Travelling is a passion Rukmini Maitra’s father inculcated in her. And, the actress simply loves it. On the sidelines of a special preview shoot for The Holiday Edit, presented by Styleograph and curated by Chikky Goenka, the pretty actress chatted about her travel favourites with t2.
How do you decide where you want to travel?
How I decide on my travel plans is by deciding on a particular restaurant that I want to visit! There was a time I was planning a trip to Iceland and a week before my trip, I discovered that the world’s first igloo hotel in Finland was available. Within a week I changed my entire travel plan.
What do your travel mates have to say about that?!
Initially, they thought I was wild and had lost my marbles, but when they experienced it, they were impressed. Now, they know! (Laughs)
The pantsuit was a smart pick, zingy and young. “This we did keeping in mind both holiday and Instagram images because it had a lot of bright colours and we knew the look would be a sureshot hit in pictures as well. You can team it up with a pair of sunglasses. I enjoy wearing pantsuits a lot. It makes me feel powerful. So, this was one of those garments which was fun and powerful at the same time,” said Rukmini. Outfit: Rigu; necklace: Amama
So, beach or mountains?
I am an absolute beach baby and love the water... just sitting by the seashore, looking at the waves hitting the sand is calming. Looking at the ocean at night can often intimidate you... the fear of the deep and the dark. To get over that fear, I went UV ray snorkeling at night in Maldives once. It’s something else. I felt like I had entered an Avatar set. That experience was for keeps.
A destination on your bucket list?
I really want to go to Okinawa in Japan. It is known as the healthiest place on the planet where people live beyond 110. Travel is also about culture. So, I feel there will be a lot of learning.
We love the coolness of fusion fun in this look. “This is a statement-y outfit. For that one evening, we all like to dress up. You can do a date night too. The hair and make-up was again something which was very doable,” said Rukmini. Outfit: Til; jewellery: Beg Borrow Steal.
I think it’s a super interesting lineup with a mixed bag of industry’s popular figures, up-and-coming young and fresh-off-the-runway designers, with a subtle focus of conscious labels that are so refreshing. Like every season, the idea is to get people to embrace Indian designers on their holidays and summers in general. I always try to put out something I personally love, and then wait to see people’s reaction. To me, every curation is a work of art, and this one especially with 24 designers, deserves a lot more love — Chikky Goenka, style curator.
Styling: Chikky Goenka
Hair and make-up: Prasenjit Biswas
Some of the participating designers and brands tell t2 what they are showcasing...
Vidhi Wadhwani...
Getting to Calcutta: This holiday season, we bring to you bright, saturated sunny hues delicately detailed with our signature handcrafted appliqué motifs in easy-chic silhouettes. Perfect for your summer soirées and travel plans.
Gauri Verma and Karuna Laungani of Jodi...
Getting to Calcutta: We are bringing an exciting curation of classic summer essentials from our latest collection, from cool separates to flowy dresses. Everything is handcrafted in 100 per cent cotton and hand-block printed in our signature Jodi prints.
Anjali Patel Mehta of Verandah...
Getting to Calcutta: We are bringing to the Holiday Edit a brand new collection of ours called 'Anjuna', along with some of Para, which is new for spring-summer. This collection is inspired by Goa and the villages of Anjuna and Parra in Goa. And what's really special to us is that we have reintroduced cottons and linens into this collection. They are holiday separates that you can easily mix and match, whether in the city or on a resort holiday. The colours are quite appealing too and soothing to the eye. We're going to be taking some custom orders in Calcutta as well.
Kanika Goyal of KGL...
Getting to Calcutta: For the holiday edit, we're bringing a curated selection of shirts, dresses, coordinated sets and denims that are perfect for the holiday season and can effortlessly elevate your vacation wardrobe. We have experimented extensively with denim surfaces, faux leather applique and beading this season. Effortless styles like shirts and dresses with exaggerated shoulders from our latest AW ’24 presentation at London Fashion Week will be a great wardrobe staple for you.
Riya Gupta of Rigu...
Getting to Calcutta: In our classic Rigu style, we have worked with elements that define romantic femininity, hints of embroidery and delicate use of fringes. Our bright floral watercolour prints in easy-to-wear, drape-y silhouettes like strappy dresses, kurtas and co-ords make for a statement uniform for a vacation. Any perfect summer vacation wardrobe calls for cotton, and we have experimented with our new 100 per cent cotton fabrication to create blazers, shirts and shorts. There is interplay of hand embroidery on our vibrant prints.
Ankur Verma of Til...
Getting to Calcutta: A diverse range of separates is your ultimate holiday edit, combining comfort and style seamlessly... from jackets to overlays and co-ords.... Explore vibrant hues like greens, reds, mustards, purples, and captivating prints.
Dhruv Kapoor...
Getting to Calcutta: Our new spring essentials and 2024 resort edit. The edit brings multiple pairing options and co-ordinated sets through relaxed shapes in eclectic colors.
Nikita Gupta of Amama...
Getting to Calcutta: We are excited to introduce our newly launched Amama Handhelds, a sophisticated and trendsetting range of affordable bags designed for the holiday season. Additionally, we are enhancing our offerings with the charm of our food series and handcrafted Gold Rush jewellery.
Also showing: Rara Avis, Stoique, Whim, ILK, East 14, Esha L Amin, Norn India, Linetribe_, Into, Gyaarah Baees, Sil-Sila, Diksha Khanna, Not Enough Yellow, Faabiiana
What: Styleograph presents The Holiday Edit, curated by Chikky Goenka
Where: ITC Royal Bengal, Eastern Courtroom
When: April 9, 11am-8pm