Sen's Bucket

Design and creativity, often 2 sides of the same coin, typically has early signals of development, when it comes to talent in the arena. Goes without saying, it needs a good deal of support to prosper and be groomed for eventual success. That's perfectly what Desizn Conclave 2015, being held at the Alliance Francaise, Delhi fits into as an event. Sumit Saurabh the organizer, is looking to use it as a forum to give young talent and aspirants, to showcase their work to the public. Without having a fee involved, the idea of Desizn Conclave is to let the young talent know, what it is like to get real time feedback from the public, and get used to the idea of events to showcase creative work. What is really noble about the event is, it does not bring in any income for Sumit, who also happens to be a successful entrepreneur, but is a part of his generosity to support talent in the field of design.

The Sublym main dining area Modern restaurants who are looking to experiment with themes, are actually going the minimalistic, the contemporary, with the touch of Europe in their styling theme, something rather obvious at Sublym, Gurgaon. This restaurant, located in Sector-29, Gurgaon, is definitely a refreshing place to be for the empowered young of today, as well as those who would prefer things to be a bit mellow at the same time. That is a feeling one gets setting foot into the main dining space as seen here, awash with greys, chrome, and whites dominating the color theme of the place. In fact, with a few restaurant reviewers around, it managed to come alive by a great extent, and generally seemed to please with what was on offer. 

Some gifting options this season With lifestyle changes happening on a virtually daily basis, the social norms associated with it are also undergoing several changes, including  Gifts for men . Some presume these gifts to be be run of the mill, but lifestyle products and changing tastes have bought about a huge number of options to pick from, including the classic bottle of  Scotch as a gift . Unique to its own characteristics and having its own reasons, the scotch gifting option can make a lasting impression, while also leaving room for options other than the classic cuff-links, leather briefcases, special handwritten notes, or even luggage tags for that matter. Keeping the reasons in mind, here are some to note why scotch is getting so popular as gift:

The Mafia Lounge lounge bar and restaurant entrance Delhi has always been a place, that has acquired an affinity over time, for lounges, restro-bars, especially if they are thematic in their setup. The latest place making a mark on the clubbing scene is the Mafia Restro-bar based out of West Punjabi Bagh in the capital city. Like their name, the Mafia is actually based on the theme of the mafia, which seems to have a high association of rebellion and anti-establishment, which the youth connect to easily. Spot on with the theme, the place is actually quiet the adventure by 20-year old Umang Garg, who brings his family genes of being in business, and creating something new. 

The restored 1952 Daimler DB18 Drophead Coupe The sound of the word 'car' can ignite dreams and passions in some, and being one of them has its own perks, especially, if being a blogger is concerned. The well-known Gurgaon restaurant 21 Gun Salute, runs a  cultural  trust that is working  exclusively  for promoting motor tourism in the country, meaning tourists visiting events for witnessing cars of rare vintages. In 2016 February, the 6th edition of the 21 Gun Salute Vintage Car Rally and  Concours  Show will be taking place, which will focus on the cultural heritage across the country, and bring together some of the rarest vehicles owned by royal families and others, who have preserved them over time. This show is expected to host 75 Indian-owned cars and 15 from the international arena, including UK, US, France, Germany, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, and take place over 2 days.

The store in Defence Colony Fashion events always bring along a sense of grandeur with them, especially if the Indian festive half of the year is around the corner, and people loosen their pockets a bit. The Wedding Trousseau collection launch by Parul J, is one such showcase into how the upcoming season, can actually drive the demands of the creative and fashionable of us all. Various silhouettes, fabric painting art, and inspiration from European designs, are highlights of the collection, designed by the very ravishing herself, Parul Jain.    

The restaurant entrance An afternoon in a posh restaurant is generally a well-spent span of time, especially if it is the likes of the Qla restaurant in Mehrauli in Delhi. The reasons are actually quiet a handful, and could vary from ambiance and decor, food, fellow patrons, menu balance, or any special memory of the place. A bunch of food enthusiasts were invited over to this restaurant, and keeping in mind the upper-crust of clientele patronizing the designer label stores around, the Qla was done up to match those standards. Looking at it the other, there was this very western very European rather, feel to the whole designer, something which was noticed on the inside. 

    Executives from HMS Host & Lite Foods, including Amit Burman and Walter Seib India is undergoing a massive change when it comes to travelling destination; that's exactly the kind of message that came through during the JV announcement between HMS Host & Lite Bite Foods, at the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mansingh Road in Delhi. With the polish of the premises, and a healthy generosity of food and information, announcements towards changing the domestic travel landscape were announced. Highway travel, airport travel, and even train travel will never be the same, and the companies mentioned, are trying to create 'One-stop-Shops' at various destinations where shopping to eating, and even refuelling can be done with ease. Stoppages on  long journeys is going to be history.

