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SAYING GOOD-BYE TO
PHOTOGRAPHY
LEGEND
YASMEEN
GHAURI:
THE ONE THAT
GOT AWAY
PRABUDDHA
DASGUPTA
CHARLIE SHEEN’S
ANGER
MANAGEMENT
CO-STAR
HOW
PRINCESS
JASMINE
CHANGED
DISNEY
FOREVER
ARE YOU
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SHE CANADA 1
Specializing in:
Modern yet Traditional Pakistani Wear
Casual, Semi Formal and Bridal Wear
Pakistani Jewellery now available
2 SHE CANADA
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SHE CANADA 3
Editor/Publisher KAMRAN ZAIDI
Associate Editor PRIYA KUMAR
Art Layout Coordinator DANYL GENECIRAN
Fashion Assistant LIZ GUBER
Travel Contributor ROBIN ESROCK
Correspondent/In-house Photographer SIJAL REHMANE
Social Media Manager ERUM ZEHRA
Health & Wellness Contributor ROXANNA KASSAM KARA
Features Contributor SUMMUN JAFRI
Pop Culture Contributor PRIYANKA RAJ, PARVEEN SINGH
National Advertising Director PATRICIA BUTLER
Marketing Assistant BONNIE MENDEZ PIZON
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4 SHE CANADA
IN EVERY ISSUE:
STYLE SCOOP 10
HE 66
HE Said, SHE Said
Valentine’s Day gift Ideas for HIM
SHE CARES 72
IDRF
Plan Canada
SHE DEBATES 76
The Blood Garment Paradox
HEALTH/WELLNESS 80
Are you Supermarket Savvy?
ON THE ROAD 84
Slowboat down the Mekong
BEAUTY 88
Tria: Rejuvenating Laser review
Vasanti Cosmetics: Meeting the Skincare Needs of
South Asian Women Everywhere
DESI GIRL PROBLEMS 93
QUOTE/UNQUOTE 102
Famous quotes on Love
FEATURES
FASHION CENTRAL 18
Soigne K: the Upper East Side’s first taste of Indian
fashion
Paria Shirvani: Fashion’s Next Generation
Pavlyn Boutique is Canada’s online fashion fix
Amrapali x Manish Arora
Sentaler Coats keep us warm and stylish
COVER STORY 28
Noureen DeWulf: Comedy’s New “It” GIrl
GAME CHANGERS 44
Business: Indra Nooyi
Sport: Sania Mirza
Politics: Tulsi Gabbard
Photography: Prabuddha Dasgupta
Disney: Princess Jasmine
Music: MIA
Modeling: Yasmeen Ghauri
Film: Madhuri Dixit
Fashion: Narendra Kumar
SOUTH ASIA 34
Pantene Bridal Couture Week 2012
Miss Supermodel
THE ARTS 60
Spoke Word, Poet Sheniz Janmohammed
Owais Lightwala and making a difference
through theatre arts at home and abroad
Kalamkaar: Furniture as Art
Book Review: Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil
RESTAURANT REVIEW 76
Blowfish Restaurant and Sake Bar
AROUND TOWN 70
Margherita Missoni meet and greet at Holt Renfrew for
OrphanAid Africa
SHE CANADA 5
hen we decided to put the wheels in motion for SHE Canada’s launch, there
was much research to be done on you, our reader. The following questions
continuously danced above our heads in the months leading up to our
inaugural issue: Who are you? What do you do for a living? How old are you?
And most importantly, how do you identify with your roots?
We aimed to put out a magazine that identifies the items, people and
lifestyle choices that you most relate to and have an interest in reading about.
For this, our fifth issue, we have settled on the South Asian Game Changers
of the world. What do we mean by the term Game Changer? They are the
individuals that have changed what it is to be South Asian in their particular
fields.
EDITOR
S.M. Kamran Zaidi
Politics have played a major role in international debate this past year
with the US election. Incidentally, the state of Hawaii also elected the first
Hindu to Congress in the history of the United States—although not South
Asian in origin, Tulsi Gabbard will bring with her the values and customs
common among those from the subcontinent. Keep an eye out for tennis
champion Sania Mirza who is not only India’s first woman to win a Grand
Slam at Wimbledon, but also broke down social barriers by marrying a
Pakistani cricketer of equal fame. Finally, we take a journey back to a simpler
time—specifically a time when Disney movies reigned supreme. Chances
are, if you’re a South Asian woman in your twenties there was no Disney
Princess you identified with more than Jasmine. Did you know that not only
was she the first identifiable Muslim Disney Princess, but also the first of
non-European ethnicity? Her introduction in 1992 added some much needed
diversity to The Magic Kingdom’s royal court, paving the way for other exotic
heroines including Pocahontas, Mulan and Tiana.
Finally, I cannot conclude this note without mentioning our trail-blazing
cover girl, Noureen DeWulf. Having launched her career almost a decade ago,
with her first project going on to win an Academy Award, DeWulf has created
a niche for herself in Hollywood starring opposite some of the biggest names
in the industry. Currently, you can find her on CTV’s Anger Management,
(a.k.a. Charlie Sheen’s post-Two and a Half Men comeback) playing Lacey, a
bombshell LA girl suffering from a violent case of road rage. Needless to say,
the budding comedienne is the series’ scene-stealer.
After going through this issue, I hope you realize that as South Asians we
have what it takes to make it in any field. Although it goes without saying
that we have already conquered the worlds of science, mathematics and
technology, arts and sports are still our oyster. If you take anything from
this issue, I hope it is the inspiration to pursue whatever it is you’re most
passionate about in life.
6 SHE CANADA
WHAT GOES ON IN THE SHE OFFICE
Ever wonder what it’s like to work at the fastpaced, creative office of a fashion/lifestyle
magazine? From free swag to tight deadlines to
thrilling photo shoots, visit our website http://
shemagazine.ca for a peek into SHE headquarters
and behind-the-scenes of our fashion shoots. It’s
just like The Devil Wears Prada, except everyone’s
much nicer!
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YASMEEN
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INDIVA BRINGS
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SHE CANADA 7
“What are the three things you absolutely cannot live without?”
PRIYA KUMAR
LIZ GUBER
ROBIN ESROCK
SUMMUN JAFRI
PRIYANKA RAJ
DANYL GENECIRAN
Assosiate Editor
Uggs, milk chocolate and my pets,
Whistler and Kela.
Features Contributor
My Smartphone, reruns of The Office and
black eyeliner.
8 SHE CANADA
Fashion Assistant
I could not imagine a world without
funny cat videos on the internet, black
tea with milk and vintage clothing.
Pop Culture Contributor
My music (whether on a cell phone/mp3
player), buffets, my glasses.
Travel Contributor
My alarm clock, without it, I’d sleep all
morning, and I never, ever trust a hotel
wake-up call. My Macbook, on which
I write, edit and watch videos, listen to
music, and keep in touch with the world.
My attitude: no matter what’s going on,
I know everything is going to be fine,
because it is always is.
Layout Coordinator
Phone, wallet and car keys. I feel naked
without them.
Editors’ Notes: December/January 2012 Issue
High Tea During the British Raj: Shalwar
Kameez with gold and turquoise beading on
model Reena by Alia K.
A Winter’s Tale: Coats by Sentaler, for more
information see page 26.
Most of the time when I look through a
magazine I flip through the pages and just look
for the clothing pieces and sometimes a story or
two. SHE Magazine has sparked my curiosity to
learn about different cultures, and for the first time,
I actually wanted to read all the articles.
Erin
I found the piece “Maintaining a Healthy South
Asian Diet” (November 2012) puzzling. The author
suggests veggies in dessert (avocado in pudding,
zucchini in cake) yet does not provide detailed
recipes to achieve this healthy balance. And let’s face
it, dessert is meant to be an indulgence, eating kale in
my chocolate would likely ruin the dish. Everything in
moderation, right?
Nausheen
Your feature on MAWI was an accessory lover’s dream come true.
The necklaces are so beautiful and innovative, and your Q & A
was very interesting. I’ll definitely be saving up to buy a MAWI
piece.
Anum
The Diwali fashion page was stunning! No other magazine offers
such a comprehensive dose of South Asian fashion. I’m also
pleased that designers such as Chanel and Marchesa are taking
inspiration from our rich culture.
Priyanka
I enjoyed “In Search of Great Chai” (November 2012) and
learning about Toronto’s Desi food history. I do wish that you
wrote not just about one beverage, but about the food at Indian
Rice Factory as well.
Amit
As a Jain, I’m always disappointed when I see the
glorification of leather and fur in fashion, both of which
were featured in your issue. Animals suffer for our frivolity,
and I hope to see more animal/eco-friendly options featured in
future issues.
Anonymous
Your monthly beauty picks didn’t feature a single item under $20!
As a frugal-minded girl, I’d appreciate some expert input on the
drugstore products that work as well as the high-end ones.
Anonymous
You have no idea how excited I was to see my favorite singer on
your cover! I loved reading about Nadia Ali’s story, its nice to
know that she’s such a cool, down-to-earth girl.
Anonymous
We’d love to hear from you! Please send us your questions,
comments and criticisms to [email protected]
SHE CANADA 9
Whether you’re celebrating
Valentine’s or Gal-entine’s Day,
these prêt-à-porter looks will turn
heads wherever you go. In a good
way, of course!
Lanvin
Embellished
Clutch $2350
Red Valentino
Ruffle Dress
$178
Valentino
Strapless Wool
Blend Twill
Jumpsuit
$670
Mason
Leather Sheath
Dress $782
Alexander
McQueen
Lace-Up Snake
Sandals $2075
Rag & Bone
Tuxedo Jacket
$535
10 SHE CANADA
Alexander
McQueen
Cherry Trompe
L’oeil Panel
Mini Dress
$1700
Lanvin
Draped Maxi
Skirt $4260
Lover Serpent
Dress $1050
Valentino Patent
Leather Bow
Clutch $995
Lanvin
Knotted
Dress $801
Charlotte
Olympia
Love Me Heart
Appliqué Suede
Pumps $1450
SHE CANADA 11
Spring/Summer is synonymous with nautical stripes, colour blocking and fresh floral prints. Optimism is usually the subliminal
message as the trees and flowers burst into bloom after the long and gloomy winter. According to the SS13 runways, this year is
breaking the mold. The never-ending chill is carrying into the subsequent seasons as we see black and white making a return for the
mild-weathered months.
Here is the breakdown of the Spring/Summer 2013 runways from New York, London, Paris and Milan into the colourful and not-socolourful trends this season!
12 SHE CANADA
CÉLINE
CHANEL
DIOR
PRADA
PRABAL
GURUNG
PETER PILOTTO
PRABAL
GURUNG
DIOR
HUSSEIN CHALAYAN
DRIES VAN NOTEN
ALTUZARRA
MARY
KATRANTZOU
SHE CANADA 13
ADIDAS by Stella
McCartney
Leggings $140
February might mark the end of the
winter season, but the ski slopes are
bustling well into March, especially high
in the mountains of Whistler Blackcomb!
You may feel the need to bundle up, but
there’s no need to sacrifice looking great
while trying to keep warm. Check out
these picks that strike the fine balance
between practicality and style.
ADIDAS by Stella
McCartney
Ski Jacket $500
Calvin Klein
Collection Jacket
$1695
ROXY Goggles
$69.95
James Perse
Cashmere Cardigan
$201
Lucas Hugh
Performance T Shirt
$195
Karl Donoghue
Ear Muffs $160
Mulberry Tiger Intarsia
Angoria Blend Beanie $250
14 SHE CANADA
ROXY
Ally BTX Pixel
Snowboard
$459
Acne Shorts $230
Bird by Juicy Couture
Kaftan Dress $57
Euginea Kim
Straw Hat
$165
This month universities and colleges
across Canada celebrate Reading Week—
we don’t know about you, but reading was
not what we celebrated at our schools.
Whether heading to the beaches of Mexico
or to Ultra Music Festival in Miami to
catch all the latest DJs, one can never
be too prepared which is why we’ve put
together this killer collection of pieces
screaming for some fun-in-the-sun.
Missoni Bandeau
Bikini $305
Thierry Lasry Sunglasses $400
ROXY
Tunic $44
Current Elliott
Shorts $159
The Row
Sunglasses $395
Totem Salvaged
Tote $300
Miu Miu Floral
Appliqué Bikini $410
K Jacques
St Tropez
Sandals
$262
SHE CANADA 15
SECRETS TO THE SUCCESS OF ASPIRING ACTORS AND MODELS
BY LIZ GUBER
16 SHE CANADA
or dreamers with stars in their eyes, the path to becoming
a successful model or actor can seem daunting. Without proper
guidance and training, going at it alone can often result in
disappointment and frustration. Enter MAX Agency—one of
Toronto’s best known model and talent management companies.
Under the guidance of their experienced team, the path to success
becomes much easier to navigate. SHE had the pleasure of sitting
down with MAX model Angela Dudler, to hear all about her
experience under the Agency.
Dudler’s journey started like that of so many others before her.
She was discovered on the street in Toronto when a scout “came
up to me asking if I was a model. She was very friendly and asked
me to give her some information. I didn’t really hope for a call or
anything but a couple weeks later I got a call from an agent asking
me to come in.” MAX instantly saw potential in Dudler and offered
her a spot as a model on their roster.
Part of what makes MAX Agency so vital to newcomers to
the acting and modeling industry is the training and mentorship
provided to their talent free of charge, which Dudler found
“extremely generous” adding “the classes didn’t only help me with
how to behave during auditions but they also gave me lots of
confidence, which is very important as a model.”
MAX Agency places its talent with an extremely wide
spectrum of companies such as Nike, CBC, GM, Coca Cola, Sony,
McDonald’s , Hugo Boss, TD Canada Trust, L’Oreal and Motorola,
and shortly after signing with MAX, Dudler was part of a fashion
show with designer Baby Steinberg. “The atmosphere was amazing
and it was so much fun being part of it.” The future is looking
bright for Angela Dudler, who is hopeful that with MAX Agency’s
help she will book more auditions and jobs. “I realized how much
fun [modeling] is and how confident I suddenly became which
is clearly visible on the pictures. I also hope to stay with MAX
Agency because I feel well represented by them.”
MAX Agency is located at 2063 Yonge Street, Suite #202, Toronto
Ontario, M4S 2A2 | 416-482-5392 | [email protected]
SHE CANADA 17
THE UPPER EAST
SIDE’S FIRST TASTE
OF INDIAN FASHION
BY PRIYA KUMAR
oigne Kothari moved from Mumbai to New
York City for love. Having grown up and trained in
fashion design in India, she quickly realized there
was something absent from The Big Apple’s expansive
fashion scene, namely, access to “the vibrancy and
intricacy of design, quality and craftsmanship that
is possessed by many Indian designers.” Armed
with a degree from the renowned Fashion Institute
of Technology (FIT) and a good understanding of
retail trends both locally and back in the old country,
Kothari ventured into a brave new world of fashion
retail by bringing some of the most celebrated Indian
labels directly to the backyards (better yet, stoops) of
the world’s most influential tastemakers.
Had I not experienced the effervescence of Mumbai’s fashion
scene for myself, I wouldn’t believe it. India is now globally
renowned for its high-end, multi-brand concept stores. Inspired by
what Armani has done at its flagships around the world, this type
of fashion retail aims to be a one-stop-shop for all things luxury.
Revolutionary concept stores including Colaba’s Bombay Electric,
New Delhi’s Ogaan and now Manhattan’s Soigne K, offer clientele
well crafted, intricately designed and, more often than not, one-off
pieces that they won’t have the misfortune of seeing anyone else
in during “the season.” I recently had a chance to chat with Soigne
Kothari, founder and owner of Soigne K., about the launch of the
groundbreaking boutique and how she anticipates offering New
Yorkers an alternative to generic high-end fashion.
“I realized that New York is THE place to be a launching pad
for such a unique concept given its amalgamation of different
cultures. The New Yorker is always looking for something different
and unique given the jetsetter lifestyle,” Kothari says of the thought
18 SHE CANADA
process behind opening Soigne K. Soigne, which means polished
in French, could not be a more appropriate title for the Madison
Avenue boutique. Carefully curated to include only the most
coveted labels out of India, Kothari’s unique buying aesthetic is
evident throughout the space.
Being based in New York City, I had to know about her buying
process. She tells me, “Each season I draw inspiration from a
different era of India’s history and our rich Indian cultural heritage,
places, people and trends. When I visit temples, stately homes or
Indian palaces I am always absorbing the craftsmanship of the
architecture of ancient India.” She speaks almost poetically; “Lines
are fluid as well fierce like the waves in the ocean. I then sit with my
designers and convey my vision for the upcoming season fusing
the look from their current collection with mine and have each
piece with the one ‘wow factor’ that is synonymous with Soigne K.”
“Her designers” she refers to are a part of the cherry-picked
cohort that make up the new generation of India’s international
couturiers that include Manish Arora, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Rohit
Bal and of course Hollywood favourite Falguni & Shane Peacock.
Besides the lovely imported garments carried at Soigne K., Kothari
also designs an in-house jewellery line with which she hopes to aid
in the preservation of South Asia’s centuries-old jewellery design
tradition. “I draw inspiration from the jewellery that had been
worn by the Maharanis and Maharajas of India. I then sit with my
women artisans in rural India and collaborate with them while at
the same time incorporating their traditional jewellery making
techniques,” Kothari explains. “This not only helps the artisan
achieve self-reliance but also contribute to preserving traditional
techniques that have been handed down through generations.”
