Archive for To be filed
Enhancing beauty or erasing identities?
February 11th, 2006 • 6 comments To be filed
In South Korea, about half of all twenty-something women have had some form of cosmetic surgery. These days, if one doesn’t have Western-style double eyelids or is not the acceptable height, tasks like finding a husband and winning over the boss are nearly impossible. And many girls in my school seemed to share the fears of their Korean mothers, cousins and aunts." – Jane Magazine, March 2006
A hundred definitions of beauty
A universal conundrum, innit? And yet we ponder over it without arriving at any satisfying answers. Growing up, I was envious of my sisters lighter skin color, my cousins brown eyes and later my American cousins dyed blonde hair. To elevate my status of "beautiful" I did it all: binge diets, weight-reducing pills, fair and lovely cream, green and brown contact lenses and purple/mahogany/brown colored hair. But really, there is no one defined line to draw anywhere. Thankfully, my pain-intolerant nature and my laziness never let me consider past these solutions: I never considered plastic surgery. You may wonder, why does she even need plastic surgery? And that’s exactly what I wondered when I found out that in the year 2000 alone — 125,000 cases of blepharoplasty (eyelid augmentation) were reported in America. Most of them in California. I think and truly believe Asian women are blessed with beautiful skin and hair – why would they be so insecure about their eyes that they’d consider changing their structure to look more "western."
Sadly, the world does share a uniform of notion of what is beautiful and what isn’t. C’mon, how can we "desis" not admit that we refer to the Asians as "chinkas"- a word derived from their hidden eyes. And the others aren’t any better– because as "desis" we hold our share of epithets, most of them not very pleasing. It is so easy to put a bunch of normal looking women on a Dove commercial and call it the campaign against real beauty or whatever demented definition of beauty– but lets face it, no guy is going to ask a buck-toothed, overweight girl out to prom. And ladies, lets not get too smug please. Even I am guilty of dimissing not-so-tall and not-so-debonair looking men. Whether we like it or not, we are all guilty of judging the book by its cover.
Which is why, I empathsize with women and men who consider cosmetic surgery. I do give enough credibility to people’s experiences and although I don’t endorse cosmetic surgery – I think I understand the socio-cultural changes that necessiate this thriving industry. Whatever someone’s reasons are — to become more attractive, to stop the teasing, to stop people from calling names….I empathsize.
Cosmetically enhanced beauty or cosmetically altered identity?
What is more disturbing and what we SHOULD be worried about is this —
In California, groups of all ethnicities have vied to transform themselves into a Caucasian standard of beauty. Jewish women undergo rhinoplasty, or "nose jobs," and African Americans have undergone the same, along with lip reductions and skin lightening.- Women’s E-news
And the Asian women undergo eyelid surgeries…
Boob-enhancing surgeries if you are an aspiring hollywood star or a model or one of those, I’ve heard of but I had no idea the new trend is to get rid of the very features that make a Jewish woman jewish, an african-american women an african-american and an asian woman, asian.
The article blames the parents of Asian-American women for instilling the idea that flat eyelids or squinty eyes aren’t acceptable and pushing their children to assimilate in the American environment. Rings a familiar bell to me — remember Indian mothers reprimading their dark-skinned daughters to not play in the sun? Are parents and their long-held beliefs to blame for this total rejection of one’s own identity? Or should we lump it all in one bundle and blame it on the media? (The funny thing is–we blame everything on the media: complain when they portray skinny models, perfect skin and skinnier models. Yet, we are the first to point out that cellulite on Sandra Bullocks legs and the extra flab on Bipasha Basu or Esha Deol’s arms. We are hypocrites! We don’t have the guts to stand up for or atleast watch what we believe in on TV!)
I know Indian parents to a certain extent believe a light skinned daughter has a better chance of finding a handsome/better beau than a dark-skinned one. (This is a generic observation. Please don’t leave comments like, "I know so many.. yadiyadiyadi.) And after reading these articles, I gather Asian parents have similar fears when it comes to their daughter’s height and eyes. I was going to suggest support groups and community discourses for young women, but now I’m re-thinking…. maybe it’s the parents that need a 101 on being beautiful and the superficial necessity of "fitting in." Maybe pregnant mothers should have some sort of a grooming or educating school about the generation their child will be born into. Now that I think of it, I think it’s a brilliant idea. Maybe I’ll find some VC’s and work on it myself…
But seriously– -Fit in. Assimilate. Adapt. How many variations of this phrase have we heard? Besides, is it really worth it to blend with the others at the cost of risking your own identity? America prides itself on its diverstiy and multiculturalism, from this point of view- it seems like we aren’t really concerned about preserving this diversity. We just want to make things easier for all of us and fit in. What can we as members of this American society do to not just survive but thrive within our ethnic cultures, adapting the larger cultures into our own, not losing ours into it.
What are your thoughts? What do you think?
Straight Questions: Graham Hill of Treehugger
February 9th, 2006 • To be filed
Fashion. In. All. Its. Glory.
February 9th, 2006 • 9 comments To be filed
At a journalism convention at Columbia University a couple years back, I inquired about a reporter’s position with at a local newspaper booth. The recruiter asked me if I had any internships or previous experiences and ina giddy state of having just accquired an internship at an esteemed fashion magazine in New York – I told him, Yes! Ofcourse! I’m a reporter at *******!
He tossed my resume in a pile and said, "Well, if you are intersted in serious journalism – get in touch." I was dismissed. The verdict was out. Dejected, I didn’t have the heart to walk to the other recruiters. One thought repeatedly kept bugging me- what is serious journalism? I thought I executed my job at my fashion magazine with utmost sincerity and seriousness. What about my job was dismissable as un-serious journalism?
Straight Questions: Josh Rubin
February 7th, 2006 • To be filed
Josh Rubin – designer, trend connoisseur and cool hunter will be appearing at the Future Marketing Summit on Feb 23 in NYC. (Sponsored by IF )
A quick q/a :
q)Where do you get your inspiration from?
a)I get my inspiration from the details. I believe there are no new ideas, just great executions.
q)What is the biggest but most ignored trend you see?
a)If it’s a trend then it’s not being ignored, is it?
q)Are new wave trend spotters a competitive or complementary to the established trend firms?
a)Both. The traditional trending firms tend to have a longer term focus and less frequent deliverables to their clients—this works for many large corporations. For smaller or more nimble organizations, and those with rapid product development, the ‘new wave’ is more valuable. Consumer demand is changing more frequently these days, making it harder to keep up using traditional methods which means there will be more competition (or collaboration) between models in the near future.
q)You’ve just started to produce video content What sort of content are you covering ? Should all online publications move into video?
a)We launched video for two reasons: 1. the technology is just getting to a point where people can easily consume video content distributed through untraditional conduits. 2. there are lots of things we cover on CH that are better served by audio and video over words and pictures. And that’s the first requirement for what we will do a video on. The second requirement, just like the site, is wide open—it simply has to capture our interest. The videos are 1 – 3 minutes because that’s what we think is the optimal length for mobile, and even web-based, viewing.
(Interviewed by IF)
Her.
February 7th, 2006 • 2 comments To be filed
When I went to the NY Fashion Week four years ago — I saw her at the Luca Luca show. Dressed in a super-tiny black dress with teensy sparkles sprinkled on it – she posed for the photographers like a pro. What struck me most about her were her lips. There was something, weirdly odd about them. As though they didn’t really belong to her face. They kinda just jutted out, and hung there. Limp. Blood red and glossy. The photographers wouldn’t leave her alone and she didn’t want them to leave her alone. She grabbed whoever walked infront of her, air-kissed, exclaimed “fabulous, fabulous” and forced them next to her urging the photographers to click away.
I later learnt she was an old-timer. She used to be a professional model and was a nobody now. So she came to fashion shows twice a year to stay in the news and recharge her fame-fodder level. I winced when she walked out in the chilling winter frost to pose for more paparazzi waiting outside the Bryant Park tents.
