Designer Bride: Shyamal and Bhumika's Gaam Collection

It's difficult for me to carry the momentum of the week into Friday, so I often end up doing lazy things like making Kraft Dinner Casserole for dinner.  I know that you have probably seen these photos from the 2008 Gaam Collection by Shyamal and Bhumika elsewhere on the web, particularly on Maharani Weddings, where they gave one away in a competition (did anyone else find out who won that?), but I can't help but be a little lazy and repost them here. 

I like to occassionally treat my blog like a personal scrapbook and post stuff just because it makes my blogspace prettier.  Also, the whole theme of the collection was partly Rajasthan inspired, with the prevalence of orange fabrics, gold bordered dupattas and just an overall village-like feel.  So it fits in with my Inspired Bride's Rajasthani Royale theme.  Just a colourful, energetic end to the week.  I should add that my favourite one is that purple one with the patterned skirt.  I'm a sucker for anything with floral patterns.

Source: All images via MastiOne.com

It's a long weekend here in Canada, and I'm taking the kids to Muslimfest (yaaaay for festivals!) in downtown Mississauga. If there are any bridal related vendors there, I will definitely post about them.  Have a good weekend, all.

Bollywood Bride: Rani Mukherjee in Paheli - Part II

This is a continuation of a previous post, to see the first part, please click here.

I'm taking a break from uni stuff to write this, and I think I've done enough work to deserve a treat...or not, but I have a short attention span, and possibly and adult version of ADD. 

I love, love, love the necklace here.  The pearls, the cabochon beads, the open setting of the stones in the main choker is right up my alley.  Not to mention the colour.  This scene is from Shah Rukh's return from his business trip.  Or should I say the return of the ghost in the guise of Shah Rukh.

This is hands-down my fave outfit from the entire movie.  I love the powder blue, sand and orange combo.  It is so muted and pretty.  Also, the silk of the sari is exquisite as is the hand embroidered Pallu.  Plus, the pearl jewellery!  If you know me, you know I love pearls and they work perfectly with the soft tones of this outfit.

Again with the pearls and this time they are bigger. They are killing me. Personally, I am not crazy about orange in bold combinations, but Rani makes it work.  There are certain things I like to see on other people but could never pull off myself.  This is one of them.

Okay, okay, I'm done.  This is the last picture, I swear.  I just wanted to point out that Rani is wearing a light green sari here and Shah Rukh is wearing the same green in a darker shade.  Nice tip for brides who want their groom to coordinate with them without being too matchy matchy.

I lied, I have more pictures I want to post, so I'll leave you with those.  All images are screenshots from my  copy of Paheli, distributed by Red Chillies Entertainment, 2005.

Bollywood Bride: Rani Mukherjee in Paheli

Rani in the opening sequence, at her mehndi. Source: Screenshots.

I'm not sure, but I think occasionally my husband checks out my blog.  I'm hoping he doesn't choose today, since I told him I wouldn't be able to cook dinner because I have a essay/final to write for English 100.  Lucky for me, it's on Pride and Prejudice, which I've read every year since I was 16...twice.  And Darcy's letter to Elizabeth still has me at the edge of my seat with my heart in my throat everytime.  You gotta admit, all those pent up emotions and desires under a thin patina of gentility is kinda hot.  No wonder P&P is still such a hit.  Still, it can't stand up to the lure of a Bollywood period drama.  So when I got my copy of Paheli, I couldn't help but watch that instead.  All those colours and costumes and pretty jewellery, it's like a candy shop for my eyes.

I love the necklace she is wearing.  The old techniques of setting jewellery are still the best. 

All the jewellery in this movie was designed by Tanish Q. Source: Screenshots.

If, like the girls at Maharani Weddings, you are enamoured with a theme wedding, it helps to watch a Bollywood movie that is based in the time-period of your theme.  A mughal affair?  Try Jodha Akbar or Umrao Jaan.  Turn of the century India? Devdas or Veer.  Rajasthani? Paheli.  It's true that there will be overlap or similarity, but you will pick out a few details that are unique to the time period and location.  Cinematographers, art directors and costume designers are masters of these stylistic elements and they have a research crew to back them up, so no detail is left unfinished.

