Retropoplifestyle

Bald and Plus Size, still a Model – Akshaya Navaneethan – L Ramachandran – Breaking the Stereotype

Breaking the stereotype, Playboy magazine photographer L. Ramachandran shoots with a Bald and Plus-size model

Ramachandran is a self-taught photographer who has a huge passion for photography and arts. Working with a broad variety of mind, he orchestras a complex artistic profile that emphasizes on capturing the beauty of female presence. He has managed to stay relevant and has been able to re-invent himself in new areas as the area of photography has transformed given the onslaught of the digital revolution. His shots capture complex emotion in frozen instants, portraying moments of deep thought. Capturing the alluring form of human figures, with his technique of manipulating light work has gained him international acclaim.

Recently he had a photoshoot with a plus size, bald female model, Akshaya Navaneethan. The purpose of going bald was to help cancer survivors for which she shaved her head and donated the hair. Dr. L. Ramachandran is well versed and experienced international photographers who are the only Indian representative photographer of Playboy magazine and also holds a Guinness world record. He feels that a woman’s beauty is not based on her looks, it depends on the inner soul. A woman plays many characters in real life, which varies from other perspectives. Her soul and her courage are her real beauty.
L.Ramachandran thinks what made her unique was her strong determination to reach out to other women and motivate them to accept their ‘fat’ bodies and feel beautiful and positive. Akshaya, who hails from Chennai, is a fashion designer by profession. She is also a blogger, plus-size model and anchors various shows as well. She thinks if by shaving her head, it brings discussion and awareness to people’s mind then she has done one small thing to enhance the fight against the disease.
According to him, there is no obligatory standard to be beautiful. A woman’s beauty was never associated with being skinny or fair; such arguments remain only on paper. The popular notion of being attractive is what society believes in It all depends on the purpose of the shoot. As he is shooting for Playboy he takes it in an artistic aesthetic way. They can shoot anything but the message need to be conveyed in a proper manner. It will solve the purpose of the shoot and completely emote the audience. It has become a necessity to stop stereotyping beauty in today’s world. To compete in the industry one needs to be unique and creative. As the digital medium is totally reachable due to technology advancement, one cannot keep on repeating the things.
Not only skinny and tall but plus-size models can also be photogenic as every creation contains its own beauty. And the photogenic part depends on the person behind the camera and not the model. L.Ramachandran has succeeded in changing the fashion industry’s perspective that beauty cannot be defined by one’s physical appearance, is on a journey to bring the same change in society as well.L.Ramachandran tries to break this stigma around female by featuring photographs using different mediums of expression such as clay, body paints, flowers, etc. His work showcased the female form in the purest sense. According to him breaking the stigma of body-shaming is a part of visual art, bringing out humanity with clarity, simplicity, strength, and beauty.

Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, Malaika Arora and Zumba(R) Fitness LLC invest in Indian yoga and wellness brand SARVA

Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, Malaika Arora and Zumba® Fitness LLC invest in Indian yoga and wellness brand SARVA

In a first-of-its-kind move, global pop icon Jennifer Lopez, American baseball legend Alex Rodriguez, Bollywood diva Malaika Arora, and Zumba®, the largest branded fitness program in the world, have come together to invest in an Indian yoga and wellness start-up, SARVA. They join an illustrious list of global investors in a recently concluded Friends & family round to make SARVA one of the most promising endeavors in the world. The curated list of people who make up this stellar roster are personalities like David Giampaolo (Chairman of the company and Chief Executive Pi Capital), Mark Mastrov (Founder, 24 Hour Fitness Worldwide, Inc.), Bill Roedy (Former Chairman & CEO, MTV Networks Int’l), among many others.

SARVA was born as a brainchild of a yogi turned entrepreneur, Sarvesh Shashi, when he was just 23. SARVA’s mission is to build a global community of physically, mentally and emotionally fit individuals, achieved through yoga, mindfulness, movement and beyond, and to provide for the same through state-of-the-art brick and mortar studios, accessible and interactive technology, and lifestyle products.

