Terra Italia!

Just when I’d been yearning for a vacation to ITALY… Swat aka Swati (my sister-in-law, but that’s not what we call each other) booked us all for a Sunday brunch at Café Mangii. 

Introducing: Swat aka Swati (my sister-in-law, but that’s not what we call each other)

Ahem..not to mention, the oh so posh ‘Sunday brunches’ that have been a significant part of my lifestyle ever since I got married! *the luxuries of marriage*

Source

Café Mangii used to be one of those places you pass by every other day and think, ‘oh I HAVE to visit this café’. While my husband and in-laws had been there before, it was my first time. And I was as excited as someone boarding an aircraft for the first time! In spite of it being a bad rainy day, I was dressed for the ‘occasion’… I wonder if I sound like I’ve never explored life beyond gharki chaar deewaarein.

Mr. & Mrs. Santosh *eyelashes*

Anyhoo.. So I was finally at Café Mangii, surprisingly before time, that too on a Sunday! Maybe because this was as close to Italy as I was going to get, at least for then! We got a lovely table by the lake with drizzle and sunshine on the outside. I was handed the bar menu and unfortunately I had to respond with a ‘sarcastic’ BBM emoticon because it was a “DRY DAY” for some god forsaken elections *sob* 

wonder if these lights are 'Italian' in any way... can comment only after  I travel !! :D

However, this turned into an opportunity to explore the mocktails and soup menu. The food menu was extensive and the use of Italian words all around took me deeper into my ‘Italian Reverie’. Although I only wished the guy serving us was a ‘Marco’ or a ‘Francesco’ and not a ‘Rajendra’…. Creating ambience you see!

Source

So we did finally start ordering from the delizioso (delicious in Italian *eyelashes*) Italian menu (you might notice an exaggerated mention of ‘Italy’ or ‘Italian’ only because I’m dying to travel to ITALY!!!!).

To begin with, we had;

Peach e Mentamocktail (Peach Mint mocktail), Crema di Funghi (Mushroom soup), Granchi Dita (Crab Fingers) and Fondue.

Peach e Menta mocktail

Pepper Fondue

Granchi Dita

Crema di Funghi

Of course the food was unbelievably delizioso and with the service so quick, I was busy clicking the food, relishing it, talking about it, thinking about how I’m gonna miss this food while writing about it…*drooling*

Olive oil and Balsamic vinegar bottle... I Love! 

Following the fondue were bruschetta, gnocchi ,grilled rawas (ooppss…we need that Indian touch to any cuisine!), wood fired pizza, chicken lasagna….and really don’t remember if I’ve missed out anything!

Wood fired Pizza!!

Bruschetta

All bella, what was missing was our very own TD!

Hmm..…..And I escape into yet another wonderland of fettuccine and ravioli and err…Armani and Prada (a serving of Moda Italia was necessary *grins*)

Much Love


DG for CC
xo

Randomness - Part 1

So DG and TD were browsing through dusty archives and managed to dig up quite a treasure! These are lil snippets from the past that are totally worth sharing.

This tiny lil gem sparkled brighter than the rest and therefore, deserves first place in the Randomness journal!

CC's first coverage by an external publication! B-) FHM magazine decided to write a lil something about the CC women in their September 2011 issue and we if course, were more than happy to let them!

Read on and drool! ;-)

FHM's September 2011 Issue

Yet another COME BACK...!

Yeah….so….DG missed her flight and we all saw her anguish against Jet Airways (I’m not a huge fan either – personally think the Indian aviation industry is going to the dogs).

But wait a minute, she hopped on the next flight to Kochi and hello Kerala!

16^th Jan 2012: Emmanuval Sarees and ShahRukh “I’ll-endorse-anything” Khan staring down from its hoardings welcomed one and all to the fresh green landscape of Kochi! The air smelled pure, the quaint airport was the size of Churchgate Station and the hard-to-miss accent gave us a sneak preview of our little two day getaway to the “land of the forgotten” (as described by a peer).

Kerala Backwaters

To sum up the brilliant two day offsite – Taboo and Antakshari, Meen Manga curry and fresh filter coffee, Coconut Lagoon’s enthusiastic cheerful staff, hammocks & pool volleyball, the open air washrooms and the quintessential banana crisps, G-U-J-J-U and the introduction of Wilbur Sargunaraj, exchanging anecdotes over dinner, late night talks, crazy laughter, banana plantain meals……Kerala, we heart you!