Yesterday, I saw her again. I was walking out of a show and it was deja vu. Chilling winds, a tiny black dress, high heels. Bundled up in my warm coat, I watched the illusive her posing for the photographers outside the tents. A page-boy followed her powdering her face and re-painting her lipstick every few minutes as if her lips magically dried off or absorbed the color. This time, in addition to her limp limps- I spotted a curiously saggy forehead that looked as if it had been molded in clay to stay upright. And pulled out cheeks – as though there were pins behind her ears holding up her cheeks. I heard “fabulous” in faint strains as I walked further from the tents. I glanced back one last time to see her air-kiss and disappear in the crowds.
Donatella Versace pleased to learn beautiful clothes are inexpensive in India
February 3rd, 2006 • 4 comments To be filed
I’m sorry- but am I the only one who didn’t know of the Versace-Lakme Fashion House association? The talks have been on for months– I haven’t heard anything about the program yet. But hey, apparently there’s also a winner.
Anyways, here’s the gist– A la Project Runway style, Samir Gupta produced, Lakme Fashion House, a fashion-reality TV show on Star One. Indian fashion designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla act as judges, eliminating contestants each week. You can obviously expect Bollywood celebrities to fire things up a little bit and make the reality-TV even more “interesting.”
The cake — Donatella Versace picked the final winner, Shahzad Kalim who won a 6-month internship with the House of Versace in Milan.
Spanish youth are Hedonisitic- not idealistic
February 2nd, 2006 • To be filed
In a survey conducted by Foundation Against Drug Addiction, the Youth Institute, and Caja Madrid’s Social Work in Spain — it was found that 15-24 year olds displayed a lack of trust towards politicians and political system. Infact, 60% of the youth polled showed no interest in politics or society. A little disturbing. However, they support democracy and 70% believe voting is important.
Unlike the 60’s or 70’s when every youth wanted to a cause to rebel against — the current generation shares a good and healthy relationship with their parents and themselves that doesn’t really give them a reason to rebel.
But the most interesting facet of this survey was that the youth described themselves “more as hedonists than idealists.” I am not entirely sure what they meant, the survey didn’t explain this further. Any thoughts?
Maxim- India’s hearing
February 1st, 2006 • 15 comments To be filed
Just last week I blogged about glossies like Maxim launching in India. Looks like I made the prediction a tad too early!
Situation
Khusboo, an Indian actress has filed a case against the magazine for publishing a faked photograph of her in underwear in an article titled, “Women you will never see in Maxim.” Maxim apologized, but Khusboo refused to accept the apology.
In Khusboo’s defense
In Hollywood, women like Khusboo would be applauded for their brutal honesty. In India, women like her who dare to express their honest opinions are shut. Last year she faced severe criticism and even demonstrations for saying no educated man should expect his wife to be a virgin. She offended an entire populace by making that remark and presumably, “went against the Tamil culture.” Irrespective of the controversies surrounding her, she is much revered and even has temples in her name in South of India.
Maxim’s joke was uncalled for -it definitely insults her integrity as a woman first and then as an actress. Although the Maxim editors are trying to settle this issue out of the court, Khusboo is vehement and intends to bring a stop to people who “treat woman like a commodity and exploit them as they please.” This issue has deeper social implications. Women hold a very complex position in the social structure of an Indian family. It is easy to dismiss Khusboo’s remarks as feminist but historically, Indian men haven’t exactly demonstrated respect and equal opportunity for women. I will hastily add that this is slowly changing, so please don’t clutter my comment-box with anti-feminist insults!
Khusboo, probably has based her comment on commoditization and exploitation on her perceived status of women in India. If so, she is rightfully justified.
In Maxim’s defense.
Maxim is a lad-mag! It is the job of a lad-mag to poke fun at others. A lad-mag only publishes stuff that men are already thinking in their heads. Besides, Maxim’s target audience is a population of educated, metro-sexual men who (Maxim hopes!) respect women. Really though, doesn’t look like Maxim has much standing for itself as this point. Indian courts have been known to restrict channels from showing movies like Kill Bill — the fact that the resolution to this will be in Maxim’s favor is a huge doubt. Even if Maxim is pardoned this time, it will severely affect the snarky tone/vision of the magazine. What’s Playboy without pictures of sexy women? What’s Cosmo without articles instructing women how to please their men and what’s maxim without its jokey-pokey finger!
Maxim will lose a part of its essential personality if it is further prohibited from pulling such pranks. It might as well become another Men’s World or whatever that Indian men’s magazine is called these days.
Concluding
Maxim, although a lad-mag with British sensibilities, should have studied the Indian market before publishing this brash one-page spread. (One page!?!) It was in poor taste. Maybe this is something Indian audiences aren’t just ready for. It is difficult to promote the stuff Maxim stands for and not offend anyone at the same time. It is a very fine line and unless Maxim achieves the right balance, it is doomed before the next issue launches.
But it should be a good lesson to aspiring foreign magazines eager to make a quick buck in India. In pleasing a 100 Indians, you will almost always displease a 100 others! Reminds me of the time BMW wanted to set up a manufacturing plant in Kerala and the opposition party put forth demonstrations of anti-imperialism. BMW said, fuck this shit and went and put a plant in China. And now, they sell Made-in-China BMW’s in India!
A very wise person once told me that for every 5 steps India takes forward, it takes 3 steps behind. Culture, progress, humor and politics are so impossibly meshed together that to separate one thread out of another will take a very fine craftsman and tremendous patience!!
Respect
January 31st, 2006 • 2 comments To be filed
I studied at an all-girls convent school in Bombay. Convent schools were (not anymore) known for their discipline and supposed finer quality of education. I got the discipline,(loads of it) but unfortunately apart from excellent grades and a few lifetime friends – I recieved no education or mentoring from my teachers. I often wish my parents had sent me to a better school where I would have been appreciated for myself and would have fallen truly in love with the learning and knowledge. Fortunately, my curiosity and an effort to continously raise the level of my intelligence provided me a strong foundation. But -having a teacher who loved teaching, would have made a difference.
In Scotland however, in addition to implanting a desire for knowledge, the primary school teachers are also inculcating intrinsic behavioural values like respect for fellow pupils, anger management and justice were values developed by parents in their children. Even the youngest children are given lessons in empathy.
Class bullies are made to stand up to their behavior by meeting their victims in person. Younger kids can go to older students if they have problems in classroom or playground with bullying or name-calling. Anger, is not cool is the basic underlying principle Scottish schools are adapting and vehemently teaching their students.
I love it. I love it that the Scotland is taking such a keen interest in the psychological welfare of their pupils. Maybe I should have had such a teacher when the other kids were teasing me tomboy. Sheesh. Too bad for them, i grew up to be very pretty. 
Gen Y across the world
January 31st, 2006 • To be filed
Extracts from an excellent article by Jack Madrid, Country Manager, MTV Philippines
- Generation Y (born after 1981) are influenced by Celebrity Culture, Music and Fashion, Technology and Family and Leisure time
- Gen Y has been raised as consumers since they were born. A first generation of its kind.
- Gen Y admire pro-social causes brands as they exhibit a stronger sense of social responsibility
Accurate observations about Gen Y. What interests me the most about this article is that Gen Y traits across continents and countries are pretty universal. It’s almost as if youth culture all over is evolving at the same pace. The youth in Philippines are just as obsessed with texting and local bands as the American youth, Indian youth or Japanese youth.
What does it imply on a macro level? Can marketers use similar strategies to market to the youth all over, ofcourse giving it a more localized flavor?
A question to ponder over.
