ELLI AVRAMMOUNI ROY

AN EGG A DAY MIGHT REDUCE RISKOF HEART DISEASE

'BRAHMASTRA' CO-STARS AND CURRENTLY ONE OF BOLLYWOOD'S HOTTEST PAIRS - RANBIR KAPOOR AND ALIA BHATT - GRABBEDEYEBALLS AS THEY MADE A COUPLE ENTRY. RANBIR LOOKED DAPPER IN A PLAIN BLUE SUIT WHILE ALIA DAZZLED IN AN ANARKALI.

THE DROP IN 2018 CANADIAN HOMEPRICES ISN’T WHAT IT SEEMS

NUSHRAT BHARUCHA

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AUDI CANADA PRESIDENT CREDITSREVAMPED UTILITY LINEUP FOR

INCREASED SALES

JENNIFER WINGET JANHVI KAPOOR

Although much has been made about the decline in Canadian home salesand prices, one economist suggests it wasn't as bad as it seems."Remember: If the price of every house in the neighbourhood stays thesame in a given year, but fewer of the expensive ones change hands infavour of the cheaper ones, the 'average price' will fall," writes Rober tKavcic, a senior economist for BMO, in a client note.Kavcic acknowledges the fact that, yes, Canadian home prices did in-deed fall in 2018.The average price of a Canadian home this past December was $472,000,down 4.9 percent from the same month a year ago, according to theCanadian Real Estate Association (CREA).For the whole year, home prices were down by 4.1 percent marking thebiggest drop since 1995, Kavcic notes."But the decline is exaggerated by the arithmetic of a changing salesmix," he continues.What Kavcic means is, sales were especially soft in the costly Torontoand Vancouver markets, which is going to have considerable pull on thenational average price.

Removing Greater Vancouver and the GTA from calculations trims closeto $100,000 from the national average, CREA says."Main points here: It wasn't as bad as the headline 2018 national pricedecline looks; but it wasn't good for much of the country either; and thisyear could see housing stagnation become a wider and more persistenttheme," Kavcic concludes.

DAYTON: A strong SUV lineup with recently redesigned products helpedincrease Audi Canada’s sales and market share growth in 2018, thebrand’s president Giorgio Delucchi told Automotive News Canada. Audilaunched the new Q8 large three-row utility vehicle and redesigned themid-size Q5 and compact Q3 last year, factors that helped to increaseAudi’s total sales to 36,908 vehicles, up 2.5 per cent over 2017. Keycompetitors saw losses over the same period, including Mercedes-Benz,which saw sales slide 4.8 per cent, and Jaguar, down 5.9 per cent.“We are very happy with the per formance,” Delucchi said, “in a year thathas been somewhat challenging.” Delucchi said that he sees fur therexpansion potential with the upcoming launch of the e-tron battery elec-tric utility vehicle, which he said will diversify Audi’s offerings in thesegment and fur ther address the market preference shift away from carsand toward utility vehicles.“The combination of an SUV with a batteryelectric vehicle is something that is very special and plays into the samebucket,” he said. “The family of SUVs for Audi is growing in conventionalbut also in electric vehicles, and with that we are addressing that [changein consumer tastes], which is very pronounced in Canada.”

A new study conducted in China finds that eating an egg a day maylower risk of cardiovascular disease. The study found that daily eggeaters had an 18% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease,repor ted CNN. The research was published Monday in the journalHear t. Earlier doctors would warn patients against eating too manyeggs, believing that despite containing high-quality protein and otherpositive nutritional components, they also have high amounts of cho-lesterol, which was believed to be harmful.However, according to co-author of the study, Canqing Yu, existingstudies on the association between egg and cardiovascular diseasesare controversial due to small sample size and limited information.Past studies have provided only limited evidence from the Chinese popula-tion, “which have huge differences in dietary habits, lifestyle behaviours anddiseases patterns,” Yu said. These are among the reasons why he and his col-leagues decided to investigate the relationship between eating eggs and cardio-vascular disease. The study found slightly more than 13% of adults,ranging in age from 30 to 79, said they ate about an egg a day whilejust over 9% repor ted never or very rarely enjoying an egg. Nearly allthe par ticipants ate chicken, not duck, eggs, Yu noted. Over nearlynine years, the research team tracked this select group.

ALIA BHATT AND RANBIR KAPOOR TURNED HEADS

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STYLE HUNTER: Soft tailoring

Do you suffer from exercise addiction?