Feb 2012: Introducing MVT. He’s tough, he’s fierce, he’s got the brawn and he’s got the brain. And he’s seeing our very own TD. (Yeah, only initials…no full names. What’s the fun right? Plus it’s SO CC!). So MVT + TD = lots of cupcakes, lots of “Happy 4th!”s, some 21s and many a Valentine’s rose *eyelashes*. DG would agree that romance is what keeps CC busy and going ;-)

Mr. MVT.... Keep Guessing ;)

Personalized cup cakes... across borders

March 2012: The DG wedding countdown is getting more nerve-racking by the day! But wait a minute!! What’s a wedding without a naughty bachelorette ;-) Yeahhh…no pictures here! Alright okay…one picture’s allowed…but just one. And what happens at the bachelorette, stays at the bachelorette!(Including a certain movie boy poster *winks*)

OK FINE....we'll let you see a couple of pictures

7^th April 2012: THE Sangeet! THE song! And the couple shakin it with THE steps! Oh yeah!! DG and San recreated 141 Coldershaw with ‘jaane kya hua hai…’ …and watta performance!

Jaane Kya Hua haii....
Spontaneous and absolutely applause worthy!  

13^th April 2012: It’s time for Haldi, Mehendi, glass bangles and some very rustic dancing ;-) The Gajare residence is alive with the cackle of laughter, women and children chit-chatting and singing, certain *ahem* friends of the Bride busy with self photography and updating bbm pictures *embarrassed emoticon* and the Bride being smeared shamelessly with kilos of turmeric! *I love our Indian weddings*

"Friends of the Bride busy with self photography and updating bbm pictures"

15^th April 2012: And D Day arrives. Our South Indian DG and her temple jewellery *God Bless* The rustle of kanjivaram silks, the long plaited hair and fresh flowers, the aroma of a wholesome South Indian breakfast and of course, the bride in her traditional nine yard silk. Something about our traditions…never ceases to amaze me how much of our culture is in our blood! We breathe India and exude Indianness. It’s charming….it’s beautiful…

And a CC wedding is just not complete without a grand reception and a classic Madhuri jig in the middle of it all! DG did us proud! (BTW, that lehenga weighs 10 kilos and has yards and yards of cancan underneath!! *whew*)

ek do teen....Oh so Madhuri!

8^th May 2012: *blush* it’s TD’s day again! How many of you remember the oh-so-long and I’m-an-old-hag-now birthday post from 2010? *smiles from the memories* Well yes, I’m older and not so panic-stricken now J Purple was the theme and was it followed to the T or what! The ‘Little Purple Box’ is the new the ‘Lil Blue Box’! One gift after another arrived every single day until D Day…and then came MVT with his signature swagger in a purple shirt! Did I mention DG’s purple sheer top as a birthday gift… where the Purple was just a co-incidence:-D

The Purple Factory

*Phew* So that quick-as-lightning recapitulation of CC’s activities since Jan was to bring everyone up to speed with what’s been happening…and does it seem like a lot has happened? Well, that’s always been the case with CC, hasn’t it? It’s a wham-bam-what’s-next life and from now Clandestine Cigarettes gets updates in a flash! That’s a promise CC intends to keep…

Much Love,

TD for CC

P.S: DG is now DS, but what’s CC without its DG right? <3

God's Own Country - Chapter 1

Just when I thought I'll finally visit 'God's own country'.. I missed my flight!!

Retail is fun - at times! :p  Its been a year with Diesel and our management planned for an exoctic offsite to Cochin, now Kochi at the super exoctic 'Coconut Lagoon!' All gearged up.. with 'Taboo' and a rugby ball (borrowed from San, now my fiance! *blush*).. for a 0535 hrs flight!

Having slogged on a super busy SALE sunday, generating a business that would give smiles to me and my team.. I return home at 0000 hrs. After a presentation on 'One thing I'm proud of in my professional career', bag packing.. and bodyache, I get to bed at 0200 hrs! One hour of sleep is all I could plan/wish/think/hope for!

Like Mrinal rightly said.. "Dear sleep, I agree early morning flight is a bitch!" The big dilemma of whether to sleep or not took away my 30mins! But waking up to a 'red-eyed' morning is just not CC style ;) So ofcourse I went ahead snoozing my alarm!

0338 hrs is when my eyes actually went wide open and I told myself, "maybe CC style does not always help" Depending on the love of my life.. who is no less than a racer, I was rest assured I'm reaching in time.. rather, just in time!

