1. Luxurious Velvet

Velvet curtains bring a sense of luxury and elegance. Known for their plush texture and rich appearance, velvet is perfect if you’re looking to add sophistication to a room. They not only provide excellent insulation but also block out light, making them ideal for bedrooms, home theaters, or any space where you want a cozy, private atmosphere.

Best for: Bedrooms, formal living rooms, and home theaters.

2. Airy Sheer

Sheer curtains offer a light, breezy aesthetic that lets natural light filter through. These curtains are made from translucent fabrics like chiffon or voile, creating a delicate and ethereal look. Sheers are perfect for rooms where you want to maintain privacy while still enjoying sunlight, such as living rooms, dining areas, or sunrooms.

Best for: Living rooms, dining rooms, and sunrooms.

3. Classic Cotton

Cotton is one of the most versatile curtain fabrics, known for its breathable and lightweight properties. Cotton curtains come in a wide variety of patterns and colors, making them easy to fit into any design scheme. They’re also low-maintenance and can be machine washed, which makes them practical for high-traffic areas in your home.

Best for: Bedrooms, kitchens, and casual living spaces.

4. Elegant Silk

For a luxurious and glamorous touch, silk curtains are the go-to fabric. Silk adds a glossy finish and drapes beautifully, exuding elegance and grandeur. However, they require extra care and are better suited for formal spaces. Silk curtains are often lined to protect them from sun damage and to provide additional body and privacy.

Best for: Formal dining rooms, master bedrooms, and sitting rooms.

5. Versatile Linen

Linen curtains offer a natural, textured look that blends well with both contemporary and rustic designs. Linen is a durable fabric that allows light to softly filter through, and it also has excellent temperature-regulating properties. It’s perfect for creating a relaxed and inviting atmosphere in any room.

Best for: Living rooms, bedrooms, and spaces with lots of sunlight.

6. Durable Polyester

If you’re looking for an affordable, low-maintenance option, polyester curtains are a great choice. They are resistant to wrinkling, shrinking, and stretching, making them a durable option for everyday use. Polyester curtains are available in a wide range of styles, colors, and patterns, giving you plenty of choices to suit your home’s décor.

Best for: High-traffic areas like living rooms, guest rooms, and children’s bedrooms.

7. Chic Satin

Satin curtains are known for their smooth, glossy surface, which reflects light and adds a subtle sheen to any room. They are often used in contemporary and modern designs to bring a sense of refinement and class. Satin works well for rooms that require a touch of glamour without being as heavy as velvet or silk.

Best for: Bedrooms, formal spaces, and accent rooms.

Choosing the right curtain fabric can have a significant impact on your home’s overall design. Whether you prefer the lushness of velvet or the breezy nature of sheer fabrics, the right curtains can create the perfect balance between style and function in your space. Consider the mood you want to create and the practical needs of each room to select the best fabric for your home.

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We have all seen jewellery ads with ladies flaunting the necklaces and bangles, giggling, happy and such an such. This ad is different. Bhima a portrays the journey of a transwomen from her childhood to adulthood. It’s pictured beautifully, just like a movie, with utmost care. The transformation of an unshaven young man to a confident woman with the support and care of her parents will surely tear you up.

The father gifting her with anklets to the final scene of her in the bridal attire is heartwarming. There is no anger, frustrations or melodrama shown, it normalizes something that the society is yet to take in wholeheartedly and the caption strikes, “Pure as Love”.

The best part of the advertisement? A transwoman, Meera Singhania is the protagonist, which just makes the representation better.

Well the ad is ‘pure gold’, check it out!

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In 2017 some brands inadvertently landed themselves in controversies because of cheeky puns, risky taglines, and ‘insensitive’ use of gods and religion in ads. Let’s have a look at the ads that faced the heat in 2017.

Manforce Condoms

Manforce Condoms was forced to withdraw nearly 500 hoardings in Gujarat after protests broke out earlier this year. Sunny Leone’s condom ad for Manforce that tried to piggyback on the Navratri festivities faced severe outrage in Gujarat this year. The people of Gujarat took offense to the hoarding that portrays Sunny Leone seductively holding dandiya sticks.

Image source: pepnewz

Zomato

The recent outdoor ad campaign by online food ordering and delivery app Zomato faced a lot of controversies. Critics of the ad felt that one of the creatives of the campaign glorified desi expletives as it mentioned words like MC (mac n’ cheese) BC (butter chicken) in an attempt to connect with the brand’s core target audience – the millennials. Though the ad had to be pulled down, the advertisement got maximum exposure among the target audience.