Visual Anthropology- Chinatown, New York
January 30th, 2006 • 1 comment To be filed
I conveniently forgot to take my camera to the Chinese New Year celebrations in China town, Philly. I have never seen Chinatown so alive and vibrant with people before. Last Sunday, Philadelphian Chinese celebrated their New Year with a line parade (a dragon too!) and lots of fire-crackers. It sucked that it was pouring all day and that we couldn’t find parking anywhere AND that there were no seats available at my favorite restaurant in Chinatown. But smart me – I took pictures of a sedate Friday evening in Chinatown, New York last week.
Walking Down China Town
Neon city
Movie Rental Store
Pastry Shop
Fountains
Too much going on!
Entrance to the knick-knack store
Supermarket
Salon
Trading in Chinatown
Fashion China-town style
At home in Chinatown
And then my batteries ran out 
These pictures, although not from ChinaTown, NY were taken opposite my work building — reminded me of the Street Hawkers I was talking about earlier.
Trinkets
Color, Cloth and Sale
Sale!
Shiny Bags
Aladins Den
Wallets on sale
Korean cosmetics hit the sweet spot
January 30th, 2006 • To be filed
Understanding a girl’s relationship with her beauty products
I am a firm believer of what you pay is what you get. Especially when it comes to cosmetics. Young women my age are acutely aware of parading beauty companies, glitzy packaging and quality of products. My generation also has humanist tendencies and does not appreciate animal-testing or excessive chemicals.
Our priorities are mostly to stay up-to-date with trends and for this- we are willing to experiment various styles, colors and companies. Price definitely plays a role in the equation. While we may not cringe on spending $13 for a MAC eye-shadow, we will definitely chuck MAC and opt for another brand if it promises the same level of satisfaction for a cheaper price.
Like these Korean brands.
Simple distribution, inexpensive prices
Missha and The FaceShop , two of South Korea’s most successful and known beauty companies sell excellent quality products (yep, eye-shadows included!) at inexpensive prices.
By simplifying their distribution process- the companies mange to cut major fringe costs. The products arrive directly from the headquarters to the distribution outlets. Missha CEO likens this concept to that of Dell Computers — because consumers can purchase Dell’s only through their website, Dell computers are relatively affordable.
This is how Missha rationalizes their costs: (Click picture for larger view)
Why are they so successful?
The FaceShop is all natural – no animal testing and all its products are made from 600+ natural ingredients like rice, fruit and herbs. It also uses recyclable containers! That the products are inexpensive is a cherry on the icing. Missha too, fills the market-need by providing cutesy packaged make-up. Most of its skin-care line is made of natural ingredients as well. I visited the Mid-town NY Missha store and was very impressed by the selection of products. 90% of the 500+ products are below $10. I think these brands have hit bulls-eye by meeting the two key requirements. These brands have a more rarified presence from the drug-store brands but this presence also gives it an exclusive flavor that attracts more consumers.
The Asian women, familiar with the companies, are thrilled to have their favorite brands in America — the question is, will other companies follow suit or stick to their antiquated methods of marketing to young women?
Glossies zone in on India
January 27th, 2006 • 11 comments To be filed
When glossy international magazines enter a country – is a sure sign of the country’s prosperity and its economic stamina. Unlike USA, magazines in other countries do not derive their circulation income largely from subscriptions. India had the necessary infrastructure to sustain an international publication now : Multinational advertisers and an audience.
Rising pool of potential advertisers
Ever since Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen bought home the Ms World and Ms Universes (respectively) titles in 1994, there as been an influx of giant beauty and fashion labels in India. The year 1994 marked the beginning of India’s ascendence up the social ladder of beauty as one after another models won subsequent beauty pageants. Diana Hayden, Manpreet Brar, Yukta Mookhey, Dia Mirza…. and the numerous models who did their time on that glittering dais.
By far the biggest player in this industry is L’Oreal that entered the market in 1991 via Ultra Doux. In 1996, it launched its hair-color system– fast forward to 2005 where Matrix and Kerastase brands have been launched and will predictably become household names in urban India. L’Oreal’s has seen an impressive growth of 33.4% since 2003. Luxury giant LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennesy) opened its first store in Delhi in 2004 and met huge success, so much so that it opened another store in Bombay.
Italian United Colors of Benetton is set to introduce its high-end label, Sisley in India and Spanish retailer Mango already has a store and a following in Bombay. Chanel, Bvlgari, Hugo Boss are nestled in India’s 5-star hotels. French brand Boucheron is eyeing India. And the buzz is, Indian architects and builders are already conceptualizing a giant 400,000 sq ft luxury mega-mall that will only house these luxury brands. Indian cities like Delhi, Bombay, Bangalore will be on comparable level to Singapore, Hong-Kong and Bangkok in next 5-7 years. A thriving village of these luxury brands and India’s own luxury brands make for a healthy advertisers pool – the prime necessity for any magazine to survive.
India. Has. Arrived.
And a discerning audience!
By 2010, India is predicted to have 1,40,000 millionaires. Since the year 2001, India has entered the consumer revolution bringing in more money and more power to the previously absentee middle-class. Indians are indulging more in aspirational purchases and multi-national banks are making this possible by offering excellent payment plans, loan options and credit cards.
India has the youngest population in the world : 65% aged below 35. Add to that a rise in individual spending power and India becomes the likeliest potential country for foreign ventures and investments. Besides, a gradual attitude shift towards sexuality, gender and professions has made India thriving hub , ready for exploration. And this audience that pays Rs. 60 for a cup of coffee is without a doubt, willing to shell out Rs.50 for an international magazine for the prestige that comes attached with an intl. title and for then for the content. You see, subscribing of reading a magazine like Vogue, Maxim or even Glamour is another step up the social ladder to the cosmopolitan world. And reading these magazines – puts this young audience on the same plane as their international counterparts, enabling both to share a thread of common culture.
Coming back to Maxim..
Now on a personal note, magazines have been publishing “100 things you never knew about women,” and “how to make your man happy,” features since the last 40 years. And it still sells! For its inaugural issue, lad-mag Maxim presents the same old stuff repackaged only to suit an Indian man’s sensibilities. There is solid debate regarding the launch of Maxim in India. Conservatives seek it as a threat, adding to the westernization of India. And optimists like me, see it as progress — believing strongly the future will see launches of titles like the Walrus and New Yorker in India. You pick your side.
PS: This and the last post have been inspired by the recent PSFK posts on India and Death of Newspapers. Kudos to Piers!
Bloggers vs. journalists
January 26th, 2006 • 2 comments To be filed
Making name while the web shines
Elizabeth Spiers is starting a Gawker-esque gossip blog about Wall Street aptly called DealBreaker.com. Over at DesignSponge, Grace B, is launching a spanky new dot com website and who knows, in a couple months will quit her day-job and pursue her site full-time? PSFK has been predicting the death of newspapers since last year and bloggers are making headlines more often. (for being fired, for coming out of anonymity or snagging a book deal- or well, just as quotes!) Most high profile newspapers and magazines produce a blog. (Washington Post, Fast Company etc) Infact, it has come to the point where main stream media and journalists are resorting to blogs for story ideas and inspiration. I fiercely defended the proclaimed death of media on PSFK, because I am a part of MSM, I obviously don’t want to think of its imminent death. But, the question remains — will citizen journalism/blogging replace the ultimate pedastal of authority held by traditional modes of media (newspapers/mags)
In defense of journalists…
In J-school they taught us the paramount and the only axiom we were supposed to adhere to as journalists: of reporting only why, who, what, when, where and how. Thats it. And I stuck by it. We were taught to carefully craft our opinions but were always reminded, "Opinions are dime a dozen." Cliched, right? But its true too. I will always be a journalist first and then a blogger- it is something I choose in solidarity for my kind and out of respect for the profession. Brilliant journalists struggle for years to write stories, get clips, make a name for themselves. And it does seem a little unfair to them when a blogger shoots to fame by simply doling out opinions and advices. Or is it really unfair? I have matured into not going ballistic everytime I see the comment box empty with my posts – but I graify myself thinking that my readers are actual, real, busy people with precious time on their hands and just the fact that they read is enough for me to continue writing. (I do not mean that those who comment are idle and have tons of time on their hands! Its just how I rid myself of writing related dissonance) Everyone seeks appreciation for their craft- writers and bloggers included. Bloggers chronically check their visitor stats and comments box and journalists seek gratification in form more work and praise from the editor. Why has blogging become so ubiquitious? More so, do journalists have a reason to feel threatened?
