Oscar's 2016: Best and Worst Outfits & That Gold Snakeskin Dress

I wasn't intending to blog about The Oscars but I consumed so much media about it yesterday, from the moment I turned on the TV and saw Red Carpet interviews over breakfast, to during the day, when every time I glanced at social media I saw 'That Dress'....the Gold Dress by Tom Ford, worn by Margot Robbie, which 'looks like an Oscar' itself. 

It doesn't just look like an award statue though, the gold snake print fabric she's wearing is not too dissimilar to the gold snakeskin dress I wore on the Red Carpet for the Asian Media Awards back in October 2015. Hmmmm....has someone been copying my style?

TRENDS

Pluging necklines were the biggest Oscars trend this year with the majority of women walking the red carpet wearing dresses that drew attention to their cleavage. Personally I think my own gold dress with less skin on show, is far classier. Not that I'm against showing cleavage, it makes you feel amazing when you have a decent dress and a bit of boob showing, but it is sad that so many women feel they had to do this on the one day they'll get photographed most in their life. 

It's a sorry state of affairs that women need to show their skin while the men are in dapper suits, to get noticed in their careers. The biggest reason it's so important to dress well at The Oscars is that an actor/actress gets noticed, and cast in their next role but why is baring skin so important for this? The Oscar's have been going for 88 years and still this is what women are expected to do. Women who wore outfits that weren't as revealing were told they look dowdy and old fashioned - because modernity is all about looking semi naked right?

Choosing what one is wearing to The Oscars is clearly a big deal. Everyone in attendance will have faced every fashion dilemma going when it comes to choosing their outfit ...but some made much better decisions than others.

I won't di-sect every single outfit (you can do that on Google, there's enough opinions and photos out there to see what people are saying,) I'm just going to comment on what I think was the best outfit and the one that was a real disappointment...

Dress: Armani Prive

BEST OUTFIT: Cate Blanchette

Cate's was more than just the best outfit, it's the overall look. Every single element compliments her, the hair and make-up are equally as important. The the dress has character and personality and the colour is original and suits her complexion. It's the perfect dress for 'Cate.'

Dress by Zuhair Murad

MOST DISAPPOINTING OUTFIT: Priyaka Chopra

I LOVE PC as an actress, she's one of Bollywood's finest. Previously a model, her early acting career was pretty bad, but she's grown so much into a natural, intelligent and creative actress who's give some incredible performances. 

Despite this being the 88th Academy Awards there is a huge lack of South Asians represented at them. (Don't even get me started on the fact Bollywood films don't make it into the international category).

Priyanka being at the Oscars wasn't just her elevating her career, whether she liked it or not, she was representing Indians on a global scale. Ok that may sound unfair but she does carry some responsibility as an ambassador, especially as she was on the stage handing out an award. Even though she identifies as being part-American - she studied there, launched her pop career there and recently starred in US serial Quantico - the biggest success in her career has been starring in Indian cinema. 

In that world there are some incredible fashion designers, and she herself has worn some absolutely gorgeous colourful couture work - the kinds of designs Western audiences don't get much exposure to.

This was an opportunity to show the best in Asian fashion to the world and she chose to turn up in a simple, safe white dress with hair pulled back into a pony tail - which to me is the opposite of Cate's look - bland, and with zero personality. 

Priyanka has never been the most 'stylish' of actresses but she looks sooooooo much better when she appears at Indian functions in India, her attempts to do Oscar's glamour in a traditional gown are for me, a real disappointment.

Dress: Elizabeth Kennedy

Mindy Kaling, the other female South Asian icon at the Oscars looked remarkably better than Priyanka because although she wore a classic black dress, the detail of the blue  bow at the back is what gave it some personality and the overall look suited her. 

I'm not saying in anyway that because someone is Asian they should wear Asian clothes - but in Priyanka's case she has access to the best in Indian designers, so her choice was a wasted opportunity.

