Life & Style

In the pop-culture directory of design-inspired collaborations between food and fashion, chips hold a special place. Replete with several references, from Pringles to Ruffles, this zone seems have flourished with the sneaker cult — let’s jog our memory to The Ruffles Ridge Tops, Pringles X Crocs and the recent END. and Adidas’s The BW Army Chip Shop. The trend has a taker from India too.

 Ranbir Kapoor poses with Lay’s Magic Masala and the pair of shoe inspired by it
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor’s brand, ARKS, has teamed up with Pepsico’s Lay’s for a limited-edition sneaker collection. Available in four shades inspired by the corresponding flavours of Lay’s — Magic Masala, Spanish Tomato Tango, West Indies Hot & Sweet Chilli and American Style Cream & Onion — this drop features blue, red, orange and neon green on the shoe’s sole and lace.

ARKS sneakers inspired by Lay’s American Style Cream & Onion feature neon green on the shoe’s sole and lace
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Abhinav Verma, co-founder and CEO of ARKS, shares, “So, the brand’s first drop of sneakers was in black and white. It came in two variants, mid top and low top, and was launched along with the brand on February 14 this year. We wanted to add a pop of colour to these sneakers and the iconic shades of Lay’s seem to be the perfect fit.”

ARKS sneakers inspired by Lay’s Spanish Tomato Tango have the colour red on the shoe’s sole and lace
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Interestingly, Ranbir is one of the brand ambassadors of Lay’s in India. The collaboration, according to Abhinav, was a natural progression of the actor’s already-existing affinity with the brand. He says, “Ranbir suggested the team to collaborate on this idea. And that’s how it started curating the edit about two-and-a-half months ago; early June.”

ARKS sneakers inspired by Lay’s West Indies Hot & Sweet Chilli come with a dash of orange on the shoe’s sole and lace
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

The pairs, limited to 3,000 (750 for each of the shades), are made with OrthoLite insole built at 0.13 density with 25 Asker C softness, informs Abhinav. This combination makes the insole lightweight while offering step-in comfort and delivers balance of cushioning and breathability — perfect for lifestyle sneakers designed to be worn all day, he adds. “The outer shell of the shoe is made with 100% mill leather. We’ve also got matching laces and the shoe comes with two options of laces, a white one and a coloured one, because sneakerheads like to play around with sneakers.”

ARKS sneakers inspired by Lay’s Magic Masala come with a pop of blue on the shoe’s sole and lace
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

The collection is manufactured and packed by Purti International, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, and marketed and distributed by Mara Lifestyle Private Limited, Mumbai. To make most of its products, states Abhinav, ARKS opts for contract manufacturing. “So, the there are different factories for different components and it’s all coming together at an assembly line,” he informs.

Ranbir Kapoor poses with Lay’s Spanish Tomato Tango and the pair of shoe inspired by it
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

This is not the first time Lay’s is collaborating with a fashion brand. The US-based company had earlier paired with Spanish label Balenciaga for a handbag which debuted at the Paris Fashion Week in 2022. The brand has been cashing in on cultural currency and even though it does not have any financial stake in its collaboration with ARKS, the creative alliance does push the dialogue on how snacking trends interact with fashion. As Saumya Rathor, marketing director, Lay’s, PepsiCo India, quotes one of her team members: “It is about chips, but it’s also about cool drips.”

A pair of sneakers from ARKS x Lay’s limited-edition capsule is priced at ₹6,999 and is available on arks.club

The first books to catch my eye in the newly-opened Mehrab Book Shop are Blaft Publications’ Tamil Pulp Fiction series. Having seen these at a few book fairs but seldom in a store, their presence on the bookshelf hints at what one can expect from the month-old bookstore. The store boasts a certain quaintness, the green wrought iron gates and the staircase that leads to the space adds to the charm.

The smell of fresh paint welcomes one into the store, which opened in June, on Kaloor-Kathrikadavu road, adjacent to the Seaking Restaurant. A shady tree hides the store front of the first floor store, you can even see the green canopy from the store. Unlike the other, crammed bookstores in the city, Mehrab is spacious and the books are arranged in shelves on either side of naturally well-lit rectangular space.

It is not crammed with books, yet. And it feels like this is Bilal Javeed, the founder’s dream space where a lot of thought has gone into creating it — concept to realisation. Care has gone not only towards building it but also populating it with books that resonate with him. The collection of books, he says, has been curated especially for Kerala. Therefore they have independent publishers from not just India but also abroad.

