Brands
Blenders Pride fashion tour races ahead in Jaipur
JAIPUR: The Blenders Pride Fashion Tour took Jaipur for a spin on Saturday, turning the Pink City’s runway into a fast-moving playground of fashion and horsepower. Leaning into the rising motorcore trend, the showcase blended speed, style and spectacle in a way that felt more racetrack than ramp.
In partnership with the Fashion Design Council of India, the Tour reimagined its Jaipur edition as a high-speed circuit. Designers Namrata Joshipura and Abhishek Paatni brought motor-inspired silhouettes, chrome finishes and performance-driven detailing to the stage, crafting looks that pushed fashion firmly into the fast lane.
Harnaaz Sandhu owned the finale, gliding down the runway with the confidence of a star in full throttle. Rapper Raftaar closed the evening with an electrifying act that matched the show’s pulse. The showcase unfolded in three themed laps: The Start Line, The Pit Lane and The Glam Night. Each segment revved up the visual drama before a stunt-powered supercar moment sealed the night with a roar.
Pernod Ricard India CMO Debasree Dasgupta said, the Tour’s Jaipur edition set a new pace by merging the thrill of motorsport with high fashion to celebrate boldness and innovation.
Designer Abhishek Paatni noted that the collaboration allowed fashion to shift into new gears while Namrata Joshipura said the platform inspired her to fuse motorsport precision with couture. Showstopper Harnaaz Sandhu called the experience pure adrenaline while Raftaar praised the Tour for putting fashion on an entirely new track. FDCI chairman Sunil Sethi said the partnership showcased creativity and culture while steering Indian fashion towards its next chapter.
With Jaipur wrapped, the tour now heads to Kolkata where designer Anamika Khanna will bring contemporary craftsmanship to the spotlight on 20 December with Ishaan Khatter as the showstopper.
Brands
Malaika Arora launches accessories brand Maejoy
The Bollywood star’s lifestyle brand, built with Myntra and Exceed Entertainment, promises aspirational fashion without the high price tag
MUMBAI: Malaika Arora is not the first Bollywood star to put her name on a brand, and she will not be the last. But Maejoy, the accessories label she has launched in partnership with Myntra Jabong India Private Limited (MJIPL) and talent outfit Exceed Entertainment, at least has a sharper pitch than most. The brand drops with 250-plus styles spanning handbags and lab-grown diamond jewellery, two categories that sit squarely in the sweet spot between aspiration and affordability, and lands on Myntra’s platform from day one, putting it in front of millions of shoppers without breaking a sweat.
The handbag range covers the full gamut: crossbody bags, structured shoulder bags, bucket bags, totes, workwear classics, backpacks and clutches, rendered in synthetic leather, raffia, braids, satin, rhinestone and metallic finishes. The jewellery line runs to rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets and tennis bracelets in silver, gold and rose-gold tones, set in 925 sterling silver with IGI and GCI certified lab-grown diamonds. The brand’s guiding philosophy, “The Joy of Being Me,” stakes its claim on individuality and self-expression; its three brand pillars, Authentic, Empowering, Accessible, are the usual suspects, though the lab-grown diamond bet is savvier than it sounds. Lab-grown stones now sell at a fraction of the price of mined ones, and the category is growing fast in India as younger buyers wise up to the arbitrage.
“Maejoy is a labour of love. Throughout my career, whether on screen, in business, or through my personal style, I’ve championed the idea that fashion should be empowering yet effortless. The brand aims to democratise global fashion trends while offering women something that extends the feeling of luxury every day, be it a lab-grown diamond or a perfectly crafted handbag,” said Malaika Arora, founder of Maejoy
MJIPL, the B2B wholesale arm of Myntra, is putting its design and brand-building muscle behind the venture. Suman Saha, chief experience officer and head of house of brands at MJIPL, was bullish on the tie-up.
“Maejoy brings together Malaika Arora’s distinctive style perspective with a strong proposition in the accessible yet elevated accessories space. We believe the brand’s fashion-forward designs and thoughtful positioning will connect strongly with discerning consumers.”
Suman Saha, chief experience officer, head of house of brands, MJIPL
Afsar Zaidi, chief executive of Exceed Entertainment, the talent management firm that helped broker the deal, has worked with MJIPL before and was characteristically direct about what makes Arora an unusually bankable partner.
“Building celebrity-led brands requires a delicate balance of authenticity and market viability. Malaika is a rare talent who commands equal respect as a fashion icon and a savvy businesswoman. We are proud to facilitate this partnership that brings together her creative clout and Myntra’s brand-building excellence,” said Zaidi
Celebrity fashion brands live or die on one question: does the star actually wear it, or is the cheque the only thing they signed? Arora, who has spent three decades as one of Bollywood’s most-watched style references, has at least built a plausible case. Maejoy is live now on www.myntra.com and the Myntra app. The real test, whether shoppers buy the handbag or just the hype, starts today.