B-TOWN’S BIG SHOULDERMOVEMENT SHOWS NO

SIGNS OF FADING

Anti-fit pieces are every girl’s best friend, which allows them to bewho they want to be without the pressure of dressing up. Thissilhouette is every body-type friendly and democratically cel-ebrates various sizes. This resor t season has been about slouchyand soft tailored suits — be it the boxy shape seen at Louis Vuittoncruise or Chloe’s version with a tie-up belt. The likes of StellaMcCar tney, Salvatore Fer ragamo and House of Holland have playedwith the broken suit in their resort offerings. “Slouchy cuts andtailored patterns in fluid fabrics has a great contrast appeal andallows the wearer to have the versatility to dress it up or down. Thekey to get this trend right is to pick up one piece in the layeringlook, which takes centre-stage,” says designer Aniket Satam.COMPLEMENTS MOST BODY TYPEDesigner Diksha Khanna is all for broken tailoring as it’s comfort-

driven and brings out one’s personality. “For me, my brand’s DNAis similar to it — which is focused on oversized dressing. I see itcoming in a big way and staying here. Besides, it complementsmost body types. The whole idea is not to put a lot of thought into it— take separates and layer them smar tly. For instance, an A-lineskir t and a blazer thrown over it and a bralette inside and a scar f,”says Diksha.ANDROGYNOUS ALLUREAlso, most of these pieces are unisex, which adds to the prevailingun-gender wave. Designer Salita Nanda says, “A menswear jacketis something which even a woman can wear, it has that comfortvalue. An oversized suit helps you make a day to night transition.For instance, a nifty white oversized pantsuit could take you fromthe boardroom to the bar.”

Earlier this month, British singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding re-vealed in an Instagram post how her past exercise addiction left herfeeling ‘miserable’. She shared her throwback picture at theVictoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2014, and captioned it, “Ah,good memories of being addicted to the gym, not wor th it! By notwor th it I mean... it was just kind of miserable. Now I just train tofight (sic).” Today, the 32-year-old leads a healthier lifestyle, andgoes to the gym to harness her boxing skil ls. In today’s age,thanks to social media, there’s immense pressure on celebs andcommoners alike to look great and have a good physique. But onthe flip side, it can also lead to exercise addiction. Fitness ex-per ts tell us how to tread with caution.WHAT IS EXERCISE ADDICTION?According to a study by the Illinois-based Nor thwestern University,exercise releases neurotransmitters in the brain such as endorphinsthat can relieve pain or improve mood. But if a person is experi-encing addiction to working out, missing just a single day cancause physical or psychological symptoms, such as depression,reduced vigour, increased tension, anger, and fatigue.“When one is used to working out regularly and misses a fewdays, the body feels stiff. But some people tend to feel low, beirritable, angry and have mood swings if they don’t exercise evenfor a day. Also, when lay persons exceed their session beyondtwo hours, going beyond their physical ability, they are prone toinjuries,” opines Shalini Bhargava, director at JG’s Fitness Centre.SOCIAL MEDIA — A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORDCelebrity fitness trainer Yasmin Karachiwala feels that though on onehand, social media can spread the message of staying fit and moti-vate people, on the other hand, it can prompt them to set unbelievablefitness goals for themselves, which can lead to exercise addiction.“Commoners want to achieve a body like their favourite stars andfitness gurus within a shor t span of time. They don’t understand thatit’s achieved after years and years of training, proper nutrition andunder professional supervision,” she reasons out.Ellie Goulding recently posted on Instagram that she was miserablewhen she used to work out excessivelyCONTRIBUTING FACTORSAccording to Leena Mogre, director, Leena Mogre’s Fitness, morethan professionals from the glamour industry, lay people, especiallywomen, are at a higher risk. Gym rats, as she calls them, spendhours at the gym, in some cases, doing office work and socialisingin there too, and as a result, are prone to this syndrome. “Whenindividuals with low self-esteem suddenly get people’s attention

and compliments for how fit they look or they can’t get enough ofthe adrenaline rush post a workout session, or get a high fromseeing their pictures on social media, they can be susceptible toexercise addiction,” she says. Also, they tend to avoid diningwith friends and family because they don’t want to miss a singleday of working out and are constantly worried about their diet.KEEPING TABS ON THOSE WHO OVER EXERCISEAll these fitness exper ts that we spoke to have often come acrossclients, who over exercise for three to fours instead of the ideal onehour. In such cases, they make them aware how it can be hazardousfor them as it can lead to fatigue, burnout and make them prone tointense injuries. A lot of times, they have sent people home becausethey don’t stop over working out despite warnings. Mogre and herteam have even issued letters to many asking them to seek counsel-ling for their exercise addiction.

