Barcelona has very vibrant mix of subcultures and its a delight to visit for its openness and rich city vibe and of course great shopping!. This capital of Catalunya has been an important places where the punk subculture emerged as a rebellion against the oppression around 1978 during the Franquismo. This Spanish subculture thrives and is well conserved with its own distinct identity by the youth of today. We met a group of three friends Xavi, Daniela and Lal Mirch who represent this unique subculture in a very Catalan way.

Xavi

Xavi wears a message T in black paired with a pair of torn denims folded up. He wears a pair of 14 eye Doc Marten boots in black with white laces. The punctured earlobes, piercings, punk and coloured hair and chunky chains are his accessories of choice.

Lal Mirch 

Lal Mirch (her name in Hindi means Red Chilly!!), wears a sleeveless message T with a pair of cloudy washed pair of denims in black. Her choice of footwear is also a pair of Doc Martens in Black but with a twist of red and black laces in either foot. Punk hair with skinned head, punctured lobes, piercings, metal spiked neck and wrist bands, hip chains with a padlock and a backpack in black are the accessories of choice for this bespectacled beauty.

Daniella

Daniella gives us a pretty punk version with her cat-eye make-up. She wears a Catalan flag T with sleeves rolled up with a pair of skinnies in blue denim, a pair of red plimsolls and a leather backpack in brown. Like her friends punctured earlobes, undercut hair style with a coloured crop on sideways and piercings complete her look.

The three amigos paint a pretty picture of this very identifiable Barcelona youth culture and life. We wonder how similar yet how different they are together!

Street Style Diaries - Nidhi Jacob

Nidhi Jacob has a distinct style, a style that's minimal, high-on-comfort and ease, drawing from vintage and tradition, blending a ZEN like calm and veering towards unisex, its this distinct identity that sees this fashion editor of ELLE go about her duties.

Nidhi Jacob

Nidhi wears this blue-on-blue color blocked long tunic (kurta) in cotton and pairs it up with a divided skirt in black, just about grazing her mid-calf. A structured sling bag in white leather and seemingly super comfortable slip on shoes in black & white completes her look. A short crop for hair and a sans make-up Nidhi manages to make heads turn with an almost boyish/ girlish charm!

Nidhi Jacob

We are impressed by how the use of unconventional cut-n-sew color blocking and a innovative play with proportions speak out a completely new language that's difficult to pin down and categorize or slot, something that we all love to do.

Nidhi Jacob

Tunic- REBOOT by Anuj Bhutani

Skirt_ asos

Shoes- H&M

Bag- & another stories

Street Style Diaries - Gursi Singh

Gursi Singh is the co-founder of the label Lovebirds along with Amrita Khanna. What drew our attention is his fabulous pair of shades and the whole minimal and clean urban look that he sports. We agree the shoes maybe an unusual choice but hey they are signature "Lovebirds" pair....it might be his lucky pair! 

Gursi Singh

Gursi wears this black T paired with a tailored pair of black trousers. The tailored shacket (shirt+jacket) in beige is an unusual piece, clean and minimalistic. Almost a cross between a waistcoat and a short sleeve shirt, it works beautifully as a layering piece and brings in just a hint of structure to the outfit.

Gursi Singh

Gursi also shows a fabulous new way to wear the hair undercut style paired with a top man-bun,  pushing the boundaries just a bit with the traditional Sikh style. A neatly trimmed full Mo-beard bring out his personality and are keeping with the clean and sophisticated urban-ism that they showed with the Lovebirds collection.

Gursi Singh

Street Style Diaries - Preeti Dhata

Preeti Dhata is a busy model and one of the most versatile faces in the modelling world today. She has been all over, editorials, commercial adverts, on the ramp and on the Vogue cover. When she is not made-up pretty like-a-bride walking the ramp for the celebrated Indian designers.....this is how she'd like to be!

Comfortable, cool and Tomboyish! As a term a tomboy has always been used to slot women who dress up like men would and above all have a I-don't-care attitude. We love that attitude and we love that Androgynous streak of non-conformity to societal norms.

Preeti Dhata

Preeti wears a comfortable pair of used wash blue jeans, popularly know as the boyfriend fit, rolled up at the ankles. She pairs it with an oversize short sleeve shirt with a flora and fauna artwork, again quite interesting as this is not your typical Hawaiian prints that are hugely popular at the moment.

