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Mint
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
India Couture Week: Clothes that reinvent the idea of wedding wear
The annual couture week in Delhi might have become a circus-like extravaganza with social media influencers and celebrity showstoppers, but its biggest draw remains the clothes. Like its past 17 editions, this year's couture week is led by what sells the most—wedding wear. Each of the 14 participating designers is presenting versions of traditional as well as contemporary lehnga-cholis and kurta-pyjamas, some of which qualify as wearable art—as Lounge found out while sifting through the collections before the week-long showcase started on 23 July. There are some pieces though that go far beyond the creative margins of fashion, and celebrate a different kind of maximalism. They question traditional forms with unique silhouettes, interplay of embroideries and colours, or an unconventional stitch. Here are some of those creations—frilly and fabulous. Becoming Love, part of which was shown at the Paris Haute Couture Week last month, has perhaps the most pieces that could be defined as wearable art. From Gustav Klimt's painting embroidered on a long dress, and a trench coat studded with a Monet-esque scenery, to a flowing golden leaf wrapping the wearer—the collection offers ample reminders of how skilled India's craftspeople are. If there was an award for the blingiest collection, it would go to The Palace of Jewels. Each piece is unapologetically over the top, bringing ornamentation of India's royal palaces to clothes. East, which will close the couture week on 30 July, sticks to intricate embroidery but experiments with contemporary silhouettes like multi-tiered dresses and shades of black—unusual for a brand famous for following the traditional bridalwear palette of reds and pinks. Oxynn is a punk and futuristic take on Indian couture. It uses metallic wires and custom textiles to mimic traditional embroideries and mirrored textiles of Gujarat's Banjara tribe. Quintessence is a lesson in how to create clothes that are sculpted yet soft and fluid, as visible in this cabaret-style flapper ensemble. One of the few menswear-focused collections, Metropolis subverts traditional dress codes. Frills replace shirt collars, kurtas take the shape of kaftans, and veils become the new cap—all dismantling predictability in Indian couture. An extension of the designer's 2024 couture collection, Antevorta, the latest Arcanum line gives a new form to patola saris, using geometrical and molecular designs and cording techniques. The result: garments that look like they are in motion.
Cosmopolitan
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
My best sex ever was with my boyfriend on a paddle board
My boyfriend Max* and I were home from uni for the summer. And like all 20-somethings who were used to the privilege of uninhibited banging from the comforts of our own place, being back with our parents was, um, a big change. Translation: we were itching to squeeze in as much sex as we could under our new time and space constraints. It had only been a few days since Max and I had last done it, but we were already desperately in need of some serious alone time. Don't get me wrong — as a teenager, a sneaky shag in your basement while you can hear relatives stomping above is kinda hot. But at 24, it's terrifying. The thrill of getting caught disappears. In fact, you mostly feel stupid, rug-burned, and wildly paranoid that you've interrupted nanna's Scrabble game upstairs with a muffled moan. As desperate as we were for a fuck, we were even more desperate to get out of the house. As luck would have it, the sun was scorching and the water was calling our names — perfect weather for a paddle on the river, just the two of us. Feeling bold, I figured I could kill two birds with one stone. I put on my new blue swimsuit that hugged my waist in just the right way and showed off the perfect amount of bum. I opted for no make-up, letting my freckles and tanned skin steal the show. It was midday by the time Max and I pumped up our boards and hit the water. The river was a popular spot in the summer, and we paddled through throngs of people as we made our way upstream. After winding around a few bends on our boards, we soon realised the noise and crowds had all disappeared. The river was just barely bubbling with voices of people completely out of sight. How intriguing…. Max and I chatted softly as we continued our journey up the river, soaking in the sight of painted turtles, the Monet-esque lily pads, and, most importantly, each other in very little clothing. I couldn't help but notice him intently checking out my bum, nor could I help staring at his toned arms as he dipped his paddle in and out of the water. I was getting impatient. After a bit more paddling and some cheeky flirting, we paused along another bend to take a break and crack open the beers we had brought with us. Neither of us had eaten lunch, and the drinks on an empty stomach hit fast. Suddenly the river was starting to look like a blue silk sheet I could see myself spreading open on. Feeling naughty, I wriggled out of the top of my suit to let the sun dance along my bare breasts. The alcohol was telling me to roll down my top further and I happily obliged, letting the sun stroke my stomach too. I inched my board closer to Max's until they were side-by-side, knocking playfully against each other in the current. I rolled to my side to see my boyfriend looking at me with heated suspicion as he raked his eyes over my body. 'I missed you,' I purred, twisting one of his perfect brown curls around my finger. He leaned in for a long, sultry kiss and slid his tongue against mine, exploring my mouth slowly. When I pushed my tongue back, he bit it — a playful and surprising gesture that had my suit getting wet without so much as grazing the water. Placing one hand on his board for balance, I slid my other hand up Max's tanned thigh and made my way up to his cock. I drew light circles along his shaft through his trunks with my thumb. He tilted his head back and let out a low and quiet moan. I looked around the river again to make sure we were still alone before leaning forward and giving my body to him. Max bent down, trailing his lips from my reddened collarbone down to my hard nipples. He eagerly nipped at each one, slowly palming his erection. Max's gaze flicked down between my legs and something primal filled his eyes. Quickly, he started tying his paddle board strap to my ankle so it wouldn't float away and stalked slowly onto mine. A rush of excitement flooded me. Being tied to something of his, limiting my movement, all while trying to stay perfectly still felt like a kinky new form of BDSM that I was eager to try. Navigating two people on one board is not for the faint of heart, but we had sheer determination... and were very tipsy. We started in missionary to test out the waters (literally). Max hovered over me, rocking slightly on one hand that was supporting him while the other frantically tried to free his cock. When he finally got his trunks out of the way, his erection came springing out. I quickly pulled at my own suit, moving it to the side so he could fuck me. We both gasped as it slipped in, as if it were a surprise that it was the same perfect, delicious fit. Max began pumping into me while I writhed and moaned underneath him, the board gently swaying as the midday sunshine streamed down on us, electrifying my whole body. Once we became more confident, we wanted explore more of each other. We decided to do what I'm sure many would argue is simply impossible — doggy on a paddle board (or what I have naturally dubbed, 'the doggy paddle'). We pulled up a bit closer to the shore so the tip of the paddle board rested on a rock while I carefully rotated to be on all fours, his board trailing behind me, still tugging on my ankle. It wasn't easy at first, trying to balance with a six-foot-something man on his knees behind me. But once we found our rhythm, it was pure bliss. The sex was ecstasy. Feeling floaty and wildly overconfident from the beer, I was riding a high I had never experienced. I tensed my lower half to remain perfectly poised as Max pounded into me from behind, hitting just the right spot. Suddenly, I started to feel a sweet sensation slowly building from deep inside my pussy. I needed more, and I needed it fast. I started to bounce back on his cock fervently until I was ready to release and a powerful wave of pleasure washed over me as I squirted all over Max and all over the board. I knew this was going to make him finish fast. He had been holding back from coming and this explosion was the signal he needed to know it was his turn to do the same. Quickly, I rolled back over like a good girl and watched my gloriously tanned boyfriend finish all over my sun-kissed tits. Fuck, I thought. I love summer. *Names have been changed
