Chinese chocolate fantasies - go to north of the Bird’s Nest
The Chinese have taken the ultimate child (and several adults) fantasy to another level by opening a 20,000sqm theme park in Beijing, The Chocolate Wonderland. Located on the square at the north side of the Bird’s Nest Stadium, the park was opened to public on 29th January. All of 80,000 kgs of Belgian chocolate went into making the artifacts inside. So if there is a severe shortage of chocolate in the candy store, you know who to blame. Unbelievably accurate chocolate replicas of Terracotta Warriors, Ming Dynasty porcelain, Louis Vuitton bags, dragon robes, a mini Great Wall and much more are on display in five indoor halls, including the World's Chocolate Hall, World's Candy Hall, Wonderland Theme Hall, Sweet Experience Hall and Sweet Gift Hall. Chocolate fountains might encourage the visitor to expect a Willy Wonka to liven up the show, but instead they have outdoor activity areas, Sweet Stage and a Sweet Shopping Street. Visitors can learn how to make chocolate and eat it too (no, not the displays). The exhibition is only on for three months. Post which all displays will be consumed by the…???
Christie’s to auction Michael Crichton’s art collection
Coming up this May is an auction by Christie’s, of the major works from the collection of the multi faceted best-selling author, screenwriter, film director and producer Michael Crichton. The man who reintroduced the world to the mighty and long dead dinosaurs through his sci-fi thriller Jurassic Park and wrote such best sellers as The Andromeda Strain, Timeline, The Lost World, State of Fear, also had a keen eye for art, as is evident from the works coming up for the auction. The highlight of the collection is a painting of the American flag by Jasper John (1960-66), who was a famous icon of 20th century art. The Flag has never been on the public market as Crichton bought it directly. Commenting on this recreation, Christie’s Brett Gorvy said, "Johns' Flags had an enormous impact on artists worldwide. It is an image which literally changed the course of art history." The Flag and another three works from Crichton’s collection were put up for viewing at King Street as part of the preview exhibition of major Post-War and Contemporary Art in London, and is currently on display at Christie's Los Angeles from March 5-12. The other three art works available for viewing are Robert Rauschenberg, Studio Painting (Combine), 1960-1961, Pablo Picasso, Femme et fillettes (Woman and Children), 1961 and Roy Lichtenstein, Girl in Water, 1965.
Collector of old things – as old as a woolly mammoth?
Here is some good news for the collectors of old stuff - it couldn’t get any older. Going up for sale is one old and very large woolly mammoth, dating back to the ice age, perfectly preserved in Siberian permafrost and now being set up for display in Tucson, Arizona. Considering it took nearly a decade to dig up the fellow and transport him all the way to Arizona, the prize tag is a mere $500,000 for the giant that comes with 10ft long tusks. Such a shame considering they sold a mere 100 year old defective Nickel for $3million in Florida last month. Clearly, the sales team at GeoDécor, the interior firm behind the display etc, needs to get more aggressive.
Lounging around at the Hong Kong International airport
No need to fret over the long layover for those transiting through Hong Kong International Airport. Opened just this month is the world’s largest pay-in airport lounge spread across 15,000sqft, The Travelers' Lounge East with sections for entertainment, business, dining, spas, shower facilities and great dining. All facilities are available 24/7. Plaza Premium Lounge Management Limited is the force behind the endeavor. Interior designer Kinney Chan has kept the lights soft and gone in for soothing shades of beige, creams and browns. Be seeing at the Lounge East than.
Alberto Giacometti’s Walking Man walks away with $104.3million
A world record was broken at a recent Sotheby’s auction when Swiss-Italian artist Alberto Giacometti's 1960 sculpture ‘Walking Man I,’ sold for a huge $104.3million. In barely eight minutes, ten bidders sparred for a bit before a mystery caller won the bid over the phone to Philip Hook, the senior director of Sotheby’s European operations. The sculpture of the skinny, almost starved torso of a man in stride, with his right foot moving forward was cast in 1961 in an edition of six and was part of a commission to plant several of Giacometti's bronze figures on Chase Manhattan Bank's Pine Street plaza in New York City. Giacometti struggled with the project back then and eventually gave it up since the installation was never realised. ‘Walking Man I’ was sold by Dresdner Bank in Germany, which had acquired it in 1980.