Image source: thequint

Jawed Habib

Hairstylist Jawed Habib came under fire for hurting religious sentiments of the Hindus when he used the context of Durga Puja to promote his salon’s services. The ad suggested that even the gods visit Jawed Habib’s salon. The backlash was such that Jawed Habib had to apologize for the issue.

Image source: republicworld

Meat and Livestock Australia

Though not an Indian ad, reference to Hindu God, Ganesha didn’t go that well for Indians. The ad showed Ganesha, sitting at a table for a meal accompanied by Jesus, Moses, Zeus, Mohammed, Aphrodite, and even L Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.The Indian High Commission in Canberra took notice and registered a complaint with the Australian government over the ad. The ad was banned as it was found to be “discriminatory to those of Hindu faith” by an independent review by the Australian Advertising Review Board.

Image source: abc.net

So these are the advertisements that faced controversies in 2017. Do let us know in the comments if we have missed out on any.

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A country with a population of 1.3 billion people called a ban on condom advertisements on Monday. The government  has strictly asked the Television channels to not telecast condom advertisements between 10 p.m to 6 a.m as it can evoke ‘unhealthy practices’ in children. It is pretty odd for a country like India, which is the second most populated country in the world to go for a ban like this.

The steamy ad featuring a former porn star led to a lot of objections from the conservative parties. There are so many other advertisements which needs to be banned instead, like advertisements that objectify women as sexual objects and degrade women in the society. Research says India will pass China to become the world’s most populous country in the next 10 years.  Our government has spent a lot of money on spreading awareness, but still the usage of condoms are very less in our country.

Soon after the ban was announced, Social Media slammed it with hilarious tweets and comments

1.

No condom ad on TV from 6am to 10pm because kids watch TV at that time

If your kid watches so much TV maybe you needed that condom in the 1st place

— Atul Khatri (@one_by_two) December 12, 2017

2.

If Condoms were not being treated as taboo for so many years, we would not have suffered the population blast issue. The way problems are being approached in India these days is really saddening.

— Rahul Raj (@bhak_sala) December 12, 2017

3.

No condom ads on Indian TV from 6am-10pm because why learn about birth control or protected sex when you can have Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, HPV, Herpes, HIV, an abortion or an unwanted baby?

— Priya Sometimes (@PriyaSometimes) December 12, 2017

It did not end there, this was another funny post that I came across.

 

#durex has their priorities right. Wait, is it okay to post this before 10pm? #madovermarketing #virushka #anushkasharma #viratkohli

A post shared by Mad Over Marketing (M.O.M) (@madovermarketing_mom) on Dec 12, 2017 at 8:38pm PST

On the other hand, we also had people who supported the ban.  “This is India and it has its own culture, and anything related to sex is generally not publicly discussed,” said Bal Krishna Bhartia, the president of the Confederation of All India Traders, a business association that started complaining about condom commercials a few months ago.

After all these endless debates, everybody has one question – Will the ban really stop the promotion of ‘indecent acts’ and  forbid kids from doing ‘unhealthy practices’?

Do let us know about your thoughts on the condom ban in the comment section.

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Led by N. Syamaprakash, Syama Dyanamic (SD) Group of Companies has already tasted success in different businesses. At GLAM, customers can choose from the six luxury Kéraskin Rituals, ranging from anti-ageing and glow to hydration-nutrition. Each Ritual has an exclusive massage to enhance the beauty of the skin. The dedicated team of experts at the GLAM seeks to provide luxury and professional services which promise customers a unique experience.

Kerastase

With a unique approach to hair care, one that demonstrates both a passion for beauty and commitment to wellbeing, Kerastase, is the world’s leading exclusive luxury hair care treatment line. This high-end brand promises to transform hair with immediate and visible results, with the latest innovations from L’Oreal Advanced Research, with tailor-made treatments for every hair and scalp need, personalized hair and scalp diagnosis by trained stylists and comprehensive professional service to provide customers with the ultimate salon experience.

Keraskin

Keraskin Esthetics owns the secret of the ultimate transformation for skin. The first professional skincare brand designed for and by beauty therapists, it is exclusively found in Keraskin Esthetics certified beauty institutes and spas. Every ritual starts with the face-to-face diagnosis with a certified therapist. This allows the unique character of the skin to be defined in order to create made-to-measure treatment.