Preeti Dhata

Burgundy suede lace-up shoes, a studded leather belt and an authentic leather conductor's sling bag, both in brown are her accessories of choice. She tops up her look with a pair of unisex retro round tortoise and gold rimmed shades....we adore!

Preeti Dhata

Preeti is one of the few women who have used their gorgeous dusky complexion as an asset, and this beauty stands out among all the fair and lovelies!

Street Style Diaries - Nayaan Chaudhary

Style over comfort or comfort over style?

Would you choose casual comfort over formal style or style over comfort?

Do we really have to choose?

Not so long ago a formal jacket paired with anything other than a dress shirt and dress shoes would invite bemused glances of disapproval. Its as if one was committing a dressing blunder by breaking the Code. Yes there was a time when Nayaan wearing the shoes he is could be denied entry to a chic nightspot!! Well not anymore!

Nayaan Chaudhary

With comfort becoming the-style-of-the-moment and a movement leading to coining of the term Athleisure (Athletic+leisure) Nayaan gets it spot on!

Nayaan Chaudhary

Nayaan Chaudhary wears these comfortable slacks in blue with the hems rolled-up paired with a reflected horizon print T in shades of blue. His all-white Hi-top sneakers spell COOL. A 2BSB(2 button single breast) jacket in a midnight blue, worn with sleeves pushed up, a transparent pair of acetate dark shades, a neat hairdo and a well intended stubble add to the cool quotient.

Nayaan is a professional model.

Street Style Diaries - Jishma Parikh

Hope you all have got a fab start to 2015! A new year always brings along with it new hopes and dreams and a renewed vigor to go after chasing those dreams.

Lets start our street style trail with Jishma Parikh and her love for butterflies and birds in her tattoos.

Jishma Parekh

Jishma has two tattoos worth flaunting and she does that with her cleverly chosen pieces of clothing. She wears this cut-off shoulder top with 3/4th sleeves in black and pairs it up with a pair of hot shorts also in black. Studded around the shoulder her amazingly shaded tattoo gets framed and is a definite conversation starter!

Jishma Parekh

We love the fact that Jishma's minimal approach to styling works with gold hoops in the ear, as does her amazing hair color reminding us of a peacock feather.....very well chosen indeed.

Jishma Parekh

A quick update

A quick update dear friends.

Hope you all are enjoying the new year and all the wishes have worked miracles..

At AQP we are in the midst of renovation at home, a sprained ankle and a whole lot of work pressure.. We will soon be back as soon as everything has settled back in.

Stay Tuned.

Wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year....

Hey Peeps.. Wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year! AQP is taking a much deserved break and shall be back before you know it.

Cheers..

Street Style Diaries - Amrita Khanna

Amrita Khanna

There is something quite endearing about Amrita Khanna's style that is bohemian in spirit yet has the body of casual sophistication of a minimalist. The look is tailored, crisp and clean yet full of color and fun elements.

Amrita Khanna

Conversational prints have been trending for a while and this one with as diversified elements as a teddy bear to a comic character, a tiger to a gorilla, a pet bottle to a potted plant, a pineapple, a monument and a roving eye is quite unique and unlike anything we've seen. Its like carrying everything that you like with you....what a conversation starter!..... don't you think?

Amrita Khanna

Amrita wears this color blocked oversize trapeze shape top in while and pastel blue and pairs it with a cropped-to-the-ankles length pair of trousers in black. A pair of meant-for-walking slip on shoes in tan and an oversize pair of shades complement her look. A statement watch, ring and black nails are her well chosen accessories with a full mop of free-spirited curlys.

Amrita Khanna

Its such an easy silhouette to carry of for a city dweller that would suit most body types and is easy-breezy and cool! Amrita is the co-founder and Designer at Love Birds.

Street Style Diaries- Augustine Shimray

Augustine Shimray

Khayashii Augustine Shimray is a personality that is as vibrant and multifaceted as the multicultural land that he comes from, India. This artist/ musician/ model and designer hails from the breathtakingly beautiful and pristine hills of Nagaland. Coming from the head-hunting Tangkhul tribe of heavily tattooed warriors, Augustine is perhaps the the thread that binds tradition and modernity, the primitive and the contemporary.   

