Icons Of Style

The last 12 months are being spoken of as the year of arresting newsfeeds — we witnessed pivotal shifts in society — and in the dynamic fashion and luxury industries as well. The #MeToo movement that spread virally late last year gave a voice to the voiceless; luxury brands showed their philanthropic side all the more, and labels found guilty of plagiarism began to eat humble pie. Taking note of these significant changes, we held onto the constants by collaborating with creative powerhouses. We, at Verve, believe that gripping content comes through the amalgamation of timeless and contemporary ideas. So, through an exchange of ideas with Istituto Marangoni Mumbai, the school of fashion, art and design, for our fashion issue, we put together carefully curated content that taps into the pulse of global phenomena. As arbiters of taste, both Verve and Istituto Marangoni thrive to shape views, navigate cultural currents, initiate dialogues and guide the fashion-conscious through uncharted sartorial waters. Our fashion issue is a testimony to this confluence.

Diana Marian Murek, Guest Editor
The director of education of Istituto Marangoni has worn many hats throughout her career and continues to do so. From being a full-time fashion designer, a freelance product manager for accessories, jewellery and lingerie with brands all over Europe and a journalist, to being a blogger who started the famous Into The Fashion blog, a teacher and, now, a guest editor, there isn’t much that Diana Murek hasn’t explored. She came to Mumbai in 2017 to set up the school here. Visuals of all kinds inspire this fashion savant. “I look at thousands of images every day to feed my creativity. I am on Instagram and browsing through books all the time!” She finds herself constantly intrigued by Indian craftsmanship and the (making of) materials and fabrics. “There are infinite ways to wear a sari but it is the embellishments and the materials that add variety and diversify the garment.” Her determination to create something new keeps her moving. “I just need to look out of the window, and there is a constant stimulus of colours, people and sound that I cannot live without!”

Mevin Murden, Contributor
After years of working with various brands across countries, right from Australia to Dubai, and handling communications and PR for luxury giants, Mevin Murden is now happy to call Mumbai his home. The luxury brand management faculty member at Istituto Marangoni has been teaching for a decade now. His eye for detail and innovative design surfaced in his conversations with us and he believes that Verve “pushes boundaries and has a cultivated readership which sets it apart from other Bollywood-driven content”. An avid trendspotter and critic, his business acumen and passion for authenticity resonate in our issue.