The first hit comes here.. he didn't answer my calls!! He didn't WAKE UP to drop me!! :s To the rescue comes mommy darling. For a change it was me racing my way!

45 mins before departure time, I reach at the Mumbai domestic airport for a Jet Airways flight to Kochi. Ideally, I could still check-in! Although I forgot I was flying JET!! *angry*

The extremely helpful and polite ground staff *mark the sarcassm* made me wait for 10 mins with no help, eventually helped in MISSING THE FLIGHT!!! *livid*

Phew... that's pretty much how I missed my flight to an exotic offsite! Writing this post on the airpost doesn't make me feel any less exotic! :p

Secretly, I'd always wanted to experience this! Maybe not when the company had paid for my voyage..

Anyhoo.. The trip has just begun!

That's all for now from DG for CC... More updates soon from both DG and TD!!

Xo

Ah! Better than nicotine rush…

Ireland gave Europe a huge fright with its economic crisis. Obama visited India. London saw severe snow. Chile had an earthquake. Anna Hazare created history.  Blogspot changed as blogger updated to a fancy new interface :-O !! John Galliano was shown the door at Christian Dior (horror of horrors, *can’t watch bbm emoticon*). CC found everlasting love in the BB (yes, the best gift RIM could have given the world) and if you don’t agree you can *talk to the hand*. Diesel happened. And reams of pages worth events and news and gossip have occurred since August 22^nd 2010!! So where has CC been all this while? In the thick of it all, I say!

The big move from London to Mumbai happened. The hustle-bustle of the city, jetsetting lives, manic schedules and deadly deadlines happened.  And then, a tiny twinge of guilt happened. Major CC pangs happened!!

As we went about our horrid, busy lives, we realised how much we needed Clandestine Cigarettes.  Ah! Feels so good to write again; like someone breathed life into us! Missed the familiar purple pages that gave us so much love in the form of loyal followers and CC admirers!!

So, accept our humble apologies as we promise an even better ride than before!

The Clandestine Cigarettes are back *devil bbm emoticon*

Much Love

CC

xo

Gomez-Gracia : the brain behind the brand

Classic with a rock ‘n roll twist. Good girl gone bad. Effortless transition from day time chic to twilight diva. What am I talking about here? No, it’s not the introduction to a new rock star on the block (although it very well might have been!) Gomez-Gracia entered the British fashion industry with a bang and before London had time to say “Hello?” it created a stir of sorts with regular features in Drapers, red carpet appearances and a presence in some of the best stores in the UK and the US.

So imagine my excitement when Patricia (the creator and designer of Gomez-Gracia) agreed to give me 30 minutes of her precious time in the middle of a busy sales season to let me see the mind behind la mode!

Let’s back up a little. So while Gomez-Gracia’s steady rise to fashion Everest is apparent, what is the story behind this honest, no pretences brand? It is as sweet, simple and honest as the creator herself. Patricia’s tryst with destiny began as a young University student in the United States of America in 1998/99 when a tiny handbag-making venture with a friend struck a chord and brought in popularity and the realization of her true calling. The friend eventually made an exit, but Patricia stuck on and expanded the venture to include T-shirts and jeans with the same hand embroidery and beading detail that made the bags popular. "However, I realised that although I had the talent, I needed technical expertise to truly succeed in this industry." This subsequently led to the big move to London, work experiences with Julien McDonald and Alexander McQueen and ultimately the birth of Gomez-Gracia.

The lovely Miss Patricia Gomez-Gracia with her favourite piece from the SS11 collection

London, to Patricia, is representative of a cultural potpourri where everyone is not only welcome but also blends in easily and makes it their home. Of course, the fact that it is one of the important fashion capitals of the world is an added bonus.  Therefore, when the time came to make a decision regarding the birthplace of her dream, London was the obvious choice - not her hometown Miami, Florida. "I wanted the tag of a 'British brand' when I entered the US  market with Gomez-Gracia so as to have a better reception as opposed to just another American brand" she admits candidly. And now, with the latest SS11 collection, Gomez-Gracia is not only fast capturing the UK market, but also creating a mini ripple in Europe with orders from Paris. It’s only a matter of time before the European market is abuzz with this British contemporary brand for the uber confident woman.

And here with one of my favourite pieces from the collection
(psst..she's also wearing her creation..beautiful huh!!)