Bilal Javeed, flanked by Eswari on his right and Misbah, the bookshop assistant, on his left
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Therefore, while you may not find mainstream publishers for this IS a space of independent publishers and works of artists, you will find books by Blaft Publications, Tara Books, Little Latitude, Seagull Books, Reliable Copy, Navyana Books, Writers’s Workshop Granta Books besides other national and international publishers. 

Intentional curation

The titles have been so put together that they are an eclectic mix of genres, for adults and children too. Most are guaranteed to provoke thought, and can even serve as ‘starter books’ in creating awareness about the world we live in. For instance Navayana Books is an anti-caste publishing house like Blaft, you can pick books that educate on politics and society too. 

Rather than limit the curation to a type, the book store offers an exploration across genres. The curation was the work of two months for Bilal and the bookshop manager, Eswari Krishnadas, as they identified and studied various publishers and their titles even while being on the lookout for new publishers and titles.  

Bilal says Mehrab is the fruition of a dream (every bibliophile’s fantasy) — of having a bookshop. “The bookshop was something I wanted to do along with a cafe but I realised I could not pull off a cafe in that space. I, however, wanted to have the bookshop either way. I wanted to build not just a book store but a community space as well,”  he explains.

He brings with him the experience of working with an independent publishing house, which publishes artists’ books. Mehrab sounds poetic, “it is an old family house and I really like the name, which is why I chose it. The original meaning comes from the word Mihrab, which meant an important room in a house. However over time it was used by Islamic architecture to depict the niche on a wall of a religious building, which indicates the direction of prayer,” Bilal explains. 

In the past couple of months of its existence, Mehrab Book Shop is slowly carving a space for itself in the city’s cultural sphere with its artists’ workshops, film screenings and other showcases as well. 

The store is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 11am-7pm.

One doesn’t have to wait for summer to eat some chakka puzhukku (a spiced raw jackfruit mash), or jackfruit biryani for that matter. Baruma Food Court at Nucleus Mall offers three jackfruit dishes, including the ever-so-popular kumbilappam (a jackfruit dumpling) even during off-season. 

The idea is to promote jackfruit and its health benefits, says Anjana Sreedharan, who handles Baruma. An initiative of the Mithrakulam Trust, a Kerala-based non-governmental organisation that works towards empowering marginalised communities through sustainable initiatives and support systems, Baruma aims at providing balanced nutritious meals. 

While traditionally, raw jackfruit is part of a Malayali’s diet, often eaten as stir fries and the seeds used to make curries, it is not always found in a restaurant setting. “Raw jackfruit has innumerable health benefits, and we are attempting to promote a local fruit in the best way possible,” adds Anjana.

While chakka puzhukku is old world, but much loved, chakka biryani is a relatively new experimental dish, which has takers. The kumbilappam is a sweet addition, a traditional ‘4’O Clock’ snack made of rice and a jackfruit-jaggery pulp steamed in a bay leaf. 

Kumbilappam
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangment

The raw jackfruit used at Baruma is preserved using a technique called blasting (a method of reducing temperature of food below freezing point) in order to preserve its quality. “It is frozen at -18 degrees Celsius, which ensures that every cell of the fruit is frozen. This is how the fruit remains fresh,” adds Anjana. 

Opened seven months ago, Baruma boasts a menu that does not include dishes which contain refined flour, sugar and salt. Brown sugar and pink salt are used instead. The atta used for the breads is made from sprouted wheat. “We are also constantly experimenting with ingredients to come up with natural and healthy versions of foods. Protein powder, for instance. We are trying a protein smoothie made of jackfruit seeds.” One can buy a healthy lunch for ₹80 here. “Everything here is prepared fresh,” adds Anjana.

For queries, call 8714198430.

Rejani Vivek pulls out an embroidered Rani pink blouse from underneath a colourful assortment of tailored blouses at her boutique in Panampilly Nagar. “This can elevate even the simplest of saris,” she says, pointing to the filigree on the blouse. Her Padmanidhi Blouse Boutique is a passion project, says Rejani. “Every piece here has a bit of my soul in it,” she says. “Even the wallpaper!” 

The squarish room, with walls dressed in a vintage floral wallpaper, has rows of tailored blouses and a friendly vibe to it. 

