Diwali marks the new moon and a new year. It is a time for new beginnings.
The festival gets its name from the Sanskrit word ‘Deepavali’, which means ‘a row of lamps’. Decorating the home with clay lamps is an important part of the Diwali celebrations. There are many versions of the origin of this festival. In essence, Diwali celebrates the triumph of good over evil. The tiny oil filled lamps that are lit on Diwali night are symbols of knowledge, goodness and prosperity that illuminate people’s lives and dispel the darkness of ignorance, evil and poverty.
Diwali marks the new moon and a new year. It is a time for new beginnings. Traders open new account books on Diwali day and everyone buys new clothes and jewellery. But there cannot be a new beginning unless you have put the past in order. So in most homes Diwali preparations begin several weeks in advance with a thorough spring cleaning of the house.
Traditionally Diwali is a time when people get together with their loved ones to exchange gifts and bond over festive meals. Special Diwali sweets and savouries are made at home. Another important feature of the festival is the bursting of firecrackers, which is meant to drive away evil spirits. Diwali is also associated with Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. And women decorate the entrance and doorways of their homes with colourful rangoli patterns and flower garlands to welcome the deity.
The actual Diwali celebrations are spread across several days. The rituals vary in different parts of the country, but generally two days before Diwali on ‘dhanteras’ people buy some gold and some new utensils for the kitchen. While some offer prayers to Lakhsmi, the goddess of wealth, in West Bengal, prayers are offered to goddess Kali. The day after Diwali, is celebrated as the New Year in the Hindu calendar and in North India the next day is ‘bhai dooj’ when sisters pray for the well-being of their brothers. South Asians around the world celebrate Diwali by hosting ‘open houses’ for family and friends and playing cards.
Hermes
The poetry of ‘Shree Sukta’ describes at length the beauty of Goddess Lakshmi. She is dazzling in her richness and opulence. She reflects wealth, fertility, grace, and good fortune. She is depicted as wearing embellished red saree, bejewelled in gold Jewellery and a perfect embodiment of feminine beauty. She stands atop a lotus flower in pure perfection.
On Diwali day people also dress up in the reflection of the mother goddess and invite her to come into their lives. Women wear colorful heavy sarees and salwar kameez. Red, green, gold and silver are the preferred colors. Women also wear their gold and diamond jewellery. Beauty parlours are crammed full assisting every women look her best. The men also wear their kurta pajama and are all groomed up. Everyone is lavishly beautified to the best of their abilities.
Dressing up also spreads a feeling of happiness and festivity and the colors add to the vibrant energy all around. This year designers (western and Indian) are unveiling exclusive holiday pieces or collections. So if you have bucks to shell out – purchase one of their pieces. If not, then grab some of their inspiration and create your very own Diwali holiday fashion sensibility.
Hermes showroom in Mumbai
This year uber luxury brand – HERMES has played the perfect ‘Emotional Card’ for India by announcing the launch of HERMES Saris. Hermes recently launched its third store in India – Delhi, Pune and now in Mumbai too. Patrick Thomas, CEO of Hermes said, “Designing these saris for Indian consumers is a way to pay light homage to India, and say, Hermes admires India and has a lot to learn from India”.
The Hermes Saris are Limited Edition of five different saris.
Hermes has earlier done scarves with Indian Motifs so they must have the hang of ‘Indian Sensibilities’. In 2008 Hermes took to ‘Mystical India’ and incorporated India’s traditional crafts into the maison’s designs. Jean Paul Gautier’s inspiration for Hermes Spring 2008 RTW Collection was totally India-Inspired and had Sari Dresses. Hermes tied-up with Jean-François Lesage of Lesage Embroiders in Chennai and came out with Shiny en Désordre, a reinterpretation of the iconic Hèrmes “Brides de gala” scarf in the form of a shawl in cashmere and embroidered silk, embellished with sequins and glass beads.
Thomas hasn’t elaborated on what kind of Saris, but it has been speculated they will stick with Silk and Cotton. The Saris are priced between Rupees Three Lakh Sixty Thousand (Rs. 3,60,000) to Rupees Five Lakhs (Rs. 5,00,000). Well that’s not steep for an HERMES product – where a leather belt costs Rs. 60,000, Five Lakhs for a Sari is pretty normal.
It’s a first in the World of Fashion for a Luxury Label to have a typically Indian Product in their product line, but the CEO hasn’t noted if the Sari will be a staple in the Hermes Product Line or being sold from a Hermes Stores outside India. “We don’t know whether we are going to keep them for the long run. It depends on how people receive them.”
Manish Malhotra Fashion Show 2011
With the festive season taking centre stage, Manish Malhotra, one of India’s many iconic fashion designers has unveiled a new line of Indian contemporary evening wear to give you the perfect look this festive season. Manish Malhotra in his signature and true style showcases the new line to celebrate style, glamour and opulence! In an effort to keep the Indian craftsmanship alive, his collection highlights the use of rich cultural heritage of Kashmir. An array of modern silhouettes and picturesque glamorous styles will create the perfect atmosphere for the celebration of eternal style and dressing. The women’s wear line is in royal colors of ivory, white, deep red, wine, emerald blue while the menswear is in colors of black & gold, burgundy, navy blue and wine.
Designer Nikasha Tawadey, who is styling actress Sonakshi Sinha in her upcoming movie ‘Rowdy Rathore’, is paying tribute to – the season of love – through her most recent collection. Called ‘Tumi’, the line draws inspiration from the 1930s era and has modern drapes from Kolkata to establish a connect between yesterday and today.
Overall, it is a very romantic collection. Her collection will include gowns, short dresses and jump-suits in asymmetrical cuts. The garments encompass frills, ethereal flounces and breezy blouses with delicate archived chintz prints and a whole series of variations that manipulate drapes and volumes in fabrics like khadi silk, silk, chiffon, cotton gauze and mulmul.