Style at your fingertips

It's no longer your clothes, your hairstyle and not even your accessories... With your nails becoming the new way to express yourself, your style statement just extended right down to your fingertips…

Flower Power. Pic: nailartsdesign.com

Katy Perry used them to model then husband Russell Brand's face during her 'honeymoon' (pun intended) period, while Beyonce and Rihanna used them to show their political preferences during the last US general elections. Lady Gaga has always been known to use them in a gothic way, while our Desi girl, Priyanka Chopra was seen using them to promote her international music album. What?? Before you start getting all sorts of weird ideas in your head, allow us to throw some light on the above statement. We are talking about nail art and its growing fetish among celebs and commoners alike.
 

Katy Perry turned Russell's face into an interesting nail art. Pic: jaclynsantos.com

While Katy Perry used her nails to splash ex-husband Russell Brand's face at the 2010 MTV Music Awards, Rihanna and Beyonce painted Barack Obama's face on their nails to show their support for the Democrat. Lady Gaga is mostly photographed with gothic nail art, while Priyanka Chopra flaunted Swarovski on her fingernails on the cover of her new international music album.
Well, the point that we are trying to make is — applying plain nail polish is just not enough. With nail art increasingly getting recognition as a work of art, the days of nails being ‘that neglected part of your body’ are gone. Nails are now treated as miniature pieces of canvas, where nailists (as nail artists are called) can play around with nail paints ranging from shiny gold to envious green, metallic blue or yellow, top them up with crystals or glitter and make designs of any shape and size.

Most women feel or rather have a misconception that maintaining nails is a difficult task. But it isn't so. With the kind of products that are used these days, getting a crystal manicure or the all-time favourite French manicure is just a matter of an hour or less. Moreover, the stuff that is sometimes used to attach these crystals or other fancy products on your nails actually helps the nails from becoming yellow or wearing off."

The sponge technique. Pic: noboizallowed.com

Use your nails to express your creativity. Pic: naildesigny.com

The newspaper print is a hot one these days. Pic: media.tumblr.com

Red hot nails. Pic: fashionsy.com

Just like everything popular, nail art too is increasingly becoming accessible and has harboured many cheap imitations and D-I-Y (Do-It-Yourself) kits that are now easily available over the counter. If you want to channelise your creativity and think you have a steady hand to do artistic things on your nails, then D-I-Y kits are just the things that you should get. What’s more, you can do all this while sitting in the comfort of your home. These simple kits are armed with everything that you’ll need to adorn your nails — from crystals to glitter to little pearls, beads or flowers — just go for the one that you fancy and you will get assorted colour nail polish, nail varnish brushes, glue, painting pens, neon or glitter shades and much more depending on the kind of kit you buy. There are a lot of options available on online shopping sites too, such as eBay and OLX.

But, if you are thinking these things are meant for those who have ‘shit loads of time’ then you can go for nail art stickers — simple apply these stickers to your natural nails and voila, you’ll get an instant fashion update. This super easy method means that anyone can achieve gorgeous and professional looking nails in no time and with almost one-fourth the money you would dole out on a manicure.

For those who have brittle or weak nails (including those who bite their nails like myself) and are feeling helpless reading about all the great stuff that is mentioned in this article — there is hope for you all too. You guys can get pre-painted nails (also known as acrylic nails or nail extensions) in various shapes and sizes and designs — ranging from cracks, stripes, swirls, flowers, dots, crystals and many others. Just attach these nails to your original nails and you are ready to ooze glamour.

With so many options available in the market, it is only fair to say that nail art seems to be exploding at the moment — and with the pace things are moving, I don’t see this trend going away anytime soon. So, what are you waiting for — get in on the action, instantly update your nails and hop on to the glam wagon.

