When we think of formal wear or boardroom attire, we often limit ourselves to age-old conventions of fashions. However, these conventions have evolved overtime, and often change according to the industry you are in. For example, people donning creative hats in the media and entertainment sector, those in IT or sometimes even those working in marketing are often able to get away wearing casual attire in the office? whether that means substituting a polo shirt for a formal dress shirt and, in some jobs, even jeans and shorts in the summer might be perfectly acceptable.

In fact, this summer, fashion experts and critiques are all in for some experimentation, for this season is all about bringing out that edge in your fashion and making a power statement.

Popular stylist and fashion blogger Kavya D?Souza decodes the fashion funda this summer for Exec Lifestyle!

Read on:

Shades of power:

While the beiges and blacks make for staple formal wear, men can ditch the norm by adding one statement piece to the classics. Think rust, powder blue or lavender for your shirts paired with solid hued jackets or play it safe with your ensemble and add a twist with maybe a gingham blazer.

Women can go the power suit way in a striking color like red that is teamed with a crisp white shirt to make a powerful statement.

What feels right looks even better:

For men, it?s all about the fabric this season. Linen is big this summer with men opting to beat the heat in style with linen trousers and shirts.

For women, shift dresses in solid hues or prints are making all the noise and rightfully so, as they make for a super stylish yet comfortable option when it comes to work wear.

The X factor:

For all fashion forward CEOs, you know what separates an exceptional sales pitch from a mediocre one ? it?s paying attention to details. And the same goes for fashion. A cufflink can spruce up your outfit in a matter of seconds and fun ties and pocket squares will add a dash of spunk to your otherwise drab look.

Women can wear accessories that are multifunctional. For example, tie a scarf around your shirt for that important meeting and then simply tie it on your bag as a playful addition in the latter half of the day.

The come alongs:

Accessories can make or break a look. While it's important that you invest in some high-end brands (possibly the classics!), feel free to explore through the high street racks for more trendy and fun additions to your wardrobe. Men must have a good pair of oxfords in black and tan and a wide variety of ties to choose from.

Women, go ahead and grab eyeballs with a structured handbag that will complete all your outfits with ?lan. Also, it's necessary to have a selection of jewellery exclusively meant for work wear.

Here are a few style statements that Kavya suggests for the fashion forward executives:

1) For a meeting with the board of directors - Men can go the three-piece suit way in charcoal grey, paired with a crisp tie. Women can opt for a pencil fit skirt teamed with a blazer and a closed pair of shoes that means business.

2) A weekend brunch with colleagues - Men can opt for bright pair of chinos with plaid shirt and a tweed hat. You got to show them your fun side! Women can go the bohemian way with a maxi dress in a fun print and chunky accessories. Also, don't forget a bright lipstick!

3) A cocktail party with industry friends and competition: A tuxedo can never fail you. As far as women are concerned a well fitting gown with a dash of bling is enough to get you all the attention. 

By Papri Das

Just like fashion, one?s home interior not only reflects one?s personality and taste, it also resonates the ideas of their time. Keeping that in mind, in this current high tech world one would expect that people who splurge on their homes are populating it with robots, gadgets, droids and the likes. However, interior designers catering to high-end clientele observe that there is a gradual inclination towards ?classic? style home decor -- more wood, earthy colours and elaborate designs.

Indiantelevision.com?s Exec Lifestyle spoke to well-known celebrity architect and interior designer Parag Pandya from Hauz Kraft to give us an insight into what it means to design a home for the A-listers, and the top trends that are emerging in interior designing.

Pandya has handled many executive and celebrity clients, including Amitabh Bachchan, Mukesh Bhatt, Emraan Hashmi, Sunidhi Chauhan, Javed Ali and more. Given the choice between designing a corporate space and a home, he would gladly choose the latter. ?It?s much more challenging and there is more scope to renovate. Each space has a different layout and therefore no two living rooms, kitchen or bedroom can be the same. As a creative person, it?s the natural preference.?

When Pandya walks into a new home, the first thing he notices in the living room is the sofa, and the decor around it. ?It speaks volumes about the resident?s taste. If there is a painting on the wall behind it, which is accompanied by a fawyer, it shows that minimalistic sophistication appeals to them. Similarly, if the interiors have darker hues and more earthy designs and furniture, it reflects that that while the residents keep up with times, they are more rooted. On the other hand, if you see colonial designs in someone?s house, it means that they travel a lot, mostly to European countries,? points out the interior designer, who prefers contemporary minimal when it comes to decorating his own office space.