Anish Kapoor’s artwork for 2012 Olympics in London
Anish Kapoor, the Turner prize-winning artist of Indian origin is likely to be a winner on two counts. Firstly, he is likely to win the competition for creating a monument to commemorate the 2012 Olympic Games to be held in UK, defeating artist Antony Gormley. Secondly, the sculpture will be tallest in all of Europe, rising up to 400ft. Made of huge quantities of steel, it will cost £15million and will be funded by steel magnate Laxmi Mittal, the richest man in England. News trickling out about the design of the structure revealed that it will resemble a cluster of interlocking fractured rings. Scheduled to be located in Olympic Park, it will complement the design of the 160m long Aquatic center designed by Zaha Hadid, which will mark the gateway to the Olympic Park. Boris Johnson, mayor of London hopes to turn it into a tourist attraction and is hoping to incorporate lifts to ferry visitors to the top. A restaurant at the top is another thought being worked on. We wait for a glimpse of the sculpture.
Hainan Rendez-Vous 2010 – China’s first luxury lifestyle event
A first of its kind, super luxury lifestyle event is scheduled to take place in China from April 2nd to 4th.Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management will be the sole sponsor for the event that will see the participation of leading private jet manufacturers, yacht & sail boat brands, luxury homes, premium holiday destinations. An exhibition ground spread across 5,000sqm will provide ample display of more luxury. Reportedly, 4,000 Ultra High Net Worth individuals from within China and across Asia are expected to attend. But the invited clients will get the royal treatment and will be flown in by private jets for the event. Trust the Chinese to build it larger than life. We will keep you posted.
Shackleton’s whisky stash found in Antarctic after 100 years
The famous Anglo-Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton trudged out of the Antarctica in 1909 under excruciating circumstances and left behind five crates of Scotch whisky and two crates of brandy. Clearly the guys were well equipped to deal with the chill. Nearly a century later in 2009, another team from the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust, which was carrying out restoration work on the Cape Evans hut that was used by Shackleton, found the stash. The team is thrilled with their find. The spirits had been supplied by the Scottish distillers Whyte & Mackay. One of the brandy crates was labeled Charles Mckinley & Co and the other Hunter Valley Distillery Limited Allandale. Now the question is, what are they planning to do with the stuff?
We have widened the scope of this column by taking it across the continents, to France. Answering to our query ‘What does luxe living, aka luxury lifestyle, mean to you?’ is Estelle Arielle Bouchet, the lady who has closely associated with art, museums, architecture, exotic jewelry brands, fashion houses across France and Italy and more. She was a student of l’Ecole Normale Supérieure Lettres, where such luminaries as Georges Pompidou and Jean-Paul Sartre also walked the corridors and sat in same classrooms.
Having the pleasure to collaborate regularly with Luxe Living, as a journalist and as an editorial consultant for companies such as Van Cleef & Arpels, I would say that ‘luxeliving’ is simply a philosophy, an ‘Art de vivre’.
It isn’t concerned with wasteful or superficial behaviour of consuming expensive goods. Rather, luxeliving embodies our hopes to dream, in a world in need of love, respect and peace of soul. What ancient Greek civilization called ataraxy.
Luxeliving is connected with the sublime, with beauty in a search for high aesthetic in its Hellenistic meaning.
As a laboratory of trends, it cleverly displays or analyses the various tendencies and products which are available on the market. I’m always intrigued to discover Indian Culture through fashion, art and handcrafts. These are keys that provide precious messages about ancestral Indian knowledge.
I’ve been amazed by the ability of the editors, Vinod Kaul and Neelima Agrawal to create bridges between East and West. This philosophy is entirely in harmony with my personal beliefs.
Luxeliving is as simple as admiring the astonishing beauty of Nature, the divine essence of a flower….
In a few words, luxeliving is an inspiration to dream, a window to new shapes and designs, a reflection of new values and thinking amid a rapidly changing world.
Estelle Arielle Bouchet
The lovely Estelle Arielle Bouchet is a woman of many accomplishments. An expert on art, costume and fashion, she was also a successful model and an actress. She has associated with such icons as the Fondation Calvet, one of France’s largest art foundation and owner of Avignon and Cavaillon museums and collaborated with international editorial group Conde Nast and has written for Uomo Vogue, Vogue Italia, and Architectural Digest. She is also editor of the TJF Magazine and consultant to the jewelry house of Van Cleef and Arpels.