Eco-friendly bags
January 25th, 2006 • 4 comments To be filed
My mom used to recycle gift-wrapping paper, so everytime I’d want to rip apart a gift (like they show in those Hallmark ads) my mom would reprimand me and yell at me for wasting paper. I still thinking ripping the paper to get to the gift is very glamrous and sexy but – I’m so sold to the idea of using reusable gift bags like these.
I respect companies with a cause, with a reason. And Lucky Crows fits the bill. Not only are these funky cloth bags propagating the idea of recycle-reuse-rejuvinate, but the owner also donates 1% of her earnings to One Percent for the Planet.
(Via liquidtreat)
Spring’s newest fashion accessory
January 25th, 2006 • 1 comment To be filed
Y’know what I absolutely love about this wine? It’s packaging. Why didn’t wineries think of packaging wine in cans before? The cans have been made to appeal the "Sex and the City" crowd which means, the young, hip and urbane.
I haven’t tried it yet – but considering the kind of movies Sofia Coppola makes, the wine will hopefully live up to its expectations.
Did I mention it comes with a matching straw?
Philly Tea party
January 25th, 2006 • To be filed
If you ever visit Philadelphia, you should stop by my friend’s cozy tea bar. In class, I could have never imagined Courtney was researching and learning about teas while the rest of us scrambled to meet deadlines! Well, it was worth the effort.
Remedy Tea Bar , a lovely mint green walled cafe opened its doors last year to a very Starbucked Philadelphia. Sisters Courtney and Kristen decided that Philadelphia needed a real tea bar when they were touring London and “were shocked at the number of coffee shops in a place historically known for tea.” (A tea bar with a story! mmm)
I am not a huge tea fan– but how can you resist a place that serves “mar-tea-nis”!
Besides I like the fact that these teeny clusters of tea Bars is helping promote a new beverage culture in coffee-washed America. Yay to that! And like I said, do visit! (and say hello to Courtney!)
Face Recognition Rocks!
January 13th, 2006 • 1 comment To be filed
I never knew technology could be soo much fun! Apart from making me feel utterly glamorous, I’m addicted to this site and have been on a roll uploading pictures of my friends and family to see if their celebrity is better than mine. 
hehe
Check it out for yourself!
Btw, if you can’t read the fine print– I got Penelope Cruz! (Wheeeee… Yipieeee!!!) And you are not allowed to tell me I do not look like her.
(Via Sepia Mutiny)
Gadget-friendly fashion
January 11th, 2006 • To be filed
I was almost tempted to buy the pathetic bag-organizer they aired on QVC. The kinds you can buy for $19.99 and get some useless items free. It is a pain to dig into my bag everytime my cell-phone rings or I need my digital camera.
Diana Eng of Project Runway was probably just as frustrated, which is why she created an entire line of fashion accessories that are gadget-friendly and for women that love technology.
Switch – a DIY show starring Eng and her colleague Allison is about to unveil the products, a video show at a time. I’m not only impressed with the site-design but also the concept. Why wait for a TV channel to approach you for your show? Embrace technology and make your own video-shows. Hats off to Eng’s endeavors and lets hope the site lives up to this hype.
(via Coquette)
Sticker Art
January 11th, 2006 • 4 comments To be filed
When I was little, I had a little sticker album where I’d save special stickers that my relatives sent me from America. I never used those sticker strips but still have that album somewhere, hoarding dust, in my attic in Bombay. The glue has probably dried out and the glitter off the shiny stickers must have faded. Although the 3D disco stickers should still be intact.
I think collecting stickers and stamps is a phase most teens go through. But the last time I checked, no one was collecting food-stickers.
Incredibly patient Barry Synder has an odd hobby and a unique mission. He collects food stickers, the teeny green, blue and red kinds that are stuck on Chiquita bananas or the green apples and on practically every product in the produce section. He creates mosaic-style art work out of these stickers! (Now I feel silly for making a shrine out of my stickers instead of getting creative with them!)
Each piece takes anywhere from 3 to 5 months for completion and the orginals (if sold) would begin at $10,000 each!
Synder has also started a Save Our Stickers (S.O.S) foundation via which he encourages others to save their food stickers and use them as artwork or mail them to him.
Amazing, innit?
Anderson’s lab
January 10th, 2006 • To be filed
Chuck Anderson, one of my favorite artists, has a new print for sale. If it were my creation, I’d call it Electric Dreams. Anderson calls its, "First Breath." Doesn’t matter what its called- it has personality and the signature Anderson glowlights.
I already own Godlike and this is one is on my list to buy next. For $30, it is quite a steal!
(Via Coolhunting)
Friendster among college kids
January 5th, 2006 • 5 comments To be filed
I became a member on Friendster long after I graduated. My roommates brother and his friend (both study at SUNY, Buffalo) are crashing with us for the winter break. Instead of exchanging numbers, we exchanged exchanged friendster and facebook ID’s. And I didn’t realize the true potential of Friendster until I spent a couple of days with them!
As soon as they wake up, they log onto to their computers, put their headphones on and start skype-ing people. These kids are cosmopolitan and have friends all over the world. (Mostly girls who have returned to their countries for the winter break!) After making calls to Japan, London and Malaysia, the guys settle down, have breakfast, do the needful and then start battling enemies a.k.a, play video games. They haven’t paid for the games installed on their computer. They got the games from a friend who downloaded the games off the net and found the crack-codes on the internet as well. (It took that guy 11-13 hours to download Call of Duty. And he has eight other games that he downloaded off the net)
But it’s most fun with them come nighttime. They sort through profiles on friendster sometimes asking my input. "What do you think of this girl?" and answer their questions themselves, "Eew, she looks ugly in this other picture. Thats why, never contact a girl who puts up just one picture."
Then short-listed girls get an invitation to become their friend on friendster. And if the boys are lucky, the girls immediately give out their msn ID’s and the boom- enter next stage of Friendster relationships — online chats! Today, one of the guys got very lucky and jumped to Stage3 without having to go through the chat-sessions. The girl he picked approved him and sent him her phone number. As I type this entry, they have been on the phone for 30 minutes.
!!!!!
I hit myself on my head. DUH. Friendster is an online dating service for college kids! i just didn’t think people actually spent time browsing profiles and looking at pictures.
"How do you trust these girls… I mean, you give our your number just like that!" I asked. "It’s not a big deal….what’s there to lose!" The kid replied.
I guess so. So when they aren’t studying, playing sports or attending parties, college kids are busy SKype-ing, chatting online and looking for possible partners on friendster.
That was my University Life 2006 101 education. Session complete. Grade A.
Skype’s new avatar
January 4th, 2006 • To be filed
December’s "International Fiction" issue of the New Yorker has a short article about university students at Swarthmore using Skype to interview Iraqi’s for their radio show, War News Radio.
The show offers podcasts and streaming videos on its site.
âIf youâre working for a big American network, with a film crew
following you, youâre not going to get out on the streets in Baghdad,â
Wren Elhai, a sophomore, said. âWe can do a lot from here that the
networks canât do."
Not only is the sound quality on Skype excellent, but the students realized they aren’t missing out much by not being present in Iraq physically. Fellow bloggers in India offered help-lines via their Skype accounts to Hurricane Katrina survivors. Skpye has become much more than just a social networking tool.