Kothari sees a bright future for South Asian fashion
internationally. “Indian designers are bursting on to the scenes of
fashion all over the world. India for centuries has been known as the
land of Maharajas and their grandeur. Their legacy has been kept
alive through our Indian designers that draw inspiration from their
clothes and jewels.” Making reference to larger designer houses like
Chanel and Marchesa, Kothari continues, “International couture
fashion houses have started to take notice of the rich Indian heritage
and craftsmanship. They are boldly using Indian motifs on a wide
range of clothing, accessories and stationary. Fashion Shows are
being themed around Indian influence and are being accessorized
with touches of India. The richness of heritage [and] mythology
with the vibrant use of colours are finding loyal patrons not only
among the Indian community overseas but also international
customers. India’s craftsmanship is like a hidden treasure trove
that is yet to be discovered; once opened it will be addictive and
will take the world by a storm.” Refusing to mince Kothari’s words,
I could not have said it better myself.
Soigne K. is at 717 Madison Avenue (near 63rd Street) in New York
City; (212) 486-2890.
SHE CANADA 19
LIZ GUBER visits Paria Shirvani, an up-and-coming Toronto-based designer
making pieces with modern cuts and fabrics for a new class of consumers
recent report released
by Greenpeace titled
“Toxic Threads: The
Big Fashion Stitch
Up” revealed shocking
levels of toxicity in the
fibres of the fast fashion
garments (i.e. product from Forever 21, GAP
and H&M). Chemicals banned in North
America, but not in countries where the
cheap garments are produced, reveal harmful,
sometimes even carcinogenic or hormone
disrupting properties. If that’s not enough
to make you think twice about heading to
the mall to load up on peplum tops (only to
be relegated to the depths of our closets a
season later), perhaps a trip to Paria Shirvani’s
downtown Toronto studio just might do the
trick.
Paria Shirvani is by no means an
environmentalist; she is however, a part of
the growing movement of local, conscious
designers who care about resurrecting dying
notions of quality and artistry. Born in Iran,
Shirvani’s family came to Canada in the
1980s, opening up endless opportunities for
Paria and her two sisters. Shirvani fell in love
with fashion in high school, where she was
in charge of the costumes for school plays.
A George Brown college alum, she honed in
on her understading of garment production
at Joe Fresh—a vocation considered to be a
dream job for many fashion school graduates.
“I have always been passionate about the
construction of clothing and, from a young
age, have enjoyed the process of piecing
20 SHE CANADA
materials together to create a garment.” After
three years of working for the Canadian
mega-brand, Shirvani left the job to start
her own label, describing the transition as
“seamless and intuitive”, adding “I was ready
to branch off and create a line that embodied
my personal aesthetic and allowed me the
opportunity to have full creative control.”
Shirvani’s first collection, titled Zephyr, is
the designer’s brave venture to independence.
As the well thought out and carefully
edited collection hangs on a rack before
me, with its colour palette limited to dove
grey, dusty nude and bone it displays the
kind of mature restraint and effortless
cool that begs comparisons to Alexander
Wang and Isabel Marant. The collection
also displays silhouettes varying from
sharply tailored to fluidly draped—design
elements generally mastered by only the
most seasoned of designers. Being a fan of
dressed-up sweatpants and moth-like colour
palettes, I’m an instant fan, vowing to make
the asymmetrical jersey skirt a part of my
wardrobe come spring.
Shirvani describes her dream customer
as someone who “likes comfort without the
compromise to design and aesthetic. She has
a strong sense of her own style and is able
to merchandise her wardrobe into effortless
chic.” The items in the collection reflect a
modern sensibility, yet also boast a seasonless appeal, the styles will stay fresh and
current for years to come.
Shirvani’s approach is very grassroots; she sources fabric from Montreal—
noting that there is a lack of quality wholesale textiles in Toronto—drapes the
silhouettes and drafts the patterns herself, and then cuts the fabric and makes
the muslins (sample garments made from cheaper fabric that act as mockups).
The sewing of the garments is then contracted out. “The process is more hands
on and there is high control over quality, building a garment that is made to
last.” The entire line is produced in Toronto, making it part of a burgeoning
industry of homegrown labels. Zephyr was revealed to the public this past
fall at OZ Studios, a contemporary setting that was well suited for the young
designer, as it allowed for complete control of the production and instant
feedback from the audience. “It was terrific. I could respond to questions and
do on-the-spot interviews while the collection was on display in front of them.”
Paria Shirvani’s clothes are sure to be snatched-up and styled to the nines
by fashionphiles, once they are able to get their hands on them that is.
Upcoming pop-up shops around downtown Toronto are in the works for this
year. Shirvani also has plans to make everything available online. Next up for
Shirvani: her first-ever
Fall collection. Although
she didn’t reveal any
details about her plans,
something tells me to
expect more expert
tailoring, interesting
angles and a deliberate
lack of print.
Standing in the
designer’s small, very
neat space really makes
one think. Two sewing
machines, one table, rolls
of fabric in a corner and
some illustrations leaning
against a wall, all in a
space no bigger than 300
square feet—this is where
the entire collection of
fresh, inspiring readyto-wear is born. I peek at
the price tag of one item,
noting that it is on par with similar pieces at ZARA, convincing me to think
twice before indulging in fast fashion again.
SHE CANADA 21
Pavlyn Boutique has changed the game for Canadian style-seekers. As opposed to shopping from US-based e-retailers, Pavlyn offers a local
alternative source to the hottest looks, straight off the red carpet. ASHLEY KYRON discovers what led to Maria Litvintseva and Anna
Petrov‘s entrepreneurial spirit and what they hope Canada will get out of Pavlyn’s presence on the Net.
Living in Canada has its perks: four full seasons, boundless natural
resources and of course poutine. It’s hard to complain really, but
when it comes to comparing the fashion retail scene with our
neighbours to the south, we always come up slightly short changed.
As we press on into a new era of shopping where the internet is
proving to be the busiest mall of them all, we cannot help but be
irked by the fact that those impossible to get Isabel Marant hightop wedges come with a $45 shipping fee in addition to another
15% of duties. Cash on delivery. It almost takes away from the
elation we should be feeling for making such a deep investment in
footwear. Wouldn’t it just be easier if there were a Canadian answer
to Gilt Group (that cuts the guilt out of the final price tag of this
month’s hottest celebrity endorsed accessory)?
We discovered that the answer to this frustrating conundrum
was right under our noses all along—Pavlyn Boutique (http://www.
pavlyn.com). The website reflects exactly what our generation is
looking for in an online retailer. Besides offering up some of the
hottest pieces from New York City, London and Paris, the items
are also accompanied by a celebrity rocking the piece in their
own unique style. I sat down to meet Maria Litvintseva and Anna
Petrov, the girls behind Pavlyn, to discuss what led them to starting
the site.
Petrov and Litvintseva began Pavlyn knowing there was a void
in the marketplace. The 27-year-old duo surprisingly had no
22 SHE CANADA
background in fashion but instead attended top business programs
at Laurier and York University respectively. “We have always had
a passion for celebrity style and been into shopping, trends and
especially celebrity watching,” says Petrov. Armed with a close-knit
friendship that spanned the past decade, they were keen on starting
a business together but wanted it to be in a field they were equally
passionate about. Fashion always came naturally to the two, so
beginning there was a good start.
Modern Family’s
Sarah Hyland in
Contrarian.
As a user of the site, I have to make one thing clear: this isn’t your
average e-commerce portal. Besides peddling the hottest, hard-tofind pieces, it also has a very user-friendly layout that rivals Style.
com or WhoWhatWear. The editorial touch is the secret to what
sets Pavlyn apart from the competition. “The editorial concept
came from a lot of what is happening in the industry right now. A
clothing website [has become a place to get] fashion style advice,
with a blog feel and a bit of celebrity gossip. People want to know
what the celebrities are wearing and they want to know the trends,”
explains Petrov. “You can’t just have a website and be like, ‘Here
are the clothes – now shop!’ They want to see the whole look put
together and in terms of celebrity style.” Petrov took us back to
when she was growing up, “I would see all the great fashion that
the celebrities were wearing, but wasn’t available in Canada. And
when I would watch shows like The Hills and Keeping up with the
Kardashians I would always want to know what they were wearing
in the episodes but it was always so hard for me to find out and
that’s why we wanted to go in the direction of celebrity style.”
With so much competition both online and off, coming up
with the right name can be the trickiest part about starting your
business. With a name like Pavlyn, it’s hard to get lost in the crowd.
Litvintseva says, “We both come from a Russian background and
we wanted something that’s kind of relevant to who we are. Also the
word Pavlyn signifies the celebrity of all [birds].” Petrov continues,
“Pavlyn means a beautiful, ritzy bird and that’s the idea we were
going for. And we also like the way it sounds—it’s a pretty word.”
Originally, the two wanted to open a boutique but as they worked
on a business plan, it became evident that online shopping is
huge in the States but severely lacking in Canada. Thus, the
girls decided why limit themselves to just sales in Toronto
when they could sell to clientele across the country? Better yet,
the world. Pavlyn also ships internationally.
So being budding entrepreneurs in the fashion scene, what
are their latest fashion obsessions? Litvintseva jumped right
in, “I love my new Eyes Wide Open skirt, in fuchsia pink.
The skirt has two cut outs, like slits that go up really high,
made from sheer material with a mini underskirt. I wore it
to Toronto Fashion Week and was well complimented on the
statement piece. It must be my favorite item right now” As
she looked at Petrov, Litvintseva continued on to talk about
her favorite piece “I don’t know what is yours? Maybe your
black leather tights? You are kind of in love with them.” Petrov
agrees with Litvintseva and goes on to tell us how “black
leather tights are all I am wearing at the moment because they
are so versatile, you can wear them with anything – a dressy blazer
or a casual t-shirt.”
As the interview with Petrov and Litvintseva neared the end, I
asked them about their overall impression of their online store thus
far. “We look at it as if were solving a problem for millions of girls
across Canada to be able to find those celebrity-worn items. The
girls in Whitby or a small town in Edmonton don’t have the Queen
Street or Bay and Bloor Streets that we have in Toronto, so now they
can, with a click of a button, have the dress that Reese Witherspoon
was wearing.” To Petrov and Litvintseva, fashion should not just be
accessible to people in the US but to everyone that wants it; they are
living proof that two heads are better at problem solving than one.
Be sure to visit Pavlyn Boutique at http://www.pavlyn.com
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When the biggest name in South Asian jewellery collaborates with India’s hottest
fashion export, one takes note—then proceeds to Amrapali’s nearest location to
reap the fruit of this once-in-a-lifetime alliance
Manish Arora has come to be known in the West as a creative visionary.
His work is so distinct, it boasts the patronage of many of the world’s
preeminent trendsetters including Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, M.I.A.
and Lady Gaga. His collaboration with Amrapali could thus, not be more
appropriate. As the most respected name in jewellery in India, Amrapali has
been creating luxury collections using the finest precious and semi-precious
stones and metals for clientele that include the likes of royalty, celebrities and
industrialists.
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Fast forward to Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2013.
Amrapali X Manish Arora debuts at Arora’s runway show. The pieces
complement the jewellery designs printed on the kurtas, mesh
leggings and even rompers creating a surreal, in-your-face result
typical of Arora’s work.
This project has been on-going since May 2012 and includes a
wide range of necklaces, earrings, bangles, cuffs, rings and hair
accessories. The pieces are inspired by the decadence of Indian
royalty with antique Meenakari jewellery from Amrapali’s archives in
mind. Coupled with contemporary elements including a pastel colour
palette and 18K gold plating with stone and crystal settings, these
pieces obliterate the barrier between Eastern and Western fashion.
Whether you call the bejeweled headpieces diadems or maang
tikkas, there is one thing everyone can agree upon; Amrapali’s
timelessness crossed with Manish Arora’s trail-blazing ingenuity are
sure to make this capsule collection one not soon to be forgotten.
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BY PRIYA KUMAR
BOJANA SENTALER is the
name behind the exquisite
outerwear brand Sentaler.
She has scoured the world
over for the warmest,
most luxurious textiles
with which to create
her pieces. Organic in
origin, her Fall/Winter
2012 collection is
primarily alpaca in fibre that
make up the set of women’s coats,
capes, shawls and scarves. Alpaca is
amongst the world’s warmest fibre
due to its thermal properties created
by microscopic air pockets that also
prevent pilling and matting.
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Last month, SHE shot two pieces from this
extravagant collection and the response
we received was overwhelming. The
contemporary cuts, subtle seams, unique
hood designs and exquisite finishes including
custom corozo buttons make a statement
without sacrificing warmth in the process.
Sentaler, Wrap Coat with Hooded Collar, $940,
Available for Purchase at www.sentaler.com
Model: Julia (Elite)
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Noureen DeWulf has been scene stealing in Hollywood for only a handful of years now. Yet, she’s played opposite some
of the biggest names in comedy including Matthew McConnaughey (Ghosts of Girlfriend’s Past), Jennifer Lopez (The
Back-up Plan), Hugh Grant (American Dreamz) and most recently Charlie Sheen (CTV’s Anger Management).
PRIYA KUMAR catches up with DeWulf in L.A. to find out what it takes to be comedy’s pin-up girl.
PHOTOGRAPHER: www.collinstark.com STYLIST: Ashley Zohar HAIR: Adam Campbell MAKEUP: Agostina
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We all have that friend. Admit it—you
do too. She’s that loquacious chatterbox
that will even pick-up her phone at
dinner and is always the loudest voice
at a party. Actually, she’s rarely seen not
talking. You know what else she does,
don’t you? She offers up her thoughts
blow-by-blow in a movie theater during
that blockbuster film you’ve been dying to
see. It’s annoying, but sometimes she’ll say
something that will strike a chord. For
me, it was when she and I went to see The
Back-up Plan starring Jennifer Lopez.
The movie was your run-of-the-mill
romantic comedy, but during one of
the opening sequences when J-Lo
was discussing her “back-up plan”
with a sassy coworker, my friend
leaned across two theater seats
and said out loud, as opposed to
whispered, “That actress is from
Pune!” I looked back at the screen
and recall being surprised at this
assertion. Daphne, the character in
question, was obviously supposed
to be non-descript, albeit exotic,
Caucasian, but I digress. After a bit
of research, I discovered she was
hilariously portrayed by Noureen
DeWulf, 28, who has made so
many appearances in A-list movies,
TV shows and comedy specials, it
was hard to believe at the time I
didn’t know she was South Asian.
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OSCAR TO A GOOD START
Born in Georgia, DeWulf ’s
surname is not one you’d expect of
a girl whose parents are from the
middle of Maharashtra, India. In
fact, her name stuck after marrying
earlier in life when she was just
launching her career. A Boston
University graduate, DeWulf got her
first big break when she was cast
as the lead for the short feature West Bank
Story—a musical-comedy loosely based on
West Side Story. Like the name suggests, it
tells the tale of the romance between Fatima,
a Palestinian falafel shop cashier (DeWulf)
and David, an Israeli solider whose family
owns a rival falafel shop. Although based on
an ominous, age-old conflict, the film still
manages to be funny. So funny in fact, after
premiering at Sundance and working the
film festival circuit around the world, the
short went on to win an Academy Award in
2007 for Best Live Action Short Film. “I had
just moved to LA,” DeWulf tells me about
being cast for the role, “and I submitted my
own photo for the job. The director called
me in and I went and auditioned. It was one
of the first auditions that I’d ever been to. I
went for several auditions, he kept calling
me back and I sang and danced and did a
bunch of stuff.” Ultimately, she won the role
and shot the film. “The Oscar definitely will
always be a high point but it didn’t really
affect my work too much, although it is such
an honour. It didn’t come until three years
[after filming], but when it did it was pretty
amazing.”
DeWulf went on to land a pilot on the
WB called Mindy & Brenda. If it seems
almost too coincidental that another IndianAmerican actress would be cast as a girl
named Mindy, that’s because it isn’t. Mindy
& Brenda was written by Mindy Kaling and
her best friend Brenda Withers, about their
early-twenty-something lives in New York
City. In her bestselling autobiography Is
Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And
Other Concerns), Kaling makes mention
of her disappointment with the producers’
decision to cast another girl in the
eponymous role. Although, the series was
eventually not picked-up, both Kaling and
DeWulf both went onto bigger and better
things.
ON A PERSONAL NOTE
A little known fact about DeWulf is that
she is married to iconic Buffalo Sabres goalie
Ryan Miller. The pair married back in 2011,
making them one of the most high profile
couples in sport. Given the timeliness of our
interview, I couldn’t help but ask about her
thoughts on the NHL lockout. “I just hope
that there’s a quick resolve. I think players
should be able to play, and fans should be
able to watch,” she says. “It’s a great sport,
and it already struggles to be popular [in the
States], so I just hope that it doesn’t go on
too much longer. I know that my husband
wants to play.”
Despite being one half of such a wellknown couple, DeWulf has never let it define
her career. As an actress, she is recognized
as an on-screen chameleon. Comparing
her in the role of Fatima to that of Melanie,
Matthew McConnaughey’s sharp assistant/
ghost of the present in Ghosts of Girlfriends
Past to Shazzy, the Middle Eastern Valley
Girl from X-Factor spoof American Dreamz,
one would be hard pressed to find some
commonality except for Noureen herself. To
prepare for such a rainbow of characters, she
certainly goes above and beyond to research
each and every role. “I just think about the
characters a lot,” she says. “I think about
what they would do and how they would
be, and I try to work on that by myself a lot
before I go and read for the director. After I
get the job then I talk to wardrobe and hair/
makeup. They have their own opinions. I try
to incorporate that all together.”
CHARLIE (SHEEN) IN CHARGE
DeWulf ’s current role as Lacey on Anger
Management is, without a doubt, her most
high profile to date. Given the media storm
surrounding Charlie Sheen’s departure from
Two and a Half Men, fans and critics alike
waited in anticipation for Sheen’s triumphant
return to television last summer; they were
not left disappointed. Anger Management
was so well received that after its first
10-episode season, FX (its parent network
in the States) renewed the series for 90 more
episodes. To be signed to an acclaimed series
for such an extended period is no small feat.
