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| Home | Issues | The Daily Star Home | Volume 6, Issue 15, Tuesday, April 12, 2011 |
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LS EDITOR'S NOTE Boishakhi dreams
My matching glass bangles, a simple flat slipper and lots of beli on my half done bun will be my accessories for the day. My quick breakfast would be a bowl of water-soaked flat rice laced with sweet yoghurt. Since it is my dream, I would enter Ramna easily as there would be less traffic at that hour and most importantly find myself the perfect spot under the banyan canopy from where I can usher in the New Year singing with others. Let me take the liberty of doing that because in actuality I think I am tone deaf. Anyway then I would join in the Mongol Shobha Jatra and dance my way to Shahbag crossing. My brunch of oil free paratha, niramish and beef bhuna at the obscure pichi er dokan will leave me on a high for the Boishakhi Mela I wish to visit. I love melas and I fantasise about going to a special haat in some random, remote village. I would head out straight towards the Tangail highway and take a turn nearing Pathrail and the narrow detour would take me to a village fair that is being held in an open space surrounded by the shimul trees. Liveliest in the late afternoon, the fair which is the village weekly haat has everything my heart fancies. Fresh vegetables, cane baskets, country chicken eggs, (a rarity in real markets now) ducks, not to forget the moa and narus. The village housewife, who would sell off her home grown vegetables and after getting a good bargain, she would set off to enjoy the mela with her brood of three. She would end up near the man sitting under the tree shade with a glass box full of Tangail's famous sandesh. He shares the space with the juice vendor and achar wala, the kids frenzying over the delights would be something I would lovingly watch from the tea stall. I would have special malai chai and soak my biscuits in it without paying any heed to my manners.
The fair is obviously buzzing with activity; the barbers under the open sky are doing brisk business, the colourful gamcha vendors equally busy, the joy rides, the fluorescent pink cotton candies; all these lend a unique vibrancy to the atmosphere. I would soak in the entire colour and vivacity of the mela and head towards home giddy with happiness. But alas this is just my wish and it would hardly come true. Maybe this year I would simply dream on, yes that can be my New Year's resolution. Shubho Noboborsho to all my readers and do try to enjoy the deshi delights Star Lifestyle is promoting this week. -- By Raffat Binte Rashid LAUNCH New Fragrance on the block: Bvlgari MAN Dressing for big occasions, we tend to ponder over all the little details, from removing the last crinkle from our shirt to wiping off the very trace of dust from our shoes. However, appearances can only get one so far. There is yet another significant element to consider and that is fragrance. Regardless of how one's dressed, if you smell great you will manage to make a good first impression. On 7 April, 2011 Prestige Bengal launched yet another perfume, understanding the above sentiments. Simply titled Bvlgari Man, it is described as being a “luminous and sensual fragrance” and styles itself as an “unprecedented icon” of the men's universe. The perfume caters to men, banking on its “white, woody, oriental fragrance”, giving off hints of ruggedness, sophistication and charisma, attributes synonymous with the concept of a real man. The real testament to Bvlgari Man would be the accomplishment of blending in various fragrances and notes. The Bvlgari Man's numerous facades embody all the characters so long associated with men, with the opening notes dominated by the presence of freshness while progressing to becoming playful, rugged, humility and an obviously exclusive aura. The numerous blends of various woods such as white woods, sandalwood, cashmere wood and vegetal amber, benzoin, white honey and musk, all get together to give Bvlgari Man even more character. The white woody oriental fragrance contains three different layers or notes as with most perfumes. First, you have the Crisp and Stirring vegetal top notes, giving off hues of violet leaves and white pear. Then the “Charismatic and Luminous” Woody Heart Notes” comes second, playfully mingling textures of white wood, vegetal amber and heartwood while finally the Dry Down notes, exude a combination of resins of benzoin, tonka bean and white honey. Besides the fragrance, the bottle it comes in is in itself also an achievement. Inspired by a monolith of light and a quite futuristic design, it too has a character further exemplified by elegant Italian style and beautiful craftsmanship. The bottle's 'luminous' character further heightens its beauty. The Bvlgari Man is available in 60ml and 100ml bottles at Prestige Bengal's own showroom Paris Parfums which is located at House# 2, Road# 126, Gulshan-1, Dhaka. By Osama Rahman Tilottoma unveils showroom @ Gulshan
