It was August 1999 when I first landed in the US as a 17-year old, nervous yet excited to begin a new chapter of my life. I was about to start college with big ambitions and so much to prove. Fifteen years later, I'm leaving behind the country that I've called home for most of my adult life. Somewhere in this passage of time, I evolved from being a shy, naive teenager into a confident and independent woman. I met and married the love of my life and had a baby, now the second love of my life. I made amazing, lifelong friends. I lived in three cities (Boston, Austin, and New York City) and enjoyed each one at different stages of my life. I got a degree and became a doctor. I learned to embrace fitness and ran marathons. I toobed down the Guadalupe River. I learned to appreciate country music. I performed a dance to a Bollywood song on a moving boat for a Holi celebration. I took part in a flash mob dance to Sheila Ki Jawani on Wall street. I explored national parks and attended live music festivals. I traveled to Iceland where I hiked up a glacier, boated inside a volcanic crater in El Salvador, and jumped off a cliff in Spain. I ran up 46 floors of the Empire State Building while I was pregnant. I attended New York Fashion Week. I blogged!

Life recently threw us a curveball and we're now moving to Singapore! I'm sad to leave behind my sister and my friends in the US who became like family to me. Yet I look forward to new adventures in a new country. 

If you follow us on Instagram, you would have seen pictures I posted of my trip back to NYC - city street scenes that inspire me, places I visited, friends and family I spent time with...until it all culminated in our packing up our life into little boxes to be shipped halfway across the world. American the beautiful, I shall certainly miss you. Singapore, here we come! 

Crossing the street with a view of Times Square

Baby K and me having a picnic in Central Park

Hanging out for a brief weekend in DC 

Horse-drawn carriages that charm you in the city

Quality time with the sister at a food festival in Brooklyn

Grungy city subways - I dared to take Baby K on the subway and he loved it!

Love these street vendors selling pictures of NYC cityscapes

All packed up in our NYC apartment and ready to leave

New York Fashion Week just wrapped up, and although we weren’t able to attend this year, we definitely kept a pulse on the shows through pictures and articles. In the last few years, I have noticed that Indian designers have started to play a greater role in the international fashion scene by appearing in NYFW events and having their creations worn by celebrities on the red carpet. With detailed embroideries, fine textiles, and so-called “exotic” prints and designs, it is exciting to see Indian designers take center stage.

These are a few designers that have built a name for themselves with their lust-worthy creations.

Naeem Khan

Born in India and educated in textiles by his father and grandfather, who were also designers, Naeem Khan adds a touch of traditional Indian embroideries to his repertoire of sophisticated gowns and dresses. His designs have been worn by First Lady Michelle Obama and the Queen of Jordan, as well as celebrities like Beyonce, Penelope Cruz, and Eva Longoria.

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Falguni and Shane Peacock

Falguni and Shane Peacock have created a signature brand that uses vibrant prints and feathers to create peacock-like imagery in their creations. While I certainly couldn’t carry off any of their runway designs in real life, the colorful and shocking designs have been worn by many celebrities at red carpet events and concerts.

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Prabal Gurung

Nepalese designer Prabal Gurung started his apprenticeship in New Delhi and later at Parsons in NYC. He worked with Cynthia Rowley’s design team before launching his own collection in 2009. I first heard of (and lusted after) his creations when I saw Bollywood stars, such as Sonam Kapoor, wear them. Since then, all the Hollywood A-listers as well as Michelle Obama and Kate Middleton have worn his gowns. Considering he was on unemployment funds when he started off his career, it is especially gratifying to see his success.

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Sachin + Babi

Sachin and Babi Ahluwalia met when they were studying at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology and married and launched their own line after graduating (ah, what a cute love story)! What I love about their collection is that it is ready to wear for the everyday wardrobe. While their designs have been used by high-end fashion houses such as Oscar de la Renta and Lanvin, they’ve also created outfits for average folks like us. Their collection is available at Saks Fifth Avenue, 6pm.com, Bergdorf Goodman, Shopbop, and Anthropologie.

