Model Sheena displays an Ekru outfit

Lakmé India Fashion Week is coming to Calcutta — or at least some of the creations that were seen on that ramp in May can now be found at Ekru.

On Tuesday a number of collections from this year’s national fashion gala hit the racks of the Rowland Row boutique. Suneet Varma, Malini Ramani, Monisha Bajaj, Sonali Mansingka and Priya Awasthy are the designers on display.

“The demand for designer clothes in Calcutta is on the rise but the supply is not sufficient. There are only a few stores in the city that stock clothes from national designers,” feels Ruchira Kandhari.

The “modern Indian woman too old to wear a skirt and too young to dress like a grandmother” was the target group Ruchira kept in mind while procuring the collection. So the mix is “vibrant yet subtle”, she stresses.

The Suneet Varma line — “not available anywhere else in the city” — is full of “happy clothes in bright shades, shirts with florescent trimmings and asymmetrical skirts”, Ruchira adds. In contrast, Malini Ramani’s line is of glitzy T-shirts.

The prêt collections from Monisha Bajaj, Priya Awasthy and Sonali Mansingka are also at hand.

Ekru was set up by Ruchira and her friend Ekta Jaipuria when, after having small exhibitions around the city, they wanted to set up their own outlet. It also stocks an original collection.

Hair colour workshop at June Tomkyns. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

Tribal fair

Honey, rare herbs and spices vie for attention at the Vanbandhu Parishad stalls at an exhibition at Ice Skating Rink, on till tomorrow. The parishad, which works with tribals, was formed 10 years ago by housewives to address their developmental problems.

A team from Calcutta visited tribal belts around the state, deciding to form a platform that could serve their needs.

The programme made a beginning by adopting 30 schools in the tribal areas of the eastern region.

The 10-year-old organisation has adopted around 7,000 schools so far and incurs an annual expenditure of Rs 10,000 on their upkeep.

The exhibition, an annual feature, is used as a platform to display exotic produce from tribal areas. “We run swayam nirbhar programmes in tribal villages where we try to engage every member of the family,” said the spokesperson of the organisation.

The body also gives housewives and budding talent a chance to hire a space in the exhibition, the proceeds of which would go to provide insurance cover to tribals.

Gold brush

A crown of gold may not be up your street but you can still bask in gilded glory courtesy the new autumn-winter hair shades from Germany-based Wella titled ‘Mystic Gold’. Sylvia Chen, technical manager, Wella, demonstrated her streak skills on models Sheena, Priyanka and Piyali at June Tomkyns beauty salon, a partner in the crown connection.

e Sheena got a warm heather and rich heather combination at the workshop to complement her brown complexion, Priyanka got the mystic jewel treatment — a mix of the four shades of soft cendre, celtic copper, soft flame red and rich heather for a “subtle yet modern look”. Piyali walked out with a mystic flame treatment, using colours from the cool red family to enhance her dark skin tone.

For those unable to decipher the colour code, the shades veer between warm blonde and copper shades that go well with Asian complexions, explained Sylvia.

She advises three different techniques to compliment the “natural movement” and length of hair. So straight hair gets the mystic jewel treatment of golden blonde and reddish brown shades to make the hair look more voluminous. Curly or wavy hair warrants the mystic flame treatment, combining a golden brown shade with a reddish tinge to highlight the thickness and strength of such hair.

ours vary according to cuts as well. Layers and fringes are given light streaks or highlights by “sectioning” the hair and short hair goes the mystic flow way with a mix of copper, gold and brown to give more volume, especially in case of fine hair.

Rich mahogany, vibrant autumn chestnut, rich heather, soft flame red, warm burgundy red, copper gold, celtic copper and soft cendre are a few of the shades being promoted.

But if you thought a hair’s breadth separated a black beauty from a blonde or a brunette, think patience. Keep aside a good one-and-a-half to two hours for a complete makeover.

The damages read in the same vein too with a price tag of Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000. The saving grace is that you don’t need to loosen your purse strings too often to maintain the lock lustre. One will only require to touch up the roots every seven to eight months.

In the meantime, Sylvia advises aftercare with shampoo and conditioner especially designed for coloured hair. “It’s a good idea to stick to the product range from the same brand of hair colour you used. The product range usually works in synergy with each other, taking care to maintain the pH balance,” signs off Sylvia.

Models sport the new collection at Footsee. Picture by Pabitra Das

Feet fleet

Put your best foot forward with genuine leather shoes and accessories at Footsee. The shoe store at Sreeram Arcade has got something to cater to all demands in its new collection — office wear, party wear, bridal wear.

e she is needs to fork out anything between Rs 395 and Rs 1,995 to strut about in a pretty pair, he is likely to be billed between Rs 795 to Rs 2,495 for a pair.

Apart from conventional footwear the store, which also has a branch in Metro Plaza, stocks some high heel shoes and stilettoes as well, apart from a casualwear range of sandals and slip-ons priced between Rs 395 and Rs 1,995.

The killer heels, however, lack lustre if not accessorised appropriately. Footsee steps in here as well with a new range of leather bags and belts in a variety of colours and styles priced between Rs 395 and Rs 1,995.