Return of 90s 'fashion' spirit

Let’s start on a serious note. Are you a child of the ‘90s?  If yes, then most often than not, you must be reminiscing about the ‘good ol-days’. Good ol’ days? Those were like ages ago, you say. Well yes, we are in 2013 and yes, we are getting old. I’m sure the kids born in the millennial generation thinks we are maybe ‘antiques’. As much as the truth hurts, but we, the kids of 90s, sure had our own share of fun, fashion and entertainment at that time - we had masala packed films full of melodrama (no realist tomfoolery that took over Bollywood in 2010 and 2011), Michael Jackson and Backstreet Boyz’s music internationally and the likes of Alisha Chinoy, Baba Sehgal, Lucky Ali and Shaan ruling the roost at home. We also had Byomkesh Bakshi and Captain Vyom as our desi heroes, and slam books instead of confession pages to pour our hearts out. But most importantly, 90s was the time when we started experimenting with fashion.

The 90s marked a shift in fashion for both men and women as India opened its doors to international brands like GAP, DKNY, Dolce & Gabbana and Levis through its new economic policies. No more casual or over the top dressing - with designers like Manish Malhotra and Surily Goel designing for Bollywood stars, clothes in 90s became charming, sexy, and street as in Rangeela; feminine minus the garishness as in Raja Hindustani and breezy and fresh as in Dil To Pagal Hai. In fact Kuch Kuch Hota Hai took college fashion to a whole new level with young boys and girls sporting sweatshirts and ultra minis respectively.

Whatever it was, 90s fashion did leave an impact on our generation. And I'm glad that some of those trends are back. Here are some of those trends that have risen from the 90s fashion list...

Crop em' up ladies: Miley, Selena and Gwyneth show off their slender waistline

Tank and crop tops and hot pants

Urmila Matondkar became an overnight sensation sporting a mix of what can be best called a mix of desi belle meets femme fatale outfits in Rangeela. Her wardrobe consisted of thigh high boots, miniskirts and floral dresses - all of which have made a comeback in today’s fashion scene. What’s more, the good ol’ Dungarees or the overalls as they are sometimes called have also managed to sneak back in with the likes of Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldana sporting them off and on.  

Chiffon saris

Made famous by Karisma Kapoor in Raja Hindustani and Madhuri Dixit in Dil Toh Pagal Hai, chiffon saris have become a must for your summer wardrobe. Solid or pastel, neon or net, pick any colour, but the mantra of wearing them still remains the same as it was in the 90s - minimalistic accessories and simple hairstyle.

Actresses Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra go grunge. Pic: metromela.com

Grunge

Remember the grunge look Rani Mukerji sported in Bichhoo? Be it her leather minis or jackets, lofty oversized shirts and even the neck chokers or seed beads - it is all back. Ripped jeans too are an important part of grunge dressing - the more tattered and torn the better, and with stars like Anushka Sharma, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra sporting the look, we can safely say that grunge is in.  

Miley in hot high waisted shorts. pic: celebitchy.com

High Waisted Shorts

Miley Cyrus can single handedly be credited for bringing this trend back in fashion. It wouldn't be wrong to say that high-waisted shorts have become a part of her signature style, as she is often clicked roaming around in them. Though Piggy Chops (in her Exotic video) and Dippy (in the movie Cocktail) have tried to ooze their sex appeal in these shorts, youngsters back home are yet to take a fancy to this garment, but like everything else, it is just a matter of time before the trend catches up.  

The kurtis and the Anarkalis

Designer duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla first introduced the Anarkali in 1988, while the kurtis made their ramp debut in 1998 through designer Monisha Jaising. While Anarkalis have become a staple for every women be it on television shows, social functions and even red carpet appearances, when it comes to traditional wear, kurtis on the other hand have seen various adaptations and modifications to remain in trend. Popular in the 90s as an embroidered light garment, kurtis have evolved to kurti dresses, tunics and kaftans.