SARVA currently has 91 studios across India, clustering Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru. Its next cluster will include the other metros of the country. In a bid to create its international footprint, over the next few years, it will continue to evaluate market opportunities in USA, UK, and Middle East once it has penetrated the already existing very large Indian market.

Atlantis,The Palm hosts the Ultimate Retro Party in Dubai

Nasimi Beach Presents the Ultimate Retro Party

Nasimi Beach is kicking off summer in style with Dubai’s ultimate retro party, featuring the best throwback tunes, tasty treats, free-flowing beverages and lashings of sunshine from 12 pm to 8 pm on Friday 3rd May. Revelers will dance the day away to the best ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s hits as they enjoy a range of great games, brilliant bites, poolside fun and much more.

Nasimi Beach at Atlantis, The Palm, will be transformed into the ultimate nostalgia bonanza for this unmissable bash. Visitors will be offered complimentary access to the beach with the first 30 ladies to arrive receiving complimentary iced treats and VIP access to the volleyball court, sun loungers, beds, cabanas and sofas. It’s certainly a day not to be missed for the ladies, who will get free-flowing bubbly from 12pm to 1pm. The giveaways don’t end there as everyone can enjoy the Happy Hour sundowners with 50 percent off between 4pm-5pm on selected beverages. To keep the party going throughout the entire day, a selection of fresh salads, burgers and beach snacks will also be on offer. For more variety, an à la carte food and drinks will also be available to the public. If that wasn’t enough, the retro party will give partygoers the perfect excuse to sing their hearts out to the likes of ABBA, Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson and Spice Girls.

Nasimi Beach is the ultimate seaside party hotspot Dubai has to offer, located at the city’s best entertainment destination and boasting breath-taking views of the city’s iconic skyline. The retro party will be an Instagrammer’s dream with a special photo wall and chic retro décor guaranteed to rack up those likes. The party will also feature hashtag competitions with the most liked picture winning a brunch for six at the famous Saffron, while the most shared post will claim a brunch for four and the best dressed winning a smaller special prize.

Summer Love -The Perfect First Date in New York City

The Perfect First Date in New York City

No place serves as a better backdrop for summer love than in New York City. With the boroughs abuzz over Stonewall’s upcoming 50th anniversary and America’s first World Pride, this is the season to jump-start your own history with the perfect first date. Check the four great LGBTQ+ date itineraries to let romance bloom in NYC.

The Classic Spring Date

The Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden. This year it’s inspired by Singapore, where the orchid is the national flower. Among the thousands of gorgeous orchids on view, you’ll see tributes to the country’s famed floral “Supertrees”—tall structures that combine natural and man-made elements. After soaking up the flora, head next door to see fauna at the Bronx Zoo; the Congo Gorilla Forest and new Dinosaur Safari are among the highlights.

Hop the subway down to Central Park to check out the beautiful budding trees at Cherry Hill—just steps away from Sheep Meadow, where New York City’s first Pride March in 1970 culminated in a “gay-in” with thousands of LGBTQ+ folk and their supporters. Grab a late lunch at the Loeb Central Park Boathouse and make sure to ask for a table on the patio overlooking The Lake; afterward, up the romantic ante by renting a rowboat for a leisurely paddle on the water.

The Culture-Lovers’ Date

No city on the planet can match NYC for its sheer diversity of art museums and galleries, a number of which have queer-themed exhibitions on display. At the Met’s Costume Institute this spring is the playful Camp: Notes on Fashion, which explores the development of the camp aesthetic in fashion, using Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay “Notes on ‘Camp’” as the show’s framework. Just down Fifth Avenue, you can pop into the fantastic Frick Collection for a quick gander at the Renaissance hotties in Moroni: The Riches of Renaissance Portraiture. At MoMA, Lincoln Kirstein’s Modern explores the sweeping cultural contributions of impresario Lincoln Kirstein, co-founder of the New York City Ballet and a key figure in NYC’s cultural queer underground during the 1930s and ’40s. Wrap up your artsy date with dinner at the museum’s Michelin-starred Modern restaurant, where you can share your impressions over contemporary cuisine.

