5 Pune fashionistas tell us what defines their sense of style
Five city fashionistas tell us what defines their sense of style.
Effortless style
Abhilasha Mehta
As a fashion enthusiast and blogger, Abhilasha Mehta, 33, enjoys experimenting with her looks. "My style is classic and always evolving because I am constantly observing, learning and experimenting," says the entrepreneur who runs a health foods company called Six Pack Nutrition with her husband. While at work, where she spends time on the factory floor, Mehta chooses Indian wear, "with a slight twist by way of colours, textures or accessories".
Her creativity with clothes shows in the khun pants and jackets she wears for this shoot. Khun is a traditional weave from Maharashtra often seen in saris and blouses worn by women, particularly in maharashtra.
Mix-n-match: Dressing up, says Mehta, is a creative process and a way of self expression. "Sometimes I like to play Bollywood diva and at times I am transported into the fifties in a bodycon dress and teased hair," she says. She describes her shopping trips as a "journey" or an "exploration". See her on: lookinggoodfeelingfab.com
Timeless style
Barshani Gokhale
Just as she swears by her grandmother's traditional recipes for the all natural skin and hair care products that she blends for her brand Navami, Barshani Gokhale, 39, often relies on her mother's classic saris. The doctor-turned entrepreneur describes her style as "casual and comfortable with a hint of bohemia".
So, her wardrobe boasts of hand-woven saris, skirts and dresses and ethnic wear. "I love fluid clothes and natural fabrics," she says. While her work wear includes linen pants and salwar kurtas, her party wardrobe consists of dresses, skirts and saris. Gokhale has clothes right from the 90s which she carefully picks and matches with her latest buys. She often shops at street-side stores whenever she travels.
Going back in time: While she doesn't go for designer wear, for the shoot, Gokhale wears a traditional dull orange Ilkal sari from Warsa, a store at Shaniwrwada that is suported by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). "I connect with these passionate people of Warsa and their love and commitment to preserving and promoting heritage," she says. Gokhale pairs it with a black khun blouse that lends the breezy cotton fabric a silklike sheen.
Contact: facebook.com/Mindful-Health
Best foot forward
Aishwarya Tayade for Nidhi Bhandari
Strappy tie-up shoes, stilettos and towering wedges-they are all there in nineteen-year-old Aishwarya Tayade's shoe wardrobe, most of them designed by the Nidhi Bhandari Fine Couture Footwear. "Shoes must be comfortable because otherwise they can hurt one's feet. These shoes are trendy and innovative; I love her style," says Tayade.
While she predictably picks "comfortable flats" for college, the fashion-conscious student brings out her stilettoes for evening wear.
New look Laser-cut designs are the current rage at Bhandari's store, where every pair is customised to suit one's comfort levels. "Classics are in fashion, especially in shades of tan and beige," says Bhandari.
At Liberty II, 8 & 9, N Main Rd, Ragvilas Society, Koregaon Park.
Fashion forward
June Biswas
"I am not a fashion slave" is what June Biswas, 28, says when you ask her about current style trends. The digital marketing professional, however, is a trendsetter who started blogging about fashion in 2007 when she was studying at Symbiosis Pune. Today, her blog, junewantsitall.com doles out style tips, advice on interesting stores, new launches and good shopping sites. "A blog should be more than eye candy; it should help people make an informed decision," she says.
Boho chic: With no dress code at work, Biswas always picks skirts that double up as casual evening wear after work. "My style is bohemian, hippieinspired; I am always dressed for a holiday," she says. An avid online shopper, Biswas picks dresses and tops particularly from sites headquartered in China. "They have quirky outfits that are unique, so I don't look similar to the next girl at the coffee shop," she says. That explains why she never bothers to keep track of trends. "I don't want to look like a clone of a fashion model," she says.
Another must-have in her wardrobe is a pair of boots. DIY She's been "obsessed" with clothes since she was a child. As a teenager, she started modifying her clothes and adding her own touch to them. So a jumpsuit turns into a dress and a black and white outfit suddenly gets a coat of colour. But an outfit that's always in her wardrobe is the little black dress.
Find her at: junewantsitall.com
Power dressing
Pritika Kinra for Nivedita Saboo
Timeless styles with sharp cuts and chic silhouettes--that's how Pritika Kinra defines her style when she's in her corporate avatar. But when it comes to after-hours, the architect and founder of Moco Design Studio slips into outfits that are "experimental, stylish and glamorous". She enjoys layering that allows her to effortlessly dress for any occasion during the day. "It lets me mix and match various individual pieces and create distinct statement outfits that are versatile and chic at the same time," she says. For the shoot, she dons a customised doublebreasted, slub-silk charcoal gray corporate jacket with a lapel collar paired with slim black trousers designed by Nivedita Saboo.
Design with a cause: While dressing up the city's power set, Saboo, Pune's leading designer and founder of her eponymous brand, combines social causes with high fashion. Her recently launched line uses artwork created by visually impaired children and combines them with graphic prints for modern silhouettes. Face of the Pune Fashion Week, Saboo recently dressed up women who suffered acid attacks to "lend support and confidence to the girls and to help them come out of their shell".
At: Bungalow 20, Samrat Society, Opp. Lunkad Sky Lounge, Lane 7, Kalyani Nagar.
Contact: niveditasaboo.com