A fashion designer, Rejani always held a special fascination for pattern making. Even as a school student in Pala, she would buy fabric on her way to the entrance coaching centre, bring it back home and try to stitch garments on her tailoring machine. “Everyone in my family was academically inclined and there I was, dreaming about fabric and patterns,” she says laughingly. “My father, however, was very supportive and I ended up learning fashion designing.”

An embroidered blouse at Padmanidhi
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Rejani went on to do her post graduation in fashion designing in Bengaluru. Settled in Kochi since 2008, Rejani started designing for advertisements and for celebrities. After Covid-19, she launched her own label, Padmanidhi. “I love making blouses and I find myself thinking about designs all the time. I am brimming with ideas. And I decided to dedicate my boutique exclusively to blouses,” she says, adding that the idea is to elevate sari blouses to designer level. 

Though brides form a large part of a clientele, her designs are for everyone, irrespective of age and sensibilities. From corsets, to crop tops, lace-trimmed, bell-sleeved, sleeveless, collared and more, the designs are a mix of the modern and the traditional. From plain cotton to dressy materials, her repertoire is varied. 

The store has a collection of ready-to-wear blouses, but customisations are done as well. “I have a lot of clients who first get a blouse from here and then go about finding a sari to match,” she says. Personal styling is her passion. “It is not about telling people what to wear. It is about helping them discover their own style!”

Rejani says immerses herself in work. “I am involved every step of the way – right from designing and cutting the fabric to giving the finishing touches. I am part of the entire process.”

She is planning to start an online fashion school, focusing on pattern making. “There is special joy in being able to do what the heart wants. And that is what makes me so invested!”

If you thought playing with emotions is not a good thing, it is time for a rethink. Kidiki, a card game developed by Kochi-based entrepreneur David M Soni, lets you toy with your emotions. The game, he says, would eventually lead the players to understand and express their emotions better. Launched earlier this month, Kidiki was designed after much thought and research, says David. 

After his BBA in Mumbai, David joined a corporate company in New Zealand. During his years in New Zealand (2020 to 2024), he kept exploring emotional wellness practices. A yoga practitioner, who has been teaching yoga since 2018, David also used to conduct workshops to help strangers communicate authentically. Once, after attending a workshop on mental wellness, he got a moment of clarity. “I knew that I wanted to create a tool to help people connect with each other more effectively. The insight I got was clear. Everyone wants to love and be loved, just that we don’t know how to express ourselves,” he says.

David quit his high paying job and decided to follow his passion. He spent over two years talking to therapists, monks, yoga teachers and other experts on emotional wellness, and drawing from his own personal experiences too to come up with Kidiki. “Kidiki in Hindi means window. This game is like a window into yourself and others with whom you are playing,” he adds.

Kidiki cards 
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The game (in English) has a deck of 108 cards divided into three sections in different colours. While the green cards name bodily sensations, the pink stands for feelings and the orange for needs. The recommended way of playing is to start with sensations, move on to feelings and then to needs, but the game is open ended and players can create their own rules as they move along, says David. He explores mind-body unity through the ‘sensations’ deck. “Every feeling shows up in the body as a sensation. By noticing these sensations, we can recognise emotions more quickly,“ he adds. 

The game can be played by individuals, for greater self awareness, couples, parents and children to improve communication. The cards could even help therapists support their clients in identifying and naming their feelings.  

kidiki cards 
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

David tried out the game in a couple of group sessions and the results were encouraging. “Very often, when you are able to label your emotions and needs, you would feel immediate relief and gain clarity/ you would understand yourself quicker. If you are playing with family or friends, you would be able to understand their emotional states better, which leads to compassion for them,” adds David.

David’s dream is to develop the game in Indian languages and distribute it free to Government schools, villages and rural areas. 

The game is available on kidiki.in. For information, mail thekidiki@gmail.com 

An average gym in Kerala during Onam season is a vibe, as Gen Z would call it. Amid the daily grind of pull ups, planks, squats and deadlifts, are small groups of people practising some moves. While a few are perfecting their Thiruvathirakkali squats, a few others are trying to get the hookstep for the viral song from Coolie, ‘Monica…’, right. Onam is here and celebrations are everywhere, including at the gym. 

Groups are formed a month ahead for dances and practice sessions are carried out amid treadmills and massive weight training equipment. “Participants take practice very seriously and everyone shows up,” says Mathew M Joseph, businessman, who is a regular at Bounce Fitness Centre, Panampilly Nagar.