As for what I would wear to The Oscars, well I recently bought a red carpet dress (above) which has a gorgeous shimmer to it. It's the only long dress I own and I bought it in the January sales from Joy because it was reduced from £120 to £28 and fit me perfectly so I took it as a sign that I had to own it. It's what I would wear if I had to pick something from my current wardrobe right now.....but if I could get dressed by a designer, hands down it would be Manish Arora, Indian designer and fashion visionary. 

I can but only dream about wearing a creation of his One Day....

For this particular blog post I had to use images found online which aren't credited because there are so many versions of them - so thanks to whoever took them, I hope you can see this is a wee blog and I just needed them for illustrative purposes. Thanks.

2016...To Blog? Or Not To Blog?

It's mid February 2016 and I've not had a chance to blog this year yet. 

I have on the other hand changed my hair (above)...

Been to Morocco...

Been to Portugal...

Visited a gorgeous spa in London, M By Montcalm...

...as well as celebrated a 90th birthday party, done two weeks of jury service, organised a craft night, presented my week radio show, learnt how to do video editing, started making podcasts, been doing telly stuff, had two #EatUpCrews, and most important of all, been making a living. 

I've had this blog for six years and it's main purpose has been to remember and record some of what I get up, so that I don't forget it! But lately time has become more precious. Whereby blogging used to be my hobby, now I have lots of other hobbies. Something has to give to allow me to do new things and to make sure I don't fall behind on my ultimate, vision, dreams and goals.

So I am reducing the content I put on my blog. I'd like to go back to doing some craft tutorials and less writing about my escapades but I'll have to see what happens, for now though I would like to say a massive thank you to anyone who looks at or reads my blog.

Follow me on Twitter  (TheCraftCafe) and Instagram (The_CraftCafe) for daily updates on what I'm up to. 

And drop me an email anytime. contact@momtazbh.co.uk

Introducing The Eat Up Crew: South Indian Food lovers of London

Ashanti, Zoe & me Momtaz!

So it started with a conversation on Twitter. My dear friend and South Indian Expert Ashanti Omkar and I tweeted about meeting up with our friend Food Blogger Zoe Perret to eat 'hoppers'. As we publicly shared dates and desires for what we'd like on the menu, other people listened in and interacted with our conversation, about how delicious South Indian food is. Before we knew it, we had recruited a group of Foodies and formed what is now known as The #EatUpCrew. We've been meeting up once a month since the summer, on Friday nights, each time acquiring new members.

These meet ups make take place in East Ham, East London, home of a number of South Indian eateries including Keralan and Chettinad. The flavours from the South Indian region are different to others parts of the country and even within it there are differences, for example in Kerala you'll find more coconut based dishes, while food in Chennai is hotter. 

Dish wise there are several that are associated with the region, including hoppers; a breakfast dish eaten in Sri Lanka and some parts of South India. They are bowl shaped crepes that are an alternative to rice, and they are a 'focal food' in the #EatUpCrew.

AUGUST part 1: Ananthapuram

For our first ever #EatUpCrew we went to a classic South Indian restaurant where we feasted on all manner of local delicacies...

My happiest moment was when the hoppers - (also known as Appams), arrived. They are hard to come by in the UK, not all South Indian restaurants serve them, but as an addict, I'm committed to travelling to wherever they are!

Here are some of the foodie loving folk who joined us for our inaugural #EatUpCrew...

AUGUST (part 2): UDAYA

A mere two weeks after our first eat-out, we met up again to celebrate the Keralan festival of Onam. For just £10 per person we each got 28 vegetarian dishes, served authentically on a banana leaf, eaten using hands...

The aspect that intrigued me the most was the ordering of the leaf, everyone's looked identical and each was served up in exactly the same order. 

Only served once a year, the Onam feast is usually something observed at home, so to have somewhere in London where you can come to sample of it is an amazing privilege. Anyone who is vegetarian (in fact much of the meal was vegan) should put the date in their diary now for next year and for those who aren't, the whole experience is so unique, it should be tried at least once in your life.