About the role of Lacey, Dewulf says she
is, “probably my favourite character I’ve
ever played. I don’t feel like I’m closest to
her [in comparison to past roles], but she’s
definitely the wildest character I’ve
gotten to play.” It’s uncanny how
well suited the role is to DeWulf—
Lacey is a member of an anger
management support group lead
by a therapist played by Sheen. She
attends these sessions to deal with
her road rage and quickly becomes
the series eye-candy. Lacey’s charm
is a result of both well-timed jokes
and her expressive demeanor, not
to mention DeWulf ’s ability to make Lacey
the most loveable and hateable character
in the series. About being cast as the
show sex kitten, DeWulf humbly admits,
“They definitely didn’t write it for me. It’s a
character I’ve been trying to do for a long
time. I’ve been trying to get this character
out. I think it fits in that regard, but I went
and auditioned for it against several hundred
actresses.”
Obviously we couldn’t discuss Anger
Management without touching on Charlie
Sheen. “I really enjoy working with him;
he’s very eccentric and interesting and as far
as sitcoms go, he’s one of the great sitcom
actors. He’s really great to work with,” she
says with a hint of nonchalance. “I am a
fan. He’s really established himself as a TV
comedy guy.” Sheen incidentally was also
the highest paid actor in television history,
netting $1.8 million per episode of Two and
a Half Men. He carried his star power onto
the set of Anger Management, resulting in
the series premiere boasting a viewership
of 5.74 million—an all time record high
for cable television. Starring opposite an
actor of such legendary proportions speaks
volumes about DeWulf ’s career and future as
a leading lady in Hollywood.
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
At the moment, DeWulf is working on a
film starring Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd and
Ed Helms called They Think Together. “I play
Paul Rudd’s assistant Melanie, who I [also]
played in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. [She’s]
the archetype of the assistant rather than the
actual assistant, so it’s really funny.” Until
now, just about every project attached to
DeWulf ’s name has proven to be a hit. One
wouldn’t expect any less of an actress whose
freshman effort garnered top honours by
the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences.
Catch Anger Management on CTV on
Tuesday 9/8 Central. It is scheduled to start
its second season on January 17th on FX in
the US.
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BUSINESS GAME CHANGER
By Summun Jafri
What does it mean to be the most powerful
woman in the business world? Just ask
Indra Nooyi. As the current Chairman and
CEO of PepsiCo, the second largest food
and beverage company on the planet, she is
behind the $66 billion revenue generated in
2011. Besides achieving, maintaining and
propelling PepsiCo as the most profitable
food and beverage company in North
America, Nooyi is also testament to what
South Asian women in North America are
capable of accomplishing.
Over the past several years, Indra Nooyi
has earned spots on both Forbes and Fortune
Magazine’s lists of the most powerful
women in the world. From 2006 to 2010,
she was consecutively ranked as Fortune’s
number one “Most Powerful Woman in
Business.” Her story is not unlike those of
millions of South Asian immigrants to the
West, with the exception of finding herself
at the helm of one of the world’s most
renowned brands.
Nooyi was born in Chennai (then known
as Madras), Tamil Nadu, India. In 1976, she
earned her first MBA at the esteemed Indian
Institute of Management. With a couple of
years of work experience under her belt,
in 1980 she earned a second Masters in
Public and Private Management from Yale
University. “It was unheard of for a good,
conservative, South Indian Brahmin girl to
do this,” Nooyi explained in the Financial
Times. At that time, such a decision spelled
trouble for young women in regards to
their marriage prospects. However, it
44 SHE CANADA
was through much determination and
perseverance that she made it through her
first few years in America. She even recalls
wearing a sari to
some of her first job
interviews as a Yale
graduate, because at
the time she had yet
to buy a suit.
Nooyi
began
her career in India,
where she worked for
Johnson & Johnson
as a Brand Manager.
Upon
graduating
from
Yale,
she
landed her first
job in the States at
Boston Consulting
Group, followed by
positions in Strategy
at Motorola and Asea
Brown Boveri.
Since joining PepsiCo in 1994, she has
taken on various roles in the company. In
2006 she was named CEO. She has achieved
great success in the areas of global finance,
strategy, and restructuring under PepsiCo
and has also guided the transformational
mergers and acquisitions of brands such as
Tropicana and Quaker Oats.
She currently resides in Greenwich,
Connecticut with her husband Raj and
two daughters, Tara, 19, and Preetha, 28.
In 2012, Nooyi was number three on the
Forbes “World’s 20 Most Powerful Moms”
list. Nooyi has been famously quoted for
saying “I’m a mother first, then a CEO, then
a wife.” She recognizes
that it’s a tough
balancing act, and to
take it on successfully,
a woman must play
many different roles.
Like so many women
struggling to balance
a career with family,
she can relate to the
added responsibilities
of being an Indian
daughter-in-law,
as
she acknowledges the
duties of cooking and
caretaking, which are
most often dropped
onto the woman of
the household. In
an interview with
Greenwich Magazine, her advice regarding
how best to balance a career with a family
is to “marry the right guy!”
Now in her fifties, Nooyi shows no signs
of slowing down. She is also a Successor
Trustee at Yale University, a board
member for both The Lincoln Center
for the Performing Arts and the World
Economic Forum. She was also appointed
to the U.S-India CEO Forum by the Obama
Administration. Just like the movie starring
Sarah Jessica Parker muses, “I don’t know
how she does it!”
SPORTS GAME CHANGER
By Summun Jafri
Professional tennis player Sania Mirza is at the top of her game.
Having reached professional heights of unprecedented proportions
in tennis, she’s certainly not your typical South Asian success story.
Instead, she’s opened a world of possibilities for South Asian women,
proving that we too, can succeed as professional athletes.
I can’t help but recall the movie Bend it like Beckham when
researching tennis great Sania Mirza. Growing up, I always felt
there was a serious lack of South Asian women to look up to and
connect with in sport. When Beckham hit theaters in 2002, the
character Jess (short for Jesminder, of course) created an entirely
new type of heroine to idolize. The character was unlike any typical
Bollywood starlet, and a welcome change. Her image was one that
wasn’t based primarily on her appearance, including a lifestyle that
was more relatable for girls in the Western world. She struggled with
convincing her family that Indian girls could become professional
athletes too. This movie was the first I’d seen that portrayed a South
Asian woman breaking the mold of what was expected of her. What
Mirza has done is fill the void for Jess’ real-life equivalent.
recognition of her accomplishments in sport, and in 2006 with the
honour of a Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India.
Aside from her tennis career, Sania is perhaps best recognized as
the wife of 30-year-old Pakistani Cricket captain Shoaib Malik. The
couples’ Islamic nikkah ceremony was performed on April 12, 2010.
The paperwork was followed by receptions in both Malik’s native
Punjab, Pakistan and Mirza’s native Hyderabad, India. When asked
if marriage has affected her career at all, Mirza says that her husband
has helped her become more patient, as patience is an important
quality as an athlete.
Mirza, 26, was born in Mumbai, where she began playing tennis
at the age of six. Her father, a sports journalist, was and still is her
trainer. Her professional tennis career began in 2003, and since then
she has become India’s highest ranked female tennis player. She is
the first Indian to win a Women’s Tennis Association title, and the
third to win a Grand Slam (in this case, for Mixed Doubles with
Mahesh Bhupathi at Wimbledon in 2012). She most recently won
the 2012 French Open Mixed Doubles event, in addition to her 2009
Australian Open Mixed Doubles win, and her 2003 Wimbledon
Girl’s Doubles Grand Slam. She also participated in the London
2012 Olympic tennis games. She most recently competed in the
2013 Australian Open with partner Bob Bryan, one half of the
famed Bryan brothers from the States.
Unfortunately, being one of today’s most high-profile IndianPakistani couples hasn’t spared them from discrimination for trying
to burry the archaic feud between the countries. India’s right wing
nationalist party BJP was quoted asking Mirza to “reconsider”
the marriage (to a Pakistani), an opinion similar to politician Bal
Thackeray’s editorial stating that “Sania will not remain Indian.”
Meanwhile centrist parties on both sides of the border either
remained neutral or congratulatory. While a picture of Mirza was
burnt on the streets amidst this news, the couple gained plenty
of support as well. The Pakistan Cricket board and former Miss
Pakistan World Ayesha Gilani gave the couple their well wishes, in
addition to plenty of support exhibited by the Pakistani and Indian
public. Political opinion on this marriage stems from wider issues
regarding the culture, egos and history of the relationship between
the two countries. The happy couple demonstrates a valuable lesson
– that Indians and Pakistanis can live in unison after all. In fact on a
lighter note, according to India Today, the couple will be contestants
in the fifth season of India’s hit television show Nach Baliye in
2013 (India’s equivalent to Dancing with the Stars). The two are
undoubtedly the athletic power couple of South Asia; they currently
reside in Dubai, U.A.E.
In 2005 she made it onto TIME Magazine’s list of Asia’s Heroes, and
was even on the cover of TIME’s South Asia edition. The Economic
Times, an Indian daily business newspaper, featured Mirza in the
2010 edition of ’33 Women Who Made India Proud’. The Indian
government has recognized Mirza in 2004 with the Arjun Award in
Years away from turning 30, Mirza is the most accomplished
female athlete to emerge from India. She has proven to be an
inspiration to young women, as even she has recognized that it’s
not easy for the new generation of South Asians to break out of
traditional expectations of becoming doctors, lawyers and engineers.
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POLITICS GAME CHANGER
By Priya Kumar
In early November as Hawaiian voters extended President
Obama’s stay in the White House by four years, they also elected a
new Congresswoman for the sunny island state. Tulsi Gabbard, 31,
was an ideal candidate if there ever was one—not only at the age of
21 was she the youngest legislator ever elected to office in the state of
Hawaii, but as an army veteran, she served twice in the Middle East
under the Hawaii National Guard Unit. She also happens to be the
very first Hindu-American to enter Congress. When she is sworn in
January she will take the oath over the Bhagavad Gita.
A strict vegetarian, Gabbard began to embrace her religion
in her teens and has made provisions for it in her life ever since.
Despite being blessed with the looks of the next big Bollywood
starlet, she’s in fact not South Asian. When we spoke to her she said,
“I am a practicing Hindu, but my ethnic heritage is Pacific Islander.
I have no Indian/South Asian ethnic connection.” Her father is
half-Caucasian, half-Samoan and her mother is Caucasian and a
practicing Hindu.
Her religion has recently come to the forefront, not only for
setting a precedent for Hindu-Americans, but also because her
opponent Republican K. Crowley had
the audacity to state her religion “was
incompatible with the Constitution.”
Gabbard made a valid point to The
Huffington Post about the situation
stating, “It is stunning that some people
in Congress would so arrogantly thumb
their nose at the Bill of Rights. When I
volunteered to put my life on the line in
defense of our country, no one asked me
what my religion was.”
Born in American Samoa, Gabbard
moved to Hawaii with her family at the age
of two. Thoroughly Hawaiian, she started
her email to us with a friendly “Aloha.”
However, as a member of Congress, she
hopes to utilize her religious leanings
to strengthen ties between the US and
India. “It is clear that there needs to be
a closer working relationship between
the United States and India. How can
we have a close relationship if decisionmakers in Washington know very little, if
46 SHE CANADA
anything, about the religious beliefs, values, and practices of India’s
800 million Hindus?” she said to The Huffington Post.
In fact, other South Asian-Americans already in Washington
such as Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R) and South Carolina
Governor Nikki Haley (R) both converted to Christianity from
Hinduism and Sikhism respectively. Although Haley has kept close
ties with her Indian roots, Jindal has distanced himself from his
ethnic ancestry and has even been called uncomfortable in his own
skin.
Perhaps the disparity in behaviors is a classic case of bipartisan
boundary lines; the Democratic Party is known for its acceptance of
diversity including religion, race and, increasingly, sexual orientation.
On the contrary, the GOP tends to live up to their acronym “Good,
Ol’ Party”. It’s no surprise Obama’s campaign slogan simply read
“FORWARD.” It’s because of politicos like Gabbard, who insist their
differences be recognized, there will be more diversity in the US
Government and, as a result, a better understanding of other races,
cultures and religions other than the countless denominations of
Christianity that currently reign supreme in Washington.
PHOTOGRAPHY GAME CHANGER
By Priyanka Raj
“His work was a game changer”
-Atul Kasbekar, The Hindustan Times
pon Prabuddha Dasgupta’s death, Sushmita Sen tweeted
she never had felt beautiful until she sat for a photoshoot with the famed photographer. Similar messages
of condolences, in the form of tweets, Facebook posts
and blogs, poured in from former subjects, wellwishers and fans alike. However, all of these messages had one
thing in common—that Prabuddha Dasgupta was one of the best
photographers to come out of India.
It is not surprising Dasgupta hailed from a family of artists; his
father was a well-known sculptor. Planning on becoming a historian,
he later landed a copy-editing job, before becoming a self-taught
photographer. However, it was a single photograph of Feroze Gujral,
for a Suneet Varma fashion shoot that cemented his career as a
photographer. This photograph won Dasgupta the 1991 Yves Saint
Laurent Grant for photography.
The ‘90s brought Dasgupta much commercial success, capturing
iconic images for ad campaigns. The earliest was a risqué shoot
for Kama Sutra condoms. William Mazzarella noted in his book,
Shoveling Smoke: Advertising and Globalization in Contemporary
India, that company officials wanted the ads to be “erotic, without
crossing that line of accepted social decency”, zeroing in on Dasgupta
for the job. The company tried to sway Dasgupta into making the shots
more “Western” and “stylized” by pulling out pictures from Western
magazines. He maintained that he didn’t want a full commercial
shoot resulting in glossy colourful images, but rather one in his
trademark black and white, unusual for advertisements at the time.
Dasgupta differentiated himself from other fashion photographers,
who typically had a legion of assistants and photography accessories.
Instead of staging a photo-shoot with music or using complicated
equipment, his philosophy was to “let the shot happen”. He even
surprised company executives who met him at the airport because he
had so little luggage and equipment.
His next major commercial shoot was for Tuff Shoes, featuring
Milind Soman and Madhu Sapre, both nude with a python wrapped
around them. This advertisement sparked protest from women’s
groups, resulting in legal woes for the photographer. But not
surprisingly, when asked in a later interview if he’d take that shot
again, he quickly said “yes”.
While his commercial work garnered attention, he admitted to
feeling straddled between the commercial and art worlds. He loved
the discipline of commercial photography, and was able to pursue
personal projects as a result. By pursuing both commercial and
personal artistic photography, he revealed that he never had the
chance to become bored of either.
One such passionate project was his collection of nude pictures
of urban Indian women, published as a book by Viking Press in
1996, titled Women. Dasgupta had these photos on hand and never
intended to publish them. However, when the possibility of compiling
them for a book was raised, he went to each model for her permission
to publish the book. However, all refused. He then approached them
with the idea of having portraits of their faces, separate from the
body shots, to which they agreed.
Dasgupta’s role as a mentor was evident from the outpouring of
condolences from his protégés upon his death. Many famous Indian
photographers, such as Dabboo Rattani, Atul Kasbekar and Bharat
Sikka, commented in the press about the impact Dasgupta had on
their careers. They were joined by models, stylists and journalists, all
of whom were inspired by his work. Arjun Bhasin, noted Indian stylist
who recently designed costumes for Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, first met
Dasgupta on the set of Mira Nair’s film Kama Sutra. “I took him some
images that I had shot for his opinion,” recalls Arjun. “Prabuddha
responded, ‘You have an eye,’ and I blushed in appreciation. Over the
years he became a close friend, colleague and mentor. He was helpful,
supportive, and encouraged me to continue to shoot.”
Dasgupta leaves a legacy of photographs which will no doubt
be cherished for ages. However, as a legacy, perhaps Mira Nair
described him best at his memorial, as an artistic activist who pushed
boundaries, in a gentle manner. He was a game changer for Indian
photography, not because he looked for controversy, but rather,
because he looked for the perfect shot.
RITU KUMAR AD CAMPIGN
SHE CANADA 47
CARTOON GAME CHANGER
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest Disney Princess of them all? We did an
extremely scientific poll at the SHE Canada office and Princess Jasmine took the title
by a landslide. PRIYA KUMAR discovers as the first ethnic Disney Princess created
by the Mouse, she in reality stood for so much more than yet another pretty face
As Aladdin hit theaters 1992, I recall as a judicious 8-year-old,
not being entirely happy with Disney’s decision to revamp
the tale based on Aladdin and his Magic Lamp from
One Thousand and One Nights. Having been so
familiar with the fairytale myself, I wondered
what an American rendition of the story
would bring to the table, and more importantly
what Badroulabdour would look like after the
Disney Princess treatment. Succeeding The
Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast,
Aladdin was the third installment of a
series of movies known as the Disney
Renaissance—a period that brought
public interest back to Disney with the
release of annual, big-budget animated
films based on fairytales. Ultimately,
the ensemble of characters from
Aladdin would be the Studio’s
first ethnic endeavor, preceding
both Pocahontas and Mulan.
Finally
after catching the film’s opening
matinee in
late Fall 1992, I overwhelmingly
approved of
the latest induction into the Pantheon of Disney Princesses and
proceeded to purchase Jasmine Barbie Dolls for all of my friends’
birthdays that year.
Apparently my reaction to the film was not unique; the House
of Mouse did not create another royal princess for 17 years until
Tiana in The Princess & The Frog in 2009. Jasmine was certainly
a hard act to follow. Conceptualized in a pre-9/11 world, the
character’s animators were not quite as concerned with ethnic
and cultural sensitivities as one might expect in the creation of
a Muslim princess. Besides changing Badroulbadour’s name to
the more relatable Jasmine—a name that so happened to be very
popular in the early ‘90s—they also eliminated the fact that the
48 SHE CANADA
original
character
was written
to be incredibly
vain and spoiled. Believing
these flaws would make Jasmine
unlikable, Disney only maintained her
predicament to find a suitor in Aladdin.
