REMINISCING NAWABI LEGACY AT AN ILLUSTRIOUS RAMPUR WEDDING

January 1, 2021

Rampur, today a sleepy little town tucked away in the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh, was once the seat of the richest principality of India, the Rampur State, affluent not just in its worldly possessions but also in its abundant patronage to cuisine, culture, craft and religion. The Nawabs enjoyed...

MADE AT LABS, THESE DIAMONDS TOO ARE FOREVER

December 26, 2020

Diamonds have always been prized for their brilliance. The sharper the shine, the rarer the stone—and the higher the price. But, that is an equation which is no longer true. Shattering this historical connection and disrupting the price barriers are the new diamonds that are as clear as the proverbial...

AMRITA RANA: KEEPING ALIVE THE SHEER AURA OF RANA JEWELS

December 25, 2020

There is a strange sense of chutzpah that engulfs her tiny frame. A sense of style that follows wherever she tiptoes away. Amrita Rana, a daughter of the Rana family of Nepal, is a joy to know. She comes across as someone with a great zest for life. Her sharp...

HOW THE ‘STAR OF INDIA’ FOUND ITS WAY BACK HOME

December 25, 2020

Rajkot, a sleepy town that rests on the brink of the sand dunes of Gujarat, is also home to the stately but understated royal family of Rajkot. Possibly one of the leading princely states in the region, it is today home to the stylish and suave Thakore Sahib Mandhattasinhji and...

Textile protagonists who have glamorised the sari

December 19, 2020

I have been told that it is World Sari Day this Monday. This is something laughable for me, because, at a subliminal level, for a sari addict like me, every day is sari day. It is my Osho pants, my pair of blue jeans, my comfy kaftan and also my answer...

Veena Singh: Reviving the Lakhnavi tehzeeb and craft

December 18, 2020

The word quiet elegance sits perfectly on the gracious frame of Veena Singh, born into the Padrauna noble family. She is married to J.P. Singh, a politician from the Congress party, belonging to the Ram Nagar family of Benaras. A true symbol of Avadh’s statuesque life, Veena has spent her...

ART AND ACCESSORIES TO FEEL LIKE A 21ST CENTURY ROYAL

December 18, 2020

The royal life, historically lived in an oasis of indulgence and decadence, has inspired art and design forever. The rich and resplendent Pandora’s Box of royal iconography has many a modern day artist, brand, product designer and couturier return to it time and again for inspiration and artistic references. The Daily Guardian scans...

LIVING LIFE FAR FROM THE CENTRE IS THE NEW NORMAL

December 12, 2020

Civilisations have since time immemorial clamoured to live in the heart of town. Manhattan in New York; Hyde Park in London; Beverly Hills in California and our very own Lutyens zone in Delhi have symbolised the arrival of someone in the circle of acclaim. Young, upwardly mobile professionals have preferred...

A HOMEGROWN BRAND FOR VELVETY WINTERS

December 12, 2020

NEW DELHI: At the outset, let me admit that I pine for velvets in the winter. As much as I look forward to acquiring that Pashmina each year, velvet conjures up images of the past: the thrill of pulling out grandmama’s velvet blouse to wear with a woven silk sari,...

PUSHPITA SINGH AND THE ART OF CREATING TIMELESS LUXE JEWELLERY

December 11, 2020

She is a perfect blend of a rooted Rajput who was brought up as an independent-minded, career-oriented and cosmopolitan woman. Someone who grew up between colonial Kolkata and gracious Jaipur, only to get married in the power capital of New Delhi which has been a home for her for over...