Woman On Mission

The US-based haircare brand Aveda has launched in India with a range of products designed to cater to Indian consumers’ needs and based on Indian Ayurvedic principles. As Aveda’s products are inspired by Ayurveda, the brand hopes to tap into India’s growing Ayurveda-based beauty market with its country launch. The American brand’s products are available online at Flipkart and Amazon India among other multi-brand e-commerce retailers. Aveda was founded by Horst Rechelbacher 40 years ago and uses mostly plant-based ingredients that are both vegan and cruelty free.

Au Naturale

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With a strong commitment to providing chemical free personal care products to people, Arata is bringing back the goodness of nature for skin and hair care. Their products are simple and unfussy, completely plant-based and chemical free. Their body wash and shampoo cleanses naturally, using exfoliants like flax seeds, peppermint extract, apricot seed powder and a lot of carefully chosen plant-based extracts that leave skin looking radiant and feeling healthier. Their products are unisex, so you and your SO can share your toiletries.

A drive down memory lane

Dates for the 2019 edition of the Cartier Travel With Style Concours d'Elegance have been confirmed. The prestigious event will take place on February 24, 2019 at the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Manvendra Singh of Barwani will curate the sixth edition of the event and sit on the judges’ panel, while Simon Kidston, the co-founder of Brooks (now Bonhams) has been appointed the chief judge. The varieties of cars and motorcycles on display at the Cartier Travel with Style Concours d’Elegance have been divided into categories. For the four-wheelers, categories include Pre-War Classics (up to 1945), Roadster (1946-1969), Preservation (up to 1965), Indian Heritage (1947-1965) and Post-War Classics (1946-1969). For motorcycles, there are three categories – Veteran (vintage bikes up to 1930), Pre-War (1931-1945) and Post-War (1946-1969).

Drunken revelry

SulaFest, held in Sula Vineyards, near the city of Nashik in India, is the country’s premier gourmet world music festival. Presented by Sula, India’s leading winery, the event dishes out a heady mix of great music, wine, drinks, food, fashion and shopping amidst the scenic environs of Sula Vineyard. Started in 2007, SulaFest attracts leading Indian and international artistes from across genres including rock, folk, blues, electronic and reggae music. Last year’s edition of the festival was sold out with more than 10,000 people making the trip. A must-do event on every wine and music connoisseur’s list!

Skincare made for you

After over two years of intensive research, and off the back of a renowned team including dermatologists, dermato-cosmetologists and pharmaceutical engineers, SkinKraft was born with a singular goal in mind: Use the latest and cutting-edge discoveries in the field of skin sciences to give women a scientific, tested approach to skincare that actually works. At SkinKraft, they begin by getting an accurate and up-to-date picture of your skin. That includes its characteristics, issues and requirements. That helps them build your ideal products. SkinKraft is an affordable solution for the people who need extra attention for their skin. SkinKraft is an offering from Style craze, the world’s largest beauty and wellness website.

Woman on a mission about Menstruation

Child rights NGO Save the Children, collaborating with author and film personality Twinkle Khanna, kick-started a campaign to promote rights to menstrual hygiene and adolescent health among children and the communities. Joining the campaign today, Twinkle Khanna visited slums in Govandi, where Save the Children and its partner agency Apnalaya, undertook an awareness programme to interact with adolescents from the community. As part of the campaign, she encouraged and felicitated 30 children who are ‘Hygiene Champions’, applauding their efforts to break taboos around the subject and bring about a behavioural change in the community. The campaign will focus on influencing social behaviour change to overcome social taboos, misconceptions and misbeliefs on menstrual hygiene, empowering adolescent girls to take appropriate decisions on management of menstruation, improving the reach and quality of low-cost pads, improving access to sanitation (toilets) at schools and in communities, inculcating hygiene and sanitation behaviors and practices for better management of menstruation in schools and communities.

