Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2017 i Harper's Bazaar India

A FIRECRACKER BURST OF ENERGY, Hemant Sagar is floating around his Jetsonian headquarters in Gurugram’s Infocity, lighting up the formidable space with his charm. As elegant as he is effusive, Sagar speaks over 300 words a minute, and is the antithesis of Didier Lecoanet, his (much) quieter (founding) design partner and art director for over three decades. When I meet the multi-award winning designers behind the label LecoanetHemant at their 1,00,000 sq ft space, they are putting the finishing touches to their phenomenal Paris, Delhi: From Haute Couture to the Technologies of Elegance exhibit, which was showcased at Bikaner House in the Capital last month. What sets the duo apart is their idea of courageously tearing apart and recreating fashion with perceptive and creative intellect. It’s more personal than political.…

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Known for her brilliant use of negative space and soaring curvaceous structures, the late Zaha Hadid extended her design genius far beyond the realm of architecture. In what was one of the Iraqi-born British architect’s final collaborations before she died last year, Hadid re-imagined Bulgari’s Roman Colosseum-inspired B.zero1 collection to create three rings and a pendant. The recently released pieces, with their spiralling lines and understated elegance, offer the ultimate amalgam of innovation and timelessness.…

MUCH OF THE MAGIC OF A BEAUTY SECRET—A PRODUCT, a tip, or a ritual—lies in sharing it. You never know what the act of passing on a favourite new discovery to friends and family could achieve. In the case of Jessica Jayne, gifting bottles of golden gutti ka tel led to the launch of a new company and a whole new professional journey. When Jayne, an entrepreneur, moved from Mumbai to Himachal Pradesh four years ago to be with family, she found that the winter took a harsh toll on her complexion. “My skin was peeling off —it was painful and not pretty. I tried every moisturiser I knew of but nothing helped,” she says. And all around her, she could see that Himachali women soldiering through the bitter cold…

MUSIC SHE IS OUR GODDESS—straight off Mt Olympus—who never seems to stop or run short of energy. At 71, Debbie Harry is the quintessential eternal female rock star. More than 40 years after Blondie first jammed at Max’s Kansas City and CBGB, forever linking its frontwoman, Harry, to New York’s gritty music scene, 2017 has Harry and the band performing across the US and Australia, in London and Dublin, and beyond. Blondie also has a new studio album, Pollinator, their 11th, out May 5. “Anybody who survives in the arts has to be insanely obsessed with doing it, and they have to not mind working hard,” Harry says. “It’s never a ‘gift’—it’s never ‘given’ to you—it’s inching and crawling into your situation.” These days, Harry spends most of her week…

PHOTOGRAPHY On a trip to India in 1947, French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson shot images that reflected a period of transition, of political and cultural chaos in the country. Of these, 69 will be displayed at Henri Cartier- Bresson: India in Full Frame, an exhibition that opens at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York later this month, and celebrates 70 years of the world-renowned Magnum Photos collective he co-founded. From people perched on trees in Delhi, waiting for Gandhi’s funeral cortege to pass by, and Muslim women outside a mosque in Srinagar because they were not allowed inside, to a woman peeking out of her balcony in old Ahmedabad and an astrologer’s shop in Mumbai, the images are deeply evocative of Cartier-Bresson’s humanist approach to everyday life.…

EXHIBITION The brilliant jewellery traditions of the Indian subcontinent, from the Mughal era to modern day, are at the heart of a new exhibition, From the Great Mughals to the Maharajas: Jewels from the Al Thani collection, on at the Grand Palais, Paris, until June 5. Step into a world of grandeur featuring dynastic gems like the Idol’s Eye and Arcot II diamonds from the famed Golconda mines; pieces like Wine of Cup of Emperor Jahangir, the earliest dated Mughal jade, inscribed with verses of Persian poetry; 18th-century Hyderabadi enamels typically used in rituals; and pieces crafted for Indian royalty by European design houses, like the enamel peacock aigrette made by Mellerio dits Meller and bought by Maharajah Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala. The exhibition also showcases contemporary creations by Cartier…

CULTURE PETER DIETZE, A VISUAL DESIGNER IN MELBOURNE, chanced upon some photographs in the attic of his mother’s home back in 2001. One of the faces, he realised, looked like him—only this man was Indian. It was his grandfather, he learned: Himansu Rai, co-founder of the Bombay Talkies studio, which set new standards for filmmaking in India during the 1930s and ’40s, and launched names like Ashok Kumar and Leela Chitnis. The legacy of the studio is now on display for the first time in an ongoing exhibition at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Melbourne. “It’s amazing to see the early part of his life. He was originally studying law, but he goes to London, loses interest in it because of the wonderful advent of live theatre, and…

