‘Queen of Prêt’- Anita Dongre

Anita Dongre is one of the most known names in the world of fashion. Anyone remotely related to fashion or having mild to strong shopaholic symptoms are aware about Anita Dongre. An extremely talented Fashion Designer, Anita Dongre has proven her worth.

Anita Dongre

Born on 3^rd October, 1963, Anita Dongre was born and raised in Mumbai. She possessed an inexorable passion for designing from a very young age and knew what she wanted and chased her dreams. She studied Fashion Design at the S.N.D.T Fashion Institute and her career started in the early 1990s by supplying Indian wear designs to high street shops in Mumbai for over twelve years. During those years, Indian wear with heavy embroidered was well known but Anita had traveled extensively and was conscious of the changing times. Her aspirations were higher and she wanted to label her creations, which faced rejection. She took this rejection as a sign to pave her own path which resulted in And Design India Ltd (ADIL).

The talented designer not only decided to create her own label but she was ambitious enough to retail them herself. In 1999 Anita Dongre’s AND Designs was born with a 300-sq-ft shop in Mumbai’s first mall, Crossroads.Today, her brands cover myriad ranges, including AND (western wear), Global Desi (Indo-western) and her signature label Anita Dongre (which includes Timeless - bespoke bridal wear, Iinterpret - pret label, Grassroot - eco friendly label and AD Menswear) sells across more than 550 stores all over India. To add to this long list, she has a bespoke jewellery line named ‘Pinkcity’ as well.

Anita Dongre in Pinkcity Creation

Anita’s creation is much loved by the elite and has graced numerous award shows and movie premieres. Her runway shows and collection have displayed her true innate talent.

Her creation shows her awareness regarding the times and needs of the 21^st century. She has a unique way of bringing out the beauty and sensuality in her creations, which is her biggest allure.

Dia Mriza in Anita Dongre's Creation

She has received many awards for her work which includes ‘Excellence in Fashion Design’ by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Ladies Organization. Anita Dongre is on the Academic Advisory Board at Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion where she is a role model for the young aspirants.  

Anita Dongre has accomplished a lot in the field of fashion designing and is still going strong. Her passion, accomplishments and talent have truly made her the ‘Queen of Prêt’!   

Shine Bright like a Diamond

Clothes, shopping and fashion are some of the things that humans cannot live without. A large amount of money is spent on buying the latest trends and boy, do we spend! The graceful gowns, the stylish dress, and the trendy denims all lead to lighter pockets. Manish Malhotra, Rocky S, Gucci, Gabbana and the who’s who create some of the most alluring garments that we have no other choice but to bag! Yet the prices of these apparels pale against some of designers who have created extraordinary creations and of course a price tag to match. We have compiled a list of the most expensive garments ever made, and most of which have used a girl’s best friend: Diamonds.

Debbie Wingham's The Abaya

British designer Debbie Wingham created The Abaya, which would have sounded like any other creation if not for the fact that the price tag flaunted is a cool £11.7 million. The dress is a loose over-garment, a robe like dress, worn mainly in the Middle East. It is a detailed work, but the main appeal of the creation lies at the center of the dress in which the world’s rarest and most expensive diamonds dazzle. It is said that one in every hundred million diamonds is a natural red color which on average are found every 50 years, but are too small to grab attention, so getting a cluster of them is quite an achievement. 

Debbie Wingham working on The Abaya

Besides using red diamonds, the dress is crafted using fifty 2 carat white and black diamonds, which are all set in platinum. The dress is hand-stitched in 14 carat white gold thread, all of which has made this one pricey dress. 

Debbie Wingham's work

This British designer seems to fancy diamonds a lot. Wingham’s creation for the Ukraine Fashion Show was encrusted with fifty 2 carat black diamonds and the dress amounts to a staggering £3.5 million. 

Debbie Wingham's work

The work on the bustier is handmade (which is six months worth of work) and boasts a center piece of five carats of black diamonds, securing a position on every girl’s wish list.  

Faisol Abdullah's Nightingale of KL

Another designer by the name of Faisol Abdullah created a Nightingale of KL, which is a vibrant red gown with a splendid 750 pieces of diamonds and Swarovski crystals and that is not all, the added 70 carat tear drop diamond surely adds a spark to the dress.

Marilyn Monroe

Let’s conclude with a bit of history. The gorgeous Marilyn Monroe delivered a sultry ‘Happy Birthday’ to President John F. Kennedy wearing a sheer and sheath flesh-colored jewel-encrusted dress. Rumor has it that the gown was so tight that Monroe was sewn into the gown.

Marilyn Monroe's gown

These are just a few examples there are many more designers who have created some extravagant clothing using the ever-loving diamonds taking luxury to whole different levels.   

A school unlike any other

A successful career is based on a strong foundation, which itself is based on acquiring a quality education. An ideal institute should be able to offer its students the ideal mix of theoretical and practical knowledge.

For aspirants seeking a career in the fashion industry, these factors are even more necessary. There are few fashion institutes in India that are capable of embracing all these qualities. The Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion is one such fashion school that has aimed to and has been successful in delivering these qualities.