Bold, boxy and supersized — the big shoulder movementshows no signs of fading out. Demna Gvasalia for hisSpring 2017 menswear show put the spotlight on shoul-ders by sending out his models in gigantic suits atBalenciaga. This season, his runway was inundated withmany strong shoulder and nipped waistcoats. NicolasGhesquiere’s sharp and sci-fi inspired tailoring saw broadshoulders and asymmetric lapels with zipper detailing atLouis Vuitton. Bold shoulders were also the key occur-rence at Maison Margiela, Marc Jacobs, Stella McCar tney,Gucci, Marc Jacobs and Alexander Wang. While it makesfor a visually-arresting imagery on the ramp, does it suityour average fashion enthusiast?Back home, Sonam Kapoor and Masaba Gupta put thespotlight on it — the former was seen in a power shoulderArmani blazer in Milan while the latter was seen in a greenpantsuit picked from a flea market.Stylist Eshaa Amiin says, “There’s a small bracket of in-dividuals, who can carry it off and it makes for great edi-torial shoots. In Bollywood, someone like a Sonam Kapoorcan carr y it off. However, I don’t see most people beingcomfor table in this power silhouette.”A CHALLENGING SHAPEIt’s not for the faint-hear ted for sure, and one needs tohave a specific body shape to pull it off. Stylist AasthaSharma says, “It’s a challenging silhouette. If you are al-ready on the broad side, then no. It works for tall people,who don’t have broad shoulders because it adds somewidth and length to the shoulders. But it definitely doesn’twork on short people. They can opt for cropped jacketsinstead and balance it out.”CAN BE WORKED OUTThe boxy shape may seem to be limiting at the outset, butthere’s a way to work it out. Stylist Divyak D’Souzasays, “The fashion diktats like ‘one should wear thisand not that’ are redundant. Having said that, it’s wiseto dress in things, that highlight your body. If you arenot tall then maybe go for a shorter length bolero jacketas opposed to a tailored blazer. Pick a jacket style thatworks for you — it could be a denim trucker or classicnavy. Besides being a functional piece, the choice of thislayer makes you feel dressed up.”

THE LONG LINE JACKET

Lightweight, utilitarian and versatile — the long line jackethas emerged to be Spring Summer 2019’s key closet es-sent ia l seen on the runways of Al tuzarra, HaiderAckermann, Paco Rabanne, Off-White, Loewe, Armani andChloe. While Altuzarra sent out a gingham twin-set, Chloeteamed it with a pair of boho pants, Haider Ackermannmarried it to a pair of tailored trousers and Loewe sent outa long and lean cardigan. In India, it was seen in a softprint format on the runway of designer Aar tivijay Gupta,who showcased it with a printed twin-set. “A basic kur tateamed with a long jacket looks cool and is also a greatlayering option to be paired with a dress. Throw it over apair of flared pants or wear it with a sari,” suggests Aarti.TRENCH-INSPIREDStylist Eshaa Amiin sees it as a derivative of the classictrench coat. “It can be styled with pants or even a pair ofshorts. This season, it’s come in lighter fabrics, cham-bray tones and a panoply of light see-through fabrics andprints. It’s a trench-inspired piece — either wear it openwith a tank or a pair of denims for dinner,” says Eshaa.BE A LAYERING PROLong line jackets have slowly crawled into our summerwardrobe after being a great success in the previous fall.“For summer, the long line jackets with huge side slitsand arm holes have emerged to be major. Summer dust-ers come in lightweight materials which can add to inter-esting layering options. Striped poplin, sheer ditsy florals,hyper-bright summer shades and even basic nude neutralsare best variations to sport this summer trend,” says de-signer Aniket Satam.

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HERE’S LOOKING AT DISHESTHAT PACK IN A PUNCH

MAKING FOOD DELECTABLEEating fried chicken and fish'linked to premature death'

Regularly eating fried chicken or fish is associated with a higher riskof death from any cause, specifically hear t-related mor tality, accord-ing to a study on postmenopausal women in the US.The study, published in the British Medical Journal, suggests thatreducing consumption of fried foods, especially fried chicken andfried fish/shellfish, could have a positive public health impact.Up to a third of Nor th American adults have fast-food every day, andprevious studies have suggested that a greater intake of fried food isassociated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and hear t disease,researchers said.The US researchers investigated the association of eating fried foodwith death from any cause, and in particular hear t and cancer-relateddeath.They used questionnaire data to assess the diets of 106,966 women,aged 50 to 79, who enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI)between 1993-1998 and who were followed up to February 2017.During this time, 31,588 deaths occurred, including 9,320 hear t-re-lated deaths 8,358 cancer deaths and 13,880 from other causes.The researchers looked at the women's total and specific consump-tion of different fried foods, including: "fried chicken"; "fried fish, fishsandwich and fried shellfish (shrimp and oysters)"; and other friedfoods, such as french fries, tor tilla chips and tacos.After taking account of potentially influential factors such as lifestyle,