TAURUS APRIL 21-MAY 21 It would be all too easy to bankroll a set-up that others can’t afford to maintain. But no matter how charitably disposed you feel, you must not give the impression that you have unlimited resources. Let pragmatism rule over sentiment. Motto of the month The wise hear one word and understand two. GEMINI MAY 22-JUNE 21 Having had difficulties with someone you love, you’ll want the situation to improve. However, you may be tempted to be too direct. Even if you are trying to convey complex and heartfelt messages, you must try to do so with a light touch. Motto of the month Write kindnesses in stone but injuries in sand. CANCER JUNE 22-JULY 23 Not everyone will see why you want to pursue a particular…

THE FUTURE IS FEMALE. LET THERE BE NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. And taking the lead is the extremely accomplished Padma Lakshmi. Model, chef, author, mother, she dons many toques. But the one that sits best on her is that of a role model for women who want, no, demand, it all. This astute businesswoman built a career on her terms. It wasn’t easy but she refused to quit. Chinmayee Manjunath, who wrote the cover story, very perceptively describes her ascent: “Lakshmi has navigated an incredibly public life with a rare blend of fearlessness and vulnerability…” I would use similar words for rock legend Debbie Harry. The original subversive has a new album out next month. With more than 40 years under her belt, Pollinator, her 11th, is a series of…

THE NEW GUARD Fashion’s musical chairs are once again at play. Last year, Consuelo Castiglioni, the founding designer of Marni, announced her departure from the Italian label after helming it for 23 years. The label welcomed Prada alum Francesco Risso, whose debut Fall 2017 collection was a continuation of Marni’s uniquely quirky aesthetic. And while Chloé’s former creative director Clare Waight Keller took over Riccardo Tisci’s spot at Givenchy, her space was filled by Natacha Ramsay-Levi, whose illustrious background includes stints at Louis Vuitton (where she was the creative director of women’s ready-towear) and Balenciaga. RIGHT CLICK As if juggling a flourishing modelling career and embarking on a designer collaboration were not enough, supermodel Gigi Hadid has now turned photographer. For Versus Versace’s Spring 2017 campaign, Hadid shot her boyfriend,…

2017 HAS ALREADY TURNED OUT TO BE A STELLAR YEAR FOR SONAM KAPOOR. Just days after winning the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress in January for Neerja, she was announced as the face of luxury watch brand IWC Schaffhausen. While both are no doubt important, the latter is significant for another reason—it’s the first time the 149-year-old Swiss watchmaker, whose brand friends include Naomie Harris, Rosamund Pike, Adriana Lima, and Olga Kurylenko to name a few, has taken on an ambassador from the Indian subcontinent. Bazaar caught up with the actor at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva, to talk about the association, watches, and all things style. What does this association with IWC Schaffhausen mean to you? I am super excited. I am very picky…

BARE ESSENTIALS While the barely-there makeup look is hardly a new trend, the Spring 2017 catwalks of Proenza Schouler, Isabel Marant, and Tommy Hilfiger showed the latest take with fresh, clean-skinned models. Perfect this new naked by neutralising facial discolouration with correctors rather than concealers. Highly pigmented, they use colour theory to balance complexion by using tones that sit directly opposite on the colour wheel. Use a green to counter red patches, an orange-tinged one on dark circles, or a lavender to balance yellowness. We recommend layering one of these shades under your foundation for filterperfect skin. PRETTY CUSHY An import from Korea, cushion compacts took the beauty world by storm this past year. A fusion of BB cream and foundation set within an easy-to-carry compact, it doesn’t just improve…

Favourite song: It’s way too hard to choose one, but I have really fond memories of my parents playing Hotel California around the house a lot when I was growing up. Must-see movie: The Big Lebows k i . Because, obviously. Style icons: Rihanna and Kate Moss. Currently reading: I wish I had more time to read. When I get a moment, it’s typically to read a script. Dream dinner party: It would include Naomi Campbell, Tom Ford, Kanye, Max Martin, Mrs Prada, Stevie Nicks, and Beyoncé. Go-to playlist: Today’s Top Hits. On repeat. Thank you, Spotify!…

