LINKS
MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT
A look at Blackpink’s Lisa’s signature styles s she makes her solo debut
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HAIR & BEAUTY
Take a break from your favourite high pony with these simple ponytail ideas
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LOCAL FEATURE
Dimapur-based footwear designer Kaka Sumi shares his design journey
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ENTER LISA’S UNIVERSE
AS K-POP ICON, BLACKPINK’S LISA MAKES HER SOLO DEBUT, WE DECODE HER SIGNATURE LOOKS FOR YOU TO TRY OUT AND SHOW YOUR LOVE TO THE STYLISH RAPPER AND SINGER
After Jennie and Rosé, it was Lalisa Manobal or Lisa of K-pop group Blackpink who launched her solo song, telling the world that she has arrived and is a star in her own right. Like most things related to Blackpink, Lisa’s solo debut, titled, Lalisa gained more than a million views on YouTube within two days. The rapper in the group who is known for her killer dance moves and routines is also a style icon with her statement bangs, constant experiments with classic styles, and her easy off-duty looks.
In her video, Lisa shows off many different styles, starting with an edgy skirt and blazer combination, as she plays an ode to the band, Iron Maiden. She also wears a black gown with a trail that is a signature style seen in most K-pop videos. As glamorous as the gown is, Lisa then dresses down in a sweatshirt and beanie. Seen in just a few shots are a sequined black fringe dress that moves effortlessly as Lisa performs. She is also styled in a biker jacket worn with statement sequin pants, and an all-leather look for a desert scene, a classic tailored suit, and a few hot pants combinations. A standout look from the video is the scene which is a tribute to her Thai heritage. Just like the music video which shows how comfortable Lisa is with different style trends, her personal style too spans a broad spectrum. Here’s a look.
BANG ON STYLE BANGS
Regardless of the outfit she chooses, Lisa is known for her signature bangs. She mostly wears them super glossy, with each strand in place, and we have seen her experiment with her colour over the years, from a grey balayage to blonde. She often plays with her wigs to create stage-breaking styles such as a colourful high ponytail as seen on Ariana Grande, long pigtails with wavy hair, or long braids that could work as a whip if she was style police. A gently scrunched bob in her natural hair length is also her go-to look for red carpet looks or off-duty style. With her experimentations, Lisa shows us how bangs can look good with all hair lengths, even if you bleach a section of your hair to create a faux undercut.
FUN-YET-POLISHED
Lisa is a true style chameleon and is seen sporting widely different styles— think a sequined flapper style dress on one day and an oversized hoodie on another. Regardless of the many styles she likes to show off, one of her constant signatures is a tailored blazer worn in different ways. She has been seen in a deconstructed blazer dress, she wore a sequined blazer over jeans for her appearance at Paris Fashion Week, and has often worn oversized blazers over T-shirt and jeans. Another favourite piece is a sweatshirt or an oversized hoodie, often with emblazoned brand logos. She also loves accessories, be it a simple silk scrunchie worn around the wrist, delicate chains and earrings or a statement bag carried with the most basic outfit.
THE PONYTAIL GUIDE
A BUBBLE PONY, BRAIDED PONY, A WAVY PONY — GIVE YOUR FAVOURITE HIGH PONY A BREAK WITH THESE SIMPLE-YET-EDGY PONYTAILS.
A sleek, high ponytail is often a go-to for many of us as it can make you look chic, make your face look tighter and, it’s an easy work hairdo that will not bother you once it is up. It goes well with a saree or other Indian outfits, and it looks equally great with a mini shimmery dress.
TEXTURED, VOLUMINOUS PONY
If you have curly or wavy texture, make most of the volume of your hair to create a voluminous ponytail. For this, first, use a gel-like product to smoothen out your hair on the top. Next, brush through the product on top to flatten out your hair and tie it into a high pony. Make your natural texture work by adding some mousse or any texture enhancing and gloss offering product and scrunch and define your curls. Finish with Livon Serum for Rough and Dry Hair to get 24-hour smoothness.
THE WRAPPED PONY
Can’t decide between a braid and a pony? Take a mid-road with the wrapped pony. For this, spray Livon Hair Straightening Serum on your hair, it will help you make the most out of the flat ironing session and make the process faster. Once your hair is super straight, create a middle part and flatten your hair with a styling gel. Now tie a pony, high or low is your choice. Get a velvet ribbon according to your hair length and knot the fabric at the base of your pony. Now tightly wrap it around your pony till mid-length and secure it.
THE BUBBLE PONY
For this super easy style, first tie your hair up in a high pony, now tie elastics at equally spaced out levels and tease and fluff out the hair in between to create a bubble. You can also use ribbons instead to make your pony cuter with bows. You can decide on the number of sections you wish to add. You can also pin the sections with hairpins, to the back of your head to make it look like a bubble French braid-style pony.
THE SUPER-TEASED PONY
If you like a lot of volume on top and beachy waves, this should be your pony style. Start with using Livon Heat Protect Serum on your hair. Now create loose waves through the lengths of your hair and, you can even create a little volume on top with your heat tool. You can skip this step if you don’t wish to have loose waves and go with your naturally straight hair. Now wear your hair in a high pony and gently tease it out on the top with a tail comb. Finish with hairspray so that your pouffe stays in place. To create more volume on top, you can start by using a volumizing shampoo and blow-drying your hair with your head upside down.