Tilottoma always had its own retail outlets, but this showroom stands out from the rest. It is a high-end showroom where customers, designers and architects can buy the products as well as come up with creative ideas and designs for their home, office, etc. The calm and peaceful setting of the showroom facilitates such an environment. Tilottoma offers you several internationally renowned brands such as Toto, Hafele, NVC and Remmers. The company has supplied and installed bathroom fittings, sanitary products, kitchen cabinets and tiles for many prestigious hotels and offices in Bangladesh. Toto Remmers NVC Tilottoma design studio is located in Road # 138, House # 8A, Gulshan- 1. By M H Haider NEWS FLASH Boishakhi Utshab at Westin Dhaka To greet the Bengali New Year, Westin Dhaka has carefully designed its activities. It will be decorated in a traditional Bengali style. The ambiance will give you a Boishakhi feeling along with traditional Bengali foods. Our all day dining restaurant “Taste” will offer an endless opportunity to enjoy the traditional Bangladeshi cuisine from April 13th till 15th. Take the pleasure of local culinary delights each day. The very traditional mouth watering Hilsha dishes along with other local fish curry preparations will be worth a try. Bhuna khichuri, gosht biriyani, morog polau or chingri malai curry or roast chicken contribute to an extensive and mouth-watering menu. There will be various kinds of bhortas like shutki bhorta, aloo bhorta, sim bhorta, tomato bhorta, bhendi bhorta and many more. Salad made by all local ingredients will be the special addition in the appetisers. The 24 hour restaurant -- Treats will be featuring traditional Bangladeshi pithas such as patishapta, teler pitha, puli pitha, and many more. Enjoy a magnificent time with your friends and family at Treats, alternatively you may order a take away. Indulge yourself at The Living Room with chotpoti, fuchka, jhal muri. Rejuvenate yourself with the very traditional beverages like beler shorbot, daber pani, kacha amer shorbot (green mango juice) served with The Westin elegance. Seek yourself in the mist of blue water. Pamper yourself with traditional Bengali style BBQ at our pool side restaurant Splash .Pohela Boishakh is the time to flaunt your favourite Boishakhi attire while you hit the outdoors. It is however important to be sun safe and skin smart before you bare your skin in the sweltering summer heat. Being the experts in skin care and understanding the needs of your skin, Westin Spa has announced a 20% discount on all the facilities which will make your skin look its best this summer! Moreover, wearing sari, applying black & red henna, alpona, khoopa, aalta; each service will cost only Tk. 250 and will be available from April 14 to April 15. So come, enjoy and celebrate the first day of the Bangla New Year at The Westin Dhaka with your friends and family. For more information, please call 989 1988 So come, enjoy and celebrate the Bangla New Year at The Westin Dhaka. Pohela Boishakh at Platinum Suites Platinum Suites will be greeting the Bengali New Year that begins at dawn on the 14 Apri. Nobo Borsho ushers a new beginning, an anticipation, filled with delight, happiness and wealth. The two day event is marked with live Baul music and will be celebrated with a panta-ilish platter, a range of different types of bhorta and other items. Pohela Boishakh is really about celebrating the simpler rural roots of the Bengal. Significantly more people can participate in the festivities together at Platinum Suites which includes face painting, lots of gift items like traditional handicrafts and the traditional cuisines of West Bengal and Bangladesh. LS Desk Dhaka Fashion Week 2011
There will be a fashion photography exhibition at Art and Soul Gallery between 28 - 31 May, and a workshop for young designers will be held on 27 May at The Westin, Dhaka. There will also be a roundtable discussion on 2 June, a supplement launch on 3 June , and fashion shows and exhibitions on 3 and 4 June at The Westin, Dhaka. The whole event will last for nine days. Usoshi Sengupta, the reigning Miss India-Universe has confirmed her guest appearance as a show stopper for Dhaka Fashion Week 2011 set to be held between 27 May and 4 June, 2011. Usoshi will walk on the ramp as the show stopper for New Jarwa House, the jewellery sponsor of the event as show stopper on the final day of the event at the Grand Ballroom at The Westin, Dhaka on 4 June. She will also walk in the grand finale and for prominent designers of Dhaka on 3 June at the same venue. 02 02 is showcasing their Boishakhi collection, which includes both traditional and western clothes. The collection features cheerful, vibrant, and sensuously designed outfits in a wide variety of colours and fabrics for both men and women. Moreover, 02 turned eight on April 1. For this, one can get traditional Bangladeshi cuisine in 02's outlets. Grameen Mela This Boishakh, Grameen Mela brings saris, three-piece sets, fatuas, shirts, panjabis and children's dresses made from cotton, endi, silk, khadi and muslin along with different types of handloom fabrics. An array of dresses with handwork and print design are also available to add a different quintessence of Boishakh. For more details, call 9011344. Nikhut Bangladesh Fashion house Nikhut Bangladesh's Boishakhi collection reflects the styles and traditions of the season. The collection includes beautifully designed three pieces, fatuas, skirts, shirts, panjabis, fatuas and dresses for children available in local fabrics and vibrant hues. For more information, contact 01712580946. Nitya