes of development and

modernization in the city and a big stop shop

for food, fashion and everything else you

can think of is The Khirkee Village. It is

where many graffiti artists reside in and

among the streets of the village you find

such contemporary art all around. Among the many that reside in the crowded

lanes of khirkee, there are construction

workers, artists, and localites that have the

street art as part of their daily lives. We asked the localites to tell us how they

feel about the art and what it means to

them, and the responses were heartfelt.

They feel more of it should be available and

that these artists should be given more

support in the words of Sahib khan, (localite)

“Government should do something to uplift

these artists spirits, the art here brings joy to

our lives, it also cleans up the messy walls

and makes them presentable”

ART GALLERY

HABITAT CENTRE

B y A l i s h a P u r i

A n A r t R e vi ew S

h o w c a s i n g M . F. H u s a i n ,

R e ema B a n s a l

& d i f f e r e n t s t y l e s o f pa i n t i n g .

An art gallery was put up by Malhotra Art House in the amphi theatre of the India Habitat Centre last Friday on 31

st October

2014 displaying designs, patterns and

paintings of various artists around the

country. The event began with registration,

networking and live music which was being

played throughout the event. They

displayed paintings of eminent artists such as M.F.

Husain, B.C. Sanyal, K.G. Subramaniyam, Lalita Lajmi and Reema Bansal. They displayed a long

tradition and history of Indian art and how it has evolved

over the years. Their paintings displayed some powerful

stuff such which the people really appreciated. Malhotra

art house having an experience of more than 25 years in

this field organized a brilliant evening leading to a dinner

and a performance by the leading Indian band Indian

Ocean. The music was pleasant as the band played with

all the intensity. The event was a huge success praising

the hard work of the team behind this event where

everything fell in place.

Make A Difference is a platform

that empowers youth to become

change leaders who make

positive social impact and create

self-sustaining communities.

Through a network of young

volunteers MAD imparts after

school education support, c o n d

u c t s p e r s o n a l i t y

development camps and career awareness

workshops, with an aim of bridging the inequality in

society; and instills life skills which will equip and

empower them for a better future.We are a 12A

registered society with an 80G exemption status. We teach across 23 cities in India and actively engage

in the work we do. In Delhi, we‟re located across

Daryaganj, East of Kailash and Connaught Place.

WHAT WE DO

MA D has 4 programs to reach out to children at risk

E d Support : Delivers the after school support in subjects such as Science, Maths and

English at centers for 5 hours a week, round the year.

Discover: Builds aspirations and dreams in children by exposing them to new careers, new

skills and new ideas through field visits, interactions with professionals and

workshops.

F ortify: Improves the living environment of children to help provide them a safe and fun

learning environment while growing up.

Dream C amps: Provides the children a channel to learn, express themselves and aims

shape their emotional/mental resilience.

Propel : Provides one on one support to children in the 11th and 12th standard in terms of

career counseling, college admissions, legal documentation, interview

and test preparation for job opportunities.

MA D STO RIE S

By Alisha Puri

Spring Summer’ 15

MODELS SPOTTED AT

WILLS INDIA

FASHION WEEK SS 15

TREND

REVIEW

Inspired by Jalsaghar, a film by SatyajitRay(1958), the collection portrays its

classic yet trendy approach to the ethnic

wear with subtle shades of black and off

white, breaking through with the romance of

pink, giving summer a trendy spin.

JoyMitraExplains his forte in the details,

giving “The Music Room” a life through the

textures and vintage embroideries showcased

in the collection. A designers life, well all our

lives are full of great curves both high and

low, more about life experiences and Joy

explains how he derives his creativity from

the life experiences and the beauty of pain

and love that life gives us every single day.

As he tells me about the heartbreak and all

Joy Mitra other stories slide had to offer, his drive

became evident in his collections further.

„The Music Room‟ Check it out for yourself.

The Spring

Summer

Collection is

inspired by

Kashmir. The

dark times

that Kashmir

has been

through and

the freedom

PAYAL SINGHAL from the cage of darkness it craves. The art of

storytelling is visible in the

silhouettes, playing with prints and

motifs like the Cypriot bird, which

captures the significance of peace,

Kashmir wishes for. The contrast from

light to darkness, and the hopeful

nature towards light again is seen in

the contemporary and forward

designs the designer has to offer Josh Goraya inspired by the

Moon patterns, the Spring

Chandrani Singh

„Flora‟

The Kolkata based bombshell

designer finds her inspiration in

the voyage for her SS15

collection. Using shades from

grey, black, blue and orange she

describes her illustrations and

emotions through her. Driven by

the natural settings, object in

nature that intrigues her is what

the designer is all about. The collection features shades

and contrasts of the bright yet

subtle designs,Chandrika's

designs showcase the Indian

heritage and ethnicity in the

contemporary times with her

current voyage inspiration. Other

brilliant collections include, Ice

Crystals and Ocean.