Watch Face

London’s well-known music venue, The Scotch, was the venue of the on-trend celebration of Zenith’s 21st century Defy collection. It was hosted by the brand in conjunction with Friend of the Brand and Defy partner, Grammy Award-winning music producer and entrepreneur Swizz Beatz. Party-goers — who included the likes of Jack Guinness, Tallia Storm and Nadine Leopold — were treated to an exclusive set, with the DJ and entrepreneur keeping the party going until the early hours of the morning. The Grammy Award-winning artist recently saw his favourite inspirational quote — “Never let people tell you what you can’t do, because sky’s not the limit, it’s just the view” — inscribed on both the bezel and crocodile leather strap of the Defy El Primero 21. Now an official ‘friend of the brand’ expect to see more collaborations, and no doubt further partying, in the near future.

Nature’s essence

Say hello to an organic personal care brand made of 100% natural ingredients! Being all natural, toxin, paraben, and sulphate free, Ilana Organics is what one might call Organic GOALS for the urban city dweller. Ilana Organics products don’t contain any chemicals, preservatives, or synthetics, and will be ideal for sensitive skin as well. The latest from the line is a range of winter care products such as a reviving moisture mask, a brightening skin serum enriched with Papaya and lemon extracts and a sunblock for the harsh winter sun that will repair your skin and give you a dewy glow.

BRIDE

For a bride that might be stuck in a beauty rut, this wedding kit from Nykaa has everything one needs for a whole new makeup routine. With products for the base, eyes and lips, every possible new look is spoken for.

Royally enchanting

Designer Reynu Taandon presented her couture bridal collection –‘Once upon a time…The journey continues’. It is a complete compilation of pre-bridal collection. From casual dinners to the mehendi ceremony, cocktails and dinner parties, to the main wedding and the reception, Reynu has designed the perfect bridal wear for all occasions. Keeping the millennials in mind, the designer has ensured that the silhouettes are youthful and refreshing.

Classic fusion chronographs Boca Juniors

Hublot became the watch partner of the Club Atlético Boca Juniors as its Official Timekeeper, Official Watch and Official Sponsor. A union resulting in the launch of an exclusive watch: the Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph Boca Juniors. This exclusive version of the Classic Fusion chronograph sports the colours of the Boca Juniors: blue and yellow. The logo is visible on the dial and the crystal of the back cover that opens onto the automatic movement. The strap, which is also blue, is finished with yellow double stitching. The watch is produced as a limited edition of 50 pieces.

Luxe Leathers

Indian brand Hidesign has launched a one-of-a-kind luxury collection of accessories. Designed by Founder Dilip Kapur, the Atelier collection combines the fine natural materials with exquisite designs and classic hardware. Divided into the Champagne and Caviar collections, there's elegant detailing on the wallets, clutches, and bags for men and women, adding a refreshing spin to leather essentials. The Champagne Collection is made from responsibly sourced Ostrich leather. Its random, delicate quill pattern makes it one of the most sought after materials, adding to its rarity and resilience. The Caviar Collection is handcrafted from Deer leather, sourced from farms in New Zealand. Its extreme softness and great strength makes it the perfect choice for luxury goods. Set in timeless hues of tan and black, the Atelier accessories are also lined with soft lambskin. The Hidesign Atelier collection is priced from INR 3,295 – INR 4,995 for wallets and INR 9,895 – INR 32,949 for bags. The collection will be available at all brand stores and www.hidesign.com

Exquisitely-crafted staggeringly beautiful

India's most coveted Couturiers, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla now turn their artistic eye to a new design medium; Fine Jewellery. They have joined forces with SABOO to create a limited edition collection of High Jewellery which was launched at a private viewing at their tony store at Kemp's Corner, Mumbai. Drawing its inspiration from the delicacy of chikankari embroidery and its floral motifs, White Whisper is a collection of natural pearls, a spectacularly refined expression of a unique craft. Ultimate Elegance at its most understated, it also features exquisitely bold enamel work on the inner/reverse side. This collection is deeply romantic and every piece in this collection has been designed by the duo.

Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri Ltd (TBZ) has strengthened its foothold in the north Indian market by entering the state of Punjab with its first store in the city of Ludhiana. The jeweller recently entered North India with its first store at Noida. The store is located in Ludhiana at Ghumar Mandi on Rani Jhansi Road and is spread over an area of 2,740 square-feet. The store will showcase a vast range of contemporary and modern jewellery collections and a mix of gold, diamond and precious stones-studded jewellery. TBZ is one of India’s leading jewellers and has a retail footprint of 40 stores across 28 cities across India.

