Verve in the running

We don’t believe in blowing our own trumpet, but our admirers can go ahead full throttle. The Fashion Magazine Of The Year Apex Awards, organised by weavers that be, The Clothing Manufacturers Association Of India (CMAI), bestowed India's finest magazine with a nomination trophy for its near decade in being a style icon. The winner's trophy may have missed its chance to sit proudly on the Verve mantle, but we did wear the nomination with peerless grace. Our celebrations? Successive issues that rivalled each other in their unmatched style and substance. A hard task; after all, perfection is tough to improve upon.

Verve is doing its bit to supplement the hiccuping beautification plans of the city of Mumbai. Mumbaikars have been delighting in a wonderful treat from us, with the Verve Hoardings a city staple at periodic intervals. This time around, the most sparkling of stars from the celestial galaxy of Bollywood (oops, we have it on record that she detests the word!), Preity Zinta descended from her perch and raised the temperatures of the scorching summer. Looking cool and pretty, she dimpled down at the drivers sweating it out on the heat radiating roads, distracted by the Verve Hoarding. It’s any guess whether the cause for perspiration was the famous Zinta smile or the mercurial temperatures. The hoarding, would be our humble opinion.

Verve's Hotel hiatus

It is a well-established fact that Verve enthrals wherever it goes. We began the New Year forging an unforgettable relationship with the suburban luxury hotel, Le Meridien. A frequent visitor since, every two months to be exact, all the cover girls of Verve have been the cynosure of the glittering gaze of the rich and famous patrons of the hotel, as the magazines distracted the hifalutin from the pursuit of their business and pleasure. The Verve aura spread through the rarified space of the hotel suites, supplanting the elegant atmosphere and splendour. The Taj Mahal Hotels around the city of Mumbai also played host to Verve as the glossy caught the fancy of the well-heeled crowd that descended on The Taj Hotels. More victims bit the stardust that fell from Verve’s shining star.

It was the ultimate meeting of two icons, a marriage of high fashion and superior style; Fuel, the boutique that is home to some unique apparel, and Verve, the glossy that is unparalleled in its dominion of the universe of all things fashionable. The Spring-Summer collection that walked the ramp was in danger of being overshadowed by the Verve table hogging all the attention, luring all those present to take a peek inside Verve’s bag of goodies. As if that were not enough, there was the not to be missed offer of a full year subscription of Verve on engaging in a 5000 rupees' worth small scale spending spree, a target easily achievable for veterans of shopping sagas galore. Clothes and a whole year of Verve issues to enjoy, the shopahoilc's cup does runneth over!

SNDT is a fashion school that produces top of the line prospective designers, all set to fly the flag of the Indian fashion fraternity high. It was therefore only right that the country's most respectable style mag, Verve, do its bit in encouraging new talent. The batch of 2005 was in for a happy surprise with Verve issues lending their glamorous presence to the most important day of their lives. The budding young designers’ annual fashion show, Chrysallis 2005, saw the Verve issues laid out and admired by the well-turned out crowd who came to cheer on the emerging talents. The issues were snapped up almost as soon as they were displayed. A successful evening, for Verve and the designers in the making.

Delhi was the hottest spot this April and it had nothing to do with the smoldering heat. Verve packed its bags and headed North to the India Fashion Week that was held in the capital second year running. Everyone who was anyone was seen togged out in their designer best at the fashion event of the country. The show-stopping moments were plenty, more off the ramp then on it, with Verve being the cause of many a jaw-dropping moment. The Verve bags distributed at the venue were the scene-stealers, with the well-heeled mob of fashionistas supplanting their already stylish wardrobe with this much-coveted accessory and drew envious glances from the ones who missed out a chance on claiming one for their own. Delhi's cognoscenti sure did delight in Verve's ubiquitous glamour.

Outside the environs of the venue, the drivers, stuck in the bottlenecks around the chosen location of the Fashion Week, were provided some respite as an omnipresent mobile van honked the merry Verve tune, courtesy the Verve Mobile Hoarding, that had Preity Zinta, gazing down at the capital traffic jams for one whole week, all thanks to Verve's Mobile Hoarding. Signal boys showed more than their regular chutzpah as they went super glam in Verve T-shirts and drew the eyes of the denizens of Delhi who marvelled at this latest street-wear fashion statement. Verve took the capital by storm… and how!