Buddha by Ekta Jain One of the main things missing on this forum, is the presence of artistic events. Well, Emoting Hues by Ekta Jain was a chance to catch up, and hopefully it proved to be fruitful. Artist Ekta Jain may not yet be known by word of mouth as strongly, but there are no reasons why that cannot happen. Her work is a treat to the eyes, especially if one is fond of colors, and the mysterious ways she depicts her theme of work. Emoting Hues as I said, were based on 2 things, namely circle of life (as shown in the circles of various paintings), and shades of modern life in concrete jungles, which incidentally has 'cubism' elements in it. 

Asahi India Glass store for auto and architectural needs Never been much fond of glass except for admiring the occasional crockery at dining events, but the utility of it, seems to be far beyond, and also more dynamic. Asashi India Glass (AIS) recently unveiled their new store in South-Extension (Arjun Nagar), Delhi, where as can be seen, has dedicated areas for windshield customers (car owners), and those needing architectural support. More than just a store launch, it was a lot about the real innovation one can bring in with glass, should one be willing to spend money and have the taste for it.

Frankly.me The Foodhall@ DLF Place Mall On a weekend in summer of Delhi, any invitation to a relatively posh place with decent air conditioning, is naturally welcome. This time, it was the Foodhall (D LF Place Mall) event where Chef Olivier Vincenot put on display, the magic of pistachios through some detectable treats. Organized by the American Pistachio Growers, it was all about what Californian Pistachio can do for your diet, and how it can be a perfectly tasty nutrition supplement, without having chemicals pushed into the system. In other ways, it was about having something finger licking good, without having to co mpromise on health.

Kerala's performing art forms on display in unison Kerala's reputation and monicker as being 'God's own country' is indeed a reality, especially after what one saw at the 'Kerala 360' presentation at the Leela Ambience Gurgaon Hotel & Residences. The folks at Kerala Tourism have started this campaign called 'Visit Kerala Year' which will be continuing to April 2016, that originally began April 2015. From Ayurveda to art & culture, Kerala is actually the break one needs, for visiting the south-Indian state, especially if living in concrete jungles is taking a toll on a daily basis.  

The Diva'Ni style quotient Movies have for a long time, and will be for a considerable time in the future, a part of the Indian psyche, associated with much emotion. So anything to do with it, more or less, clicks with the population at large. One of the easiest ways, is fashion, and that's what the South Extension- II based Diva'ni is doing. As a partner with YRF (Yash Raj Films) , KBSH Pvt Ltd created Diva'Ni, as a sister brand of the company (full form: Karol Bagh Saree House) , which is all about couture inspired by the movies of the well-known movie production house. From the grandeur to the prominent styles, Diva'ni has bought out the essence of their cinematic fashion, for the public to indulge in. As the season goes, they unveiled their Monsoon 'First drizzle' collection, which did bring out a new set of brightness to the palette. 

The re-branding story Cbazaar , earlier known as Chennai Bazaar, has re-branded itself with the Ethnovogue range, for taking Indian fashion and fabrication legacy, to consumers placed outside the country. India has long been a source of keen interest for the diaspora abroad, who wanted to don authentic Indian styling, and look more into the nation's fabric heritage. Cbazaar's relaunch with the Ethnovogue range, is something looks to strengthen the nation's 'soft power' (power without generating force and coercion) in the long term scheme of things, as the demand overseas is clear and positive. Gracing this occasion, as one of Indian fashion prominent icons Ritu Kumar, who lent her support to the venture. 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin   Festivities and decor of the S & S Trunk Show 2015 The S&S Trunk Show, started in 2011, took place yet again at the Mansion of the Hyaat Regency hotel in New Delhi. On the 4th of July, new and veteran labels alike took part of the maze of a retail experience, which was about fashion, style, and endless shoppers looking for decking up their wardrobes and collections. So popular is the show for sellers, that it is already in the 15th season since it began in 2011, being the brainchild of Sonam Pall and Shreya Dalmia Agarwal. Their penchant for highlighting some of fashion's most elite brands continues, as their past records include names like Roberto Cavalli, Missoni, Emilio Pucci, Bally, Porsche Design, Jimmy Choo, Furla, Alexander McQueen, Dior Kids, Baby Ralph Lauren, Armani Junior, Prada, Ted Baker, Fendi, Outhouse, and Valliyan apart from various brands across the border.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin Striker's club view before the presentation began With a decent bit of secrecy. Airtel decided to invite a handful of people from Delhi/NCR, for their event at the Striker's Pub in Delhi's Vasant Kunj area. Obviously the venue was an attraction, but more than anything else, Airtel's partial secrecy about the whole affair garnered interest. As it turns out, the roll-out for 4G services in the Delhi/NCR will be out in the near future, and the Bharti-owned brand in gunning big time for feedback across the board.