It was veteran Disney animator Mark
Henn who was behind the physical character
development of Princess Jasmine. He initially
was inspired by a guest to Walt Disney World in
Orlando who had long, flowing black hair and wanted
to incorporate the feature into Jasmine, but had quite a bit
of trouble conceiving her face. After extensively researching
celebrities of the day and trying out different features, he was still
at a loss. It was not until he looked into his own wallet to find
a graduation photo of his younger sister Beth Allen that things
began to fall into place. It was she who eventually became the
inspiration behind Jasmine and ultimately the envy of every little
girl who ever loved Disney.
Other elements of Jasmine quickly came together once the
face was decided upon. Her harem-pant ensemble was selected
to be blue to represent the colour of water—the rarest and most
valued substance found in the desert. The character of Aladdin
was eventually re-sketched to better match Jasmine’s beauty and
have their romance be believable. Although initially Aladdin was
written to be only 13-years-old, he was later made 18 with Tom
Cruise rumoured to be the inspiration for his face. Jasmine thus
influenced the end-result of the film’s hero.
The concept of Jasmine escaping the palace in the middle
of the night, cloaking herself in a brown hijab closely mirrors
the plot of the 1953 Audrey Hepburn classic Roman Holiday.
Hepburn plays the jaded Princess Ann, from a non-descript
European country on a visit to Rome. Her escape from the
Embassy, followed by her falling in love with an American
journalist, leading to their running through the streets of
Rome from her bodyguards is cartooned in the Disney flick.
In fact, Roman Holiday is said to have inspired every Disney
film since Sleeping Beauty.
Similar to the animation of Sleeping Beauty being
influenced by medieval tapestries, Disney Art Director Bill
Perkins wanted to incorporate Arabic art and scripture into
the characters of Aladdin. Jasmine’s palace was inspired by
the Taj Mahal in Agra, evident in the fictionalized name
given to her kingdom, Agrabah. Jasmine’s clothes, jewellery,
hair and eyes were created to complement the curves of her
palace, while staying true to what one might expect to see in
Arab royalty.
Jasmine is far from your cookie cutter Disney Princess.
Besides fighting for what she believes in, she is also the only
Princess to marry a commoner of her choosing, perhaps
making her the first “Princess Charming” in that she pulls
Aladdin out of poverty. She represents the fight for civil
rights, the end of archaic law and the pursuit of ultimate
happiness, allowing each of her impressionable fans to learn
something new about human nature and that anyone of any
ethnicity can be a Princess.
Below: Princess Jasmine’s face was inspired by the features of Mark Henn’s sister,
Beth Allen. Above: Aladdin was created in the likeness of Tom Cruise to mimick
Jasmines’ beauty
SHE CANADA 49
MUSIC GAME CHANGER
By Priya Kumar
he first time I heard a track by
M.I.A. was 7 summers ago in 2005—
her video for “Galang” had rightfully
made its way into MuchMoreMusic’s
regular adult contemporary rotation.
It was a time that pre-dated the reality
show’s pervasive takeover, when
music networks still played music,
albeit dominated by the Pussycat
Dolls and pre-meltdown Britney
Spears. The very fact that this Sri
Lankan sprite had the audacity to
wear her signature oversized tie-dye
zip-ups against a background of retro
airbrushed murals spoke volumes
about what set her apart from the
status quo. The music industry labeled
her unique sound something between
hip-hop and dance with little else to
go off of as reference for this obviously
novel genre M.I.A. pioneered.
50 SHE CANADA
MUSIC GAME CHANGER
Born in London in the mid-‘70s to Sri Lankan Tamil parents,
Mathangi Arulpragasm went by her nickname Maya. Her father
Arular was an engineer, activist and poet who moved the family
back to Sri Lanka when she was just a small child. Sri Lanka
was, at the time, ravaged by a fiercely violent civil war between
the Tamil Hindu minority seeking independence from a nation
also home to a Sinhalese Buddhist majority. Arular soon
became a voice in the Tamil independence movement, dodging
the Sri Lankan authorities throughout M.I.A.’s childhood.
However, he was also at odds with the infamous Tamil Tigers—
who were known to attack all Sri Lankans, Sinhalese and Tamils
alike, in addition to recruiting child soldiers. Arular steered
clear of these rebels, knowing the destruction they were capable
of. Life in Sri Lanka was precarious—Maya’s elementary school
was even attacked and burned to the ground. She recalls having
to run to the English school next door to hide from rebel forces.
Her father would disappear for long periods of time fighting
for the cause of independence. After a brief move to Chennai,
India, the family once again returned to the UK under refugee
status. Her mother landed a seamstress position with the
British Royal Family, foreshadowing the influence her daughter
Maya would have on fashion later in life.
Although given the tough time Maya faced growing up, she
excelled in the arts as a young adult. By the time she graduated
from art school at the renowned Central Saint Martins College
of Art and Design in her mid-twenties, she began to go by
M.I.A. creatively. The acronym stood for both “missing in
action” and her name, Maya—it also paid homage to Acton,
the suburb of London in which she grew up. It was through
her success in the art world, she was eventually introduced to a
sequencing drum machine that ultimately led to her interest in
music.
After putting together a demo recording with only six songs
that included a heavily remixed club mash-up of “Galang,”
M.I.A. solidified herself as the next big thing on the Indie music
scene. She did not even do an official release, nor perform
a single show before her tracks caught on over the Internet
and went viral. This brushfire of popularity led to her signing
her first real record deal with XL Recordings—they officially
released “Galang” with a video directed by M.I.A. herself. Her
smash hit “Sunshowers” soon followed in 2004.
The following year, when I first stumbled upon her work,
she released her album “Arular”—named for her father. What
sets M.I.A. apart from her contemporaries, beside her tracks’
infectious backbeat, is her ability to keep her music socially
relevant. Her song lyrics describe the plights of Tamils, AfricanAmericans and Palestinians in addition to the struggles of her
own tumultuous childhood.
Her sophomore album “Kala,” named for her mother, was
both a critical and commercial success. The album boasted
A-list collaborations with the likes of Timbaland and Blaqstarr
and was branded album of the year by several top music
publications including Rolling Stone and Blender. “Kala” also
included her most known song to date,“Paper Planes,” which
is actually about the trouble she’s had with visas to the States.
It was also featured on the soundtracks of Pineapple Express,
Michael Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story and most famously,
the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire thus introducing M.I.A.
to a whole new audience.
Two albums later, she signed to Jay-Z’s label Roc Nation
in May 2012. This followed a highly publicized featured
appearance on the Super Bowl XLVI with Madonna for “Give
Me All Your Luvin.” She was caught gesturing profanity on
camera, resulting in profuse apologies from NBC and the
NFL, particularly because the episode was so soon after Janet
Jackson’s infamous “wardrobe malfunction,” an incident which
set the two organizations back almost $8 million in fines. Even
Madonna spoke out against M.I.A. in this case stating her
action was, “Out of place” at the Superbowl. To be able to set
Madonna off is only further proof of M.I.A.’s refusal to conform
to what mainstream music expects of her.
Politically, perhaps the most curious move on M.I.A.’s part has
been the use of tiger imagery in her branding, music videos
and web presence. Her activist father avoided the Tamil Tigers,
yet M.I.A. has chosen to align herself with the radical group.
She once said in a New York Times Magazine cover story titled
“M.I.A.’s Agitprop Pop,” “I don’t want to make the same music,
sing about the same stuff, talk about the same things. If that
makes me a terrorist, then I’m a terrorist.”
While the music industry has welcomed M.I.A.’s rebel-witha-cause façade, political analysts have raise eyebrows. In the
same New York Times Magazine article, Ahilan Kadirgamar at
the Sri Lanka Democracy Forum explained, “People in exile
tend to be more nationalistic, and Maya took a very simplistic
explanation of the problems between Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese
government and the Tamils. It’s very unfair when you condemn
one side of this conflict. The Tigers were killing people, and the
government was killing people. It was a brutal war, and M.I.A.
had a role in putting the Tigers on the map. She doesn’t seem
to know the complexity of what these groups do.” What these
groups, including the Tamil Tigers, do is massacre Sinhalese
villages with a terrorist agenda. The Sinhalese government thus
retaliates with similar measures on Tamil villages, continuing a
vicious cycle of violence in Sri Lanka’s already fragile political
climate.
Regardless of her political positioning, in an industry where
image is everything, M.I.A. has gone from the darling of the
hipster movement to making activism chic. Her music has
opened her vast audience to what she has to say about the
unjust state of the world. It would just be preferable, given her
powerful position as a political mouthpiece in a bubblegum
pop world, that she backs the cause of an alliance less into the
rape and pillage of an entire nation.
SHE CANADA 51
MODEL GAME CHANGER
By Priya Kumar
here are a thousand girls who could be doing my
job,” the Canada-born, modeling legend Yasmeen Ghauri
once said. Although fashion world would beg to differ, her
modesty is a reflection of her Pakistani-Canadian heritage.
Born to a Pakistani father and German mother, Ghauri
had a strict upbringing and was discouraged from entering
the modeling industry. “My father is an Imam which is an
Islamic priest. Muslims aren’t supposed to dance. You’re not
really supposed to show your skin. You’re supposed to be
covered, you’re supposed to be modest. And all these things
are completely the opposite of what I’m doing now,” she
said in an interview with E! back in the ‘90s. “My father was
not really happy with me modeling. [According to him] I’m
putting him in jeopardy of going to hell. It’s very dramatic.”
Strict parenting aside, the Montrealer had a less-than-idyllic
youth. Much of her time in grade school was spent being teased
and tormented for her remarkable proportions. As a result,
Ghauri chose to associate with older neighbourhood kids,
causing her to mature quicker than peers her own age.
By the age of 17, Ghauri was discovered by Joseph Del Tortoon, a
Montreal-based hairstylist. She was working behind the counter at a
local McDonald’s at the time. Although voted employee of the month,
the fashion world had other plans in store for her.
52 SHE CANADA
Contrary to what she believes, the secret
to her success has been her exotic PakistaniGerman look. She entered the fashion world at
a time when designers were looking for more
than the average Californian blonde. She got
her start with a Montreal-based agency in
1990 and soon moved to New York City—
the epicenter of the fashion world—to model
for Versace (top right image). Her naturally
dark features and expressive personality were
immediately noticed by the insiders across
the industry.
She spent most of the mid-nineties
pounding the runways of Milan, Paris and New
York in addition to appearing on the covers of
Elle, Shape, Marie Claire, German and Italian
Vogue, although it was her appearance on the
highly coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit
Edition—a cover that has also propelled
the careers of Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum
among countless others—that really turned
heads. Even famed photographer Patrick
Demarchelier, who photographed her for the
cover of Vogue Italia, once called Ghauri his
favourite subject.
She became the face of Chanel and Jil Sander
at the beginning of her career and later Hermés
and Lanvin. Her luxury brand clientele read
like the stockist list at Barneys—Anne Klein,
Bruno Magli, Christian Dior Haute Couture,
Escada, Etinne Aigner, Gianfranco Ferre,
Gianni Versace Couture, Givenchy Organza
perfume, Laura Biagiotti, Sonia Rykiel, and
Valentino. To top it off, she was also a regular
in Victoria’s Secret’s campaigns—a massive
coup for any supermodel.
Rumours of her retirement began to swirl
in June of 1996 when she pulled out of a major
Yves Saint-Laurent runway show. There was
some truth to these whispers—she ultimately
did take time off to pursue a business degree
before marrying Financier Ralph Bernstein.
When contacted for comment, her
representation told us she is no longer
active in the industry and wishes not to
be approached with any media requests.
Although disappointing, it reflects how
Ghauri deals with her fame and fortune. Her
favourite expression is, “You can’t take it with
you.” Apparently she didn’t— despite having
been one of the world’s top supermodels, she
has since elected to shun the spotlight and is
now far removed from the hustle and bustle of
the industry that made her a household name.
Although Ghauri rebelled against her father’s
wishes earlier in life, she now shares some
of his philosophies. Keenly involved with
charity and assisting those less fortunate than
she, Ghauri is active in fundraising for Breast
Cancer initiatives and saving Germany’s
Black Forest. Today she raises her children
Maya and Victor far away from the life she
once knew and although now a dedicated
mom, her legacy as a top ethnic supermodel
is far from being forgotten.
SHE CANADA 53
FILM GAME CHANGER
By Parveen Singh
“You can’t have a wedding without a Madhuri song or dance!” I remember saying to my best friend, while we were
planning her wedding in the summer. I wouldn’t call myself obsessed or even a fanatic, but it’s a fact, just like the sky is
blue. And I know millions of others would agree.
Madhuri Dixit, a.k.a the Julia Roberts of Bollywood, is one of the
few leading ladies in Indian Cinema who has established herself
as a legendary starlet. With her captivating beauty, grace, screen
presence and incredible talent for dance, she has been capturing
the hearts of millions for over 25 years.
Growing up, I was mesmerized by Dixit. I wish I could tell
you how many times I saw her films and imitated her moves and
expressions. I remember practicing “Channe Ke Khet Mein,”
endlessly until I got the moves down pat, but let’s face it, I lacked
that certain oomph that Dixit has. I can honestly say that my
passion for dance began with her. And that ladies and gentlemen,
is the Dixit affect. So naturally when the chance to write about her
presented itself, I jumped at the opportunity.
Trained as a kathak dancer, Dixit never dreamed of the bright
lights of Bollywood. Instead, she pragmatically wanted to be a
microbiologist. However, at the age of 17, a family friend who knew
the Barjatiya family of Rajshri Productions, suggested she try out
54 SHE CANADA
for their new movie, which required a fresh new face. Dixit, went
to the audition and won the role. In 1984, Abodh was released. And
even though it didn’t set any box-office records, it was a valuable
learning experience that introduced Dixit into the world of acting.
After consecutive flops, Dixit would finally have a breakthrough
in 1988, as Mohini in Tezaab. The movie starred Anil Kapoor and
it would be the first of many unforgettable films the pair would
do together. It also marked the beginning of her association with
renowned choreographer Saroj Khan, with the song “Ek Do Teen.”
The success of the movie and “Ek Do Teen” made Dixit a household
name.
Dixit would follow up the success of Tezaab with the hits Ram
Lakhan, Prem Pratigyaa, Tridev and Parinda. And even though,
she played small parts in the male dominated movies, Tridev and
Parinda, she managed to be a scene-stealer with her enormous
screen presence. Then, in the early ‘90s came superstardom for
Dixit. In 1990, she starred in Dil with Aamir Khan and Saajan
with Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt. Both movies were the highest
grossing films for that year and she won her first Filmfare Award
for Best Actress with her performance in Dil. She followed up
with Beta, where she played a woman married to an illiterate man
and Khalnayak, as the fiery police woman, Ganga. And let’s not
forget, these two movies included the songs that cemented Dixit as
the Dancing Queen forever- “Dhak Dhak Karne Laga” from Beta
and “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai” from Khalnayak. “Dhak Dhak” is
considered to be the most sensual dance in Hindi Cinema history,
whereas the dance moves of “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai,” raised
many eyebrows, as they were considered too risqué for the times.
They say that imitation is the best form of flattery, so in 2003
when the movie Main Madhuri Dixit Bana Chahti Hoon (I want
to be Madhuri Dixit) released, there could not have been a greater
compliment to Dixit’s accomplishments. It starred actress Antara
Mali, as a young girl who dreams of becoming a star just like her
idol Madhuri Dixit one day.
It was however in 1994 when Dixit starred in one of Bollywood’s
most celebrated blockbusters, Hum Aapke Hain Koun, a musical
love story opposite Salman Khan. Her performance as the vibrant
Nisha brought her many accolades and a third Filmfare Best
Actress Award. She was also nominated that same year for her role
of a woman seeking revenge for her husband’s murder, against her
crazy admirer in Anjaam, where she was paired with Shahrukh
Khan for the first time. She would end the ‘90s with two more
runaway hits, Raja and Dil Toh Pagal Hai.
So what’s next for the Bollywood legend? This year, Dixit
and her family moved back to India to pursue new projects and
opportunities. She is also set to begin work on two new movies,
Dedh Ishqiya, a sequel to Ishqiya and Gulab Gang. Her return
to India is the latest volume in the epic that is Madhuri Dixit’s
formidable career.
In 2011, Dixit embarked into the world of television by becoming
a judge on Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, India’s answer to Dancing with the
Stars. The show is a huge hit and she recently completed her second
season.
In 1999, Dixit decided to take a new journey in her life. It is one
that many actresses prolong for fear that it will end their careers
early- marriage! Dixit has never been an actress surrounded by
scandal. Besides a brief relationship with Sanjay Dutt in the early
‘90s, she has kept her personal and professional lives separate. On
October 17th, 1999 Madhuri Dixit tied the knot with Dr. Shriram
Madhav Nene, a cardiovascular surgeon from Denver, Colorado.
The couple was introduced through family and instantly hit it off.
After marriage, Dixit decided to move to the US, where she lived for
nearly a decade and began a family. She continued to work but was
more selective about her film choices, which led to her powerful
woman-centric performances in Pukar, Lajja and Devdas. After
Devdas in 2002, Dixit would return to the screen after a five-year
hiatus in 2007 with Aaja Nachle. Although the film didn’t fare well
at the box office, the title song became hugely popular and fans
were happy to have the Queen Bee back.
