Getting high-octane glamour in synergy with the celebratory mood of this season, Pernia’s Pop-Up Show Festive ’19 had two days dedicated to luxurious indulgences. Fashionistas of Mumbai, forces of glamour and many loved personalities graced the event adding to its thrill. Every season of the Show is revered for the unique experiences and concepts staged for the visitors to enjoy along with their shopping adventures. Taking it up a notch this season, a special panel discussion was hosted to elevate the indulgent hours for the shoppers. Style influencer & luxury consultant- Prerna Goel along with Leena Mukhi, Director of Beauty & Personal Care for Cocoon, connoisseur Designer Pranay Baidya and Celebrity Nutritionist & Author Pooja Makhija shared expert views from their sphere of excellence.
Pooja Makhija
Pooja Makhija who recently launched her book ‘N for Nourish’ talked at length about healthy eating habits for children and ways to streamline their diet. “N for Nourish is my third but India’s first book for children, written especially for kids to read for themselves. We as parents always want the best for our kids. We give them every training we can, self-defence, special skills like even learning mandarin, so why not give your children the tools to take care of themselves and keep themselves disease-free and healthy for the rest of his life; make them know the tricks to use their food to keep themselves nourished.”
“N for Nourish is for book 10+-year-old children, which directly talks to them and gives them tips, tricks and secrets so that they can better themselves, whether it is academics, athletics, attitude, skin, hair, more energy, memory. If you teach your child what happens when you sleep less or drink less water or skip breakfast, they comply with these little important habits.”
“N for Nourish is for every growing child, with lots of graphics lots of games but not kiddish. Because 21st-century kids are way smarter than we were, I tried to be as cool as the Gen Y kids! It will definitely bring a change to your child’s attitude towards food. We as adults have hopped from one diet to another, scared of eating carbs and food and I do not want that resonating with our children. Our food is what keeps us alive and happy, have our skin glow and gives the zest in your life. So it’s important to love food to love life.”
Prerna Goel
Prerna emphasized on the importance of balancing elan with ease. She stated, ” Style is not a thing to be stereotyped in a specific way. Each one of us has something or the other that is very stylish. Maybe the way they wear their top or a scarf, the way they wear their kurtas. So every woman has something that is so special. It is actually a way of saying something without saying anything at all. It’s like how you put something together and it kind of speaks for itself.”
“Be at ease with yourself and you’ll be able to carry yourself in whatever you wear with elan. When I style somebody, we ask them about their likes and dislikes, then we put together looks without disrupting their comfort zone. It is very important to be both comfortable & stylish, be a man or a woman.”
Leena Mukhi
Leena Mukhi, connected beauty regime with personal hygiene. She emphasized small habits like taking off the makeup before going to bed. Talking about her organic beauty brand- Cocoon, she said, “Just to enlighten everyone, I would like to stress on is we don’t really identify while buying if the product is actually tried & tested.”
“We at Cocoon test every product produced. These are proper tests done on human volunteers, over a period of 3-6 months, depending on what the product is and only after we get a positive result, we go ahead launching it. We are completely against animal testing and cruelty, we have a foundation caring for them. I would really suggest, keep your eyes open, read what you are buying, and buy products that are tried and tested.”
Pranay Baidya
Designer Pranay Baidya unravelled how men’s fashion has evolved over the years. The designer shared how his entry into menswear designing was incidental. “Being a designer you end up making clothes for yourself. Whenever I would be seen at a public event or a party, I would always have friends and gentleman come up to me and enquire about what I’m wearing. And we didn’t have menswear in our portfolio then. That’s how my menswear label started about three years ago.”
“The whole idea of pink is a feminine colour isn’t considered anymore. In fact, it is the most popular colour in menswear. We have a short pink kurta in our latest collection inspired by Mughal architecture. It has been an absolute sellout. It sort of indicates how people, in general, are changing their viewpoints. Another thing that I have noticed personally is that men are very loyal customers. We have clients who’ve shopped from us since I launched my first menswear collection and still do. Once they like something they stick to it, call it comfort or loyalty.”
Talking about his signature style, he said, “As a designer, when I’m crafting a garment or making a piece of jewellery, I give much importance to what goes inside as well as what’s on the outside, I don’t really agree with the concept of beauty is skin deep. I really feel that we live in an age where we can empower ourselves and be confident about the fact that everything that we live for, and everything that touches our lives, whether internally, externally, our personality, the clothes that we wear, the jewellery, the makeup, definitely adds to our personality. That is something I would like to believe.”
Prerna Goel signed off shining a light on the shopping habits of today’s women. “Go shop your heart out but always also keep in mind that shopping should have a purpose. Just stop hoarding things. When I do wardrobe styling, the first thing we do is clear up things we don’t need. It makes life simpler and makes space for something purposeful. Be kind to yourself. You don’t have to compare yourself to anyone. You have to see who you are and what you are and how would you like to dress yourself up and that’s what matters. We all work on ourselves. You want to wear something and look beautiful, work on yourself. But also be kind to yourself.”