Here are the Top 5 Fashion Trendsetters and Best Dressed Celebrities from 2012.

BEST DRESSED: DEEPIKA PADUKONE

Deepika Padukone was the undisputed queen of the red carpet in 2012. Always event appropriate and immaculately put together, she experimented like never before and was seen in fitted body con dresses, distressed denims and shorts with blazers and Indian wear. For her red carpet appearances she favoured floor length (and sometimes high neck) dresses that made her quite the statuesque show-stopper. My favourite look from her was of course the red-hot Gaurav Gupta Couture gown from GQ Men of the Year Awards followed closely by her zebra printed Naeem Khan worn to the Big Star Entertainment awards and the Dolce and Gabbana black and gold dress worn to the Vogue Beauty Awards.
As Anaita Adajania from Vogue India put it, she is undoubtedly a true ‘Glamazon’!

BEST DRESSED RUNNER-UP: ANUSHKA SHARMA

Anushka Sharma also had a great year fashion-wise and she wowed us with her elegant choices. Few of her stand-out looks from the year were the purple Roberto Cavalli gown from Jab Tak Hai Jaan Premiere and her shimmering black pant-suit for Karan Johar’s Birthday bash. But my favourite remains her stylish white Zara shorts and sleeveless jacket ensemble from the Women’s Health Magazine launch event. It was young, sophisticated and fun in equal measure. She is also someone who changes up her hair and makeup with most looks. 

BREAK-OUT FASHION STAR: SAMEERA REDDY

2012 was a break-out year for Sameera Reddy as we saw her reinvent her herself leaving us spellbound with her sartorial choices. She took risks, most of which paid off and endorsed upcoming new Indian designers. My favourite looks from her included the red Christian Dior floor length dress she wore to the People’s Choice Awards with Chanel pumps, printed Marni top paired with yellow palazzos and a Chanel bag at Credai Awards and the edgy print on print Dev R Nil ensemble. The best was of course the Kallol Datta outfit with a red draped skirt and grey and black cut-out top which was accessorised perfectly with a striking neckpiece.

THE QUINTESSENTIAL RISK-TAKER: NATASHA POONAWALA

No one does high-fashion quite like socialite Natasha Poonawala. From the races to the red-carpet, she is a Fashion pro.  Always refreshing with her choices, she went from Valentino and Vivienne Westwood to Oscar De La Renta and Dolce and Gabbana across her appearances, always changing it up and experimenting. My favourites this year were her fashion forward appearances in prints, Mary Katranzou and Peter Pilotto. Time our Bollywood Divas took some notes and woke up to new designers.

ETERNALLY CHIC: KARISMA KAPOOR

Always polished and graceful, Karisma Kapoor revels in her trademark ladylike, minimalist looks. Whether it is working chic separates or dresses and Indian wear, she favours tailored silhouettes and works the hell out of them!

Do you agree with my best dressed list? Who would have scored in yours?

As the days get colder, most of you would have already started updating your winter wardrobes. This week, we look at the all-purpose jacket that not only helps protect you from the elements but also has the potential to add a chic twist to your ensemble, provided you pick the right pieces.

Doing Casual

A great jacket is one of those versatile pieces that takes you from morning to evening and from casual to dressed up in minutes. Deepika Padukone dresses up her casual tees and ripped denims with white or black blazers and a stack of bracelets or a striking neckpiece. Kareena Kapoor keeps comfortable on flights with her stylish dark grey one button jacket sans lapels and Shazahn Padamsee pairs her casual evening jeans and printed top with a light coloured blazer and an orange bag to keep it interesting.  

All Dressed Up

If you are looking to dress up for the evening or a formal occasion and still keep warm, layer your jacket on your favorite dress or a slinky gown like Priyanka Chopra who looks fabulous in a pink camera print Masaba dress that she paired with a black blazer and sky high heels and Jessica Alba who looks uber chic in a Ralph Lauren leather jacket paired with her printed Prabal Gurung dress. You can also try a menswear inspired pant suit in a stand out colour like Jennifer Hudson who is rocking that green Michael Kors pantsuit!

Don’t shy away from colours and experimental cuts and forms, this season. Try out prints, multi-colours and bold hues in blazers, bombers, parkas and quilted biker jackets. There are tweed, leather and silk options to choose from in varied cuts and styles. Always looks for the perfect shoulder fit for your jackets and pick styles that flatter your body type and camouflage your problem areas.