SHE CANADA
55
By Priya Kumar
56 SHE CANADA
Fashion Editor PRIYA KUMAR
Assistant Stylist MILENA RASKOVIC
Photographer ROHAN SHRESTHA
Hair/Makeup CHIQUE SALON & SPA, MUMBAI
Models DEEPTI GUJRAL, ARYAN VAID
SHE CANADA 57
58 SHE CANADA
he first time I met Narendra Kumar, he was dressed in
chaiwallah attire serving the sweet milky concoction to the front
row of his Fall/Winter 2010 Lakmé Fashion Week show at Mumbai’s
exclusive riding club, Tote on the Turf. Almost overshadowing the
eclectic collection itself, the theme of the show paid homage to a
Mumbai where kitsch meets couture. It was the first show I can
recall seeing the runway stylized as a set—in this case, a train,
symbolic of the expansive railway system that runs throughout
India’s fashion and film capital. Something that stood out to me
about Kumar, was his down-to-earth willingness to interact with
the crowd doing a job that would have most likely been assigned
to an Intern. After all, Kumar is without a doubt one of the most
recognizable names in South Asian fashion today.
Kumar began his career in the early ‘90s. A member of the first
ever National Institute of Fashion Technology
(NIFT) graduating class, he paved the way
for a new cohort of contemporary designers
to emerge from India. Fresh out of college, he
landed his first gig designing for Ensemble—
India’s first luxury boutique.
Asian sartorialists. Boldly playing with structured pants, dresses
and skirts, he introduced silhouettes to a region of the world still
deeply entrenched in the design traditions of the past. His pieces
include vastly different textiles quilted together in such a way that
iridescent metallic satin plays effortlessly off of graphic prints on
silk to create the perfect bodycon mini-dress of the future.
In 2011, Kumar broke into South Asia’s bridal market.
Unarguably the most powerful niche in the subcontinent’s fashion
industry, a designer has not truly conquered the country without
having a presence in this market. His first effort in 2011 did not
go unnoticed—his contemporary touch was seen throughout the
collection including ombré dying and geometric draping coupled
with ancient Indian craftsmanship techniques such as appliqué,
zardozi and chikkan embellishments.
Kumar’s pioneering efforts in Indian
fashion caught the eye of international
editorial heavyweights. So much so that in
1996 he was approached to be the founding
Editor of ELLE Magazine’s Indian edition. In
a region of the world that had not yet been
fully recognized by international tastemakers,
the launch of ELLE was a step in the right
direction. After several years at the helm of
the fashion editorial icon, Kumar remained
involved in the publishing world by later
becoming the Consulting Fashion Editor for
Verve Magazine.
However, it’s his career as a designer that has
truly earned him the title of fashion industry
game changer. For years he has served as
a fashion consultant to many mass-market brands including
Raymonds, Reid & Taylor, Wills Sports and Levi’s. Although such
a concept is commonplace in the Western world with fast fashion
like H&M, Zara and Forever 21 teaming up with fashion greats
including Missoni, Karl Lagerfeld and Jimmy Choo, the democracy
of luxury is still a long way off in South Asia. What we consider
inexpensive in the West is still a luxury in the old country. That
being said, Kumar taking the reigns of such labels was a huge step
into the future for garment retail—his vision of what South Asians
want in their wardrobes will be omnipresent for decades to come.
In 2008 Kumar took the plunge every designer dreams of—he
launched his eponymous label “Narendra Kumar” with flagship
stores in both Mumbai and New Delhi. His designs brought a
whole new concept of contemporary fusion fashion to South
Nari, as he is fondly known by friends, once gave me some sound
advice about achieving one’s career goals. He stood by the fact that
besides knowing what it is you want out of your career, you must
be willing to persevere in whatever it is you do. Once over coming
the early years of drudgework, it will pay off in the end. Nari would
know better than anyone—from the countless honours he receives
from esteemed panels internationally (he is currently India’s brand
ambassador to SwissAir) and the speaking positions he has taken
up at NIFT year-after-year—what it is newbies to the fashion
industry need to make it. The conviction with which he dispenses
his pearls of wisdom is hard to forget in itself, but knowing it comes
from a source of true self-made success is what really made his
words stick.
SHE CANADA 59
A writer and poet whose warmth is exceeded only by her sincerity, Toronto’s very own
Sheniz Janmohammed is a very busy lady. She was nice enough to lend SIJAL REHMANE
her time on a Wednesday afternoon to discuss her career aspirations
quick email questionnaire may have sufficed but,
admittedly, it was personal curiosity that urged me to
arrange a meeting with this poet. Not just any poet, but
one who has made a name for herself in the Toronto
spoken-word scene while always maintaining a sense of her
cultural identity, namely, her South Asian ancestry. Why wouldn’t
anyone want to hang out with her?
It was over vegan fare on Bloor West that Sheniz Janmohammed
told me that her roots could be traced back to India, although she
is a born and raised Torontonian. Janmohammed completed her
undergrad in World Religion and English at the University of
Toronto, where she discovered the wonders of spoken word poetry
at the open mic evenings that took place just up the street from
where she lived. The venue gave her a place to share her own words.
Sheniz has been writing her own performance pieces since
high school, when she found the material provided by her drama
teachers was not up to par with her standards. What better way to
overcome that than to come up with one’s own material? While she
was not privy to the spoken word at the time, her experience at U
of T served her well in this regard and by her second year, Sheniz
had formed Ignite Poets— an initiative aimed at bringing together
spoken word artists to share their words in a more scripted format
than most spoken-word events allow. “I was seeing a lot of open
mics and I wasn’t seeing a lot of integration between poets’ works
and I wanted to create an actual scripted show instead of having
just one poet go up and then another poet go up and that was kind
of it… What I’m trying to do is combine poetry, spoken word, and
music all into a series. So, imagine having a qawwali musician and a
spoken word artist doing something together. It’s that intersection
that I’m interested in.
“For my first show, which was at El Mocambo, what I did was
get all these poets to submit their poems and then I linked them
all together so that one would flow into the other, and then we had
rehearsals which was kind of weird for a spoken word event.”
60 SHE CANADA
After the first event, Sheniz was hooked. Shortly thereafter, she
was asked by a Kenyan poet to support his poetry movement in
Kenya. This saw Sheniz planning the entire event from Toronto.
“I had no idea what the poets would be like, nothing. I just had
complete faith in it, showed up, and it was amazing. There’s so
much talent in Kenya. It was an awesome experience.”
Ignite Poets is an initiative that includes “individual poets who
do their own thing, and come together if asked.” Most recently,
Sheniz organized the first of the Sufi Poet Series for Ignite in early
November, where several poets came together to honour and
celebrate the Sufi Rabi’a of Basra. With this series, Janmohammed
aims to “take Sufi poets in history and revive them through new
poets. So, how do spoken word artists interpret Mirza Ghalib or
other old Sufi poets? They don’t necessarily have to be Sufi to do
that, so I wanted that universal message to be there and that’s how
I started the series.”
At present, Sheniz is teaching spoken word for the Forced
Marriage Project, an initiative of the South Asian Legal Clinic of
Ontario (SALCO), in an eight-week seminar. She is also working on
the follow-up to her first book Bleeding Light, a collection of English
Ghazals following a woman’s journey through the night. January
of 2012 saw Janmohammed making a trip to the Jaipur Literature
Festival—one of the largest and most renowned literature festivals
in Asia— where she was invited to speak at the five-day event that
takes place at a palace in India. You can also catch another Ignite
spoken-word event this March in Toronto.
Her interest in Sufism lies in the universality of it. “I think
because I was brought up in the Islamic faith, it’s always what
you’re inherently drawn to. For me, the initial appeal lay there, and
the universality of it kept me exploring further—just the fact that
lots of Sufis were considered heretics. If you look at the lives of
Sufi poets or saints, they were always opposing, they were never
stagnant, they were always challenging and questioning, and a lot
of that was seen as heresy. Troublemakers!”
Clearly, Janmohammed has got a lot on her plate. Proving a force
to be reckoned with on the spoken-word scene, and her events
even being featured on the popular Toronto event site BlogTO, she
shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. It’s not everyday in
our modern world that one can truly call themself a professional
poet, yet Janmohammed has done just that.
Sheniz’s own work, while never limited to anything too specific,
is often inspired by “injustices that are happening in the world.
That seems to be my focus, or what I’m drawn to talk about.”
SHE CANADA 61
KALAMKAAR: OLD WORLD
CHARM WITH A CONTEMPORARY
STYLE SENSIBILITY
Located just off the Don Valley Parkway on Queen Street East, SIJAL
REHMANE visits Kalamkaar and discovers how it has been adding
a South Asian touch to Toronto homes with their high-quality, solid
wood furniture since 2006
Run by Karachi native Zahid Hak, Kalamkaar prides itself on reviving the art
of Pakistani craftsmanship, by proudly flaunting the tagline, Furniture as Art.
“We wanted to show people that the craftsmanship we bring from South Asia
is amazing, it’s out of this world,” he explains. Indeed, a quick stroll through his
store is a testament to this, with fine examples of technique, artistry and splendor
exuding from every corner of the showroom. Highly intricate and detailed inlays
make an appearance on almost all of the pieces, with Hak’s masterful woodwork
found in abundance.
62 SHE CANADA
“In this part of the world, people are getting more attuned
to fast food, fast furniture, that kind of thing. The difference
[in Kalamkaar products] is that you can pass it on through
generations.” Hak attributes this to the high quality of the
wood used to build Kalamkaar creations. “The wood we use
is farm wood. We farm our wood for almost 10-15 years.” He
stops to emphasize that they do not cut the forests in India and
Pakistan. “We are an environmentally conscious and friendly
company, and wish to preserve [the forests in India and
Pakistan]. We farm our own wood [and by doing so, this also
helps us] guarantee the quality of our product.”
Hak takes great pride in this particular aspect of his work,
asserting that it would not be too much of a stretch to call him
the unofficial cultural ambassador of Pakistan. “I am showing
[Canadians] what we do— the culture, the art! These things
matter a lot.”
In the six years since opening the Toronto flagship,
Kalamkaar has managed to tap into many segments of the
interior design market, boasting clientele of varying cultural
backgrounds, with an appeal that speaks to “anyone who has
an association with hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind pieces.” He
points out that the furniture is not entirely ethnic and always
maintains a modern touch and strives for the ever-popular
‘fusion’ feel, with wares’ elements of the East and West blending
nicely. “So it’s a mélange and collage of furniture because we
really just want to give a fresh vibe to an interior.”
Many of the pieces at Kalamkaar pay homage to different
eras in South Asian history. One piece that stood out in
particular was a striking royal blue diwaan sofa that blatantly
hearkens the decadence of the subcontinent’s Mughal era.
Fabrics used to upholster the pieces are always of the finest
quality, with raw silk and jamawaar— a silk and cotton blend—
ubiquitous throughout the space.
Kalamkaar has also taken it upon itself to showcase the
works of emerging South Asian artists. Hak feels it is of great
importance to bring sub-continental art to the North American
public, and invites both new and established South Asian artists
to display their works. “For young artists who have just entered
the market, I usually give my walls for free as a community
service… on the whole, we try to bring something positive to
the South Asian community.”
SHE CANADA 63
Owais Lightwala, 22, is breaking down cultural barriers in
Toronto’s theater scene. Besides being Associate Producer at Why
Not Theater, the player is a young renaissance man of the stage.
LIZ GUBER discusses his career with him over a cup of tea in North
York and discovers the importance of one’s roots in any career
I’ve kept Owais Lightwala’s story in my bag of editorial tricks
for quite some time now. After a friend informed me of his rising
influence on the Toronto theatre scene, I knew I had to write about
him and his delightful take on life, both onstage and off.
We meet for morning tea, both being rather fanatical about the
beverage, and the conversation becomes a free flow of anecdotes
and banter, with the interviewer/interviewee roles switching
without us noticing. I knew prior to the meeting that Owais had a
worldly upbringing, and he shared the details with me, “I was born
in hustling and bustling Karachi, Pakistan. I lived there for about
six months after my birth, at which point I decided to make the
move.” He adds with sarcasm, “I thought about it long and hard and
I just didn’t think that it was a good place to grow up and so I made
the move to Dubai.” At fourteen Owais arrived to Canada, where
he started high school, where he found himself “bored out of [his]
mind” explaining, “I didn’t have anything to do, and I was looking
for something to kill time with. So I went and I tried everything.
I didn’t make it onto the soccer team, I didn’t have enough money
to do karate, the student council was very polite and said I was too
young.” Then along came the drama club, and as they say, the rest
is history.
The saying goes “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again.” The
phrase was taken literally by Lightwala, who was denied a part in
the school play on his first attempt, undeterred, he settled for selling
tickets for the play. “I did that the first year, and the second time I
auditioned again and I didn’t get the part, and this time they said,
‘do you want to run the lights for the show?’ and the next thing you
know, I fell in love with the world of theatre tech.” Following what
Lightwala admits was a less than stellar on-stage debut, he allowed
his unwavering love of theatre take him to York University, much
to his parents’ chagrin.
Anyone who has ever dealt with even a shred of parental
disapproval can identify with Lightwala’s experiences of a father
who routinely asks, “When are you going to bring home a real pay
cheque?” Lightwala adds, “my parents were mortified, they spent a
year railing and wailing and banging their heads against anything
they could find.” Shrugging he goes on to say “that’s just the way it
goes.”
64 SHE CANADA
Lightwala has been hard at work proving his parents wrong,
starting with Soulpepper’s Youth Mentorship program, where a
handful of youth are placed in a “six week long intensive program
where young people explore and create art” Lightwala goes on to
describe the program as “ a fantastic thing to do to young people,
to have that kind of stimulation.” Over the course of a leadership
program taking place the following year, Lightwala and a handful
of other aspiring theatre novices banded together and formed their
own troupe.
The eclectic ensemble of young people came together, and
without a solid plan or even a preliminary script, applied to the
Paprika Festival, a popular theatre festival for youth. “We had no
play, we were improvising the entire thing. We wanted to see if we
could get in, and we did! We did really well, actually! We wrote a
play and by some miracle we put it on. That earned us a spot at the
Fringe Festival.”
Earning a coveted spot at Toronto’s Fringe Festival is an
impressive feat. The festival, being one of the largest in North
America, attracts over 90,000 patrons, and is unique in that all
proceeds from ticket sales go toward the actors, producers and
directors. The Fringe takes place at theatre venues sprawled across
the city, as well as more adventurous locations such as parking
garages and lingerie shops, including the Bathurst Street Theatre
where I had the opportunity to see Lightwala and company’s
delightful collage of vignettes, most of them circling around the
theme of young infatuation, titled The Hurt is Astounding. It was
also Lightwala’s first pay cheque as a producer.
Toronto Star singled the play out as one of the festival’s hottest shows, and NOW Magazine added
further accolades; “With strong acting, well-defined characters, a cohesive script and intricate lighting,
this show is an impressive Fringe debut by a talented, young collective.” Following the runaway success
of The Hurt is Astounding, Paprika was eager to have the ensemble back, offering to make them
a Resident Company, along with mentorship and funding. As it sometimes happens to the
young and the mildly egotistical, the group “got drunk off of our own success” and at the
end of their residency, they came out with a play Lighwala is not ashamed to label a
disaster. “At the time I blocked it right out of my memory, you feel very protective of
anything that you do, especially when it’s out there and people can criticize it. My
ego was hurt a little bit. In the long run, I learned what not to do, and it was in a
safe environment, there was nothing to lose. We moved on.”
And what did moving on mean for Lightwala? Producing a series of
plays with legendary Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah, aptly titled Beyond
Bollywood. “Beyond Bollywood was a mini series of two plays, one in English
and one in Hindi, [performed] at Why Not Theatre.” The two plays, Dear Liar
and Ismat Apa Ke Naam, were both sold out shows, and received critical acclaim.
Dear Liar was adapted from the passionate correspondence of playwright George
Bernard Shaw and Mrs. Patrick Stella Campbell, a famous actress of the time,
who inspired the character of Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion. The lauded Ismat
Apa Ke Naam was based around a collection of short stories by Ismat Chughtai
whose strong feminist ideology made her one of India’s most beloved, successful
and controversial poets.
The duality of East and West is evident in all facets of Lightwala’s life. I’m impressed
by his knowledge of the Bombay television industry, “Out of 30 days in a month they
work 28 days, they’ll be shooting in the morning, it will get edited in the afternoon
and it will air that night, it’s that crazy. It’s a fascinating world.” When asked if he would
ever consider a Bollywood cross-over he answers, “it’s not my calling.” Lightwala does have
aspirations of someday making a difference, through theatre and the arts, in his native
Pakistan. “There are stories to be told there, there is so much richness and vitality
and culture and history and so much going on, in a way there’s a texture.
That’s where they need art the most.”
For now, Lightwala is happy to be working in his
beloved field, and his upcoming projects include
directing a Canadian Stage production
under acclaimed director Daniel Brooks.
Be it abroad or right here in Toronto,
Lightwala’s mission statement is clear
“A lot of good art, unfortunately
needs to be recognized by people
who have four years of art school,
and I think that’s not the kind of
work I want to do. I want to do
the kind of work that people
with no arts background, like
my parents, could look at
and really understand and
appreciate.”
SHE CANADA 65
I’m getting pretty serious with the guy I’ve been dating
for over a year now. We’re both desi and we have an
understanding that we would both like to be married in the
near future. My only concern is the fact that he lives what
feels like a million miles away in Ottawa, Ontario. I’m from
Toronto and the last thing I want to do is leave this city, but
he’s hell-bent on staying in Ottawa for at least the next 5
years. Should I have to move to be with him?
HE Said
The answer is simple, either one of you moves, or you break
up. If you do end up compromising and moving to Ottawa,
make him promise to re-locate in a few years, or when you two
decided to have kids. Have you ever been to Ottawa? Make a
few weekend visits, you might find it to be a nice place to live.