overall diet quality, education level and income, the researchers foundthat regularly eating fried foods was associated with a heightenedrisk of death from any cause and, specifically, hear t-related death.Those who ate one or more servings a day had an eight per centhigher risk compared with those who did not eat fried food.One or more servings of fried chicken a day was linked to a 13 percent higher risk of death from any cause and a 12 per cent higher riskof hear t-related death compared with no fried food.Similarly, one or more servings of fried fish/shellfish a day was linkedto a seven per cent higher risk of death from any cause and a 13 percent higher risk of hear t-related death compared with no fried food.However, the researchers found no evidence that eating fried foodwas associated with cancer-related death.This is an observational study which only considers women in theUS, so may not be applicable more widely, the researchers said.The presence of "unidentified confounders is still possible", so nofirm conclusions can be drawn about cause, they said.However, they highlight the large size and diversity of the studysample, and say that "we have identified a risk factor for cardiovas-cular mor tality that is readily modifiable by lifestyle." "Reducing theconsumption of fried foods, especially fried chicken and fried fish/shellfish, may have clinically meaningful impact across the publichealth spectrum," the resaerchers said.

Fat works wonders for a dish. It adds flavour, lends textureand enhances the overall taste of any food. While salt, acidand heat work in their own subtle ways to create an impres-sive plate of food, fat is that ingredient that ties it all to-gether. Here’s looking at dishes that fit this brief, and deliverwhat they promise.Duck Sausages, Smoked Peas"Pork fat has a lot of flavour and it takes on smoke reallywell. So the idea was to incorporate the liquid gold in sau-sage without deviating from the actual incredible taste ofduck," says Head Chef Rishim Sachdeva. At: Olive Bar &Kitchen, Khar (W)Hakka Braised Pork BellyA Hakkasan signature, the Braised Pork Belly with supremesoya sauce is slow cooked for two hours until the pork meatgives out fatty juices and oils that are added to the mari-nade. Head chef, Raymond Wong of Hakkasan says, “Thissignature dish from Hakkasan is made using the fat thatcomes out of the pork belly. The fat is not only used in themarinade but also makes it into the sticky sauce, which ispoured on top of the pork belly when serving which adds theflavour and texture to the dish.” At: Hakkasan, Bandra (W).Makkhandari KekdaThe Makkhandari Kekda is a rare recipe of a crab curr y,which dates back to the times of the royals of the Mughalera. It has subtle flavours enhanced with slowly-clarifiedbutter with crushed crustacean shells and flavour that isextracted in a meticulous and via a delicate process of infu-sion of the fat. Milan Gupta, head chef says, “The butterextracted and preserved is used to not just enrich the currybut also to add deep flavours captured during the slow clari-fication cooking process. The extracted ‘fume’ thereforebecomes the base of the main flavour of the dish.” At: TaftoonBar and Kitchen, BKC

Here’s why faking a smile does not make you happyFake it till you make it, some say. But faking a smile on your face atall times may not make you happier, after all, says this study whichcounters the belief that the movement of our body affects our mood.The idea had first come from a psychological experiment from the1980s, which discovered that the brain senses the flexion of cer tainfacial muscles like the zygomaticus major, required to smile, and

interprets it as “I am happy about something”. However, this may notbe true, as scientists were not able to repeat the results in a labsetting. In the facial-feedback hypothesis, dating back to 1988,par ticipants rated the humour of car toons while inadver tentlymimicking either a smile or a pout. The par ticipants were simplyasked to hold a pen in their mouths, either with their lips (whichinadver tently beings a frown to ones face or makes the expres-sion grim) or their teeth (which resembles a smile). The par tici-pants who used the pen to mimic a smile rated the car toons asfunnier.Eric-Jan Wagenmakers, the lead researcher of the replication at-tempt from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands andcolleagues in 17 labs around the world recruited par ticipants andrepeated the pen-in-mouth experiment. They used the same car-toon series, The Far Side, that was used in the 1988 experiments,but they selected different car toon panels, which they tested amongoutside raters to ensure that the raters reached the consensus thateach car toon used in the study was “moderately funny,” repor tedLiveScience. “None of the experiments yielded a statistically reliableeffect individually,” Wagenmakers said. “Overall, these are the kindof data you would expect to see if you tried to replicate an effect thatdoesn’t exist or is so small you can’t find it with the paradigm youwere using,” he added. The research was published in the journalPerspectives on Psychological Science.

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When it rains... and you don’t get wet!

For somebody staying in Mumbai and having braved its monsoonsyear af ter year, if I was to be told that I could stand under a downpourwithout getting wet, I would probably laugh at them. When I wasinformed about the Rain Room in Sharjah, where such a phenomenonhappens, my expression must have been of pure disbelief. At thepermanent ar t installation placed at the Sharjah Ar t Foundation, mo-tion sensors on the ceiling prevent the water droplets from falling onyou, clearing a sor t of path, roughly six foot in radius. The immersive

installation by Random International brings together technology, ar tand nature as one walks through the downpour without getting wet inthe darkened underground space. On a recent visit to Sharjah, I hadthe oppor tunity to undertake the almost sur real experience whichwas truly one-of-a-kind. After Hrs spoke to HE Khalid Jasim Al Midfa,Chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority(SCTDA), to tell us more about it...Can you tell us more about the Rain Room?