The Music-Lovers’ Date

New York City is nirvana for music lovers. Hundreds of venues cater to fans of every style of music, artists popular with the LGBTQ+ community appear nightly in concert and scores of queer-friendly annual events like Night of 1,000 Stevies pepper the scene. For a great music-themed date, start off with dinner at the legendary Cafe Carlyle, the swank Upper East Side restaurant and cabaret that features performers like Megan Mullally, appearing in May as part of her duo Nancy and Beth.

Then dash downtown to try to catch a late set at Joe’s Pub, which regularly hosts queer (and queer-beloved) artists like Justin Sayre, Justin Vivian Bond and Jay Brannan. Cap off the night by releasing your inner crooner at Marie’s Crisis, the West Village sing-along piano bar that’s an NYC gay institution.

The Proud Date

June marks Stonewall’s 50th anniversary and the coming of WorldPride, so you might want to dedicate your date to celebrate New York City’s pivotal role in queer history. Start at the New-York Historical Society, the City’s oldest museum, which this spring hosts Stonewall 50. The program comprises two LGBTQ-themed exhibits as well as Say It Loud, Out and Proud: Fifty Years of Pride, a graphic installation of images and iconography from the first half-century of NYC Pride marches. Move next to NYU’s Grey Art Gallery to see how Stonewall impacted the generation of artists that followed, in the groundbreaking exhibition Art After Stonewall, a co-production with Soho’s Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art. Take a stroll through romantic Washington Square Park, a site loaded with Pride history: Bette Midler and Barry Manilow took the stage here during the 1973 NYC Pride celebration, and the Dyke March, an annual event since 1993, uses the park as its end point.On the west side of the park, Red Bamboo (where a big rainbow flag flies from June to November) serves up delicious “vegan comfort food” options. After dinner, head into the West Village for drinks, first stopping at Julius’, where a 1966 “sip-in” protest by gays predated the Stonewall Uprising by three years. Scenes from 1970 movie The Boys in the Band were shot here too. Wrap up your Pride-filled date at the place where the fight for LGBTQ+ rights kicked into overdrive: the iconic Stonewall Inn.

Actor Sonu Sood Unveils the PAN INDIA Fitness Franchise

Actor Sonu Sood Unveils the PAN INDIA Fitness Franchise “Rhinos Gym” in National Capital

Today, one of the fittest actor in Bollywood becomes the Brand Ambassador of PAN INDIA fitness and wellness franchise chain “Rhinos Gym”. The brand was unveiled at Taj Palace, Delhi. Also, there were many dignitaries present at the launch from the fitness industry- Bhupinder Dhawan – (Droncharya Award winner known as Guruji), Mukesh Gehlot, Ravi Prashar and Deepak Prasher (Libra brothers), Aminder Singh(Team Aminder ), Sucheta pal (Zumba queen of India), Junaid Kaliwala (Athlete) and Kaizzad Capadia and Kalyani Capadia from K11 Fitness Academy.
Rhinos Gym India was founded in 2018 by people with experience of setting more than 9000 gymnasiums across India. Powered by Fitline, the aim of the chain is to provide highly profitable, elite and functional fitness clubs across India. The founder of the chain, Mr. Harmeet Singh Luthra has been serving the fitness industry since 25 years.
Providing elite and functional fitness clubs that are highly profitable with a super quick return on investments, the management of Rhinos Gym aims to help develop a project which not only focuses on the service that is being delivered to your club’s members but also ensures great and beyond expectations faster returns to its franchisees.
Rhinos Gym opened its first franchise in Paschim Vihar, Delhi. The second club opened in Naraina, Delhi and the third open club is Andheri, East, Mumbai. Shalimar Bagh, Delhi, and Malviya Nagar, Delhi is in Pre-sale with Jammu being in fit out period. One more club is being signed in Delhi along with one in Ranchi. This makes a total of 8 Rhinos club PAN India.
Sonu Sood was really excited unveiling the brand Rhinos and being a fitness enthusiast himself, is really looking forward to trying these Rhinos club for an amazing workout session. Visiting few Rhinos Club PAN India is also on the cards.
At the launch, Mr. Harmeet Singh Luthra, managing director, announces that “These 8 clubs of Rhinos are just a beginning with a plan of having 20 clubs by the end of this financial year. Rhinos club guarantees not only the world-class support but our proven concept and easy processes offer the gym owners the fastest return on the investment.”
Jaspreet Kaur, director-operations, was also present at the brand launch. While giving an insight into the Rhinos Gym and why is it different in comparison to other franchise chains, she states that “Rhinos Gym has 2 different models of the club which cater to everyone who is eyeing to workout in as low as 1000 rupees a month to someone who is eyeing state of the art luxurious feel, be it equipment, facility or ambiance.”
The Rhinos Gym India concept is purely Indian, designed to specifically, suit the Indian conditions pockets and requirements. The clubs across India will also have an offer personalized ergonomic training, especially for older people since this is the age when one needs more focus on fitness.

