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METRO
FEATURE
Red
Alert
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| JNUSU
president Mahapatra on top of the ladder with other winners from his
team |
Until last
week, red was easily the most recommended colour at Delhi's Jawaharlal
Nehru University, a reputed stronghold of post-grad exhilaration. In over
30 years, the Students Federation of India (SFI), the CPI(M)'s collegiate
extension, had won every union presidential election (barring an anomalous
1991 defeat by the NSUI. But suddenly it is saffron that has surged ahead.
Even if by a solitary vote. Sandeep Mahapatra, 25, a bespectacled ABVP
apostle from Sambhalpur (now less busy with an MPhil), did the unthinkable
by edging out the cocky reds in an unprecedented triumph. "It's an
ideological victory," says the president-elect in well-drilled rhetoric,
"The minority politics of the SFI at last stand exposed." But
Vijoo Krishnan, the lost-out opponent, scoffs at any "ideological
takeover" and blames defeat on the "disruptive activities"
of some members of his unit (including last year's president who didn't
get this year's ticket), and who were later expelled. "Anyway we've
got 11 councillors and the vice-president is
also ours." Not good enough -looks like reds are getting rusty.
-Anshul
Avijit
Material
Women
Worsted
mantles, twill weaves and cool cloaks—Raymonds has always been a
synonym for upper end menswear. But at an eponymous fashion show in Mumbai
last week where seven designers experimented with the company's fabrics,
gentlemanly dons were clearly eclipsed by women's outfits. Like bright
capris, sequinned short tops, umbrella skirts and lehngas with kilt cuts.
The big question: how did the designers, including Bhairavi Jaikishen
and the punctilious Rajesh Pratap Singh, manage with only the brand's
dry goodies? They actually didn't ... and confessed to throwing in other
materials and accessories. Singh mixed fabric with boiled wool and leather,
Rocky S added more colours and futuristic lycra, Raghuvendra Rathore,
an ardent votary of the "long skirt", went 50-50 and debutante
Aparna Suneja left 10 per cent leeway for saris, drapes and dupattas.
So are any of these sartorial alliances hitting the brand's showrooms?
Owner Gautam Singhania fought shy, saying, "We're yet to work it
out properly." Maybe short kurtas and psychedelic colours will add
some zing to Raymonds' staid image.
-Natasha
Israni
more...
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