Currently, I am in love with my indigo Zara jacket and my Oxblood Topshop open blazer. What about you?  Let me know! Leave a comment or Tweet me @2bpritha

We can already feel a pleasant nip in the air, so it’s fitting that we look at trends that are beginning to gain momentum for Fall 2012. The first key trend that we will cover this week is the regal ‘Cape’.

The trend was seen at Alessandra Rich’s Spring 2012 presentation, Holmes and Yang and Tom Ford Fall 2012 collections, among others. The flowing chiffon capes at Valentino Fall 2012 Couture added a lot of drama to the runway. Dolce and Gabbana’s Fall 2012 collection featured gorgeous capes with embellishments and gold thread embroidery on rich fabrics like velvet.

The torch bearer for this trend was of course, Gwyneth Paltrow in the sleek Tom Ford gown with a cape at the 2012 Oscars. She stunned everyone with the simplicity and chicness of her look. The always ahead-of-the-curve fashion wise, Sarah Jessica Parker wore a Valentino Fall 2012 Couture gown with a cape to the New York Ballet Fall Gala back in September.

Supermodel Karolina Kurkova looked fabulous in a flowing red Valentino Fall 2012 Couture gown with a pleated cascading cape at the New York Ballet Fall Gala 2012. Newbie Elle Fanning wore a big floral print Rochas Resort 2013 gown with a cardigan thrown over her shoulders as a cape.

Here are a few tips to get the styling right for this trend. In addition to throwing a cardigan as a cape over your evening dress a la Elle Fanning, you can also pair a cape with skinny cropped pants or jumpsuits for a casual day out. You can also experiment with knee length dresses with built-in cape overlay like Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Dolce and Gabbana Fall 2012 lace dress or capesque sleeves. As the look employs layers, keep accessories minimal.

This one is a sure-shot way to add a bit of drama to your winter wear and keep warm as well! What do you think of the Cape trend? Let me know your thoughts. Tweet me @2bpritha

What a week! Action packed, festive and back-to-back big movie releases. So it’s fitting that we look back at some of the best looks that we saw at both, Hollywood and Bollywood, red carpet premieres.

The big Bollywood release this week was Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Yash Chopra’s swansong. Of the lead actors, Anushka Sharma stole the show looking statuesque in an ink-blue Roberto Cavalli one shouldered mermaid gown with diamond earrings and a cocktail ring. Katrina Kaif wore a nude embellished Tarun Tahiliani couture draped sari, which just had a lot going on for my liking though she did carry it off well.

Sonam Kapoor though managed to hog all the fashion limelight in a delightful princessy floor length Elie Saab Couture white dress, paired with a matching white clutch and drop earrings. What really made all the difference was how she styled her hair. Priety Zinta’s sari is not something I fancy, but she sure looked great in that colour and silhouette!

Internationally, princessy, ethereal gowns continued to rule with Keira Knightley looking lovely in an Erdem custom gown in mint with blue lace floral embroidery, at the LA premiere of Anna Karenina. The Twilight star cast came out in full strength and in all their fashion finery at the LA premiere for the last instalment of the series.  Nikki Reed rocked a sleek Versace light grey gown and Ashley Greene looked stunning in a ruffled blush Donna Karan one shouldered gown.

Kristen Stewart was of course the belle of the ball at her Premieres. She rocked back to back Zuhair Murad sheer looks. First being a nude strapless gown that she wore with beautiful fuchsia lips and hair swept to one side. Next up was an edgier, lace sheer black jumpsuit look with near nude lips and smoky eyes.

What do you think of all the looks? Which one was your favourite?

Ring in Diwali this year by adding some colour and sparkle to your wardrobe and celebrating Indian fabrics and silhouettes. Style Mantra this week looks at some key trends in Indian wear that will make you shine bright at every party this week.

Yellow:
Celebrations in India typically mean an OD on red. This year, think Yellow. It’s bright, it’s happy, it’s auspicious and it also looks amazing on Indian skin. Check out Vidya Balan in her yellow and black Sabyasachi anarkali, or Sridevi and Kajol in Manish Malhora saris with contrasting pink accents, for inspiration.

Latest silhouettes:
Take a cue from Sridevi and try out lehenga cholis in bright off-beat colours and keep one element solid to avoid a busy bridal feel. Go for a fully embroidered straight cut kurta with churidaars like Aishwarya’s Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla ensemble or a floor length lightly embellished anarkali like Madhuri Dixit’s Manish Malhotra creation.