WISMA ATRIA INTERIORS Launched "Emmebi Brand" Collection

Splendid Furniture Collection
Interior designer NOMITA KOHLI of WISMA ATRIA INTERIORS has launched the uniquely designed, furniture Collection by Emmebi from Italy at her design studio WISMA ATRIA INTERIORS at Lado Sarai, New Delhi.
The collection comprises of Beds, Sideboards, Book Case & Chair. Each piece is a masterpiece that made of wood with the exclusive concept behind its designing in different shades and textures of natural wood to give your home both modern and traditional look. The pieces of this collection are authentically been made in Italy that has been synonymous with passion for wood, from generation to generation. This Italian furniture collection is a perfect blend of style and exclusive design inspired by tradition and modern concept to add vivacity to your living spaces.
According to NOMITA KOHLI, -Emmebi is one of the most interesting and innovative Italian companies of the art furniture. Originality, functionality, essentiality: these have been the EmmeBi values in about 40 years of its history. Each furniture piece of the Emmebi express the needs of the contemporary way of living with attention and emotion. Excellent technique and imagination should be done to create inlays and carvings all handmade, which embellish the furniture Emmebi and their perfect proportions.
Price : On Request
Available at:

Wisma Atria Interiors by Nomita Kohli

F-208, Lado Sarai, Old MB Road,

New Delhi 110030, India

Phone: +91 11 4107 6115

Product Detail:

Charlotte Bed: An important bed which becomes the real protagonist of the night area, completely covered with velvet or leather.

Rubik: It is a bookcase made up of cubes with inclined faces which once put one over the other give the impression of being in a precarious balance while they are very stable indeed.

Washington, DC’s International Spy Museum to reopen on May 11

Washington, DC’s International Spy Museum to reopen

Fans of the International Spy Museum now have a light at the end of the tunnel for when the temporarily shuttered museum will reopen: May 11.

That’s the date museum officials say the new facility, located at 700 L’Enfant Plaza in Southwest D.C., will open to the public. They are in the process of moving many of the existing exhibits over from the museum’s former home.

The permanent exhibits will be done by then, including those featuring many newly acquired artifacts and subjects not previously featured in the museum. New topics the exhibits will tackle include East Berlin during the Cold War, including a piece of the Berlin Wall, and more content related to cybersecurity and espionage.

Unlike Spy’s former home, which only had about 19,000 square feet of exhibit space, the new building will also have room for temporary, rotating exhibitions, though those will likely come after the May 11 opening. There is 32,000 square feet of exhibit space in the new building, along with a large top-floor event space and rooftop terrace. The rooftop event space has been open since last fall.Spy closed the Penn Quarter Museum Jan. 1 in order to focus on the move. The new museum cost $162 million to build and will allow the group to host 100,000 more visitors per year, bringing the total to around 700,000.

