OCTOBER 2016
TANVANGA
From the Editor’s Desk With Love
Ive been playing with the idea of publishing a magazine for some years now, to do or not to do, finally reaching a decision ‘to do’. So, here I am with my first publication on issuu.com. Thanks to a friend of mine Hugo Bello, a very brilliant and professional photographer. The credits of the cover picture goes to Hugo. I am hoping to keep the magazine with some interesting contents related to the fashion world, food… what is a magazine without food…pffft and accessories for women and men and of course anything else that I can think of or come across. To all my readers… Muuuuah!! Thank you.
Photograph: Wikimedia Commons
Remembering a Fashion Icon ….. Princess Diana…. Fashion Princess…. Fashion Legend…. THE PEOPLE’S PRINCESS
I wasn’t sure whether to title this article as Princess Diana or Fashion Princess or Fashion Legend, there was just too many titles in my head and all so true to her that I might as well put them all them together… It’s such an honor writing about her, I never imagined that I would but here I am putting all my thoughts about the Princess of Wales in this little piece of article. I have a whole collection of Princess Di’s pictures and newspaper cuttings and still treasure them like precious gems!! There is just so much to write about her, well for now…. I am focusing on her influential style that has captured a generation and her fashion legacy still lives. Diana will always be known for her grace, beauty and style. She has been seen in some of the most iconic and unforgettable gowns, suits, dresses, even her casuals had a style statement to it. The way she wore her jewellery, accessories and all marks her signature style. Ah yes, the most memorable one being the Australian tour in 1985, where she wore an Art Deco diamond and emerald choker as a headband. The choker apparently, was a wedding gift from the queen and was once owned by Queen Mary. Princess Diana’s fashion trends evolved over the years after her marriage from a shy nursery school teacher to a fashion icon with a wardrobe of Versace, Chanel, Catherine Walker, Christian Lacroix. She progressed and gained confidence over the years in her own style and became more and more fashionable and elegant, by then she was an icon in the fashion industry. Her genuine fashion choices has always inspired the world and every time The People’s Princess made an appearance people rushed to copy her style – her clothes, accessories, hair, and make up, even her fitness fever. The Princess of Wales wore her suits very much business-woman style, though she had her own fashion flair and style of wearing them. The well-cut suits were part of her working wardrobe as were slim sheath dresses with minimal jewellery.
Her full skirted deep green taffeta silk crinoline ball dress with puffed sleeves was copied widely by stores and went on to become the dress style to wear to May Balls and similar events. Diana’s wedding dress set a trend for weddings of the 1980s. She looked like a true fairy-tale princess emerging from the carriage in front of the cathedral wearing a full skirt ivory silk pure taffeta, old lace, hand embroidery that had 10,000 pearls and sequins with huge puffed sleeves and a 25-foot train. She turned heads in 1994 with her LBD what has become known as her ‘revenge dress’ that Princess Diana wore at the official announcement of Prince Charles’s affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. It was short and low-cut but definitely a trademark piece. Its been 18 years since the death of Princess Diana. The People’s Princess was known for a great many things – her kindness, her charity work, the nurturing instinct she has with those in need but at the same time she was a trendsetter that influenced the women of an entire generation.
