Why Sonakshi Sinha’s fashion experiment failed in IIFA 2017?

At the Indian International Film Academy (IIFA) Awards 2017 held in New York recently all the top Bollywood actors and actresses were in attendance. As is the case with events of such importance they were all there in their best looks, showing off their best dresses created by the top designers in India. The main aim was to walk the green carpet with plenty of style and class. The Instagram accounts and feeds of these stars too were filled with their photographs as well as selfies taken with adoring fans who had lined up the streets waiting to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars. The weekend itself was a dazzling affair that had all the celebs from the tinsel town doing their very best to shine at the Big Apple. Most of the celebrities put their best foot forward and they went for stylish appearances in order to woo their fans. 

   

Categories of dressing

As may be expected in these cases people had a field day classifying these celebrities into best dressed and worst dressed categories. Sonakshi Sinha was one person who made the worst dressed list of so many who saw the event either live or on TV or in any other streaming service. All the other lady actresses decided to wear party dresses and gowns that were evidently expensive but Sinha decided to wear a white saree that had a multi coloured pallu. The blouse was strapless as well. While the saree did show off her wonderful figure it brought her some not so pleasant comments on social media sites such as Twitter. At the same time it must also be said that she did make heads turn on the green carpet and if that was what she wanted to achieve then she was successful in that.

Sonakshi Sinha criticised badly for her fashion experiment on IIFA 2017

Colouring the town blond

In what can be called a brave decision – given the frequency with which she is targeted by the fashion police – Sinha dyed her hair blonde as well. Coupled with her saree this made fans rather hard to recognize her the very first time they saw her on the green carpet. As seems to have become the norm these days, Sinha was trolled on Twitter for her fashion choices. Some people have taken the words freedom of expression really literally and Sinha became the latest target of their attention.

Compliments that came her way

At the very least, people called her the worst dressed actress at IIFA 2017. Her look was also equated to that of an Australian Macaw. One gentleman compared her saree to an unfinished canvas of painting that had been made by a squirrel that had supposedly snorted coke and yet another put up a picture of Sinha and Jwala Gutta, who incidentally has almost the same hairdo in the photo as Sinha, and called them “Sisters of Ramesh and Suresh”. At any rate people did not like her look and termed it horrifying as well.

Was it part of a shooting?

Amidst all the criticism and choice words coming her way for her unique look there were at least two people who tried to retrieve the situation somewhat by stating that this was all part of a shooting being done by Sinha. Apparently her co stars in this movie are Lara Dutta and Diljit Dosanjh. Then there were also people who were awestruck by what they saw and praised her look as well. Experts however said that her new hair colour suited her really well but the same could not be said of the outfit. As flamboyant as it was it still appeared to be a bit off.     

“We have to look at handlooms as strength of India” - What is your opinion?

For hundreds of years, India has developed a rich cultural heritage of handloom products which has helped India to develop a unique fashion sense of its own. The cotton and silk fabrics that are regularly produced by the handloom experts of India can be finely woven into stylish clothing items that are just perfect for the tropical weather. Although today the fashion trends in India have changed a lot in the recent times and most men and women prefer to wear western outfits in their day to day lives, this is surely going to change in the future as fashion always do. When it does, India can establish itself as one of the biggest names in the global fashion scene.

Any fashion conscious man or woman would want to wear clothes that would make him or her look unique and different from the others. This would naturally mean that there is always a demand for clothes that allow a person to explore his or her unique sense of style and fashion identity. The Indian handloom clothes can do just that by allowing people with plenty of scope to explore their own sense of style. Already the fashion designers in India who work with khadi, cotton and silk clothing have proven to the world that if designed in a beautiful way, there is nothing like Indian clothing for those who want to create a strong impression with their dressing sense. These designers have taken Indian fashion to the world stage and people in other parts of the globe also nowadays take a strong interest in Indian fashion and what it can offer to them.

Save Indian Handloom

Such a growing popularity of Indian handlooms in the world stage should certainly make the people of India feel proud. In fact, the handloom industry in India contributes in the major way to the annual GDP of the country, thereby helping the economy of the country to expand further. While many other countries of the world such as those in Asia and Africa regularly compete with India to produce fabrics and handloom goods that can have a strong appeal for the global market, it is India that stands ahead of the rest due to its uniqueness in fashion apparel. While the products from these other competition countries are certainly good, they are not unique and different such as those that are produced in India. This makes India one of the leading suppliers of handloom products in the world.

The current economic pressures in India are certainly making it difficult for the handloom industry in the country to produce as many numbers of goods as they would want to. Many families who have long been associated with the handloom industry are choosing to come to urban areas to find a different type of work that would help them to meet their financial needs. This is not only causing the handloom industry more problems to sustain itself but also indirectly affecting the economical development of the country. The local and national government bodies of India should do everything that they can in order to make things easier for the people who work in the handloom industry so that they feel the urge to produce the handloom goods that they used to.

With the rising popularity of Indian handlooms in the national and global stage, we can say that the future of handlooms certainly look a lot bright. New techniques of production are also being introduced at some places that enhance the rate of production while at the same time maintain the originality and quality for which these products are so well known.

What are the advantages that Indian textile sector got with the “Textile India Summit 2017”?

