Prop Styling!!
I got an opportunity to style for two houses for this diwali for a local magazine, You and I, for their November 12th issue. It was a peoples section wherein they had requested house owners to decorate a corner in their house for the festivities. I was asked to do up mine and my friends house.
I decided to go for two different looks by doing one house traditionally and indoor while the other place i did it in a contemprory fashion and outdoor.

                                                 The Contemporary Look!!

                                       

                                                          The traditional decor!!    


   
    
Thank you, to the magazine for letting me a part of their issue...

Why a Style Consultant??

So many of you come to me with this question?Why do we need a wardrobe consultant?Or a stylist? We know the basics, what can you add on to it? Why should i give you a fee, when the same can be achieved by asking a friend, husband or a sister? My life is too busy, i just pull out an acceptable set of clothes and rush into the day, so i definitely don't need one!!
These and many more have come my way.... some whispered in a friends ear, some asked on my face and some discussed...
I have some of the answers( cant be a demi god and say i have ALL answers, now can i? :D) ..Instead of me answering and hence having a personal bias, i thought why not ask these question to a set of women who would be ideally people i would work with.
So i went to daughters school, met some mothers there and asked them these questions......

@When asked to a housewife, age 27, would she hire a wardrobe consultant, and after understanding what it entails, she said yes!! definitely... That she would appreciate advise from the right person who has the knowledge of knowing what would be best for me. When asked if she would mind paying the fees....after asking the charges, she said yes to that also, explaining that as she goes to the gym and works out with a personal trainer because she wants his expertise and personal attention, similarly, she would treat this venture in a similar fashion!!

@Another person, a software programmer working with a MNC, Monday to Friday, age 33 years, says,"I have a set wardrobe for work which i don't bother to look into for its fit and flattery on me, for me its just the right kind of clothes to be worn to work. And weekends are all about comfort and to wear Saree's as that is something i love but don't wear to office." So when i asked her that is she not interested in making impressions? She said, "I am but i find shopping very tedious. I hate the bustle. Hence i stick to one type of look and pick up similar options for a period of 6 months." You can imagine my shock!! When i explained my services, that this is where i come in and can shop for her as to what she wants and what with what flatters her, she was ecstatic!!

@Another person, mother of a teenage daughter and a late second child, narrated her story.She mentioned that  she normally shops with her husband and daughter and takes their approval for whatever she buys. So on one such occasion, when asking for their approval, the husband nodded and the daughter said whatever, and she bought that piece and  wore it for a holiday.When she saw her photographs wearing that garment, she was shocked to realise that it was hideous and didn't suit her at all!!She berated her husband who said what would i know and didn't bother with her 14 year old as she knew she wouldn't get an answer from her, and vowed to never to repeat this mistake. So when she got to know of my services, you had to she the glee and relief on her face!!

SO i guess , hence a Style Consultant!!!!!!!!

Artful way of doing hair!!!

Our most important and prominent feature is our hair!!! To make an impression or simply for an exciting change, one can easily achieve it by dressing it up !!
It goes without saying that one must have a good hair-cut, and apart from that there are many fun ways to accessorize our tresses......
You could colour it from shades of caramels to browns, or could be flamboyant with reds and pinks....
One can also dress it with hair bands, clips,flowers etc....as per your mood or the occasion....
Go girls go....enjoy what you have and what you can do with it!!!
Xplore!!

Artful way of doing hair!!! by nalini-somani 

Retro hat
louisegreen.com

Rhinestone hair accessory
usabride.com

Jon Richard vintage hair accessory
$55 - debenhams.com

Floral hair accessory
$33 - motelrocks.com

Bohemian hair accessory
etsy.com

Purple flower hair accessory
thecouturebaby.com

Hair accessory
topshop.com

Bardot flower hair accessory
$14 - bardot.com.au

Hair accessory
delias.com

Wet Seal knit beanie
wetseal.com

Wet Seal hair accessory
wetseal.com

Feather flower hair accessory
$9.34 - prettycool.co.uk

Charlotte Russe hair clip accessory
charlotterusse.com

Flower hair accessory
pretaportobello.com

Feather hair accessory
alibaba.com

The day we want to camouflage!!!

The day we want to camouflage!!! by nalini-somani featuring linen dresses

There are days when we dont look our best, we feel fat!!! for those days there are some tricks which can still help us keep our chins up!!!

We look sleeker when we layer!!! like the blue or peach  option.

WE can hide behind the loose cape style orange dress....this can be combined with very tall heels to make your legs look like they  go on forever....

Wearing two or more solid colours cut the girth!!! like the pink and purple dress............

High lighting your best feature can take away the focus from your not so nice one,  say,  If you have a sexy pair of shoulders....show them off with an off- shoulder dress...

Asymmetricals can never go wrong to hide what you have to!!!

Teemed with the right accessories and you can really put your glam foot forward!!

