The biggest trend in design

THE INSIDE STORY


1 Rise of wabi-sabi

The biggest trend in design this year was imported straight from Japan. It is all about celebrating warmth, cosiness and infusing your space with a soul – aka the Japanese philosophy of ‘wabi-sabi’ which transforms old, raw and imperfect things to perfection. What made wabi-sabi click was that it celebrated imperfections. The year saw a rise of wooden furniture with rough textures, wobbly-shaped pottery and linen textiles that were not smooth. The focus was on beauty of repair.


2 Romance bright colours

People embraced dark tones and look-at-me colours. The walls were offset by large-scale floral prints, especially in wallpapers.

3 All green thumbs

Gardening was not just for people with backyards and budgets. Indoor plants, terrariums and miniature creepers were the rage. Windowsill herb gardens, DIY pots and creative plant arrangements nicely rounded up the green year.

4 Open-plan spaces

Interiors celebrated open spaces – and the trend is going to stay strong in 2019. Building a home? Have a no-wall scheme where the kitchen looks in to the living room and the bedrooms into balconies.

Forget picture windows, it’s about seethrough walls.

5 Scented candles

Not just for the festive season, candles became a year-around thing. To keep your home looking and smelling trendy, candles were lit up. This year, beeswax candles became popular as they are said to be non-polluting.

6 Quirky picks

From food furniture to custom prints and ‘look-at-me’ lighting solutions – interesting accents made a home. If you want something to perk up your indoor spaces, quirky is the way to go.

A yearful of surprising style

Can a fashion show be a microcosm of change? Yes, but only if you look at the Spring-Summer catwalk of Louis Vuitton menswear this year; the first outing of its creative director Virgil Abloh. The first man of African descent to hold such a position in an international luxury house, he is a self-taught designer who has given high fashion status to athleisure. With his LV outing he put millennial fashion on a luxury ramp – a move many say is changing the way we look at luxury. There was colour on the ramp – and not just on clothes, as his was a diverse catwalk. In short, the year 2018 saw fashion take a stand.

Prabal Gurung had models walk without music and with a white flower as a nod to #metoo and #timesup movements. Fashion stood up for sustainability with the fashion industry trying to counter its wasteful antecedents. The 80s melded into 60s and 90s and there was nothing known as “out of style”. Here’s looking at a year that saw the popularity of the pants saree, festive fusion and when fashion questioned its own stereotypes.


1 Male call

Menswear got a big push this year, from colourblocked suits to summer suits to gender neutral dressing. If you want to try new trends, follow influencers or a celebrity whose style is close to what you want. Test run a new look at home. There are many new trends for you to pick from: cropped trousers, statement shirts, pastel shades.

2 WALK OF LIFE: Designer Prabal Gurung made his models walk with a symbolic #timesup flower and without music as a nod to the #metoo movement and to show the march of women. Gurung also showcased slogan T-shirts with feminist mottos. In fact, slogan T-shirts were a big trend this year.

3 Pastel pop

Pastels were everywhere from weddingwear to formals to even menswear. It was a time to give in to sorbet hues and ditch the heavy, polarising colours like reds and blacks. And it seems pastels will stay strong in 2019 too. If you have to pick a pastel shade, go for millennial pink or blue-grey.

4 Plastic fantastic

Plastic may not be getting a good rap environmentally but in the fashion world it was the unexpected new material. It was on coats, shoes and bags, even hats and not just as a monsoon staple. It was high fashion. If there’s one plastic accessory you have to get, let it be the plastic shoe.

5 Shoe in

This was the year of the jutti. Clearly. From celebs to the streets, from ramp to the road, this is one shoe that was shining the whole year through. And it’s a trend that refuses to go away.

6 Fusion festive; India modern

Fashion was all about fusion and finding the millennial style identity. Was it the hybrid pants-anarkali or the saree pants or the pre-draped saree? The jury is still out on what is ‘India modern’ but designers were sure searching for the new Indian identity.

7 Bodysuit basics

Bodysuits or leotards joined in the athleisure brigade. The fitted onesies work well as unstructured corsets. If you want to try the trend, start with a basic black or white first.

8 The return of the mini

2018 saw a revival of — well — revival fashion. And that meant the return of the iconic 70s style – the mini, and more so in a dress format. Tip: While body positivity is on a high, the mini remains a tricky silhouette. If you want to go mini, make sure you pick the right length, which is guided by personal style and how much leg you want to show.

