Make a splash!

It’s not often that one has to hunt for an umbrella at home. C’mon,it seldom pours the way it has in the last couple of days and even if there’s a downpour,there’s never a pressing need to lug the brolly along wherever you go for that’s the prerogative of people who live in more wet ‘n’ wild places,say,like Bombay! Ok,to cut a long story short,it was pouring cats and dogs and the only umbrella I could lay my hands on at home happened to be an ancient all-black mini umbrella,the one with a turned up handle and nothing else impressive about it. As I waded through the water,a toddler holding on to his ‘Pokemon’ brolly (or was it a Power Puff Girl?) complete with ears sticking out the top ran past,making a splash in the puddles that were. That’s when I decided to let go of the drab umbrella and invest in a more suitable,albeit stylish option. And so the hunt began. The good part is that there are plenty of variety here in the city. Drive down to Sector 22 Shastri market and you can choose from bright floral patterns to cutesy cartoon ones to even those big golfing ones with large handles. But nothing exclusive. “For that just log on to the world wide web and you’ll be amazed at all that’s on offer,” recommended fashion merchandiser Kirat Randhawa who suggested the hunt start at http://www.european-umbrellas.com. It’s an online portal by ‘Schirm Oertel’,one of the oldest and largest specialized umbrella shops in Germany. With an Internet presence since 1998,they deliver to customers throughout the world.

If you thought an umbrella was just something you hid under the rain,you are in for some news. Giorgio Armani,Moschino,Guy Laroche,Gianni Versace,Valentino,Pierre Cardin,Yves St. Laurent…all top-end designer labels also dish out brollies here and they are really very special. Among them is Moschino’s ‘Dots’,a rather retro looking umbrella with an unmistakable feminine charm. The umbrella has an automatic opening mechanism and costs almost under $100,the shipping included! Equally irresistible is the Scottish tartan print umbrella by Knirps,another major umbrella brand. A duomatic – which means it closes and opens automatically – this one packs in a high-tech pocket umbrella with a frame combining fibreglass and aluminum! Elsewhere,making rainy days fabulous is Burberry’s multi-coloured signature checked umbrella. Yes for those who love ‘that’ print,they have an umbrella to match. Log on to http://www.net-a-porter.com (they now ship to India as well) where the Burberry brolly is currently available. For more stylish and budget-friendly picks,you can shop online at Amazon where we zeroed down on the Gerber Daisy Umbrella by Galleria for its unique print. For those of you who caught designer biggie Lanvin’s latest resort wear line-up,will remember seeing printed umbrellas being showed off as a new fashion accessory on the ramp. Clearly,parasols are not passe anymore,they are high fashion!