SHE Said
Perhaps the reason there have been so many romantic
comedies based around this common conundrum, (most
recently The Five Year Engagement) is because it’s a universally
relatable problem. The only way to get what you want in this
case, then, would be to stand your ground and hope that the
more time spent apart will make your boyfriend realize that
you are worth moving to Toronto for.
The man I just recently started seeing is sending me majorly
mixed signals and I don’t know what they mean! We’ve
only been out a few times but he’s indicated that he would
like things to get serious and thinks we should get engaged
within the year. The problem is, we e-mail and text back
and forth but he barely has time to call or see me. I don’t
understand how he expects this relationship to progress so
quickly if he can’t even put in the time!
HE Said:
Does this guy have any legitimate reasons to be extremely
busy? Unless he’s an Emergency Room doctor or constantly
66 SHE CANADA
traveling, he should be able to make time for the people he
thinks are important. He might just be leading you on. I say
break up with him and find someone who DOES have time
for you.
SHE Said:
If he’s acting aloof and hard-to-get, then beat him at his own
game. Stop being the first to call or text. Let him ask you on
the next date or be the one to initiate the conversation. If that
doesn’t work, and he lets the relationship deteriorate, let that
be the sign that he is, sadly, just not that into you.
I recently landed my dream job in the marketing industry
after years of working hard and doing other odd jobs. When
I told my friend who is also in the industry, I expected him
to be happy for me. Instead he didn’t say much and has
chosen to ignore the subject since. Why is my friend acting
like this?
HE Said:
Perhaps your friend feels that you weren’t qualified for the job
to begin with, and is having a hard time accepting what he
thinks is unfair. On the opposite end of the spectrum, he could
also see you as a threat in his own career, as you’ve mentioned
that you two are in the same industry.
SHE Said:
Try to think back to the last time one of your friends shared
their good news with you. Sure, you were very happy, but
you were also just a little bit jealous. Most of us are good at
concealing any hidden feelings of envy, but maybe your friend
isn’t one of those people. Perhaps he got used to you always
working odd jobs, and it made him feel slightly superior, now
you two are even, and that could be a hard thing for him to
come to terms with. He’ll get used to this change eventually,
just try not to mention your new job for a little while.
TOMS
Sunglasses
$139
It’s so easy to be a girl on Valentine’s
Day. There isn’t a girl in the world who
wouldn’t like a dozen long-stem roses, a
box of truffles or a cute, stuffed animal.
But what about for him? Technology
changes so quickly and what is it that
men really like when it comes to fashion?
This month SHE has you covered. Here
are some of the hottest products out this
February that any fashion forward, techsavvy guy would be thrilled to receive.
DARK
KNIGHT
TRILOGY
$52.99
EAU DE LACOSTE $62
NIKE+
Fuelband
$149
SAMSUNG
CHROMEBOOK $249
BEATS BY DR.
DRE PILL $199
ROOTS GRETZKY
DUFFLE PRINCE
LEATHER BAG $388
H&M
JUMPER
$49.95
IPAD MINI from $329
JOHN VARVATOS
FOR CONVERSE
$125
SHE CANADA 67
By Priya Kumar
There is no shortage of culinary gems in Toronto. Visitors to
our fine city are always in awe of the depth and breadth of choice
available, while us locals take the whole scene for granted. However,
on a very special occasion, it’s worth indulging. Recently, I had the
opportunity to do so at Blowfish Restaurant and Sake Bar.
The landmark upscale fusion eatery is far from new to downtown
foodies. Founded in 2003, its King Street location is housed in a
beautiful, historical bank building at the corner of Bathurst Street—
the place to be any night of the week. Blowfish provides ambience
unlike any other Japanese restaurant in the city. Designed by
architect Johnson Chou, the space has infused the old with new
using modern materials on the walls balanced by oaky finishes.
The overall ambiance of the space is high-energy and aesthetically
contemporary, but let’s not forget we haven’t even gotten to the food.
68 SHE CANADA
Executive Chef G. Q. Pan has successfully combined Japanese
and Pan-Asian cuisine to suit European and North American taste
buds and let me be the first (or n hundredth) food critic to say he’s
done it seamlessly. Known for their “Blowfish Giant Ebi Shooters” (a
sushi cornet role with a mélange of exotic Japanese fare placed in a
shot glass for effect), the menu is both inventive in its presentation
and daring in ingredient combination. Into gourmet Mexican? Try
their Tuna Taco (diced tuna, negi, frieze, daikon sprout and Japanese
tartar served in a crispy wonton taco). For the herbivore types there
is the Goji Berry Greens (baby greens, gobo, tofu, lotus root, snap
peas, Asian pear, pine nuts and goji berry; tossed in kombu orange
vinaigrette), a salad to die for. And how could we forget the sushi?
My favourite has to be the Truffle Albacore roll (spicy albacore tuna
paste, tiger shrimp and avocado; topped with a garlic chip and truffle
oil drizzle.
The occasion I visited Blowfish in
particular was my late twenty-something
birthday a few weeks ago—a DJ was on hand
spinning some old school hip-hop/EDM
mash-ups, including tracks by our November
cover girl Nadia Ali. Tak, one of the partners,
went above and beyond for me and my party
of 6 by seating us at the best corner table and
bringing by birthday favours like the most
divine Flourless Chocolate Torte (topped
with coconut mousse and spiced orange
Chantilly cream) I’ve ever had the pleasure of
tasting. The experience was unforgettable and
I can’t urge our readers enough to experience
it for themselves. Blowfish is fusion in every
sense of the word; it strikes the fine balance
between contemporary and classic, exotic
and local to give every palate, whether
adventurous or fastidious, the best dining
experience possible.
Blowfish; 668 King Street West, 416 860 0606;
$72/head on average
SHE CANADA 69
IF (STUFFED) ANIMALS
COULD TALK
By Liz Guber
On an early November evening, MARGHERITA MISSONI graced Toronto
with her presence. What ensued was a frenzy of photographers, fans and designer stuffed animals
“I have never seen so many beautiful people
in one room” was the exact sentiment I shared
with SHE’s Associate Editor via text message as soon as I walked into Holt Renfrew’s
second floor event space. The evening’s guest
of honour was none other than Margherita
Maccapani Missoni, scion of one of Italy’s
most celebrated luxury labels. Her presence
at Holt’s Bloor Street flagship resulted in an
impressive turn out of the city’s most stylish
and influential people.
Arriving in my usual style—that being
early—I opted to wander around the luxury
department store’s first floor, pausing briefly
to take in some of the merchandise. Continuing in my aimless trajectory, I was met at the
entrance by the aforementioned beautiful
people coming through Holt’s gleaming glass
doors. I decided to tag along behind them,
70 SHE CANADA
assuming (correctly so) that the stiletto-clad,
glittering ladies were headed to the same place
I was. It was only when one of women immediately commanded the attention of the entire
room that I realized that on the escalator ride
up to the event I was standing directly behind
none other than the fashion heiress herself.
In an instant all eyes were on the lady of
the evening, the air seemed to leave the room,
with quiet murmurs filling it instead. Her
freshly cut hair into a sculpted bob complimented Missoni’s porcelain skin and crimson
lips perfectly. She donned a knit skirt from
her family’s eponymous label and as soon as
she took off her embroidered Proenza Schouler jacket, revealing her top to be completely
backless, the crowd erupted in a harmonized
gasp.
A visit to Toronto by a member of Italian fashion royalty isn’t an
everyday occurrence. Missoni, a newlywed having married race
car driver Eugenio Amos at a gypsy-inspired wedding this past
summer, arrived with good reason—
to promote her latest collaboration
with Holt Renfrew in support of
Orphan Aid Africa. Together the two
fashion powerhouses designed a pair
of adorable stuffed animals, a bear and
an elephant, in the signature Missoni
print. Missoni started volunteering
with the organization nine years ago,
going on to become the president of Orphan Aid Africa’s Italian
chapter. The charity benefits vulnerable children and their families
in Ghana, West Africa, caring for orphans and working to reunite
children with their lost families. Proceeds from the stuffed animal
sales will go toward helping this cause. “To see the changes and
impact we have made to better the lives of children is incredible
and rewarding,” Missoni told press at the event.
pledge of their love for the label. Missoni took her time signing
each one, personalizing the box with hearts and messages of
cheer. She didn’t shy away from a single photo, her radiance and
warm glow was made all the more
endearing when contrasted with
the blank expressions and nervous
demeanors of the Holt Renfrew
staff. The number of people in
attendance easily reached the
hundreds, but things remained
calm and civilized, with plenty of
macarons and hot chocolate to
comfort those excitedly waiting for their moment to meet THE
Margherita Missoni. I remained on the sidelines, a vantage point
that allowed me to witness dozens of delightful exchanges between
Missoni and her fans.
“To see the changes and impact
we have made to better the lives
of children is incredible and
rewarding,”
It was then time for eager fans to get their stuffed animals
signed by their creator. A few people wore Missoni scarves as a
With a $50 price tag, the bear and elephant duo launched just
in time for the holiday shopping season, but the charitable work
done by Orphan Aid Africa and Margherita Missoni will far
outlast any fashion fad.
SHE CANADA 71
SIJAL REHMANE talks exclusively with IDRF’s youngest board member, Seema Rizvi, about the
important work the organization carries out in their quest to battle poverty and famine the world over,
and how important and easy it is for you to join the movement.
he International Development and Relief Foundation
(IDRF) is a Canadian registered, charitable
organization, with its roots dating back to 1984 when
three concerned Canadians came together to form the
International Refugee and Relief Program (IRRP) to
help rehabilitate war refugees from around the world. These three
men— Dr. Fuad Sahin, Muin Muinuddin, and Ebrahim Sayed—
soon realized that fighting the symptoms of poverty, famine, and
conflict does not go quite as far as attacking the root causes of
these issues. It was in 1986 that the organization officially renamed
itself to include the pivotal word “Development” in its moniker,
and made it their mission to “help people organize themselves
to work collectively for their own economic betterment,” board
member Seema Rizvi tells us.
Operating out of Toronto and Calgary, IDRF adheres to a vision
of a more just world, by providing the means of sustainability
and dignity to those most in need. Rizvi tells us that their
projects cover many sectors, including “education, emergency
relief, environment, water & sanitation, gender empowerment,
healthcare, infrastructure/housing and livelihood development.
To date, IDRF has implemented development and relief projects
in over 32 countries and/or territories in South and Southeast
Asia, Africa, the Americas, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and
Canada.”
With a focus as broad as theirs, IDRF relies heavily on
fundraising events and dedicated volunteers. “Volunteers are the
backbone of our organisation and we are always excited to have
new participation!” says Rizvi. Additionally she says, the Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA) plays a pivotal role
in many of IDRF’s initiatives. “IDRF has implemented long term
development projects in certain countries like Afghanistan,
Pakistan and Bangladesh where every dollar contributed for that
72 SHE CANADA
project, is doubled by CIDA… IDRF’s long standing relationship
with CIDA demonstrates the high degree of confidence that CIDA
has in IDRF’s ability to deliver effective, accountable and reliable
projects in different parts of the world.”
IDRF also receives considerable support from what they call
local and international “partnerships” whereby any business or
individual hoping to get involved and make a difference in the lives
of others can do so simply by “planning their own creative events
or activities that could help raise awareness about the work IDRF
does and raise funds for causes dear to them.” Rizvi highlights
that “it is with this support that [IDRF has] been able to provide
help to those in need in remote regions of the world…Most of
our projects are initiated by our local partners who understand
the challenges and opportunities of the particular context they are
living and working in. They have the ability to respond directly to
the needs of the people, allowing IDRF to implement projects that
ensure long-term sustainability for the local community.”
Rizvi also reminds us that IDRF is constantly on the lookout
for new partnerships, encouraging everyone, “children, teenagers,
college and university students, young professionals to get involved
and plan your own fun event and partner with IDRF!” What better
way to give back to the community?
In November, IDRF held its Gala Dinner, where CBC’s foreign
correspondent Nahlah Ayed delivered a rousing talk on her
experiences travelling through the Middle East as a correspondent
and also conducted a book signing. While the dinner is simply
a general fundraiser, IDRF also hosts a Golf Tournament in July,
with the proceeds allotted to a specific project each year.
For more information on the work IDRF does, and to find out how
you can get involved, visit their website at http://www.idrf.ca/
SHE CANADA 73
By Summun Jafri
Founded by Plan International, Because I am a Girl is a global initiative aimed at changing the future
for girls around the world by lifting them out of poverty through the promotion of gender equality and
human rights. As a result, the ripple effect created by this endeavour to educate and protect a girl in an
impoverished part of the world, will ultimately benefit her whole family and community
f you’re ever in the downtown Toronto area, chances
are you have come across volunteers campaigning
for Plan’s Because I am a Girl. They are often
seen out at main intersections in the city creating
awareness for the cause. Although street campaigns
such as this one are perceived as nuisances, let me
assure you, this one’s worth the small investment of your time.
Because I am a Girl is not a small initiative; it’s an
international social movement created by Plan International
to empower females of all ages to fight for their rights as
human beings. The goal is to give girls the most basic human
rights that many of us in the first world take for granted. By
creating sustainable projects in developing countries, girls
can gain access to clean water, food, healthcare, education,
financial security and protection from violence and
exploitation. Their motto “Invest in a girl and she’ll change
the world” speaks volumes about what the initiative does. The
awareness and funds this project generates are used to directly
change the lives of young girls, the communities they are
brought up in and ultimately the world’s perceptions of them.
This campaign helps us unveil many truths, as underprivileged
girls affect more than just their own well-being. The economic
loss in countries that do not level the playing field for girls
and boys is an estimated $92 billion. In a survey done in
India, 60% of children interviewed agreed that if resources are
scarce, it’s better to educate a boy than a girl. Among other
problems that this initiative is trying to alleviate in addition to
education are those of child brides (some as young as twelve),
HIV infections, genital mutilation, and sexual violence and
exploitation.
74 SHE CANADA
This year, Because I am a Girl welcomed Indian actress
Freida Pinto on board to take part in global initiatives to
help girls and strengthen communities. Given her role in the
Academy Award winning Slumdog Millionaire, there could
not be a better advocate for the cause. Over the summer,
Pinto traveled to Sierra Leone in Africa as Because I am a
Girl’s ambassador to witness the initiative first hand. On the
website’s blog she mentions that she was asked by a journalist
in Sierra Leone what hope she can give these girls to which
she said: “To be very honest, these girls have given me hope.”
She has expressed her amazement with the sincerity of the
organization’s work, and mentioned always wanting to be
involved in some way. Once in Sierra Leone she said that the
strength of people there made her realize that she couldn’t
be weak, regardless of what information or situations she
encountered. In an interview she did following her return
with Parade Magazine, she highlighted the importance of
education. In order to affect change in the community as a
whole, and “to have the parents understand why these girls
should stay in school and not get married at 14,” they must
be rightfully educated. On the other hand, we, sitting across
the world have a different role to fulfill. “You watch and read
about some of these troubled countries but the firsthand
experience is an eye opener. Things are so much deeper, richer
and you uncover layers of stories beyond what you watch on
news channels or read in books.” Pinto’s words emphasize a
point that she and the organization cannot stress enough: the
need for our own education. Although not all of us may have
the resources to help these communities in person, the more
we educate others and ourselves on these topics, the more of a
difference we can make.
Who is Plan?
Plan was founded over seventy years ago and has been
ranked among the top ten international development
agencies in the world by reputation, size, and scope. They
visualize a world where children can realize their full
potential in societies that respect people’s rights and dignity.
Their mission is to achieve lasting improvements in the
quality of life of vulnerable children in developing countries
by enabling them and their families to meet basic needs and
to increase their ability to participate in and benefit from
their societies. They have worked in communities in fifty
different countries by emphasizing community engagement
and ownership they are able to work on eight technical
areas: Education, Economic Security, Water and Sanitation,
Health, Sexual Health (including HIV), Emergencies,
Protection, and Child Participation.
For more information on these causes and to learn more
about how you can contribute, visit the following websites:
http://www.planusa.org/
http://becauseiamagirl.ca/
SHE CANADA 75
THE BLOOD
angladesh has become the leading exporter of
garments in South Asia. In fact, it is second to only
China internationally. Although Bangladesh is a
fairly recent addition to the garment and textile
industry, having only been in the game for about thirty-five
years, its factories suffer from some of the deadliest working
conditions the world has ever known. From 2006 to present,
over 300 workers have been killed. On November 27th, 2012,
tragedy struck again when a serious factory fire engulfed a
Western mass-market apparel manufacturer and claimed the
lives of an additional 112 factory workers.
When Associated Press reporters passed through Tazreen
Fashions Ltd. in late November, mere days after a blaze ripped
through the multi-story factory, only strewn remnants of
women’s nightgowns and children’s shorts hinted at what
the edifice used to be. Tazreen is operated by factory owner
Delwar Hossain. Respected by his workers, Hossain would
hear their requests out on wage increases and improved
working conditions. When several complained about the harsh
treatment by upper management, it was the managers that were
dismissed as opposed to the workers. Ultimately it was not
Hossain who was charged in the deaths of his employees.
The fire originated on the first floor of the complex. Workers
are coming out with statements about the stairwells being
blocked with stacks of fabric and yarn, impeding their escape
efforts. Reports are also emerging that the deaths were caused
directly by three managers who locked the only escape route for
these workers to flee the fire. Had there been an accessible fire
76 SHE CANADA
escape, the death toll would have been drastically reduced. Of
those who perished, 53 were burned beyond identification and
received anonymous burials. Although the three managers have
been arrested for their roles in the deadly fire, many say a larger,
more ominous force was at play. Bangladeshi Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina has stated she believes arson was involved. Police
have yet to rule out sabotage.