Summary – She put it so succinctly, “..luxeliving embodies our hopes to dream, in a world in need of love, respect and peace of soul.” So true. That is what life’s struggle is all about - to be able to attain that one luxury.
Remember this mantra to quell all dilemmas about the temperature at which wine should be served. There is perfectly good scientific reasoning behind why a white wine tastes best when chilled and why the same rule does not apply to the red one. There are many misconceptions about what defines ‘chilled’ and ‘room temperature’. When chilled, the temperature is about 58°F or 14°C that is most suitable for the white wine. Red wines need to be served at ‘room temperature’, which could differ hugely across seasons, continents and artificially controlled internal environment. In Europe or some such place, room temperature usually translates as ‘cellar temperature’, which is around 16-18°C. No wine of any kind should be served at or above 20°C as alcohol is volatile and begins to evaporate, thereby completely destroying the delicate flavors and notes. In Delhi, the indoor temperature in summer could be blistering, unless of course the wine storage area is also air-conditioned.
Almost always, without fail, the next question asked is, ‘Why?’ As in, why are white wines to be cooled more and reds less. A number of unconvincing reasons are given by experts on this topic. Most say that white wines are chilled to camouflage the acidity and let the subtle fruit, nut and oak flavors dominate. However super chilling numbs the taste buds and kills the wine flavors. Red wines have a higher content of tannin present due to the longer contact with the skin and stem of grapes, which make it more complex and disguise the acidity and chilling it brings our a bitterness. Popularly, a wine like Bordeaux would be cooled for just half hour, whereas a sparkling wine like Champagne would require hours of chilling. The most assured way to finding out is conducting your own experiment. See what works for you. If a white wine has an unpleasant odor, chill it longer. One of the reasons why cheese is served with wine is that the strong cheese flavor makes even a below average wine taste better. But if one is checking out a wine or is at a wine tasting, please stay away from the cheese.
A number of smart scientists have leveraged funding to conduct the cause and effects of drinking wine on one’s health. Cynics, who have raised an eyebrow as to the modus operandi of a sozzled scientist, swilling state-sponsored wine all day in the name of science, have mostly been invited to become a member of the guinea pig club. Their findings have revealed that red wines have a higher content of polyphenols than white wine and these polyphenols are protective against cardiovascular disease. Red wines have another magic chemical called resveratrol that is produced by the grape skins, besides having flavonoids and antioxidants. To get the full benefit of resveratrol, it is recommended that the wine be sipped slowly since the chemical is absorbed only by the mucous lining in the mouth. The red wines from France and Sardinia in Italy are said to have a higher level of the heart-friendly procyanidins. Wines also work as anti-bacterial agents against strains of Streptococcus. Researchers, this very minute, are checking out the effect of a Cabernet Sauvignon in reducing risk of Alzheimer’s disease. No kidding!
Do we need more reasons to celebrate our wine session? Just uncork the bottle, pour in any glass handy, tip the chair back a little and raise a toast to the buddy/spouse/pet/sunset.
The accessory serves many functions, besides the obvious one of physical protection. The glove and the hat relayed several unspoken nuances and suggestions. We bring for you a coverage of the ongoing exhibition, ( October 16, 2009 to March 28, 2010) in Lyon in France, titled ‘Dans la peau du gant’ (In the skin of glove), being held at The Musée des Tissus de Lyon (The Textile Museum in Lyon), where a unique selection of 340 gloves dating back to the Middle Ages are on display. On our shores, the Indian male shies away from covering his head. Why? We jotted our musings on the topic.
Reportage - Dans la peau du gant (In the skin of the glove) By Estelle Arielle Bouchet
In Lyon, the City of Lights, zoom in on the finest accessories
The glove is both a protective casing
for the hand and, by semantic association,
its symbol. The hand is a royal emblem:
a means to control and dominate. The
Textile Museum in Lyon(Musée des tissus)
is presenting an exhibition on this savoirfaire
and its symbolism with over 350 gloves
from the Middle Ages to the present day. The
story of the glove dates back to ancient times:
the first gloves are painted on the walls of an
underwater cave of the Palaeolithic Age 27,000
years ago. The glove was a central element
in the coronation ceremony of the Kings of
France at Rheims.