By Harsha Mariam Thomas Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
Fragrance
SCENT OF A WOMAN‌‌
Photo Source: www.healthy-holistic-living.com http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0028/6332/files/testing.jpg?1240941152
One of the most important and most subtle beauty secrets is to create your own aura and mystique, a memorable impression that softly lingers after you have left the room. Your fragrance. At one time perfumes were kept away for special occasions, well not anymore! For a modern woman every day is a special occasion. Fragrance
has become an essential part of a woman’s fashion planning creating her own wardrobe of scent, her unique presence wherever she goes. There are six basic groups of ingredients that make up a perfume. 1. Single florals capture the essence of a single blossom. 2. Leafy, woodsy, mossy blends combine aromatic woods, such as cedar, flower stems, leaves, ferns, and other herbal scents for a refreshing woody fragrance. 3. A bouquet of different flowers are combined to get that flowery aura, it may not be easy to identify the specific blend of flowers. 4. Oriental blends, combinations of musk and amber along with exotic blossoms. These are apt to be haunting, intense and smoky. 5. Citrus fruits and pungent spices – cloves, cinnamon or ginger – with spicy flowery aromas such as carnation, and hints of mellow, peachlike warmth are apt to be sparkling, outdoor fragrances, light and fresh but they may shade down into rich, full-blended fragrances. 6. Modern Blends contain notes from any or all of the other basic fragrance categories, yet they are unique and new creations of the perfumer. Cologne has an alcohol base and comes in varying strengths, depending on the concentration of perfume oils. Colognes are extremely strong and are the longest lasting. Perfume has the highest concentration of perfume oils. It is generally the most expensive and richest form of a fragrance. You have the Pump sprays, Cream-based and Oil-based which are perfumes that have highly
concentrated fragrances. They are exceedingly long-lasting and very lush and rich in aroma. Experiment with fragrances. Try different perfumes, one on the right wrist, and one on the left. Never try more than two perfumes at a time. Give perfume and your skin a chance to get acquainted and interact. It takes several minutes before the fragrance develops fully on your skin. Each skin’s chemistry is unique, that is why a perfume never quite smells the same on any two women. Always sample the way a fragrance smells on you before making up your mind about it. Trying out different new styles is the only way to keep up with fashion ideas, and the same applies here. Then you can express your personality with fragrance, just as you do with clothes! Try using cologne and perfume together – Spray cologne on body, neck, arms and legs after your bath, then follow with perfume stroked on at your pulse points – temple, back of the ear, base of the throat, over the collarbone, inner elbow, and inside of the wrist, back of the knee, back of the ankle. This in the beauty business is known as fragrance layering. Layering can be followed as a ritual, starting from the bath. Use perfumed soap, a matching perfumed bath oil. Follow the bath with a matching fragrance in body lotion, and talc, then cologne and perfume. Refresh yourself now and then with a portable form of perfume in your handbag. Tips for surrounding yourself with fragrant delights 1. Tuck sachets among the sheets and towels in the linen closet.
2. Before ironing your clothes, spray a little cologne on the ironing board. Do not spray it directly to your clothes as it may spot. 3. Add a few drops of bath oil to a pot of simmering water, turn off the flame, and let the pot stand. The humidity will refresh the whole house with fragrance. 4. Save empty perfume and cologne bottle, leave them without caps in your wardrobe. 5. Tuck unwrapped perfumed soaps in your luggage before storing it. This way your luggage bag doesn’t smell musty next you pack it up for a trip. 6. Scented papers as fragrances samples can be tucked away in to your lingerie drawer or you can make your own by saturating a white blotter paper with your favorite fragrance. These are just a few tips to get you going and once you try a couple of them, you will be coming up with a whole variety of your own. Use your favorite scent in all its senses; leave a reminder of a very special you wherever you go! By Harsha Mariam Thomas
Accessorize
Cuffs for me
Photo: Tanvanga Files
Cuff bracelets are a fashion statement and is the season's must-haves as they enhance almost any outfit. They range from extra narrow to large and thick cuffs giving the wearer a bold and yet that feminine look! The large cuff bracelets come in very chunky designs and can bring a lot of flair to almost any outfit. The larger the bracelet, the more intricate is the artwork. These bracelets accentuate your style making it simple and
extravagant. When wearing large cuff bracelets, make sure to keep other jewellery simple or simply nonexistent that way your entire look doesn’t seem overdone but at the same time your big bracelet stands out shining giving you the bold feminine look. The delicate and thin cuffs can be worn alone or layered with a couple of more bracelets to create a more accessorized effect. Wear these delicate beauties on their own for that added sparkle to a simple outfit.
