Fashionista

I read all articles here and have always wanted to write one myself. But I have to warn you all, I don’t have any credentials to support me here. I have never considered myself to be a normal girl. None of the things that normally appeal to girls has ever caught my attention. I don’t enjoy shopping, I am not so much of a gossip queen and salons and spas give me a headache. I am also not someone who you will remember for my sense of dressing or “style” so to say. You will all agree that this is a fair warning. Don’t read any further if all you want is some take-away on “fashion”.  

I write this article (of-course, I am using this term very loosely here) because of two things that have been on my mind in the last few days. The initial trigger to all this is a discussion that I had with a cousin recently regarding Victoria Beckham’s dressing sense. We were talking about how sometimes she wears things that we normally wouldn't give a second look to, but still manages to look stunning. The discussion ended with just a few comments we exchanged, but it kept lingering at the back of my mind.

Followed shortly was the realization that I start my day everyday with looking at images of our Bollywood beauties in their designer dresses on the online edition of “The Times of India”. Although I had always done it, it was only after this discussion that I started paying attention to the fact. If you think that it is with appreciation, let me correct you. What interests me more is how uncomfortable most of them looked in some of those outfits, but they do it anyways to stand out and get noticed.

It begs to question, what is fashion? Is it looking good and getting noticed at the cost of being uncomfortable, or feeling comfortable and confident in anything that you choose to wear? Does a dress make a person or does a person define a dress? If it isn't obvious, I am a believer in the latter. And I like to think that Victoria Beckham feels the same way…. She looks good in anything that she wears because it is always “her” that is making a dress look good.

I have come to realize that all of us have our own definition of style, of what is good and bad. We are all also designers with ability to create things that we think suit us best. If we give up on trying to be someone else, copying someone else’s style and instead choose to follow our instincts of what is best for us and what we will be comfortable in, we will all always look good. All you need is the courage to bring out the Fashionista in you.

Cheers!

Behind the scenes of the Spring-Valentine photo shoot

This job at Urban Pari is a fascinating one because we get to wear many hats. Designer. Content Writer. Stylist. Marketer. Blogger. Etc. And all these hats are beautiful (except Accountant).

Today, I want to share with you what happened and who is involved behind the photographs that you'll soon see. We were able to capture only a few visuals because it was a hectic day that needed a lot of planning before and a lot of resting afterwards. It's the photo shoot for the Spring-Valentine collection!

So, we said, we'll start the shoot at 9:00 AM. We ended up clicking the first pictures at 12:15 AM. What happened in-between? I managed to roll out of bed at 7:30 AM and leave the house without making breakfast. On the way, I dropped off my daughter at her grandparent's and borrowed a camera lens, at the very last minute. I reached the shoot destination, a beautiful house in south Bangalore, at 9:00 AM. My model, Priyanka Arora, a Delhi beauty and an earnest professional rode in on her scooter at about 10:15 AM. My assistant, Susheela, arrived successfully at 10:30 AM after getting lost and frantic somewhere near the venue. My friend and stylist, Parul Tongaria from The Wedding Company, walked in a little after that, flushed after her experience with the Auto ride. My new photographer, Mac Jamatia, swung out of bed sometime during this gathering and came in last. But, I was not upset. In fact, I welcomed this delay to allow my heart to slow down. Photo shoots always make me nervous as the preparations are so last minute and I'm always forgetting things. It also allowed me to catch up with everyone. (Hey guys! Don't be late, next time. :).

Once we started, I let everyone to do their work, confident that each would give me their best and bring something new to the product presentation. I must have been so cool during the shoot that Priyanka reminded me several times to check the photographs after they were shot. Priyanka is a great model. Her movements are fluid and she can pose without looking contrived. I liked Mac and his cap even more. He was very focussed on his work and listened to my "requirements" very patiently. That always earns brownie points from me. Parul! What can I say about her. She's a friend you must have. Self-taught makeup artist. Now, she's a full-time wedding-stylist at The Wedding Company and excellent at styling and makeup. She made sure I sent her pictures of the sarees before the shoot, so that she could plan the makeup and accessories for each of them. That's dedication!

At every shoot, we plan on shooting a specific number of sarees. So, that means we're on a clock. We started slow (the time between changes is about 30 minutes and we joked all the while) and experimented with where we should shoot and where the lighting is good. We also had a few makeup changes to match a set of sarees where Parul kicked in and did her magic. But, after the lunch break, our pace picked up (Priyanka was chasing us to get a move on it) and we did the impossible (the time between changes might have come down to 5 minutes). Hurray! We were done by 5:10 PM. Everyone was visibly relieved. I am not done till the sarees and everything else is neatly back in its place (ask my partners about my obsession).