Most of the exhibits and artifacts have already been removed from the old museum, including one very high-profile item. Museum officials used a crane to move a James Bond car, an Aston Martin DB5, on Jan. 5.

The museum dedicated to espionage and all things covert has been one of the most successful paid-entry museums in Washington, which boasts so many free Smithsonians.

Huawei brings host of great deals and freebies on premium smartphones in Amazon's Summer Sale

Huawei brings a host of great deals and freebies on premium smartphones in Amazon’s Summer Sale

Ø Summer Sale is running on Amazon from 3^rd to 7^th May 2019

Ø Huawei Y9 2019, Huawei Mate 20 Pro, Huawei P30 Pro, and Huawei P30 lite will be available with exciting offers and schemes

Ø Huawei Y9 2019, Huawei Mate 20 Pro (with exchange offer) will be available at its lowest cost till date during the Amazon summer sale

New Delhi, May 02, 2019: Huawei Consumer Business Group, India, is offering exciting discounts on its premium range of smartphones, which includes Huawei Y9, Mate 20 Pro, P30 Pro and P30 lite from 3^rd to 7^th May 2019, exclusively on Amazon.in.

With extra-ordinary looks and features, Huawei smartphones offer an unparalleled experience when it comes to performance and aesthetics. During the five days sale on Amazon, the company is giving an opportunity to grab the best-selling smartphones at prices and offers, never seen before. Many other offers are also applicable during the summer sale like instant discounts, No Cost EMI, Exchange sweetener, bundle offers, etc.

Huawei Y9 2019

Huawei Y9 brings the ultimate entertainment experience with its 6.5″ screen and massive 4000mAh battery. The device will be exclusively available at Rs. 13,999/- during Amazon summer sale. The phone was originally priced at Rs 15,990 and with exclusive discount of Rs. 2000/-, the Huawei Y9 is available at its lowest price ever. A no-cost EMI option scheme of up to 6 months is available on all debit cards, credit cards, Amazon pay and BFL transactions.

Huawei Mate 20 Pro

During the Amazon summer sale, the Mate 20 Pro will be available at INR 64990/ along with an additional exchange Sweetener offer of INR 4000/- which will give an additional discount to consumers over and above the regular Amazon exchange offer. A no-cost EMI option scheme of up to 9 months is available on all debit cards, credit cards, Amazon pay and BFL transactions. With the exchange sweetener, Huawei Mate20 pro too will be the lowest price till date.

Huawei Mate 20 Pro is the company’s flagship smartphone and its first Mate series phone in India. The device features a triple rear camera setup and comes with some of the world’s first features like reverse wireless charging. It is also the first phone to run on a 7nm chipset. The handset comes equipped with a Leica Triple Camera setup at the back, Dual-NPU and Huawei’s SuperCharge technology that uses high-speed 40W charging.

Huawei P30 Pro

HUAWEI P30 Pro rewrites the rules of smartphone photography with numerous breakthrough innovations and an ingenious design. The quad-camera setup of Huawei P30 Pro consists of a 20-megapixel wide-angle sensor, 40-megapixel primary sensor, 8-megapixel telephoto lens, and a Time of Flight sensor- all of which come together to create incredible photos and videos making the smartphone the world’s best camera smartphone as per DxoMark’s ratings.

Huawei P30 Pro will be available at INR 71,990/- with a host of exciting offers during summer sale, including an exclusive bundle with the HUAWEI Watch GT for INR 2,000 extra. A no-cost EMI option scheme of up to 9 months is available on all debit cards, credit cards, Amazon pay and BFL transactions.

Huawei P30 lite

The P30 Lite has been acclaimed for its flagship-level features like stunning design, ultra wide camera lens and 32 MP camera. Also its big, bold and beautiful, 6.15″ FHD display with a delicate Dewdrop notch is a gorgeous canvas for consumers to capture brilliant colours.