The King had white gloves, they were
anointed with holy oil and blessed, and at
the end of the ceremony, they were burned so
that nobody could take them and wear them,
thereby undermining the integrity of the royal
personage. Today the political and ecclesiastical
functions of the glove have somewhat fallen
into disuse. Besides its aristocratic or religious
aspect, the glove also has an extremely
strong erotic connotation. Think about Rita
Hayworth or Greta Garbo taking off a glove
or the importance of Michael Jackson’s glove.
The fashion for gloves today dates back to
1936 when Elsa Schiaparelli embellished her
creations in suede with metallic claws as a nod
to Surrealism. Just like bags and shoes, gloves
bring back infinite emotions and moments in
a woman’s life.
But don’t be fooled by the delicacy of this
accessory for, as the expression says, a velvet
glove often hides an iron fist.
Estelle Arielle Bouchet can be contacted at
EAB Press & Image consulting
eabcom@yahoo.com
Tel : 0033(0)667919179
0033 (0)490661481
Bare heads by Neelima Mishra Agrawal
Where has all the headgear gone? In a region where the sun shines bright and hard,
it is odd that the urban Indian population walks around sans appropriate covering
for the crown. Not many generations ago, this was one accessory that had a bigger
significance than merely being a sartorial statement. One could tell at a glance,
the region, class, clan, caste, even the social status of an individual. Take the
case of some popular national figures. Tilak's Maharashtrian turban became his look,
completely different from a natty Jinnah. A hazy black and white, sepia tinted group
photo posed no difficulty in picking out Radhakrishnan with his Mysorian style
'peta', or Dr Zakir Hussein etc. This was before the Gandhi topi became the symbol
of nationalism.
Colonial India brought many a changes to the sartorial sensibilities and the fallout
was the demise of the ethnic headgear amongst the urban population. Safa, Pagri,
Fez, Peta - all gone. While the Indian male swapped his dhoti/lungi/payjama for
trousers, the head simply remained bare. No bowler or homburg or beret or fedora as
replacements. Given the extreme climate, this was a sever trend, here to stay. The
pith helmet or solar hat worn by the British officers of the East India Company was
seen around until the Seventies. The exceptions are a few very stylish individuals
and the general population in rural India; not counting the case where a cap is the
part of a uniform.
Only the Sikhs have religiously kept the tradition alive against all odds and their
turban has become the symbol of an Indian in foreign lands. But we love the vibrant
colours of the assorted safas across the rural landscape of Rajasthan and the
Royalty when it turns out in full regalia. The parade on Republic day is all the
more colourful with various army contingents strutting at the march past with
powerful caps and much machismo. North Indian weddings are one occasion to flaunt a
regal safa, embellishments and all. In an urban landscape, the doorman at hi-end
hotels flaunts it to showcase an Indian tradition.
The new hip population that is more self assured and fashion conscious may bring
about a change yet. Never mind if it be Kulu cap or a Panama hat or a Stetson.
Away from the beaten track, unheard by most, sans the marketing hype or in-your-face luxury trappings, floating in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan, is the tiny little island of Naoshima, a sleepy coastal village that not so long ago was home to only seafarers and fishermen. With a tiny population of approximately 3400, it still is pretty much all of that except that it has slowly been turned into a hub of contemporary art museums and exhibits that are part of nature or housed within specially designed spaces.
Not so long ago, Chikatsugu Miyake the visionary Mayor of Naoshima decided that he had to change the status of the islanders by making them more literate. Along came a rich publisher Tetsuhiko Fukutake, who shared his vision and made successful plans for creating an international learning center for global children. The succession process saw his son Soichiro as the new owner, who changed the name of his Company to Benesse (meaning ‘living well’) Corporation. Expanding on his father’s vision, he set up the Benesse Art Site Naoshima.
Designed by internationally renowned architect Tadao Ando, the Benesse House was set up in 1992, which is a museum and a hotel. He got it right that art had to be imbibed and not ran past. Gaze through the window at art installations that are scattered around in appropriate locations, or simply watch the sea and the sky or at the polka dots on the Pumpkin made by Yayoi Kusama; amble over to the restaurant or wander in the museum. In 2004, the Chichu Art Museum was built in collaboration with three artists around a single concept of keeping nature in harmony, where every site is geared towards a specific art work on display. To get to the Monet, one has to walk past strands of bamboo and pools of water lilies with irises and tulips growing around it; and in the inner chamber come face to face with the grand works of the artist from his Water Lilly series. The building is designed by Tadao Ando, where sunlight streams in from above to light up the basement. There is the Walter De Maria Space, built around a huge polished sphere of granite. James Turrell uses his skill of optical illusions. Neither words not pictures can describe the experience. One has to be there to soak it in.
