The Artisan's Pride

Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan launch ‘First Class’ song from Kalank and Alia’s ethnic look for the event is worth bookmarking. Alia Bhatt proves she is an ultimate millennial style diva every time she makes an appearance. Not only does she flaunt the latest fashion fad but makes heads turn in ethnic Lehenga or salwar. This time for the launch of the romantic period drama Kalank’s second song, First Class, Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan were dressed in their ethnic outfits and the style diva looked gracefully as ever.Alia oozed grace in a black sharara with intricate  lucknowi chinkankari  design all over it which was designed by Anita Dongre. She completed the look with Chunky jewellery, wedged kohlapuri and perfectly straight hair.

And mind you, chikan is not restricted to kurtas and suits, you can find beautiful dresses, floor length anarkalis, suit pieces, sarees and unstitched material that you can dye and play along with according to your liking. So what are you waiting for? Head to Seva and buy yourself a beautiful   lucknowi chikankari   outfit already. Hazratganj-   6 Park Road, Hazratganj Lucknow 226001 (Ph No- 9044056508) Indira Nagar-   A-244 near Neelgiri complex, Indira Nagar – 226016 (Ph No- 0522-4062861) Alambagh-   565/KA near Amrudahi Bagh, Sringar Nagar Alambagh, Lucknow 226005 (Ph No- 0522-4303502)

Holi is just around the corner and we realise how tedious it gets to put together an outfit at the last minute. Here is some inspiration from your favourite   Bollywood divas   to put together the perfect attire for   Holi   this year. Sara Ali Khan   styling a simple white kurta white dupatta is the ultimate   Holi party outfit . You can complete the look with minimal gold earrings or bangles. The Holi gulaal can give the additional burst of colours or you can add it yourself with a multi-coloured dupatta. Jhanvi Kapoor’s   chikankari kurta   with oxidized earrings can give you that carefree Holi party look without the hassle of carrying a scarf or dupatta. You can also style the look with a short chikankari kurta and a pair of blue jeans. Alia Bhatt’s   white floral suit with a light dupatta and churidar is a good option for Holi. Complete the look with a pair of silver jhumkas or add a silver bracelet. Kareena Kapoor Khan’s plain...

Janhvi Kapoor also gave us a   chikankari   wear goal with her latest ensemble. She was spotted at the Dharma office and looked wonderful in her traditional attire. Her outfit was lightweight and perfect as an office wear. Let’s decode her outfit and look, which totally caught our attention. The ‘Dhadak’ actress wore a long white kurta, which featured full sheer sleeves and the kurta of hers was richly embroidered. The neckline was elaborate and the kurta was accentuated by flared silhouette.   Janhvi   teamed her kurta with matching palazzo pants, which were also crafted out of a light fabric and enhanced by meticulously-done border. The diva paired her ensemble with multi-hued juttis, which contrasted her attire. She carried a blue-hued sling purse with her and accessorised her look with ethnic jhumkis. The makeup was dewy-toned with a pink lip shade and subtle kohl. The side-swept wavy tresses completed her traditional look. So, what do you think about ...

Beat the heat Ambara presents ‘Flowers in Chikankari’ by Serenity, Lucknow with a spring collection of   Lucknowi Chikankari   sarees, dupattas and suit pieces for day as well as more formal wear. There’s a soft and gentle fabric from Baragaon Weaves and printed Chanderi kurta pieces along with a range of linen saris with Chikankari highlights. Shop for some delicate chiffons, Kota dupattas or sarees in Chikankari – perfect for a cool summer look. WHERE: Ambara, 22 Annaswamy Mudaliar Road, Overlooking Ulsoor Lake WHEN: March 13-16 CALL: 25575196 / 9845199896 Bluesy tunes Thayirsadam Blues are your friendly neighbourhood band, inspired by the elegant simplicity of Curd Rice a.k.a Thayirsadam. They bring you a soulful blend of modern pop, jazz, funk and reggae music with a bluesy touch to it. The band is going to have Aditya Veera on Lead Vocals / Guitar, Shawn Jacob on Bass / Cajon and Aadarsh Subramaniam on keys. WHERE: Foxtrot, 2nd Floor, NTR Royal Plaza, Mar...

Producers Sajid Nadiadwala and Karan Johar with actors Alia Bhatt, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Sanjay Dutt and Varun Dhawan attended the teaser launch of their upcoming film “Kalank” in Mumbai on Tuesday. Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan were seen colour coordinating in white outfits. Alia looked pretty in a white   lucknowi chikankari   kurti and leggings with a matching dupatta. She rounded her look by pairing it up with silver jhumkis and white strappy heels. While Varun sported a handsome look wearing a white bandhgala kurta with floral prints on the cuffs and white pyjamas. He teamed it up with black shoes. On the other hand, Sonakshi Sinha and Aditya Roy Kapur opted for a red look. Sonakshi donned a gorgeous look wearing an all-red sharara with thread work all over the kurti. She completed her look by teaming up with a matching dupatta which had frills at the hem. A green choker necklace rounded her lookout. Aditya looked handsome as ever i...

TV actor   Paras Arora , who shot to fame from the show ‘ Veer Shivaji ‘, was recently in the city accompanied by Dehradun based   Shivani Badoni , who is acting with him in her debut show ‘ Baawle Utaawle ‘. While Paras has visited Lucknow earlier, this was Shivani’s first visit to the city. “I remember it was 2001 or 2002, I was a kid, 7 ya 8 saal ka hounga jab mein last Lucknow aaya tha,” says Paras, adding, “I had a dance performance here in which I had won the first prize.” Paras trying out a chikan kurta at the shop (BCCL/ Farhan Ahmad Siddiqui) After fulfilling their professional commitments, both Paras and Shivani went shopping for chikan garments. “I like   lucknowi chikankari   clothes very much. Honestly speaking I don’t have much knowledge about this art, I have taken Shivani’s help in selecting the clothes. Now I just hope that whatever I have bought, meri mummy ko woh pasand aaye.” Shivani, who was well acquainted with the embroidery, says, “I’m ...

There is a delicious sense of languor that fills you when you alight at the mint new, international Choudhry Charan Singh Airport, or chug in at the quaint Charbagh Railway station: Lucknow spells sheer calm, sometimes splendour, and always an all-pervasive lull in its Mughal architecture, lip-curling   Awadhi kebabs   and   biryani , near-ethereal   lucknowi c hikankari   and more. From the airport, it is best and safest to avail of the pre-paid air conditioned taxi option to get to your destination. The wide, beautifully-maintained roads via the cantonment are a brilliant choice as opposed to the traffic-crammed Charbagh station route leading into the city. Once inside the main city, bank on the locally and easily available rickshaws with their pullers yanking you aboard and away on trundling wheels. It’s quite a joyride as you hold on to your sliding rear on the smooth, shiny seats while the rickshaw-puller skates around the crossroads and scree...