9 Saal of sarees

The humble saree stayed strong this year. From light wispy muls to fusion linens and banarasi weaves, the sarees were aplenty and so were the saree influencers who gave a new lease of life to this garment and created their own kind of saree fandom. One saree that you must own: a light mulmul.

10 The year of celebrity nuptials

What a whirlwind wedding year it was and it seems it’s going to go on this high for some time. Despite the fatigue from numerous celeb wedding functions in the last 4-5 weeks, these weddings are responsible for setting wedding style trends for the next year. From uncut polki jewellery, to handloom weaves to couple coordinated dressing and various sangeet and makeup ideas, nuptials is going to inspire some knotty trends.

Oysters can change gender

The closest living relatives of Tyrannosaurus Rex are chickens!


Research shows dogs appreciate music and have their own individual music preferences too. Reggae is apparently a firm favourite of the canine world!

Baby elephants suck their trunks for comfort

Trained pigeons can tell the difference between the paintings of Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet.

FOOD FUNDAS

RELATIONSHIP IN 2018 WELLNESS FOOD
FOOD FUNDAS

VEG


From being just a handful of dishes on the menu to being the main attraction, vegetarian dishes were the biggest draw this year. Fresh seasonal produce and tasty ingredients made for a taste feast as chefs dished out amazing preparations and shared it on their social media handles.

KETO

Almost every celebrity spoke of the health benefits of this low carb and high fat diet.

However, doctors are now warning of some severe side-effects. Do not try this diet out without a doctor/nutritionist’s recommendation.

GLOBAL FUSION

This was the year of fusion of cuisines of different countries across continents. Japanese Peruvian fusion Nikkei to Chinese Peruvian blend Chifa to Bengali Armenian fare, fusion knew no boundaries this year. This year was a celebration of cuisine developed by settlers while keeping the local influences and ingredients and traditions intact.

INTERNATIONAL INDIAN

Indian restaurant chains set shop abroad and moved beyond butter chicken, dal makhni and gravy. Traditional chaats served as one bite, chicken tikka with international sauces, Indian bread as tacos to street food staples such as tikkis and cheela given a gourmet makeover – Indian cuisine was the big draw across the globe.

NO ALCOHOL

Alcohol-free bashes, a trend that started with the ‘Dryanuary’ or no alcohol January trend after festive binge drinking became stronger as the year went by.

CRAFT BEVERAGES

Local craft beverages and artisanal spirits hogged the limelight. Cocktails were made from local gin and vodka while Indian beers and wines saw their names on the front pages of menus.

— By Amin Ali

LOVE CRIMES

HAUNTING

This happens when a person continues to interact with you on social media after you have stopped seeing each other. Haunting behaviours are often on the passive side (for example, liking your photo instead of commenting on it).

BENCHING

This happens when someone keeps a potential partner on the romantic back burner. They don’t make serious moves but they don’t extinguish the hope of a future relationship either.

STASHING

On the surface, your relationship might seem perfect: You go out, s/he texts you and you spend almost every weekend together. There’s just one problem: You haven’t met a single one of his/her friends or family members, and, you aren’t sure whether they know of your existence.

KITTENFISHING

This is when someone exaggerates her/his qualities on a dating site. It isn’t exactly lying, it’s more like deception.

CURVING...

...is the new rejection. When someone replies to your text, next day with a ‘Sorry just saw this’. Curvers are known for their icy coolness.

FRECKLING...

...is a summer fling. Like freckles, the love disappears once the season is over.

POKEMONING

This trend involves someone trying to ‘collect’ as many partners as possible. This is the new breed of ‘chancers’ who think they are the best, and can have anything and anyone they want.

MOSTING

When someone goes overboard on the fluff job and then vanishes. It’s not someone being flattering; it’s someone faking being totally smitten when they aren’t.

— By Nona Walia

‘NOW AGE’ LIVING

ZERO-COMMITMENT FITNESS EXPERIENCES

Finding time to work out with a busy schedule is tough. But don’t over commit either. Have small, pragmatic goals. Look out for more opportunities to curate your personalised experience, at your pace.

‘NOW AGE’ SPIRITUALITY

Now Age healing is a promise to make your Today more meaningful. Wellness retreats are increasingly focusing on mind, body and spirit. People prefer energy healing workshops that offer regular mindfulness, meditation, and yoganidra sessions.