The Dean of this prestigious school, Neeta Lulla, recently signed an MOU with Australian University TAFE-NSW. This will assist in developing student-teacher exchanges across the countries in a range of study areas.

The students were dazzled by the various Fashion shows like Lakme Indian Fashion Week, India Bridal Week and Blenders Pride Fashion Tour in which they lend a hand. This occasion gave them a glimpse of the work involved in creating a fashion show, a practical experience that cannot be learnt in any classroom.

India is culturally a rich country with a history filled with art, and aspirants are given an opportunity to know their roots through exploring the art and weaves of different cultures. They recently went to Nirona village of Kutch where they were exposed to the regional art of kachchi weaving, Ajrakh, Rogan and Copper art. On another occasion they were taken to Weaver’s Studio and Apparel Printing Studio where they witnessed the creation of art.

History is an important teacher and here students recreate history through their designs. Students have revived Kushan draping, clothing from Crete and Minoan civilization, Egyptian costumes and Victorian costumes in the course of their studies. These are but a few examples of the work done by students.

The highlight of this year was The Future of Fashion Forum, which was an interaction between the established figures in the fashion industry and the aspirants. Topics ranged from the influence of global trends on Indian fashion to new age technologies used in fashion products to styling to designing, no topic related to fashion was left untouched here. Famous figures like Manish Malhotra, Rocky S, Krsna Mehta, Pearl Shah and many more graced the stage. This gave an excellent opportunity for budding designers to understand and enhance their knowledge of the glamorous industry.

The Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion is just like any other fashion school with that extra edge that has enabled the students to aim for and achieve new heights.   

Belinda Bawa, the Great Illustrator

Fashion illustration has been around for decades, but it is only in recent years that this profession has been receiving the importance it deserves. The job of a fashion illustrator is to work closely with a fashion designer and illustrate on paper the ideas in the designer’s mind. For this, an illustrator’s creation can be as precise and detailed as possible or as vague as they please and add as much dramatics they see fit. An aspirant pursuing this career line can opt to join a fashion house, join a particular designer or just fly solo.

Fashion illustration in India still has a long way to go, but thankfully the foundation is already set. Belinda Bawa, a leading illustrator of our time, is one of the first known illustrators. It started with the design project for the film Devdas. Neeta Lulla who was working on the costumes for the film approached Belinda to create dramatic and elaborate designs. After this there was no stopping her from charting new heights.

Though a famous fashion illustrator now, she has done and experienced a host of other things. From teaching to writing, this talented lady has done it all. Her experience includes Visual Merchandising comprising names like Burlingtons at the Taj (Mumbai), Vikram Phadnis (Design Studio). Over the years she has supervised backstage with backstage managers Vahbeez and Delnaz in over fifty fashion shows for designers like J.J. Vallaya, Abu Jani, Sandeep Khosla, Neeta Lulla, Wendell Rodricks and Tarun Tahiliani among others. 

She worked briefly as a Fashion Consultant for Sheetal Departmental store. Accessory designing too falls under her profile. She designed and developed Avant Grade accessories for a collection presented in India, Dubai, UK for Vikram Phadnis, Neeta Lulla, Rohit Verma and others. She did not even leave writing; she wrote articles on fashion events and trends for a website.

Belinda’s illustration expertise was seen in films too. She did detailed costume illustration for films like Devdas, Kisna, Aisha and the list goes on. 

The illustrator even ventured into the field of teaching. She taught S.N.D.T. Women’s University as Asst. Professor to Wendell Rodericks for History of World Costume. Raheja University, N.I.F.T (National Institute of Fashion Technology), C.E.P.Z Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology, Mod Art Institute of Management along with which she conducted personalized workshop and crash courses in illustration and design. Belinda is currently a Faculty at Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion where she shares her experiences and expertise in the field of illustration with young aspirants.

Career in Fashion Brand Management

The market today has evolved into a more complicated and competitive affair and the fashion industry is no different. Creating a brand seems to have become a necessity, more so in the world of glamour. Everyone is in a race to create the best brand, which is why it plays an even greater role in the fashion industry where everything depends on the name, be it a fashion house or a particular designer. Names like Neeta Lulla, Rock S and Manish Malhotra are brands in their own right. Creating a brand is not everything, growing and managing it is the key to future successes. The designer may have a hand in creating the brand, but managing or branding is not their job. The fashion brand managers are the ones who fit this job description.

Before anyone ventures into this field, understanding the meaning of ‘brand’ and its distinction with branding is imperative. Brand and branding are not new concepts, but have been around forever. The only thing that has brought these terms to the forefront is that organizations and businesses have started realizing their importance now. There are various definitions for brand, but to sum it up in one line, brand is the identity of a product, service or idea of any organization. Brand is not just a logo or name, but something through which the customers recognize the business or organization and everything it stands for. Branding on the other hand is about building the brand. Identifying what the brand will represent is branding. 