Specialties of GLAM

Spread across 4500 square feet

Headed by L’Oreal certified trainer

This unisex luxury salon is a one-stop destination for the whole family

Exclusive hair care and skin care rituals, body massages and expert make-up artistry.

The Group hopes to indulge Kochiites in the ultimate experience of luxury and wellness.

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With a promise of a collection that’s exclusive and elegant, the availability of the classy Pakistani dress materials here form the USP of Fariyaad’s collection. Opened up with a motto of filling the lacunae prevailing in the southern fashion industry.

With an audacious intent to break the stereotypical fashion lines that are being followed from long and attempt to take people out of the fashion cocoon they have locked themselves in to. These fashion consultants at Fariyaad are always at help with its bit of tricks to find a cure for fashion phobia.

Having loved to see people beautifully dressed these fashion consultants are the perfect one’s to approach if you are muddled with fashion queries. “Fashion is all about yourselves it’s not about what other’s feel about what you wear” says Reshma and Famita Traditional traces preserved to the best in every piece of jewellery, footwear’s, clutch purses and accessories one is sure to feel, learn and permeate through the different ways of infusing fashion and tradition.

Fashion as fariyaad defines is much more than merely looking good. The essence lies in knowing how to mix and match and carrying it off in a way that your attire speaks about you.

Following common passions for fashion Reshma Mather and her co partner Famita Abdul Latheef conglomerated brought up the whole idea of Fariyaad bloomed. The showroom displays some of the fine textile materials that have not gained much attention only as a result of peoples run behind the rat race of stereotypical pre defined notions of fashion.

Fabric materials like Linen, Chanderi, Silk, Crepe, Georgette and Muslin there’s a little bit of all of these at the boutique. The whole ambiance that one gets to experience as you step in the boutique is totally unique. With carpets clad and draped in jute and walls holding props once upon a time famous fashion props like gramophone discs, antiques telephone, camera mirror there’s a lot to look and go amused. The whole rustic look totally is a didactic way of showing how not to loosen your wallet on interior designing and still keep a space equally vibrant and classy.

Hoping to style Fashion icons like Mamta Mohandas, Padmapriya Reshma and Fathima are all excited to launch their boutique with unveiling of their bridal collection’s. Surviving in the brand conscious cochin is not tough and competition is not what we are looking for say Reshma and Famita but surviving with a healthy competition bringing to limelight our USP’s is the aim.

No: 269, First Floor,
11th Crossroad, Panampilly Nagar,
Kochi-682 036.
Ph: 0484-4033338

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Both Lata Madhu and Priya Vasudevan have had no experience in retail or fashion. Ms.Lata Madhu however believes that her contribution to this is to spot the creative design and add the final finish to it. To check in for that designer who thought out of the box and be permeable through those cases and spot the person who comes up with the stunning line’.

‘When asked about how the idea of collage spurred up in Priya’s mind she revealed her passion for good clothes & accessories. Traveling, going to interesting stores and checking out styles have contributed immensely to what was needed and what was not for Collage’ says Priya. Bringing in multitude of designs, allowing the client to indulge and linger on is what collages forte is. Apart from this space forms yet another huge challenging factor. Garments can be best enjoyed if they are allotted, racked and displayed  beautifully.

Collage was conceptualized as a meeting place of color, design, texture, craft and ideas. Choosing names and brands that stand forth and at the same time stand apart in style with finish is what’s collage’s forte. Collage is a venture that works with a host of designers across the country. It offers options like Western, Indian and fusion wear, that are picked from fashion weeks that are held each season.

Collage lets its clients experience a sense of quiet classy designs and also embrace the edgy and quirky designs available. Cochin can definitely look forth for some of our best and well known designers like Rajesh Pratap, Priyadarshini Rao, Rahul Mishra, Virtues, Payal Pratap and many more.

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Katrina Kaif replacing Aishwarya Rai as the brand ambassador of Nakshatra might have created a lot of conundrum. Amrita Rao, Anushka Shrma, Vikram, Mohanlal, Shreya Goshal, Jayaram… mostly all celebrities are in their run to endorse different jewelers. But does anyone remember which actor endorses which jeweler and which jingle is the background score for which ad? Kalyan jewelers came up with an advertisement concept hitherto unused by the Indian jewelers. The advertisement was aired for about a year from August 2009, but it still seems to be the hot pick.

