Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2025 i Harper's Bazaar India

There is a special kind of magic that December brings. The hush in the air; the soft glow in every window; and the comfort of knowing the year has come full circle. While there is a bittersweet sense of ending, there is also wonder in the cosiness of slowing down, taking that extra snooze, and dreaming of new beginnings just round the corner. This month, we invite you to curl up with Harper’s Bazaar India. Keep it close, devour every page, and let it fill your season with sparkle. Our cover star, Sharvari, may appear like the girl next door, but she is so much more. As we peel back her layers, we uncover a woman who thrives on the little big joys, charting her rise with purpose, authenticity, and…

I hope I am not boring you with an onslaught of information?” Rina Singh pauses as she sifts through 15-odd blocks of all shapes and sizes used in a single block-printed floral motif on a piece of handwoven textile, and asks me. Her reverence for craft and her ‘people’ is beyond obvious as her eyes gleam like a child proud of her treasured toys. How could I, or any other fashion writer, be bored in an interview where you have to hardly look at the prepared questions to tick off the topics of discussion? The brilliant mind behind the textile-led design studio Ekà, Singh, is fresh off the launch of her third retail space at in Gurugram, where she unveiled her much-lauded Autumn/Winter’25 collection, Chamba. Early on in the conversation…

Azzedine Alaïa’s collection was never designed for display. For years, Dior garments lived quietly in his world—handled, returned to, studied between fittings and sketches rather than stored away as history. Dresses were approached as material rather than memory. Seams were traced. Structures examined. What interested Alaïa was not how a garment looked at first glance, but how it held itself together. That way of looking comes into focus this autumn, as La Galerie Dior and the Fondation Azzedine Alaïa present a rare double exhibition shaped by study rather than spectacle. At La Galerie Dior, more than a hundred Dior creations drawn from Alaïa’s personal archive are revealed publicly for the first time. Seen together, they resist nostalgia. The garments speak in technical terms: balance, proportion, internal logic. Dior’s New Look…

Whether you’re treating yourself (the most rewarding ritual) or delighting someone dear, jewellery isn’t just a gift—it’s a legacy. It’s a love letter in metal and stone, a memory that grows more precious with time. From playful pieces perfect for stockings to dazzling designs destined to be treasured across generations, there’s a jewel for every mood, moment, and milestone.…

One day, in a boarding school up in the hills of Darjeeling, Manish Gaekwad decided to physically break his own jaw by eating a drum full of chocolates. Loneliness? Perhaps. As with life in most boarding schools, he missed his mother. Missed the way she could walk into a room with fearless certainty and hold its nerve centre in her hands. Once, when a man tried to molest him, she ran up to him and confronted him publicly. The molester did not know what to do. Men seldom do when the smallness of their actions is held up to their faces. When Gaekwad’s father suddenly tried staking a claim over him at a train station—refusing to let him go when his mother wanted to start a new life in Mumbai—she…

Perceived authenticity and relatability hold my inhibitions when it comes to celebrity interviews. Parasocial relationships, despite their inherent focus on fame, seem too good to be true. But when Sharvari jumps in to check the apparent network issue at her end, while her PR is next to her, or completes my thoughts each time our call gets dropped, and doesn’t mind the conversation stretching beyond the scheduled timeline, her affability starts making sense to me. “I’m aware that I’m a public figure, and it’s something that I can’t run away from. I do understand that social media is a wonderful place to connect. Still, I never wanted it to become a yardstick for validation,” she reflects. Being selective is a form of self expression for the actor because it stems…

HER TAKEAWAY FROM SOUTH ASIAN CREATIVES UPASANA DAS WRITER “It’s interesting to see how these emerging artists are shifting their lens-based practice towards the deeply personal, the hidden, or the underground which doesn’t fall through to the mainstream, to present South Asia.” ON THE PFW SHOW SHE LIKED THE MOST ARUSHI SINHA WRITER “Daniel Roseberry’s show at Paris Fashion Week this fall surprised with its intention to shed the theatrics and focus instead on House founder Elsa Schiaparelli’s taste for sharp 1940s tailoring. Roseberry cleverly retains an undercurrent of his signature off-kilter sensibility, but this time without sacrificing beauty at the altar of camp.” ON HER EXPERIENCE OF THE COVER SHOOT GOPALIKA VIRMANI STYLIST “I loved that Sharvari was so open to let go and do something new. I absolutely…

