Lakme Fashion week Winter Festive 2014 #Curtain Raiser Event

Mumbai gears up for the upcoming Lakme Fashion week, winter Festive in August 2014 

This 23rd biannual premier fashion event will take place in Mumbai during August 20-24 2014 at Palladium Hotel, Lower Parel from the usual venue at Grand Hyatt.

86 designers and 17 sponsors to participate in LFW Winter Festive, in it's 15th year to bring forth the best of the fashion industry through innovative and exclusive collaborations.

I attended the curtain raiser and press conference of the sane early this week and was quite pleased by few designers who unveiled their plan for Red carpet with their muses. Needless, to say, the collections looked promising and the platform, even bigger.

I was pleased to see celebrated designer and my all time favorite Manish Malhotra who is going to lead the grand finale of the season with his muse, Kareena Kapoor, showcasing the Lakme Absolute Gloss inspired Bridal Trousseau couture. Ummm he has teamed up with ace makeup stylist Cory Walia and Lakme Make up Expert Daniel Baucher to create gloss looks on models at the grand finale. 

Well, that's grand finale but for opening, DHL has roped in young vibrant designers Masaba Gupta and Amit Aggarwal. 

The curtain raiser was studded with some popular designers like Anita Dongre, Krishna Mehta, Nikhil and Shantanu, Payal Singhal, Priyadarshini Rao, Anju Modi to name few. 

Other highlights from LFW-

LFW is all set to showcase the best of Pakistani Fashion on Indian Ramp PoPXo.com and Hello! Pakistan has come together to present designers like Faiza Samee, Rizwan Beyg, Sania Maskatiya, and Zara Shahjahan. 

INIFD will be the official knowledge partner for Lakme Fashion week for this 11th consecutive season and will present the Gen Next show at LFW WF 2014.

the LFW WF will see the launch of international high street fashion brands- River Island and Miss Selfridge. High street Fashion reminded me of my own stint at the Lakme Fashion Week Summer Resort, earlier this year. To know more, check here- Haute Kutir on Lakme Fashion Week.

The event also had Head of Innovation at Lakme- Purnima Lamba who looked resplendent in a blue sari, shared her views on Lakme' role is bridal Trousseau and way forward.

Here are the few glimpses from the event-

The venue, the ballroom and the panel for the press conference including sponsors like DHL, Jabong, INIHD, Lakme and Palladium hotels.

The effervescent Manish Malhotra who answered all the questions including "what took him long to collaborate with Kareena on LFW", very gracefully, calmly.

Post the event, we met the designers and their muses backstage, wherein they talked about their upcoming collections. Here's a dekko exclusive for the readers of Hautekutir.com

Anita Dongre

Nikhil and Shantanu

 

Ridhi Mehra with her muse Amrita Puri

Sonakshi Raaj with her muse

Shubhika Dawda with her muse Kiara Advani

Ujjawal Dubey with Kabir. I loved their rustic yet stylish cuts for the men' fashion. I would be very keen to dekko more of their work and possibly buying one.

Neha Agrawal was also there with her porcelain-like gorgeous muse, Shriya Sharan.

Not to forget, the interesting and promising Masaba Gupta, who will be doing the opening of the LFW WF.

I am quite excited for the Winter Festive and await my accredition. Let's watch out this space for more updates, takes, and circulars on Lakme Fashion Week. Till then, keep loving, keep following #HauteKutir.

You can also connect to my instagram and twitter account for further updates and some other exciting latest greatest news, clicks and quotes from LFW.

My Twitter handle is- @numerounity 

Instagram- EktaKhetan

See ya there folks and princess!

Ciao!

Connect With HauteKutir on Facebook, Twitter,  Bloglovin' & SubscribeInstagram: @EktaKhetan

DimSum festival at Renaissance Powai

DimSum= From the heart!

I was invited by the lovely team of Renaissance Powai for a scrumptious "Dim Sum Festival" hosted at their "Emperor's court", the hotel's Cantonese Specialty Restaurant, this monsoon. Invites from the Renaissance are always filled with aromas of great food and equally greater hospitality. Besides, I love their ambiance that is surrounded by the lake and looks pristine in the twilight.

The best part of the festival was that it has something for everyone including vegetarians who often complain about the absence of good options in Chinese/Cantonese cuisines, for them. Well for a change, Chef Pandey decided to turn the table and up the delight.

The proof of the pudding is in eating, hence I am letting these pictures do all the talking. My verdict will follow. Here are few glimpses from the evening and the exclusive dining-

The media table that was set in the cozy nook of The Emperor's Court, overseeing the lovely lake view, lit at the evening with stars and vast blue sky, while we dine- almost under the stars. +2 for the venue and the seating

Here's the menu for what to expect, wrapped in the lovely embrace of aroma and great taste. let us open to see what lies in :)

Dressed in Red, the lovely welcome drink made with Guava. It tasted just the best. 

