Latest news with #Soumi
Gulf Weekly
17-07-2025
- General
- Gulf Weekly
How does your garden grow?
As the sun blazes outside and temperatures soar, indoor plants feel the heat too. Summer brings its own set of challenges for houseplants, from scorching sunlight to dry air. Melissa Nazareth speaks to green-fingered enthusiasts, exploring some common seasonal plant parent peeves and tips to keep your foliage thriving. l Water, water everywhere but… The sun is stronger in this part of the world, which can make staying hydrated a challenge for both bough and beast. 'Plants dehydrate at a faster rate as the soil gets dry,' Indian expatriate and plant mum Soumi Sarkar, who started housing indoor plants during the Covid-19 pandemic, told GulfWeekly. 'Some tried and tested tips that have helped me are bottom watering in a tub or bucket, with pebbles for plants that soak up water faster as they create a barrier. The inverse bottle method based on drip irrigation technique has also worked for me,' added the 37-year-old artist from Tubli. Bottom watering is a technique in which plant pots are semi-submerged until the top is wet to the touch, helping even distribution of moisture. l Without 'mulch' ado While used more for outdoor plants, mulching can help indoor foliage too by reducing evaporation and retaining moisture in the soil. Gravel, sand, or rubber mulch are suitable for house greens as outdoor mulch can be too heavy. 'Organic mulch retains soil moisture and regulates temperature,' said Bahrain-born-and-raised Sultan Quresh aka 'Bahrain Plant Guy', who has a garden and a collection of indoor plants. The data science and artificial intelligence enthusiast's passion for gardening blossomed during the pandemic. 'It's a time when many of us turned inward for comfort and creativity. I still recall getting my first pothos, and from there, my indoor plant collection grew rapidly,' he said. l Soiled for choice According to Sultan, it is essential to select plants that thrive in warmth, given Bahrain's climate. 'Snake plant, aloe vera, and jasmine sambac perform well when temperatures are warm but not extreme,' said the plant lover, who has travelled across Europe and Asia, exploring diverse plant cultures and regional climates. 'These experiences have broadened my understanding and you'll often find exotic indoor plants in my collection – species that wouldn't typically survive Bahrain's outdoor climate, but thrive under careful indoor conditions.' Meanwhile, Soumi recommended snake plant, rubber plant and ZZ, as well as dracaena varieties and money plants. 'Unlike, say, spider plants and jade, these are more resilient,' she noted. l United we stand Grouping plants, as observed by plant parents worldwide, has many advantages. 'The cluster method works all the time. Keeping all the plants together so each of them benefits from the humidity created in one place has helped me,' Soumi revealed. Meanwhile, Sultan has reaped the benefits of partial shading through taller companion plants, which he observed reduced heat stress for more delicate varieties. Different plants have different needs, and the tips listed in this feature might need to be customised to suit individual requirements.
Hindustan Times
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
The bikini boys: Story behind the making of brand Shivan & Narresh
It's been 15 years since Shivan & Narresh launched their eponymous label, and what began as a daring introduction of swimwear to a wedding-obsessed fashion market has since become a movement — one that celebrates the body, art, individuality, and the unapologetic joy of travel. 'When we started out in 2010, there wasn't even a conversation around body confidence or swimwear,' reflects Narresh. 'The idea wasn't just to bring in a new product category — but to reimagine what fashion could mean in India. Beyond bridal, beyond occasion, beyond conformity.' Back then, the idea of luxury swimwear in India was almost radical. Conversations about body types were minimal, and representation was tokenistic at best. 'Our aim was always to inspire confidence, body positivity, self-love and a lifestyle that celebrated individuality,' says Narresh. 'We weren't just selling silhouettes — we were making space for a new narrative.' Over the years, their work has come to embody that shift. Their prints are bold, their cuts inclusive, and their message consistent: fashion is a mirror, and everyone deserves to see themselves reflected in it — beautifully and truthfully. 'Inclusivity isn't a checkbox — it's embedded in our patterns, our cuts, our visual storytelling, and most importantly, in how our clothes make people feel,' Narresh says. But the journey has also been deeply personal. As Narresh steps in front of the camera during the shoot, he reveals something quietly powerful: his vitiligo — a skin condition that causes pigment loss and patchy discolouration. It first appeared in 2012, just two years after the brand launched. 'At first, it was just a spot on my hand. But over the years, it's been a profound emotional and mental journey — learning to accept not just the change in how I looked, but what it meant for my self-image,' he shares. Narresh's acceptance of his condition didn't happen in isolation — it paralleled the ethos of the brand. 'As I worked on accepting myself, I realised the values we stood for — body positivity, confidence, self-love — weren't just brand ideas. They were personal truths,' he says. 'Because the path to self-love is universal — whether you're dealing with body shape, skin, or simply the mirror not reflecting who you feel you are inside.' 'What you choose to show is beauty. What you choose to hide becomes judgment.' This grounding in authenticity is perhaps what gives Shivan and Narresh their staying power. Their collections are often inspired by travel — not just the picturesque, but the philosophical. Their Soumi series, for instance, was born out of a trip to their favourite destination Finland. 'Its sauna culture became a huge inspiration for us,' says Narresh, adding, 'The idea that the sauna is a sacred space where the body simply exists — unjudged, unmasked — spoke deeply to our own design philosophy. That's where the Saun print came from: it's bold, graphic, and deeply intimate.' Nature, too, has found its way into their work. 'Seeing the Northern Lights in person — it was like watching Nature paint in motion,' he recalls, adding, 'That became Aurorays, our kaleidoscopic print capturing the dance of lights in the Nordic sky.' Even their approach to travel has evolved. While the two have always been inseparable travel companions, Narresh now hints at something more introspective. 'I'm planning to go for solo trips,' he says with a smile. 'So far, we've always explored the world together. But now, it's time for self-exploration — to really get to know oneself without distraction.' Through it all, they've remained steadfast in their belief that fashion should feel like freedom — not performance. 'Bold fashion is no longer about risk-taking,' Narresh muses. 'It's about self expression. And inclusion — real inclusion — doesn't always scream; sometimes, it just feels right.' And that's perhaps the true power of Shivan & Narresh. Not in how loud they are, but in how deeply they resonate. With every collection, every cut, and every unapologetic pose in front of the camera, they remind us that beauty isn't about fitting in — it's about showing up, fully and freely.