?The colour palate of minimal contemporary is mostly pastels and subtle hues like beige and white. When it comes to the furniture, it?s more glass and metal (steel). Over the last few years, minimal contemporary has been the ?in thing? and we have seen some amazing innovation in design with just these,? Pandya explains.

However, the trend seems to be shifting. ?Rather than extreme minimal contemporary, recently people are going for a more fusion-like approach to it, where simple architecture and lighter hues complement elaborate furnitures. Five years from now, I believe that home decor will do a full circle and classic designs will once again be popular,? Pandya points out.

?I can already see the trend emerging. What's interesting is that with classic, one can not only do the tried and tested western classic designs, but also look within our country?s rich heritage for inspiration,? he adds.

Following are a few tips that can give your home a classic look:

1) Rajasthani Dewans:

Rajasthani dewan sets and ornate chairs, which are often used as props in traditional or period drama film sets serve as wonderful accents in homes. These chairs or dewans can be upholstered with rich cloth like velvet or silk in warm colours like red, orange or magnolia. You can also raid old carpets, sarees or bedcovers for the same.

2) Wooden Swings:

Full wooden swings inside homes have been a trend for a long time. Rich wooden swings are a fashion statement and a chill out zone in homes. These can be decorated with good looking fabric and cushions and you?re good to go.

3) Flower Arrangement:

Somehow, vases and flowers seem indispensable for living rooms. Nothing encourages positivity and radiates happiness in a family like flowers do. You could arrange long-stemmed flowers in vases, or put them in crystal bowls with water, or just have a lot of them in ceramic jugs.

By Papri Das

Just as you are pleased to receive a card that is enclosed in a beautiful envelope, design packages add value to a product -- be it consumer goods, services or digital applications. No wonder then that designing studios and branding agencies are some of the most sought after in the industry.

But fighting the bidding war to hire the top branding partners isn?t something every startup can afford. Having started off from being small players in the industry not too long ago, this is something that folks at DesignAren understand well. ?We understand the importance of working with startups. We are aware of the budget constraints and lay a platform that makes our design solutions more accessible in terms of reasonable pricing,? says Ritesh Rathi, one of the two partners at DesignAren, who also holds a Masters at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Backing him up, his partner Nirali Parekh Rathi adds, ?Our intent is to provide design services for corporations and startups alike who may have not considered design as tool to improve their product experience.? 

At a time when MNCs spend millions over packaging, does designing take priority over content? ?Yes and No! The packaging is a part and parcel of the experience of consuming a product. Good packaging can create a good first impression for a brand and its credibility along with differentiating itself from the various other competitors. Having said that, the content and product has to be able to carry itself forward to match the promise that the packaging or branding is making,? Nirali clarifies.

Over the last few years DesignAren has worked with brands like McDonald?s, Radio Mirchi, Jones Lang LaSalle, Brookfield Financial, ICICI Prudential and Citibank. ?As one of our first projects, we worked for McDonald?s India for their hiring campaign,? Ritesh recollects when asked about his most challenging project so far. ?It was a challenge to come up with a strong and catchy tag line that would become the over-reaching theme for the entire hiring cycle. The visuals asked for a direct message to all levels of employees that McDonald?s was looking to hire and that each position offered certain perks. After speaking to several current McDonald?s employees about their experience working at there, we came up with the campaign theme of ?@McDonalds I can.??

If you wish to enhance your prodcut with an attractive packaging, Nirali and Ritesh would be happy to help you with their experiences and thoughts on the sector. Since they have worked in the USA before starting DesignAren, they could possibly give you a global perspective too.

MUMBAI: FabFurnish is celebrating its third year of success. To share the joy with its patrons, the site is hosting five days of astounding deals. The Anniversary Special deals were offered from 16 - 20 March, 2015, giving five days of unbelievable offers and discounts to its customers.

FabFurnish CEO and founder Vikram Chopra said that the three-year journey of FabFurnish has indeed been a fulfilling one. ?These three years of success and popularity wouldn?t be possible without the continued patronage of our loyal customers, who have loved the brand and made it their favourite destination for Furniture and Home Decor products. A special thanks to our trade partners who have showed continued faith in us in this journey of growth and success.?  