The smartphone will be available with lucrative offers in summer sale like No-cost EMI and exchange sweetener of INR 2000/- ensuring an additional discount to consumers beyond regular exchange benefits. The no-cost EMI option scheme of up to 9 months is available on all debit card, credit card, Amazon pay and BFL transactions.

Philips marks entry into the OTG segment, encourages consumers to stay healthy

Philips marks the entry into the OTG segment, encourages consumers to stay healthy

– Launches its revolutionary OTG – Philips HD 6975/00 with Opti Temp technology

– Priced at INR 8,095

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced the expansion of its kitchen appliances segment by foraying into the Oven Toaster Griller (OTG) category. Recognizing consumers’ changing lifestyle and eating habits, Philips launched its versatile Oven Toaster Griller (OTG) – Philips HD6975/00, empowering the consumers seeking healthier and more affordable options for everyday cooking.

A perfect addition to any contemporary kitchen, the appliance features Opti Temp technology that re-circulates the heat uniformly maintaining uniform heat dispersion. The appliance enables consumers to prepare a variety of meals in a much easy and healthy manner.

Built with one touch unique menu, the appliance has 10 pre-set menu which can cook more than 50 different recipes ensuring better crispiness, optimum browning and supports higher retention of nutrition. With 1500W, the Oven Toaster Griller brings warmth and opulence to the ultramodern homes of today, featuring one of its kind high illuminated chamber light and a digital display that allow easy viewing of food being cooked.

With the toughened glass door that is easy-to-clean and maintains along with metal protective mesh, it makes the appliance robust and corrosion-free. Designed with precision and built with elite quality materials, the OTG has a capacity of 25L. The appliance suffices the requirement for small to medium families who wish to bake, toast and grill. It also comes with an in-built timer of 90 minutes which makes it easier to know whether the dish is prepared yet.

The high- performance appliance comes with a collection of accessories that makes the OTG extremely versatile- Cooking tray, Crumb Tray, Wire grill cum Barbeque tray and Rotisserie rod set, making cooking an undoubtedly relishing experience for the household.

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips’ health technology portfolio generated 2018 sales of EUR 18.1 billion and employs approximately 77,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries.

ETIHAD AIRWAYS PARTNERS WITH VISIT CALIFORNIA TO INCREASE TOURISM TO AMERICA’S GOLDEN STATE

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has partnered with Visit California to promote the Golden State to travelers from around the world. The agreement was announced this week at the Arabian Travel Market in a signing ceremony with Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer Etihad Aviation Group and Caroline Beteta, President & CEO for Visit California.

The partnership between Etihad Airways and Visit California will involve the organisations collaborating to promote travel to California as a destination from both Abu Dhabi and other key markets. The two sides will be developing a strategy and promotion plan to drive tourism and highlight the many attractions that California offers to international travellers.

Etihad Airways operates regularly scheduled flights to Los Angeles. Travellers to the United States from Abu Dhabi benefit from the purpose-built US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport, allowing passengers to process all immigration and customs inspections in Abu Dhabi before they depart. Abu Dhabi International Airport is one of only a handful of airports outside North America that offer the CBP facility.

Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer Etihad Aviation Group commented: “The West Coast of America including Los Angeles is an important market for the Etihad Airways network and we are proud to partner with Visit California to showcase the many delights of the Golden State to our guests. The convenience of the pre-clearance customs facility means that travelling to California today is an incredibly attractive option for guests travelling from Abu Dhabi. We look forward to working with our partners to promote the opportunities available to our customers in the Middle East and further afield.”

“Visit California is thrilled to partner with Etihad Airways to increase travel between the UAE and California,” said Caroline Beteta, President & CEO of Visit California. “This agreement is an exciting step that will help promote California’s unique and world-renowned brand to tourists and holidaymakers from across the region.”