Orange dress
romwe.com

Midi dress
$63 - topshop.com

Gucci dress
$1,265 - flannelsfashion.com

Embellished dress
romwe.com

Diane von Furstenberg peach dress
$520 - profilefashion.com

Mango open back dress
$27 - houseoffraser.co.uk

Calypso St Barth linen dress
calypsostbarth.com

a day wear turned to evening!!!

a day wear turned to evening!!! by nalini-somani featuring draped tops

Bottega Veneta bustier top
$500 - net-a-porter.com

Skunkfunk draped top
$56 - fashion-conscience.com

Dash black cardigan
$34 - debenhams.com

Matthew Williamson metallic skirt
$935 - net-a-porter.com

Yves Saint Laurent mary jane pumps
net-a-porter.com

Salvatore Ferragamo leather shoes
$405 - farfetch.com

Bottega Veneta box clutch
forwardforward.com

Bottega Veneta leather handbag
net-a-porter.com

Beat the Heat!!!!
With summer in full swing, we hyderabadis are being roasted!! The best way to beat this heat is ofcourse to go for an exotic holiday to a super cold place, but for most of us who are here, wishing to be sitting in the basic minimum of clothing sipping a nice pina colada, we definately need to bring on our summer wardrobe!!
The thought of wanting to wear less and actually being able to do are two different things....WE still have our daily routines, we do have to go to work and we do lead a social life. So with that , whatssss the best way to look good and feel good also?
There are various tools..
there are colours....the limes the peaches the lavenders
then there are fabrics......the linens the cottons and the georgettes
and the choice of clothes themselves...the loose pants, the flowy dress, the skirts and the shorts.....
the footwear(always important)...the flats, the peep-toes, the wedges and the sandals, the more vibrant the colour the better they look!!!
So Beat The Heat in your own style...let this Sun not bog us down!!!

I have nothing to wear syndrome!!

Have you ever come home from the grocery store with 5000/- worth of food and yet you feel you have nothing to make or eat? You have chips but no dip,lettuce  but no dressings, missing ingredients to a...... signature dish?  It’s much like a full closet and nothing to wear!!!!

We all experience this and wearing only 1/8 of our closet is..... really common. We buy things as we like them and then we have these 'strays' as i call it,  that we have bought but dont know what to do with , basically because we dont have  their partners...we dont know what to co-ordinate it with.

This is where a stylist can help re-shuffle your wardrobe, and make sure you get your "partners", this way, one knows exactly what to build on and the client ends up saving some money.

my limitations.......
i am not a writer!!!! so please excuse my writings on this blog, i am using it just as a medium to showcase a bit of my work, so please do not go on the quality of content and construction of every post!! 
So far the images uploaded has been downloaded from the net but are actually pertaining to my written word and feasible. I am a stylist hence i recreate images. hoping for some wonderful learning in this journey of blogging...

The challenge of living in a rented house.....
We all or lets say most of us know this pain....we have limitations as to what we can change in that house to make it more our style...

Ofcourse we do our bit of upholstering it  to our choice and do small changes that does make a difference but when we are talking of more IMPACTFUL  a change we can think of paint.When we get a new house or when  we have to maintain it every few years, we all get our house painted.The least expensive way to make your home special is by painting it. You can really stamp your individuality on it.

The most common misconception is that dark colours on the wall reduces the feeling of space in the house but my thinking is it DEFINES the given space.....

So go colour happy, take that opportunity to individualise your home!! With the same budget you can change the look completely. There are so many reasonable options available that you  can with some extra money put in by you, can create a work of art on a wall with just paints.
So go conquer the world, make your home special!!Nothing satisfies us more than a space where we and our families can unwind.
And why not unwind in a lovely ambience which satisfies you without pinching your pocket!!

                                                    redefine your thoughts and space....add

                                                                        colour!!!

                                                              a mosaic of colours!!!!!

                                                             Stencil art- alittle extra money put in can create a work of art!

         

                                                                         

why!!!

Cheshire ...as an idea wandered in and out of me about a couple of years ago simply because I was usually sought by my family and friends (and at times complete strangers in a store!!) to help them with their clothes, hand-bags and even haircuts !! So there i was , with life as was, keeping busy with juggling a "LEGIT" job, home and kids, giving no time to the IDEA(which was encouraged by my sister to make a career of)
With time having a tendency to fly,the idea sitting somewhere deep inside me, this december over a cup of coffee with friends, was ready to jump out, and I wanted to take my passion and let it explode along with the modern day need -The stylist who cares about your Taste!!

Here's a Thought-


When we go clothes hunting, we go with a sister or a friend because its always nice to have a second opinion.Sometimes you need a praticed eye to pick up things which suit you, flatter your style, sometimes you don't have enough time to hunt for things and would appreciate information on whats available, where you can get it and which store stocks things that you might like......at such times you might want to turn to a stylist who can be of help to you.


Are you thinking: "why would i need a stylist? I'm no Diva!!"

It's a common misconception that only people in the glamour industry  and in public eye need a stylist. Why would an average person with a normal lifestyle need one? But I feel that anyone who is fashion conscious, social,likes to look and feel good and wants to put her best foot forward can have these services available to her.After all its all about First Impressions,right? Whether we like it or not, the physical appearance always lingers as an image of you in anyone's mind.

The other consideration in today's fast paced lives where we are juggling with kids,work, family commitments, where it is a superflous reaction to how one dresses and the image she portrays, you do want to look good and you do want to take care of your outfits but you always dont't have the time  to go out and hunt for the perfect one. What you need is someone you can trust, who knows what you want and will make you look  your best. And that's a stylist.

Cheshire gives you another reason to smile!!


A woman is most herself in what she wears(it may be clothes or could be shoes :) ) and in her home. I am a qualified interior designer. And I truly believe that everyone deserves her dream home, no matter the budget or space. You need your spot in the world where everything is as You want it , where the outside world ceases to matter and you can relax.
I have met many people who find doing up their houses a herculean task....the thought of going to various stores just to see upholstery samples and cushion covers have made women scared to even think of shifting houses or making new ones!! The belief that you need big pockets to do up your house in style stops many from even attempting to re-do their homes. Time crunch, money crunch, skills crunch, you know what you want but who will execute it for you? That's where I want to come in.....get you the samples, help you pick, accessorize any given space with whatever is your style, work within your budget and give you a house you love and is your own .

The need of the hour!!!

I can also provide with propping/accessorising for any photo-layouts, magazine covers, etc.

Let's hope this is a fruitful start to our relationship!!!