Khem's collection is SS15 boasts the Think

Pink Saga, showcasing the playful and

feminine nature of the color. From hues to

shades of pink bright and pastel, the

summer and nature feels is evident in all of

the ethnic collection. The chrysanthemums,

a major part of the spring, its showcased in

the collection through muted and subtle

designs, which are the designers forte with

an eye for detail. The collection is for young and elegant

at heart, evidently.

‘ KHUSHBOO & PREM

„Khem‟

Summer Collection for 2015 is

abundant in the play on

textures and figures

showcasing the contemporary

art.Using Cottons and pairing

shades of neon with off

whites, Josh‟s designs are

youthful and quirky with a

prism of elegance. Highly

Appreciated in the menswear

at Wills India Fashion Week,

Josh‟s Playful yet classic

designs are something to look

out for in the upcoming

seasons.

‘ JOSH GORAYA’

„Khem‟

EKRU

In conversation with Ekta Jaipuria and Ruchira Kandhari

She explains about her designs in

SS15. Subtlety and minimalistic

beauty is what ecru has stood for

and through its upcoming

collection it doesn't boast

innovation of heritage and

simplicity that ekru designs have to

offer. Positively unmatched by any

other collection at the Wills lifestyle

India fashion week, Ekru Innovates

in the designs and silhouettes yet

keeping intact its understated yet

remarkable workmanship and

appearance. While the designs are

meant for a clientele base of 30's

and above, the young crowd that

craves the Indian vintage has

something to look out for this

season at Ekru.

By Aishwarya Suneja

Be True

To

Yourself

A time comes when one must reflect back on all what he has

done, you know just to figure out

what went wrong or what could

have been done to avoid the

situation, so that he is up and

ready for the next round. He

always ponders upon as to what

he needs to change in himself in

o r d e r t o b e c o m e m o r e

welcoming. But in this process a

part of him his lost, this journey of

turning into someone he is not,

destroys his essence. Pushing yourself towards

something when you it would blow up in your face is

not the right way to go. You don't need to sacrifice your

soul in order to go that extra mile. Things will come to

you if you stick to yourself, but if you are not by your

side then why do you expect other people to be. One

day you wake up and you realize you are older and

you are stuck, and with all that knowledge who you

can't do anything but curse yourself. Don't bring that

situation on you. Spend every single day of your life

painting if that makes you feel alive, don't just sit and

ask questions. You will find all the answers when you

start doing something you believe in. Go out and get it!

By Alisha Puri

ByAishwarya Suneja

In Conversation with the queen of

makeovers, we dig deep into her journey to the fashion world and along the way find some tips and tricks to fix what we're doing wrong. Aashmeen Munjal has been a make-up artist for countless shows, fashion weeks as well as magazine covers all across India. An acclaimed Makeover artist, she has worked for numerous pageants including Pantaloons Femina Miss India and countless fashion weeks. Even after having working with many talented celebrities like Soha Ali Khan and Freida Pinto, Ashmeen explains how her true love lies in bridal makeup. Through a telephonic interview we find from Aashmeen about her make-up style and lets go ahead

Whatandsee

dowhat

you

shelove

hasmost

to sayabout

…

makeup?Make up Is like amagic to me. It

can transform a simple regular face or any

other body part into a pieceof art or that of

beauty. And I love transformations. How long have you been a

makeup artist and how did you

get your start in the industry?It's

been 19 year. It came to me out of

boredom and passion. In my free

time I'd create interesting looks for

my friends and family and give them

makeovers all the time. As my

husband belonged to a conservative

family he wanted me to work from home and for a long time I did, but

he was very supportive throughout

the journey which led to the opening

of my first salon. I used to love creating bollywood

imitations at the time as that was

what was so popularly in demand,

like KarishmaKapoor's look in

“Biwi No. 1” or Shri Devi's in

almost any film I'd go extravagant

withjewelry, hair,make-up the lots.I

can create any look on anyone

and that was my forte. What challenges you faced in

your carrier? Creating a team and

finding the right people has been

the biggest challenge, especially

retaining them as often once

trained, there comes a conflict of

interest and they leave. I guess for

me that has been a major

challenge running the place. And to

me team is very important as

they're your creativehub.