A vadamvali (tug-of-war) competition from last year’s Onam celebration at Ashante Nenju Fitness Centre
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The competitions include pookkalam, thiruvathirakkali, traditional games such as tug of war, uriyadi and musical chairs among others. However, these games come with a twist. “A plank challenge and a dead hang, for instance. Even if the participants are dressed in traditional attire, they could easily pull off these challenges,” says Alexander VS, founder of Bounce Fitness Studio. “While we retain the feel and flavour of Onam, we add in a bit of fitness wherever possible,” he adds. Every year, there is a celebration and clients look forward to it, he adds. 

Members of Hybrid Performance Centre playing vadamvali for the Onam celebration
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Plank, push-up and pull-up challenges are the most common. The core-essence of the festival itself has an element of movement incorporated into it, says Santhosh Swaminathan, founder of Hybrid Performance Centre, Panampilly Nagar. “If you look at the traditional way in which Onam was celebrated, the games are all movement-related. Starting from the popular vadamvali to uriyadi, the games involve a show of strength. And everyone enjoys these challenges,” adds Santhosh. 

At Ashante Nenju Fitness Centre, Ponekkara, evenings have been unusually busy this month. Practice sessions take place during the evenings and sometimes, run into the night. The season’s trending songs ‘Onam mood’ from the film Sahasam and ‘Monica’ from Coolie are the picks for the dances, in addition to thiruvathirakali. “People need non-work and family-related spaces to celebrate. And when it is the gym, celebrations are more fun, as people are already used to seeing each other, so there is less awkwardness,” says Rahul Kuttickat, founder of the Ashante Nenju. 

It is as much about connection as it is about competition, as gyms have evolved into some of the strongest community-building spaces. “We have been hosting celebrations every year, and I have seen that clients, especially the regular ones, take interest and initiative in putting the event together. At the end of the day, it is a bonding exercise. And the food, of course. There is no compromise when it comes to the sadya and no one is counting calories on that day,” says Raj CR, founder of Kult Fitness centre. “Events such as this create a sense of belonging and an opportunity for clients to interact with each other. Though most gyms experience a lull immediately after a festival, such bonding exercises ensure continuity in people’s fitness journeys,” he adds.

Artist Neeraj Gupta’s sculpture titled, As the wind rises, installed at the Bikaner House is carved out of a single stone, the timeless pink Makrana marble. At a glance it tells you how the sculptor has transcended conventional boundaries to give a new dimension to Indian sculpting forms. His work of art has the ability to communicate.

What is interesting is the solo sculpture strategically placed in the open courtyard near the entrance of Gate No. 2, makes for a full exhibition. Visitors stop by the 10-feet tall artwork weighing 4.2 tonnes, either out of curiosity or fascinated by its flowing lines.

“Art is fundamentally subjective. The intent is to enable people appreciate and remember a work of passion,” says Neeraj, who is also the president of Delhi Art Society.

As the wind rises
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Pink Makrana marble from Nagaur district of Rajasthan, is not an easy material to work on. Neeraj’s sculpture shows how Indian sculptural traditions have come of age and need global platforms to showcase the evolution.

The idea for the uplifting artwork came to Neeraj a year ago when he felt the displacement of the living and the organic from civilisation would soon go too far with the development of tools and machine-like minds. Good art is not descriptive but a carrier of culturally distilled emotions and open to multiple interpretations, he says. His sculpture at the base has undulating curves that gradually merge into intertwined formations at the upper level.

“They embody the sense of motion and churning — a metaphor for the eternal processes of creation, evolution, and transformation; the curving lines flow into each other and expand into a composition rich in rhythm and resonance,” says Neeraj of his work that took him eight months to complete.

To some viewers, the sculpture evokes the cosmic churning of energies; to others, the harmony of contrasts, or the unity in diversity. The abstract yet organic form provokes thought, reflection, and dialogue.

The sculptor has deliberately combined the natural texture roughly chiselled in parts with laboriously polished surface to break the monotony and bring out the multi-layered emotions depicted in the stone. “It is a contemporary exploration of form, movement, and meaning to enhance the contemplative character,” he says.

Silent but imposing, the sculpture stands as a symbol of creativity and a reminder of the timeless dialogue between tradition and modernity, harmony and continuity that shape Indian art.

The sculpture will be at Bikaner House for a year. What was hitherto an empty spot is now proposing new worlds to the visitors compelling them to pause and think from mundane to something deeper. As Neeraj concludes, “I like to put an idea out there and let viewers take it however they wish to in that moment.’