Investigators also quickly discovered Tazreen’s clientele
included the who’s who of Western fast fashion. Wal-Mart,
Disney, Dickies and Sears made up only a handful of major
brands found in the factory’s roster of clientele. Given the sheer
size of these brands, their manufacturing methods have been
known to be dubious at times and their buying practices called
unsustainable. Wal-Mart has been called out in their “ethical
sourcing” reports to downplay labour hours and the minimum
age of the garment factory workers.
In this case, each brand has attempted to distance itself
from the disaster by saying in its own words that Tazreen was
not authorized to be producing their garments. Wal-Mart was
even aware of the poor working conditions at the factory and
as a result, claims to have pulled their business over a year
ago. “A supplier subcontracted work to this factory without
authorization and in direct violation of our policies,” stated
a Wal-Mart press release on the situation. “Today, we have
terminated the relationship with that supplier. The fact that
this occurred is extremely troubling to us, and we will continue
to work across the apparel industry to improve fire safety
education and training in Bangladesh.”
We also reached out to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters
Association and they had the following to say: “(BGMEA) will disburse compensation to
the relatives of the workers killed in a fire at Tazreen Fashions. Preliminarily, every family
of the deceased will get nearly Tk 6 lakh ($7,317 CAD) each. The relatives of the deceased
will collect the cheques from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The prime minister,
BGMEA and some donors have contributed to the fund.”
In last month’s issue of SHE, we reported on Hasina’s involvement in ousting Nobel
Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus from his position as the head of Grameen Bank,
the micro-lending bank that assists the most impoverished in Bangladesh. New York
Times suggested she made this move out of jealousy of his Prize and global recognition.
Going back to the issue at hand, is it really in the best interests of the victims to receive
a cheque passed through a character of such questionable moral fibre? Although it
doesn’t lessen the tragedy to question Hasina’s involvement, it’s certainly worth raising an
eyebrow.
Tazreen employs 1,400 workers—70% of whom are women from the Northern regions
of Bangladesh, the most impoverished part of the country. Over 3000 factory workers
pushing for change in the industry held protests across Dhaka in the days following
the blaze. Although traffic was disrupted and property pelted with rocks, there were no
reports of injuries. A petition on Change.org has been circulated under a factory worker
named Lovely. Lovely had been working at a factory in Dhaka at the age of 11 when a
fire broke out and left her with serious injuries. She is calling for mass-market apparel
retailers such as Wal-Mart, H&M and GAP to make a conscious effort toward educating
factory workers with “a real fire safety program that will save the lives of the companies’
sweatshop workers.”
To show your support for Lovely’s cause visit:
https://www.change.org/petitions/walmart-h-m-gap-join-fire-safety-program-fix-deathtrap-factories
Change.org hopes to draw the attention of fast fashions’ head honchos in a bid for improved
working conditions for the lowest but most critical component of these retailers’ supply
chains.
-Reporting by Priya Kumar
SHE CANADA 77
September Lodge, Village Way, Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, HP7 9PU
Tel +44(0) 1494 762 063 [email protected]
Website: www.ladyfatemahtrust.org
UK Reg Charity No: 1072270
www.ladyfatemahtrust.org
Thank you for answering the call of the Orphans and
the cries of thirst emanating from Iraq in places like
Kerbala, Najaf, Basra, Al Kurt, Baghdad and across to
Iran where Iraqi & Afghan orphans are to be found.
Your response shows the words of Imam Jaffer Sadiq
(a.s.) saying “Everyday is Ashura, every land is
Kerbala”, ring true today as when they were spoken
and will continue to do so to the end of time.
We pray that Allah puts you in the proximity of
the Holy Prophet in Jannah for responding to the
Prophets to care for the Orphans.
To see what other worthy causes you can contribute
towards to make a real difference to the lives of those
who are less fortunate than us, all around the world,
please visit: www.ladyfatemahtrust.org
78 SHE CANADA
These young eyes were witness to the atrocities that befell the
residents of Kerbala and live their lives emotionally scarred and
often without one or both parents.
As a result of several wars and years of summary execution
under Saddam’s tyrannical rule, millions of innocent lives were
denied the love and care of their parents. If our children have a
rough day we read them a bedtime story to lull them into sleep.
But these children would fall asleep alone only to be woken up
to the sound of gunfire and exploding bombs to be instantly
reminded that they had lost their father or mother or worse still,
both. These young minds must have wondered if this was how
they will live the rest of their lives as once again they realise that
their loved ones are gone forever.
Your concern and support will restore some hope for their
future.
You can reach out to an orphan in Kerbala today and change a
life for the better. The Lady Fatemah (A.S.) Charitable Trust has
worked in Kerbala for over 10 years and has overseen several
such projects. By signing the Gift Aid Form you are assured that
for every $1.59 dollars donated up to $2.03 is actually received
by the needy with no deductions made for administration or
any other associated cost.
The Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) highly recommended caring
for the orphaned child and you can answer the cry of such a
child by offering them some comfort in their traumatic lives.
At a cost of just $24 dollars per month (less than $1 a day) you
can ensure that the child is housed (preferably with close family)
educated, clothed and fed.
SHE CANADA 79
aybe I should go for the low-fat version. But wait - it has
too much sodium. The high fibre kind? Nix that, I see
trans fat on the label. Hmmm…perhaps I’ll stick with
this one, it has no artificial colours…”
This is the internal dialogue I run through every time I visit the
grocery store. Being a former processed food marketer and a
dedicated label reader, I know that the array of products on the
shelves can be dizzying. If I don’t catch myself, I can spend half an
hour paralyzed in front of the spaghetti sauce.
The truth is, the supermarket has become a battleground of
competing claims and labels all shouting to get your attention; you
practically need your Ph. D. in Nutrition just to decipher them all.
And as South Asians, we need to make especially healthy choices
since we’re more likely to have high blood pressure and diabetes, not
to mention that we’re at a greater risk of heart disease and stroke.
So how can you make better choices? Luckily, I’ve done the work
for you. Here are some claims to watch out for next time you hit the
supermarket aisles:
MULTIGRAIN
Multigrain sounds a lot healthier than plain old white flour, but the
truth is, it’s probably not. This claim just means that the product
contains more than one type of grain, but it doesn’t tell you how
much. So it could be mostly white flour, with a few oats thrown
in. Check the label; if the product doesn’t contain much fibre, then
think of ‘Multigrain’ as more of a flavour than a health benefit.
80 SHE CANADA
MADE WITH WHOLE WHEAT
This claim is often found on packages of crackers, bread and pastas,
but it doesn’t tell you how much whole wheat is in the product.
In fact, the first ingredient may still be white flour, with a little bit
of whole wheat thrown in for colour. It’s much better to look for
something that’s made with 100% whole wheat or whole grains.
REDUCED FAT
This is a tricky one. Less fat is good, right? The answer is, it depends.
All things being equal, yes, less fat is good. But remember: fat
delivers flavour. If the manufacturer removes fat from a product,
they still have to make it taste good – so they may add sugar or
salt in to replace the lost flavour, and other chemicals to mimic
the role of the fat. The best thing to do is to compare the original
and reduced-fat versions and choose the one with the simplest
ingredient list.
SOURCE OF ENERGY
This claim is a bit dicey. Energy is measured in calories, and all
food is made up of calories. So absolutely all food is a source of
energy. This claim isn’t telling you anything about how healthy (or
unhealthy!) the product is.
Now that you know some of the Sneaky
Peters you should be watching for in the
supermarket, here are some tips to make
sure that you too don’t get lost in the
spaghetti sauce aisle. Below are my top
strategies to cut down on that label-reading
time and help you make healthy choices:
Shop the perimeter first.
1
Visit the ‘unsexy’ aisles next.
2
Be extra vigilant in
the ‘flashy’ aisles.
3
The perimeter (outside edge) of the grocery store is where all the fresh
food is like fruits, vegetables and dairy. Shopping here first means
you’re less likely to splurge on processed foods, which are often way
more calorie-dense and full of unnecessary ingredients. Remember the
frozen section too – frozen peas, okra or spinach are great to throw into
a quick weeknight curry.
The ‘unsexy’ sections - beans, bulk nuts, grains, canned goods – may
not look pretty, but are usually a better bet nutritionally. The products
here are not as heavily marketed, so they often contain less claims and
simpler ingredient lists. Be sure to stock up on South Asian staples like
lentils, chickpeas and canned tomatoes.
If you can’t read every label, then concentrate on the aisles with lots of
bright colours, slick packaging and inviting displays, like cereal, yogurt
and granola bars. These are likely the ones where manufacturers make
the most money and the ones that contain the most processed ingredients.
Use technology to help you.
4
A good way to tell if an aisle is flashy is to remember if you’ve seen a TV
commercial for it lately. If companies are investing in TV ads, you can
bet they’re investing a lot of dollars to appeal to consumers.
Apps like Fooducate, which assigns a nutritional grade and highlights
important info about each of the items in its huge product database, can
help you make decisions. Though it’s an American app and often Canadian product formulations will differ, it can at least give you an idea of
where the product falls on the healthy/unhealthy spectrum.
This may sound intimidating, but trust me – after a few trips to the supermarket, you’ll be shopping like a pro. And then you can offer some
sage advice to that poor soul still stuck in the spaghetti sauce aisle.
Roxanna Kassam Kara is a former processed food marketer who runs
WholesomeHedonist.com, a blog that debunks supermarket claims and
helps consumers navigate the aisles. You can follow her at on Twitter at @
WholesmHedonist.
SHE CANADA 81
BY PRIYA KUMAR
isiting India and bored of the regular Delhi, Mumbai,
Goa circuit? One can make only so many visits to the
Taj Mahal in Agra, so why not try something new?
With tourism to India at an all time high, there are
hundreds of hidden gems off the beaten path. Beyond
Vineyard Resort in Nasik (a four hour drive from Mumbai)
is just one such discovery we at SHE have made—one need not
be a wine connoisseur to enjoy the luxuries this retreat has to
offer.
82 SHE CANADA
Sula Vineyards is renowned the world over for its fine wines.
However, since its founding in 2000, Sula’s brand extension has
gone far beyond the bottled variety. Today Sula is proud to have
its name on an eponymous music festival titled Sulafest (a.k.a.
South Asia’s answer to Coachella) and more recently, a luxury
boutique resort in the center of its vineyards appropriately
titled Beyond.
Having visited Beyond during Sulafest last year, I recall
being taken aback by the beauty of the property. Situated on
top of some of the most fertile land in South Asia, the 32-room
luxury lodging overlooks two inviting infinity pools reflecting
the sprawling vineyards situated around the lodging. Strangely
enough, the bathroom was the standout feature of the room
for me. The sink and shower are the striking waterfall varieties
that, aside from functionality, are just really cool to look at. As
many travellers know, the bathroom speaks volumes about the
quality of a hotel in South Asia.
Whether staying in a Standard Room or indulging in a
Private Villa with a breathtaking view of the lake, Beyond offers
a completely unique experience for those seeking a weekend
getaway from the city. Besides the welcome quiet the country
offers, visitors to the Resort can enjoy a leisurely bike ride on
the winding country roads or simply sitting out in the sun
while feasting on the local cuisine available at Café Rose on the
property itself.
Packages for a night at Beyond start at a mere $100 and include
a delicious breakfast and a tour of the vineyards.
SHE CANADA 83
Slowboat down
the Mekong
By Robin Esrock
84 SHE CANADA
etween rats scurrying across the floor, the demonic
chanting, loud gongs and animal squeals, it was no wonder I had
a tough time falling asleep. After seven hours on a narrow, coffin-shaped wooden slowboat, the last thing I needed was a ritual
cow slaughter, taking place right outside my window. I would have
got up to investigate this cultural ceremony in the sleepy village
of Pakbang, but rats were attacking my backpack, and leaving the
mosquito net would be a bad idea, because they would gnaw on
me next. There are pockets of luxury and comfort in Laos, but I
remember this night far better than any night at a five star resort.
The infamous two-day slowboat down the Mekong River is truly
a grand adventure. Hard wooden seats, a deafening engine, constant stops to pick up villagers, and yet the glorious views of the
jungle, mountains and tribal settlements left my senses tingling. As
the late afternoon sun set behind the mountains, the jungle buzzed
with life. Locals in wooden boats waved from their traditional fishing boats, and we gently drifted along water that, late in the afternoon, took on the colour and texture of mercury. We passed
a Buddhist cave carved deep into a rock face, giggling half-naked
kids playing in the sand banks, steep cliffs and lush green thicket.
Just about anyone can put up with rats, ritual slaughter, and splinters in their butt when this is the reward.
A landlocked country bordering Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar,
China and Cambodia, Laos has a proud communist government,
but is the poorest country in Southeast Asia. It’s also one of the
best-kept secrets of Southeast Asia – beautiful, friendly, and impossibly cheap. The local currency, the kip, is handled in large bundles
and shopping bags, allowing even backpackers to feel the flush of
cash. Fortunately, credit cards have slowly made their way to some
of the more popular tourist hotspots, such as Luang Prabang. This
is where I gratefully departed the slowboat, ready to explore the
country’s second largest city. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Luang Prabang is surrounded by stunning temples, leafy neighbourhoods, orange-robed monks and very welcoming locals. It also
has one of the world’s best night markets, and while the variety of
artisan items on display are impressive, the peaceful tranquility is
more so. No yelling or screaming, no tugging at the sleeves or wild
hustle – just locals sitting alongside their stall, enjoying the passing
traffic of foreigners. There is something tangibly beautiful about
the people of Laos, most clearly evident when you see children
playing in the streets. Their greeting of “sabadee!” is yelled out
with such enthusiasm it cannot help but bring a smile to your face.
Having explored Luang Prabang’s sparkling Buddhist temples, I
almost lost my breakfast on the rollercoaster drive to Vangvieng, a
small village that has quickly become a traveller favourite. Vangvieng’s primary attraction is the hiring of rubber doughnut-shaped
tubes to gently float down the adjacent Mekong river, stopping at
makeshift riverfront bars with wooden swings and jumps. The
clean, refreshing water meanders through incredible mountain
scenery, while downtempo and reggae music echoes from the bars.
At one point I joined a local family on their picnic, who took great
pride in offering me a coconut leaf filled with their homemade
vegetable curry. It was the kind of warm, authentic moment I’ll
remember for the rest of my life.
“So Robin, is this top ten day?” asked Minesh, an English traveller on a tube floating nearby mine. We had met several months,
and several countries ago, and enjoyed rating the quality of each
travel day. “A top three day!” I replied, thinking back on my many
adventures. I wondered how long it might take before the genuinely
friendly Laotians become like their Thai neighbours, who seemed
more genuinely interested in separating the baht from my wallet?
As word spreads and more tourists arrive, improving the economy
and hopefully some of the worst roads I’ve seen anywhere, I wonder if the Laos government will get past its notorious corruption
and truly develop the country’s potential as one of the best places to
visit in southeast Asia. Rats, rituals, rickety boats and all.
Vancouver-based Robin Esrock is the co-host of the OLN/CityTV series Word Travels. You can follow his adventures at
www.robinesrock.com
SHE CANADA 85
Besides being one of the most recognizable names in talent representation, MAX Agency is also a onestop shop for all of your promotional needs. Whether putting together a fashion show, print advertisement or
marketing campaign, MAX has you covered for a fraction of the cost of an ad agency. MAX also has access to
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tel: 416-482-5392 | fax: 416-482-4109 | [email protected]
86 SHE CANADA
Are you a new actor/model looking for a head start
in your aspired career? Talent Shop Academy can
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Fax: (416) 482-4109
Email:[email protected]
SHE CANADA 87
By Priya Kumar
Being South Asian, I was blessed with oily, acne prone skin. During the two
years I spent living in Mumbai as an adult, my skin was on its absolute worst
behavior. As a result, I was left with deep, rolling acne scars primarily on my
right cheek. No amount of foundation, concealer or powder I would use was
enough to smooth the skin out so I initially turned to the non-invasive, in-office
cosmetic procedure, fractionated laser treatment. Popular amongst the wellheeled and high profile, the fractionated laser effectively resurfaces the top layer
of the skin. The downside of the treatment is having to go back in every month
to achieve maximum results and with a price tag of up to $1000 a session it isn’t
always practical. Given my busy schedule, the most inconvenient thing about
the procedure was having to put aside two hours of my day to go into the clinic,
have the topical numbing cream applied and then wait 45 minutes for it to set in
before sitting for the laser treatment itself. None of it was worth the hassle!
Enter the Tria Skin Rejuvenating Laser. I was familiar with Tria, having used
other products by the brand. I was also aware of their break-through, take home
systems that have changed the cosmetic procedure game. The Skin Rejuvenating
Laser treats multiple signs of aging including wrinkles, age spots and textural
irregularities (the last one is written all over my face, literally) all from the privacy
of your own home, for a mere fraction of the cost.
Here’s how it works:
The Skin Rejuvenating Laser passes microscopic laser beams into the skin
to stimulate the body’s own natural renewal process, regenerating cells and
producing new collagen. I wasn’t sure what to expect when using it for the first
time, but when I passed it over the said problem right cheek, it felt like receiving
thousands of microscopic pinpricks in succession. It wasn’t comfortable per
se, but the sensation was very similar to what I felt during an in-office laser
procedure (good thing).
The user manual recommends treating the skin before bedtime to let redness
subside before morning. The feeling left behind after the procedure on the lowest
setting is comparable to a light sunburn.
Verdict:
After using the Tria Skin Rejuvenating Laser for only a week I began to notice a
marked difference in the surface of my skin. The pockmarks were clearly leveling
out and the discolouration from recent blemishes looked dramatically faded,
especially around the edges—again this was within a week. By the end of the 8
weeks, my skin looked like it belonged to someone else. Not only did it behave
throughout the 8 weeks of treatment (no breakouts, little redness), but all the
insecurities I had about my uneven skin from acne scarring vanished. It was
difficult to remember what it was like prior to treating it with Tria.