Some super fine moisturizing solutions from Innisfree The summers are blazing, and any chance to 'chill-out' or simply come to a place for enjoying the nicer things in life, is always welcome. It becomes all the more interesting when one is the solo male member of a group, which has mainly made up of women, and some really good looking ones at that. Coming to the main point of the event, Innisfree marked the launch of the it's 2nd store in the locale (Khan Market is the 1st one), at the DLF Galleria Mall in Gurgaon (Delhi/NCR). AmorePacific, the South-Korean beauty enterprise, is on an expansion spree in the region, and the venue was certainly a great choice. 

The British Council surrounding gardens When it was a chance to 'hang-out' for an evening at the British Council in New Delhi, there was always the strong inclination to take up the offer and make good. The building has always been a nice place to be in, and it proved to be nicer with the launch of 'The Gallery' with Julian Opie's 'Winter' collection of art pieces. His works, mostly dominated by themes from the British countryside, shows a lot of the winter one might get to see in selected parts of France. 

Creative brains and judges at Silhouettes 2015 Amongst the many things in India which has always managed to gather worldwide attention, is the tradition from different parts of the country, with regards to food, language, culture, and of course, fabrics! The Silhouettes 2015 event was one such celebration event, which had the graduating batch from B.D. Somani Institute of Art & Fashion Technology showcased a lot of the creative experiments at the event, which included some industry bigwigs in attendance. As some of those attending the event mentioned, the 'imaginative creativity' and 'innovative designing skills' did enthral to came to take a look.

  Smokey's interior wall detailing the brands on board It's summer, its hot, and everyone wants something comfortable, decent looking, and not over the top expensive to wear. What this means is, there are a set of brands out there trying to reach out to the crowd with their own creative samples as to what would suit them best. That is how exactly a bunch of bloggers landed up at New Delhi's Smokey's BBQ & Grill, for an evening of cocktails and fashion, by designer Avni Aneja, creator of the Bonhomie label. The settings were perhaps a bit ill-fitted when it comes to dimensions of the restaurant, but the idea of getting the young to come together, certainly worked perfectly.

Deco Window's 4-pack box Garden Torch The recent weeks have been spent in finding out all that is beautiful in other places, but there is a time for change for certain change, and look towards one's own home. That is the reason why the Deco Window garden torch was the focus this time, was because fashion is generally thought to be narrowed down to a few variables such as clothing. This is about fashion for the home. This is about fashion one can use to make a personal style statement. Hence, here is the 4-set of the garden torch by Deco Window, out of which, a single one will be shown in for the demo.

Kanelle by Kanika The capital city of Delhi gets warmed up for reasons other than just the weather itself; its about what happens in the circuit of fashion and lifestyle in the industry. On Friday the 17th, Kanelle, the Spring-Summer collection by designer Kanika Jain was on display at her boutique in the Shahpur Jat area of New Delhi. From the beautiful designer (mentionably so!) herself, the theme of the collection on display was earthy with strong natural inspiration, with the sense of European touches in the styling.

  A central art piece chandeliers comprising  droplet shaped hand-written notes A little late in the day, but people looking at the cultural scene in the capital are going to be having a gala time with the European Union Film Festival 2015 getting underway, at the Instituto Cervantes in Delhi. From the 8th April to the 20th of April, 2015, multiple nation states from the European Union will be showcasing their works of art, using motion pictures as their medium of creativity. A sure-shot go-to place for those who find delicacies of fine movie-making tingling their nerves, this festival is one of those noted cultural get-together that move beyond the obvious.

  The setup at the Bholasons outlet Tarun Tahiliani for Azva, the collection on display at the Bholasons outlet in Gurgaon, was precisely for emphasis on the point of the title; Gold is more than its trading price! In recent times, gold has come to be associated as an investment avenue in the commodity market, loosing a part of its real shine as a precious canvas for artistic creations, and a lifestyle statement.  The man of the hour, designer Tarun Tahiliani delved deep into the craftsmanship associated with the precious metal, and said, "Like fabrics and embroidery, Gold has different techniques of work," which seemed to be highlighting theme of the show.

    The scenario at the event With most of the country experiencing the onslaught of summers, there needed to be something bringing in a smirk and 'feel-good' factor in the torrid weather. Then suddenly, the Le Social event at the DLF Emporio takes place on the 20th of March, 2015, and it all becomes lovely! Yes, the brands were there, the pretty ladies were there (it was a total fantasy land in that regard), and it was a celebration that needed the mention for those with a taste of the affluent.