Augustine Shimray

Augustine gives us a look that spells Punk Rock with a predominantly black palette, the Mohawk, the punctured lobes, the tattoos, the leather straps and boots, but with a twist that's original and a genuine  representation of who he is rather than an imposition. He wears this asymmetric sleeveless knit top with an over sized pocket and a pair of black customized pants with heavy duty Doc Marten boots, all black.

Augustine Shimray

Augustine is among the few lads of his age to sport the traditional facial tattoos along with the various others that he sports, we're sure each with a story behind it. The various charms and bracelets and armlets that he sports add to his fierce rawness. Augustine also deigns the dream-catchers, one of which he wears. The dream catchers are a native symbol of uniting tribes and are known to filter dreams and catch the nightmares.

Augustine Shimray

Augustine has a musical side to him as well and is also a vocalist for #featherheads, feathers, leather, beads and horn almost are a part of his extended being.

Augustine Shimray

We love the gun holster like contraption he creates with leather and studs for a small pouch that we're guessing is for his tools. Would like to know the story behind the octopus on his hand.....when we meet next!

Augustine Shimray

Street Style Diaries - Bandana Tewari

The Doyenne of Fashion

Bandana Tewari, a name that needs no introduction in the Fashion circles, is the Fashion Features Director of Vogue-India. Starting her journey from a literary and journalistic background Bandana has earned the status of the Doyenne of Fashion.

Bandana Tewari

In her trademark clear glass aviators, she gives us a perfect desert/jungle Safari chic look in earthy hues. Its an urban Sahara meets the City look which is super comfortable and bang-on trendy in the same breath. She wears these lounge pants in over-dyed charcoal and pairs it up with a knit cowled top in a dried tobacco.

Bandana Tewari

She layers her look with a safari style shirt dress in beige. We love this piece as it is so versatile and can be worn on its own as a dress or as Bandana chooses to. Her choice of  footwear in a pair of leopard patterned peep-toes is fabulous as it looks spectacular paired with earthy and neutral hues.

Bandana Tewari

Her fringed and charms multi-cord neck-piece, wild feathered danglers and multiple curated bracelets add to Bandana's  bohemian vibe who walks in this urban jungle with the same feisty cool gait as a spotted feline in the wilderness.

Bandana Tewari

Street Style Diaries - The Cool Couple

The Cool Couple

Its not very often that we come across a couple as cool and quirky as this one we spotted recently. She in her negligee-style dress and he with his matching horse prints separates just raised our fashion and quirk quotient to a new high!

The Cool Couple

The matching-separates trend, a move from the short suit that took over the runways and won its acceptance as Formal wear has been wowing the bold, aware and confident men. It could be a matching pair of Tee and shorts, a shirt and shorts, as long as you are willing to have fun with it and like a bit of quirk in your style!

The Cool Couple

He wears this white shirt with conversational horse print in black, buttoned-up and sleeves rolled-up paired with shorts to match with rolled -up hems as well. The vibrant tropical print espadrilles bring in a very Luxe resort feel to the whole look. His SWAG metal plate cap adds to the luxury feel.

She continues the Luxe resort feel with an amazing pair of printed sneakers to go with outfit. Printed and colorful sneakers and espadrilles are our favorite footwear to don while having fun with your outfits, for him and her.

The Cool Couple

We love her black n white box clutch with a photo-printed top and a chain sling, even the personalized tasselled dangler!

The Cool Couple

Her blunt bangs hair frames her beautiful face and is a hairstyle that spells Edgy!

The Cool Couple

And the Edgy continues with a grey melange Tee dress paired with a negligee-style embroidered net dress in black that a genius pairing! We love the whole sheer-opaque play that she creates.

What do you think about this couple's style?.......we adore!

The Cool Couple

Street Style Diaries - Asit Barik

Casual meets Formal

How about a crisp white polo shirt with tailored pair of trousers? we say why not! Casual meet Formal has been trending for a while and ultimately its about you finding your mix. Asit Barik shows us his mix apt for the elusive or namesake Mumbai winters. 