The Holiday Headliner This person doesn’t just show up for the holidays — they arrive like the main event. They’re the one everyone watches, the spark that kicks the night into motion. Their calendar is a blur of soirées, and their wardrobe is curated for every spotlight moment. Wherever they go, the festivities follow. The Chic Nightcrawler This person treats every December night like a scene straight out of Paris. They slip from dinner to after-party with effortless charm, always dressed in just the right amount of sparkle. They know where the music is good, where the lights are low, and how to make an entrance feel casual yet unforgettable. The Playful Tastemaker This person brings a dose of fun to every festive moment. They love an unexpected pairing, a…

As a reader, I usually steer clear of speculative fiction. But when a novel set in a future, climate-ravaged Kolkata (my beloved hometown) appears—and gets selected for Oprah Winfrey’s 119th Book Club—I’m forced to make exceptions. The truth is, I finished Megha Majumdar’s sophomore book (in many ways a spiritual distant cousin of Amitav Ghosh’s 2004 novel The Hungry Tide), titled A Guardian and A Thief, in a single sitting. The novel follows Ma, her father Dadu, and her daughter Mishti as they survive in a flooded City of Joy, facing food shortages while awaiting their “climate visas” to emigrate to Michigan and join Ma’s husband as climate refugees. Chaos erupts when Ma’s purse containing all their documents is stolen by Boomba, a man who will do anything to feed…

The Power Collective Meet the winners of Harper’s Bazaar India Women of the Year Award 2025. ZEENAT AMAN Icon of the year A trailblazer and a trendsetter, ZeenatAman redefined what it meant to be a leading lady in Indian cinema. From her unforgettable roles in Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978) or Don (1978), recent OTT debut with The Royals (2025), to her effortless transition into a voice of wisdom and authenticity today, she has always been ahead of her time. Fearless in her choices and inspiring across generations, ZeenatAman continues to be an icon for all. JANHVI KAPOOR Actor Since her debut in 2018 with Dhadak, Janhvi Kapoor has been on a meteoric rise. She is known to challenge herself with diverse roles such as the biopic, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil…

Being a Bollywood buff all my teens to now in my late twenties, I’ve seen music reinvent itself, films adapt to shrinking attention spans, OTT rewrite the script, and the spotlight turn to the students who’ve become the masters—the Gen Z. As the year draws to a close, I couldn’t help but reflect on how 2025 was dedicated to debutants, and how Bollywood’s new era belongs to the ones who’ve once been raised by films to finally be in it. And my conversation with actor Khushi Kapoor fittingly mirrors this generational shift. I’ll admit, a small part of my anxiously excited self came prepared for a breezy Gen Z exchange, but little did I know, I was in for a rather thoughtful chat that surprised me in the best way.…

Just when it seems like every possible ingredient has already been bottled and shelved, something new makes me pause. This season, it is sea moss—a nutrient-dense red algae that’s quietly becoming skincare’s next fixation. Lauded for being used in traditional Chinese medicines for its cooling properties for centuries, the algae has now found a new home in supplements and skincare shelves. As slimy and uncanny the texture may be, if the likes of Bella Hadid and Kim Kardashian are falling for it you know it’s got power. From boosting your immune system, curing inflammation, locking in moisture to offering an overall protein boost, this ingredient claims to do it all, and here’s how the experts break down what it can and can’t deliver. STANCE IN SKINCARE In this sea of…

FRENCH CONNECTION Cult-favourite French brand La Roche-Posay has officially re-entered India under L’Oréal, and skincare watchers have reasons to pay attention. The brand arrives with four of its global bestsellers—Mela B3 Serum for dark spots, Anthelios for sun protection, Cicaplast for repair, and Effaclar for acne care. Known for gentle, effective formulas shaped by 50 years of dermatological research, the range is priced between ₹1,100 and ₹3,300 and will roll out across dermatology clinics, pharmacies, and major retail platforms. BLURRY LINES The era of strictly defined contours has ceded to a softer aesthetic. Say hello to blurred lip eschewing sharp lines for a beautifully diffused edge. Created by blending tints, stains, or lip colours with fingertips or brushes, blurred lips can be achieved with ease. Unlike drying matte finishes, this…