Citizen journalism has gained another dimension by invention of tools like Skpye. What next?
Dancing on The Streets
January 1st, 2006 • 1 comment To be filed
28th Dec 2005, On Times Square the show, Dancing with the stars, booked a glass-enclosed room and had two dancers tango-ing !
Brilliant marketing. Brilliant promotion.
CoolSpot – Family bag
January 1st, 2006 • 1 comment To be filed
Spotted a woman with this bag peering at the window decorations at Lord & Taylor, New York. Thought it was cool!
Straight Questions – Perfumatrix Robin
December 31st, 2005 • 1 comment To be filed
Her posts are infused with clover and pink pepper. Sometimes even a dash of the obscure such as benzion. Browsing through Robin K’s blog is akin to uncovering delicious wares at a French antique store or…or…biting through a box of assorted chocolates never quite knowing what’s in store.
Her blog, is about fragrances.
Robin is no perfumer herself, nor is she a beauty editor at one of New York’s glamour magazines. Candid and brutally honest, she admits her only qualification to edit a blog about perfume is her wearkness- "I just like perfume." Like, would be an understatement. She is so passionate about perfumes that when a favorite fragrance discontinues she annouces, a moment of silence and has an entire category devoted to "dearly departed" fragrances!
Her 300-some perfume reviews make me gag at my limited knowledge of less than 30 perfumes.
When I first asked her if she’d wouldn’t mind me interviewing her for a magazine, she shot back ,"sure but what do you hope to achieve with a magazine that you can’t with a blog." Her blunt reply stumped me.
I couldn’t come up with a strong answer immediately and had to pretend I was busy. (So Robin, if you are reading this– sorry! I was just taking my time to compose an intelligent-enough answer!)
Although she reckons that it will be some time before beauty and fashion blogs actually garner more attention, my prediction is, Robin’s blog will be at the forefront, leading the others. Join us as we chat about selecting a fragrance, upcoming perfume trends in 2006 and why fashion blogs are yet to impact the blogosphere. (and also browse through her list of Best of 2005!)
StyleStation: When did you start NowSmellThis? And what keeps you motivated to continue working on your blog?
Robin:I started in February of this year. Most days it is not a problem to get motivated because I really do enjoy writing and talking about perfume. Every so often I just can’t get motivated to finish a perfume review, so I just post whatever news I have that day and move on. If I ever start feeling like that every day, I’ll probably stop blogging.
StyleStation: Your blog holds a certain authority over perfumes and is an ultimate source for anything related to perfumes in the blogosphere! How do you feel about that?
Robin:I strive to be an ultimate source for news about perfume, There is a very active online community of fragrance fans. They post on the various fragrance forums, and a number have their own blogs. I love perfume, but I am far from being an expert.
StyleStation: I’ve also noticed that you respond to almost every comment you get on your blog (which easily run up to 50 sometimes!) how do you keep up? Do you enjoy the on-going dialogue?
Robin:I do enjoy the dialogue. I became interested in perfume via the online fragrance boards I mentioned, so I think of perfume as an interactive subject. It is nice to watch the readership grow, but it still feels lonely if nobody talks back. It really isn’t that hard to keep up – remember that if you see 50 comments, half of those are mine, and most days there aren’t more than 10 or 15.
StyleStation: This blog has eliminated the need for me to refer to the perfume page in major magazines. I trust your word more than Vogue’s. And this is just for perfumes. I have a blog that I consult on almost every subject. What do you think about this emerging phenomenon, where most of us are looking away from newspapers and magazines for information?
Robin:In the fashion & beauty world, at least, blogs have some advantages over the mainstream print media. There simply aren’t any daily publications on fashion & beauty that are geared towards a general reader. When it comes to perfume, even the monthly publications don’t devote very much space to the subject.
StyleStation: And of course, there is the advantage of not being dependent on advertisements from the major perfume houses. The fashion magazines can report on perfumes, but they can’t really review them.
Robin: But there are also areas where the mainstream media has huge advantages. Most large perfume companies have no interest in having their products appear in a blog. It is a lot easier for Vogue to get information about new fragrances than it is for me.
StyleStation: Interesting. Do you think that will change in 2006? What trends do you predict for the next year? This year I thought it was all about customization.
Robin: More and more perfume houses are offering custom fragrances, but it is hard to imagine that this will ever be more than a sideline geared towards the luxury market. It is just too time consuming and expensive for the average consumer. Layering, however, which I guess you could see as the poor man’s customization, will probably continue to be popular.
More lines now offer advice on layering combinations, and I would not be surprised if other mainstream designers followed Donna Karan by introducing sets of oils meant to be layered.
I am not a big trend watcher in general, but the celebrity fragrance boom has clearly not bottomed out yet. Traditionally the celebrities in question have been big names in music, sports, or movies, but in 2006 we will see the first fragrance from author Danielle Steele. If that turns out to be a big seller, we might see a serious expansion in the kinds Of celebrities releasing new fragrances. Perfume tie-ins with popular movies and TV shows are also
becoming more common, and I think that will continue to be a big marketing tool for the perfume companies.
StyleStation: How much time do you devote to your blog?
Robin: Anywhere from two to four hours a day.
StyleStation: Do you hold a day job? More importantly, has your blog generated you any work, freelance projects, writing assignments? Apart from advertising, did your blog make money for you?
Robin:The blog is the closest thing I can claim to a day job. I do a very small amount of freelance writing on the side, but otherwise, the only money the blog has made is from advertising.
StyleStation: Has anyone paid to mention or write about a particular perfume or a product? How have you dealt with such situations?
Robin:I do get free samples sometimes, but most of the time I have to do what everyone else does to get samples: beg, borrow, steal, or buy on ebay. No company has ever offered to pay me to mention their products, and I don’t expect that I will ever get such an offer. As I mentioned above, the larger fragrance companies would no doubt prefer not to see their products mentioned on a blog at all.
StyleStation: Do you think readers would trust your endorsement more over a magazines’? I know I do!
Robin: There is certainly a segment of the fragrance buying population that is more interested in a review in a blog than a magazine, but let’s face it, the magazines reach so many more people. Vogue has over a million readers a month. On a good day, I have about 5000 readers. In the areas of politics and tech issues, blogs have started to represent a real challenge to traditional print media, but I think it will be a long time before the beauty & fashion blogs start to have that kind of impact.
StyleStation: Do you have any future plans for your blog? Any new additions? What should your readers expect?
Robin:I do hope to add new writers in 2006. I really like the independence of having my own website.
StyleStation: Just out of curiosity, how many bottles of perfume do you really own?
Robin: It is fewer than 75, but I can’t say for sure. I will do anything to avoid actually counting them.
StyleStation 
o you usually gift perfumes to friends and family?
Robin: Almost never.
Tips on choosing a fragrance:
Never decide based on how the fragrance smells on paper, whether from a scent strip in a magazine or a paper test strip in a fragrance store. At the very least, try the fragrance on your skin, better yet, get a sample to take home so that you can live with the fragrance for a few days.
Robin Recommends:
I can’t pick. If I could, I probably wouldn’t need all those bottles. But here are a few random favorites: Frangipani by Ormonde Jayne, Tam Dao & Philosykos by Diptyque, Luctor et Emergo by The People of the Labyrinths, Le Parfum de Thérèse & Vetiver Extraordinaire by Frederic Malle, Divine Bergamote by The Different Company, Iris Silver Mist by Serge Lutens, Passage d’Enfer by L’Artisan Parfumeur, and Apres L’Ondee by Guerlain.
Best of the Bests!
December 25th, 2005 • 2 comments To be filed
Come December and magazines, newspapers, TVshows (even blogs!) tend to put up ‘the best’ of lists of the year gone by. Instead of making one myself – I’m rounding up the ones that already exist.
Fast Company, Cool Gadgets of 2005.