Random International have long worked at the intersection of ar t,technology and nature and have always aimed to explore the humancondition in an increasingly mechanised world. Their work generallycentres on audience interaction. Plans to bring the Rain Room toSharjah permanently have been underway since 2012, when the in-stallation was first on view at the Barbican’s Curve gallery in London.Sharjah’s Rain Room invites you to walk through a downpour of con-tinuous rain without getting wet. Motion sensors detect the move-ments of the human body as visitors navigate through the darkenedunderground space.The project has earlier been displayed in places like London, Shang-hai, Los Angeles and New York. What are the kind of reactions itreceived there?Sharjah’s Rain Room marks the Middle East premiere and the firstpermanent installation of this work. The work has previously been onview at the Barbican, London (2012); Museum of Modern Ar t (MoMA),New York (2013); Yuz Museum, Shanghai (2015) and Los AngelesCounty Museum of Ar t (LACMA), Los Angeles (2015–2017). All itera-tions of the Rain Room have been met with enthusiasm by audiences.In New York, for example, when the installation was put on view atMoMA, lines to get in ran for three or four hours, sometimes longer,with a total of over 70,000 visitors.Why was it decided that the permanent installation will be kept inSharjah?As Sharjah Ar t Foundation has always worked across the city andemirate of Sharjah, Rain Room’s location in Al Majarrah Park is inkeeping with the foundation’s commitment to local and surroundingcommunities. Rain Room has encouraged fur ther public par ticipa-tion and engagement and increased dialogue between the foundationand local neighbourhoods. Watching the engagement of the audiencewith the installation has been exciting. The public response has beenremarkable.

‘I MAKE EVERY LOOK MY OWN’: PRIA KATAARIA PURIYou’ve been quite the risk-taker.I like to go all out. I genuinely lovefashion and it comes naturally tome. My wardrobe is divided inthree countries. I tend to collecthats, headgears, headbands andhandbags. Whatever I buy is for-ever, it’s for keeps. ‘What was Ithinking’ — that moment is neverthere.Favourite designersThere are designers I love, butcan’t wear them because of theircuts. The brands I end up wear-ing are Dior, Chanel and D&Gsince they all complement mycurvy body type. I love Valentino,Armani and Ralph Lauren Polo.What makes kaftan a timelessclassic?I have been very persistent inmaking it timeless. According tome it’s a classic. It’s an ever-green silhouette. I love that wholefeel of it not having an armhole. Itcould be sensuous, glamorousand casual — hence it’s a staplein my wardrobe. Be it a dinner athome or a chic soiree, you needsomething glam and comfor table.Any accessory fetish.I col lect scarves, belts, sun-glasses, hats. I went through asocks phase too.Which city according to you is thefashion capital of the world?Kuwait as women here dress im-peccably. How they mix casualand high fashion pieces is in-credible.Fav decade in fashion history.I love the Great Gatsby era for itssheer glam appeal — fringes, fursand headgear.Style icons you admire.There are so many. I love Jackie

Designer Pria Kataaria Puri has time and again entrenched the ubiquitous kaftan on the fashion map.Dividing her time between three countries — India, Kuwait and the US, her personal style is a reflectionof her decadent travels, incredible women she meets from different walks of life and her undying andunabashed love for all things style. A far cry from the cookie-cutter mould of dressers one comes acrossin Mumbai, Pria has always taken sar torial risks on the red carpet and also off it. She doesn’t shy awayfrom a statement-making fascinator or from a feather accented number. In a tête-à-tête, she talks abouther personal style and her never ending love affair with the classic kaftan. Over to her...How do you interpret your personal style?For me, fashion is about elegance and I love the element of glamour and surprise. I like to be glamorousand having said that, the surprises are for me and not for other people. I get bored easily. Since I travel allthe time, I am inspired by women I meet. I make every red carpet look my own, and I believe that you needto own what you’re wearing — whether it’s H&M or Valentino, you should execute it your way.