From the Modern…
Take style tips from celebrities on how to make the Sari young and fun. Sonam Kapoor wore this gorgeous Anamika Khanna half sari which set-off a new trend this year, she followed it up with a fun printed Pacman sari. Vidya Balan went out of her Sabyasachi comfort zone to sport this modern colour blocked sari from Masaba.

…to the Traditional
Traditional weaves though are timeless and never fail to charm. Invest in some Kanjeevarams, Chanderi, Dhakai silks or traditional Indian embroidered pieces that will last you forever.

So this Diwali, Remember to:
- Experiment with your wardrobe but keep it simple
- Change up your hair. Pull it up in a neat plaited bun to show-off a dressy neckline, try a side plait or add some fresh flowers to tied or open hair
- Keep your Makeup complementary to what you are wearing
- Add one statement piece of Jewelery
- Have fun and smile a lot. Nothing makes you look more beautiful!

Wishing all the readers of Style Mantra a brilliant Diwali!

We tend to associate red-carpet event style with high octane glamour, blacks and strong colours, shimmer and shine. But since early 2012 an emerging new trend has been chic and sleek whites on the red-carpet.

Early this year, we saw the uber stylish Gwyneth Paltrow turn heads at the Oscar red-carpet with a modern Tom Ford column gown in pristine white. Since then, nearly every red carpet across keenly watched international events has thrown up white stand out gowns. Be it Rihanna in a sexy draped Adam Shelman gown with a bare back at the MTV VMAs or Carrie Underwood (who was on every best dressed list last week) in the beautiful white Reem Acra gown with metallic leaf detailing, that she wore to the Country Music Awards, which she also hosted.     

Eva Longoria glided down the Cannes red carpet on Day 2 wearing an Emilio Pucci gown with a long train and sheer inserts, Jessica Pare (of Mad Men fame) looked stunning in a one-shouldered Jason Wu Grecian gown at the 2012 Emmy Awards and Kate Hudson, who has been wowing everyone with her new-found style mojo, looked amazing in a white Alexander McQueen column gown with a centre slit at the Toronto International Film Festival.   

Stars back home are not to be left far behind. At the recent People’s Choice Awards, white stood out as the colour of choice for most stars. Parineeti Chopra wore a simple Anita Dongre gown with a fully chikan embroidered skirt and cut-out back, Katrina Kaif wore a tiered Valentino lace mini dress with violet strappy sandals and Kareena Kapoor smouldered in a white one-shoulder David Meister shimmering gown. Kareena was the best dressed at the event according to me.

The key to rocking whites is to keep the rest of the look minimal and refined, to go with the pristine colour. Here are a few tips:

1. While picking a white dress, choose streamlined silhouettes with simple accents like a shimmery insert, drape or embroidery that lifts the look.
2. Keep the look feminine by wearing your hair either in retro waves or a simple updo.
3. To avoid being too one-note, play around with colour in your accessories like a strappy sandal or clutch in a contrasting colour.
4. You can choose to keep the look clean by opting for nude makeup or go for glamour with a striking red pout.

So will you go for the chic white look anytime soon?

Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring Summer 2013 threw up some very strong collections this year and going by the top-quality that we got to see, this one was a roaring success. I loved the wearable collections from Atsu, Dev R Nil, Rimzim Dadu’s My Village and Ashish Soni’s flood of prints from his ‘Cytology- The Micro Lab’ collection.  

As is the norm at Style Mantra, I give you a round-up of the key trends that stood out.

1. Colour Me Bright!
Beautiful and vibrant shades of Green, Orange, Pink and Blue took to the runways which augurs a very colourful spring summer! My favorites were the lime green kurta from Anand Kabra, a dark coral embellished and sheer sheath dress from Rohit Gandhi Rahul Khanna and a beautiful flowy heart-print pink maxi from Dev R Nil. I hope to see these pieces on celebrities real soon.

2. Black and White
The versatile Black & White combination continues to be a favourite with designers, with graphic prints as presented at am:pm and minimalistic dresses from Rishta with all-over prints -  the options were many.  

3. Relaxed and Cropped Pants
The key trends for lowers include cropped, printed, embellished, fitted & tapered to relaxed dhoti pants. I loved the loose fitted, well-tailored cropped pants that Rimzim Dadu presented and the pink dhoti pants from Payal Pratap’s collection. From the printed options available, I liked Ashish Soni’s colourful printed cropped pants and Gaurav Gupta’s take on black & white prints.