Which makeup products and

makeup tools you use and

why?I use various actually, no

favorites as it depends on the

client, the weather the lighting and

the lots. But I can safely say that

bobby brown's brushes are pnthe

best and my favorites to use as

they're soft and very hygienic.

Mac too. How would you describe your

signature look and what is

about your style that sets you

apart from other makeup

artists?I like bling. And for

wedding you need to look like a princess. My style for bridals is usually Classy and blingy, I mean we have all the other days to be simplistic and minimalistic, but on your wedding day you need to

Whofeelroyal

doyou. consider

a competition in the industry? My competitions are just inspirations, and I find plenty of that in my own team as we're constantly experimenting looks all the time. I love however The Arabic and Pakistan Artist Jawed, and MeenakshiDutt's eye make-up is beautiful it's the boldness that takes it away. Who are some people that have

inspired you throughout your

carrier?Jawed habib, who I

formerly worked with in the early

stages of my career, was very

inspirational to me, personally and

professionally, as he is a gem of a

person. What is the most important

beauty advice that you can give

to women?Follow your own

creativity, be a trendsetter not a

follower and always go for what

suits you.And remember with

makeup don't just choose a brand

always choose a style. Hair are

holistically transforming as they

completely change your look so

go for a hair makeover, color for a

hair person is aood option to

experiment with. What are the upcoming trends in

make-up you'd like to tell us?

Flora pink and neon in lipsticks, I'd say colored kajal, although its been around for a while but for casuals I strongly suggest it as it creates a fresh new look and

works on everyone. It helps to camouflage dark circles too. I think everyone should so a short course on self make-up, as women we must be aware of

Tricksthesethings

tomake.

you look naturally beautiful.Mascara on a regular bases is a big No-No. Its harsh and very damaging instead, put on some Vaseline on your fingers and apply on the eyelash curler, before you set them in shape. Lips can also be naturally tinted

by applyinggulabjalor beetroot

on a regular bases, for a natural

tint especially for a minimalist

daily look, and then complete the

look with gloss for a Bee look.

Contouring: its like shading, to

highlight all the hill of your face

and subdue all the valleys, so we

contour the nose and jaw line

along with cheekbones. But don't

overdo it as you want to look like

a sunbaked Barbie not an over

baked one. However id say, it's a

professional job so don't do it

unless you're sure of what youre

doing, practice makes perfect. What's your favouriteskin care

products?Elizabeth Arden,

Lancom for skin care and Shahnaz

Hussein and Jawed Habib's

products are amazing for hair.

Most natural and organic products

are the best when it comes to hair

and instead of spa's, women sho

simply use such home masks and

see they'd benefit better because

masks are temporary, while these

actually strengthen the hair. What do you prefer Industry or

Bridal?While the industry is all

rainbows and butterflies there

tends to be a temper problem,

which I don't exactly, love, but its

there all around. With Bridals

however I love the spark in the

bride's eyes, wedding make-up

is the magic and glow you love,

its lifetime thing and that makes

me very happy. Sometimes their

husbands would just call us and

tell us about their moment of joy

to see their beautiful bride and

that happiness is what makes it

so special.

A directory of wonderful things: By Sofia

Indian attire: Sari

Sari is a traditional garment worn by most Indian women in a

beautiful and admiring ways. Sari comprises of 30% of total

textile production in India. The sari manufacturing units in

India are hundreds in number.

There are innumerable types, weaves, prints, patterns, kinds of

motifs, color scheme and fabric which are involved in making

sari.

Over the years, the sari has evolved into a fashion statement,

which most fashion designers feel pride for their collections.

History of Saris

Indians were wearing saris draped around their bodies long

before tailored cloths arrived. The origin of a sari can be dated

back in history and there are various references of it during the

Indus Valley Civilization. In more recent times, it is believed

that the women in most parts of India have been wearing saris

for many years.

The Indian Sari is more than 5000 years old. It was first

mentioned in Rig Veda, the oldest surviving literature of the

world, written somewhere around 3000 BC. The Sari,

originally intended both for men and women, is probably the

longest incessantly worn dress in the history of mankind.

One of the earliest depictions of a Sari-like drape covering the

entire body dates back to 100 B.C. A North-Indian Terracotta

depicts a woman wearing a Sari wound tightly around her

entire body in the trouser style.