At the entrance ceiling Being a writer and creative (atleast somewhat!), have always been bent on finding the best way out to writing a blog post, and making it only a tad bit more interesting than the rest of the competition. Hence, it would make sense to say that the gastronomic day at the Desi Roots outlet in Saket, was one such occasion, as the good food and alcohol weren't the only reason for detailing them out here. YES! it was the pretty girl that sent across the invitation, but most importantly, team Desi Roots made it surely a worthwhile few hours spent there.

                                            Near the brand stalls at the NDMC Palate Mini Fest 2015 There are many ways to celebrate life, and one of them is certainly exploring gastronomy, or more simply food. Like human beings, their food differ in so many ways and the possibilities of having something new, is virtually endless. That is what was proven at the NDMC Palete Mini Festival 2015, held at Nehru Park in New Delhi. Food from the beyond all boundaries in the galaxy (well, almost!), good looking well connected people (read pretty women), some industry connected people, and wandering lucky bloggers (ahem ahem) made the event colorful in every way possible. It was where life was good, positive, and tasty as one gets them.

With the onset of summer and getting into a drive of celebrating the upcoming season, BIRA 91 got a whole bunch of media, corporate, and political figures into the Belgian Ambassador's residence, for more than a swig of great beer and some education about it. The thought of beer was a primary attraction, but education about beer tasting and not to forget, the presence of His Excellency Ambassador of Belgium Mr. Jan Luykx was something which it worth the shot.

Coffee in all its artistic brilliance The India Art Fair 2015, held at New Delhi's NSIC exhibition grounds was about expression, beauty, and thought provoking ideas. Almost like the perfect balance in between Delhi's chilly spells of weather! It also happened to be the occasion where Le Meridien showcased Coffee art at their counter, or rather, it was where 'Coffee met art'. What was previously restricted to snapshots on social networks, was on live display at their counter, with Le Meridien's global latte artist Esther Maasdam doing what she does best; recreate master works on cups of foaming Lattes! From the Lord Ganesha to peacocks and the likes, she completed the event theme really well with the block prints by visual artist Sohan Jakhar on canvas. Yes, Coffee as a medium of artistic expression wasn't restricted to just the Lattes alone!

         Anun Dhawan @ Pita Pit Lounge   In the midst of the overpriced menu and calorie loading binges of QSR chains, the Pita Pit Lounge is certainly the refreshing change needed. Healthy, customisable, and delicious for the tongue, Pita Pit's sandwiches and salads was something which was needed on the Delhi food scenario since a long time. So, to popularize the concept and give a rather in-depth feel of their restaurant, the team invited a bunch of the capital city's foodie bloggers for a fun and interactive session of Pita bread sandwich making, in the famous M-Block market of Greater Kailash-1 area.

The calender cover It is not everyday that one notices known celebrities, fashion, and infrastructural growth come under a common aesthetic platform for all to witness. While the first pair is often the case as 2 sides of the same coin, the later one comes across as different to it all as chalk and cheese. However, in a rather creative turn of events, the IFFD Calender 2015 launch took place in New Delhi, with the underlying theme of 'Growing India', putting seemingly diverse themes together. While scintillating models remain in the foreground, the background has been thematically depicted with blocks of infrastructure development amongst buildings.

Winter months are never gastronomically complete without some kind of grill or BBQ happening around. This is precisely what Smokey's BBQ & Grill realised, and is making it big for food lovers in New Delhi. The earlier conducted Chicken Festival turned to be a hit, and this time, the hotdogs and BBQ offerings will be pampering foodies, from the 23rd January to end of April. From what became popular in cartoonist T.A. Dorgan's caricatures of German figures in buns, is now a rage as a favorite meal, with regional specialties to boast of.

Dignitaries lighting the traditional lamp Cultural melting pots like India has always been significant for nations like Korea, considering the bond both share with their cultural past. Hanji Impression, an exhibition to introduce the traditional Korean paper Hanji, was organized at the Korean Cultural Centre in New Delhi. From the 16th January, 2015 to the 10th February, 2015, various works of art on Hanji paper will be on display, created by artists Park Yeo-Sang and Sharmi Chowdhury. Since, the occasion called for a cross cultural connect, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, H.E. Lee Joon-Gyu was there for the inauguration.

Seema Singh and Chef Kunal Kapur When hearing the word revolution, one is flooded with images of munity, war, military action, and basically anything to do with a great deal of social upheaval. Or perhaps, there is the advent of technology which is meant to change lives of people by a whole great deal. But, this time, it is something entirely different. This is the new gastronomic revolution; The Olive Oil Revolution! With the strong inclination of the urban audience towards a healthier lifestyle, food is now of prime concern, and the cooking ingredients being a major part of the palate. That is where the proposed 'Olive Oil Revolution' comes into being as a healthy alternative to traditional mediums used.