The television commercial showed the relationship of a father and a daughter. The girl elopes from her house to be with her boyfriend. She leaves a message to her parents. On her way, she remembers the love and care her father had showered on her. She realizes the mistake she is about to commit and returns back home to the forgiving hands of her father. The voice-over tells us ‘Vishwasam, Athalle Ellam’ (Trust is everything or isn’t trust everything?) and then the logo of Kalyan Jewellers appears.

It is at the end of the ad, after 1 minute and 11 seconds that you realize what product is being advertised. This advertisement stands out for this reason. The underlying message is simple. Longer relationships which have stood the test of time are more important than short ones. Or, come to our jewellery which has been around for quite some time and not the new ones which have popped up during the recent years. Even if you have a moment’s flippancy you will realize and return to us. Trust, being the only word spoken with gold in all the references, for Kalyan Jewellers, this advertisement was a turning point. It propelled them from common place jewellery to one which people attach the word trust with. Nethra PUSH advertisers, Palakkad are the makers of the ad.

“The ad was an instant hit. Our target audience was the parents. Always it is the parents who make a decision on buying gold. Parents could relate to the ad and it created a mass turnout”, Says Ramesh Kalyanaraman, MD of Kalyan.

All the actors in the campaign are not professionals. To remedy any shortcomings this might have caused, the voice of the father was dubbed by actor Saikumar. His voice modulation perfectly echoed the sentiments a parent who is about to lose his daughter. The Tamil, Telugu and Kannada versions of the ad had Prabhu, Nagarjuna and Shivraj Kumar as the father figures. The incident happens during a temple festival. There is a slight change in the end too. It ends with the father figure telling the girl he is ready to give blessings for her marriage with the boy. 

“We wanted to come up with something simple and catchy. A girl eloping to be with her boy friend is something every parent would eagerly watch. Of course it triggered a debate whether we were against love marriages. Many suggested that the ad could have ended with the parents giving the girl and the boy approval to get married, ending it on a positive note. We did it intentionally. Malayalees like it simple without drama. But our campaigns in Tamil, Kannada and Telugu ended differently with the father telling the girl to bring the boy home. The entire set was much flamboyant than the simple set for the Malayalam commercial. Ultimately, what matters is the brand image we create.” Ramesh points out.

“The response to the ad was overwhelming. Our ever increasing customer base started identifying us with the ad and the tag line. The advertisement served the purpose and now over tag line is taken up by media, celebrities and common people alike. Recently Mammootty was heard saying “Vishwasam athalle ellam” in a movie. Mohanlal used the tag line in a press conference. Be it any issue, Mullaperiyar dam or a case in the court, the most commonly used headline and comment is our tagline”, proudly says Ramesh.  

Quite surprisingly people started requesting a sequel to this ad. To cater to their demands, Kalyan came up with ads talking about long term relationships. The second one, that of an old couple talking about the years they have been together. The third, yet again talked about a father-daughter relationship. It is about a father who forgets to get the promised doll for his daughter. Late night, when he nears his house he realizes that he forgot and gets the owner of a shop to open it late night. In the end the girl is happily running towards her father to get her doll. Like any other sequel, the ones followed couldn’t make an impact as the first one. This doesn’t seem to stop Kalyan from coming up with the sequels. If the customers demand, they are ready to come up with more of the same theme.

After all everything is about trust.

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The great French writer Stendhal said “Only great minds can afford a simple style”. Personally I feel the same that style should speak for itself. Less is more.

Karma

Each dress is a designer’s interpretation. The Karma of designing requires a lot of imagination and effort. The value that a user gets from a designer’s clothes is far more than any regular clothing could provide. Mine or any designer’s dress will not go out of style for at least five years. A lot of detailing goes into the making of a designer statement. Every designer ensures the quality without compromising on anything. The yarn for stitching, the button used, everything needs to be perfect and should stand the test of time. An example is the white bead I import from Japan for embroidery purposes. It costs about rupees sixty for one bead while a packet of locally available beads cost only rupees ten. The local ones fade in the due course whereas the imported ones last for decades. A dress is a designer’s language to express beauty. The designer understands the requirements and his designs perfectly match the client’s personality and the occasion. A designer’s signature style is all about making the client unique among his/her peers. Buying designer clothes used to be considered an unwanted luxury. But it is changing slowly.

Mother Earth

I draw energy from nature. Earthy colours, mainly black, white, beige, brown etc are the ones I love to work with. Natural materials like Silk, Cotton, Linen etc. are used mostly. I use synthetic materials only when I can’t replace them. Dresses should be classy and have clean lines. Every dress should have an international appeal. A person should be able to fly to Milan or Amsterdam wearing the same clothes he/she wears at Delhi or Chennai. The world is shrinking. One should wear clothes that are recognized worldwide.