Some Welcome snacks made with peanuts, Tofu, honey that were placed on the round revolving table to keep the guest engaged and up their appetite

Here's the "Chef Special" Menu for the
media table that was laid that evening

The Japanese wine- Sake seizes some attention and
the table. It tasted just the fine, as a Rice Sake should be!

One of the best soups in Cantonese cuisine I tasted so far. It was adequately warm, flavorful and comforting. The spring onions crushed inside added to the crunch and a great taste. Kudos Chef!

It is Dimsum time! Here are some "Oriental Vegetable Bao" and Spinach and Bamboo Shoot dumplings" with some amazing chili garlic sauce, adorning my plate and stimulating my palate

Here's more...some "silken tofu and asparagus dumpling"
with "Oriental vegetable pot stickers" Umm

Ain't this dumpling looks beautiful? Well, they were soft and succulent to eat too. I am sure you must be wondering what is the difference between Momo and dumplings. Well yes, they are different indeed. Momos are the poor cousin of dumplings that is served primarily is places like Bhutan and others, generally made with a similar kind of fillings. While dumpling has a different connection altogether and essentially is part of Chinese cuisine.

Here's a dekko at the regular "yum-cha" menu set by the chef at "The Emperor's Court"-

 

 

 You can click on the above pictures to enlarge.

So it is the dinner time now. The main course menu looked irresistible. I had some bad Chinese food a night hitherto and was more curious to have my last experience changed. So, while the chef went on to bring our main course, we had a good shot of some refreshing, well brewed Chinese tea to soothe our senses and cleanse our palate. Here's a dekko-

 

Our main course arrived and was served with delight. I had my share of some finger licking good vegetarian main course. And yes, as I mentioned earlier, the burnt chili garlic sauce was the star.

Main course was "Stir fried Tofu in Chili Garlic sauce, Stir fried oriental vegetables in black bean sauce and Vegetable noodles in Sichuan sauce"

The Chef surprised us with some aromatic, well-flavored veg rice. It went really well with garlic chili sauce

The table it was, with the delectable spread and contented smiles

Dessert Time!!! While the dessert were about to arrive, we did some chit chat with fellow media guests around and clicked some picture of the venue around the table, just to give you some idea. Here's a dekko-

Finally the desserts arrived. this time it was not just plain Vanilla ice cream with some random fruits that they served on the "Discovery day". In fact, it was a fare full of exotic fruits like Longan, Dragon fruit, star fruit among the others. How much I was looking for a "Mango pudding" and "crispy fried ice cream" as enlisted in the menu, the dessert served was though simple but yet a healthier option after eating all those oil, noodles and extra dose of burnt chili sauce.

The Dessert served with exotic fruits

We left with a small chocolate box containing 2 chocolates as parting gifts. Dunno about the taste of chocolates, the boxes looked delectable ;)

Haute Kutir's Verdict- If you are a foodie who likes to explore, who likes to dine in great ambiance and who has a slight inclination towards Asian, Chinese food, then you must visit The DimSum Festival at Renaissance Powai. If your last Chinese eat out experience was not great and made you feel like never trying that cuisine again, then the visit is a must.

Do I recommend? Yes, very much

Ambiance: 5/5
Menu: 4/5
Hospitality: 5/5
Quality of Food: 4/5
Presentation: 4/5

To discover more visit:  renaissancemumbai.com

Bon appetite
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India Online Fashion Week 2014 with Jabong.com

Are you bitten by Fashion Bug?

Are you a Gen Next Fashionista

Are you a budding designer?

Are you a celebrated fashion idol at your locality?

Are you a Fashion artist looking for some career-defining moves?

And you love Jabong?

Above all...Are you ready for some magic? 

If you are any of the above or all of the above or could be one of the above, then join hands with Jabong who is celebrating Fashion and lifestyle like never before with IOFW. 

What is IOFW?

IOFW [India Online Fashion Week] is yet another initiative by the fashion cautious, fashion conscious and Fashion Icon- Jabong.com towards making "Fashion more accessible to consumers".  IOFW aims to open a new era, new doors for all aspiring "Fashionistas" including Gen Next fashion Designers and the fashionable audience. It could be you or your friend or your neighbor. For Jabong is a household name in Fashion and Fashion is more Fashionable than cricket or Football. 

In short, IOFW will bridge the gap between you and your aspiration to bring out the best in you, hand in hand with the dynamic Fashion industry, enabling you to showcase your talent to the world. 

Some Key Features of IOFW are-

• World's 1st shoppable Fashion Week
• Talent hunt across the nation
• Talent hunt for Designers, Models, Photographers & Hairstylists/Make up
• Grooming by "Yummy" Celebrity mentor- Yami Gautam
• "Shop the look" while watching the Fashion Show via Jabong.com
• Brands opportunity to achieve zero "time to market".

Whoa! So for Fashion Aspirants, to Designers to Models to Photographers to customers, there is everything for everyone here!

