Rendezvous with the Present

Speaking retrospectively, growing up in Ranchi ( JHARKHAND ), my hometown was like living in cloud-cuckoo-land. With all time temperatures ranging between 2 and 28 degree Celsius, it evidently felt like a hill station. With open roads, less traffic, lower pollution, more greens and immensely spread natural beauty, RANCHI was the most sought after vacation place to be in.But now 30 years later, everything has changed drastically.  Cars, bikes, mopeds in all sizes have overtaken the once pedestrian friendly roads, leaving little or no safe space for the earth-bounds.      More houses and buildings are being built, all at the cost of nature destruction. With all these man-made sources of nature destruction, a once considered HILL STATION, my hometown is now like any other hot and populated city. This sure comes as a big deal-breaker to me, specially when I am here to spent some relaxing time with my family. My pursuit for some cooler weather took a back seat, the day I stepped into Ranchi. The weather here felt no different from back home in DC......Amidst all the disappointment, one great change that has happened for good, is the fashion evolution Ranchi is going through. I was overjoyed to see the trendy crowd here, that has welcomed the latest fashion trends with open arms. Ranchiites now think of fashion much beyond a plain tee, blue denim and fit-flops. The emergence of renowned retailers like- Polo, Levi's, Tommy Hilfiger, Pepe and chain store like Pantaloons is a sure proof of the passionately fashionable Ranchiites.One such substantiation of this evolution was witnessed at "the APHRODITE counter " at the PURPLE BAZAAR EXHIBITION cum SALE,  hosted by yet another fashionable acquaintance Monica Roy Agarwal . 

MONICA , SRISHTI, PUJA

Monica and her team together put up a fabulous show that not only rocked Ranchi but also showcased the power of womanhood. Lady vendors from all over Eastern India joined hands to showcase their individualistic talent. There was no dearth of talent at the exhibition. Hats off to Monica and her team for giving such an opportunity  to other talents.

Talking about  " APHRODITE" , the owners Mrs. Puja Jaiswal and Mrs. Srishti Jaiswal,  did a spectacular job in promoting and selling western and traditional wear. Their collection played a perfect example of a sweet harmony between Indian and Western styles. The western wear ranged from tops, blouses, jackets, belts and pants to name a few, whereas the traditional ranged from silk saris, silk wears, tunics, jacquard fabric and much more, all reasonably priced. It was a breather from regular stuff. I did buy a pair of silk palazzos, which form the theme for my next outfit post. 


Mrs. Puja who also happens to be an art maestro and owner of BLUE PAPYRUS, put her self-designed and all hand-crafted gift bags and boxes for sale. I ended up buying a bunch from her which sure would serve as a thoughtful present. She can be contacted at " puja123_99@yahoo.com . "  Thanks to you guys for the wonderful showcasing.
PUJA

PUJA'S DESIGNS

Another great Kolkattan talent was Mili Kandoi. A designer by profession, she has provided her services to the fashion industry for 10 years now.  Her line of production ranges from saris to suits and tunics.  Her designs are a blend of both modern abstract and  traditional Indian. She runs her line under the brand name MILI'S CREATION. 

Her sari's could range from anywhere between INR-10,000-20,000, suits between INR 10,000-15,000 and tunics between INR 7,000-10,000.

I fell head over heels on her lipstick print and crinkled texture sari.It sure left me short of words.

MILI with my fave lipstick print sari

 My sister bought a beautiful peach and pink net sari which came with a pre-stitched blouse and the petticoat. All three for under a price of INR 15k, one couldn't have asked for more.  MILI can be contacted at " milikandoi@gmail.com " and the great thing is that she is open to shipping both nationally and internationally.  Thank you Mili for the awesomeness and also for such a beautiful presentation of your designs. GOOD LUCK  for your great work.!!!!

A local fabulosity was seen in the designs and outfits presented by Mrs. Shradha Jain. Shradha is passionate about Indian fashion and she chose to offer rows of beautiful suits and saris in an array of beautiful colors, to the localites.  Not only this, she also offered beautiful Indian-style hand crafted clutches. A beautiful collection from a sweet girl indeed !!!!!!

SHRADHA JAIN 

SHRADHA'S BAGS

There was a galore of other products like jewelry, stationery, bedding, home decor, kids accessories, and savory edibles, to name a few. We had a blast browsing through the stores but my personal faves were the above discussed. 

SEA OF EARRINGS

LOVE THE FLORAL PIECE

I hope you enjoyed reading about my " RENDEZVOUS WITH THE PRESENT " . The present being both SWEET ( fashionably ) n SOUR ( climately ).

Thanks for stopping by

XO
SAUMYA