Photo: Tanvanga Files
Filigree cuff bracelets are more feminine unlike the large cuff bracelets. The filigree cuffs are bracelets that have patterns like basket weaves, florals, tribal and other delicate styles. So, for those of you who want to wear the large cuffs and yet want that dainty look, should consider wearing a filigree cuff bracelet. Even though they are large, they still look elegant. These bracelets are also carved in gold and silver. Another variety to the cuff bracelets are the beaded ones. These are very skillfully woven or braided into multiple strands. Single stranded beaded cuffs are also available which can be worn as a single strand, or you can
mix and match a variety of these cuffs with a variety of colored beads but don’t forget to match it with the outfit you are wearing. The cuff watch is one of the most popular styles today and they come in many different styles – ornate and intricate to the simple and delicate. Cuff bracelets are becoming more diverse and there is a whole world of beautiful, delicate, intricate cuff jewelry creations for all the fashion lovers.
Style The Classic Trench Coat‌.
Photo source: Google.com
The trench coat is a classic piece of apparel that is a must-have! It can be worn with any of your outfits and it looks very fashionable that has a
timeless, classic style that makes you keep it forever, well maybe not forever, at least as long as it lasts…. The history of the trench coat starts with the Tielocken coat Thomas Burberry designed for the British officers in the Boer War. This was made of gabardine which is a durable wool fabric designed by Burberry to repel water and keep the wearer warm but at the same time ventilated. The coat was later during the WWI, redesigned to include D-rings and shoulder straps, and the British War Board ordered over half a million of them for the military officers. Numerous Hollywood stars brought the trench coat to the big screen, the most memorable ones being Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, then Dick Tracey. Audrey Hephurn was a real hit in her movies with the trench coat and the women grabbed the trend from there. The coat’s heritage and usefulness during the cold climates as well as during the drier climates is what makes this piece of clothing so indispensable. It comes in a variety of prices and materials today which is very affordable and can be purchased by anyone who desires to own one of these timeless piece of apparel! When choosing to buy a trench coat the most important thing is to make sure the size fits. So you need to try out as many of these outfits for the right fit before you put your money on the perfect one. For the men – a trench coat should be large enough to be worn over a suit jacket or heavy sweater. The best fit would be to try it on and button it up fully – the shoulder should extend out past your natural shoulder to allow room for a suit jacket, and you want to be able to fit a full fist in the chest area while having full arm movement. The sleeve length should be worn 2 to 4 inches longer than a suit jacket’s sleeves to about the pinch of your hand.
Modern trench coat length ranges from 37 to 45 inches. A man should consider choose a length based off his body type – a tall and large man should consider longer coats that fall below the knee, short coats might make them look like giants, whereas smaller men should select shorter coats that fit above the knee and closely tailored. Both long and short coats are appropriate for women but pick out the right one based on your figure. Tall women can wear both, whereas shorter trench coats would look more perfect on a short woman but you can always opt for a longer trench coat to surprise your man to an exotic treat wearing nothing under that coat. The best thing about trench coats is that they make you look both professional and casual. There are gorgeous varieties of trench coats in a variety of cuts and colors and fabrics that is simply irresistible. So why not, just own one‌ always better late than never and the best part of owning one is that you can wear your trench coat about anywhere you go without worrying about the kind of impression you will make because it just fits into kind of atmosphere! By Harsha Mariam Thomas
Haute couture
Men wearing a Shorter Hemline… Skirts perhaps! Men in skirts – why not? Men wearing skirts or dresses have been seen in different cultures like the Scottish and Indian cultures. Quite a number of influential fashion designers had their male models walk the ramp wearing ‘man skirts.’ Worldwide cultures are known to have influenced the fashion industry, the so-called ‘man skirts’ could be the next in line. Male celebrities and fashion designers like Jean-Paul Gaultier, Giorgio Armani, Marc Jacobs, Yohiji Yamamoto, Kenzo, John Galliano, Rei Kawakubo during the 1980s tried to promote the idea of men wearing skirts, but failed to popularize it then. Marc Jacobs is one designer who loves his skirts and has no reservations wearing them. Going further back into history, the unisex fashion movement came about during the 1960s in the North American and European regions and Yves Saint Laurent shocked France with his new clothing line ‘Le Smoking’ Suit for women walk the runway. This eventually allowed women to wear shirts and trousers. The movement was aimed to eliminate the sartorial differences between men and women but the farthest that men went in the 1960s in this regard were velvet trousers, flowered or frilled shirts and ties, and long hair. The non-western culture is more familiar with men wearing skirts. The male clothing includes skirts and skirt-like garments. One common form is the dhoti or lungi in India, and sarong in South and Southeast Asia, and Sri Lanka. The sarong varies depending on whether the ends are
sewn together or simply tied. There is a difference in the way a dhoti and lungi is worn. A lungi is more like a wrap around, whereas a dhoti involves pleats by folding it. A dhoti also passes between the legs making it more like a folded loose trouser rather than a skirt. In Sub-Saharan Africa, there is the kanga (or khanga), kitenge (or chitenje), kikoy, and lappa which are more sarong-like garments. In Madagascar, they are known as lamba.