Thank you, Priyanka, Mac, Parul (she also shot the "behind the scene" photographs) and Susheela for your kind contribution. We are grateful for your presence and effort. Last but not the least, Harsha's always in the background lending quiet support whenever we require it.

Whenever new sarees are released to you, we keep our fingers crossed that you not only like the product but also its presentation. We spend a lot of time and the money that we can afford, to make sure that we do justice to what Urban Pari represents. We design sarees because we believe in its timeless beauty. It's pure passion (I know this is overused but it really is true) that drives us. We are the "Aam Aadmi" (this does not state our preference for any political party what-so-ever :) of the Fashion world but no less talented, I hope. So, please write on our Facebook wall or email us at team@urbanpari.com or me at divya@urbanpari.com and tell us what you think of our sarees. Can't wait to hear from you!

My favorite's from Duchess Catherine's wardrobe

Long before she became a duchess, Kate Middleton, now Duchess Catherine has been under the paparazzi's radar. She was the girl-next-door who stole the prince's heart and her fairy tale came true. I know that however royal she may be, she's still a woman with a life to make for herself. Marrying into a high-profile family and changing her name and life upside-down could not have been part of her dream. And with all the cameras turned on her, it cannot be all that easy. Still, she does have a stage, the resources and the entourage to dress like a real-life princess.

Here are my favorite dresses from Kate's wardrobe. Most of them are made by well-known, luxury-fashion designers. These names will stand out.
Temperley.
Sarah Burton (Alexander McQueen).
Jenny Packham.

Her Gowns

Her wedding gown was designed by Sarah Burton and it must have been heavy (just look at the train on that gown). It's white! If I'm the designer, I'm going to be worrying about all the dirt its picking up as the bride walks gracefully towards the alter. 

I love everything that shines and hence, love the Silver-sequined dress and the pale Pink dress that transforms her into a beautiful mermaid. The Teal dress with the lace-back is just marvelous. Notice that all of them are Jenny Packham. It's not fair! All that celebrity attention on one brand! :)

The Wedding Gown

Jenny Packham Dec 2013, Jenny Packham May 2012, Jenny Packham June 2012

Printed Dresses

Hobbs June 2013, Topshop April 2013

Every girls loves to be chic in European clothing and Kate's got plenty of those. I particularly like this polka dress from Topshop, a multi-national retail store, because she's back to looking very girl-next-door. As always, she looks very sweet in what is otherwise a bold Leapard-print coat made by Hobbs, a UK-based store. Animal-prints can look garish if not worn properly but here she looks nothing of the sort.

Her Lace Dresses

Lace never goes out-of-style and off late it has picked up again with celebs sporting lace left, right and center. Kate's been wearing them consistently. Every one of these is stunning but my #1 choice is the Navy (looks Black and I like it that way) Temperley dress she wore in Nov 2013, after having her baby and my #2 choice is the long Temperley gown from Jan 2012.

Sarah Burton June 2012, Temperley Jan 2012, Erdem Moralioglu June 2011

Temperley Nov 2013, Jenny Packham June 2013

Do you like my favorites?
Do you have your own favorites?
Tell us by leaving a comment on this blog.

Quirky Half and Half Sarees

Camel Saree

Polka & Solid

Geometric-Print Half & Half

Polka & Solid

Black Friday Sale on Black

At the last minute, we thought 'why aren't we celebrating Thanksgiving and the following Black Friday Sale when so many of our customers reside in the US?' It's time to buy your favorite sarees at a special price on one awesome day! Ofcourse, the Black Friday Sale is not limited to overseas customers alone. Our ladies from India can also avail the discount. For us in India, it's actually a Saturday Sale :)

Because, we started the sale a little late, we'll run it through the weekend, till the end of Sunday. 

So, start shopping. If you have any question, check out the FAQ below and email us at team@urbanpari.com.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

1. What sarees are on sale now?
   Only our Black sarees are on sale. Click here to see the sarees on sale.
2. For how long is this sale on?
   The sale is on all day 30-Nov-2013 and 1-Dec-2013.
3. Who can avail the discounted offer?
   The offer is valid for all customers within and outside India.
4. Do you deliver overseas? 
   Yes. We do ship overseas through Worldnet Express (DHL). The delivery time is usually 4-5 days from India to anywhere in the world.
5. What are the shipping costs?The shipping charge is as per Worldnet Express rates. Refer here for the rate card.
6. What is the return policy?The sarees go through QC (quality check) before they are shipped out. Our packaging is strong and we assure you that your saree will be safely handled by our shipping partners. We will not accept any returns on non-defective products. 