Being Human –The Salman Khan Foundation has partnered with Mumbai-based Style Quotient Jewellery Private Ltd. to introduce Being Human Jewellery’s 1st exclusive franchise store in Chandigarh. Being Human Jewellery’s Franchise store in Chandigarh was inaugurated by Bollywood Actor Aayush Sharma, who made his debut in 2018 with the Salman Khan Films Production- Loveyatri. The store houses an enthralling range of fine jewellery catering to varied tastes. Elegantly designed, Being Human Jewellery comprises light-weight collections in plain gold, diamonds and coloured stone pieces. The designs are classic, stylish, quirky and affordable, catering to every woman’s taste in fine jewellery. Being Human Jewellery is designed in certified natural diamonds and crafted in 18 karat gold and 22 karat diamond jewellery, 22 karat plain gold jewellery and diamond jewellery with coloured stones.

Acknowledging the titan

The Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) pays tribute to 45 years of an outstanding contribution to the watch industry, by awarding Jean-Claude Biver the Prix Special du Jury. The prize list for the 18th Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie de Genève was revealed on Friday, November 9th, during the ceremony held at the Théâtre du Léman in Geneva. To conclude this ceremony, the jury, composed of international personalities from the watchmaking world (collectors, watchmakers, journalists) announced the presentation of the Special Jury Prize to Mr. Jean-Claude Biver, for his career and his outstanding contribution to the Swiss watch industry. Mr. Aurel Bacs, President of the jury, handed Mr. Jean-Claude Biver the prize, quoting Jean-Claude Biver by saying “all you need is love! “.

Swatch is no stranger to collaborations. Ever since the early days of the company's success in the 1980s, it has been teaming up with creatives, athletes, and all manner of other people to create special, limited edition watches that express various facets of popular culture. The brand's latest pair of watches continue this tradition while bringing together two very different artistic forces for the first time – the Spot Mickey and Mirror Spot Mickey are British artist Damien Hirst's take on the iconic character watch, created to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Mickey Mouse's creation. The former uses a simple black, red, and yellow color scheme, along with a minimalist interpretation of Mickey Mouse himself, while the latter has a bright mirrored dial and a boldly patterned case and strap that echo the dots that make up Mickey on the dial itself. Both are bright, fun, and everything you'd want an Art Special Swatch to be.

Iconic French fashion house Louis Vuitton has expanded on its collection of luxury furniture with a new line of pieces designed for the home. Since its launch, Louis Vuitton's Objets Nomades collection of limited edition furniture items has been a huge success. In addition to the ever-growing original collection, the brand has also unveiled the Petits Nomades collection, a range of similar yet smaller objects. Each piece in the Objets Nomades and Petits Nomades collection is a unique representation of a designer’s creative vision. The original ensemble includes eye-catching pieces such as the leather-covered metal Tropicalist Vase by Humberto & Fernando Campana, the leather Overlay Bowl by Patricia Urquiola and two Diamond Mirrors designed by Marcel Wanders. It also features other leather items by Atelier Oï such as the Origami Flower, Leather Rosace Vase and Tray, and Flower Field Cushion. In its new run, the collection will also include new pieces inspired by the House’s Art of Travel campaign. The new furniture line will be presented by Louis Vuitton at the Design Miami/ fair next month.

In troubled waters

Chinese e-commerce sites have removed Dolce & Gabbana products amid a growing backlash against an advertising campaign that was decried as racist by celebrities and on social media. The ads featured a Chinese woman struggling to eat spaghetti and pizza with chopsticks, sparking criticism from consumers and forcing the Italian brand to cancel its Shanghai fashion show. The blunder was compounded when screenshots were circulated online of a private Instagram conversation, in which the designer Stefano Gabbana appeared to make a reference to “China Ignorant Dirty Smelling Mafia” and used the smiling poo emoji to describe the country. The brand said Gabbana’s account had been hacked. It is not the first time that the brand has courted controversy in Asia. In 2013, over 1,000 protestors descended on one of Dolce & Gabbana's Hong Kong stores after security guards attempted to stop locals -- but not customers from overseas or mainland China -- from taking photographs. The brand later apologized over the row.