…GEAR UP FOR ECHOES OF EARTH Unveiling an exceptional line-up of global and homegrown talent, the eighth edition of Echoes of Earth will bring the ‘Sixth Sense’ to life through music, art, and educational storytelling. With artists like Monolink from Germany, Bedouin from USA, Jatayu from India, among others, the festival on December 13 & 14 in Bengaluru promises electrifying performances. …PLAN AHEAD FOR 2026 Turn your intentions into plans with a seamlessly coordinated journal and calendar, and think of it as laying the groundwork for 2026. Our pick? The Ink Bucket Set of 3 Wiro Planner + Calendars, with six themes, and artistic designs, this set is everything you need to stay aligned, inspired, and ready for the year ahead. …SIP ON MULLED WINE WITH JAGGERY Savour the flavours of the…

Few things in fashion are as compelling as a strong narrative, and at Paris Fashion Week, this season’s narrative thread was tethered to ideas of rebirths, reimaginings, and proverbial new chapters. It’s a continuation of the theme that has dominated fashion headlines over the last year, with resignations and new appointments arriving on the regular, and speculation and anticipation steadily on the rise. Matthieu Blazy at Chanel, Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga, Dior under Jonathan Anderson, Duran Lantink’s Jean Paul Gaultier ready-to-wear—the story practically writes itself. A flurry of Creative Director debuts clustered over a handful of days, each accompanied by the whispered suggestion that the fate of a storied fashion house hangs delicately in the balance. Yet, this season comes at a time when reports outline a slowdown in consumer…

ON GLOBAL STAGE Designer Masaba Gupta and poet Rupi Kaur jointly hosted the prestigious‘Art from the eye of India’ event—an immersive showcase representing India’s contributions to art, design, and fashion—at MiamiArtWeek. While Gupta showcased a 20-piece collection of clothing and fine jewellery, Rupi Kaur took the stage for an intimate live reading of her selected works. HOME COMING péro home brings nostalgic charm and handcrafted warmth into everyday living. Each piece reflects the brand’s signature imperfect beauty, drawing from its deep roots in handloom traditions, age-old embroidery techniques, and thoughtful upcycling. Reimagined with whimsy and softness, the collection features handwoven cottons, sheer Chanderi and Maheshwari weaves, natural linens, bold Mashru stripes, and intricate appliqué, playful patchwork, delicate jamdani, and vintage lace trims. Together, they form an ever-growing design vocabulary that…

Balance has always been Cartier’s quiet superpower—a harmony of proportion, colour, and form that becomes palpable the moment a high jewellery piece rests against the skin. This spring, that equilibrium found an unexpected yet poetic stage: Stockholm, a city where heritage meets innovation with the kind of ease that feels almost innate. I arrived in the Swedish capital—somewhat unceremoniously, without my luggage after two long flights from New Delhi—but the days that followed with Cartier felt like a masterclass in the art of finding one’s centre. The maison unveiled its new high jewellery collection, En Équilibre, a tribute to poise and precision. As Cartier’s SVP and Chief Marketing Officer Arnaud Carrez remarked during an intimate gala at the Artipelag Art Gallery, Stockholm mirrors the very spirit of the collection: a…

By the time December comes, Goa has already shaken off the languor of monsoon. The air turns cooler, and Panjim—often overlooked in favour of beaches—steps into focus. For 10 days this winter, the capital city will once again belong to art. From December 12 to December 21, Serendipity Arts Festival returns to Goa for its landmark 10th edition, marking a decade of cultural placemaking that has steadily grown from an ambitious idea into one of South Asia’s most expansive, inclusive arts festivals. This year, the scale is unmistakable: over 250 projects, 35-plus curators, and an entire city doubling up as both host and collaborator. What Serendipity has always understood and practiced is that art does not live inside cubes or theatres. It spills, wanders, and gathers meaning as it moves.…