Designer Amy Billimoria celebrates her 40th birthday over a charity fundraiser. The designer, in collaboration with Nargis Dutt Memorial Charitable Trust (NDMCT) hosted a fund-raiser at her store in Juhu, Mumbai, where some of the illustrious names from the film industry walked to support the cause.

Power women from the movie industry took to the ramp with little girls in much style and aplomb ? Dia Mirza, Mini Mathur, Maria Goretti, Madhoo, Rhea Pillai, Queenie Singh, Urvashi Sharma, Akanksha Agarwal, Reshma Merchant and actor Zayed Khan came together to support this great cause.

On this occasion Amy Billimoria says, ?To me the idea of celebration is doing something that triggers real happiness within, and what better way to mark a milestone in your life, than seeing little children light up their faces with a smile. To me my 40th birthday will reinstate my endeavour to always strive to make a difference. With this charity event, my dearest friend Jyoti Mukherjee and I will be empowering women and children in a village in Palghar and we are eagerly looking forward to a great show?.

Focusing on both tradition and change, Amy Billimoria has interpreted ornate hand embroidery on varied silhouettes from indo-western drapes, bridal lehengas and her ever green saris for the show. The colour palette for this collection ranges from ferns, peaches and champagne gold to different shades of blue.

For the fund-raiser, Amy Billimoria?s dear friend, designer Jyoti Mukherjee has designed outfits for the little girls who walked side by side with the influencers. The collection is a modern twist to vintage styles and silhouettes, and complements the outfits of the ladies who the little girls walked with.

Jyoti Mukherji says, ?I am thrilled to be a part of this great cause, where Amy and myself will get to do out bit to empower women and children of Palghar.?

Priya Dutt, Trustee NDMCT in her support says, ?On behalf of our NGO, Nargis Dutt Memorial Charitable Trust, I hereby would like to express my gratitude for your initiative, The Walk of Pride to support our effort with this fundraiser. The proceeds from this initiative will go towards women and child empowerment of Sonave Village, Palghar, Maharashtra.?

Actor Dia Mirza comments, ?I am proud of Amy Billimoria and Jyoti Mukherjee for putting together this wonderful show this festive season. I am happy and very pleased that people from civil society are taking such decision and contributing towards the society?.

By Jigar Ganatra

This year?s much awaited film Shaandaar has caught many eyeballs already, especially due to the amazing outfits worn by the lead star cast ? Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. 

Indiantelevision.com?s Exec Life got in touch with Archana Walavalkar, Co-founder and Creative Director at StyleCracker and Shahid and Alia's stylist from the film, to get a lowdown on the wardrobe trends from the film.

Read on:

Shahid Kapoor

Look 1:

                                                                                      
You see Shahid in cool, urban staples throughout the film. Expect basic tees, neutral coloured shirts and blazers and worn-in denims. His first exudes an understated sexy vibe as he enters in a rugged leather jacket, with wind-swept hair, on a bike. 

Invest in a pre-washed linen shirt to get Shahid?s style. Breathable, easy to work with and super suave ? it?s a wardrobe investment that will take you a long way. 

Look 2: 

                                                                                         
In the film, Shahid is a complete charmer when it comes to work. Classic blazers, tartan ties, well fitted trousers, and boarding school-like sweatshirts ? we went for separates that are standout pieces by themselves but also complemented each other perfectly when put together. 

You may not need a jacket for daily use but a well-tailored blazer is a must-have. To start off, go for navy. Throw it over cuffed chinos for a day brunch or pair it with tweed/patterned trousers for an evening out.

Look 3: 

                                                                                         
For his formal look in the song ?Nazdikiyan,? we went for a vanilla tuxedo by Kunal Rawal. It is colour play that makes the look a winner - the black satin lapel complements off-white well. Keeping the front clean, we went for a concealed placket shirt (instead of a pleated one).

Don?t shy away from experimenting with pantones. If washed colours are not your thing, go for deeper tones like aubergine and charcoal when choosing your tuxedo.

Alia Bhatt

Look 1:

Alia plays a free spirit in the film and so throughout you see her in laid-back separates. In this shot, she is wearing a sheer cape handcrafted by Nachiket Barve. Embroidered dragonflies have been stitched onto net fabric. 

It is a very wearable look. Go for a simple tank top over cut-off denims for a casual outing. Swap the boots for practical sneakers and finish the outfit with lightweight summer-friendly layering. 

Look 2: 

                                                                                        
In the ?Gulabo? song, her look is inspired by menswear. Seen in a Glenchecks suit and a vintage waistcoat, this is one of the most tailored outfits Alia wears in the film. Though the garment is custom-made, we sourced the accessories from various boutiques in East London. An inside story: We went through over 100 moustaches for her in this sequence!