Popular Science, Best of What’s New-2005
Business Week, Best of 2005 – Leaders, Products and Ideas.
The New York Times Magazine, 2005- A year in Ideas
Fast Company, Creative Minds of 2005
Time magazine, Best Inventions of 2005
Publishers Weekly, Best Comics of 2005
About.com, Best Fashion Trends of 2005
Amazon, Best Books of 2005
The Times, Best of 2005 Travel (stories, articles, etc)
…. feel free to add to the list via comments!
CoolSpot – Sony’s Bean Mp3 players
December 21st, 2005 • 6 comments To be filed
I’m not a big fan of Sony – extravagantly expensive and (often) not worth it! But, design is one area where Sony comes close to Apple. And thesebean-shaped Mp3 players are testimony to that.
I LOVED the fludity and wholesomeness of these bean players- A fresh change from the geometric shapes of Ipods. Comes with a tiny organic screen, built in FM transmitter ( a must in any new generation mp3 players!) and its battery can be charged in 3 minutes with a USB charger! Promises 50 hours of playtime.
The only downside – comes with either 512Mb or 1GB storage capacity. Maybe they’ll figure out a way to increase it?
Keep an eye on these.
CoolSpot – Haiku by the (toilet) roll
December 21st, 2005 • 1 comment To be filed
Sold in major bookstores in Japan, this toilet papers releases you from utter boredom while performing your er..rituals. Aptly termed the Literary toilet-paper , it is haiku-by-the-roll!
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CoolSpot – USB Slippers
December 21st, 2005 • To be filed
Whoever knew all you have to do to keep your feet warm is connect your slippers to your USB Drive?!
Beastly love
December 18th, 2005 • 4 comments To be filed
"The beauty killed the beast-" Thus ended Peter Jackson’s giant epic. A tad too long – but to watch a beastly gorilla skidding on the Central Park ice-rink, his love nestled safely in his palms was worth it. I’m a sucker for love stories and this one was no exception. So what if the hero was King Kong? he saved the herione’s life three times. Most Bollywood heros would be impressed.
But I wondered why the movie-makers always end up killing the Kong at the end. And then bring him back to life in their next movie. Sheesh.
The show was sold out. The audience enthralled. And I was in tears. Ten dollars and three hours well spent.
Redefining the demographics
December 16th, 2005 • 5 comments To be filed
A house, a car and a stable job – used to be every young American’s dream. "Youth" is a very ambiguous term as is, "young." I thought "youth" ended at 25 (don’t know why 25 – something to do with quarter century?!) Staying young and youthful forever has become every man’s quest. We do have the plastic and physical commodities (botox, lipo, organic foods.. blah blee dah) to make that possible, but youth, is now percieved as more of a state of mind, than an actual demographic. A carefree, hedonistic state of mind that craves fulfillment. Last month a wrote about the new priorities of the "youth" – The 3M’s – Mobility, Multilplicity and Money. I was right on target. Add to that this bit of research found by Iris, a marketing agency based in London showed,
" Americans between ages 29 – 37 have decided to
take their time reaching the American Dream and would rather indulge
themselves in luxury goods that were previously out of their reach…
…Like Baby Boomers, these middle youth have achieved a certain degree
of career success and thus have disposable income to enjoy themselves,"
said McRoberts. "However, like recent college graduates they still have
that sense of adventure [and] social exploration as they are in no rush
to settle down."
The study claims that the luxury items most coveted are advanced video-gaming tools, big-screen LCD, (the works) Telvesion sets and other wireless products. I am not sure how true this part is but I strongly agree that the "youth" are in no rush to settle down. I am just starting out and nowhere in my list of to-own, is a house with white fences. (on second thoughs, maybe a pent-house in New York ) Neither is a killing need to save. Infact, I don’t care if I can just scrape through, but the one priority I have is to enjoy, to constantly indulge myself and ofcourse, work the kind of work I love.
Anastasia Goodstein, 34-year old (young?!) youth expert concurs, writing, "My husband and I have decided to defer the "dream," mainly to pursue
our own (his being psychology and mine being the blog, book, job thing)
and we choose to live in a completely unaffordable city (San Francisco)
because we just like it here. We also have a big screen TV, but he’s in
school (bought the TV right before he started) and money’s tight, so I
guess we can’t really afford to "buy the goods regardless of the
price." So close, yet so far."
Apart from America, I know most about India and this "youthful state of my mind," consciouness is prevalent in major big-cities in India as well. The 20-40 somethings have a disposable income they like spending on travel, electronics and little luxuries.
Whats your idea?
I watched The Island last night. The story of human clones and the predicated near future left me stunned. Yesterday I also watched, The Day after tomorrow,the one where a major climatic shift brings ice-age back to Earth and wipes out half the human population (hey- it was sleeting outside and I hadn’t seen these movies. So sue me for watching them!)
And I didn’t think those movies were corny. They both presented ideas that are a very real, imminent possibility. A threat.
It put me in a strange mood. Solemn and quiet. I thought if it would be worth bringing my own children in this world. Any ways- do you think this has anything to do with the shifting attitudes of our generation? Even with the technological advances, robust economies and nicer lifestyles- I don’t think we are really sure of our future, or even our children’s. (when we have them)
So are we thinking- screw it all, one life, I have to enjoy?
I’m afraid, but I often find myself thinking in that direction. Do you?
Share your thoughts please.
Car Inspirations
December 14th, 2005 • To be filed
Bat Mobiles? The Jetson car? At the Tokyo Motor Show, car-makers went all out! Sleeker, sexier and compact-ier designs combined with brilliant colors -these are cars that come with a loaded personality.
Check out the rest here.
Coffee Cola
December 14th, 2005 • 2 comments To be filed
The Cola strikes back – this time aided with coffee. (as if there wasn’t enough caffiene in colas already!)
Colored Baubles
December 14th, 2005 • To be filed
Sundays were for family trips to the Juhu beach. Merry-go-round rides, roasted corn with lime, spiced chana and soap bubbles were a part of the deal. Vendors displayed stacks of colorful soap water on small tables and usually let you pick your choice of color. Regardless of the color I picked- blue, red, green – the bubbles always came out transparent with a slight glimmer of a rainbow. The sparse color was never enough for me!
An American toy inventor and an Indian dye chemist changed this! By introducing Zubbles- bubbles that are actually colored. Hot-pink? Orange? Green? The duo’s made them all! 11 years of trials and errors have paved way to the release of Zubbles early next year.
Now only if someone invented a way to make these bubbles-zubbles permanent. Imagine! Instead of disappearing, what if these colored baubles actually solidified? I guess we wouldn’t really need shiny X’mas balls for our trees then?
Cool Credit Cards
December 14th, 2005 • To be filed
I don’t know much about these cards except that they were designed in Turkey, specially for the youth. They are transparent (something like the Blue AmEx cards here in USA) uber cool and a hip green.
(Tipped off by Ozgur Alaz)
Sipping the wrinkles away
December 12th, 2005 • To be filed
Growing up in India, my mother advised me to have a glass of warm water and a spoonful of honey in the mornings. It is supposed to give a good start to the day and helps rejuvinate the skin. In China, they mix black sesame paste with water to start their day. Every culture has a health and beauty parlor in its kitchen. Only, now- it is also available in the aisles of fancy-schmancy stores. This world-wide increase in the creation and consumption of health and beauty drinks, extolling their nutritional and anti-aging benefits has risen out of the urbanites desires to switch to a more holistic lifestyle. It’s beetroot instead of botox and yoga instead of lipo. Will these health and beauty drinks replace the soda?
- The 2003 introduction of POM Wonderful – the pomogranate juice in the trendy transparent bottle shaped like two pomograntes stacked on top of each other did two things, 1) Gave a "cool" profile to the previously unfamiliar fruit, pomogranate. 2) Made it "cool" to drink, drinks with health benefits. (energy-boosting drinks are not included in this category to avoid confusion) It can be safely said that POM, probably vangaurded this trend in America.