BOOK This novel Leila, set in a dystopian world excerpt, taken from the second chapter of Leila (Simon & Schuster India, April 20), is our first proper introduction to some of the horrors the narrator-protagonist Shalini has experienced, and the exile she now endures. The city she has lived in and loved all her life is unrecognisable. Her family scattered or dead. Driven to the verge of dissolution by the madness wreaked upon her, unable to sleep, she slips out of her decrepit apartment, far from the city proper, walking until her muscles burn so she might somehow have a chance of rest. On this walk she meets a young boy who reminds her of her own lost daughter, Leila. As Shalini’s world opens up for the reader, the great…

BOOK A nurse reassembles the bodies of construction workers who fall from buildings, with tape or glue, as if they were injured birds. A cockroach learns the languages of its building’s tenants. A man swallows a passport and turns into one. These are the characters that inhabit the world created by author Deepak Unnikrishnan in Temporary People, which won the inaugural Restless Books Prize for new immigrant writing— launched in 2016 by the independent publishing house, it recognises extraordinary writing on identity. Through 28 linked stories set in the UAE, he addresses migration, displacement, and what it means to be home. “I wrote this book to understand my place in the Gulf, but also for my parents and people like them. Their names won’t feature in history books but their…

OPINION THERE WAS A TIME WHEN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, during their summer vacations, were sent to ‘typing classes’. That is, they formally learnt the art of typing. This probably will elicit a guffaw from a younger reader, who may wonder why this should require joining a class. Why not bang away at the laptop at home and pick it up? But Indian homes did not have typewriters (and obviously not laptops either). There was no dearth of classes, even in the smallest town, where students, young and old, were taught how to type in a systematic manner. The room would be full of the slow and steady tip-tap of keys, as the students struggled through their lessons. You started with ‘asdf’ with the left hand and ‘;lkj’ with the right,…

EXHIBITION Chintz textiles, which trace their roots to 18th-century India, comprise artist Renuka Reddy’s new exhibition. The artist has used a technique in which layers of materials like buffalo milk, natural dyes, mordants, wax, and dung are painted onto fabric typically featuring flowers and Tree of Life patterns on a light background. Reddy, who has written on chintz for the V&A The Fabric of India blog, even uses wax to create fine patterns, as opposed to newer versions in which they are drawn on the cloth. The Art of Hand Painted Chintz is on at Gallery Art Motif, New Delhi, until May 6.…

“I SPENT 30 YEARS OF MY LIFE WORRYING about what people back home in India thought about me and what Americans thought about this Indian girl who wanted to be a part of the American fabric. And now success and independence have freed me from the emotional shackles of approval,” says Padma Lakshmi. Much before social media, before women of Indian origin could command even a sliver of the international spotlight, and before the cult of the global-local celebrity, Lakshmi carved a unique and specific niche for herself, switching from modelling to television, and finding her place in the culinary world along the way. In Mumbai early this year to promote her two new books and to walk for her friend TarunTahiliani’s show at Lakmé Fashion Week, Lakshmi, 46, spoke…

BESPOKE LUXURY We all know how much effort can go into planning the perfect holiday. Enter Afini, a bespoke service that provides plush, personal residences , each with round-the-clock five-star service. And with its presence in over 15 countries, from Thailand and Indonesia to Spain and the US, you won’t be restricted by geography. Stay at a ski lodge in Niseko, Japan, complete with traditional sliding doors and traditional; art on the walls, or a modern residence in Barcelona, with clean lines and brilliant white interiors. Live like Aladdin with your very own genie in the form of a lifestyle consultant who can make your every wish come true. Need reservations at a Michelin-starred restaurant, opera tickets, or invites to an art exhibition? They will be arranged. Prefer gluten-free food…

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As brand Harper’s Bazaar celebrates 150 years since first being published in the US on November 2, 1867, we take the opportunity to look back at the inaugural issue of Bazaar India, from March 2009. Featuring one of Bollywood’s most celebrated stars, Kareena Kapoor Khan’s debut on the cover of Bazaar was a watershed for both the actor and the magazine—it was the first time she was photographed with partner Saif Ali Khan, and right after she had unveiled a toned new look in the film Tashan. “[My favourite part] was portraying Kareena and Saif’s romance on the beaches of Mauritius,” says photographer Suresh Natarajan, who shot the duo. The inside images chronicled the pair’s closely-followed love story, with Kareena in a series of elegant gowns by Giorgio Armani, Alberta…

1 THE MOVEMENT: THE NEW FACES Our most favourite trend this spring? The models. Nowhere was it more evident than at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer-Resort 2017. This season saw a slew of models from the largely under-represented North East as well as transgender model Anjali Lama and gender neutral Czech model Petr Nitka. “Fashion should be a key driver of cultural conversation. It needs to be more inclusive,” says Jaspreet Chandok, VP and Head of Fashion at IMG Reliance. Designer Tarun Tahiliani who worked with Lama says, “What’s important is not about her being a transgender. Rather it is about being a woman who has the poise and confidence to carry herself gracefully.” Adds Chandok, “We hope to have a plus-size model as part of the model pool in the…