So what is it about the present collection that is special? In the words of the designer herself, "It’s the 'wow' factor that is the USP of this collection". Targeted at the sexy, saucy, confident woman, the SS11 collection promises luxurious silk jerseys and light-as-air cottons. As I run my hand along the surface of a gorgeous jersey dress, I think of the most delicious tiramisu that simply melts in the mouth. Bizarre analogy, I know, but fitting nonetheless! Rock n roll accessories are combined with form-fitted silhouettes while drape detail is beautifully used to create unique textures on the garment surface. The colour palette is the cherry on the cake with classy corals used in combination with blacks, whites and shimmer. Makes me wonder where she derives her inspiration from! According to her, it’s day-to-day life that inspires her. Could be a stunning photograph, fabric texture, architecture or just plain colour! Guess it also helps that Patricia reads a lot and keeps abreast with the world of art and fashion.

Aah Coral!! 

A part of the SS11 collection 

As I watch her rearrange the garments on the rail so the visual display correctly brings out the nuances of the collection, I can’t help but be impressed with her dedication to the brand. Here’s the passion that maketh “The Brand”! So Clandestine Cigarettes wishes Gomez-Gracia the very best and hopefully, one day soon, when it would have captured every by-lane of the fashion world, we’d have the honour of another meeting  and maybe, just maybe, walk away with a free dress ;-)

Much Love,

TD for CC

Memoirs of a French Poser

I closed my eyes and went back to 2006. The streets of Cuffe Parade, Mumbai that led to the classroom of Alliance Francaise in GD Somani school. “Je m’appelle Tejasvi. J’habite a Mumbai. Je suis etudiante.” I smiled. It’s funny how things always make sense in retrospect. One may not realize it right then, but there is always a plan, a bigger picture. Who knew the casual French language classes I took four years ago would one day come in handy when Egomark -the company I interned with- gave me the opportunity to travel to the city of my dreams! How many times had I imagined strolling down the streets of Paris and sipping café-au-lait at a corner shop while watching the beret-sporting junta pass by? How often had I dreamt of visiting Chanel’s first shop and trotting down la rue something-or-the-other in Louboutins? And I’ve lost count of the different scenarios in which I could fake the language! The captain’s sudden “Bienvenue a Paris” broke me from my reverie.

Ahem...The Business class

I shifted in my seat and checked to see that I had my passport and documentation within easy access. I alighted and immediately took a deep breath of the French air. Aah! I didn’t smell pain-au-chocolat or fresh butter croissants. But I did smell a dream coming true :-)

Gare du Nord 

The streets outside La Gare du Nord were as busy as I imagined Paris to be. The world (to use a line from Shawshank Redemption) seemed to have gone and gotten itself in a great big hurry! All I could hear around me was “zis iz ze zoo zee zish”. 

Champs Elysees

I saw a guy with a thin linear moustache cycle past me. The traffic rules were completely opposite to those of the UK (and India). I smiled again. It was all I expected it to be.  I went to the information desk for directions to the famous Metro that would take me to where the trade show was being held. This time I was surprised. I’d heard so much about the rude and unhelpful nature of the French. But here was this guy going out of his way to help me get to the Metro! I thanked him (in French) and mentally thanked London Underground and the Mumbai locals that helped me understand even complex train networks like the one in Paris. The 3 days I spent there were all I had hoped my first trip to the city of my dreams would be! Starting with the trade show (which is what I was in Paris for) gave me the chance to interact with some interesting buyers from the industry.

Now, does THAT even need a caption!

The Eiffel Tower left me awestruck with tears streaming down my face as I struggled to fathom what it was about the thousand-foot phallus (as described by Dan Brown in The Da Vinci Code) that evoked all these feelings in people.

Champs Elysees again

I strolled down the Champs Elysees taking in the sights of the flagship stores of all my favourite brands.

L'arc de Triomphe

L’arc de Triomphe brought back images of the same in my French text books and the visit to the Louvre rounded off my maiden trip to this fantastic city!! It was perfect! I talked the talk and I most definitely walked the walk!

Le Louvre!!

As I boarded the Eurostar to Kings Cross St.Pancras, London, I couldn’t help but thank God for small mercies. Not only was I living in London, but also travelled to the Haute Couture capital on work! Was I lucky or just plain blessed? I flipped through French Vogue as I smiled to myself (for the umpteenth time)  wondering when I would set foot on Italian ground ;-)

Can't get enough of La Tour Eiffel

Much Love

TD for CC

Bisous!