- H2Olive, the South African beauty drink claims to be the first of it’s kind to use olive oil extract in making a drink that rejuvinates skin and reduces wrinkles within 28 days of regular consumption.
- Another beauty drink, Borba, sold exclusively in stores like Sephora, promises to reduce aging within 7 days – 2 bottles each day.
- Asia, particularly Japan has been credited to have launched major innovations in the heatlh industry and it continues to set trends in the field. Ukon no Chikara, a Japanese health drink that contains turmeric is supposed to make one "awake refreshed after a night out partying."
- Shiseido, the Japanese beauty giant, introduced Collagen EX, a beauty drink with marine collagen, eastin, DNA, ginseng and skin-revitalizing elements.
- A Japanese company also introduced collagen soups, Biken Kenshoku. It contains 100mg of collagen per serving. (I’m so used to getting my collagen dose from lotions and potions that i’m not sure I can actually digest it in a food/drink form. GULP!)
- Vege-Care, also Japanese, a jelly drink ensures skin and eye health.
- In South Korea, the Green Tea Drink claims to help to reduce weight.
- In Phillippines, Mother’s Best Apple Ketchup helps prevent heart disease, tooth decay and Alzheimers.
Baby Boom vs. Tech Boom
December 11th, 2005 • 4 comments To be filed
Quickie Trivia:
q) What do Donald Trump, Sylvester Stallone, Candice Bergen (the orginal columnist of Sex and the City) and Kathleen Casey Kirschling have in common?
a)They will all turn 60 in 2006.
Nowhere famous as the forementioned names, Kathleen Casey Kirschling is still a super-star in her own rights. For Kirschling was born one second past midnight on Jan 1, 1946 and thus crowned, The first baby boomer in America’s history.
She has made numerous TV appearances, interviewed for magazines and it wouldn’t be surprising if she has signed a couple hundred autographs. All fame attributed to being the first baby-boomer.
According to the Inquirer, the oldest baby-boomers will turn 60 at at rate of 7918 a day. (330 an hour) in 2006. Marketing companies, trend experts and management gurus have long targetted the aging boomers, and an entirely new consumer market has emerged specifically to cater the baby-boomers now entering old age. (to be politically correct)
The baby-boom era was marked by a consumerist avalanche- young soldiers returning from war rushed into marriage and started their families younger. Jobs were plentiful, wages were higher and the energy was abundant. A robust economy encouraged a higher spending power. Families bought houses and settlements shifted to suburbs. Young men and women became fiercly independent , spent more, saved more and had fun. In Kirschling’s words, "We had a great, great ride. We dared."
Reading about the boomers, reminded me about the current state of India. Tech-power has become synanmous with India. Even man-power, if you will. (Ernst and Young just bought a couple hundred of its employees from India to work in their American offices for the tax season. These employees are paid the same wages they are paid India – which probably account to a measly $500 – $1000/month. Their American counterparts, for the same amount of work are paid a couple hundred percent more. But that is another issue!)
India is a contradiction by itself- even though it nurtures one of the oldest cultures, it is still a very young country that has yet to realize its full potential.
NYT did a 4-part special report on the recent infrastructural, social and economic changes in India. An interviewee for the articles drew a parellel between the 1950’s post-war consumermist America and the current 2005, post-BPOs/ tech-boom, consumerist India. I couldn’t agree more.
Having recently visited Bombay, I can vouch that the new energy bubbles in the atmosphere. With young graduates nailing high salaries with multi-national companies, middle-class families affording vacations to Mauritius and Hong-Kong, small-business (like that of my father’s) finding it harder and harder to survive, every third graduate targetting Australia, England or USA for "future" studies, plethora of airlines and cheap airfares, hollywood movies releasing the same day in India as in America (just a few years back, it took atleast a couple of months for new H-wood releases to arrive in India!), the youth becoming more experimental with their career choices and freely adopting the roles of a chef, a hair-stylist, a jewelery designer and journalists — I have every reason to believe and expect that this change will permeate through the tiniest and farthest villages of India.
During the baby-boom era in America, the sale of gadgets was the highest. The tech-boom India has seen a rise in sale of television sets, washing machines and cars -available to the mass Indians via simple loans or monthly payment options. Young American families invested in houses. Like wise, young Indian professionals
are buying property in India and the boundaries of cities keep expanding.
In America right now, luxury has gone mass. An average woman can afford a Stella McCartney skirt, an Issac Mizrahi sandal or a Karim Rashid designed object. In India, luxury has been re-defined. Hyper-marts, food marts, something akin to Wal-marts (cheap prices) and malls have become the new backdrop for social occasions. Indians are thinking more and more about American-style affluence.
My reaction to this change is neither positive nor negative. It was, meant to happen. It is a social and economic evolution. But the only part that surprises me most is- it all happened so suddenly! In four years to be precise. I left India in 2001 and even though I have returned often, I always see drastic changes. Like the time they made wearing seat-belts compulsory in Bombay. Or maybe, living outside of India gives me a better, sharper and an outsider’s perspective on its growth.
The young Indians echo the baby-boomer’s attitudes and aspirations. They are willing to dare, and they want to have fun. They have abundant choices and opportunities. And most of all, they have bigger and shiner dreams. So yes, this generation of Indians will be immortalized as the ones who dared. And give it a couple of years before little Indian boys and girls read about the Tech-boom years from 2002- whenever, in their history text-books.
For more voices on the changes in India, go here.
Update 2: Holiday Gift Guides
December 9th, 2005 • 3 comments To be filed
Dealhack.com has put together a comprehensive list of online retailers including final shipping dates (for your gifts to reach before Christmas!) and hard-to-find customer service numbers.
Featured retailers are Amazon, eBay, GAP, Fossil, Cooking, Best Buy, Buy, CompUSA…etc.
Bookmark the page!
Regular Postings…
December 8th, 2005 • To be filed
will resume soon. I am working in New York for a bit and am still getting used to my new schedule.
Coming up on StyleStation
- a privy look at the new Technica Travel/Adventure Show (I attended the launch party yesterday)
- interview with Dr Kyle about Hip-hop in Japan
- interview with Robin, of Now Smell This
So Stay put!
Update on Holiday Gift Guides
December 6th, 2005 • To be filed
designsponge has a wonderful (and growing!) gift-guide with over 100 items under $50 and more added daily.
Scented Credit Cards
December 6th, 2005 • 5 comments To be filed
When I was nine years old, a family friend in Kuwait bought me a scented diary that also had a lock and key. I didn’t use the diary immediately because I wanted to save the scent. So for months and years, I thought of something cool and interesting to write about in my little scented diary. When I finally made up my mind, some three years later, that I’d use it to store my family’s phone numbers in it (like I didn’t already know the mumbers!) the scent had worn out. I was disappointed but the lock and key managed to keep me enchanted!
As a 22 year old, I doubt if a scented diary will charm me. But talk to me about scented credit-cards or scented phones and I’m all ears!
Reflecting the desires of some 6000 surveyers, JCB has released the first of it’s kind, a citrus scented credit card. Called the LINDA Sweet Card, this little piece of plastic has been introduced with the intention of making their women-customer’s life even more beautiful. (Trust me, women are suckers for scented items. I know I am!)
Win a concert for a vote
December 6th, 2005 • 2 comments To be filed
Students of Santa Monica High School had something to look forward to after their classes yesterday : A Kanye West concert!
” Back in November, DJ Big Boy of KPWR-FM (105.9) announced a contest called “Big Boy’s Backstage With Kanye West.” All Southern California high schools were eligible to participate, and the rules were simple: Whichever student body voted for their school most frequently on the contest website would win a concert with mega rap star West.”