The ever radiant Juhi Chawla, and I'm not partial to her just because she's Gujurati like me, she really is stunning. Source: Screenshots.

Paheli, starring Rani Mukherjee as Lachchi, an innocent village girl, and Shah Rukh as Kishanlal, a rather overly zealous son and business man.  Lachchi's marriage to Kishanlal  gets off to a rather dubious start when she finds out her typically desi husband is more concerned with the cost of marrying her than the act of bedding her.  Lucky for her, when he leaves the day after their suhaag raat for a business trip, he is replaced by a ghost who became infatuated with her after seeing her at a rest-stop on her way to her new home.  It seems this ghost's only raison d'etre is pleasing his beloved, and he proceeds to bed her and romance her and generally fill her life with the sound of songbirds and joy.  All is happily ever after...or is it?

Paheli is set in Rajasthan, India, so you will see plenty of shots of Rani with the veil lowered over her head in that distinct style of Rajasthani women, who are known to use their pallu as a veil for their face.  Jewellery elements include the Borla (a rounder, more dimensional version of the tikka), lots of dangling beads and flat, polygonal shapes.  The colour orange is dominant, and you will see it incorporated to some degree in every outfit Rani wears.  Other clothing elements include the use of a narrow ribbon of fabric as a border on an otherwise solid, brightly coloured dupatta.  Rich fabrics aren't particularly noticeable, but you will notice batik style block dyed fabrics, and different styles of embroidery, most prevalently, metallic threadwork. 

I tried hard to condense all the pictures into this one post, but there are so many visual elements and I didn't have as much time as I wanted, so I'm gonna have to break it up into two posts.  I'll post the next one as soon as I have time.  For now, back to essay-writing...

The Inspired Bride: Rajasthani Royale

A hotel with a lakeview in Rajasthan. Source: Rajasthan Tours

Rajasthan, literally "land of kings", was the seat of Indian royalty, who retreated there after the British Invasion. This at once forbidding and beguiling territory remained unconquered because of the natural protection afforded by the surrounding Thar Desert and Aravalli Mountain Range. If the British had worked up the courage to the go there, they would have found the Rajputs, the fierce warrior tribes of Northern India, regal in bearing and brave fighters in battle. You may have seen the distinctive tatoo of three dots the chins of some tribal woman, this hallmark of Rajasthani women is worn as protection from the evil eye by brides of the Rajput cast.  The women of Rajasthan are also known for their exquisite beauty and brightly coloured clothing in shades of orange, red and blue.

Picture Credits from the top left:  Shyamal and Bhumika Bridal Lengha from the 2008 "Gaam" Collection via their Facebook page/Kurta Sherwani in turquoise from Bargello/Guerlain Terracotta Loose Powder Kohl from Sephora/ Roses and Lilacs from Stella Alesi Photography via StyleMePretty/Satvi Jewellery from Art Karat's 2010 "Paheli" Collection via their website.

Love at First Sight: Fingerprint ring from Chris Parry

I like to surf etsy every now and then, looking for good ideas because nothing appeals to me more than something handmade and beautiful.  Looking back over my previous posts in this section, that seems to hold true a lot of the time.

Personalized Fingerprint 5mm Palladium Ring. Source: Chris Parry's Etsy Shop

I considered including this ring in another post that I am working on, but then decided I loved it so much, I wanted to give it its own post. The thought of imprinting one's fingerprint into a ring to present to your beloved is elementally sweet.  They are on the higher end of the price range, but considering the cost of the diamond engagement ring you may be wearing, it's a small price to pay for an eternal gesture. 

Each ring is hand engraved with an imprint of your fingerprint by Chris Parry in his studio in Gravesend, UK.  The rings come in white gold (which might not be an option for me for religious reasons), palladium, and platinum.  They are hallmarked by the London Assay Office (an independent goldsmith authority) to give you full assurance that the metal you paid for is the one you get.  Chris Parry also offers shirt stays, tie clips, and money clips, which, incidentally, would make excellent groomsmens' gifts.  I think I'm falling in love with my hubby all over again, if only to have an excuse to get him one of these. Price: ranging from $300 to $2000 depending on the metal choice and width (the one pictured is $327 USD) from Chris Parry's Etsy Shop.