So what are you waiting for? Get Set and Rock the Fashion world, Rock your aspirations with Wings from Jabong and enter the biggest online shopping Fashion extravaganza from July 25th to July 30th, 2014.

Venue? Wherever you want including the comfort of your home as this event is "online" Yes. So all you modern chick, get set and go..say Holla to IOFW. More details on their website- http://www.iofw.com/

You can also connect to them via Facebook and Twitter too.

An opportunity to become Famous! And Show nation, your Creativity!

Come one and come all. Shop, demonstrate and storm this online Fashion Haul.

Hurry, the voting for best model and photographer is on...Show your favorites and help select a winner.

I am so much looking forward to this event. How about you?

Carafe Pot Luck from Borosil

This is for the tea lovers and Coffee lovers out there. 

So tell me guys, what do you use for making your cup of hot beverage- Tea and coffee? Saucepan? Steel Tea Kettle? Electric Tea Kettle? Coffee making Machine? Microwave friendly container? Does not drink Tea/coffee? Use Pressure Cooker??!! 

Voila! different strokes for different folks. Traditionally, we all use a saucepan of a kind to boil the water [English style Tea] or make the Indian tea..and then transfer the content with help of sieve from that ugly looking saucepan to a Kettle or a Cup. Right?

When was the last time when you made and consumed tea/coffee directly from your pot from the gas/ electric stove? You think I must be joking. Well no! I am serious about it.

What if I tell you, you can watch your tea taking a boil, changing the watercolor from plain to tea leaf gold and husk while every smallest leaf unfurls n add to color, all in a glass jar that you can actually use "direct on the gas stove" to make your tea. You may not believe me but I am sure you will be equally fascinated with the concept as I am. 

Borosil presents "Carafe Pot" that is not just microwave proof but can also be used directly on the flame or hot plate. The new contemporary design with the inbuilt tea strainer will change your tea experience like it did to mine.

Not just the tea, I sue the Carafe pot to store milk in the fridge. And when I am in need of a quick glass of hot milk or hot chocolate, all I do is take the pot out from the fridge and reheat the milk on the stove and pour myself some and keep it back in the refrigerator once it cools down. The Borosilicate glass guaranteed to withstand temperature up to 350-degree c and dishwasher safe too. isn't that lovely-lovely thing by Borosil?

Its non-porous glass is free from stains and odors and cloudy impact. All it does is to alleviate my tea drinking experience by the vision of seeing my tea with leaves getting boiled in it, leaving a dark brown, maroon color that changes to brown n beige when milk is added. The lid ensures that my tea does not flow out from the pot and the aroma of cardamom, ginger and Tea Masala is well induced and infused in the pot. Sometimes, you drink tea with your eyes, sometimes you dwell in it with your feelings and sometimes you take that sip to consume the colorful, rich liquid down your throat to your heart and soul. 

It is inspiring, It is Carafe. It is like that magic crystal that tells you "haal-e-dil" of the hot beverage inside, enriching your experience deeper and finer.

Borosil- Glass of Steal!

Whenever I have guests at home and have to make an impression, I switch to my Borosil.

They say- first impressions last forever. So what is better than making lasting first impressions than making one with "welcome drinks"? Ummm you got me talking here.

And I always make "first impression" with my "welcome drinks", beverages and desserts. Read more to know more.

You know what makes a welcome drink, a perfect welcome drink? Recipe? Yes. Suitability with Audience/guests? Yes...Presentation? Definitely yes!

Well, some people serve water as a welcome drink and you can serve water anyways as it is linked to "utility". What if I make simple utility look "pretty" and "tempting"?

Oh yes. I have a vision for glass and "Vision" glass from Borosil. I so much loved their collection there. From Classy Polka, Fern to designer Pyramid and Canard..they have beautiful designs that all my welcome drinks loved to be served in...they have all beautiful touch and look that my guests appreciate. They have all the designs that make my "welcome drink" a big hit with my guests and family alike. How Canard and Duchesse serve as my "partner- in- dine?"

They make a usual Lassi [Buttermilk] look tempting with their interesting cuts and silhouettes. I put a thin layer of  "Roohafza" into the glass and then pour beaten Lassi on top of it, stirring mildly]. Stopping midway, I take some fresh, roasted dry fruits like Kaju, Almonds, and Pistachios and spread a layer of it. I finish the next half with remaining buttermilk and garnish the top with a Crispy Basil [ just a leaf or two], crush it in temples of my hand and add it on the top with a small piece of "Anjeer" sliced in a round shape [tucked at the walls of the glass] and serve. 

If you want to make it little more interesting, pour a spoon of "Roohafza" on top, before adding Basil and Anjeer. Take a slender stirring spoon and make lines on the red Roohafza on top [it will look zigzag. Now Garnish it with an "Anjeer", basil or if you wish, sliced strawberries.

The total preparation time will be barely 10 mins. But the time for finishing it will be less than a minute. It is so finger licking, sipping good!

Sipping is believing mate!

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