No matter in which era we are, most of us have grown up watching Yashraj movies where Yash Chopra showcased his finesse in converting beautiful actresses into stunning divas. He was definitely an exception in this process where he transformed many heroines into fabulous and gorgeous characters. The costumes and dress designs in YashRaj movies – where people were said to be so enamoured with the leading ladies – have always inspired many cinema lovers and have brought new trends in the movie industry. My recent visit to a DIVA’NI store in Mumbai, where we were invited to cover the launch, gave me a little flashback of all my childhood memories from Yash Chopra movies where I got a chance: to see the store’s new collection known as The Midsummer Dream, to meet some celebrities, and to see a glimpse of the photographs of ravishing leading ladies of YashRaj films. I was invited to this event as a part of Team Shivangi Reviews and India Fashion Club.
Before I begin with my experience at the DIVA’NI store, I would like to introduce this brand to all my readers.
DIVA’NI is India’s first cinema-inspired brand brought to you by YashRaj Films and KBSH Private Limited where the latter is a textiles and apparels industry. DiVA’NI draws its inspiration from the legendary Yash Chopra, who put as much effort into draping his heroines, as he did in painting beautiful visual imageries on reel, his memorable cinematic artistry and costumes have catapulted many heroines to diva and enamored a generation of cinema lovers. In the same essence DIVA’NI brings out the diva in every woman, giving her the freedom to wear her mind, expressing her innermost feelings. DIVA’NI is freedom, inspired by fashion, film and femininity.
On May 29, 2015, DIVA’NI completed its one year in the city of Mumbai, and on this occasion, the brand unveiled its prêt-a-porter collection: The Midsummer Dream – a collection that wraps vibrant flora’s and bold colors in romantic breezy silhouettes. The minimalist embroidery takes the front seat, as colors play in this Diva’ni’s celebratory collection. A complete silhouette makeover from the house of Diva’ni, this aims to add a youthful charm to everyone’s wardrobe. This beautiful store with a monochromatic white décor was a reflection of sophistication and magnificence. It looked like a gorgeous film set with impeccable lighting and brightness. The first floor demonstrated the beautiful new collection, and the same floor also had a separate wedding couture section where the sight of fabulous bridal dresses was breathtaking. The section reminded me of the grandeur weddings at Yash Chopra’s movies. The various photographs of him with the gentry of Bollywood: Amitabh Bachan, Rishi Kapoor, Dilip Kumar etc. were hard to miss, and I spent a considerable amount of time by looking at all these legends under one roof. However, I was amazed to see a section known as “Wall of Fame” – a wall – which showed the photographs of the leading ladies – along with a picture of Shah Rukh Khan – of the YashRaj films demonstrating DIVA’NI’s haute couture. On this occasion, the entrance of the store was filled with photographers from the media. The event was not a big fashion fiesta; however, it was a delightful small affair which also saw the presence of some celebrities, who came to support the brand. The non-stop flash lights were always an indication of the arrival of some celebrity, and the lights flashed limitlessly when Pamela Chopra who is the wife of Yash Chopra arrived. She looked elegant and graceful in a green salwaar kameej, and her humbleness impressed me a lot. Bhumi Pednekar and Rhea Chakraborty were also a part of the store’s one year celebrations, and they did review the collection as well.
The Midsummer Dream collection at the store was very appealing. It consisted of Indian, western, and Indo-Western dresses. A part of the collection had the bohemian style with metal ornaments. Some dresses were hand painted, some had tea dip colors, and some were a voluminous melange of floral patterns. The avant-garde collection was beautiful, and I loved the vibrancy in the colors. They were absolutely stellar, and I liked all of them. It was hard for me to take my eyes off the beautiful dresses.
The colors were perfect and soothing for this sultry and hot weather. Mostly, every color had a separate section which was a nice way to present different styles and shades in the same color. The combination of great designs and wonderful colors made the entire collection absolutely stunning. My personal favorite was the Turquoise collection in which some dresses had the lovely Bohemian style. The bridal collection in and of itself was spectacular. The beautiful, stylish, and super heavy bridal dresses were prominent in the entire store where great designs and patterns were hard to miss.
Overall, I had a nice time, and it was great to be a part of DIVA’NI’s one year celebrations. I wish the team all the best for this endeavor.
Life………… Significance, Souvenirs, and Lessons 