4. Easy, Fluid Drapes & Layers:
Summer Style will be all about an easy vibe through asymmetrical hemlines, tulip skirts, contemporary free flowing silhouettes and immaculate drapes as seen at collections from Kiran Uttam Ghosh, James Ferreira, Pero, Shivan Narresh, Rimzim Dadu and Dev R Nil.

5. Soft Pastels and Florals
In stark contrast to the deluge of strong colours and neons, designers like Wendell Rodrigues, Varun Bahl, Hemant and Nandita, Dev R Nil and James Ferreira presented beautiful wearable pieces in soft pastels and feminine florals that were easy on the eye.

6. Sheer Beauty
In line with the hot international trend, a lot of designers back home experimented with sheer ensembles. Ranging from the sexy sheer embellished concoction from Rohit Gandhi Rahul Khanna to a sheer overlay maxi skirt from Namrata Joshipura, the options to pick from, were many. Alpana & Neeraj used sheer on a beautiful light pink peplum top and Hemant & Nandita created a sheer floral top that they styled with coral shorts.

7. Peplum and Architectural:
Fans of structure need not be disappointed as Peplum and sharp modern cuts and silhouettes also took to the runways. Designers like Alpana & Neeraj, Namrata Joshipura, am-pm and Hemant & Nandita showcased a great mix of cuts with bright colours and sheer.

8. Prints and Embellishments
Prints in all shapes and sizes took to the runways for Spring Summer 2013. Take your pick from Aztec inspired pieces from Surily Goel, honeycomb from Dev R Nil, James Ferreira’s dreamy florals, kitschy prints from Nida Mahmood to the experimental red blood cell prints from Ashish Soni.

9. Shimmer and Shine
Embellishments from beads and tassels to delicate, stunning embroidered and textured pieces added character to presentations. The evening wear shimmering pieces from Rohit Gandhi Rahul Khanna, Poonam Bhagat’s Taika collection with Suzani embroidery and Manish Malhotra’s intricately embroidered Indian wear stood out.

10. Make-up
Next summer bare your skin and let it breathe. The WLIFW SS 2013 runways showed us how to rock barely there makeup with nude lips, strong brows and lacquered or pulled back hair and glowing skin.

What do you think of the trends for Spring Summer 2013? Leave me a tweet at @2bpritha
Check out all the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week action on our MSN Lifestyle Galleries.

GQ Men of the Year Awards 2012 was most definitely one of the better dressed events this calendar year.

The Best Dressed torch bearer for the event was of course Deepika Padukone, who was a complete knock-out in a sexy red lace Gaurav Gupta couture dress with a shorter bouncy hairdo and red lips. Hot, I say!

Nargis Fakhri looked AH-mazing in a purple Roberto Cavalli gown paired with gold accessories. The statement gold necklace accentuated the plunging neckline. She styled her hair in natural curls.

Sarah Jane Dias looked beautiful in an AM:PM blue ombre draped gown with her hair tied to the side with a stand out hair accessory. She kept the rest of the look simple and looked uber stylish.  

Shazahn Padamsee tried out a different look and looked good while doing it. The blue Shivan Narresh gown looks great on her. Her Gucci clutch though was a tad big for the look.

Sagarika Ghatge looked great in a dark pink gown with waist draping. She accessorised with what looked like an Edie Parker clutch and wavy hair pulled over one shoulder.

Jacqueline Fernandez wore a black Amit GT gown with overall embellishments. Though she wears it well, there seems to be something missing, maybe a bright clutch or a darker lip colour would have elevated the look.  

Kajol was an unlikely casualty at the event in a flared below the knee unflattering dress. (I can’t imagine I am saying this for a Prabal Gurung dress!) She seemed to be trying too hard and her discomfort showed.  

More of the same. Esha Gupta gave us another metallic Rohit Gandhi-Rahul Khanna gown. It was the styling that let her down, there was just one shiny element too many in her look.

Kalki is usually someone who gets it right on the red carpet, but on this occasion the Gaurav Gupta gold gown didn’t do her justice.  

Konkona Sen Sharma, Vidya Balan and Dia Mirza gave us Indian looks and I thought Konkona looked the best. Vidya’s look had nothing new to offer (I do love her Sabya!) and I didn’t like Diya’s sari though her accessories hair and make-up can’t be faulted.

Who was your favourite from the event?
Can’t decide? Check out all the looks on MSN Lifestyle

Almost as an ode to the waning summer, sunny hues made a splash at the 2012 Emmy Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. last night when breath-taking gowns took to the red carpet. Here is a look at my favourite looks and key trends from arguably one of the most well-dressed events of 2012.