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It makes me proud to see desi designers succeed in the international space and I only expect this to continue in the years to come. What designers have caught your eye lately?

For a review of desis making it big in the entertainment industry, check out our previous post. 

Well folks, New York Fashion Week is over and you can go back to dressing in your sweats. No more flashing camera bulbs, and no more paparazzi running behind you to capture your oh-so-stylish outfit. Okay, who am I kidding? That only happens to people like Mira Duma.

New York Fashion Week is in full swing, with the city literally buzzing with stylish people wearing trendy clothes and killer shoes. It’s an exciting time of year when designers, bloggers, fashionistas, and the press all come together under one common ground – FASHION! Earlier this week was Fashion Night Out (FNO), the event that kicks off fashion week. The Urban Mantra sisters sound off on their FNO experience…

FNO in New York: I had gone for FNO in the SoHo neighborhood last year and made it a fun night out with the girls. However, I had found the event to be an utter disaster in terms of crowds and lines. Determined not to make the same mistake this year, I decided to visit the department stores instead (ie, Lord & Taylor, Bergdorf, Saks). It was the smartest move I ever made.  It was much more pleasant to roam around from one floor to another within a department store, view the displays, and try stuff on. And it's always a bonus when you don't have to wait forever to get complementary drinks and other goodies. The crowds were also much less aggressive. Finally, I had the pleasure of meeting Anh from 9to5Chic, who was having pictures taken at the Manoukian store at Lord & Taylor. She was wonderfully sweet and friendly!

Sights and sounds from FNO New York at Lord & Taylor

FNO in DC: This Urban Mantra sister found that FNO may have been marketed a little too much for her liking. I have attended FNO in years past in Georgetown when the event was not as popular. Now, all of a sudden, the event has taken on a massive life of its own and I find myself battling long lines to get anything – whether it’s to enter a store or receive a complementary beverage. Indeed,  the lines this year stretched down several blocks, and some stores even ran out of freebies and giveaways within a half hour! Now I'm not trying to sound like a mooch, but what's FNO without the freebies?! (Haha, I kid!...NOT). Regardless it was still a fun night and I'm glad I went!

Left: Trinkets from Cusp; Right: Delicious cupcakes on display

How was your FNO experience?

New York Fashion Week – a time when the city, more than ever, turns into a mecca for fashion and glamour. Designers from all over the world showcase their creations in hopes of influencing the tides of fashion, models take to the runway in beautiful and elegant haute couture collections, and fashionistas roam the streets in the season’s must-haves. Really, the excitement, glamour, elitism, and pretention during this week reach a fever pitch...and I wanted in! 

Luckily enough, I was able to snag tickets to the Tommy Hilfiger runway show on February 16. I was hoping to attend a show by one of the fancier designers, such as Diane von Furstenberg, Kate Spade, or Monique Lhuillier. Honestly though, who did I think I was? Anna Wintour? Beggars can’t be choosers, and I was happy to even get tickets to a show. And the show didn’t disappoint. The evening started off with a cocktail reception with free-flowing champagne and hors d’oeuvres. This is the time when people sip cocktails and mingle, steal secret looks at what everyone else is wearing, and take pictures in silly stylish poses to post on social media networks later on (I was guilty on all counts). 

The cocktail reception was followed by the highlight of the evening, the runway show itself. After Mr. Hilfiger gave a few opening remarks, the models took to the runway with Cobra Starship providing a fun and rockin' vibe to the show. The collection was certainly reflective of the all-American casual/preppy/sporty image associated with the Hilfiger brand. It was also clear from the predominant use of stripes, color-blocking, and bright reds and oranges that these trends will continue to go strong this spring and summer season. For someone who doesn’t usually shop at Hilfiger, I found myself eyeing a lot of the pieces in the collection. 

Tommy Hilfiger, the designer himself

Bright red and orange hues

Preppy with stripes

Cobra Starship playing in the backdrop

It was a memorable New York night where I got a taste of the glittering world of fashion. The thing is, I’m not sure I’ve had my fill…hey, anyone friends with Anna Wintour?

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