NO 1 the over size bag The bigger the better: SS ’17 has embraced accessories on a grand scale. NO 2 thelogot-shirt The street-style influence continues for SS ’17: Make sure yours is Avenue Montaigne. NO 3 the tiny bag Be inspired by Valentino and layer your bags in matching colourways: Think tiny, teeny, and positively weeny. NO 4 the utility shirt Marching orders: Offset a utilitarian shirt with a lady-like feathered skirt and chain-strap bag. NO 5 the modern ruffle Embrace full-on femininity with a fluttering sleeve detail—it’s how the chic minimalist does ruffles. NO 6 the statement necklace Be bold: From Prada and Chanel to Givenchy, the oversize medallion is the jewellery piece of the season. NO 7 the mismatch edearrings If earrings are your thing, play fast and loose: Match the metal but not…

BOOK ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THEY TEACH YOU AT JOURNALISM school is the elevator pitch. A single line that captures the essence of your work and what it stands for. Too Much and Not the Mood (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), Durga Chew- Bose’s debut collection of essays, which releases this month, doesn’t have an elevator pitch. Because how do you summarise all the memories, thoughts, and revelations that are the sum total of your being? What it does offer, however, is nuanced writing that has you hooked, and observations that instantly resonate with you. In 14 pieces, she tackles everything from living on her own to her relationship with her skin colour, along the way stumbling upon emotions that hit home with the reader. For example, how remembering a…

CULTURE “UNAPOLOGETICALLY INDIAN” is how Vir Das describes his humour. And it’s what he will showcase in his 90-minute Netflix special, which rolls out worldwide this month and puts him in the ranks of comics like Amy Schumer, Chris Rock, Jim Gaffigan, and Louis CK. “Hopefully being Indian won’t be the punchline but the perspective. We all basically laugh at the same things—politics, love, sex, breakups,” says Das, on the phone from Atlanta, where he has kickstarted the Boarding Das World Tour, which will see him perform shows in Australia, Belgium, Norway, Singapore, Thailand, South Africa, Nigeria, Canada, Switzerland, and more over the next few months. That he’s the first Indian comic to embark on a tour of this scale informs much of his set—“It’s brand new material about the…

MUSIC GINGGER SHANKAR, Double violinist WHAT IS A DOUBLE VIOLIN? Gingger Shankar has the answer, as it is her instrument of choice. “It covers the entire orchestra range,” she says, over the phone from her hometown of Los Angeles. “The top is a violin and viola, and the bottom is a cello and bass.” It sits under the chin like a violin, but takes a horseshoelike shape with two necks, each having five strings, extending from the base, rather than the one typically seen on stringed instruments. “I was trained as a violinist and vocalist since I was little. I would travel with all these instruments, and it became cumbersome. This was a sensible solution,” she says. Sent to Kalakshetra Creative Arts School in Chennai (a music-based boarding school) at…

ince launching her namesake brand in 1981, Carolina Herrera has dressed first ladies, A-list actresses, and royalty—a testament to her unwavering devotion to all things ladylike. October 2016 marked the publication of her first book, Carolina Herrera: 35 Years in Fashion (Rizzoli), which includes archival photographs from previous decades as well as images of some of the designer’s most iconic pieces. Here, Herrera talks to her longtime friend, the actor Renée Zellweger—who famously wore a strapless white taffeta Carolina Herrera gown to receive her Best Supporting Actress statue at the Academy Awards in 2004—about her biggest challenges, her brightest moments, and the power of femininity. Renée Zellweger: You’re an icon. I know you’re very humble and you don’t want me to say that, but I’m going to say it anyway.…

Maple leaves. Beaver dams. Ski lodges. This is the Canada of cliché and it’s still so unexplored by the average Indian. Ontario, a province in south-central Canada, not only has its busiest cities, the Niagara Falls, and a long common border with the United States, but also a wholesome outdoorsy culture. The 1,000-ft-tall Blue Mountain has stunning ski slopes and unmitigated views of the curve of Georgian Bay at its feet. You may not get to see the local pottery that was once famous, made from the characteristic blue clay that gave the place its name, but one can sense the deep vibrations of the original Petun and Huron people still resonating through the rocks of this area, which is part of the Niagara Escarpment. The Blue Mountains Resort is…