O, Gayatri Devi, and Madhubala..Fashion faux pas according toyou.They all try to look the same andthey feel happy being safe. I don’tunderstand why.RAPID FIRELame or velvet

LamePrint or EmbellishmentsPrintHeels or sneakersHeelsBlow dry or air dryBlow dry

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TIME TO DETOX YOUR CLOSETYou’ve just got back from your Prosecco-soaked New Year holidaysand embraced work with great gusto. However, if the past weeks ofhectic par tying entailed heavy-duty metallics and disco pieces thenthe post-celebration phase calls for recontextualising your wardrobe andinvesting in pieces which are easy breezy, forgiving and timeless.Think Love Bird’s comfy dresses, Anavila’s handloom saris and anti-fit offeringsfrom Bungalow Eight. To sum it up, one’s looking at a closet brimming withear thy linen, comfy cotton and handwoven khadi in voluminous,slouchy, and breathable shapes as well as silhouettes.Fashion entrepreneur and founder of Clove store in Colaba,Samyukta Nair suggests throwing out the unworn and ill-fitting as itwill free your mind to focus on your most impor tant occasion,which is every day. “Keeping versatile easy separates that can bedressed up or down would be on the top of my wish list for 2019.Comfor t is key and I would recommend veering towards easypieces, be it in silhouette or fabric, which make each day a luxury.After all, it’s the woman that defines the dress,” says Samyukta.UPCYCLE AND RECYCLEThe new year is the per fect time for a post-holiday closet detox.You get to star t it on a clean slate and discard the unused. Whiledoing this, it is equally impor tant to keep in mind upcycling andrecycling. Designer Saaksha of label Saaksha & Kinni observes,“We tend to hoard clothes for years — many never see the light ofday, yet we feel so sentimental and at times insecure that we hangon to garments, we know, that will never be worn. Discard outfitsthat don’t fit you well (and so you never end up wearing them), thatdon’t suit your state of mind (clothes you once went clubbing incirca 2005 and then forgot about), and that can’t be restyled and re-worn. We are living in a time where less is more when it comes towaste. Garments that are kept should have the power to be worn

with different pairings, are timeless (and so never go out of style)and classic. Of course that doesn't mean that one-two sentimentalgarments cannot be kept, just not a hundred!”EMBRACE LIGHTWEIGHT FABRICSThe ideal way to star t 2019 is a vibrant dosage of hues after an

intense fall palette of jewel tones. Designer Aniket Satam says,“Invest in a lot of crisp whites in easy-to-breathe cotton andlightweight jersey. Detox doesn’t necessarily imply relaxed andfrumpy handloom. One can also reboot one’s wardrobe by indulgingin some bright colours and playful prints,” says Aniket.

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BROKEN SUIT 101

GET A SWEET SLUMBER

One rarely spots such a wide array of menswear trends in Pre-Fall outings, but this year hasbeen exceptional with the likes of Valentino and Coach including men’s pieces in their destinationshows. Kim Jones at Dior Men in Tokyo presented his workwear-influenced ensembles againstthe backdrop of a 39-and-a-half-foot statue of a silver ‘fembot’ created by Japanese ar tist HajimeSorayama. The show’s overall message was mix and match, which was summed up by theclosing look, which was a kimono rendered in buttery leather teamed with a pair of relaxedpants. At Valentino, Pierpaolo Picciolo sent out a blazer styled with an athleisure flourish layeredover a graphic sweatshir t. Sneakers with suits seem to be perfectly okay and menswear is nolonger about the coordinated and straitlaced three-piece suiting. The classic has been loosenedup — and today it’s been clubbed with a spor ty T-shir t, a printed shir t or a street-inspiredhoodie. Besides Dior Men and Valentino, other designers too pushed the envelope when it cameto of the moment tailoring presentation. Rober to Cavalli sent out a head-to-toe print ensemblelayered with an embellished black blazer and Riccardo Tisci at Burberr y paired a printed T-shir twith a pin-striped suit. Looks like the bulldozed suit is here to stay.Broken is the new blackThe broken suit is functional and versatile in terms of styling options. Stylist Isha Bhansali,who’s styled actor Ayushmann Khurrana in a panoply of mix and match tailored separates says,“It’s here to stay. How do you uplift a suit and make it new everyday? Layer a tux over a funprinted shir t or throw a blazer over a pair of denims or add a cardigan or a contrasting waistcoatto give it a preppy touch — the options are endless.”Emergence of mixologistA classic three-piece suit or a structured tailored Italian cut is a great one time investment, butthe modern man needs a spectrum of separates to have fun with. Today men are no longerinvesting and purchasing coordinated sets, but looking for versatile pieces. Designer AniketSatam says, “Mixology in tailoring is the new buzzword. The key element which binds togetherthis jigsaw are statement pieces mixed with classic staples. That one dosage of eclectic pieceinstantly amplified the look, which could have been considered safe or mundane. Think aboutbold prints, shiny textures (sequins etc) along with quirky accents such as ties, slim neckscarves, cravats etc.”

