Agni by Neha Kapil reimagines goddesses from India's mythological fables for the modern woman
Agni by Neha Kapil reimagines goddesses from India's mythological fables for the modern woman
Agni by Neha Kapil reimagines goddesses from India's mythological fables for the modern woman
Agni by Neha Kapil reimagines goddesses from India's mythological fables for the modern woman

'Unapologetically brown': How South Asian designers in the US, Canada and Europe are embracing their 'desi-ness'


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For many South Asian immigrants and their children, identity is a multifaceted question wrapped up in two worlds: the traditions of the home country of their parents and the culture and society they are growing up in. Invariably, their personalities and even their professions are influenced by the balance they seek between their daily experiences and their ethnic roots.

Many immigrant Indians in Canada, the US and Europe have embraced their “desi-ness” and the milieu they have been thrust into, and combined their influences to create art, design or fashion businesses. The more successful of these endeavours often draw on the best of both worlds; they help their founders celebrate their multicultural reality, honour their heritage and create their own identities.

Not Sari by Pranavi Suthagar

A poster by Not Sari reimagines the Powerpuff Girls
A poster by Not Sari reimagines the Powerpuff Girls

Tamil designer Pranavi Suthagar, 25, from Toronto, uses design as a medium to express her bicultural identity. In 2017, she launched the label Not Sari (a play on the phrase "sorry, not sorry") in an attempt to "decode the brown experience one illustration at a time". Suthagar creates clothes and bags emblazoned with pithy phrases such as "I got it from my amma" and "Biryani babe".

There's this notion that we should 'whitewash' our brands to be successful, but it's my goal to ... be unapologetically brown

Elsewhere, cushion covers come embroidered with traditional mirror glass kolam designs; badges are fashioned into steaming cups of chai; and a poster introduces a dark-skinned Powerpuff girl to a reworked illustration of the famed trio.

“My collections are inspired by my identity as a Tamil woman, born and raised in Canada. I use a combination of nostalgia and revealing untold truths surrounding the first-generation experience, as well as using shared experiences among my South Asian friends for inspiration,” Suthagar says.

Agni by Neha Kapil

A design by Agni
A design by Agni

Suthagar's neighbour in a sense, Neha Kapil, 27, is a second-­generation Indian-American designer who was brought up in Minneapolis in the US. She launched her clothing line Agni in 2017, and is known for her pop-culture-meets-street-flair aesthetic.

Strong modern-day women as well as goddesses from India’s rich mythological fables dominate Kapil’s creations. They can be seen brandishing swords, riding on the backs of lions and even posing with the cut heads of demons.

“Agni means fire in Hindi, and my motto is ‘fire to be fearless’, a reminder to be loud and proud when it comes to an expression of culture and staying true to oneself,” says Kapil. “The physical properties of fire can be dangerous, but just as much as it possesses the ability to burn, it also brings light to dark spaces.

The Apatani tribe's simple way of living in close sync with nature informs my guide to sustainability

“My aim is to bring the intricacies and details of South Asian culture and community to the world and prove that representation matters. I’m proud to take our stories and fuse them into something contemporary yet still true to my roots.

"There's this notion that as minorities we should 'whitewash' our brands to be successful, but it's my goal to prove that there's a place for South Asians to succeed in fashion – and be unapologetically brown – especially when it comes to streetwear." Kapil's dream is to "see a day where South Asian art will be accepted by mainstream audiences in the same way we love brands like adidas and Supreme".

Agni’s latest collection is an eco-friendly line that allows customers to send in vintage pieces to be upcycled into sustainable creations using silkscreening and hand-printing. “I hope to use this venture as a way to promote zero waste and join the slow fashion movement,” she says.

Indo-Danish designs by Nixon Bui

A design by Nixon Bui
A design by Nixon Bui

Over in Denmark, sustainability is also high on the list for fellow Indian designer Nixon Bui, 33. The Arunachal Pradesh-born designer seamlessly combines contemporary Scandi style with North-Eastern Indian aesthetics and values. What makes his eponymous label evermore interesting is that India's North-East – an area made up of eight states – exists as a microcosm of the country and is punctuated by tropes that are quite separate from mainstream motifs.

Bui, who launched his label in Copenhagen in 2015, roots his designs in Arunachal Pradesh's tribal culture, primarily the Apatani tribe. A community in the true sense of the term, this is a tribe that collectively works on each other's farms, uses resources equitably and utilises waste water for fish farming. Accordingly, Bui takes a transparent and sustainable approach to fashion.

“Their simple way of living in close sync with nature informs my guide to sustainability. My foundation will always be my roots, but I try to execute my design and aesthetics in a contemporary way. A huge part of my design style is influenced by the Scandinavian aesthetic,” says Bui.

His minimalist collection is dominated by red and black, the tribal colours of his home state, as well as grey, which is a Scandinavian influence. Embroidered geometric patches and spears enliven simply cut shirts, beads and cowrie shells act as accessories, and the image of a wizened Apatani woman is emblazoned on the backs of jackets.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Match info

Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace

Man of the match: Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace)

Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?

Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.

They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.

“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.

He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.

Generation Start-up: Awok company profile

Started: 2013

Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev

Sector: e-commerce

Size: 600 plus

Stage: still in talks with VCs

Principal Investors: self-financed by founder

What went into the film

25 visual effects (VFX) studios

2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots

1,000 VFX artists

3,000 technicians

10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers

New sound technology, named 4D SRL

 

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

MATCH INFO

Everton 0

Manchester City 2 (Laporte 45 2', Jesus 90 7')

Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

Honeymoonish
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Company profile

Name: Oulo.com

Founder: Kamal Nazha

Based: Dubai

Founded: 2020

Number of employees: 5

Sector: Technology

Funding: $450,000

THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

NYBL PROFILE

Company name: Nybl 

Date started: November 2018

Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence

Initial investment: $500,000

Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)

Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up 

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo

Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm

Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto

Price: from Dh209,000 

On sale: now

ACL Elite (West) - fixtures

Monday, Sept 30

Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)

Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)

Know your Camel lingo

The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home

Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless

Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers

Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s

Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival

While you're here
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

 

 

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

India Test squad

Virat Kohli (c), Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill

Simran

Director Hansal Mehta

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey

Three stars

RESULT

Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1 
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’

ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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Afro%20salons
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Super Rugby play-offs

Quarter-finals

  • Hurricanes 35, ACT 16
  • Crusaders 17, Highlanders 0
  • Lions 23, Sharks 21
  • Chiefs 17, Stormers 11

Semi-finals

Saturday, July 29

  • Crusaders v Chiefs, 12.35pm (UAE)
  • Lions v Hurricanes, 4.30pm
bundesliga results

Mainz 0 Augsburg 1 (Niederlechner 1')

Schalke 1 (Caligiuri pen 51') Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Miranda og 81')