[su_frame]Goa Prism’s presentation- a Fashion & Lifestyle Column “DIVAnee” by TV anchor and performer Ruchika Davar. A self-proclaimed lifetime student of fashion, style and trend spotting- she has travelled across many countries and loves to collect everything fashionable from clothes, make-up, accessories & home accents. She likes to refer to her collection as her library because it’s as important to her as books are to academicians. She has previously written columns for Delhi Midday & the Herald apart from presenting lifestyle and film related TV shows on many channels. This column is a space where she shares her style mantras and curates special trends especially for the Goan fashionistas. Write to her at [email protected][/su_frame]
The festive season has just begun. Goa is looking forward to Diwali, Christmas, New year’s Eve, weddings and hopefully another busy tourist season with parties galore. Every chica worth her pointy heels will be dressed to the nines and rocking all the right trends from all those internet shopping sites. So how does a fashion diva-nee stand out? Just add statement jewellery and you are sorted.
So WHAT are statement pieces? Or what distinguishes normal trendy bracelets from the Conversational piece of a wrist candy that u spotted a fashionista wearing at a Diwali party? Simply put- Statement jewellery is an expression of art, confidence and aesthetic so strong that it has the capacity to overpower a full outfit. Statement accessories are bold, unique and usually convey something about the mood or personality of the wearer. It is a physical extension of how a person interprets herself or himself (yes, men wear statement pieces too- don’t forget Salman Khan’s gigantic Feroza silver Bracelet)
So what would you choose as a statement piece- ANTHING but it should be an accessory and NOT the outfit. It could be an interesting Belt with an offbeat buckle, a Scarf with a print no one could resist noticing or even a pair of sunglasses that is extraordinary. My personal preference is a necklace the size of a truck or pair of earrings that are the size of chandeliers in a Hotel lobby. I have often also experimented for social events by combining elements like an Anarkali side jhoomar in hair with a western outfit or a feathered dream catcher head gear with a simple skirt and jersey top.
Just dive a bit deeper into understanding the concept & follow the lead of Bollywood trend Priestesses and deconstruct their personal style to develop your look.
- Vidya Balan- Shows a keen preference for simplistic cotton anarkalis, kurtas, taant or handloom sarees but almost always matched well with chunky Silver jewellery, strings of beads the size of marbles or antique jhumkas.
- Kirron Kher- A lady who never sets foot outside without statement jewellery. Her style is mostly fabulous silk sarees teamed with the most drool worthy statement necklaces sourced from all corners of india right from traditional kutchi necklaces to south indian jadau temple art ranihaars. Most inspirational but decadently expensive too.
- Sonam Kapoor- The reigning queen of Bollywood fashion marquee, she is a big accessories billboard. You will always spot Sonam in no fuss well cut ultra-designer outfits with superbly paired traffic stopping accessories. She of course favors obscenely expensive and scintillatingly created pieces from brands like The Outhouse, Manish Arora but hey, when u can buy it, why not enjoy it. Who can forget Sonam’s gorgeous Nath (nosering)at the Cannes Red carpet last year teamed with a white sari & Shervani
But certain things need to be kept in mind while deciding upon the statement bling you plan on flashing for the next party:
- Try versatile materials like chunky silver pieces in silk ropes instead of chains or unique shapes with pronounced detailing like Animal motifs with semi precious stones.
- Gold works fabulously as a statement piece but it should not be dainty or delicatel. Preferably made with a different technique like Kundan, Thewa . It MUST be paired with western silhouettes and preferably a monochrome outfit like a plain black shift dress or an electric Blue Long plain Kaftan.
- The Bigger the accessory, the plainer the outfit & makeup needs to be. You want your accessory to do the talking, not your look to do the whole chorus.
- If your style is more understated but you still want to jump onto the bandwagon without being too obvious then statement rings or as they are commonly called Cocktail rings are a great first step in the door.
Where to look: Personally I like to spend a good amount of money on statement pieces and sometimes a single piece will set you back by thousands. My favourite places are the internet sites like tribebyamrapali.com, jaypore.com, prerto.com . Additionally just google and you will find shopping sites that routinely sell breathtakingly crafted pieces by Outhouse, Eina Ahluwalia, Manish Arora etc. I also love to visit silver shops & handcrafted jewellery shops in whichever city I travel to. An ethno glam hand cuff I picked up from Istanbul, A pair of diagonal cut gold plated silver jhumkas finished with emeralds from Hyderabad, a silver hand beaten haar necklace from Jaipur are some examples in my statement drawer. A good collection is built over time with lots of care & commitment.
But having said that I have bought many a statement pieces after patiently scouring flea markets in Goa, bargaining breathlessly in Colaba and gleefully drooling in Bangkok. Look around and you will see brands like Accessorise, Ayesha, Splash and even jewellery sections in Hyper Brand stores doing a fair job on offering affordable but traffic stopping Bling.
So what are you waiting for- this festive season, focus on the accessory rather than the outfit, turn heads by turning the tables, Infact- why not wear a table…that should be a statement!
TEXT & IMAGES : Ruchika Davar (DIVAnee)