SOCIAL MEDIA DETOXING

People are looking to escape their hightech devices. Wellness influencers are focused on social media holiday as it becomes more toxic.

SILENCE MOVEMENT

Take breaks of silence during your day – 15 minutes when you don’t talk to anyone.

You can stretch it to half an hour too.

Also set to be a big trend are silent spas, where you don’t chat up anyone.

Clean, pray, cook RECIPE - PUMPKIN ICE CREAM!

Freddy Kerawalla is a 74-yearold Parsi gentleman, who lives in Mumbai, and happens to by my wife’s mama (maternal uncle). Among other things, she credits him with having inculcated the love of reading in her. He was born in Surat and spent a considerable part of his childhood at his maternal grandparent’s house. One of Freddy mama’s most cherished memories was that of his grandfather waking up at 4 in the morning to chant his prayers in front of the chulha (oven), considered to be sacred.

His grandfather would first clear the remains of the wood used the previous day, add fresh logs, start the fire and begin his prayers. Little Freddy would look on with awe while his grandfather would shave off pieces of sandalwood, considered holy by the Parsis, and add it to the fire with a prayer on his lips. Grandma would then wake up and use the chulha to cook, once the hour- long prayer session was over. Freddy mama said he remembered this incident while reading the Times Kitchen Tales story on grandmother’s kitchen and then took out the penknife, which he had inherited from his grandfather, and which is so precious to him. As are the memories of the sweet potatoes that they would leave to bake under the logs of the oven in winter, and whose taste he has never been able to replicate since then.


This story of a Parsi family from Gujarat reminded me of a story from my native Bengal that my fellow Presidency College alumnus, neighbour and friend, Shaswati Saradar once told me. The tale of the ranna puja that she has seen at her maternal grandparent’s house. This ceremony was performed at the end of the month of Bhadra (according to the Bengali calendar). In a practice that draws its roots to life in rural Bengal, the women of the house would pray to Goddess Manasa, the Goddess of snakes, during ranna (cooking) puja. It signified the fact that monsoons were over and protection was sought from the snakes and other creatures that would make an appearance again in the kitchen and elsewhere in villages. The kitchen would be cleaned in preparation of the puja, a new earthen oven would be made, the ladies of the house would put on new clothes, offer prayers, and then cook using fresh utensils after the prayers; thereby cleansing the kitchen and making a fresh start for the year.

What I took out of these Kitchen Tales from the two ends of the country is the reverence with which the kitchen, as symbolised by the oven, was treated by householders. What a wonderful way of showing gratitude.

That’s the determination with which I plan to enter the kitchen every day in the New Year... to keep it sparkling clean and take that spirit into the rest of my life too. Here’s wishing you all a great New Year. Please go to www.kitchentales.com and tell us how you plan to things better in your kitchen this year. We are looking to be inspired.




READER CONTRIBUTION (RECIPE) PUMPKIN ICE CREAM!



INGREDIENTS
Whole milk: 1 litre

Condensed milk: 1 can

Saffron: A few strands

Cardamom: A few green pods

Pumpkin: 400 gm approximately. The bright orange one, skinned, de-seeded, chopped, boiled and pureed finely after cooling.

METHOD

Boil the milk in a heavy bottom pan and let it simmer for around 30 minutes. Add all the condensed milk, along with the saffron and cardamom and keep stirring. When the quantity reduces to three fourths of the original, add the pumpkin mix and keep stirring. Let it simmer for at least 30 40 minutes more – until you actually see it becoming thicker and creamier.

Remove from flame and allow it to cool completely. Pour it into the vessel or the box you want to freeze it in. After a few hours, take it out from the freezer, scoop it up and let the rich, smooth, creamy goodness trickle down your throat!

There will be no ice crystals if you have done it right.

DIY TIPS FOR A CLEAN KITCHEN

1. Keep a bag/portable bin when you chop vegetables and fruits and put the peels and waste into it immediately while cooking

2. Keep a kitchen cloth handy to wipe the kitchen platform clean of spills and crumbs as you cook

3. Rinse and wash your dishes immediately after eating so that they don’t overwhelm you the next morning

4. Wipe clean electronic kitchen tools such as mixergrinders, air fryers, ovens, grills, which are convenient to use and aid healthy cooking too, immediately after use as using soap and water later might spoil the equipment