Designer Bride: Kareena Kapoor for Gitanjali Diamonds

Magazine Advertisement for the Gitanjali campaign featuring Kareena Kapoor. Source: Pinkvilla

It's Friday, and I don't feel like working too hard, so I'm just gonna fill today with some eye candy.  I'm thinking of starting a new section focusing on different designer work that I come across in my searches, but never have the opportunity to post. 

I totally fell in love with Kareena when I found this Gitanjali Group commercial for their Parineeta Bridal Jewellery collection and I  now have a huge girl-crush on her.  This ad made a splash when it first came out last year. And no wonder, Kareena is the perfect combination of the traditional shy, coy, playful Indian bride that us desis love so much.  

Her lengha is a red banarasee silk with metal-work embroidery all over the bottom of the skirt and along the neckline which is accompanied by an open back.  I suspect that in making the kurta, they reversed the material, so the gold polka dots that are on the skirt appear more muted.  This is very flattering because it maintains a single tone of colour throughout the garment while at the same time, the lack of shininess on top means that Kareena doesn't look top heavy. 

You may not know it, but Surat, India is one of the diamond cutting capitals of the world.  Although for years we have been providing the world with quality polished diamonds, they have not featured highly in the Indian jewellery market itself.  Companies like Gitanjali are hoping to change that attitude by relying on powerfully enticing ad campaigns like this one featuring Kareena.  To understand how beguiling it is, I really recommend you watch the whole commercial by clicking here.  To see more of the dress, and Kareena plugging the hell out of diamonds, click here for a "making of" video.

The Pulled-Together Bride: Drape Styles from Lakme India

It seems that the most commonly requested information from South Asian brides is ideas for draping their sari or lengha on their wedding day.  Oddly enough, many of them end up settling for either the traditional over the shoulder drape for the sari, or the one-armed, over-the-head drape for the lengha.  Is it because they feel most comfortable with that, or because they just couldn't find any suggestions for a different style?  The following eight styles are courtesy of Lakme Bridal Sutra studio, where the staff is trained in draping each style.  Perhaps one of these looks may work for you.

Eight different drape styles for lenghas and saris. Source: Lakme India Salon

Tricks of the Trade: Using Foundation to Contour Your Face

One of the most influential sections of Robert Jones' book (click here for more on that) for me was the section on highlighting and contouring with makeup to achieve a radiant and sculpted look for photographs  To me, this particular lesson is invaluable, particularly to South Asian brides, who have a tendency to try and go one shade lighter in order to appear fairer.  I know a lot of girls who do this, even though they pretend (mostly to themselves) that they don't.  For these girls, highlighting and contouring can have the effect of making them appear fairer without looking chalky or washed out.

Okay, so it does look kinda scary, but if you enlarge this image from pinkvilla which I modified to demonstrate highlight and contour

areas of the face should give you an idea of how to achieve a more professional foundation base on your wedding day. Source: Pinkvilla

I took the liberty of using an image of a bride from Pinkvilla to demonstrate a makeup chart.  To contour your face, you need three shades of foundation: your natural shade, one shade darker and one shade lighter.  Start by applying your natural shade all over your face.  Take the lighter shade and apply it to the "highlight" areas on your face and take the darker shade and apply it on the "contour" areas.   Be sure to blend where the lines of colour end so that they fade into each other, but don't overblend so they disappear; especially the highlighter. 

For girls with a wider nose, the highlight and contour may also have the effect of making the bridge of their nose narrower.  I discovered that while I was in the Middle East, where it seems most girls have a complex about their noses.  They use foundation to sculpt the bridge of their nose so it appeared longer and thinner. As long as you are careful not to overdo it, it works well.  This technique requires a bit of practice, so try it out a couple of times before actually using it on the big day

The Enquiring Bride: Review - Makeup Makeovers: Weddings by Robert Jones

A friend of mine is a meticulous researcher, so when she was getting married, it was no surprise to me that she unearthed some great resources on every aspect of wedding planning.  One particular resource that stood out to me was a book she'd bought, by makeup artist Robert Jones, called "Makeup Makeovers: Weddings."  Even though her wedding was last year, this book stayed in my mind since I saw it over a year and a half ago, which probably is testament to its quality.