Naoshima is connected to mainland Japan by ferry lines from the port of Uno and it takes barely fifteen minutes to cut across. The car ferry will take twenty minutes. The best place to stay is the Benesse House itself and all reservations must be made in advance. While the island itself is small and could be rushed through in a day trip, a longer stay is advised to truly enjoy the art works. The locals do not know English, most food available is Japanese, credit cards don’t work in most places, internet is available only randomly, local transport available is cycles or local bus. Sounds terribly slow? For your information, James Bond was here. Go find the signs in the "The Man with the Red Tattoo" Museum
Recently the first Whisky Luxe event was held at the Maurya in New Delhi and created quite a buzz amongst those who love their Scotch. An initiative by Whisky Live, the underlying intent of the event was to offer a deluxe experience with a premium range of whiskies. The crowds at the William Grant and Sons Whisky Lounge at the inaugural edition clearly indicated the popularity of their range of whiskies. The local connoisseurs got to check out what made the distillery the most awarded. There was Glendfiddich the most awarded single malt, Balvenie the world’s most handcrafted single and Grants one of the top five blended scotch whisky; as well as Hendricks Gin the world’s best. ITC Maurya Sheraton’s chef Vikas cooked up the perfect accompaniments to such great spirits and there was Balvenie DoubleWood Orange & Chocolate Cake, Raspberry Ganache on Chocolate Shell and Mix Nut Glassed Honey Tart, mixed with The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 years, The Balvenie 15 years and The Balvenie 21 years, respectively. These desserts were paired with The Balvenie exclusively for William Grant and Sons to be showcased at Whisky Luxe. Besides the whisky tasting sessions, the other popular talk was about whisky safaris that is yet a novelty in India. The next Whisky Luxe event is scheduled for Belgium.
Alexander McQueen, the iconic British fashion designer, passed away on 11th February
2010. The designer had the soul of an artist and each of his shows was always high
on drama. The suddenness and the circumstance of the demise of the artist who was
barely in his Forties, will provide much grist to the gossip mills and the news
rags. Paying our homage to the genius of the artist, we bring you his designs from
his Spring 2010 Ready-to-wear collection presented at the Paris Fashion Week.
There need be no apology for material wealth, whether inherited, acquired by deft
career moves or business savvy as it can be put to many a good use. Often this
wealth is 'reinvested' into overpriced and overhyped products to prop up self esteem
and social position. We are all victims of such indulgences to some degree. However,
neither the wise nor those who have been to the manor born, flaunt it or hanker
after it beyond a certain point. This 'humbleness' limit is an ethos of the Indian
subcontinent. Many an international luxury brand, flush with 'blood' in China and
Japan, discovered this to their utter dismay. It is not uncommon for 'luxury'
aspirants of modest means in China or Japan to save months of salaries - and
meanwhile live in penuary - to be able to acquire and flaunt the 'ultimate object of
desire' be it a shoe or a bag. Both China and Japan have old and rich civilizations
and ancient cultures not so different from ours, yet the divide is distinct. With
half of India below the magic 25 years, is it possible that the new cohort will
forsake the culture of 'humbleness' as another 'humbug'?
Explorers like Shackleton braved the extreme forces of nature over long periods in
expeditions to the Antarctic. So as not to be bogged down, they travelled light
with essential supplies but often paid with their lives. The finding of several
crates of good Scotch from Shakelton's old hut reveals what he and his crew rated as
'essentials'. We didn't have to brave such odds to get to the venue of 'Whisky Luxe'
in Delhi where the greatest Scotch whiskies were explained and feted. The
initiatives of Wiliam Grant & Sons continued to earn much applause as one sipped
their range of Glenfiddich and more.
A first of its kind, super luxury lifestyle event is scheduled to take place in China from April 2nd to 4th.Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management will be the sole sponsor for the event that will see the participation of leading private jet manufacturers, yacht & sail boat brands, luxury homes, premium holiday destinations. An exhibition ground spread across 5,000sqm will provide ample display of more luxury. Reportedly, 4,000 Ultra High Net Worth individuals from within China and across Asia are expected to attend. But the invited clients will get the royal treatment and will be flown in by private jets for the event. Trust the Chinese to build it larger than life. We will keep you posted.