Bottom Line: This is not a product you want to miss. The Health Canadaapproved system can be used on the entire face and definitely will result in a
significant improvement in the over texture of your skin.
The Tria Skin Rejuvenating Laser is available at triabeauty.ca for $495
88 SHE CANADA
1
Which products should you be
carrying around with you at all
times? Here are SHE’s picks for
the month of February. Keeping
in mind the most romantic time of
year, these beauty essentials will
take you from the office to date
night without missing a beat.
2
1. Volum’ Express the Rocket
Blackest Black $9.99
2. Lady Gaga Fame Black Fluid
$39.00
3. Even Better Makeup SPF 15
$33.00
4. Eye Wonder Vasanti $42.00
3
5. Garnier Body Intensive 7 Days
Soothing Gel-Cream $7.99 (400 mL)
5
6. MAC Glamour Daze Collection
$47.50 ea.
7. Maybelline Vivids $9.99 ea.
4
6
7
SHE CANADA 89
MEETING THE SKINCARE NEEDS OF SOUTH ASIAN
WOMEN EVERYWHERE
By Priya Kumar
South Asian women are renowned for their
beauty consciousness. In fact, major cities such
as Lahore and Mumbai boast a shocking number
of beauty parlours per capita even in the most
impoverished of areas. With the ever-pervasive
demand for beauty maintenance, doesn’t it go without saying
that South Asian skin requires different treatment than what is
already offered by the plethora French and American skincare
lines saturating the beauty industry? Vasanti Cosmetics has
recognized this void in the marketplace, primarily in due part
to the founders’ own experiences with pre-existing products.
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Pinki Gosal, CoFounder and Director of Product Development on creating
Vasanti and the difference it has made for South Asian women
shopping for products that bring out the best in their skin.
Vasanti caters to diverse skin types, thus filling a void in the
industry—how was this need identified and did the brand
come about?
I suppose everything starts when you have a personal need
and can’t find a solution. Being South Asian myself, I was
searching for something to conceal my dark under eye circles
and a foundation to match my complexion. Exhausted by the
search, and not finding the right shade that matched, I knew
I had to create it! Everything was too ashy, too light or even
darker than my skin tone that completely made my skin look
dull and like I was wearing makeup. [Founders Mona Patel
(CEO), Priti Patel (Director of Marketing) and myself] started
working on a few products and slowly built the line to include
all skin tones and now have over 120 different products.
In Vasanti’s early days, how did you initially get the brand off
the ground?
We started with a few products at the beginning and continued
year after year to build the brand. We were patient and worked
to develop a brand that was relevant to the customer at a time
when the industry was oversaturated. We did a lot of research
and surveying of many different women with different skin
tones, ages and races to understand what the consumer was still
looking for and what was important to them in their buying
decisions. They wanted great quality product at reasonable
prices with shades that worked well with their skin tones.
90 SHE CANADA
Launching a cosmetics line isn’t like
opening a boutique or becoming an
apparel designer. Where is Vasanti
created and how did it receive clearance
safety-wise?
We work with a few labs in Canada that
have gone through cosmetic audits for GMP
(Good Manufacturing Practices) and meet all
regulations for developing and manufacturing
cosmetics. We use the finest raw materials
available for our formulations and
work with the leading suppliers
in this area to provide the end
consumer the best quality product.
We also work closely with packaging
suppliers and engineers to enhance the
performance of our products through
application techniques and packaging to
showcase the formula.
How did Vasanti Cosmetics ultimately get
picked up by large retailers such as Shoppers
Drug Mart?
Timing is everything; each retailer was a different
story. One retailer heard about us through word of
mouth and once they saw the line and the quality of the
products they were excited to roll us out. Another saw the
market need and did a test run of our brand in a handful
of stores to see how we would perform. We have been very
fortunate that our products speak for themselves.
Tell me about the difference between South Asian skin and
Caucasian skin.
It’s not so much the difference of ethnicity of the skin but
rather the undertones that the skin has. Skin tone can vary
from yellow, pink to red undertones. Therefore, we have
developed our foundations and concealer to address this
broad spectrum and will match the skin for flawless
coverage, no matter the undertone. We understand that
no matter what ethnicity you are you can fall anywhere
in that spectrum of fair to dark.
What are some useful tips about caring for South Asian skin?
Always ensure you bring out the glow in your skin. An even
complexion gives the appearance of a more youthful glow. You
can do this through your skincare regime and choosing the right
foundation. Make sure you never go too dark on your foundation
products, as this will make your complexion look dull. Always
match the skin tone and work on getting an even coverage all over
that matches your neck.
What are three products you recommend every woman carry in
their purses at all times?
Vasanti Tinted Lip Balm; a favourite of our customers, it is the
perfect lip balm that adds colour and evens your natural lip tone
and hydrates giving the lips a fuller, plumper look. You should also
carry Vasanti Face Base Oil-Free powder foundation for touch-ups,
as it will never look cakey and is the perfect product to brighten
your skin tone. Last but not least, is Mascara. Start the day with one
coat and add a second coat for dramatic lashes that transforms your
look from day to night.
What is the best sort of foundation/concealer to use on acne-prone
skin?
Before applying foundation or concealer, you should start with the
right skincare. Use Vasanti’s Brighten Up! 4 to 5 times a week that
will help with acne-prone skin and over time will reveal brighter
looking skin. Because acne-prone skin can lead to dry skin, you
will want to use an oil-free and hydrating foundation. Our Liquid
Cover Up is a hydrating concealer and foundation-in-one. The
hydrating properties will be great on blemishes that are drying out
and will not accentuate the dry areas but will conceal and create a
veil overtop. Finish off by setting with Vasanti’s Face Base and you
will have even natural coverage.
What colours are hot for dusky skin this Spring?
There is a strong Egyptian inspiration for Spring 2013. The eye
makeup is iridescent Jewel tones, like our Eye Shadow Duos in
Buckingham Palace and Mount Rushmore and Shimmer Powder
in Twilight. Also aqua tones and precious stones with teals are hot
for the eyes like Vasanti’s Lake Louise eye shadow duo and Electric
Ocean shimmer powder. The lips and cheeks are in nudes and
apricot shades like Aruba, Luxembourg, Baltic Lipshine and blush
in Andes and Sun Peached Glow Bronzer. The eyes lined with black
and other jewel tones like rich blue.
What’s currently the best selling Vasanti product?
Vasanti’s EYE WONDER - Triple Action Peptide Eye Cream
that targets under eye dark circles, puffiness and wrinkles. It is a
product that we cannot keep on the shelves because it WORKS!
A close second is the Brighten Up! - Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator
that dramatically improves your skin’s texture to reveal softer,
brighter and younger looking skin! It brightens with powerful
papaya enzymes to give radiance, exfoliates with dermatologist
grade micro-crystals and gently cleanses with aloe vera, coconut
and panthenol [the alcohol analog of vitamin B5]. It is a favourite
among our online bloggers. Last but not least is our Liquid Cover
Up Oil-Free Foundation and Concealer-in-one, which offers
incredible coverage, a feather light finish and radiant glow in a oneof-a-kind liquid foundation. It hydrates and brightens for flawless
looking skin and works on all skin types and tones.
Are there any new products we can look forward to this spring?
We will be launching an incredible eye primer that will extend the
wear of your eye shadow without creasing or fading. Also you can
expect lots of new shades in our tinted lip balm formula. Finally we
will be launching a universal brow wax and powder duo that will
keep your brows perfectly in place and groomed.
Personally, I’m thrilled to see a line of cosmetics that is born and
bred Canadian that caters to South Asian skin. Clearly the success
of Vasanti is testament to the power of South Asian Canadian
needs; by beginning with something as simple as beauty, Vasanti
has identified the niche in the broad spectrum of Canadian ethnic
demographics. Hopefully other industries including fashion,
gastronomy and entertainment will soon follow suit.
SHE CANADA 91
By Jeet Thayil
Penguin Books, 304 Pages
$16.72 at Chapters and Indigo
BOOK REVIEW
Review By Priya Kumar
“Bombay, which obliterated its history by changing its name
and surgically altering its face, is the hero or heroin of this
story.” So begins the journey into Thayil Jeet’s Mumbai—but the
reader must make note of how the word heroin is spelled, as it
foreshadows the demise of each and every character we meet in
Narcopolis’ pages. Set primarily in the 70s and 80s and ending
in 2004, Jeet tells a raw story of the underbelly of India’s most
bustling metropolis through the eyes of an anonymous narrator.
It is through his troubled eyes that we meet a motley crew of
walking contradictions including Rashid, the staunch Muslim
owner of the opium den on Shuklaji Street where the majority of
the story unfolds, Dimple/Zeenat— the at times fragile eunuchcum-prostitute—and Rumi, a hammer wielding sociopath and
perhaps one of the most disturbing characters in the book.
The narrative opens with one sentence that runs on for six
pages—a true feat in itself—but manages to set the tone for the
rest of the book. Each character’s life story reads as though it
is floating out of the pages like smoke from a pipe, ultimately
blending with the ones that came before it, standing in stark
contrast to what one might expect to come out of the city of
dreams, glamour and home of Bollywood. They are sad, poetic
and desperate and display a complete lack of self-control.
Not unlike Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children, Narcopolis
is set to a background of historical events including the ongoing
Hindu/Muslim riots that displace some of the characters while
bringing others closer together. One unforgettable chapter sees
Jamal, Rashid’s 6-year-old son, being stopped by police who hold
him against his will. Seeing Dimple in the distance, he tells them
she is his “ma”—as she is dressed as a Christian at the time—and
they let him go, thus saving his life. It is the first time anyone
in Rashid’s family acknowledges Dimple, who lives on the half
landing between the opium den and family’s apartment.
Another real-life parallel between Midnight’s Children and
Narcopolis is their recognition by the Man Booker Prize jury.
Rushdie won the prize back in the early eighties, while Jeet was
shortlisted with four other finalists this year. Such achievement
is a far cry from Jeet’s real-life inspiration for the desperate
story that chronicles addiction and the destruction of characters
succumbing to ‘chemical’ (or heroin as we know it). According
to London’s The Guardian, Jeet struggled with alcohol and drug
addiction for twenty years of his life and was no stranger to
opium dens like Rashid’s.
92 SHE CANADA
But, just like Rome, Bombay rebuilds itself from the rubble
left behind by these street urchins into Mumbai as we know it.
The story closes with Rashid’s now adult son Jamal at a hot Juhu
nightclub—perhaps Trilogy in the Sea Princess Hotel which
I myself am familiar—with his older fiancé taking part in the
new, ex-pat invaded, word class metropolis. The reader is meant
to see the mirrored change in both the city and narrator by the
end. Even the writing becomes less lucid in flow to the point
that it feels like a completely different book altogether. Mumbai
went from an imperial port, to the desolate, crime riddled pile
of rubble that serves as the backdrop for the introduction of the
ensemble of characters to the shiny, dynamic and wealthy city
it is today. The story ends exactly as it begins: with the word
“Bombay.”
As a Muslim, I have abstained from drinking
alcohol my entire life. I still find it challenging
at times, to be sober and living among a very
ethnically diverse group of friends in Toronto
(all of my friends drink). I want to be social but
the peer pressure and certain social situations
can be hard to handle at times. Should I stop
hanging around people that drink or is it
normal to have an occasional drink to be
social?
Sober in the City
Dear Sober,
Growing up can be tough, especially in a
world where peer acceptance is everything.
Believe it or not, I have Western friends who
choose to abstain from alcohol, as well. Some
of them say it’s to keep themselves focused
on their careers while others claim it’s to be
as healthy as they can be. In fact, here at SHE
we recently interviewed an A-list Hollywood
celebrity who hasn’t had a drink in over a year.
Why? Simply because with the speed life is
moving at these days, why get bogged down
by something that’s all in your head to begin
with? To answer your question, you should
do neither. Unless your friends make you feel
downright uncomfortable with the amount of
alcohol they are consuming, there is no reason
you should feel out of place. Replace that fancy
Cosmopolitan with its virgin equivalent, or
better yet, energy drinks come in every colour
of the rainbow! There’s no need for anyone to
question what’s in your glass. You definitely
need not feel the pressure to drink once in a
while to be social. The fact that you abstain
from alcohol for religious and cultural reasons
is a part of who you are—it’s a display of strong
will and character. For that, we applaud you!
Perhaps the problem isn’t alcohol at all. As
you get older, bars and clubs just become
less exciting than they were when we were in
university. You might want to try trading the
club for other in-depth cultural experiences
like an art gallery opening or quaint bistros
that specialize in anything but alcohol (bubble
tea and dessert come to mind). Regardless
of what you decide, know that standing up
for who you are is important when you’re in
your early twenties—you will never regret
not trying alcohol under the pressure of your
peers, but you will certainly regret forsaking
your values simply to fit in with the crowd.
Help! I haven’t been out of school for that long
and I am still looking to find a permanent
full-time job. I am working but its to gain
work experience, therefore I am on a major
budget. The problem is, I’m having a hard
time budgeting for what is important versus
what is fun. I have a few weddings coming up,
for which I need to buy new outfits, jewellery,
and shoes. Plus, I want to be able to go out on
the weekends and that requires spending on
food, drinks, parking and your outfit for the
evening. I don’t want to become one of those
people who can’t go out or do anything fun
because money is tight. How do can I balance
going out with being frugal?
99 Problems but a bad boss ain’t one
Dear 99 Problems,
This is a tough one. Firstly, I applaud your
effort to gain work experience in the field of
your choice. It’s a competitive world out there
and expecting a plum, well-paid job straight
out of school with almost no experience is
unrealistic. Here at SHE we have many young
ladies in your position. For this reason, we
only require Interns to come into the office two
days a week. The idea behind this part-time
work is to allow for enough time to work parttime in retail, food service or other projects
that pay (at least some of) the bills. Look for
work experience like this that is flexible. This
brings us to the pricey costs of weddings—I
don’t know about you, but for some reason
my friends love to get married in other cities
and countries. This means that not only do I
have to deal with the prohibitive costs of a new
wardrobe and gift for the bride and groom,
but there is also the hefty price tag on getting
there to consider. In order to budget all of this
in (even WITH a full time job), I’m forced
to recycle my wedding outfits. In a world of
Facebook, this is not ideal. I understand that.
But if you have several outfits ready to go for
different functions and plan a little ahead to
make sure no one you know would have seen
a particular piece (in person, that is), you’ll
be okay. And I can assure you one thing; no
one will be looking at you anyways! It’s all
about the bride—which is a good thing in
this case. In regards to going out, here is my
recommendation: Do things that cost less
unless it’s a really special occasion. Staying
home with friends and watching movies or
playing board games come to mind. Going out
to eat definitely adds up and isn’t always worth
the cost, so as long as you can budget what it
is you’re able to spend I promise making the
decision to go out or stay home will be much
easier in the future.
Okay, so I’m in my late twenties and most of
my friends are either married, engaged or in
a relationship. I am one of the few single ones
in the group. This doesn’t particularly bother
me, except for when it comes to planning trips
together. My friends want to go away on a fun
trip, but it has turned into more of a “couples”
thing, which at this point is obviously not my
scene. I’m worried about backing out because
it’s not like me to miss out on any chance to
get away. How do I tell my friends that I would
rather not go in a way that doesn’t make them
pity me or make me sound childish?
Single in the City
Dear Single,
I completely understand your apprehension
about being viewed as the eternal Carrie
Bradshaw, but without making light of your
feelings, I truly believe you by all means
should go on this trip! Sure your friends are
in relationships, but that’s not going to prevent
you from potentially meeting the love of your
life on vacation. I’ll tell you what will prevent
the chance of this happening—staying home
in cold, snowy Canada by yourself! I have
several single girlfriends who enjoy the thrill
of possibility so much, they travel to remote
destinations of the world by themselves just
for the adventure of it all. This is not what
I’m suggesting you do—instead, you have
an entourage of friends with you to prevent
loneliness, so you’re already bound to have
a decent time. While I cannot expect you
to listen to my advice, I will also answer the
question at hand. Vacations are not cheap. In
fact, many people have a savings account just
for travel due to the insane expenses that can
be incurred from flight ticket taxes alone. By
telling your friends that you simply cannot
afford to get away this year, in this economy,
nobody will blink an eye at your backing out.
That way, you’ll have more money to spend on
your single life at home. Sound like I’m being
patronizing? Well I am. Go on the trip. You
have nothing to lose but your single-dom.
Email us your Brown Girl Problems to
[email protected]
SHE CANADA 93
“QUOTE/UNQUOTE”
On Love
“A love story is not about those
who lost their heart but about those
who find that sullen inhabitant who,
when it is stumbled upon, means
the body can fool no one, can fool
nothing—not the wisdom of sleep
or the habit of social graces. It is a
consuming of oneself and the past.”
“Love is the strongest force the
world possesses and yet it is the
humblest imaginable.”
MICHAEL ONDAATJE,
THE ENGLISH PATIENT
MAHATMA GANDHI
“I’m selfish, impatient and a little
insecure. I make mistakes, I am
out of control and at times hard to
handle. But if you can’t handle me
at my worst, then you sure as hell
don’t deserve me at my best.”
MARILYN MONROE
“You know you’re in love when you
can’t fall asleep because reality is
finally better than your dreams.”
DR. SEUSS
94 SHE CANADA
“Love never dies a natural death.
It dies because we don’t know how
to replenish its source. It dies of
blindness and errors and betrayals.
It dies of illness and wounds; it
dies of weariness, of witherings, of
tarnishings.”
ANAÏS NIN
SHE CANADA 95
96 SHE CANADA