This elaborate sculpture represented in the terracotta may

have evolved among India's temple dancers in ancient times to

allow their limbs freedom of movement while at the same time

maintaining their standards of modesty.

There are many sculptures of Greco-Indian Gandharian

civilization which show a variety of different Sari draping styles.

Tailored clothes arrived in India with the arrival of Muslims.

Hindus believed that any cloth pierced by needles was impure.

It is commonly believed in India that petticoat or Ghagra and

the blouse or Choli which are worn under the Sari are later

additions which started with the coming of British in India.

Increasing number of upper class women in the early 20th

century did adopt items of European style clothing as the

fitted blouse and slim petticoat. This was also adopted due to

the fashion of transparent chiffon Saris during that particular

period.

Supporting Angel

Fair but lean and thin girl with great talent of writing was born in a family where

girls were treated with disrespect and dishonor. She grew up looking at and

learning her mom’s sacrifices for her three brothers and Father. She had no

importance in her family and even the suggestions or decisions given by her or

her mother were never considered important and healthy in family matters. She

had to eat all left over’s of her brothers and father after they have finished their

meals.

She grew up educating from her younger brothers books who always had a

special place for her in her heart. In the middle of the night he use to tech her

and give lessons as per his learning in the school.

Slowly- slowly she developed great skills and interest of writing articles. One day

through a school completion Ad, her younger brother came to know about the

writing completion which was about to happen after two weeks. He went back

home and asked her sister about her, she denied.

This boy who had great faith in her filled in the form by the name of anonymous

and sent it across to the magazine. He forced her sister to write on the topic and

as a favor to her brother she wrote the article. After the completion was over

and days passes by she forgot about the article.

One fine day in the school the results were written on the board saying

Anonymous and was offered a job which said “Learn and Earn” for the rest of

the student life. His brother went running home to tell his mother that how well

she wrote and won. Happy was the mother, his sister and the little boy. But the

happiness as taken away soon as the father came to about it and they were all

locked in the basement of the house and was ordered not to leave the house.

One night the little boy escaped met the Principle of the school and told him the

whole story. The principle came home and tried his best to convince his father but

failed. One day the head of his family had business failure and no one except the

girl had the courage to earn as the rest kids were still in school and had no special

talent. So the girl with a heavy heart asked his dads permission to work for the

magazine. With the financial concerns in his heart the dad said yes and very soon

she became the famous writer in the country and brought honor and money to

the family.

A directory of wonderful thing by Sofia: Gaurav Gupta

The November looks out for the maverick designer’s exclusive

range.

One of India’s most recognized designer’s Gaurav Gupta has fashioned an

Inimitable place for himself in new –age Indian wear. The festive season, he

presents an exclusive range of pocket friendly Anarkalis Suit and saris.

Retaining his distinct draped style. In chat with The Juice, Gaurav talks about

his inspiration and the details that have gone into the line.

You are known for your exaggerated couture Shows, how did you manage to

translate that into ready-to wear collection?

We are all about detail and the result was an amalgamation of embroidery and

our signature draped silhouette. The styles retain an extremely sophisticated vibe.

We had been thinking about doing a more affordable collection.

Where did your inspiration stem from?

The theme is evening – this collection is completely focused on occasion wear.

Statement yet subtle pieces that are a signature of our brand, Gaurav Gupta. I

revisited couture elements from my precious collections that we are most known

for – birds of fantasy motifs. Victorian details on shoulder and blouse collars. They

drapes used are interesting. My mood board had paintings’ of Raja Ravi Varma for

the classical yet conceptual pleated saris.

The Fabric I’ve used is mostly feminine georgettes and chiffons. The kurta sets

are almost floor-length and look like Gowns.

What is it about Drapes that you love so much?

A woman’s body is like a sculpted art form. My drapes highlight curves at all the

right places. I enjoy being slightly twisted and there is playfulness in that

elegance. While they look so easy to create. There is actually a lot of science

applied to the cut and form so that the drapes mould any woman’s body with

perfection.

What should a woman pick when it comes to investing in ethnic wear-current trends or classical styles?

I don’t believe in ever- changing trends. I believe in classical pieces and in and

investing in something that is beautiful, something you will love wearing even five

years later.

What do you aim to achieve with this collection?

There is a big audience of women with our sensibilities that we are not reaching

to right now, particularly in India. Luxury brands are bigger than the reach. I

wanted to make my brand more approachable, therefore I am launching Gaurav

Tribe, which has its own DNA. It has its own creative process and challenges.

That has been exciting.