The famous Anglo-Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton trudged out of the Antarctica in 1909 under excruciating circumstances and left behind five crates of Scotch whisky and two crates of brandy. Clearly the guys were well equipped to deal with the chill. Nearly a century later in 2009, another team from the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust, which was carrying out restoration work on the Cape Evans hut that was used by Shackleton, found the stash. The team is thrilled with their find. The spirits had been supplied by the Scottish distillers Whyte & Mackay. One of the brandy crates was labeled Charles Mckinley & Co and the other Hunter Valley Distillery Limited Allandale. Now the question is, what are they planning to do with the stuff?
Remember this mantra to quell all dilemmas about the temperature at which wine should be served. There is perfectly good scientific reasoning behind why a white wine tastes best when chilled and why the same rule does not apply to the red one. There are many misconceptions about what defines ‘chilled’ and ‘room temperature’. When chilled, the temperature is about 58°F or 14°C that is most suitable for the white wine. Red wines need to be served at ‘room temperature’, which could differ hugely across seasons, continents and artificially controlled internal environment. In Europe or some such place, room temperature usually translates as ‘cellar temperature’, which is around 16-18°C. No wine of any kind should be served at or above 20°C as alcohol is volatile and begins to evaporate, thereby completely destroying the delicate flavors and notes. In Delhi, the indoor temperature in summer could be blistering, unless of course the wine storage area is also air-conditioned. 
Almost always, without fail, the next question asked is, ‘Why?’ As in, why are white wines to be cooled more and reds less. A number of unconvincing reasons are given by experts on this topic. Most say that white wines are chilled to camouflage the acidity and let the subtle fruit, nut and oak flavors dominate. However super chilling numbs the taste buds and kills the wine flavors. Red wines have a higher content of tannin present due to the longer contact with the skin and stem of grapes, which make it more complex and disguise the acidity and chilling it brings our a bitterness. Popularly, a wine like Bordeaux would be cooled for just half hour, whereas a sparkling wine like Champagne would require hours of chilling. The most assured way to finding out is conducting your own experiment. See what works for you. If a white wine has an unpleasant odor, chill it longer. One of the reasons why cheese is served with wine is that the strong cheese flavor makes even a below average wine taste better. But if one is checking out a wine or is at a wine tasting, please stay away from the cheese.
A number of smart scientists have leveraged funding to conduct the cause and effects of drinking wine on one’s health. Cynics, who have raised an eyebrow as to the modus operandi of a sozzled scientist, swilling state-sponsored wine all day in the name of science, have mostly been invited to become a member of the guinea pig club. Their findings have revealed that red wines have a higher content of polyphenols than white wine and these polyphenols are protective against cardiovascular disease. Red wines have another magic chemical called resveratrol that is produced by the grape skins, besides having flavonoids 
and antioxidants. To get the full benefit of resveratrol, it is recommended that the wine be sipped slowly since the chemical is absorbed only by the mucous lining in the mouth. The red wines from France and Sardinia in Italy are said to have a higher level of the heart-friendly procyanidins. Wines also work as anti-bacterial agents against strains of Streptococcus. Researchers, this very minute, are checking out the effect of a Cabernet Sauvignon in reducing risk of Alzheimer’s disease. No kidding!
them and wear them,
thereby undermining the integrity of the royal
personage. Today the political and ecclesiastical
functions of the glove have somewhat fallen
into disuse. Besides its aristocratic or religious
aspect, the glove also has an extremely
strong erotic connotation. Think about Rita
Hayworth or Greta Garbo taking off a glove
or the importance of Michael Jackson’s glove.
The fashion for gloves today dates back to
1936 when Elsa Schiaparelli embellished her
creations in suede with metallic claws as a nod
to Surrealism. Just like bags and shoes, gloves
bring back infinite emotions and moments in
a woman’s life.
Colonial India brought many a changes to the sartorial sensibilities and the fallout
was the demise of the ethnic headgear amongst the urban population. Safa, Pagri,
Fez, Peta - all gone. While the Indian male swapped his dhoti/lungi/payjama for
trousers, the head simply remained bare. No bowler or homburg or beret or fedora as
replacements. Given the extreme climate, this was a sever trend, here to stay. The
pith helmet or solar hat worn by the British officers of the East India Company was
seen around until the Seventies. The exceptions are a few very stylish individuals
and the general population in rural India; not counting the case where a cap is the
part of a uniform.