The 3,500 students of Santa Monica High submitted close to a million votes out of the total 5 million. Teachers report how students excused themselves between classes to use computers and how some would appear tired and extremely sleepy because they were up all night logging votes.
The lesson? When the American youth want something real bad- they probably do everything to achieve it. It wasn’t very smart of DJ Big Boy to get these kids to log useless votes for their school – a ninth grader clicking endlessly on the SUBMIT button to log votes for his school is not really a creative and effective use of this time!
The radio channel could have been imaginative in the method it chose to market or give-away the free concert.
Hopefully the “nearly 1 million” and the free concert bought the kids closer to their school.
Curry lovers nation
December 5th, 2005 • To be filed
One of the better food-blogs I’ve come across ….
The site proclaims, "a rebellion against bland food." It is not an authentic Indian site, but it enlists the help of spices from the Indian sub-continent to add flavor, zest and fun to their food.
Run by a bunch of non-Indian women, Naughty Curry is quite a dishy site that advices on everything related to spices from how to make a spicy coleslaw to how to please a patron’s brazilian girl-friend who loves spicy food!
(Link via Sepia Mutiny)
Last Minute cram-jams
December 3rd, 2005 • To be filed
Last minute prep-lessons, project deadlines, final presentations and those 20 page thesis papers – FINALS are here for colleges across America. (Never felt so relieved to know I’ve graduated!)
Here’s a quick round-up of what’s happening in preperation for the final’s across universities –
- Hasting’s College in Nebraska hosts specials like mightnight dinners, make-your-own-sundae night, nachos night and milk and cookies night
- Wrigley’s, the Official Sponsor of Finals Week, is on a campus-visiting spree until Dec 9th, offering students an opportunity to relax and relieve test-time tensions by chewing Wrigley’s gum. Participating colleges include Purdue Univeristy, Temple University (my school! my school!) University of South Carolina, Florida State University and Ohio State University (among others) It has been proven that chewing gum reduces stress.
- Some departments or residence halls at Ohio State and Temple offer free massages to students during final weeks.
- University of California, San Diego, offers free movie nights and "midnight pancakes" nights!.
- Folks at Beyond Bookmarks have launched special finals week care-packages that come packed with the coffee, chocoates, stress toys, pens pencils and highlighters, blue books, little mini-snacks, protein bars, gummy bears and tazo tea.
Add your own ideas and tips below or let me know if your school is doing something different.
New magazines hit India
December 3rd, 2005 • 2 comments To be filed
A country’s magazine speaks best about it’s current flavors, trends, hits and misses. Every time I travel anywhere, I make it a point to browse through local magazines about the place. My father sends me old issues of Indian magazines with relatives returning to America. I love magazines. Absolutly!
India already publishes a bevy of glitzy international titles – Elle, Good Housekeeping, Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, L’Officiel- the works. And it’s own – Filmfare, New Woman, Femina, Outlook Traveler, Business India. etc.
A Cosmo-India editor recently announced that more intl. consumer mags are entering the saturated Indian market.
1) Marie Claire’s Indian edtion will be out in April next year.
2) The Brit mag, Tatler, is ready for circulation, but awaiting some paperwork.
3) Word is , Conde Nast is planning a mega-launch starring Glamour, Conde Nast Traveler, Architectural Digest and Self.
4) GQ is all set for its premier issue in India.(or is it out already?)
If the grapevine is true, Indian consumer market is in for some surprises. When I was growing up, magazines were just too expensive for an average middle-class family. I guess that has changed now. The call centers have given young college kids a free reign over their pocket-money with which I’m sure they can afford to buy more magazines, more regularly now. (The general economical climate in India is pretty favorable itself – more jobs, better starting salaries and more money to spend!)
Will I-pod beat Radio Mirchi?
December 3rd, 2005 • 5 comments To be filed
A close friend was wondering what to buy for his girl-friend’s birthday. I suggested I-pod video or the nano. He simply shurgged and said, it would be useless in India.
I wondered why and a long discussion ensued.
1) Number one reason sited was the internet speed. Even though most major cities in India boast of fast DSL and cable-internet services, it supposedly is nowhere in comparison with America. To download videos and songs (from limewire, bit-torrent, or i-tunes – a fast and reliable internet connection is number one priority)
I agee partly with this reasoning. I’ve had DSL since forever at my home in Bombay and something goes wrong with the service (or the computer!) every other day. But this is not an impossible problem to repair.
2) "The Radio killed the cassette. It will not spare the I-pod." This is a debate I’m wary of.
Since late 2001, cities like Bombay have seen a downpour of major FM channels. (The radio market in Bombay alone increased from $2.5 million to $12.5 million in the last 5 years alone)
Each is out there to outdo the other. They’ve got it all – young, vivacious and talented Rj’s, great give-aways, interviews with Bollywood celebrities (in some cases celebrities even host shows!) and most of all, great music. As opposed to one FM channel I grew up with that had maybe one show featuring new songs, this is a fresh and drastic change.
Audio CD’s were the harbinger’s of the audio cassette’s death, but the radio channels hit the nail on its deathbed. Apart from the rickshaw-wallahs and taxi’s, a very tiny percentage indulges in audio cassettes anymore.
My friend reasoned that his girl-friend’s gym, her car, even her work-place constantly had one of the radio channel’s on and so she’d never really use her i-pod. Valid reasons. Valid argument.
I don’t remember using my I-pod much when I was visiting Bombay this summer. But then again, I was probably just too lazy to charge it……
The Anthropologie Experience
December 2nd, 2005 • 1 comment To be filed
A few months back I gushed over how lovely it was to window-shop at Anthropologie. Urban Outfitters, the store’s parent company is headquartered in Philadelphia. This weekend, I stopped by the flagship store on Walnut street just for some eye-candy. Here’s some for you!
Hip-hop meets haiku
December 2nd, 2005 • 1 comment To be filed
I had to plug this in –
Last year I took a very awe-inspiring class about International News Media. My professor, Fabienne Darling-Wolf invited lots of guest-speakers to give a truly international flavor to the class. She’s pretty culturally assimilated herself –born in France, studied in USA and completed her thesis in Japan.
One of the guest speakers, Prof. Kyle Cleveland gave us a presentation about Japanese youth. He teaches race/ethnicity at my university’s Tokyo campus and has been researching the Japanese youth interaction with hip-hop.
I came across this article today that mentioned his research. While I don’t have more information at hand, I’ve already requested him for an interview.
Japanese youth and hip-hop, huh. Here’s another facet of their personality that I wasn’t truly aware of!
On making movies out of books
November 30th, 2005 • 2 comments To be filed
C.S Lewis’s, The Narnia Chronicles- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, releases next week. This film holds mass expectations. Although the Narnia Chronicles were not as famous as The Lord of the Rings, the series has its own share of devotees.
The Chronicles were on my "to read" list for so long that I was compelled to buy the book today so I could read it before watching the movie.
I visited the local Barnes and Noble today and saw the Narnia displays. The hard-cover, the soft-cover, the paperbacks, the little versions, the audio versions, the big, fat, golden paged versions, books with pictures of movie stills – every single kind. (Publishers and bookstores did this at the launch of Lord of the Rings and Harry potter too)
The sales of the Narnia books have actually shot up because of the upcoming movie. The President and Publisher of Harper Collins Children’s books, Susan Katz, said that they’ve lined up 25 movie tie-in editions. The box set that includes all the 7 books, was number 2 on NYtimes Children’s best-selling books.
I love it that such fantasy classics are made into movies. It encourages more people to read the books. However, there are those who prefer to watch just the movie – missing out on the worlds their imaginations may have created for them as they read the books.
When I watch movie adaptations, what I enjoy most is comparing notes – checking if the grandeur, the sets, the characters, the outdoors of the movie are anywhere close to my imagination. With Harry Potter – it met dead on. I hope it’s the case with Narnia as well.