Claire Danes walked away with top honours for Homeland and glowed in a draped silk Lanvin dress in canary yellow that looked divine against her tumbling golden locks. The fit was just right for the pregnant actress.

Julie Bowen looked glamorous in a draped, strapless column gown from Monique Lhuillier in bright yellow. She accessorized with a Swarovski gold clutch.

Leslie Mann wowed in a beautiful Naeem Khan Spring 2013 creation which has a striking marigold billowing skirt and a nude beaded top. She added contrasting turquoise jewels.

Padma Lakshmi stunned in a tangerine draped Monique Lhuillier Resort 2013 strapless trumpet gown. She let her dress shine by adding simple jewels and minimal makeup.

Ginnifer Goodwin looked super chic in a Monique Lhuillier nude gown with orange appliques and on-trend high-low-hem. She added orange Christian Louboutin’s Bis Un Bout pumps to complete the look.

Here is a look at some other lovely coloured gowns that took to the red carpet.

Allison Williams donned a glamorous emerald-green Oscar de la Renta gown and Modern Family actress Sofia Vergara looked statuesque in a sexy teal halter necked Zuhair Murad gown. Hayden Panettiere got the first dibs into Marchesa’s India inspired Spring 2013 collection. She wore a sari-inspired gold column gown with draped blue tulle overlay.

In a sea of colour, there were some black, nude and white gowns that also stood out. Prominent among those was January Jones’ dramatic show-stopping  Zac Posen gown with architectural details styled with a striking Cartier bracelet. Emilia Clarke, wore a chic white Chanel dress with purple embroidery and Jessica Pare looked like a million bucks in a one-shouldered Jason Wu white gown.

The Top Trends that came out of the Emmys include strapless gowns in striking colours predominantly citrusy hues of yellow and orange and barely there, natural make-up (as seen at NYFW Spring Summer 2013 runways) and glossy blown out locks.

Which was your favourite Emmy 2012 look?  

Kareena Kapoor has had a great promo run with her much hyped movie ‘Heroine’ that hit the theatres this weekend. She was seen everywhere from TV shows, to religious functions, launches and photo-calls.
Here’s presenting a round-up of some of her looks.

She did monotones and black & white at a few events and my favourite was the Osman dress (centre) with leather detail and tassels which she wore to the launch of the new Filmfare, which has her on the cover. She wore the dress with blue-green satin YSL sandals to add a pop of colour and pulled her hair back.
At the 2nd HT Brunch Dialogues event she wore a Rajesh Pratap Singh linen printed Jacket with black pants and pink satin platforms. She wore her hair in a top knot. I don’t like that belt with the jacket but she did look good.
Her white Osman dress worn to a media event, has an unflattering silhouette and length that doesn’t quite work for her, though I liked the gorgeous statement necklace and her nude peep-toes. The OD on the smoky eyes and patchy make-up don’t help either. This was my least favourite of the three looks.

Kareena rocked all her Indian wear appearances in ensembles by her go-to Indian Wear designer, Manish Malhotra. I loved her bight orange sorbet sari with a pink border worn at the ‘Indian Idol’ finale. Her statement earrings are beautiful! Truly glamorous. My next favourite was her emerald green Anarkali worn on the TV show ‘Jhalak Dikhla Ja’. She was spotted offering prayers on Ganesh Chaturthi in a pink net sari with her hair pulled into a bun with flowers.

She also didn’t shy away from colour and shimmer which made for the best appearances during her promotions. The red Emmanuel Ungaro jumpsuit look is by far the best she has looked in a long time. Paired with a gold cuff, sandals and thin belt to add definition to her waist, she finished off the look with a red lip and pulled back hair.
She continued to amaze in colour in a pink berry hued high-low hem, Halston Heritage maxi dress with an abstract black pattern. She gave her marble print aquamarine Ungaro dress a Vivienne Westwood-esque touch by wearing it off-the shoulder.
She was very much the glam doll in her gold sequin Atsu dress. Red lips packed a punch and so did the half-up half down hair style.

For her more casual outings, she preferred knee length dresses. My favorites were the emerald green Rachel Roy shirt dress with blue trims that she wore with nude Louboutins to the taping of ‘The Front Row with Anupama Chopra’ followed closely by her blue pleated Pernia Qureshi dress.

Which was your favourite Kareena Kapoor look from her Heroine promotions? You can tweet me @2bpritha