THE NOUGHTIES ARE BACK!
OFTEN TOUTED AS THE WORST ERA OF FASHION, THE FIRST DECADE OF THE 2000S IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY CRINGE-WORTHY LOOKS, WHICH HAVE MADE A COMEBACK. BUT THERE’S A TRICK TO PULL OFF THESE STYLES AND NOT LOOK DATED
We love the bohemian style of the ’70s, the corsets from Regency core, the perfectly tailored dresses from the ’60s, and the grunge and preppy fashion of the ’90s. An era that is hated the most by fashion lovers is the time from 2000 to 2009, known as the noughties. And whether you like it or not, it has made a comeback. At the MTV VMAs held last month, several artists were seen giving a salute to the era on the red carpet.
Singer Olivia Rodrigo wore a vintage gown from 2001, which turned out to be older than her. Singer Madison Beer wore a silken dress which was worn by Beyoncé back in 2003. Rocker Avril Lavigne, one of the popular female icons from the era, also made an appearance on the red carpet doing a 2021 version of plaid, a style she was often seen in during her heydays. The style from this era is very tricky and can easily veer towards being tacky. And some styles, like wearing a dress over jeans, from the era are better left untouched. Here’s a guide on doing it the right way.
SCARF TOPS
From Beyonce to Christina Aguilera, everyone in that era wore scarf tops. Turns out, every girl on Instagram today is also sporting one for the gram. Often worn with low-slung jeans (another signature from the era) you can restyle the scarf top in many ways. For starters, if you don’t have one, wrap a scarf around your bust to make your piece. Select a fabric that is slightly longer so that you can tie it well. Instead of low-rise jeans, pair it with high-waisted flair-bottomed white denim pants so it’s just your collar bones on show. Accessorize with hoops or slinky gold chains around your neck. You can even wear a bulky blazer on top of this to make your look more day meeting friendly. Giving a scarf top a tough competition is a tube top, often worn with skirts during the time.
PLEATED AND MINI SKIRTS
Midi skirts have been trending for a while now but miniskirts never really went out of style. Miniskirts in florals, plaid and denim were a staple back then. Much more popular was the pleated mini skirt. You can try wearing them with bulky sweatshirts to contrast the formal pleats with a relaxed style.
MICRO BAGS
In addition to popstars, baguette bags and micro bags were a staple in the iconic show Sex and the City, and they have made a comeback and how! While logo bags form a big part of this trend, if you don’t want to break the bank, you can probably buy one in lilac, which was a popular pastel shade from the era, and it has come back too. Add a choker and you’ll be the babe from the 2000s.
CARGO PANTS
They are utilitarian and cool, that’s what made the multi-pocketed cargo pants popular. To make your style worthy of today’s times, try to wear jogger-style cargos with many pockets, a K-pop favourite.
LUXURY, DESIGN AND NAGALAND
DIMAPUR-BASED FOOTWEAR DESIGNER KAKA SUMI SHARES HIS DESIGN JOURNEY
“As a 90s kid living in Dimapur, I was heavily influenced by the pop culture of the era," says footwear designer Kaka Sumi. The biggest influence in his life though were the strong, progressive women amongst his family and friends, who too were in sync with the trends of the groovy era.
Being raised in a female-dominated family, high heels were always something that fascinated him, reminisces the designer. When he reached his seventh grade, he realised that his love for Victoria Beckham led to a footwear obsession, as Sumi, who loved sketching, had difficulty drawing the heels worn by Beckham. And this practice of sketching footwear planted the seed for his future as a luxury footwear designer, who wouldn’t just go on to create heels but also edgy footwear for men. Sumi then got a diploma from Footwear Design and Development Institute, Noida and graduated from NIFT, Chennai.
WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST DESIGN EXPERIMENTS?
In addition to sketching since seventh grade, I used to pull apart my mom’s shoes and reassemble them, which taught me integral aspects of footwear. By ninth grade, I started making paper shoes, assembling them just like real ones.
YOUR CHALLENGES?
Getting quality shoes made with the right balance is a headache (in India). Also, consumers aren’t very aware that they are otherwise buying fast fashion, which isn’t kind to a startup. After nine years, I still have not given up though. Dare to be different and keep aiming for perfection, rest should fall in place. Made in India is a true luxury in every sense. Indian craftsmen's finesse will get recognition if there is transparency in the manufacturing sector. Citizens need to promote and support homegrown labels and support our country’s ability.
YOUR FAVOURITE CRAFTS OF NORTH EAST?
The ornamentation and bone carvings, the intricate mane works on the headgears and accessories, reed and bamboo weaves, and feather work are a few of my favourite crafts. Plus, there is so much more to learn and see.
HOW DO YOU LIKE TO UNWIND?
I love socializing and meeting people from different walks of life, not necessarily from the fashion industry. Cooking relaxes me and I love hosting.
YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EXPERIENCING DIMAPUR?
There are amazing eateries across Dimapur. My favourites include The Indian Restaurant, Hungry Brothers, Nichey Resto, The Black Sheep, A.T. patisserie, Bistro29, and Feast Cove. Visit the supermarkets for handicrafts and also visit the Saturday and Wednesday Bazaar for vintage finds.