Borrow from the boys to add an element of edge to your formal wardrobe. It could be structured co-ords in masculine prints (houndstooth, windowpane checks et al), brogues, or even accessories like a standout bow tie. 

Look 3:

                                                                                          
In the song ?Nazdikiyan,? we went for a Shehla Khan dress. The cloud print is essential in the song and so the fabric had to be dyed, printed and tailored to suit very specific requirements. Staying true to Alia?s quirky character, we finished the look with risqu? lace-up heels (as opposed to strappy stilettos).

Less is more always. For Alia?s effortless elegance, pick a unique silhouette and let it be the focal point of your outfit. Finish the look with basic make-up and a simple hair-do. Beach waves or a messy braid are your go-to styles. Keep the jewellery minimal and go for shimmer shoes instead. Hardware detailing, crystals, studded brooches ? the bolder the embellishments, the better! 

The luxury market in India has seen a sea change as a result of the socio economic changes that the country has gone through. With the market becoming more open for foreign brands, more Indians eventually woke up to luxury goods. A few years ago, income disparity in metros and tier II cities, coupled with unavailability of stores restricted consumers from opting for luxury goods. They would rather invest in necessities than splurge on comfort goods. But that mentality has changed. More and more consumers are keeping up with international trends specially when it comes to fashion. And some are even setting their own.

That said, it is first important to understand how the luxury consumer buying habits works globally to paint a better picture on the real progress of luxury goods market in India. 

LuxeHub, a strategic arm of the French public relations and advertising agency Havas, recently revealed their first global observatory report on the luxury consumer. The report examines the path and means consumer takes to purchase a high end fashion product.

Taken from a sample of over 6400 consumers across eight different markets, covering 25 luxury brands, the report gives a clear roadmap for producers to find the right means to engage their target market, and serves as a self awareness read for the consumers.

The study confirms people aspire to luxury fashion brands because they provide the thrill associated with the sense of belonging to a selected section while providing the unique opportunity to show off personal connoisseurship. However, in the more mature markets during the recent economic slowdown, customers have become increasingly price and quality conscious.

They are willing to pay more if they are provided with better, customised, meaningful experiences and services while they approach, select and purchase a luxury product.

Here are a few highlights on the global trends on luxury consumers:

1) The most well known luxury brands are associated with high quality (47 per cent), followed by being fashionable (32 per cent).

2) The study confirms that people aspire to luxury fashion brands because they provide the thrill associated with the sense of belonging to a selected section while providing the unique opportunity to show off personal connoisseurship. However, in the more mature markets during the recent economic slowdown, customers have become increasingly price and quality conscious.

3) The study confirms that despite the boom of online sales, e-commerce is still not widespread for luxury fashion brands (16 per cent), even if it?s perceived as more comfortable and convenient. The physical point of sale is still the most reassuring channel, confirming that touching and seeing a product is still an essential part of the shopping experience. The luxury experience itself represents the main barrier to e-commerce as on-line boutiques are not always able to meet customer expectations. But 40 per cent of traditional sales are strongly impacted by digital touch points and content.

4) Smartphones are increasingly used in the physical point of sale to complete a purchase. In the US, 40 per cent of the panel interviewed uses their mobile to compare prices, 40 per cent of the Chinese to buy the product at a cheaper price on-line; while Europeans remain the most reticent, with 28.3 per cent claiming they don?t use their phones at all while shopping.

5) All global luxury consumers are interested in content that provides them with practical and personal advice on new trends and seasonal must-have products related to their age, profile, and taste. Customised services and special treatment are also expected as well as exclusive offers following a subscription to a brand website and/or loyalty program.

6) Top six touch points with highest impact on brand awareness that influences the intention to buy are boutique experience (61.3 per cent), boutique windows (60.8 per cent), official brand websites (54.7 per cent), face to face opinions of friends/family (52.1 per cent), search engines (45.8 per cent) and online fashion publications (43.5 per cent).

Blenders Pride Fashion Tour is returning with its 11th edition this October, and this time their inspiring theme is Col.lab.oration.

The fashionistas of the country got to see a glimpse of this unique amalgam on the preview at The Grand Hyatt, Mumbai amongst the top celebrities for the industry.

The evening was an amalgamation of fashion, music, design and technology.

The sneak peek of the collection from ace designers like JJ Valaya, Little Shilpa, Masaba Gupta, Neeta Lulla, Pankaj & Nidhi, Rahul Mishra and Rohit Gandhi, Rahul Khanna, Abraham & Thakore and Anju Modi left us anticipating for more.

Gaurav Raina was lauded for curating the music for the whole tour. Anurag Kashyap and internationally celebrated Indian chess champion Viswanathan Anand decoded influences in their lives that reflect their style.

Here?s a glimpse of what went down on this fashionably extravagant evening.