Raksha Bandhan: Gifts to get your sister who loves fashion

By Anusha Sinha

Is your sister someone who has grown up in front of the mirror, trying out makeup when parents were not around? Does she spend hours preening herself before every outing to the sabji mandi to make sure she looks her best? Is her Instagram filled with pictures of her posing in outfits that would make a model jealous? Why then, she has a case of the fashionista.

This Raksha bandhan, we know you want to show your sister how much she means to you but we also know better than to advise you to go and pick out clothes for her. There are simply too many reasons why that is a bad idea unless you know your sister well enough to judge exactly which chambray shirt she would want to pair with her favourite skirt.

That is why we have searched long and hard to come up with a selection of things that will help her develop her already acute fashion sense and dress better.

First up, before the practice, she should have a firm grounding in theory. Literature seems like the last place where you’d want to go for fashion advice, but who knows, reading about a fashion designer’s career might just inspire your sister to take up the same thing.

Firstly, the essentials:

This book records the lives of Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld in vivid details and brings to life the 1970s Paris fashion scene. It juxtaposes these two fashion greats to show you just the kind of eccentricity you need to survive in this business.

Starting from Rs 300 on Amazon .

Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology by Andrew Bolton

Featuring a foreword by Jony Ive, this interesting book aims to look at the changing ways in which fashion and technology interact with each other. It looks at both traditional processes of creating designer clothes and innovative technological ways to do so with equal depth. It also includes interviews of some fashion giants speaking on technology and how it has revolutionized the fashion industry.

Starting from Rs 2,100 on Amazon .

How to get Dressed by Alison Freer

This is a handbook by a costume designer who outlines the easy way of organising the clothes you already have and arranging them in the just the right combinations to fit any occasion. A must-have for anyone who wants to understand how to make their wardrobe work for them.

Starting from Rs 300 on Amazon . 

Now for some fashion related entertainment, buy one of these movies which showcase both the grit and glamour of the fashion world in equal measure.

The Devil Wears Prada

This movie depicts the struggle of a young assistant who climbs her way up the ladder of the cutthroat world of fashion and the many trials she faces along the way. You can get her either the movie or the book, depending on which medium she prefers.

Book (Rs. 70 for the kindle version ).

Movie (Rs 490 on iTunes  and starting from Rs 200 on Amazon ).

Zoolander and Zoolander 2

These movies satirize the fashion world and its many excesses. Starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, the two movies feature outrageous outfits, ridiculous pouts and inane plotlines. Those are all part of its quirky charm.

Starting from Rs 240 and Rs 360 on Amazon .

The September Issue

This documentary goes behind-the-scenes on the creation of the September issue of Vogue which is led by the legendary Anna Wintour. It takes the audience to the very heart of the process that is used to create this Bible of fashion.

Starting from Rs 240 on Amazon :

Dior and I

Whereas ‘The September Issue’ takes you behind the creation of a fashion magazine, this movie shows you the rigorous creative process behind the birth of Raf Simons’ haute couture collection. It is a tribute to the legacy of Christian Dior as well as to the people who serve his vision even today.

Starting at Rs 240 on Amazon .

Now that your sister has a fair idea of the kind of life she has signed up for, time to let her express her unique sense of style. Like for finding true love or recording the places you have pooped, there exist apps for fashion, too. Get these for your sister’s phone so she can keep on top of the latest trends and dress up elegantly every single time.

Polyvore Style: Fashion to Buy

This app claims to be the one-stop destination to all things fashion anyone could possibly want to know about. Straight from the best deals online to endless fashion inspiration from famous bloggers, this app has it all.

Fashion Freax Street Style App

This app presents you with daily shopping inspiration and allows you to browse street looks from all around the world and even create your own. You can look through fashion ideas created by other users just like you and then even put together ensembles by buying the clothes you see.

Free, on the Play Store .

These apps, books and movies will help your lovely sister blossom from a potato into the gorgeous beauty queen you never believed she could be (if she hasn’t already made that transition). Perhaps, when she becomes busy with these, she won’t even think of trying out some makeup on your face for fun!

If all else fails, you can always go accompany her on a shopping trip. It might be painful for you but hey, you’ve got to show you care (even if it costs you an arm and a leg).