Escapism

Dress should enhance a person and not subdue a person’s beauty. Today’s intelligent, independent brides feel that their wedding dress should be simple and elegant unlike the flamboyant display of colors and loud embellishments that we are used to. When Kerala Kasavu is infused into a Georgette Saree, it is subtle, has a cosmopolitan look and is a great bridal wear. It doesn’t divert the attention from the bride’s personality. My boutique is also designed with this concept in mind. Glada has black walls and ceiling. It gives a feeling of infinite space. The attention is all drawn to the dresses and not on to the walls.

Alphabets

When crossover between art and fashion takes place, something beyond all these is born. A designer gets to experiment and an artist gets to create something outside the canvas. I met an amazing cartoonist and illustrator from New York, Patti Stern and was bowled over by her creativity; then started a strange collaboration of dresses and cartoons. I used her cartoons and illustrations and what evolved was a whole collection of clothes from sarees, lingerie, shirts and trousers. Many of the prints have word bubbles depicting love and anger.

Images

Indian fashion is still in its infancy and we have a long way to go. We are inspired by European fashion and most Indian designers create a fusion of clothes by mixing the best elements in each of them. Kerala amazes visitors with her sense of fashion. Kochi hosted an international fashion week recently and many more are in the pipeline. But when it comes to using her own strengths, Kerala lags behind. The traditional crafts like Kasavu making and embroidery are in the verge of extinction and needs to be revived. The Engineer- Doctor syndrome kills the birth of a great many artists and designers. Youngsters need to be encouraged to enter the world of fashion. JD Institute setting up a fashion school in Kochi is promising. More than any kind of education, it is the imagination and sheer honesty in expression that will mould a person into great designer. The patience to learn, the willingness to accept; all of it is imperative. My search for a protégé still continues.

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1: No sex idea from idea

Say it differently. Say it memorably. This is the essence of copywriting in advertisement… Even years ago Idea mobile used to come up with thought provoking advertisements. Idea tend to include public interest topics like deforestation, public education et al. with a twist and those information heavy ad campaigns did catch a lot of attention.

The latest from Idea is on an alternative population control method. They reason out that the population increases due to the lack of good entertainment.  Due to absence of power and no TV, people indulge more into conjugal entertainment, leading to extension of family. What to do Sirji ?? Yeah baby, Now Idea comes with 3G…from now on no sex for you…your partner is engaged in world cup, video gaming, video chatting and what not…   This ad leaves a message that there will be ‘No Aabaadi, No Barbaadi’ because people will be ‘3G pe Busy’.

2: Stain is good if it is for good

While most detergent ads still talk about spotlessly clean clothes Surf excel offers a different take on Stains. It sparks the thought that dirt could actually be good if it is for good. Six years ago the detergent king started the campaign with an ad that shows two children on their way to school. The girl falls into a puddle, dirtying herself and starts howling. The brother dives into the puddle, wrestle with it threatening it to apologise. He emerges a while later all muddy and stained, proudly declaring, “Sorry bola (The puddle said it was sorry).” The girl smiles.

The new ad in the series has a child impersonating a dog’s behavior in an endearing way to cheer his grieving teacher who lost her dog. Surf Excel aims to portray stains as something that needs to be battled with valiantly. Their campaigns tell consumers to celebrate stains, as it isn’t difficult to get rid of them. With Surf Excel, stains come and go. So be yourself. Be free to do whatever you want to do.

3: No meaning in hanging …Drink Complan

Complan the COMplete and PLANned food has been part of every kid’s diet. With its 23 vital nutrients it helped or at least made us believe that it helped in a kids growth. When Shahid kapoor and Ayesha Takia as kids said I’m a Complan boy and girl, we loved it. Then came the height attaining concept. The advertisement claims the drink can add two inches to a child’s height. The latest in this series is the Ramu Somu Raja ad. It shows two kids Ramu and Somu who can pluck mango, ring the bell and can throw the ball into the basket too. The tiny Raja in his futile effort to gain height does hanging exercises. The ad ends with the taller boys advising Raja to get his mother buy him Complan. The dvertiser clearly knows the target group is the kids as well as their mothers. Noticeably all humiliations take place in front of their mothers.

The author is an industry expert and founder of Big Tree Advertising Company.        

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