Jelly'like': Jelly sandals come in really nice and vibrant colours

Jelly sandals and bellies

Katy Perry, Anne Hathaway, Katie Holmes - international celebs have been rocking this trend for some time now, and with the desi junta back here following suit, flip-flops and jelly sandals have made a comeback in vibrant colors. These are not just perfect for a monsoon day out but also helps brighten up your day by adding colour to your outfit. Recently actress Aditi Rao Hydari of Murder 3 fame launched a whole new monsoon collection for a big footwear company aimed to ‘beat the monsoon doldrums with vibrant colored footwear’. In fact, if I might add this in this section - platform flip-flops too have made a comeback. As ugly as they look, they are back on the display windows - Sad, but true.

While there are many other items too that have or are on the verge of bursting upon the fashion scene, we think these five trends are here to stay. What say!

 

Edwyn Collins: The man with a magical voice

Edwyn Collins. Pic credit: julia dresch via flickr

I had the good fortune of speaking with Edwyn Collins when I was freelancing with the London-based online newspaper The Positive. In my teens, I must have listened to his song A girl like you more than hundred times if not less, and even today, I listen to this song when I feel like moving to the music. So when I got the opportunity, I lapped it up. This is the article that I wrote for The Positive... have a read, share your views...

Listen to Edwyn Collins speak and the first thing that you will notice about him is his laugh. The free flowing, distinctive and hearty laugh. It is this laughter, and the will to keep going, that has made 54-year-old singer Edwyn Collins the man that he is today.

Edwyn first found fame as a 20-year-old with the short-lived Glasgow band, Orange Juice, in 1979. As a solo artist, he went on to achieve worldwide fame with the hit single A Girl like You from his album Gorgeous George. However, musical success is only one aspect of this Scottish alternative rock musician’s remarkable story.

In 2005 he had two cerebral hemorrhages that paralyzed his right side and rendered him to a limited vocabulary of words such as yes, Grace Maxwell (his wife’s name) and, an interesting phrase, “the possibilities are endless”. Those two massive strokes left him unable to walk, talk, or read let alone play the guitar and sing. However, with the endless support of his wife Grace, within two years of the stroke, Edwyn had begun relearning to speak and sing, and released the first of his post-recovery albums – with songs he had written before the hemorrhages.

As the stroke had rendered Edwyn wholly incapacitated to writing, singing, and performing, Grace used this opportunity to make her husband relearn everything, right down to relearning all his lyrics. What is interesting here is to note how the two kept each other motivated. Both Edwyn and Grace say that it was their attitude and the belief that things will get better. “You might think that this would have been unbearable, coupled with the fact he was unable to play guitar any more. However, we saw it always as regaining things. Even in the darkest times when he was so incapacitated, every day I would get glimmers of Edwyn coming through. I had the sense that Edwyn trusted me to get on with things,” Grace said. To this Edwyn adds, “There’s a 1% chance of surviving something like this, so I suppose I am very lucky. So what? I had my stroke, nevertheless, I’m over that stage.”

Embracing his second life as God’s gift, Edwyn looks at his stroke as something that has made him a better songwriter and musician. He says, “Before my stroke I was writing slowly; after my stroke, I’m writing furiously. I’m fast and furious these days. I want to crack on with things. I feel that I must do that. I am more aware of my mortality.”

Indeed, the possibilities are endless for Edwyn, who has, after his recovery, released three music albums, produced and starred in the Channel 4 sitcom, West Heath Yard and released his first book of illustrations.

Now Edwyn is all set to debut as a movie star in a documentary that tells the story of his incredible journey to recovery in his own words. Titled The Possibilities Are Endless, the documentary is directed by Edward Lovelace and James Hall, who helmed Katy Perry: Part Of Me. 

The director duo said they were inspired to undertake the project three years ago after listening to Losing Sleep, the album released by Collins in 2010, which was the first new material following his stroke. Lovelace said, “It seemed like it was coming from a different place – we were intrigued to see what had happened and how he might have changed.” “We wanted the film to be Edwyn’s chance to speak totally freely at his own pace. Though the music is essential in the film – it is more than just a music film. It is a triumph against the odds,” Hall added.

Which other musician has inspired you? Or whose motivational life story would you like to see as a motion picture?  Share your views...