Who doesn’t want to sleep like a baby? Many of us, even after a long day can’t wait to hit the sack due toexhaustion. But when we do so, often we end up tossing and turning in bed thus, experiencing poor qualityof sleep. People who travel often for work, usually face the problem of falling asleep in a new surrounding.To tackle this problem, a boutique hotel in London, UK, has come up with rooms modelled on the womb tohelp its patrons get good quality sleep. Read on to know more...Zed RoomsEach serviced apartment at the Zed Rooms, located in the Shoreditch area of the capital city, includes the‘Woom’, a bedroom that aims to match the womb’s sense of safety with a cocoon-like bed to enable one tosleep like a baby. The goal here is to deal with the “first-night effect”, when half of the brain stays alert inunfamiliar environment, resulting in a poor night’s rest.These Zed Rooms hope to deliver REM-rich sleep, which is said to be of the best kind by creating anenvironment that will help you to nod off as soon as you arrive. Each apar tment also has a ‘Loom’ room,with a four-poster bed draped in “ethereal” fabrics, to promote dreams. Both these rooms comewith very comfor table mattress, temperature-regulating pillows and duvets. To help fast trackthe deep-sleep experience, the rooms have muted lighting, blackout blinds and sound-absorb-ing cur tains. And to soothe the olfactory senses, there’s sleep essential-oil fragrances too.The designers say the rooms were inspired by the final few weeks of pregnancy, when a babyincreases its REM sleep, getting an average of 12 hours a day. So they feature relaxing colourschemes, air-cleansing plants, to help eliminate toxins and high-end electronics to keep bodyclocks in sync. The hotel also caters a “sleep menu” featuring dishes rich in serotonin, melato-nin and tryptophan.So, if you’re planning to visit London soon, you might be tempted to give these cool-sounding andlooking rooms a try. But if you still have doubts on the whole concept, we asked exper ts for their take on it.

Exper t speakThis type of environment might enhance sleep efficiency, and aid in sleeping better. Since a womb createsa warm, safe and secure environment, it will help alleviate anxiety and stress, opines Dr Anamika Rathore,consultant ENT, sleep apnoea, endoscopic sinus surgeon, Bhatia, Breach Candy and Bombay Hospital. Sheadds that REM Sleep is extremely impor tant especially in children, as it’s restorative sleep, required foroptimum functioning of the body. It includes creative and visual aspects. A patient with depression ornarcolepsy might have less REM sleep. So any principle based on enhancing this stage of sleep might bebeneficial for such people.

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Residents Medical Helps CanadianMed School Grads Get ResidenciesBY A CORRESPONDENTLOS ANGELES, Calif. Canadianmedical students and graduatesare facing limitations andchallenges when it comes tofinding credible medical residen-cies. Residents Medical isoffering solutions.In Canada, medical schoolgraduates must have hands-ontraining after medical school inorder to be licensed and practic-ing medical doctors. The problemis that there are only 17 medicalresidency training programs inCanada and only 14 are Englishspeaking; most of these trainingprograms are located on thecoast. As a result, more and moreCanadian medical schoolgraduates have been unable toland a medical residency. Lastyear it became somewhat of anational epidemic.Each year has gotten worse andworse. In the past, manyCanadian graduates soughtresidency training across theborder where the graduatemedical education oppor tunitieswere robust. That's changed. Forthe past five years, the U.S. hasexperienced a severe "ResidencyBottleneck" meaning there are farmore applicants than residencyslots.This year, there was an all-timehigh of nearly 44,000 medicalresidency applicants applying for33,167 positions. So, this meansthat the U.S. offers no guaranteesfor Canadian medical schoolgrads. However, there is hopeand more grads are now lookingto Residents Medical forassistance.Residents Medical is an educa-tion organization that educates,prepares, tutors, and places itscandidates into accreditedresidency programs throughout

the U.S. In business for more than20 years, Residents Medical'sprofile has grown significantlybecause the number of medicalschool graduates in limbo hasballooned."Ten years ago, we'd help one ortwo Canadian grads each year.Now, they're our greatest growthdemographic. They're anxious tostar t their careers," Dr. Syed,Guidance Counselor at ResidentsMedical, says.Residents Medical has recentlyhelped Canadians from Caribbeanmedical schools, medicalschools abroad and Canadianmedical schools. Two Toronto-based medical school graduates,Dr. Sahni and Dr. Anand, wererecently referred to ResidentsMedical because they couldn'tfind a residency for years.Residents Medical helped Dr.Sahni land his dream residency.They strengthened his CV via aresearch pathway at Icahn Schoolof Medicine at Mt. Sinai. Hebecame a published researcherand then got a residency inInternal Medicine at The Univer-sity of Alabama at Birmingham.Dr. Anand came from a family ofdoctors. She was stressed and

unable to advance her careerafter graduating from RossUniversity School of Medicine inthe Caribbean. Residents Medicalsent her on an externship andresearch tenure. This was vital toher application status and sheMatched into a residency inPsychiatry at Nassau UniversityMedical Center on Long Island,New York."There is an immense need forour protocol in Canada. In fact,Residents Medical plans to soonopen a branch in the Torontoarea," Mrs. Agata Everest,president, Residents Medical,says.Residents Medical shows greatobjectivity in finding solutions forthis nuanced field of medicine. It hashelped many other Canadian doctorsto branch out into top residencyprograms around the U.S.These doctors, along with othermedical school graduates,worldwide, are now reachingtheir professional goals andResidents Medical is making ithappen.Those wishing to contactResidents Medical should call1(310) 444-9700 or visitResidentsMedical.com.