Union Ministry of Textiles recently hosted the first ever Textile India Summit at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The event was staged at Mahatma Mandir. With this event, Gandhinagar became the centre of Indian fashion for a few days. The main aim of the event was to celebrate the fashion and handloom traditions of the country. The event lasted for three days and started with a welcome address that was given by Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, alongwith Smriti Irani (Union Textiles Minister), Richard Heald (UK India Business Council Chief Executive Officer or CEO), Gautam Hari Singhania (Raymond Group), Kumar Mangalam Birla (Aditya Birla Group), and Arvind Lalbhai (Lalbhai Group). Joining the group were dignitaries such as Ajay Tamta, Minister of State for Textiles, Vijay Bhai Rupani, the Chief Minister (CM) of Gujarat, and Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief Minister (CM) of Andhra Pradesh (AP).  

Modi’s opinions

While addressing the events Modi opined that textile is a category that acts as a bridge between the industrial sector and the agricultural sector. He dwelt on how important it has been for the millennia stating that it has been mentioned in the shastras (scriptures). The former CM of Gujarat also said that textiles made a major contribution with regards to Silk Route of the past. He also stated how different states in India got their identity from their handloom traditions.

Need for silk, scale, and speed

In his speed, Modi focused on the need for “silk, scale and speed”.  He mentioned that compared to so many other nations of the world India was already in a strong position because of the status that textiles enjoyed in the country. Smriti Irani, who graced the occasion in a Patola sari, said that the attendees of the event were being witnesses to history being made in the domain of textiles in India. She also referred to Mahatma Gandhi, saying how through his woven thread he made the charkha, a much beloved instrument, an expression of India’s desire for freedom.

Textile India Summit 2017

Symphony of Weaves

This was easily one of the highlights of the entire show. This fashion extravaganza was produced and managed by none other than the renowned IMG Reliance Industries and took place on the opening day itself. The fashion presentation event itself was a unique one considering how it illustrated the story of Indian textiles by way of advancement in design and craft that were quite unique by themselves.   

The importance of Textiles India 2017

Textiles India 2017 is being posited as the first of its kind business to business (B2B) textiles event being staged in India. It started on June 30 and ended on July 2 and was supposed to bring to reality an inspiring vision of Narendra Modi. "From Farm to Fibre, Fibre to Factory, Factory to Fashion, Fashion to Foreign Exports". One of the major aims of Textiles India is to show how strong the value chain in India is. The show came up with a rather compelling story of textiles in the country and there was special focus on innovations being made in areas such as design and craft.

The biggest of its kind

As far as curated presentations on Indian textiles are concerned this one was the biggest of its kind in India. It told the story of growth and development in the textiles sector of India. It showed how the sector had transformed to become a global power to be reckoned with. There were seven key segments of the show that may be enumerated as below:

• cottons
• silks
• wools
• embroidery
• hand-dyed and hand printed
• modern/industrial textiles
• futuristic sustainable textiles     

It basically showcased the entire spectrum as it is. 

How to make Papier Mache Crafts for your Home Decoration?

One of the greatest ways in which you can decorate your home is by making some items from papier mache. At the same time it also helps that these are very economical. Papier mache is also known as paper mache. Papier mache is basically a French word. Papier mache work is normally created from newspaper strips after soaking them in adhesives. You can make this adhesive from raw materials such as flour and water. You can also add glues such as Elmer’s Glue to the mix. Crafters often use balloons in order to make these pieces. They normally plaster the balloon with newspaper strips in order to create the shape that they desire.

The most popular options

No matter what you wish to do there are certain types that are always more popular than others. They may be enumerated as below:

•        Papier mache planter
•        Papier mache party lights
•        Papier mache bowls
•        Papier mache boxes
•        Papier mache vases
•        Papier mache teacups
•        Papier mache letters

You could always be sure that they would add a lot to your home décor in general and at the same time it would be great fun to make them as well.

Papier Mache Crafts for your Home Decoration

Papier mache planter

You can be sure that the planter would not cost you a dime and at the same time you would be able to fill your home with so many flowers or even create your own garden of herbs if you want to. This planter would come in handy in case you have already invested in some seeds. Now all you need in order to make this planter is a yogurt container that is empty, newspapers, some water, and flour. The water and flour will help you make the paste to be used for creating the papier mache craft. With it you would be able to show that you care for the environment without spending much money and you can be sure that your kids will like it as well.

Papier mache party lights

Papier mache party lights can be cute additions to your home décor on occasions such as a party with your friends in your backyard. Once again, this would not cost you much. You can make them blowing up water balloons and then coating them with papier mache strips. Once it becomes dry you can just pop it and leave the shell as it is. This would create the party lights that you have been looking for. After this you can hang up a series of Christmas lights and then fasten the papier mache bulbs to the wires. When the lights twinkle inside you would have the lights that you wanted!

Papier mache bowls

A papier mache bowl can be the centerpiece to die for in your dining room or even serve as a place where you keep your keys. In order to create the bowl you can use a plastic bowl as the mould. It does not really matter what size it is. Then you can dip the papier mache in the paste and coat the bowl with the strips. Once that is done you can easily remove the plastic bowl and you would get the papier mache bowl to decorate your home. You can easily use pages from old books. They would look really good and give your bowl an awesome look as well.

Mention also needs to be made in this case of papier mache boxes. These are great option as far as storing stray belongings in your home is concerned. This could include anything from photos to CDs. You can easily make these at your home.