 Asit Barik

Asit pairs his white polo shirt with a pair of textured grey trousers tailored and cut just above the ankles, just the way to wear them now! A unstructured jacket in Linen with stripes in yellow brown and natural tones and a dual tone pair of shoes in suede and canvas complement his look. An understated tote and a pair of Nerd glasses are his accessories of choice.

Asit Barik

A light well trimmed mo-beard and studded ear speaks well for this budding independent designer.

Asit Barik

Street Style Diaries- Shruti Bheda

Modern Legacy 

Let's start by saying we are your Fans Shruti Bheda! 

Totally mesmerized and captivated by your personality that encapsulates the concept of modernity without having to let go of the past. Taking the traces from our human heritage, our native roots, the ancestral  legacy along and make it a part of your modern being brings out a unique individual, like no other. A time traveller who has been there, THEN and is here, NOW.

Shruti Bheda

We don't know if its the Native American braided hairstyle, the Indian tribal nose-pins on both the sides-seen on the Chattisgarhi tribal women, the minimal pastel colour blocked top (we love the colours!) and skirt, the silver metal-plate choker, the cross body chain jewellery that Beyonce wears a lot!, the backpack, or the heavy duty traveller boots, that give Shruti the power that she exudes merely by her presence.

Shruti Bheda

It could also be the mysterious eye and lip make-up or the absence of it (you figure!) or simply her deep drawing gaze......Shruti is an accessories designer. 

Shruti Bheda

Street Style Diaries - Marv D'Souza

Refined Proportions

When men show the confidence while choosing their attire and are ready to play with proportions fashion becomes fun. Marv D'Souza shows us his play of proportions with a long shirt and very interesting draped pair of pants.

Marv D'Souza

Marv wears this longish short sleeves shirt, buttoned-up, in washed out denim with muted ethnic aztec chest print and redefined oversize proportions with the length, the pocket as well as the sleeves that is worn rolled up. He pairs it with this black and white checkered pattern pair of pants that looks as comfortable as the statement it makes. It sits somewhere between a pair of trousers and our very own dhoti using pleating and ruching .

Marv D'Souza

A washed out pair of casual shoes in pastel orange adds a pop of color to the attire of this quirky casual look. Marv is a stylist with Miss Malini.

Marv D'Souza

Street Style Diaries - Poonam Patel

The Bespectacled Lass

Neoprene is the newest textile to invade our wardrobes recently. A Sportswear and performance fabric, is now being seen fashioned into tops, skirts, dresses and even suits! A confirmation of the sportswear going mainstream trend that we have talked about earlier.

Poonam Patel

Poonam Patel wears a circular cut above the knees neoprene skirt in a grey Melange. She combines it with an almost crop oversize top in blue chambray with short sleeves. Driving shoes in royal blue and a so on trend washed leather sling bag with tasselled zipper ends are her accessories of choice.

Poonam Patel

This bespectacled lass wit beautiful curls is a Manager Fashion with IMG Reliance.

Poonam Patel

Street Style Diaries - Longrei

Infused Native

Manipur is a land of rich crafts and deeply entrenched tradition of music, dance, and a heightened sense of aesthetic awareness that touches every sphere of a Manipuri's life. The pottery, the reed and bamboo crafts, the jewelry all have the power to mesmerize.

Meeting Longrei was an affirmation to the unique artisan sensibilities that he brings to his accessories that he crafts out of materials native to him and to Manipur.

Longrei

Longrei shows his preference for black by dressing on a monochromatic color scheme with his short sleeve henleys, a pair of leather+knit paneled joggers and heavy duty Doc Martin ankle length boots. It absolutely works as his accessories shine through!

Longrei

His unique undercut with a long locks at the back hairstyle is held by this amazing pair of hair-pins fashioned with leather, beads and feathers. It brings such unique tribal infused aesthetics to these relevant and modern pieces. We love the dream-catcher neck piece that adorns his neck!

Longrei

His mirrored aviators, bracelets, studded biking glove and his looped in accessories add a rawness to this amazingly crafted and thought about masculine BIKER look. Longrei shows a perfect way to all the men who love accessories, but are afraid. What we love the most of infusion of the native with the modern.

Longrei

Longrei is a graphic designer from Manipur.