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STYLE HUNTER: Big shoulder movement Gemstones in your skin care?

Bold shoulder dresses are making their presence felt over the lastfew seasons now and looks like the trend isn't dying out. This partyseason look no fur ther than sequinned power numbers from SaintLaurent by Anthony Vaccarello, Gucci, Balmain and Isabel Marant.However, designer Surily Goel cautions that one has to be tall andhave small shoulders to rock it. "It's definitely a fashion statementwith the likes of Balmain toying with exaggerating shoulder minis,"says Surily.80S IN TOP GEARThe 80s fashion is in its top gear before it slowly trickles down inthe coming seasons and this completely signifies the big shoulder

movement happening in the fashion industry today. Designer AniketSatam says, "Somewhere the exaggerated shoulder epitomises andmimicks the quintessential law of power dressing. Broader theshoulder, the more masculine competence the silhouette has. In thetimes of hashtag me too movement, exaggerated shoulder has avery special place in the wardrobe evolution. Power shoulders arenot only seen in oversized pantsuits but also in gleaming par tydresses and even decoletage evening gowns. elevated shoulderlines ads to the height and provide the per fect framing to the face ofthe wearer which instantly amplifies the wearer to have a goddesslike quality."

One has often heard the saying, ‘Diamonds are a girl’sbest friend’ and it seems now their value goes beyond justjewellery. The precious stone is one of many being infusedin face masks, serums and creams for its collagen-boost-ing proper ties. Gemology, a Parisian cosmetics line, cre-ates innovative beauty products based on trace elementsextracted from precious and semi-precious stones.These — iron, zinc, magnesium and copper — have dem-onstrated their efficacy to repair and protect, fight againstfree radicals and regulate the secretion of sebum. The brain-child of Chrystelle Lannoy, a beauty enthusiast and lover ofgemstones, she combined these interests to develop theproperties of 20 precious and semi-precious minerals andlaunch her brand, more than 10 years ago. Drawing on theskin-enhancing characteristics of natural minerals, she hascreated various products to address different skin con-cerns. Gregory Gohill, Gemology India Manager, explainsthat one of the prime issues faced by men and womentoday is dehydration due to climate change, constant expo-sure to air conditioning, and not drinking enough waterwhich leaves the skin looking dull and tired. “We offervarious facials to cater to different skin types and skinissues. These are recommended once a month, includinga Blue Amber treatment to make the skin brighter and firmer,an Amethyst facial for combination skin that tightens and aJade one that improves the youthfulness of the complex-ion. A White Pearl treatment is much in demand for thosewanting to brighten their skin, while the Diamond anti-age-ing care hydrates and restructures the skin,” he says.Aside from using these specialised skin products, (there’san exclusive range for men too), the face is also massagedalong the cheeks and jawlines, with precious stones suchas rose quar tz for a unique sensorial experience. Theseare first immersed in warm water and then used. This helpsopen up the pores and lets the serum penetrate deeper,helping the skin to regain vitality and a healthy shine. Theall naturally-derived ingredients used in the products withno ar tificial colour or fragrance make it safe to use for allincluding those with sensitive skin.

NEGATIVE SOCIAL MEDIA BEHAVIOURS MAY BE ASSOCIATEDWITH DEPRESSION IN MILLENNIALS

While scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, did you ever feel that everyone else is living their life better than you? Such socialmedia behaviours are linked with major depressive disorder (MDD), said researchers. In a study of over 500 millennials who activelyuse Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and/or Snapchat, the team from the Texas State University identified five key social media factorsassociated with MDD. Individuals who were more likely to compare themselves to others better off than they were, those who indicatedthat they would be more bothered by being tagged in unflattering pictures and those less likely to post pictures of themselves along withother people were more likely to meet the criteria for MDD. The study, repor ted in the Journal of Applied Biobehavioural Research, alsofound that par ticipants following over 300 Twitter accounts were less likely to have MDD. Participating in negative social media behaviours is alsoassociated with a higher likelihood of having MDD. “While the study highlights social media behaviours that are associated with major depression, it is importantto recognise that social media use can offer many positive benefits, including fostering social support,” said Krista Howard, from the Texas State University.“The key is for individuals to develop an awareness of how they currently use social media and to determine what changes could bemade in their social media use to reduce the behaviours associated with psychological distress.

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