The Writer
Robert Jones is an incredibly successful makeup artist, with his own line of artist specific tools and books.  He has partnered with the industry's biggest names, including Mary Kay, Watters & Watters, and Nexxus to create unique ranges and campaigns.  He is also popular with celebrities, amongst whom he has an extensive clientele.  My overall impression of his work is that it is aimed at an older demographic, from 35 to 45, but during a wedding, when a lot of brides are looking for a timeless, elegant look, his experience in this market makes sense.

I adore the glowing look of this bride's eye makeup and the flowers and crystals in her hair. 

On the left, Jones gives a complete breakdown of how to get the look in very simple terms.

The Book
Having sold over a 100,000 copies, this book is definitely a hit with brides who are hoping to do their own makeup.  At $16.47 on Amazon and eligible for Super Saver Shipping, this book is incredibly reasonably priced.  Quite frankly, it's a steal, considering the wealth of information it will provide and the cost you will save on hiring a makeup artist.

 My best friend chose to copy this look for her beach-themed wedding.  Nude lips

combined with a dramatic blue-black smoky eye...Stunning when paired with the hot pink.

It is set up in a magazine-style, crammed with pictures and not too heavy on words.  It's easy to find the information you are looking for, since there are plenty of visual cues.  The book's main ethos is creating a look that is very good on camera.

 The book is very extensive in its coverage, even going over basics like eyebrow grooming.  So

if you are a complete novice, but want to look like a practiced diva, this book is very helpful.

The book centers around different looks for different brides depending on the lighting and time of day.  He provides several basic application maps for eyeshadow, and then over 30 pages of inspiration on different looks for different skintones and races at different times of day. 

For South Asian brides, these two hispanic girls were pretty much the closest skintone this book had to offer and

these two looks are actually the most dramatic that I found. The coral and purple of the makeup on the left page is,

to me, actually a very clever use of colour that is gauranteed to flatter most brides.

Overall, I do like this book and I think for a bride who is new to makeup, hopes to do her own, or is looking for something very toned down, this book has plenty to offer.  If however, you are big on colour, know a lot about application and colour theory of makeup already, and you are in search of a bolder look, this may not be the book for you.

Bollywood Bride: Aishwarya Rai as a Bengali Bride in Chokher Bali

Aishwarya Rai as a Bengali Bride in Chokher Bali.  Source: Saree Dreams.

Bollywood, like all popular media, has a tendency to homogenise cultures.  So when I saw Aishwarya Rai beautifully done up as a Bengali bride in this picture, I was excited to showcase it, even though I didn't know which movie it was from.  Well, a little bit of googling took care of that.  This shot is from the movie Chokher Bali, starring Aishwarya Rai, Raima Sen, and someone called Prasenjit.

Chokher Bali, based on the novel of the same name by writer Rabridanath Tagore, is the story of a widow (played by Aishwarya Rai) who tempts tradition, friendship and fate by seducing a married man.  I didn't really understand the movie, since I think it was in Bengali, but I read the synopsis online. I got the movie to see if I could find more pretty shots of the bridal garments that Aishwarya Rai is wearing, and found that the promo shot is actually the best picture.  There are a few more I managed to capture and I'm posting them here for you to see.

Hindu Bengali (because their formal dress is quite different to that of muslim Bengalis) brides wear a bridal sari of red benarasee silk with puff sleeves that are characteristic of bengali saris.  The intricately folded paper crown is called a mukut.  The bride also wears a white garland and carries two betel leaves which she uses to hide her face from her groom before the big reveal.  The dots and bindi painted on her forehead with white and red paint compliment the beauty of her eyes and frame her face.  I've added a few other screenshots here from various other scenes in the movie.  All screenshots are from my copy of the movie "Chokher Bali: A Passion Play" from Shree Venkatesh Films, 2003.