Fashion

Through an exclusive fashion shoot, Verve examines the way the versatile garment lends itself to different modes of self-expression, and chats with six designers who continue to play with this timeless piece…
Read more

The actor’s early alter ego in the 1993 Lehar Pepsi ad had exuded a cool irreverence and a certain mystery. Her character Sanjana — who has nostalgic value now — had, even in that brief appearance in a white shirt and trousers, reflected the confidence of an emerging modern India and spawned several namesakes. However, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s 21st appearance at the Cannes Film Festival, while dominating feeds, also saw trolls liberally taking potshots at her shimmering hooded Sophia Couture gown and her other fashion choices. ANURADHA MAHINDRA, Founder-Editor, Verve, notes how the 49-year-old role model, who has resiliently borne the brunt of naysayers in recent years, continues to stand up to the never-ending onslaught of ageist and misogynistic challenges and considers how she can do more to inspire the generations to come…
Read more

Every form and flavour of carefully curated high fashion was amply visible on the Met Gala’s red carpet this year. After repeated viewings of the spectacle and some existential pondering, ANURADHA MAHINDRA, Founder-Editor, Verve, analyses why audiences were left eagerly lapping up every detail on show. Is it the cultural allure of this event — and other public showcases like the Coronation of the British monarch or the Cannes Film Festival — or simply their clickbait appeal that keeps us glued to our screens, she wonders…
Read more

The much-talked-about grand interiors of Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s new flagship store in Mumbai are infused with a sense of uber-nostalgia, largely derived from the City of Joy’s fabled past. In an evocative experiential piece, ANURADHA MAHINDRA, Founder-Editor, Verve, wonders if he is really at home with splitting the two sides of his persona — the one that is looking to break into the global market by selling a restrained “Indianness”, from the other that is so rooted in his Bengali identity. And asks whether it is now time for the designer — whose work marries his rich aesthetic with high culture — to evolve as a cohesive whole in order to create a purposeful body of work in the modern context
Read more

Through an exclusive fashion shoot, Verve delves into the various elements that make up Ekaya Banaras’ boundary-pushing campaigns and the distinct imagery that forms their core. A conversation with its CEO Palak Shah and her frequent collaborator Nikhil Dudani of Feat. Artists sheds light on the creative processes and inner workings of the brand that has, for over 10 years now, been consistently creating mood boards that present age-old Banarasi textiles in a new light
Read more

The showcase at the iconic Gateway of India, the elevated guest list, the presence of diaspora celebrities and stars from Hindi cinema, and the wide real-time coverage, could suggest that the event had been strategically planned keeping fluctuating global trends — and rising aspirations in the country — in mind…
Read more