Founded by Chopra and Mehul Agrawal, the company is part of German incubator Rocket Internet.

Homeowners today are looking at providing that distinctive charm by using a mix contemporary and ethnic touch when it comes to styling their homes. A combination of furniture that is comfortable, cozy and welcoming and at the same time also reflects their personal aesthetics is what people are looking for in their homes. Personal style and freedom of expression have become the driving forces in today's home design and interior designers are ferreting out personalized solutions to decorate clients? havens.
Indiantelevision.com?s Exec Lifestyle looks at the Top 5 High End Interior Designers from across the globe.

Read on:

1. Cullman & Kravis
Cullman & Kravis is known for providing the highest quality of design excellence and personal service since 1984. Based in New York City, the design firm concentrates on combing antique pieces with modern ones in order to preserve tradition by placing it in a contemporary environment. The company operates on a national level and has worked closely with architects such as: Allan Greenberg, Tom Kirchhoff, Tom Kligerman, John B. Murray, Gordon Pierce, Oscar Shamamian, Jeff Smith, and Peter Zimmerman.

2. Pepe Calderin Design
Pepe Calderin Design is an award-winning, New York and Miami-based interior design firm dedicated to designing high-end residential and commercial spaces throughout America, Europe and Saudi Arabia. It uses 3-D rendering to show their clients the vast possibilities available for their space, and the designers are always conscious of developing a positive relationship with clients.

3. The Orange Lane
Designers hanker after large square-footages. So if you have a small studio apartment that you wish to do up tastefully, chances of getting a good designer to handle the job are slim. But for Shabnam Gupta, all spaces ? large and small ? are grist for the mill. Her spaces are infused with a wonderful, endearing idiosyncratic quality. We like her attention to detail: A window grille that apes falling rain, a trail of miniature ants walking across the wall. This interior designer-furniture-and-lifestyle store-owner is very practical when it comes to space management as well. Client portfolio includes Aditya Chopra, Rani Mukherji, Sameer Bhatia, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, W.T.F Bar, The Big Nasty Bar and Lemon Grass Restaurant.

4. Designscape
Designscape, a Mumbai-based interior design consultancy, has established a reputation for providing creative design solutions for both residential and commercial interiors and small architectural projects. The company uses innovative materials to provide unique interiors that work as well as provide a complete design and furnishing service for buy to let and investment properties. Apart from providing the furniture, Designscape also undertakes full decoration including curtains, carpets and wall finishes and delivers a turnkey solution.

5. The White Window
The White Window (TWW) by Twinkle Khanna is an award-winning, concept home decor destination that redefines style with a tinge of revel. Reputed for its eclectic yet timeless design style, TWW Interiors has accomplished highly successful residential and hospitality projects in London, Dubai, Mumbai and a few other Indian cities. The firm is known for taking traditional elements, combining them with rich and vibrant aesthetics and interpreting these components in unique and fresh new ways. The firm designs, manufactures and sources items with function and visual form in mind and make selections based on unique aesthetic value and quality craftsmanship.

Mumbai: E-commerce is a trending cultural phenomenon and has resulted in the rise of a new segment of society called netizens. Jashn, the ethnic, indo-western and lifestyle fashion brand for women, with a presence in over 40 locations across India, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, now plans to target netizens and make them their loyal customers.

The brand will now be present on multiple online shopping sites like Myntra, Jabong and Flipkart in order to expand its customer base and to improve product accessibility. Jashn has a galvanic range of designer sarees, kurtis and beautiful material for the modern day Indian woman. The fashion brand wishes to expand its presence on e-commerce platforms that will allow users to shop from their favorite brands just at the click of a button. These sites also have a number of sales and offer exemplary discounts that are simply irresistible.

Jashn managing director Rahuul Jashnani said, ?Jashn?s prevalent goal is to showcase contemporary ethnic fashion extensively through e-commerce websites. The extensive growth of trends and technology has led masses to expect brands to be functional in the e-commerce section.  Jashn is looking forward to increasing sales and improving consumer brand relationships by sailing into the Internet abyss.?

Getting onboard with e-commerce, Jashn leaps forward to fulfill its vision of becoming an Indian- multinational organization and a dominant player in the international fashion industry. The merchandise offered on these e-commerce sites is exclusive to the ones in the store