SEPTEMBER: Anjappar (Chettinad cuisine)

My first experience of Chettinad food, which is the local cuisine in Chennai, the menu here was diverse, affordable and delicious, if a little on the spicy side. We ordered an epic feast which included dishes like idli and sambar and a huge masala fish... 

The classic South Indian dosa was on the menu too and it was about as impressive as they get in size. (A dosa is a light crepe style dish with a filling, get the full lowdown on Zoe's blog.)

As I was new to Chettinad food I opted for a thali to get a flavour of what's on offer. It was an epic platter which included a small dessert of rice pudding with tapioca balls, which was so tasty I had another two pots of it afterwards!

The food here (although a little hot for my palette) was excellent value and the venue was spacious enough for a large group. They also accommodated our many requests for take away containers with ease - this Eat Up Crew never wastes, we'll always finish off any leftovers later! This is a restaurant we'll be visiting again, in 2016.

OCTOBER: Aappa Kadai, 315 High St North, East Ham, London, E12 6SL. 

This visit was one big hopper fest. The hoppers are made in view of you and you order them as you need them - and we all needed several!

Alongside the classic Bull's Eye egg hoppers, there were also meat, curried egg and cheese hoppers, which cost between £1 and £1.50. Each was used to mop up curries. The most popular of which was the garlic curry. I would never have thought of ordering a garlic curry but it was amazing. It consisted of soft, whole garlic cloves and was a bit like when you roast them and they become all yummy and moist inside.

The biggest revelation of the evening however, was that I had my first dessert hopper. A plain hopper with a filling of warm, sweet coconut milk, it was Comfort food with a capital C. So, so good. Every bite was a mouthful of heaven. Just writing about it is bringing back all the sensations. It's actually not listed on the menu, but now you know they make them, ask for one!

NOVEMBER: Hopper's London

The most anticipated restaurant opening in London in the South Asian food scene in 2016, Hoppers London has been reviewed and praised by just about every food journalist and publication growing with full mark reviews each time. At triple the price of what we are used to paying in East Ham, but in central London surroundings, with a swankier, rather than rustic setting, although initially we were a bit sceptical, the fuss became clear as soon as we sat down.

The first thing one needs to know about Hoppers London is that they don't take bookings, you have to queue. Upon arrival, our group were told the wait was one hour, which then changed to two hours so we chilled in a nearby pub beforehand. Just as the second round of drinks arrived we were messaged to say if we didn't get there in 10 minutes we would lose our table.

I feel this is a massive flaw in the service at Hoppers London, to chop and change timings is unfair then to be told you have two hours and then 10 minutes....it's not acceptable. If restaurants feel the need to run this way they should really have the option of some bookings and some drop ins. 

Thankfully despite this poor level of service in terms of trying to eat here, the food was delicious, menu prices not as bad as we had anticipated and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming, though seating is a little cramped.

We began with testing out the 'short eats' part of the menu, which is essentially starters and included Sri Lankan specialities like string hoppers (light noodles) and bone marrow before going onto the main event - the hoppers! 

Perfectly formed and served with your choice of curry and optional condiments, the hopper was a joy to eat and everyone polished it off with ease. Most of us had two hoppers to mop up the curry, before we then ordered the full dessert menu which we devoured in an instant, they were all divine. 

Our meal came to £25pp with drinks and all of us enjoyed the food. I would definitely like to go back I'm just sure sure about the whole booking/queing/trying to get a table situation. I hope they read this and realise the system needs improving. 

DECEMBER: Aappa Kadai (again!) 315 High St North, East Ham, London, E12 6SL. 

For our final feast of the year, it had to be hoppers so we we returned to Aappa Kadai, where before we put our hopper orders in, we dined on a medley of starters including crispy okra and battered cauliflower. And of course we ended the meal with yummy dessert, coconut milk infused hoppers. 

Our meal with drinks came to £15pp. 