In the world of fashion brand is everything; once a designer or fashion house have established their brands there is no going back. Versace, Gucci, Chanel are some brands that have built up an amazing branding. More and more fashion and luxury brands are emerging and in order to stay at the top a good brand manager is required. Their job description basically encompasses to come up with strategies that will ensure a secured space in the market for the brand and to recognize the target audience and their needs. 

An aspirant interested in pursuing a career in Fashion brand management should embark on the first step, which is obviously a formal education. But along with an education in management they need to know and understand fashion and its trends. Luckily there are institutes like Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion that have courses like MBA in Fashion Management that will help a student in becoming a specialist in shaping, renewing and communicating brand qualities with a singular focus.

Lights, Camera, Fashion!

Sun, sand, beach, films and fashion are synonymous with the Cannes Film Festival. The 67^th annual Cannes Film Festival started on 14^th May, 2014 and ended amid great fanfare on 25^th May, 2014. The festival showcased an array of the best films and everyone who is anyone in the world of cinema graced the red carpet of Cannes Film Festival. The Turkish film Winter Sleep directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan won the Palme d’Or award. 

The larger part of the festival is about fashion and so while the talented celebrities paraded the red carpet in hot couture the fashion police got down to business. From Nicole Kidman to Sonam Kappor to Ryan Gosling, everyone was dressed in their Sunday best. There were surprises; some good, some bad and some of which we are sharing here.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has had to face the music before for her choices on the red carpet. But the actor was a delightful surprise in her golden number. Mrs. Bachchan wore a Roberto Cavalli strapless mermaid cut gown that suited her just right. Her hair and makeup complemented her well while the bright lipstick added a pop of color. Her second appearance on the carpet was again in a Roberto Cavalli mermaid cut white gown, and though it looked similar it was equally stunning. For the amfAR gala she wore a champagne colored Armani Prive with crystal detailing that was accessorized just perfectly.  

 

Freida Pinto

The Slum dog Millionaire actress Freida Pinto brought glamour with her stylish outfits. Freida looked downright gorgeous in her Michael Kors nude tulle gown which was decorated with sequins with fluttering feathers. The wavy hair and bold lipstick completed her look. Her second appearance was breathtaking, simple and elegant. Wearing an Oscar de la Renta coral gown with gold sequin embroidery, the actress looked spectacular.  

Sonam Kappor

Sonam Kappor is one of the best dressed celebrities going around and she proved it yet again at the film festival. Donning an Elie Saab Couture with a strapless bodice and flowy pleated chiffon, she was a vision. She seems to like Elie Saab a lot as she picked another black sleeveless gown by the same designer. The beaded gown with appliqués and a Victorian style skirt was her best look yet. She gave a traditional touch with her Anamika Khanna couture. The dusty pink sari with elaborate beading and exquisite flower embellishment was definitely an eye catcher.

Jennifer Lawrence

This was just a very small dose of the fashion on the red carpet. There was Jennifer Lawrence who got the media’s attention with her beautiful outfits. 

Blake Lively

Blake Lively made a style statement with every appearance and Nicole Kidman was elegance personified. 

Nicole Kidman

The men were not far behind either, with Ryan Gosling and Robert Pattinson setting tongues wagging, just to name a few. 

 

                          Ryan Gosling                                           Robert Pattinson

All in all the Cannes Film Festival 2014 was an extravagant affair of creative film and fashion!

Career in Fashion Marketing & Fashion Communication

Fashion Marketing and Fashion Communication are two streams of the fashion industry that are not as extensively known compared to others, but are as critical career lines as any other in this industry. Most aspects of fashion designing needs highly sharpened creativity, but a fashion designer or a fashion house cannot run on creativity alone. This glamorous industry is incomplete without being business minded.

Fashion marketing is quite similar to marketing any product. Integrating brand into the product is something always popular in the fashion world for many popular retail fashion products. Fashion marketing can be perceived in two ways; one is marketing for the fashion conscious consumers and the other is marketing to distribution channels such as retail franchises. Fashion marketing basically focuses on promoting, publicizing and increasing awareness of a particular brand or designer. A person pursuing a career in this line should have the skill of strategically pushing a product into the limelight. A fashion marketer should be able to recognize the target audience and the needs of the consumers. This information will be the base point on which the strategies will be developed. Advertisements, public and media interaction, social media, events and magazines are used by a fashion marketer intelligently to create awareness. 

Fashion communication is an emerging career line that is gaining space in the market. It has a lot to do with the business side of fashion designing and so it is bound to share similarities with fashion marketing. As the name suggests, it is all about communication, or more accurately mass communication. In this globalized world and constantly changing trends where styles keep changing by the minute, communicating a particular brand or designer in a unique and impactful way is the priority. Through the use of mass communication, brand labels or designers are promoted. Just as it is with fashion marketing, fashion communication uses advertisement, promotion, social media, print and videos to get the message across.  

In order to gain successes in these two professions an individual needs to have a strong background in fashion education. They need to possess knowledge about every aspect of the fashion industry, the business as well as the creative part. The MBA in Fashion Management at the Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion does just that. Aspirants are introduced to the fundamental business concepts along with the application of commercial practice, which is required before entering the world of fashion.