The Face of Urban Pari

For the past few months, we've been saying, "It's coming. It's coming. It's coming!".

What's coming? Well, we were referring to Urban Pari's official and new, logo and typography. The reason why this was such a prolonged affair was because something such as this needs time. We had to be sure that we can bear to look at it everyday and continue to love it as much as we love Urban Pari. Also, we were a little bit lazy! But, it's here now. It's a done deal!

Nervously, we share these images and our thoughts with you. We want you to like it and not be disappointed or worse, repelled by it. So, here goes.

THE TYPOGRAPHY

It took many meetings and emails back-and-forth to understand what we, individually and collectively, thought about Urban Pari and then express the same to the brand designer, Deepa Shah (Design Souk). As you can guess from the name, "Urban Pari", there's an inherent duality about this brand, the women behind it and the women who wear it. The women of this generation, you and us, are challenged to do many things. We are conflicted between the things that await us and the things that hold us back. We dream and do much more. Yet, there are memories from our past, from our upbringing and of great women we know well. While it holds us back, it makes us a better person. Despite everything, we're moving forward. We're stronger. This typography (font), with its mix of upper-case and lower-case letters, explains these notions of us, the Urban Pari.

THE FACE OF URBAN PARI

This logo was a little difficult to arrive at. It's not that we wanted to have a face on the logo. We chose this because the brand is about you and us, and not about a product or type of product. It may look very simple to you and even, common-place. But, we believe that the logo is identifiable rather than simple and common-place. We all had our own ideas of what she would look like. Dreamy. Strong. Powerful. Mysterious. Urban. Arriving at this version of her took a few iterations. Every piece of this logo was added carefully. We'll leave you to imagine (and share with us) what each piece of this logo means to you. Feel free to write to us at team@urbanpari.com and tell us what you think.

THE SYMBOL OF URBAN PARI

This symbol was an easier decision to make (perhaps, not so much for the designer). While the 'face' may touch your heart, this logo is intended to attract your eyes. We love visuals and our eyes love illusions. It was very interesting to see how one can make a letter or a few into many unique and striking symbols. It's an art that only someone like Deepa can excel at.

After all this work, can you guess what the best part of the branding exercise is? Well, it's the crisp, brand-new stationery on our desk! Do you remember practising your signature when you were a kid? Pretending to be someone important and signing important papers? :) Well, our team can do that now on the nice, new stationery that's waiting to be written (scribbled) on. Ofcourse, we're going to do our bit to save paper, cut costs and do things digitally wherever possible. So, do insist on a digital invoice, if you don't mind.

If you have any comments about the logo, symbol and typography, please do share with us at team@urbanpari.com. This is your logo and we want to hear what you have to say.

Black Beauty

THE DUO

Whoever said, 'Black is beautiful' was so right. The color, Black, means different things in different contexts. But, in fashion, it's a color that's always fashionable. 'The Little Black Dress' is a life-saver when you're wardrobe fails on you and you have a last-minute party to attend. At Urban Pari, we don't get tired of Black. Here are some of our cool Black sarees that we'd like to reflect upon, from the past one year.

THE TRIO

For work, these cotton sarees are comfortable, cool and mean both business and play. The Duo (Rs.2495) is Chanderi Cotton with Black and Red Cotton borders.

The Cool Black (Rs.2495) is Chanderi cotton with Printed Cotton Borders.

COOL BLACK

The Trio (Rs.2995) is also Chanderi Cotton with Red, Black and Printed White Cotton borders.

BLACK KAREENA 1.0

The Black Kareena 1.0 (Rs.2495) is also Chanderi Cotton with Chanderi brocade palla. It's a simple saree but a head-turner, for sure.

BLACK KAREENA 2.0

For festive occasions, the Black will do great with some matching ethnic jewelry.

The Black Kareena 2.0 (Rs.2995) is Chanderi Cotton with Organza palla.

BLACK CHILLIE

The Black Chilli (Rs.3450) is Banaras silk net.

BLACK ROSE

And for the party, your 'Little Black Dress' could be substituted by the Black Rose. Black Rose is pure Georgette and Satin with Grey lace.

Last but not the least, the Black Cleopatra is Crepe and Banaras Georgette and exquisitely beautiful. Sadly, we made just one and one lucky lady owns this saree somewhere in Tamil Nadu.

if you'd like to order any of these sarees or get one custom-made for you, write to us at team@urbanpari.com. See ya!