JOIN THE #EATUPCREW
We've not set dates for 2016 yet but we've agreed that the #EatUpCrew will continue. It's been a real pleasure to connect with so many new people, all bound by our passion for South Indian food. It's a great way to do something social, without the pressures of spending too much money and with food is common, breaking the ice for conversations is easy. 

If the idea of trying South Indian food, sampling different dishes, or simply hanging out with some friendly people, follow the hashtag #EatUpCrew on twitter or get in touch with me.

Here's to more foodie friends and foodie gatherings in 2016!

Asian Media Awards 2015 - My 'Finalist' Outfit!

It's not like I need an excuse to dress up. But when there's a specific event, there's nothing I love more than curating a special outfit, just for that day. As a Finalist in the 'TV Presenter Of The Year' category at The Asian Media Awards 2015, I was extra excited and enthused about the possibilities. In this interview I did above when I arrived I was asked 'do you dress like that just to stand out?' The answer? NO! This is me. I have expressed myself through fashion ever since I was at primary school - styling skills like this don't just come overnight you know! While my look is clearly not to everyone's tastes, I have only ever dressed for ME. So here's what I created for the Asian Media Awards 2015: 

'Desi Spacegirl' a sci-fi inspired hybrid of cyber punk chic and Bollywood Glamour...

The Outfit in full, shot at Hotel Gotham, in Manchester, where I stayed

THE DRESS

Finding the right dress was the starting point. I knew early on I wanted something 'fusion' flavoured. I had no intention of buying an Indian outfit or borrowing one, I wanted to get something handmade. I had a look on Etsy which is filled with indie designers (I prefer to support them over big brands) and came across the shimmering styles by Coquetry Clothing. It was one of those instant YES's - the bit that did it for me was the sleeves and I love a flared skirt.

THE ACCESSORIES

Trims bought in Green Street, London

The dress needed heels to make it work so I bought a plain pair from Ebay and customised them. As the dress clearly had a Western feel I wanted my accessories to add the Asian vibe so I decided to create my own. I didn't need to buy a bag, a few months ago my friend Zoe was chucking out an old Indian clutch and it was the perfect size for carrying what I needed for the event - lipgloss and lots of business cards! It was a good excuse to top up my trim supplies so I had a spree in a gorgeous new haberdashery in East London.

Materials I used to customise Bollywood themed shoes and handbag

And here are The Shoes...(thanks Suman for the photo!)

And...The Clutch

For finishing touches I had some mendhi done on one of my hands from the Pavan Henna Bar in Selfridges

...and to add a cosmic edge I had some galaxy themed nails done (these are my real nail, not not fake ones!) Thanks Susanna for the artistry.

I used a folky themed trim to make a belt (I added ties and beads at the end). It fit around my waist with just enough left to make a matching cuff.)

THE MAKE-UP

I have long been an admirer of Make-Up Artist Armand Beasley, he's not your typical MUA, he's much more creative and understands what femininity and individuality mean. He's also based in Manchester (though if Goldy Hawn is in the UK, he's her personal MUA - thankfully she didn't need him the night of the awards - so I nabbed him for me!)

Armand created this incredible 'Starship Troopers meets Blade Runner meets Glamazon look'...perfect for my Desi Spacegirl theme - and you saw it here first. Gold eyebrows are going to be a thing.

The event itself was fun, positive and filled with smiles. I caught up with friends and influential people. I'm a massive supporter of the Asian Media industry, I've been involved in it since I was 17 and I hope I'll always have a chance to make my mark in it, and the wider media world.

Here's some more snaps from the glittering evening...

With Asad Shan, who won TV Presenter Of The Year (no hard feelings...clearly we should Co-Present something!)

Fabulous actresses Clara Indrani and Goldy Notay whose play Happy Birthday Sunita was nominated for Best Stage Show

TV & Radio Presenter extraordinaire Shay Grewal

BBC Asian Network's Haroon Rashid with Video Channel Of The Year winner Planet Parle

With Nat Bollywood & Matt Doodling Around

The Asian Media Awards 2015 took place at The Hilton Deansgate in Manchester. See the full list of winners here.