Upahar On April 7, Nitya Upahar inaugurated a special exhibition of Boishakhi outfits titled "Songs of New Life" (Nobo Jiboner Gaan). There were also paintings of children. The exhibition was held in Gallery Nitya Upahar in Shahbagh. The new collection from Nitya Upahar and Shankhobar has been designed for the Boishakh season and the motifs used are the different designs and varieties of regular Bengali life. What makes their collection so special is that Hashem Khan, Quaiyum Chowdhury, Sabyashachi Hazra, Onahid Jaffrey, Muntasir Mamun Imran, Mahbubur Rahman, Sadia Mizan and Chandra Shekhar Saha designed the saris and t-shirts. The Boishakh collection is marked by Tangail handloom saris, kota, silk, half silk, tops, panjabis, fatuas and children's wear in vibrant colour combinations and intricate designs. #8629039 Noksha The season's heat is difficult for adults to withstand, and even harder for children. With this in mind, fashion boutique Noksha has come out with a line tailored to relieve children from the oppressive heat, with the materials and colours used being geared toward making children more comfortable. The new line of children's wear can be found at both Noksha outlets at affordable prices. Call 01970793984 for details. Zarif The stunning Boishakhi collection has fresh design themes presented with subtle differences to ensure elegance and grace to go along with contemporary trends. Embroidery, appliqué and karchupi work on fabrics like cotton and silk, and the colours red, white, yellow, orange, brown and black keep the collection perfectly tuned. Contact: 01937079626 Aarong celebrates Boishakh To celebrate the Bengali New Year, Aarong brings the Boishakhi flavour to its shopping ambiance. Hints of celebration are evident with deshi styled arrangements of fun, food and colours. You can be a part of this celebration by shopping on April 13 and 14 at all Aarong outlets till stock ends. “Le Bangladesh à Paris” To celebrate 40 years of Independence Alliance Française (Dhaka & Chittagong), Bangladesh Brand Forum and Foundation Alliance Francaise arranged an exposition, which was inaugurated in Paris, France on 31 March. The month long festival included a photo exhibition by 15 contemporary Bangladeshi photographers, a heritage and craft exhibition that included fabrics, embroidery, tapestry and jute materials at the Gallery de la Foundation Alliance Francaise, Paris. A painting exposition curate by Nazia Andaleeb Preema of 18 Bangladeshi artists will also take place in the Cité International des Arts, Paris from 7 to 22 April, 2011. Megh Fashion House Megh brings colourful dresses for Boishakh. The nature of the season is portrayed on local handloom cotton and khadi in red and white and the mediums are handwork and print. Fatuas are available for men and women, short kameez sets, t-shirts and fatuas, panjabis and t-shirts for children. Megh can be contacted at 8620230. 5th anniversary of Nogordola With the presence of a huge number of guests and media, Nogordola held its 5th anniversary at its Dhanmondi outlet on Saturday April 2. Twenty-two models from the 2011 model hunt by Nogordola cut the anniversary cake. These 15 female and seven male models have come a long way to become Nogordola's models for its Boishakh collection. Dhaka Ahsania Mission President, Kazi Rafiqul Alam and Chief Executive Officer of Nogordola, Mohammed Ali Afzal were also present at the occasion. Tara Marka Tara Marka has offered clothes ranging from sophisticated panjabis, fatunjis, fatuas, tops, shalwar kameez sets, jewellery, saris and dupattas as well as panjabis and fatuas for children this season. The colour palette includes white, red, maroon, green, orange on khadi fabric. Folk form, naksha of Thakurbari, terra cotta dolls, nakshi kantha, add their own nuance and substance. The price range of panjabis is at Tk 600 to1000, fatunjis is at Tk 800, tops is at Tk 500 to 1000 and shalwar kameez sets from Tk 400 to 800. Contact: 01912243631 M-Craft Keeping Boishakh in mind, fashion house M-craft has brought out their spring collection with a new line of shalwar kameez sets, saris, panjabis and fatuas. These outfits will be available in combinations of red, orange and maroon and the materials used are muslin, khadi, silk and cotton. Besides these, also available are men's sandals and handbags for women. Available at M-Craft's Baily Road, Dhanmondi showrooms. |
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The Pohela Boishakk of my fantasy would be cloudy and there would be a light summer breeze blowing; the perfect weather to be outdoors all day. I would wake up, which in reality I always fail to do, at the crack of dawn and dress in a crisp red Tangail taant with a small off-white border spun in matte gold threads. 
Since the early eighties, Tilottoma has been offering you intelligent solutions for your home and office. On April 9 2011, Tilottoma opened its exclusive lifestyle design studio in Gulshan-1. Zet Mirzal Zainuddin, Indonesian Ambassador of Bangladesh and MP Golam Mustafa were present at the opening ceremony. 
Featuring 37 designers, 13 from Chittagong, the Dhaka Fashion Week 2011 (DFW) will get underway on 27 May at The Westin Hotel. This year to give the event an international flavour, Dhaka Fashion Week 2011 is prepared to embrace five designers from India.