Middle East and North African men’s clothing has long robes called caftan or djellaba. Greek and Balkan have fustanella (a short flared cotton skirt), the Pacific men wear a lava-lava (similar to a sarong). The Japanese have the hakama and the Bhutanese a gho. Qun or Chang are skirts in Chinese which were worn by ancient Chinese men. Since the mid 1990s a number of companies have been established to sell skirts specifically designed for men. The most recent is the fashion chain H&M have started selling skirts for men. Let’s not forget the Kochi International Fashion Week 2012, where some of the men did show up in skirts the sarong style… Call it haute couture, avant garde, unconventional or weird, we are celebrating the men who haven’t shied away from a shorter hemline. By Harsha Mariam Thomas Photo: Tanvanga Files
Foodie Corner
Inspiration
Easy to Make Sandwiches
Spiced Egg Slice (Makes 1) **************** Ingredients 1 hard – boiled egg, shelled and chopped 1 tbsp mayonnaise or thick sour cream 30gm (1/4 cup) Cheddar cheese, finely diced 1 spring onion, chopped or 1tbsp chopped fresh chives ½ - ¾ tsp concentrated curry paste Salt and pepper 1 ½ tsp butter, softened 1 slice bread Cucumber slices (as required) Method Mix together hard-boiled egg, mayonnaise, cheese, spring onion and curry paste in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread butter over the slice of bread. Arrange cucumber slices in an overlapping way all the way around the edges. Spoon the egg mixture into the center and level the mixture neatly and around the cucumber slices. Garnish with sprigs of mint.
Salmon-Egg Croissants (Makes 2) *********************** Ingredients 2 croissants
3 eggs 3 tbsp double (thick) cream Pepper 60-90 gm smoked salmon, chopped ½ cup cheddar cheese, grated 2 tsp chopped fresh parsley 15 gm or tsp butter Parsley to garnish Method Cut croissants through the middle but do not cut right through. Warm croissants under a preheated grill Meanwhile, beat eggs with cream and season with pepper. Stir in smoked salmon, cheese and parsley Melt butter in a non-stick saucepan Pour in mixture and cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly until just set and cooked through. Open croissants and spoon in scrambled egg mixture. Serve immediately, garnish with parsley.
Stuffed French Stick (Makes appx.20) ********************* Ingredients 125 gm sliced sausage (big preferred) or any of your choice, chopped ½ cup salted cashews or any nuts of your choice, chopped 4 spring onions, chopped 1 small green capsicum, chopped 2 sticks celery, chopped 250gm cream cheese with chives or any flavor cream cheese of your choice 4 tsp tomato puree 1 clove garlic, crushed Salt and pepper 1 French stick
Cilantro or Coriander leaves for garnishing Method Mix the sausage, cashews, spring onions, capsicum, celery, cream cheese, tomato puree and garlic in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Cut French stick in half cross-wise. Cut off the crusty ends, using a sharp pointed knife cut away soft bread from inside each piece, leaving crust intact. Using a teaspoon, fill centers of French stick with cream cheese mixture, pushing in well from both ends to prevent any gaps in filling. Wrap in a foil and chill for 2 hours. Cut each piece into thin slices and garnish with cilantro.
Photo credit: Eira Elizabeth Thomas
Edited by Eira Elizabeth Thomas Cover photo Hugo Bello www.hugobello.com Do not reproduce any content without permission